What is happening lately?

It's pretty sad and disgusting what's happened here recently. It feels like the board has become inundated with kids. As if the stage door and "what kind of merch is there" threads aren't bad enough, now there's been threads recently about George Takei's penis, which I thought was a new low point, until earlier today when I read the (mercifully deleted) thread about whether or not Alan Menken might be gay. All this to say nothing of the political trolls over on the OT board.

The worst part is the selective moderation that occurs here, specifically the way it seems like the rules are arbitrarily enforced. When Patti Murin complains about "bullying," the thread is deleted within minutes and all of a sudden moderators appear out of the woodwork. Yet other threads have had far worse things said about people than anything that was ever directed at Ms. Murin, but those threads were left alone.

Updated On: 3/7/17 at 09:37 PM

I kind of feel the opposite. I feel like back about ten years ago, there were far more jerks on this board who kind of "ran things" it seemed like and there was almost a pecking order based on how long you had been a member. Now, no one seems to care as much about that stuff. Sure, the occasional obnoxious posters are still here, and the troll-threads still pop up, but I think the board has become more enlightened and civilized. Part of it may be that I've learned to never engage with anyone being a jerk or condescending to another poster. Part of it may be that I don't post as much or read the OT board at all anymore. But I definitely feel like the people that used to call me a moron and an idiot because I enjoy watching Phantom over and over are long gone. I think? : )

I think the board goes through phases. There's still a lot of information provided. There were jerks here 10 years ago and there are jerks today.

I'm fairly selective about which posts I read - and I never venture to the OT forum, so my blood pressure is just naturally high..

I get annoyed at the multiplicity of threads on the same topic. The "search" function is not used frequently enough.

I wish there were a better way to just click on a thread and go to "new" posts -because sometimes an older thread gets bumped up (properly given the subject matter) but the first posts may be months old and out of date. I know that if I click on the name of the person who last posted, I can go to a more recent page, but that doesn't always work for me to know there is something "new".

And I agree that I'd like to see some more moderation.

Updated On: 3/6/17 at 11:09 PM

whatever2 and Lizzie, that is precisely my point. For example, with a poster like PalJoey, one could go head-to-head with him, but there was so much to learn from him. You could argue with him all day, but he would still enjoy sharing his knowledge and experience with you.

It just feels weird here lately. ggersten, as you said, I really think we're just going through some kind of phase here.

Updated On: 3/6/17 at 11:12 PM

I know I haven't been around here very long (though I lurked for a couple years before I made an account), but even in the past few months I've noticed a change. Personally, I'm really getting sick of the show recommendation threads and people asking performers' schedules. I think a lot of it has to do with Hamilton, honestly. Now that Broadway and pop culture have intersected more than ever before in recent past, people have discovered this board and are using it to see and meet stars.

Not to mention a few personalities who start way too many threads, can't take sarcasm/a joke, and just don't have their head screwed on 100%.

Not quite sure you can blame Hamilton for this. There has always been some hot show that drives new members to join - Rent, both Spring Awakenings, Billy Elliot, Newsies....the list continues.

I am less engaged, skip far more threads than I read, and end up deleting many a comment before hitting post. Few seem interested in conversation, only in being right; and more want to start threads rather then read them.

I'm so glad I missed whatever thread that was in, though it doesn't surprise me!

No one has a problem with teenagers joining the boards. However, many of our younger posters come on here and either act like they know everything (I remember one memorable thread where a teen poster tried to argue with Pal Joey over something related to Follies), or they try to pretend they aren't teenagers and pretend to be someone else. There was a poster here recently caught in a lie just like that. No one cares that you're a teenager- just own it and learn a little. Stop trying to be something you aren't because you think it earns you more credibility. There have always been teenagers on the boards, but in the past they were much more willing to learn than this current group.

I don't mind the Rush/Discount threads and the Stage Door threads. I'm glad the board is here for people looking for that kind of information since the sites that traffic in it have basically stopped operating.

But I agree that things have been a little weird lately. Hopefully it's mostly just a lull before the new spring shows and then everyone will have something new to focus on.

For whatever reason, there's not a lot of conversation around A Bronx Tale, In Transit, and some other shows and there's only so much you can say about Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Sunday in the Park with George, and the other show threads that seem to dominate.

I think at least some of this may also have to do with the fact that message boards just aren't that prevalent anymore. I mean, it's been that way for a while I guess, but I know at this point I get most of my theatre news updates from Twitter/Facebook.

My only issue with the board is the inundation with Hamilton posts and topics. At some point it's enough already. Other than that, I like the rest of the posts on here including the stage door ones.

Except those have tamed down considerably in the last month or so.