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[quote=Anonymous]Yes. I think some casual users have dropped off because of it. There are 3 main “types” of threads that seem to be common in the last few years and I worry are taking over.

1. People recycling material from Reddit ATIA or Carolyn Hax style advice columns. I don’t think this is the literal definition of troll, but clearly they read something that is bugging them and they want to see if other people are equally bothered or riled up. I’m usually up for a good debate, but these fall apart when the details don’t line up or OP can’t add more because it’s not their story.

2. People who seem to be testing / crowd sourcing plot elements for a novel. Similar to #1, but you can tell these people are writers or aspire to be.

3. People who do not speak English as a first language and seem to be turning to DCUM to learn the cultural norms of raising kids in the DC area. This is prevalent in the topics about sports and camps but I think it overlaps with the Money and Beauty obsession of class and fitting in. I can tell these posts because the grammar and nature of the questions are very similar to my real life Chinese and East Asian acquaintances I meet through my kids. These posters are often accused of being trolls, and perhaps some trolls imitate them, but I think they genuinely want help. I do feel bad for them because if you take DCUM literally and don’t have the English language and cultural literacy to read into the sarcasm of some answers, it’s like trying to learn how to be an American by only watching Real Housewives. [/quote]

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