YeahIgotskills2

It really has, hasn't it? Also, people seem a bit shittier than when I joined a few years back. Inevitable, I guess, but despite the low numbers I liked the fact that people mostly behaved liked grown-ups.

I'd actually like to, even though it's awful. There were still some niche subs I enjoyed, but like many, I got randomly banned from a sub, and my naive assumption that I could just use another old throwaway account, like back in the day, apparently made things worse, and now I'm permabanned.

At first, I played cat-and-mouse with VPNs, private browsing, etc., but they're weirdly sophisticated once their bots and mods have marked your card, it seems, and each new account would always get banned for 'ban evasion'.

I used to use VPN location settings and ad blockers, but I've got them on quite a few devices and that became a bit of a hit-and-miss ballache. So instead, I subscribed. Of course, they believe I live in India, so I pay about £2 per month. I do not live in India.

I'm happy mate, and I enjoyed the world cup. There are positive people here as well - and this is from a Scotland fan :-)

I enjoyed it, and usually I don't follow league football closely at home. There are plenty of sports I don't particularly enjoy watching, but I've dialed down my Edgelord 'What's going on with the Sports Ball?!' schtick as I don't think it was doing me any favors.

I kind of hate it. I'm interested in other people's opinions and like to learn new perspectives, but some people, especially here, tend to aggressively misinterpret comments and go hard with angry emotional responses. It happened to me recently, and I just responded and blocked the guy outright. You can usually tell from the outset when someone is immediately insulting. I used to push back, but block them before they can get their claws into me.

Sure—folks sometimes share their lived experience, and sometimes they're insensitive. I tried not to be and had shared a genuine opinion, based on my own life.

But remember, I also had no desire or interest in having children until I did. I've been on that side of the fence, and therefore felt comfortable sharing my experience of the other.

To some folks, it certainly stings when they face clumsy (but likely not malicious) questions about having a family.

For what it's worth, I think it's a foolish question to ask, as you never know someone's circumstances. But if it's a decision you've got agency over, then is being asked about your choice really such a big deal?

After all, everyone is just trying to figure out their own lives, and being curious about other people's choices is only natural. How we interpret and perceive the question is key.

Personally, I've always been interested in people, how we form opinions, and if someone shares a viewpoint I once held that my lived experience changed, I don't really see the harm in mentioning my own perspective.

On the flip side, I make an effort not to get irritated by people who by definition do not have that lived experience and make sweeping, negative generalizations about having kids.

In a funny way, it reminds me of the folk who go out of their way to comment on the EV I drive and tell me why they would never, ever get one, despite having never driven one. I have experienced both, and feel I can comment honestly on the pros and cons. If the person opining how bad they are doesn't like my answers or finds them condescending, that's a shame, but it's not intentional.

I think you're absolutely right, but I think the point still stands that it depends broadly on what stage you're at in life. I can certainly envisage a time when I'm older (touch wood), where I'd want a different type of vacation from either of the ones I mentioned.

It's funny how it changes at different times in your life. We have an all-inclusive holiday with my wife, sprogs and extended family booked in Lanzarote this October.

Exactly the kind of thing I'd have thought of as a living hell when I was a young man, backpacking solo through SE Asia.

But honestly I'm looking forward to it having done my first package holiday a few years back. Decent and varied food, booze and sun by the beach with plenty of activities for the Little People, leaving me to read by the pool. Bliss.

Mate, calm down. It was absolutely not my intention to condesend - quite the opposite. However, your reaction has shown me your true character and, like you, I am now absolutely convinced that fatherhood is not for you.

Child-free for 35 years, then had 2 within 2 years. Entirely a personal decision and nobody should dictate to anyone else how they live their lives.

Needless to say my entire perspective has shifted. Its given me a purpose and an outlook I never dreamed I could have. Your mileage may vary.

So, I lit the fire...