I wish people wouldn't be so rude to those who lose out under the ACA.

[StrayKat]

294. Maybe. . .

It does seem that forums bring out pack behavior and that even those who have high post counts still have to fight off the droves of hyenas looking for a cackle at their expense. However, it seems to me that long time posters have also developed their own cliques who will sometimes come to their defense should they be attacked.

DU is definitely more of a minefield for new posters who do seem to have to go through a hazing period. It seems every word is cause for suspicion and you have no history or 'allies' to back up your legitimacy. Plus, so many posts on DU are personal attacks loosely disguised as topical posts. People get dragged into sides of arguments they don't even know they're a part of.

With a bit of experience people who stick it out seem to become more aware of the mines and pecking order as well as develop their own defense mechanisms including clique posting, hyper-defensiveness, and topic avoidance.

It's par for the course in any forum. But, I suspect in a political forum playing politics is more pronounced.