>>1382It's not that, I don't think. It's not any one event but a gradual change as more people came in, their norms anchored in social media and smartphones, and they failed to adapt, perverting image-board culture and ruining it for everyone forever.
>>1383I never even used to post. I just lurked and read whatever discussion caught my fancy. Maybe chiming in sometimes, but far from every day. Now there's nothing to read. People don't lurk anymore. Not just newfags, no one. There's no discussion, people don't hold their tongue until they've something to contribute. It's all just one big shouting match, posturing and normalfaggotry abound. It's like no one got the fucking memo they're anonymous.
Two or three years back I ended up posting some screencaps from /tg/ on /v/, including pic related(no need to read it). Some newfags chimed in with their "cringe", one even thinking everything in it was one giant samefag. The idea that people would play along, just take a concept and run with it, have fun, was so fucking alien to him he thought it had to all be one person. Now, it's all about asserting yourself. Either puffing yourself up, or exerting influence over the board. There's no more innocence, there's no fun, there's no sincerity to it. Imageboard culture is virtually extinct. Hell, internet culture is. People just do not get anonymity anymore, and drag their egos online. Trying to shame each other into falling in line, constantly reaching for an identity to ascribe to the other party, preemptively cushioning their egos by broadcasting very loudly that their post is shit on purpose so please don't criticize it, and later insisting it just as loudly if it comes into question.