I recognize the people who account suicide.
These are prominent members and some responsible for many great threads on GAF, especially fostering a game community.
This forum will definitely missed them.
I didn't mean to blanket state that. There are those, like i saw Alucrid, who has been here for the better part of a decade, sure, but most are a bunch of random gaming-side whiners who never contributed beyond gifs and inside jokes. The forum won't miss them.
I am glad to have spent literally half my life on different versions of GAF. It has made me a decent person.
Before GAF, and during most of my early years here, I was an ignorant conservative who believed liberals were idiot, unwashed masses set to destroy America. Later, I figured that i was fine, but the Republican party is wanted to vote for was being co-opted by outside idiots and I could fix it. Finally, I understood that Republicans were always shit ever since the party swap after and during the progressive era. I am a registered Democrat who won't engage or allow people around me to engage in racial, sexist, or otherwise bigoted jokes. I think much more often before I speak. I admit that I am wrong often and learn from my mistakes.
I legitimately credit GAF and it's membership for that. Sometimes, the feeling of wanting to belong compels a person to do extreme things. It made me a better, although still incredibly flawed person. That same feeling is pulling this forum apart towards several camps right now.
The people who are just leaving without killing their accounts will largely come back if they truly felt like they were a part of this community. Otherwise, I don't care if they stay gone. I won't miss them.
This is my home.