In case you haven't guessed, I'm comparing the forums to IRC, here. It used to be that IRC was the place to be in the scoop. It was a much more elitist medium than the forum could ever be. Here, at least, all of the posts are organized into boards and subjects, and the most blatant crap is filtered out. This "in-group" you mention is a LOT broader with the forums than it was with IRC.
And, as has already been made clear, no matter what the game's admins might prefer, it's not possible to shut down IRC.
Logged
Timothy Collett
"The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire...is your heart." "You are what you do. Choose again, and change." "One of these days, someone's gonna plug you, and you're going to die saying, 'What did I say? What did I say?'" ~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
