Past Gymnastics Message Board Memories

[Denn]

Great point about the algorithm. With a forum like this, you don't get fed what it thinks you want based on what you liked. You get fed everything, which means you are always exposed to everything, and you are always able to shift your own patterns if you are open to it. I think that's a good thing.

 

[makam]

And, near as I can tell, everyone is posting their own thoughts/opinions, not ai generated screeds and slop (other than threads dedicated to gymnastics ai slop). That also puts it heads above a lot of other sites.

 

[Sasha]

Wait, do we have threads dedicated to gymnastics AI slop? I've got some good ones from Facebook!

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

And, near as I can tell, everyone is posting their own thoughts/opinions, not ai generated screeds and slop (other than threads dedicated to gymnastics ai slop). That also puts it heads above a lot of other sites.

I hadn't even thought of this place as a refuge from AI but that's such a good point.

 

[RedBirdie]

Wait, do we have threads dedicated to gymnastics AI slop? I've got some good ones from Facebook!

Here's a good one

Men Post in thread 'AI versus Men's Gymnastics 2025 edition'

Jan 18, 2025

Shelli, have you started to have weird dreams based on your AI images?

• Denn

• 

 

[JaJa]

And, near as I can tell, everyone is posting their own thoughts/opinions, not ai generated screeds and slop (other than threads dedicated to gymnastics ai slop). That also puts it heads above a lot of other sites.

Don't even get me started on AI. It is simply terrifying what we have unleashed with it.

 

[Seyonne]

AI terrifies me. It’s getting too good. Lives will be ruined. Wars will be fought. We’re doomed.

I rather think about gymnastics

 

[arabiandoublefront]

I prefer message boards because of the level of organization they can have and ability to search. Most social media is disorganized and searching for something from, say, 3 years ago is nigh impossible.

I prefer message boards and Discord because there's more control over the community, even if it means being in an echo chamber on certain issues. There's a lot less fandom nonsense whether it's sports, tv shows, movies, or books. Twitter and Threads are the worst and I don't think Reddit and Quora are much better. Tumblr is usually pretty bad as well, although my algorithm there is working for me.

 

[rlayt]

I hate algorithms. They keep showing me shit of the wrong kind., like stuff I seriously hate. I downvote, block, unfollow and POOF its back.

WHYYYYYY

 

[arabiandoublefront]

I hate algorithms. They keep showing me shit of the wrong kind., like stuff I seriously hate. I downvote, block, unfollow and POOF its back.

WHYYYYYY

Yeah, like this is getting off topic, but there's a character on a certain tv show that I thought had the kind of past to get a redemption arc and for some strange reason on Threads I kept getting opinions that were opposing me and it was really affecting my mental health because he's one of my favorite characters of all time. It was really difficult for me to not take it personally. I had to delete Threads. I'm still not sure if I'm out of the woods and I can download it again.

 

[wishfulgoddess]

People who join forums tend to be more serious fans. We can hold intelligent conversations about gymnastics. The social media teenybopper attitude bothers me. That "if you don't worship the same idols and teams I do you are a hater" stuff. I can't deal with kids being personally offended because somebody said their favorite gymnast's score was too high.

 

[MaryClare]

People who join forums tend to be more serious fans. We can hold intelligent conversations about gymnastics. The social media teenybopper attitude bothers me. That "if you don't worship the same idols and teams I do you are a hater" stuff. I can't deal with kids being personally offended because somebody said their favorite gymnast's score was too high.

Except they aren’t kids.

 

[rlayt]

Yeah, that’s a really immature point of view. i thought many in Reddit were kids but nope. They just lack something else not years.

I deleted Tiktok to remove a bad influence on my mental health. If I didn’t have other things going on there I’d delete Facebook.

 

[IratePanda]

Gymnastics Reddit fascinates me. So many people with so little knowledge and so much time on their hands.

 

[Sasha]

Yeah, that’s a really immature point of view. i thought many in Reddit were kids but nope. They just lack something else not years.

I deleted Tiktok to remove a bad influence on my mental health. If I didn’t have other things going on there I’d delete Facebook.

I suspect a lot are young adults, in which case I can extend them a little grace; I was certainly more strident and rigid in my thinking in my early 20s. But it gets tiresome AF.

Also, I deleted my Reddit account for mental health reasons, so .

 

[eanda]

Gymnastics Reddit fascinates me. So many people with so little knowledge and so much time on their hands.

I can’t help myself sometimes from checking it out just to see the ridiculousness. Occasionally I start to reply, but senses come back and I remember it would be pointless.

 

[wishfulgoddess]

Except they aren’t kids.

You're right, of course, that many are actually adults by definition. I have a tendency to automatically read them in the voice of a bratty middle school kid.

 

[MaryClare]

I suspect a lot are young adults, in which case I can extend them a little grace; I was certainly more strident and rigid in my thinking in my early 20s. But it gets tiresome AF.

Also, I deleted my Reddit account for mental health reasons, so .

I don’t think that gymReddit has a particularly young demographic. Reddit on the whole doesn’t attract large numbers of younger users and I’d be very surprised to find any regular gym redditors under 25

 

[IratePanda]

Well, chronological age and maturity don't necessarily go hand in hand. Add the partisan, atavistic nature of sports fandom, and you've got a toxic environment.

It's not limited to gymnastics. American football fans are batshit crazy. GymReddit has nothing on sports talk radio in this country. And if you have to live with a fan, so help you G-d. I was so relieved when my husband's team got knocked out of the NFL playoffs. He's a mature, responsible professional 99.9% of the time, but he transmogrifies into a monster whenever the Eagles take the field.

 

[RedBirdie]

Eagles fans are a special sort of absolutely batshit crazy.