Has this site suddenly become more nasty?

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You don't mean me of course.

Around here, you can be labelled as a troll not only for challenging another person's point of view, but for pointing out the errors in their so-called "facts" and the fallacies of their so-called "reasoning".

I've been called a troll for simply pointing out that non-white people can be racist, that women can be sexist, and that any Christian can be as violent and hate-filled as any Moslem.

In other words, for some members of WP, all that it takes to be a troll is to post something that someone else does not like.

I don't find that wp is getting nastier, but rather the opposite, more bland, sensitive, and socially nt-ish.

More "Politically Correct"?

I undertook a research study on WP and this was the result I came to as well.

I have only seen few posts that I would really consider nasty.

There seems less engaging discussion of topics related to autism and more social-emotional support messages.
People keep posting that wp is support forum, even though it doesn't say that on wp about page.

I think it takes only a few argumentative posters and heated discussions to make the forum look/feel rather "nasty". They come and go. I remember a time on WP when there was a poster who seemed to like controversial topics and he/she often received pages of heated responses. About the same time there was another poster whose posts were mostly bitter and argumentative. I felt they were very noticeable and influenced the whole atmosphere of the GAD sub-forum. Probably a similar thing is happening recently.

I joined in August 2013 and I have noticed this. Two things in particular seemed to have changed
An attitude that newbies asking if I am autistic are probably 1. Not Autistic 2. Intentionally or not fooling themselves and others 3. This is part of a widespread phenomenon making my real autism look like a fraud to others. Asking if I am Autistic is not the same as self diagnosis or even a likely future self diagnosis.

An attitude of my freedom of speech right trumps any hurt feelings or worse that may occur as a result. Attempts to bring attention to results of speech is censorship by politically correct people. I don’t remember it being a hug a thon back in ’13 but I incorrectly or not I did get a feeling of people having a greater sense of basic commonality and respect for triggers then there is now.

I see complaining that we are getting too NT while at the same time noting that our site is not as bad as NT’s sites.

It could be that my lack of understanding of motives means I am completely misreading the situation. I do think the August-September 2013 period I joined the board was unusually congenial.

Thanks for your thoughts on this. Yes - I think I will have to be a lot more selective in choosing when to give up on reading a particular thread when (in my view, and I appreciate not necessarily the views of others) the exchanges become a bit more aggressive in style.

Well it is the holiday season

About a fortnight ago Alex posted, reminding one poster - not you - that WP is a support site, so attacking others isn't really a good idea.

That may be true, but some forums are more support-y than others, e.g. no one goes to News or PPR for support, so it's neither expected nor given, where as the Haven exists for the express purpose of support, and other forums fall sort of in between.

That's the way it used to be (for the most part) when I got my account (in 2010), there was social-emotional support, and most people who disagreed with each other did so without personal and relentless attacks. If I wanted to be attacked for everything I say I would just go to most "regular" websites, you get that a lot, and there is plenty of jerks there. I used to tell everyone that WP was the best website ever, where you could speak freely (of autism or other subject), but its not near as nice as it used to be, and its definitely not Alex's fault. It is very possible to disagree without turning it into personal attacks, and picking on the same person's opinions/statements over and over, to the point where the person just leaves WP (as skybum and dhiantus did recently - and I hope they come back soon). There is a difference between having an opinion and being honest about it, and being rude and pick fights intentionally.

Maybe General Autism Discussion should be split into two, one for emotional support and the other where anything goes.

Exactly.