Journal of Other Forum Analysis (Volume II, Issue 2)

[Hap Shaughnessy]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/mrbeast-responds-to-backlash-after-trapping-a-man-in-burning-building-for-a-chance-to-win-500k.1622203/#post-159968824

Clicky, this is a year old

If only there was something the general manager of the site could do to stop her from posting shitty threads.

[Uncle]

Man, I didn’t believe you were going to pull the “Chinese propaganda” card.  

I linked a new york times article

if you want to go all trump and start talking about fake news from the continually failing and very nasty new york times, that's cool

[Hap Shaughnessy]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/jd-vance-says-he%E2%80%99s-doing-%E2%80%98god%E2%80%99s-work-%E2%80%93-and-if-that-leads-to-the-end-times-ok%E2%80%99.1622095/#post-159963520

All of these people deserve a trip to the gallows.

[HeavenIsAPlaceOnEarth]

Gotta learn to like yourself somehow. Just know that you were born wrong and it's not your fault, a lifetime of optional and questionable medical intervention will take care of everything.

And if you can't get that then you're going to have to kill yourself. 

[BIONIC]

Gotta learn to like yourself somehow. Just know that you were born wrong and it's not your fault, a lifetime of optional and questionable medical intervention will take care of everything.

And if you can't get that then you're going to have to kill yourself. 

I think that’s Nintex’s first message whenever he matches with someone

[benji]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/mrbeast-responds-to-backlash-after-trapping-a-man-in-burning-building-for-a-chance-to-win-500k.1622203/#post-159968824

Clicky, this is a year old

If only there was something the general manager of the site could do to stop her from posting shitty threads.

User Banned (3 Months): Dismissing concerns of algorithms

[Besticus Maximus]

It doesn't matter if the timer is actually restrictive or not. I don't know if it's a diagnosable condition or what but if there is a timer, it makes it difficult for me to enjoy. Even super lenient timers that I couldn't fathom ever actually hitting like the 300 seconds you have in SMB3 levels bother me. It's just something deep in my wiring.

coming to a forum near you, timerism genocide

[NekoFever]

 

I love Ree threads on the impossibility of dating where it becomes apparent that before they’ve even met the girl they’ve started sperging about modding games and Marvel movies

[Besticus Maximus]

Pretty sure Uzumaki Goku is she her too lol

As an aside, this guardian interview with Mr T reminded me of someone
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/sep/03/i-dont-chase-the-dollar-i-never-did-the-astonishing-hidden-life-of-mr-t

He explains why he used to wear seven earrings – three in his right ear, four in the left. “The three is symbolic of the father, son and the holy ghost; the three wise men; the three Hebrew boys – Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; the three parts of the day – morning, noon and night; the three graces – faith, hope and love; the three civil rights workers that was killed in Mississippi trying to register blacks – James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. And the four in my left ear are symbolic of the four seasons – spring, winter, summer and fall; the four directions – north, east, south and west; the four gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You put the three and the four together, it’s seven. There were seven times the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho, Samson had seven locks of hair, there are seven colours in the rainbow, there are seven musical notes, God made heaven and Earth in six days, and rested on the seventh. I am the seventh son. So everything I do, there is a reason behind it.”

[Potato]

Who among us has the balls?

Spoiler:  (click to show)(click to hide)

Imagine getting that one dopamine hit of 115K+ views and then barely getting 1000 for the rest of your trash. Makes me think the one hit was because people were laughing at him for saying something stupid in his 2 and a half hour video about fucking Naruto...

[jimmys13]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/do-you-think-failure-is-selfish.1622224/

It's what the title asks... do you think failure is selfish? I can't help but feel that way in my case. I think it shows that I cannot be bothered to give a damn about others' or my own time and am too busy being imperfect instead of perfect. If you never fail, you have more time to succeed. And people and businesses don't like failures. They only respect perfect people in my experience. So yeah, again, do you think failure is selfish? And as always feel free to discuss. I need to try and make sense of my persistent lack of success and people constantly disliking me (and there's many reasons for the latter).

[Daffy Duck]

Fucking creep never misses a dossier moment, he’s so fucking weird 

Yup, they have Jeronimo Barrera as the general manager, and he was the alleged sexual assaulter and overall abusive person in general at Rockstar (reported by Jason Schreier back in 2019 in that above Kotaku article). Others on the team are Harold Ryan (former Bungie CEO), Shannon Armstrong, Steve Burnaroos, Jenna Hardy, Jonathan Lander, Jennifer Jolley, David Reid, Dave Lesperance, Mark Subotnik, Marc Tardiff, and Jim Veevaert.

ProbablyMonsters is a AAA game development operation that formed in 2016 and had a few studios (Cauldron, Battle Berge, Hidden Grove, and Firewalk). They raised $250 million in investment in 2022. They sold off Firewalk to Sony and closed down due to Concord. The other studios got integrated back into ProbablyMonsters, and they're now focused on releasing AA games. When I went to their team page, it's mainly corporate positions shown. The person being interviewed Kay Willis doesn't show up on their team page, nor do any people with creative roles. They released Crimson Moon recently. They seem to release games several games quite quickly with development times of over 18 months, and seems to be a big team, of more than 200. They used to be 400. They had waves of layoffs. They fired a global marketing manager for remarks about Charlie Kirk. There are stories of mismanagement.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/our-nazi-killing-game-isnt-political-says-devs-of-nekome-nazi-hunter.1622071/page-2

[Boredfrom]

Messy uses AI? Or he just badly copy pasted stuff?

[Snoopy]

Meanwhile the FBI are now allowing people who have been caught engaging in bestiality or torturing animals to apply for vacancies. The only caveat is they must have been caught before the age of 16. Welcome news for Planetsmasher

[jooseloose]

Is there still no thread about the Bank of America VP getting murdered? We are missing out on an absolute gold mine of takes.

You'll be shocked to see how Bluesky is talking about this  

https://www.resetera.com/threads/mrbeast-responds-to-backlash-after-trapping-a-man-in-burning-building-for-a-chance-to-win-500k.1622203/

Clicky, this is a year old

ClickyCal thread locked, lucky the article wasn't AI this time.

The lock message from Dubs 

Clicky, this is a year old

He's so sick of Clicky.

[jimmys13]

I wonder how much of Evilore's post from 2018 resonates with Dubs today. Trying to accommodate so many protected communities that hate you must be exhausting lmao.

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/why-did-gaf-have-such-militant-sub-communities-develop.1460684/#post-253165809

That being said, my own views on how an internet forum should be run trend toward not giving a damn what anyone claims to be in terms of identity, just the content of what they have to say and the evidence supporting it. I'm not anonymous, and some other people here aren't, but most personas are formed freely on the internet and when you can become a "protected class" and wield power by announcing that you're a person of color or a woman or trans or whatever it may be, that's going to be taken advantage of on a platform like this. And it was. I never wanted that outcome. I just wanted everyone to be able to come on here and not deal with what I felt was a massive dissonance between how we typically engage with each other on the internet vs how we do IRL.

What the OP describes wasn't really specific to the trans community here. Every identity of person seemed to trend toward hostile tribalism over time, a huge rift formed between community and moderation, individual mods had their own agendas they were furthering, and I failed to course correct it all. Eventually nothing was "progressive enough" and I became the enemy to a subset of the trans community here as well as a subset of every minority community here. I took that all in and tried to navigate it, tried to understand people's positions, but nothing was good enough and a ton of people lashed out at me any time I said anything eventually.

[jooseloose]

I wonder how much of Evilore's post from 2018 resonates with Dubs today. Trying to accommodate so many protected communities that hate you must be exhausting lmao.

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/why-did-gaf-have-such-militant-sub-communities-develop.1460684/#post-253165809

That being said, my own views on how an internet forum should be run trend toward not giving a damn what anyone claims to be in terms of identity, just the content of what they have to say and the evidence supporting it. I'm not anonymous, and some other people here aren't, but most personas are formed freely on the internet and when you can become a "protected class" and wield power by announcing that you're a person of color or a woman or trans or whatever it may be, that's going to be taken advantage of on a platform like this. And it was. I never wanted that outcome. I just wanted everyone to be able to come on here and not deal with what I felt was a massive dissonance between how we typically engage with each other on the internet vs how we do IRL.

What the OP describes wasn't really specific to the trans community here. Every identity of person seemed to trend toward hostile tribalism over time, a huge rift formed between community and moderation, individual mods had their own agendas they were furthering, and I failed to course correct it all. Eventually nothing was "progressive enough" and I became the enemy to a subset of the trans community here as well as a subset of every minority community here. I took that all in and tried to navigate it, tried to understand people's positions, but nothing was good enough and a ton of people lashed out at me any time I said anything eventually.

The first post of the thread   

So mods have said that we can now talk a bit more freely on GAF, which is great.

My question is simple: Why was the transgender community on GAF (and now their new home) so downright militant and annoying?

I'm not going to claim to know a lot of trans people. I've met a few in real life, I've played games with a handful more, and they were all cool. Nobody really got arsey about the terms used, nobody dictated what opinions should be, and for the most part the fact they were trans wasn't even an issue. I'm sure I've probably encountered a few trans folks without even realising they were trans.

On GAF, however, not only was the trans community seemingly far more prominent than in society as a whole, they were also incredibly hostile.

Furthermore, they actually worked against their end goal. I'm a liberal person and I don't give a fuck how you live your life. If you're cool, you're cool. Seeing so many people push a warped agenda actually made me annoyed at the trans community. Which, I admit isn't fair because, as I've said, GAF's old trans community didn't represent the wider community, but it was by far my biggest exposure to trans people so it had that impact.

If you're trans and still posting here, I'd like to know your opinions on having (seemingly) unhinged and disconnected people try to represent you. Did you ever want to speak out against a lot of the madness?

Please note once again, this isn't an anti-trans thread whatsoever.

When that's the first thing you want to know after mods let the community talk more freely you know they're not the only person thinking that.

[Nintex]

Meanwhile the FBI are now allowing people who have been caught engaging in bestiality or torturing animals to apply for vacancies. The only caveat is they must have been caught before the age of 16. Welcome news for Planetsmasher

Also whoremongers

[Uncle]

Meanwhile the FBI are now allowing people who have been caught engaging in bestiality or torturing animals to apply for vacancies. The only caveat is they must have been caught before the age of 16. Welcome news for Planetsmasher

so you can't apply if you did it but were never caught?

[Nintex]

We'd love to hire you but you haven't launched a scam coin or got banned from at least 2 social media communities 

[Jansen]

I'm just super confused how a nickname like that is allowed. I don't think a account named after a victim of a recent horrible event like LisaXNaruto would be allowed. (Lisa is a recent victim in the Netherlands tot got brutally murdered and has become a symbol for woman safety)



It's bad enough people make bad fanfics about Anne Frank. Let alone use that as a internet name. Anne Frank the symbol of one of the darkest times in human history

That wasn't my point. It's a person who's become a symbol last summer (no last name is known). I could have used a different victim name of a hate crime, sexual abuse or other terrible event. I don't feel comfortable in doing that though. Originally I wanted to use a completely fictional name of a terrible fictional event



My point is that there are certain things that aren't acceptable. If you would make a nickname Anne FrankxGoku in the Netherlands people would be really upset. Rightfully so. It's unthinkable to do. It's the face of 6 million people who got slaughtered

Constructive

[Uncle]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/has-any-cartoon-character-aged-worse-than-pepe-le-pew.1622395/

My guy was sexually assaulting cats that he mistook for female skunks.

He didn't take no for an answer.

Even as a wee lad I thought it was very very weird. I felt for the cats.

I know the whole Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies line is hella problematic overall, but I fully understand the Le Pew's weirdo vibe pretty early.

I know the character wasn't even in the new Space Jam. Looks like he's on ice.

wasn't the joke always that he's a stinky smelly skunk and NOBODY wanted to be near him? there's usually an establishing shot at the start where he wilts flowers and random passerby run from him in terror

his targets aren't trying to get away from him because of sexual assault, they're trying to get away because he stinks

there's also the matter that he's, y'know, romancing them with gifts and poetry, not raping them

he also regularly got the tables turned on him

[Snoopy]

Meanwhile the FBI are now allowing people who have been caught engaging in bestiality or torturing animals to apply for vacancies. The only caveat is they must have been caught before the age of 16. Welcome news for Planetsmasher

so you can't apply if you did it but were never caught?

Apparently the feds changed the rules because one of Trump’s friends has a kid who wants to join but he got kicked out of a summer camp for hanging and torturing a dog

[Rendle]

View this post on Instagram

[TacoWallace]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/how-many-new-games-do-you-plan-to-get-in-september-september-2026-releases-image-heavy.1619077/page-5#post-159854446

(Why is there a movie trailer in this list?)

There is a série in it too, but no one noticed yet 😜

Either they noticed or they don't give a shit

This technically isn't a "low effort" thread but it's a massive waste of time to post regardless 😜

I never understood how their ban on "list threads" works because what is this thread if not a list thread. The Op is a list and the replies are a list.

Wow, I checked back and they pinned the fucking thing.

Stickying this thread for a few days since this is an unprecedentally insane month

If you really want to see the games coming out in any month, it's likely easier to google (or use the "coming soon" section of your platform of choice) rather than attempting to scroll that mess to find something interesting. Especially since you'll have to do that anyway to wishlist or actually buy stuff!

More importantly, Angie never offers any real insight whatsoever into anything. She is essentially a bot.

[jimmys13]

King Feraligatr 

https://www.resetera.com/members/king-feraligatr.220479/



The info is a bit outdated as Henry Miller is currently in his early 30s and says he lives in Wisconsin now.











Socials:

https://youtube.com/@kingferaligatr7994
https://github.com/KingFeraligatr
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Tropers/KingFeraligatr
https://musescore.com/the-most-intelligent-and-musical-pokemon-in-the-universe
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198098404029

AI Summary:

• Self-Image & Mental Health: The user King Feraligatr struggles with long-term, severe depression dating back to childhood and deals with high-functioning autism. They harbor intense self-hatred, frequently view themselves as a complete failure, express active suicidal ideation, and believe that their self-deprecation provides amusement or utility to others.
  
  
• Romantic Orientation & Dating: They identify as a heteroromantic, sex-repulsed asexual who is firmly childfree and has experienced trauma related to past family pressure regarding relationships. They avoid the dating pool entirely due to low self-worth and past unsuccessful interactions, finding alternative comfort in fictional characters ("waifus").
  
  
• Professional Life & Living Situation: Despite holding a two-year software development degree that took years to complete, they abandoned tech due to a lack of passion and a deep resentment toward generative AI. They currently work part-time in a low-level job, live with their mother and stepdad while paying modest rent, and acknowledge an inability to live independently.
  
  
• Philosophical & Political Outlook: They hold a bleak, fatalistic worldview regarding society and the political climate in the United States. While they express deep anger toward corporations and the rapid rise of AI automation, they also experience internal conflict regarding extremist rhetoric, finding a twisted sense of validation in the hostility directed at their innate traits.
  

Sample of posts showing his fun bubbly personality:

Spoiler: Self-Image & Mental Health (click to show)(click to hide)

I'm some fucking shithead that is in the running for one of the worst humans to ever exist (like, on the level of Trump, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Leopold 2, Putin, Netanyahu, the Kims etc.). I am so utterly, completely dogshit with basically nothing to offer. I'm stupid; a failure; usive, abusive; broke; uncharismatic; don't do anything meaningful better than anyone else; fat; disabled; broke; skilless; a pariah; a cretin; a coward; lazy; picky; useless; imperfect; and so much more. I ruin social relationships all the fucking time with my own actions. I have achieved essentially nothing with my life when you're expected to have it all figured by 18 and it feels like basically everyone else is instantly successful. I punish myself for my shittiness, but it's never enough. And I'd think that people would love me self-bashing myself, yet for some reason, 99% of people dislike it. Despite my shittiness; despite the world being filled with cruel and sadistic people; despite people loving it in middle school... am I just not finding the right people? Why do people not appreciate me bringing justice to myself when no one else will?

I also struggle at times if wondering if the far right is "correct". I have little confidence and self-esteem and they sound "smart" and confident. Plus they just hate me for being me. Nothing I can do will ever be good for them for my innate traits (being autistic and asexual in this case), so I guess it's kind of validating to know that there's people who avoid the same tired optimistic platitudes about me ("you have 'value'", "you're too hard on yourself", and other crap I've heard a million times). They'd be willing to torture me for my failures and maybe even kill me. Yet I never hang around them. I'm scared of them and they're quite frankly otherwise generally disgusting. Yet I'm just so damned bad and there's not enough justice being done against me that, yeah. Plus they already won in the US and run the country... little I can do against them at this point. The world they seek sounds awful and boring, with the added caveat that they would never accept me (like it would turn out well even if they did... fascists eat themselves... it's a part of their ideology).

I keep hoping that my self-hatred will bear better fruit. That someone will actually like it (some do agree with my points about myself, at least). Yeah, I've destroyed so many relationships over it; tormented myself endlessly (though it's on and off at times... I still need some neutrality to get things done); have had depression since I was very young; etc. But I have to bring justice to an otherwise innately horrible human being (and I hold hypocritical double standards against myself to hate myself more... I'm not usually so harsh on myself). And any time I've tried "optimism", it's blown up in my face and I had my normal beliefs about myself reaffirmed. But when will others like me for my self-torment?

Something that would be convenient for me to have access to in life is something to end my life quickly. I have no value, people don't like me, I'm tired of life and all this BS, I'm a horrible human being, etc. Better right to die laws in the US when?

I've lost acquaintances over them not thinking it funny that I hate on myself. I mean, I fucking suck... why should they not want to join in. Still, I regret driving them away, but now how I treated myself.

Why don't people like it when I insult myself? 99% of people say they don't like me self-bashing, yet at the same time they're expecting me to do it. They'll turn tail and cut off contact with me while still expecting me to say what they feel. People are fucking hypocrites. People used to love when I did this shit in middle school and people are still generally as cruel as they were back then. So why would they not want to see the free entertainment? Gosh, humanity as a species sucks.

My depression has been with me in one form or another since I was very young, but I can relate to what some of what you say. I know people wouldn't care if I blasted my head off. In fact, they'd probably cheer.

I have seen therapists, and even if I appreciate most of them, I still don't take it too seriously. I'm totally fucked and nothing can make up for the harm I've caused in life. They do get a bit of a pass for telling me optimistic BS, but that's just because they're professionals. They along, with everyone else, doesn't seem to understand just how bad I am. I've been depressed in one form or another since I was probably like 5-6. Now I'm 31. No one makes super compelling arguments. And I'm lazy. And no one would like me to "feel better" in the end. They might say they do. But in the end, they'll want self-hating me back.

Almost nothing positive happens in my world and I'm such a terrible person that it doesn't really matter anyways. I bring others down.

I have little regrets on how shit I've treated myself. I know I'm a garbage person. And since it's in part due to how I was born, it' innate and I cannot change it. I do have some regrets on how I've treated others in my self hating moments, but barely with myself. It's just and moral. And changing it would be unfair to the people who do like my self-hatred and misery.

Not really, but it's not really that important compared to other things, I'd think.

Again, it doesn't feel like it to me. Calling myself out, insulting myself, saying what I think others think of me (since they're rarely honest about it), etc. just comes comes rather easy to me.

I don't think there's any redeeming the shit I've done. The people I've hurt and driven away with my negativity and self-bashing (Why do people hate the latter again? It perplexes me no matter how many people say they dislike it. I'm giving them free entertainment at my expense.). If after 30+ years of being a shit person and being born that way I'm still not a good person, there's no hope for a shithead like me. People are supposed to get over this stuff by like 18. I need someone calling me out, yes, but they need to be destroying me and making me feel motivationless, powerless, terrible, and more. They need to put me into my place. Plus I'm freaking lazy (no real excuse, I know)and am convinced most, if not all, people don't actually want to see me in specific be "better", regardless of what they say. I'm so terrible that people can look at how bad I am and feel better about themselves by not being me. I take that away, they might feel worse and/or angry. That's arguably selfish. I create more happiness and joy by being miserable, even if it's next to nothing. Unlike the black void I create if I'm feeling "better". I've done the dance of "you should lighten up, feel better, and you're too hard on yourself" dance with so many people... no one is able to put much of a dent in it. People don't get why I'm so bad and I don't think most normal people know what they're talking about in my case. Professionals have more know and legitimate say, but I feel even they don't really get it.

Also, while I get why you don't like the perceived self-congratulating (and it very well might) about me removing myself from the dating pool in part so others have that slightly higher chance to find someone actually worth a damn, how is it anything but an objective good when I do it? Dating is already hard enough for people (and the responses in this thread are evidence of this)--- why make it harder with another terrible person in there?

Maybe I am a narcissist (honestly, I don't know), but why should I do something "positive" for myself? Who else does that benefit besides myself (and even then)? Why do I deserve something "better" when it'd probably make others feel worse? And when there's probably only such much "happiness" to go around. And being a narcissist is considered a bad thing, which just reinforces my negative self-view in this case. I need this to make sense, please.

I'm still going to need reasons why people hate me bashing myself instead of loving it like is logical. And like, not usual platitudes. I can easily dismiss those. Like maybe I'm going to need to hear deep philosophical and moral arguments why in my specific case people don't like it when they should. Maybe I'll just dismiss those too, but geez, I get tired of the usual optimistic bullshit. Also, it's not like anyone interacts with me outside of me bashing myself, so it's like "What the hell? Be fucking consistent!".

I don't usually share my "better" moments with people unless it has some actual meaning. But still, who would want to see me in a "better" place?

I just have to meet someone someday who outright likes my self-hatred again. Openly and not in secret. Unlike everyone else who actually like it, but lie to my face about disliking it.

It's what the title asks... do you think failure is selfish? I can't help but feel that way in my case. I think it shows that I cannot be bothered to give a damn about others' or my own time and am too busy being imperfect instead of perfect. If you never fail, you have more time to succeed. And people and businesses don't like failures. They only respect perfect people in my experience. So yeah, again, do you think failure is selfish? And as always feel free to discuss. I need to try and make sense of my persistent lack of success and people constantly disliking me (and there's many reasons for the latter).

I think the "abusive" part is just part of who I am and cannot change.

I felt old at 18. Wasted my 20s. 30s aren't going any better. Just as well: I'm a garbage ass person. I never had any value and if I didn't get my shit together at 18, I never will.

I'm in my 30s and feel like I'm fucked as well. Granted, it's not the same as in your case, but I didn't have my life figured out by 18 like society expects and I really wasted my 20s...

Anyways, why have people historically encouraged me to date IRL when that's just a horrible option in my case? Why not encourage the opposite?

I'm (probably) a bit of a scalie myself. :') Hello. o/

Spoiler: Romantic Orientation & Dating Experiences (click to show)(click to hide)

Well, I'm disabled (high-functioning autism, or whatever you call it these days), heavily sex-repulsed, asexual, and don't want kids. And I'm unwilling to accommodate a partner who wants sex or kids (maybe if we were much older and their kids were all grown up, I'd be flexible on the existing kids thing). So that heavily tanks my chances there. There's also the fact that I've never had any real desires for a real person beyond passing fancies and fantasies (only know I'm not aromantic due to having some fictional "waifus" (I'm heteromantic, which also hurts my chances) and thoughts and desires in my head about having a relationship). There's also my personal failures like being broke, lazy, fat, ugly, stupid, uncharismatic, usive, abusive, depressed, a shit person, etc. I'm also past prime desirability (in my early 30s) and have no real prior experience, so me thinking about relationships at this point is essentially childish.

A few women have expressed interest in me (mostly online in dedicated ace dating spaces), but I don't know what they even saw in me. I never feel like I know any of the gals on these places enough to actually want to pursue them. I liked to do a "screening and building rapport" phase before actually trying to go further, since I think a good relationship needs a solid friendship behind it as well (we wouldn't have gotten to that in a short amount of time, but even an acquaintanceship before actually dating would be better than nothing). I also just felt like a creep going over these women's profiles. And I might just be. And even if I wasn't they might think that anyways. By removing myself from the dating pool, I allow those other women that little extra chance they can actually find a decent person.

Relationships, from what I have seen and heard from others, also seem very cutthroat and generally flawed. Happy relationships can and do exist, but they seem to be the exception to the rule. At least, until people date many people to find someone that works for them. I hold no illusions that I'll ever get a healthy one. Especially with how many people seem to bitch about their relationships. I'm already low on the totem pole. Outside normal peoples' desirabilities. Maybe if I wasn't asexual, there'd be some chance I could find someone after a long time searching. But since sex seems to be the most important factor for most people for a relationship, yeah...

There's also trauma from growing up. When I was young, my parents seemed to try ship me near every gal my age. Shit might be just annoying for some, but it was traumatizing for me. Felt like I couldn't talk to gals my age without my parents trying to ship me. I came to calling myself asexual on my own (before I knew it was a thing), and then hoarded calling myself aro when I learned what it was (to be fair, I've always had low romantic drives, I suppose. But even growing up, I think in hindsight I had my thoughts and feelings. And my "waifus". Hell, I even had a preschool "girlfriend") Then came my parents' divorce. It was almost entirely my dad's fault and he's now the worst person I personally know (there's worse, but I don't personally know Trump, for instance). It didn't help my view of relationships and the drama and trauma a failed one could bring. Even with my mom's stable and working relationship with my stepdad, yeah. Not every relationship can be like their's. And of my biological parents, my mom was the greater "offender" with "shipping me with other gals my age". She's calmed down now and took the time I came out to her about my specifics well. And she's honored my requests to not talk about it if I don't want to (I've never talked to her about it again.). Still, she bothers my younger siblings with the "shipping" so she's not entirely learned her lesson...

The one time I kind of tried dating was in 2024 when I talking to some gal and in my "screening" phase (I'm upfront with that). She had her problems and mental issues, but I don't think I made it worse (I'll never know, for reasons I'll say shortly). And she sent some red flags, which she was aware of "love bombing". Well, eventually, she ghosted me some day after a month of not talking to me (she said she needed some time to herself, which I obliged). She never told me why and I didn't care enough to "hunt" her down. When we were talking, she'd keep asking if I was annoyed or angry at her. I wasn't until she ghosted me. And even then, I'm not really that angry or upset at her. More just annoyed. I don't wish to talk to her again, but I wish her the best in life. In retrospect, I don't think it ever would have worked and wouldn't have been a good fit, but that "farce" of sorts was a bit depressing. And likely to happen again if I try again.

In summation, a combination of me being a shit person, extremely low desirability, having a niche orientation, trauma, other people having terrible experiences, a failed attempt, and more are reasons I shouldn't date. I'd put my desirability around MAGAs and incels, even though I'm neither. I have a battle in my brain between sides that want a relationship and those that don't (for whatever reason). The "pro-relationship" side used to give me lots of mental pain for saying never, but, while it still does, years of attacking it and out-logic-ing it have eased those punishments (though that battle in of itself has caused trauma). It still thinks that a forever single life seems kind of boring and pointless. But when I'm such a terrible person and the odds massively stacked against me and so much trauma, what's the point? Others can live single just fine (which I'm kind of envious of, even if I'm single and can handle being single, just part of my mind would like a relationship), why not me?

It truly was traumatizing and had me seriously uncomfortable with coming to terms that I'm a heteroromantic ace rather than aro ace. Took until my 20s to feel comfortable with saying it (Though I'm mixed on actually having a relationship. In part, but hardly entirely, due to this trauma).

I'm kind of not the best person to talk on this, but I too never want kids. Not only do I find them a drain and not something I want to spend my time, effort, and money on, but the act to have them is just plain repulsive to me as well. While the former motive is the bigger one for me in general, my brain chemistry is just so revolted with the act to have them. Being a sex-repulsed ace will do that. Part of me might want a partner (have always been single), but I'd be sure to get one who doesn't want kids or already has them (unless maybe I get much older where they're all grown up by that time). Pets are fine, though.

I have a brain that desires a relationship, yet I cannot form a fully logical reason why. I can somewhat, but not totally. And it's so odd, since I'm in this weird in-between orientation of being a heteroromantic ace. I've never really dated, and I don't see myself doing so anytime soon. And kind of like you guys, I haven't found anyone IRL that's interested me beyond passing fancies. :/

What the title says. Have you all but given up on relationships? I basically have, despite never really trying. I'm a heteroromantic ace (as far as I know), which already makes my prospects dim. But there's also the the cases that I'm lazy, ugly, useless, dumb, disabled, broke, usive, abusive, have no charisma, have nothing to offer, have some specific desires and conditions, don't know how really start or carry one out in practice, kind of like being single (though not totally), have been single most of my life, am arguably too old to start, have no real experience, am emotionally distant and shutin, past my "prime desirability" range, have trauma from past events, have never had real interest in a real person (beyond passing fancies/fantasies), I'm creepy, I'm not ready, I'd just make the other person suffer, selfish, worried I'll just find bad people, etc. Plus I hear endless horror stories from others, many other people do just fine single, it's seen as "tougher" to be single, many relationships seem cutthroat, etc. I can't completely give up lest I live a lie (part of my brain wants one) and my brain gets horribly bent out of shape and dysfunctional. But there's no real reason to try. The positives seem unobtainable, possibly fleeting, perhaps too "sappy" and "weak", and more. It's pretty inconsiderate for me to be in the dating scene when I'm such a bad potential partner instead of staying out the way and giving others a slightly higher chance of finding the right person.

Anyways, that's enough rambling from me for now... what's your take?

I used to care more about being in a relationship (comparatively), but I did my work to make it less appealing to myself (Mental torture was needed. But I hate myself, so it could be a bit fun). Along with the usual BS you see others deal with. The one time I was doing my "screening" (I want to build up some rapport with potential partners instead of jumping into the deep end immediately.), the gal I was talking to said she was worried about "love-bombing" me (indeed, she was bit... much on that end). She also had insecurities herself and kept wondering if she was annoying me. Well, she never did until she eventually ghosted me and just disappeared. She had already said that she needed some time to herself, so I let her have that time. I was annoyed at the ghosting and in retrospect, I'm glad it didn't work out. Still, it was a farce. Some other gals (and apparently one guy) have expressed interest in me, but I wonder what the hell they ever saw in me. Yeah, some were on dating places, so I guess I get what I get. But there was this one gal who was into me at work one time. Again, I don't know what she saw in me and it was kind of awkward. I still was thinking I was aro ace as well at that time, so that made it even more weird. I probably should have just told her I wasn't interested, but I'm just bad at things like that. Eventually she got a boyfriend, so I guess it turned out well (but I think they might have broken up.... I dunno. It was ages ago) for all. But it was weird. The hell do people even see in me?

And to date, the only "people" I've had some legit romantic interest in are some fictional characters (hence the quotes around "people"). I've had the same "primary" fictional "waifu" for years and in some senses, that has kind of sufficed. I haven't developed any real interest in real people beyond passing fancies and fantasies, like I've said.

Does anyone know why humans evolved to have separate (if usually related) romantic and sexual desires? Well, I get the evolutionary having sexual desires without having romantic ones, but vice versa? Seems a bit weird. It feels like I'm a contradiction, being an ace person with some romantic desires. I don't like being what I'd consider some awkward "in-between". It feels illogical to me. Granted, biology fails at the best of times and doesn't make sense. If anything, I wish I was born full aro ace 😔. Would have made things even more simple for me (I consider being ace a thing that has made my life simpler. Might not be for others.).

Yeah, fictional characters helped me realize I was heteroromantic ace, rather than aro ace. Otherwise, I might have never come to terms with it (though maybe that would have been for the better). And it also allows me to safely explore, etc. my orientation without actually having to go through the hassle of pursuing an actual relationship (something I've mostly sworn off doing by now). I don't take it overly seriously and know it's not real and I've gotten so great art, lore, etc. out of all of this.

Can I get some encouragement to stay single instead of seeking out relationships? It's a constant battle in my head, but over time, I've been leaning more towards "staying single" (so many reasons why).

Growing up, I felt self-conscious about to girls around my age due to trauma from my parents trying to ship me with like every gal I'd talk to. But I talked to older women just fine. Nowadays, this doesn't matter. I got my parents to stop doing the teasing thing and I don't care as much. Still, I don't make friends these days. Haven't since high school. Acquaintances at most.

Spoiler: Professional Life & Living Situation (click to show)(click to hide)

I'm a lazy, dumb bumfuck who's only capable of managing of doing part time work without going crazy. And I don't think I'll ever be able to support myself by myself (but being single income is dumb in the current state of the USA). Anything I make is dogshit. I'm sure you're better than me. We have similar circumstances in some areas, I'd say. But since I'm in the landfill underneath the barrel, you have to be better.

Most of the bosses I've had have been incompetent. Though I avoid leadership positions because I know I am incompetent as well.

This was me for a few months after I lost my job before what I currently have (the entire operation was shutdown.... everyone had to go). And before that job, I was searching for about a year before actually getting accepted into anything. I was unemployed for about a year before that as well. I burned through a lot of my savings during that time. I wasn't searching for a job for a year since I still hated the job search process and am extremely lazy.... that was a mistake. Employers also just don't seem to want to hire people.

Even with all this, I'm still in several holes (I guess). I have shit mental health (and deserve it), so I can only hold down a part time job (also worked for Amazon for 6 years and it really fucked with my mental health more and had me very negative and wary of employers and managers). Part of the part-time thing is also so I can keep my state benefits, though. Also, I'm lazy (as I've said before). Tried a full-time job and I went insane not even a week in. I'm also a bit picky with what jobs I apply for. Granted, part of this is also knowing my limits, so I guess there's that.

Also, there's this. I have a 2-year degree (that took me 7-8 years to get since I'm in part extremely pathetic) in software dev that I'll never be able to use. I already have low passion for coding when it doesn't serve an end for me (like when modding). With AI, there's no fucking chance. I'm far too washed out outside the basics and again lack passion. So an AI can literally code better than me. And almost all IT jobs are AI facing or replaced with AI. I don't want to deal with that shit, so I've pretty much entirely pivoted to the one thing I might be good for and have experience: low-level grunt jobs. I have no management ambitions (I'm shit at leading people and don't want to "lose" myself), so yeah, I'm at the bottom rung with no lateral growth opportunities. Fitting, I suppose.

Even at my current job, I might be working too many days compared to how hard things are on me that I might need to cut a day just to stay sane. I'm a roaring tornado of garbage...

I saw the writing on the wall a while ago (probably over a year) in that AI was going to replace most tech jobs. Since I'm a shit coder with low passion, low experience, a mere 2 year degree in software dev (that took me 7-8 years to actually get), so bad an AI could do better than me, etc., I pivoted and essentially stopped trying to get tech jobs. I'm only good for low-level grunt jobs and that's a thing I just have to accept. Combine that with my hatred of gen AI when everything's AI focused and, well, yeah. Seems like I saved myself a headache.

Yeah, that quote that they'll burn out the whole world for this shit is true.... fuck them.

I have a two-year software dev degree that I've never been able to use. Besides lacking passion in the field itself, the time when I was looking at jobs most recently with (like a or two year ago), I just wasn't getting any luck. In part, I think it's due to this AI craze. And nowadays, I'm especially ant-gen AI. I knew there was no way I could compete with a machine. And I mean that quite seriously. I'm sure some AI crap would be better than me (that's how out of practice I am). And that I wouldn't be trained too well. Or if I got a job, I'd have to use this crap. And then get my job replaced anyways. So I stopped trying. My degree (which they never gave me my piece of paper for) is useless. College was basically useless. So I've pivoted to the only thing I do have experience as well as the only thing I'm good for when it comes to jobs (especially since lateral promotion is dead these days due to AI. And I don't want to do management): entry level grunt jobs. At least physical labor jobs will be replaced later...

Gosh, I hate how the world is being destroyed for this crap. Not like the companies in charge care. Kill a bunch of people, crash economies, burn the planet up, etc.? Who cares! Fuck them! We've found our potential to replace most of the human element in things!... Gosh, why the fuck are people so fucking evil? They say not to make comically evil villains in fiction, yet you look out the window and they exist in real life.

Too lazy to actually keep shaving things off, so I just use scissors to trip the damn things when I feel like it. I hate shaving...

But I'm lazy and don't like going out! :'(

I never wanted a house. Too much space for my wants. Only wanted a condo or something. Still, I know I won't be able to support myself by myself. It'll probably have to be family or a roommate if I'm ever forced to move out (living with my mom and stepdad right now... no shame here). Romantic prospects are nigh nonexistent for me, so I'm unlikely to have a partner.

I live with my mom and stepdad and they'cool with it. Just have to pay them some modest rent. There's no way I could live alone.

I have quite low ambitions outside maybe creative works. I also just have low motivation and poor self-esteem. I'd also like to move out the US some year, but I'm not sure how realistic that is. And part of my brain has relationship desires, but I try to shut that down as best I can. Almost certainly won't work and it's a waste of time, money, and energy in my personal case.

Spoiler: Philosophical & Political Outlook (click to show)(click to hide)

What the title says. The world is horrible right now and will keep getting worse. There's almost fuck all I can do and I have garbage mental health and self-image, so that doesn't help either. Does anyone else stay less plugged in than they used to?

To all those people saying not to visit the US: I agree with you. Don't come by us. Let us suffer from our own stupidity and mistakes (that'll never be blamed on the right people) as we run ourselves into the ground. (I wish I had the money to move out of the country, but I don't. Nor do I bring and value and I'm disabled. So yeah, I'm stuck.)

I mean, I'd kind of like if I wasn't autistic, but these fucks are not the "solution". Not by any means. They get the "cause" and "solution" wrong. And it's fucked what these people see people who don't dislike being autistic as.

Things are only going to get worse, buddy. Things are only going to get worse.

I live in WI and I'seeing plenty of signs in support of Tom Tiffany for governor... gosh preserve us...

Also, I don't think these midterms will be as much as a blue wave as we might think.

[Besticus Maximus]

Why women who are actually men just like that guy criticise designs in a safe thread: you've never had a relationship except with your fictional waifus

[Jansen]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/book-lis-out-of-focus-chloe-fighting-for-trans-rights-while-crying-over-max.1622830/

LiS stans are insufferable

Game and book spoilers!







The new Life is Strange Reunion prequel novel is out. Chloe Price and her adventures with the band Drugstore Makeup before heading off to the events of Reunion.



Who is Drugstore Makeup? Introduced in True Colors it's a punk band Steph and her then trans girlfriend Izzy started. They broke up and Izzy went off to reform the band. (Read the TC prequel novel Steph's Story).



Without really spoiling anything, Chloe who has been in a 10 year pity party working odd jobs here and there since breaking up with Max (she hasnt even kissed anyone else) meets Izzy and the band and becomes their manager. The tour and deal with a rival band and their transphobia on and off line. This is actually a good page count of the book. Chloe has a harder time because she keeps dreaming about her deaths and of Max (see intro of Reunion).



The book is very pro-trans and it's nice to see. I've seen some fans not happy that instead of calling Chloe a Lesbian she is called Queer. Plus some feel that this Chloe doesn't gel with Reunion Chloe. Though I now think Book Chloe is just hiding her feelings in Reunion. Like Book Chloe YEARNS for Max to an almost pathetic degree. Yet she plays it very cool in Reunion. I think what people think on the inside doesnt always come out on the outside. Especially for someone like Chloe who has always kept her real feelings bottled up and just expressed things through anger. Like Max who has a bad habit of isolating herself. 



What is kind of funny is Chloe can't move on from the breakup she made while Max is off trying to hook up with Amanda (if you play Double Exposure that way, I guess) (why wouldn't you, Amanda is awesome).



I'm almost done with the audiobook (I recommend the 2 prequel audiobooks, they are read by Steph and Chloes VA respectively) (do NOT read the TC sequel novel it is a giant PoS that actually hurts Alex and Steph as characters) and it's been such a fun read. I love Max and Chloe and can't wait for the tv show.



Oh one more thing, I like the Merged Timeline stuff the book mentions. Like Chloe feels very sad when she thinks of her mom.. even though shes alive and well (and not currently dead). Both her and Steph haven't been back to Arcadia Bay in a long time... why? Not so sure (cause it was wiped out). Not to mention all the dreams Chloe has about her various deaths and alt timelines. Basically her brain trying to format 2 lifetimes crammed into one path.

[Jansen]

As I said in the last thread, I hate this technology, even ignoring my views on GenAI (which you can't convince me to like, I'm sorry "makes game look nicer" and "It helps make work more efficient (at the cost of many people losing their jobs and the death of creativity and originality) so I can have more work to do!" are laughable justification for tech that causes so much harm); I hate this mentality that the goal for all games is photo realism, that all games should look the same, lit the same, coloured the same etc etc.



It kind of makes it clear the tech bros behind this tech just do not understand art, do not get stylization, framing, the importance of uniqueness, colour science etc etc etc; games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth look so bad with this on because it wasn't aiming for realism to begin with, the characters aren't realistic people you'll meet.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/dlss-5-releases-to-all-users-this-week-to-rtx-50-gpu-users.1620217/page-30#post-159975451

[Jansen]

It looks like this organized smear campaign at Hasan is backfiring if you ask me. These cable news networks and pro-Israel Dems overplayed their hand making countless segments and condemnations. People are getting wise to their game.



Folks who had no opinion of Hasan are being negatively polarized to defend him against this witch hunt. Phone bankers in Michigan sharing anecdotes of voters well aware he's not on the ballot and think the wall-to-wall coverage is strange.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/hasan-piker-ot-oh-your-such-a-big-man-hasan.321886/page-81#post-159782464

So delusional