[ineptech]

...and fake edit to add, part of the great thing about the 90s and early 2000s online communities is how unfiltered they were. A forum devoted to politics is a terrible place to discuss politics; the battle lines are already drawn and there's nothing to do but fight. But if you join a forum devoted to sailboats because you like sailboats, and hang around long enough to make friends, and end up discussing politics, a) you will hear opinions you've never been exposed to before, and b) since they're coming from people you already somewhat know and like, it's less likely to devolve into a flamewar.