Is Opiate a joke character or is that how he really, truly is?
So, the inherent question here is if I'm always this formal.
The answer is no. There are a few reasons why I operate this way on the internet.
1) I have a professional job that pays pretty well and I really don't want to jeopardize it in any way by behaving badly online.
2) I have uncommon interests for GAF. I enjoy neuroscience, behavioral economics, artificial intelligence, and astrophysics. I don't like music with lyrics, which is virtually all of modern music. I don't like blockbuster movies. I enjoy games, but mostly play stuff that GAF doesn't enjoy. If you want me to be frank, I think Mario is bad, I think Uncharted is an objectively terrible game, and I find Halo to be simplistic and boring. I do not express these personal opinions because I'm reasonably confident I'd be even
less liked then.
3) I have a sense of humor, but that sense of humor is sardonic and very, very dry. It doesn't lend itself well to internet discussions with no tone or body language, and can often be perceived as insult.
4) Perhaps most importantly, I seem to perceive forums differently than other people. Some people seem to focus on the anonymity, and use that as license to say whatever they want because who the hell cares what happens. I view it as an open forum; there are a huge number of people reading any given thread or discussion. I treat it like I would any large gathering of people -- some things that are appropriate in a small gathering of friends are not appropriate in a much larger group of mostly strangers.
Hopefully that helps explain why I operate in the manner I do. It doesn't mean you have to agree with my conclusions, or share my personal preferences and outlook.