Do you ever go back & look at your old posts?

[Kae]

So for personal reasons I was motivated to do some soul searching & in the absence of a Diary or any form of physical documentation[footnote]Most burned in a fire & what little of it remained is at my parents house, which is in another city, so not exactly an easy trip to make.[/footnote] I decided through look through everything in the Internet that I still had access to, after days of research I've found this to be an interesting exercise, despite not finding what I was looking for & feeling extremely embarrassed at how huge of an edgelord I was I have found the journey to be worthwhile, not only was it fun to laugh at myself for all the dumb things I used to say & laugh at the stupid parts of me that haven't but it was also an unexpectedly melancholic read, reading all those old conversations with friends whose identities have been lost to time & that I will probably never speak to again was really saddening.
I would elaborate but hindsight is 20/20, however the most valuable thing that I learned is that all those people I spoke with online were real friends & they genuinely helped me through hardships & for that I thank them even if they will never read this.

But anyway, let's extend the question to you.

Do you ever go back & loot at your old posts & if so what do you feel about them?

 

[Hawki]

Do you ever go back & loot at your old posts & if so what do you feel about them?

I sometimes look at the reviews I left on the "discuss and rate" threads. Give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

There's also a thread that revolved around Squadron 42 that I sometimes go back to. Me and evil had, um...let's just say a difference of opinion. I don't know why, but it's burnt into my mind for good and ill.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Sometimes (usually in relation to finding shit posted on random subjects that I find myself remembering for no good reason)... and realise... with some, man, a few years ago I was a flaming retard... but then others, man, a few years ago I was so up myself... and yet others, man, a few years ago I was schizoid... and yet others still, man, a few years ago, I was helpful?!

Eh... -.-

 

[McElroy]

I have checked back a couple of times, and I've managed to stay consistent throughout the years, in my own humble opinion.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

And have it starkly brought home to me what an obnoxious twat I am? I think not.

 

[BrawlMan]

I look back every now and then. So far it's been consistent. There are some posts I could have handled better (the panic I had with God of War 4 before releasing), but I made up for that. I don't get in to petty arguments that stretch 5-10 pages, so that definitely helps. I see arguing over really petty things pointless. Especially with everything going on in my life. It's why I stay off the politics/current events forum.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I look back at old post sometimes, mostly when the forums are stagnating with the same two or three threads being the only active ones for days on end. I?m pretty consistent in that I generally try to keep things light and entertaining (well, I find me entertaining, anyway?) I also have a tendency to ramble since I mostly write stream-of-consciously; I?m certain a lot of my posts come off as shaggy dog stories to the few who actually read them, but as long as I get my points out of my head, however circuitous and convoluted that process might have been, I?m comfortable with what I say.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

That'll be a hell-nope from me, squire. Generally can't stand seeing two-day old posts, let alone waffle from a mind that was probably in a completely different place and state of thinking. Also there may have been times of, shall we say 'insobriety' of various forms, or 'withdrawal from medication' which generally don't favour critical revision. Also also any attempts at jokes tend to become points of regret after the first ten minutes, leading to further decay as time trundles on. So sometimes, if an excuse is there for it, the bullshit gets shoved in spoilers now so I don't accidentally reread and hate it when going back to read others' thoughts.

 

[Xprimentyl]

That'll be a hell-nope from me, squire. Generally can't stand seeing two-day old posts, let alone waffle from a mind that was probably in a completely different place and state of thinking. Also there may have been times of, shall we say 'insobriety' of various forms, or 'withdrawal from medication' which generally don't favour critical revision. Also also any attempts at jokes tend to become points of regret after the first ten minutes, leading to further decay as time trundles on. So sometimes, if an excuse is there for it, the bullshit gets shoved in spoilers now so I don't accidentally reread and hate it when going back to read others' thoughts.

That?s a shame you feel that way; I personally feel your post often bring the sort of variety, flavor and levity these threads sorely need!

 

[CaitSeith]

Even if I wanted to, I can't. Most of my posts (at least the most representative of my changes) were lost when the R&P forum was erased out of existence.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

That'll be a hell-nope from me, squire. Generally can't stand seeing two-day old posts, let alone waffle from a mind that was probably in a completely different place and state of thinking. Also there may have been times of, shall we say 'insobriety' of various forms, or 'withdrawal from medication' which generally don't favour critical revision. Also also any attempts at jokes tend to become points of regret after the first ten minutes, leading to further decay as time trundles on. So sometimes, if an excuse is there for it, the bullshit gets shoved in spoilers now so I don't accidentally reread and hate it when going back to read others' thoughts.

Dude. I look for your posts. Your humor is required at all times.

Even if I wanted to, I can't. Most of my posts (at least the most representative of my changes) were lost when the R&P forum was erased out of existence.

Cait gets it.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Sure. I've posted some really good shit on here. Seriously. Sometimes I read an old post of mine and think "Damn, totally nailed it."

Seriously though, I very rarely look back. Sometimes I want to go over a discussion I had again but usually I prefer not to look back.

 

[Squilookle]

I tend to put way too much effort into the posts that I'm passionate about, so yeah, I tend to go back to them a bit. Especially with the cyclic nature of the internet, when an old argument pops up again it's often easier to go back to the last time I tackled it to get the key points I researched the last time.

Just yesterday in fact, I was writing an article about innovations in the FPS genre during the 90s. I recalled a topic where someone asked what exactly was so innovative about Half-Life. I had a post in there listing every major FPS up to Half Life, and the main innovations that didn't exist before each game. Reading that again really helped with the article. Mind you, I did fact check it all as I went, just to be sure I wasn't just blowing hot air at the time.

I do regret one thread I made during an imminent long term relationship breakup. Events took over the writing, and by the time I was ready to write out the conclusion, the thread had been locked. Now most of the people who were following it and kindly offering advice have long since left these forums, so it sits there as a quaint relic of a turbulent moment in my life. I still think writing it out helped me a lot at the time, though.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I like looking at predictions I made when everyone thought I was a horrific melancholic asshole who only saw the world as 2/3rds empty, and pour a drink that I was right almost every time.

Still don't get how Joker turned out popular

 

[Elfgore]

Hell no. I think I once threatened to punch somebody in the face for saying Fallout: New Vegas was better than 3 and I made a post asking if women's rights was a joke. I'd burn my everything pre-2018 if I could.

 

[EvilRoy]

I've done it to feel a pang of nostalgia for this or that, or try to remember the person I used to be (not implying major personal growth, but nearly a decade means some kind of change), but its rare. I have a hard enough time trying to avoid obsessively remembering every human interaction I've ever had without the help of a burned in record of it.

I do read other peoples posts from the past. Given how old the forum is you can really see how a person has changed over time, and the degree of separation helps. Its weird to see conversations I remember so clearly only to realize this or that person was banned or left years ago.

 

[Kae]

Hell no. I think I once threatened to punch somebody in the face for saying Fallout: New Vegas was better than 3 and I made a post asking if women's rights was a joke. I'd burn my everything pre-2018 if I could.

I guess so, I too am embarrassed by a huge portion of what I said in the past, a lot of it is cringe inducing since like I said before I was a huge edgelord & it doesn't help that I was pretty much completely separated from society so that allowed to fully believe all my delusions since there was really nobody to shine truth into what was actually going on, but as embarrassing as it is & as obnoxious that it comes off as I do appreciate what little remains, like I said I don't have much in the way of keepsakes from old times, I moved around too much & what didn't remain stuck or got lost ended up burnt in a fire, so maybe it's because of that but old embarrassing posts are the closest things I have to a memento, so personally I wouldn't like to see them lost but they will, eventually like many other forums that are lost & even here many conversations I remember vividly have been deleted, hell most of everything in the group's chat is completely gone in here.

I've done it to feel a pang of nostalgia for this or that, or try to remember the person I used to be (not implying major personal growth, but nearly a decade means some kind of change), but its rare. I have a hard enough time trying to avoid obsessively remembering every human interaction I've ever had without the help of a burned in record of it.

I do read other peoples posts from the past. Given how old the forum is you can really see how a person has changed over time, and the degree of separation helps. Its weird to see conversations I remember so clearly only to realize this or that person was banned or left years ago.

Yeah, I get what you mean, the worst part is when I realised that a lot of this people were willing to play online with me & I never took them up on the offer, I sometimes wonder if I would still be talking with them had I actually played with them.
Also it's really cool to see how some people changed, unfortunately for most that meant leaving, but let's be real this place is practically dead, if we're still coming it has to be mostly out of nostalgia, I mean look at this thread nobody has an even remotely recent join date.

 

[Elfgore]

Hell no. I think I once threatened to punch somebody in the face for saying Fallout: New Vegas was better than 3 and I made a post asking if women's rights was a joke. I'd burn my everything pre-2018 if I could.

I guess so, I too am embarrassed by a huge portion of what I said in the past, a lot of it is cringe inducing since like I said before I was a huge edgelord & it doesn't help that I was pretty much completely separated from society so that allowed to fully believe all my delusions since there was really nobody to shine truth into what was actually going on, but as embarrassing as it is & as obnoxious that it comes off as I do appreciate what little remains, like I said I don't have much in the way of keepsakes from old times, I moved around too much & what didn't remain stuck or got lost ended up burnt in a fire, so maybe it's because of that but old embarrassing posts are the closest things I have to a memento, so personally I wouldn't like to see them lost but they will, eventually like many other forums that are lost & even here many conversations I remember vividly have been deleted, hell most of everything in the group's chat is completely gone in here.

Right there with you, bud! When I was at my worst this website was my life. I think I spent more time interacting with people here than in real life, so a lot of the more negative parts of my personality and thoughts got stronger.Unlike you though, I'd rather forget the whole thing. I'll remember the people I met here, but the things of what I said and thought can burn in a fire.

 

[Baffle]

No.

I think back to conversations I've had in person, probably 7-10 years ago, and I'd like the creature from Quiet to burst out and eat me, quickly. Just do it, man. Get it done. You've got big teeth, what are you waiting for?

The online ones, not so much. Because I'm much funnier online. I realise, of course, that for many of you this means I'm more or less a brick in real life. You guys just don't get me, man.

 

[jademunky]

Do you ever go back & loot at your old posts & if so what do you feel about them?

I feel nostalgic for some Sunless Sea fanfiction I created a thread for a couple years ago and reread it.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.1054995-Tales-of-terror-on-the-Zee-open-spoilers-for-Sunless-Sea


Reminisced about that time I replaced my ship's doctor with a figment of my own imagination, befriended a deviless who wanted my soul (which I had just wrested back from an ape) and then had a crew member's own body used as the fiery fuel in his own final invention: the Infernal Engine! Good times were had.

I may need to update at some point, I've logged enough Sunless Skies hours that I can justifiably just port him into that world.

*Edit* wait, it was Gethsemani who mentioned getting the Infernal Engine.