I have, dozens of time but all before the advent of social media. Back when the online forum was the peak of the ‘community online around a specific shared interest’ experience on the web.

If the website you were on happened to already be the “peak” of its niche, typically that was because it contained both the best content, and a user base that was also top notch ( high user knowledgebase, agreeable ruleset, nuanced moderation).

This led to a common scenario between user 1(“You”) and user 2 (We’ll call him…Fred. Name not changed and non-zero chance he’ll see this so…Go to hell Fred, you greatly capable and insufferable fuck) vis a vis using the block button:

Fred might have absolutely made you want to tear out your own intestines out your asshole, so you could strangle him with them, that being the only weapon available to you on the deserted island you both had no choice but to inhabit.

(The island being you two representing the absolute pinnacle of your specific niche’s expertise, and the only other source of the stimulating conversation in the micro-tangetial topic thread on the board’s “Off-topic” section, that also happened to be an absolute requirement to be able to push mastery of specific niche further)

Because he could press every fucking button you have. Including engaging back (in full blunt rude)but only up to the point that would (upon later, actual meaningful introspection driven review) reveal itself to be the most devastatingly irony bomb possible.

Then Fred blocks your ass. You stew in whatever way is your way, in your own juices. But the thread is still open. The topic still has to be discussed.

You interact with the rest of the users, and genuinely enjoy your time. You don’t need to push the envelope for specific niche to be…well it’s still fun anyhow.

But the thread is still open, and the topic has to be discussed.

You make accounts at the other, onstensibly “lesser” communities for specific niche in other forums. You engage and have a good time. But there is no Fred to be found there. The copy of the thread you make there, does not go anywhere.

You sigh, and open the original thread and your private messages up side by side, make some coffee, and read it all again. Fred set you up the bomb, it detonates, you curse his audacity again.

Then you private message someone else in the forum. You ask them to tell Fred for you, that he was right, and you’re sorry.

The next day, a new reply hits the thread from Fred, addressing the one you had previously left that he blindfolded himself against as a masterful weapon.

Because the thread is still open, and the topic has to be discussed.

I’ve been both user, mod, admin, and owner of many a forum back in the day. There were always multiple pairs of Fred and I. The roles would reverse often. The pattern was always there.

The paradigms imposed by the then design meant we had to treat each other differently. A little less disposably.

Fred unfortunately developed early onset dementia and it got bad a few months shy of his 52nd turn around this dirtball. He found a way to block me more throughly.

And the forum was closed a long time ago. But I snagged both the domain, and a front end scraped copy, which I migrated over a fresh install. If Fred ever unblocks me, the thread will still be open, and topic left to be discussed.