Is it possible to get a true depiction of a city on this site any more? (Seattle: real estate, apartment)

[Pfhtex]

Seriously, not trolling here at all.

I've been on this site for years. I moved across the country based partly on info that I got from reading, posting, and researching on CD.


But, having had the opportunity to move to different cities, and thus delved into different geographic areas on CD, the same things keep coming up:

• Long-time residents with "Good Ol' Day" Syndrome being negative as Hell about things that really don't affect anyone else, at least not to the degree that they do said posters.
• People who just want to argue, who have long-standing axes to grind with other members, and try go puncture any balloon that the other party wants to float
• City-Data Data-Citers: People who post "studies" and "statistics" that may well be news stories, or mis-applied or out-dated info that they claim is the Final and Only Truth
• People who have had bad experiences and want to vent. This is the internet after all. Understandable, but it can really skew perceptions. I mean, yes, there are probably less wonderful people hanging out in laundromats, but is that the whole city?
• People who turn everything into their political platform

I really appreciate about 20% of the posters on this site, who give specific info that answers the OP's post. But that's getting harder and harder to find.

So (drum roll), my big question: What's up with the weather in Seattle?

Ok, that was a joke, but the first section was not. I just see the same pattern of posts in almost every forum. Just trying to drill down a bit.

[Hemlock140]

That's the nature of any anonymous forum. Here though, especially, there are many people that try their best to be negative in order to keep more people from moving here.

[BATCAT]

Here's what I think- a site like this is useful for posing questions like

"what neighborhoods are affordable and near x?"
"what would be some restaurants near x for someone who likes y food?"
"how bad is the commute from x to y?"
"what are some good music venues in Seattle for someone into z"

One can usually find some kind of a consensus and pretty easily weed out the people who are just posting to start fights.

It's when you get into questions about the general culture of a place, into peoples subjective reactions to more intangible stuff, that a site like this isn't really of much use. Folks are gonna have all kinds of opinions, some of them kind of extreme. For this less "hard" stuff, to see how you react to a city on a personal level, you really need to visit a city and interact with it. You're never going to get a very good picture otherwise.

[Ira500]

I've noticed that too, that there's a lot of injecting political opinions into questions that have nothing to do with politics. I love to talk politics and political issues, but I'll do that on threads that are politically oriented. Yes, my politics are so far left of center that if I went any further left I'd fall over the edge. But I'm not blaming George Bush for the high cost of housing in Seattle, and I'm not blaming Obama for the yellowed lettuce I was served for lunch. And I have friends and neighbors who have political opinions that are the complete opposite of mine. I don't dislike them in the least just because they're wrong
I still like it on the Seattle C-D forum very much, despite all that politicizing. There are certain regular posters who almost always give great information, so that 20% is very good stuff, you just have to figure out how to filter out the crap.
Even questions about neighborhoods, I find that there are well intentioned people who give wrong information. It's not that they're from the anti Seattle chamber of commerce, trying to keep people away. It's that the information is no longer accurate. Neighborhoods change, and people's opinions don't always reflect those changes. when I lived in the Central District 25 years ago, a lot of the neighborhood had much higher crime than it does now. But people remember news stories about shootings, and will tell you here how dangerous it is.
I like that there are a variety of opinions

[Seacove]

Is the OP posting this in every city or was Seattle selected for a reason? I would say many posters here really like to reply to sincere questions about our city. Many of us are proud and happy to live here in spite of and because of it's quirks. How many cities have trolls and bubblegum walls? How many cities are greener in December than they are in July? To many of us, Seattle is special.

There are posters who go on a rant and create/respond to a dozen threads (sometimes years old) venting every grievance they ever had in their life and when they do, their fellow complainers jump in because negativity can be a magnet. This results in a group of Seattle defenders joining in where battle ensues because - who wants to see their city tarnished on a public forum? I don't know if Seattle's posters are unique but many of the negative ones don't live here any more and the typical reader won't know that.

I've seen your posts in the Real Estate forum though.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by Pfhtex

Seriously, not trolling here at all.

I've been on this site for years. I moved across the country based partly on info that I got from reading, posting, and researching on CD.

So (drum roll), my big question: What's up with the weather in Seattle?

Ok, that was a joke, but the first section was not. I just see the same pattern of posts in almost every forum. Just trying to drill down a bit.

I live in Seattle metro, not Hawaii, but sometimes pop over to the Hawaii C-D section to observe and feed an idle dream/curiosity. I seldom ask questions, since odds of me moving there are probably pretty low, but sometimes it's fun to contemplate.

What bothers a LOT of frequent posters to that forum are what I'd politely call the "the Ignorant Pollyanna Crowd." Few or no post count, asking "how is the weather," "is it expensive there," "where do I sign up for SSDI," "how is Honolulu traffic." Other comments strongly suggesting that any "move" outside of a ten mile radius from their current address would probably result in a train wreck.

You get the point. Tremendous noise in the way of those asking thoughtful questions. People who probably don't write, pause, contemplate, then write a bit more, etc. PRIOR to posting.

Happens sometimes in Seattle C-D, too: same ignorant stuff, over and over. Yes, it rains and is cool (part, most, some) of the year. Yes, it is expensive. No, there are very few "affordable, safe" homes for $300-400K anymore (unfortunately). No, you won't find an "affordable, safe, w/good schools" apartment for $800/month. Yes, some are angry that tech money (one factor) is driving up prices on property and rents. Yes, the weather drives some crazy and others love it. And yes, the "Freeze" may or may not be a real phenomena.

On and on.

The above are my pet peeves, but frankly that's my problem Really, it is: one does not "need" to lash out or respond to not-very-thoughtful posts with a dose of vinegar. In fact, doing-so belittles me more than them.

I may challenge your thesis. In fact, I believe that "most" people give what they think is solid counsel, "most" of the time. Subjectively-solid, of course. I find only perhaps 25% of the replies to, say, C-D Seattle to be spurious/ignorant/trolls and other time-wasters. Probably even less. Maybe I'm in the wrong (or rather, right) part of C-D forums most of the time?

[BATCAT]

Originally Posted by Seacove

There are posters who go on a rant and create/respond to a dozen threads (sometimes years old) venting every grievance they ever had in their life and when they do, their fellow complainers jump in because negativity can be a magnet. This results in a group of Seattle defenders joining in where battle ensues because - who wants to see their city tarnished on a public forum?

I think very often the "battles" (if we can call squabbling about the merits of a particular city on an internet forum a "battle") get started when instead of just saying what they personally find to be a drawback to a city, a person just starts throwing insults around. It's natural for residents who like the city to then respond defensively.

[GatsbyGatz]

Just wait, next week someone will start a new thread titled:
"Seattle is the worst city in America: List your Reasons Why"

[GoBlueInSeattle]

Originally Posted by Pfhtex

I really appreciate about 20% of the posters on this site, who give specific info that answers the OP's post. But that's getting harder and harder to find.


So (drum roll), my big question: What's up with the weather in Seattle?

Ok, that was a joke, but the first section was not. I just see the same pattern of posts in almost every forum. Just trying to drill down a bit.

It all depends. Its the Internet, so you are always going to get a handful of people posting who are completely out to lunch or can't count to 10 without using their fingers. Or who ask the kind of "where can I find a 3 bedroom apartment downtown for $200" inane questions where you wonder how they find their socks in the morning. I don't think any of the posters in that category are Seattle specific, so much as Internet specific.

And you are always going to get the anti-urban cranks who post on a forum called "Seattle area" and then complain about how much the "Seattle" part sucks and you'd just be happier if you moved a couple hours outside the city where "real" people live.

On the other hand, having like you lived in other large cities around the country, I do find a number of the Seattle posters to be kind of hyper-sensitive to any criticisms of Seattle and feel the need to "defend" Seattle. I find it a bit odd - if your city is so great, why does it need some semi-anonymous Internet commenter to "defend" it? Speaks more to a certain kind of parochial mindset that isn't quite sure its city can play in the big leagues or something.

[GoBlueInSeattle]

Originally Posted by Seacove

How many cities are greener in December than they are in July?

San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland....