I wish the consumers would get the hell off *all* our lawns. I only want to deal with enthusiasts and engineers...you know, people as interesting as we are to ourselves. The rest of the users should come up with their own watered down "internet" of facebook and similar bullshit. Oh wait...don't know how? Brain full of sports statistics and beer preferences? Think sockets and ports are car-mechanic terminology? Too bad, you lose, GTFO. The unwashed masses were the worst thing to ever happen to the internet, and I really wish they piss off - kindly or otherwise. Just leave.
The "golden days" main appeal to me was that due to the technical difficulty of connecting to what people refer to as the internet(or ARPAnet then), ruled out the possibility of 99.999% of the current users ever having a chance at participating. *Sigh*, if only it could have stayed that way. I realize every idiots likes to feel "involved", and is thrilled to death to be here with their cat pictures and facebook "likes"...but really? They contribute nothing but e-commerce dollars and ad-views to companies of superior business cunning and intellect. Good for the companies I suppose, but bad for the enthusiats and engineers forced to breath the same air.
I realize this is just a big "get off my lawn" post...but really, get off ALL our lawns. It's disgusting, all of them are disgusting. This must be how genocidal maniacs felt about the cultures they were butchering - I *hate* them, can't stand them, and wish all the worst for them. Not sure how it's gotten this way, but for some reason I'm mainlining the Haterade(tm) on their account at this moment.
TLDR; I like the type of website you describe. A hobbyist and generally intelligent human is the only person who should have a right to be here.