An interim analysis of SBF that I have just pieced together....here it goes...
Sammyboy Forum (SBF) has risen in popularity over the years and have provided the Singapore general public with a means of gathering together to discuss everything from politics, social issues to recreational hobbies to medical conditions to celebrities, famous or infamous.*Rich and poor, O or A Levels to degree holders, SBF provides an unusual gathering of the minds where everyone has an equal voice.
A year or two ago I stumbled into SBF. I laid low for a while to get the hang of it and to catch up on the posts. I was shocked to see fan-friendly banter packed with power trips, trolls, flame wars and sense of entitlement issues. It was the cyber-equivalent of a lion's den and it introduced me to an unattractive yet intriguing side of human nature. I was truly mesmerized and almost felt ashamed to be amused by this classic yet modern example of ethnomethodology.
Ethnomethodology is a sociology theory that describes how people in certain situations, such as online environments, create the false impression of a collective social order when they don't understand, or perhaps don't care to understand each other fully. Inevitably, the different points of view within this forged community can lead to total anarchy if not intensely moderated by an unbiased member (PS - of course lacking in SBF).
Within SBF, notions of hierarchy are quickly established by the more seasoned posters who exhibit a rather skewed sense of importance and authority. Cliques are formed and mimic real life by picking on weaker or less popular individuals within the group.
In forums saturated with women, passion and possessiveness trumps kindness and rationality. In male-oriented groups (like SBF) testosterone takes over as insults fly, everyone suddenly belongs to Mensa and the discussion can turn into something along the lines of locker room bullying by rampant clones.
Above it all, sarcasm reigns supreme, of course sarcasm doesn't easily translate online. Anonymity allows people to toss their reservations out the window resulting in all sorts of embarrassing behavior.
One could say SBF is a microcosm of society; however, a true microcosm would be comprised of unique individuals with a full range of interests and backgrounds.
Also present are "trolls" that are just itching to start flame wars no matter that the topic is about and live to argue. Class consciousness is brought into the mix by individuals who suffer from inadequacy or lack of validation and feel compelled to flaunt their real life social status, education, Mensa affiliation, employment or monetary status (whether genuine or fabricated) in an attempt to make others feel insignificant or to catapult themselves into the stratosphere of the forum's rank structure.
No matter what the individual's agenda or personality happen to be, people become intertwined in the drama of SBF.
To me, Respect the person's rights, regardless of viewpoint is important. I'm just waiting for the day when someone turns around and sues Sam, the forum's host for damages caused by anxiety, high blood pressure or a heart attack......hahahahaha

The way SBF is going these days it's bound to happen sooner than later.