“It’s done in the spirit of silliness and good-natured kinship. They quote old posts to each other in the same vein as we did secret codes and passwords as kids. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen an opus for a couple of years.”
Oh, I know - I’ve seen it for decades and it’s harmless goofiness...but over the past few years a much nastier element has begun populating FR that delights in any opportunity for viscous, insulting attacks - and even some long-timers have decided to join their ranks. I can’t help but think it affects membership and fund raising, but it’s obviously the site owners’ call.
It does seem like the atmosphere has changed over the years. I attribute it to (a) the general attitude of the public and (b) trolls. The current administration has had a destructive effect across the board in the U.S.