Why do we have positive - negative threads?

I've always wondered about only having a positive & a negative post thread.  I've always been able to see both sides of a new pack, not just one side.

There are a bunch of " neutral threads".  The trailer thread, countdown,  livestream, world discussion etc. I find that both the Positive and Negative threads have people that post both. But it's more the spirit behind those threads.

In the old forum things were more polarizing. And threads were constantly derailed. Things seemed to have mellowed out. But that maybe be because both threads exist. 

simgirl1010 wrote:

What's important is not what you say but how you say it.

This very much. Unfortunately sometimes comments have been more like "attacking" to someone who does not share the same opinion.

 There is no right or wrong, and everyone has their right to have and say their opinion, but this dividing  to positive and negative has mostly let both parties to feel more free to say how they feel. 

I remember, when I was playing Sims 3, that the Sims 4 forum had a reputation for being argumentative, even caustic. That was one reason I wasn't interested in getting into TS4, and it took me a few years to even buy Sims 4. Community is important for a game. 

I do have mixed feelings about all the separate threads that come out every time a new pack is released. I understand the thinking behind all these threads, but I wish everything could be in one central location instead of scattered among pages of other thread topics. And personally, I don't have time to follow every thread, so I have to choose. I know I miss out on some info, but I also know there's a lot of overlap too: Q & A threads, release announcement & countdowns, world info, positive-negative, etc. 

There have been many reasons we have separate threads. One of the reasons is for people to voice their opinions freely without the fear of arguments.

What others said. Also, the forums had a very different atmosphere back in the day. Frustrations with the game were high, but so were passions. It was hard to be negative about something without someone coming to argue with you. For a lot of people, Negative threads became the place where they could freely vent their frustrations with the game without someone arguing with them, telling them they're wrong, or otherwise be treated with hostility. And even then, and even to this day, nearly every single Negative thread will still have at least one person come in to complain about people complaining.

I feel like this was also part of the reason Positive threads came into existence. Sometimes you just want to shake off the negativity and have fun. And with packs like Batuu, I wouldn't be surprised if people excited for it weren't also treated with the same hostility. Not me because I'm always negative and I never do anything wrong. But still. 

I feel like times have changed. People have mellowed out or moved on from The Sims. So conversations overall have been a lot less aggressive on the forums. In that sense, the divided discussions are no longer necessary. But personally, I like it because I might be in the mood for a certain conversation vibe. And both options are available. Sometimes I want to complain and be around likeminded people. Sometimes I want to gush over a pack and its features. 

I was not the one that started the negative threads.I think I took them over.When one user stop posting.Part of the reason for negative thread.Is for people to share thier criticism and thier concerns.Another thing was when we didnt have them the forums had a lot of arguments.

I am still Sims 4 new, I have only started playing and Sims 4 forum active about L&D. I just followed what looked like was the norm in the forums, and didn't really question (I hadn't been on the new forums, I was use to late Sims 3 forums).

But I have to say my biggest pet peeve in any forum was: people who complained about people complaining. It always came across as the most counterproductive discussions and threads. But as these "negative" threads appeared to be safe places to give input—it was a relief for me.

I do post in the negative threads, but usually as "concerns" (if the pack isn't out yet) to "light" - "firm" complaints/criticisms usually trying to add a positive note or twist, or I just try to then post in the positive thread—to show I am not all about the negative.

When the threads were combined, people used to get into arguments and discuss each other's opinions, whether positive or negative, instead of discussing the packs. With the separate thread, people just vent or express their positive thoughts and move on without getting into contradictory discussions.