16 Days Ago......an observation.

Speaking for myself, I didn't join the community hoping to explore a bot-hunt-detectorism-quest.

My focus and energy is intended towards getting to know, learn with / have fun with, plus support each other - in the manner of which fellow ND folk are capable - where some of our NT connections in life might struggle to do so.

However, if there were to be community members who do relish a "bot hunt"; it is not my business to deter them, each to celebrate and explore their own passions! 

Although, I might personally appreciate "bot hunt" fans doing so in those threads with that shared interest in mind - rather than bringing a bot hunt to lots of other unrelated threads. 

Some people relish (or need) access to positive threads, while others enjoy and thrive upon darker or more mysterious material.  I believe neither style is wrong, or better, than the other (but it would be good for people to have the choice about which genre they choose to experience).

However, there is one aspect about which I am not sure / about which I am slightly concerned: as Autistic people may have a a wide variety of presentations and some may have attendant other challenges too (not least of which; many of us have lived experience of navigating the mental health system at times in our lives too)...can we be confident that "bot hunt" enthusiasm takes sufficient care to safeguard those of our fellow forum friends who (at times) might be more sensitive to such fuelled worries? 

I feel that I am too new an account to be able to adequately answer that question (but I wouldn't like to think some people might feel triggered by coming across a "bot hunt" in a thread they wouldn't have expected to include that type of tangent / segue). 

Surely, I would hope, people potentially feeling more vulnerable (at a given moment in their life's journey) also deserve a way of charting a safe navigation through a community forum such as here.

Speaking for myself, I didn't join the community hoping to explore a bot-hunt-detectorism-quest.

My focus and energy is intended towards getting to know, learn with / have fun with, plus support each other - in the manner of which fellow ND folk are capable - where some of our NT connections in life might struggle to do so.

However, if there were to be community members who do relish a "bot hunt"; it is not my business to deter them, each to celebrate and explore their own passions! 

Although, I might personally appreciate "bot hunt" fans doing so in those threads with that shared interest in mind - rather than bringing a bot hunt to lots of other unrelated threads. 

Some people relish (or need) access to positive threads, while others enjoy and thrive upon darker or more mysterious material.  I believe neither style is wrong, or better, than the other (but it would be good for people to have the choice about which genre they choose to experience).

However, there is one aspect about which I am not sure / about which I am slightly concerned: as Autistic people may have a a wide variety of presentations and some may have attendant other challenges too (not least of which; many of us have lived experience of navigating the mental health system at times in our lives too)...can we be confident that "bot hunt" enthusiasm takes sufficient care to safeguard those of our fellow forum friends who (at times) might be more sensitive to such fuelled worries? 

I feel that I am too new an account to be able to adequately answer that question (but I wouldn't like to think some people might feel triggered by coming across a "bot hunt" in a thread they wouldn't have expected to include that type of tangent / segue). 

Surely, I would hope, people potentially feeling more vulnerable (at a given moment in their life's journey) also deserve a way of charting a safe navigation through a community forum such as here.

I agree with all that you say, and I would reiterate my primary point in the OP about this being a matter of BAD news!

Unknown said:

I observe that an obscure bot-hunting thread has received more responses than any other here.........for over two weeks (16 days.)  This is NOT a good observation to make!

In any event, rest assured that there is not even a modicum of even "bot research" being undertaken by me in this place any longer.  I had no personal relish nor intent to embark on any type of "hunt" at all........but events and experiences did lead me to research.......for reasons that I did not expect.  Things have moved on......and so have I.

My secondary point above (and the question I posed) was about whether people arriving here PRIMARILY hope to find personal contacts with one another? .... to share personal experiences and ideas .... art .... music ... fun ... nonsense etc?

I posed that question because, by my observation, there appears to be a more formalised Q&A style and feel to the place now?

I hope that puts any concerns you have to rest.