JoyFreak

[Knight Plug]

Anyone been to this gaming forum?

http://joyfreak.com

I think I was among the top 20 people to sign up there, which I think was back in 2019.

Lately I have wondered about the forum overall; I keep seeing replies in threads that look like a bot was replying rather than writing like how a proper user would. Very generic.

Much of the new members are getting banned on there, so I am sceptical. 

[Shagger]

I started posting on there frequently just recently and I'd have to agree with what you've said. Too many bots and whilst these users do get banned fairly efficiently (almost too efficiently, to the point whare I wonder why that particular account was banned as the posts on it were harmless), thier posts never get removed. It's badly moderated as well to be frank. Reported another member on thier several days ago because they just snapped me for some reason despite barley even knowing this person and I've heard nothing. Even if the mods decided to take no action, that's fine, but people who know my style of moderation know that I keep people informed and give them feedback. It's important that believe thier concerns are at least being heeded, especially if the mods don't agree. 

 

The thing that really bothers me is that members, including staffers, use posts as a front to peddle things and for SSP and that is literally thier only reason for being there. I'm not going to name names or link to it, but one individual, a member of JoyFreak's editorial team no less, posts articles to peddle things that would be considered "controversial" at the very least here on VGR. For example, he posted an article examining the pros and cons between Steam and EGS which is fair enough but further down the page he hyperlinks to a site whare you can buy accounts. Just in case you weren't aware, doing this sort of thing breaks the TOS of both these platforms and could get that account banned. He also peddles online casinos, NFT's, cryptocurrency, you name it. All in the form of hyperlinks hidden in his articles, so even though it's shameless he isn't exactly being up front about it. To be fair, some of these articles make a decent read, but how is anyone supposed to take is seriously when he's only posted it to peddle a bitcoin casino or some other bollocks?

 

There are some good folk over there, but a few things I would consider strange in how the forum is run put me off and it has an effect. No exaggeration, at least 80% of the posts are either SSP, bots or the aforementioned articles. Most of what's left are posts on the junk threads like "what are you listening to" or a thread to post random YouTube stuff.

 

Now, it's not all negative. it's great looking forum with a nice, clean interface and a good variety of in-built features that are fun to use. And like I said, there are some good discussions and people to be found on there. The place also seems accepting and neutral when it comes to social politics, even if some of the members aren't.

 

Overall, it's not a bad forum, but I'm ready to believe it's seen better days.

[Knight Plug]

Yeah. I think it's just a news dump forum now, to promote upcoming games. I find most gaming forums are just not active any more to make sticking around on them worthwhile. This is because they became less popular once Facebook and Twitter grew so large.

I know what you mean about the snappy moderators. I asked the main admin to once again get rid of this guy from Australia, who was impersonating my friend from my college days in a profile which he could still log into. Then he came back with the same name, just reversed like a mirror. My mate and I made some low key films, and this guy basically stalks me and floods this anxiety related site with my address while using my previous user names because they were not yet registered, as well as ones he just made up to abuse me.

Of course, he keeps on saying he is not this troll in Australia. This is a lie though, because I found pictures of him once and an IP address from a Kiwi network, and I then found his profile on Twitter. That I knew him from prior years was no surprise. So he just chooses to be ignorant, despite being 37 years old and still doing pointless things like spamming on dead forums. Which is what 10 year olds would enjoy doing. Not guys pushing on 40.

The only really active gaming forum is on GameFAQs or NeoGAF, but the users there on the former are just shills. When you post something semi-negative, or at least a little bit heated or combative, they say you're somebody's alt. 

I was kicked off NeoGAF twice. I never had any issues on there. It seems they just ban people for stupid reasons. But at my age and with my mother being in a bad way, I only post on forums occasionally to counter the cravings, or I would be in my flat all day doing nothing but watching movies. Because I mean, in real life, I have not got the slightest idea how to fit in with anyone, as I have ASD. And I find people with ASD usually have to be friends with other ASD related people, as the normal people are too mainstream. It makes life feel lonely, empty, and whatnot, when you cannot get a spouse either.

Being hurt by various people like ex support workers did not do anything to improve my situation. But the clock is ticking for me to start enjoying my life, while I am still fairly young. It's just that everyone is vying for something, and they win every single time. You feel like you have no chance.