It has quite a reputation from back in the day, but I find Something Awful to have a very high level of dialogue, probably because you have to pay a small fee for membership, and they aren't afraid to probate/ban people.
Paid forums are niche area, it will not be a reddit alternative: the "filter" you describe is not geared towards maximum quality, but to enrich the owners of the site.
They have financial incentive to ban at the slightest provocation, restricting everything to safe and predictable "high-level dialogue" that can't challenge the status quo.
Reddit thrives on multiple levels of "dialogue" segregated into their own communities. Its pro-growth vs SA pro-elitist stance. Thats why SA will never be a reddit alternative.
Yep, SA obviously has a brand of humor, but the discourse on a huge variety of things is absolutely top-notch. Active moderation keeps the riff-raff out.
SA is still my go-to when I'm looking for some random stranger's advice on a topic. Bonus points because I think humor is a good thing to have included in any subject, including serious discussions.
They have financial incentive to ban at the slightest provocation, restricting everything to safe and predictable "high-level dialogue" that can't challenge the status quo.
Reddit thrives on multiple levels of "dialogue" segregated into their own communities. Its pro-growth vs SA pro-elitist stance. Thats why SA will never be a reddit alternative.