Petition to delete the "ZOMG BTC IS FAILING threads"

Over the years, I've assisted a number of attorneys, accountants, and other professionals in setting up their first bitcoin wallets and helped to educate them on bitcoin in general. These people are bright, affluent, open-minded, and no-nonsense—what bitcoin needs now more than ever. Along the way, they invariably ask for a link to a good discussion forum, and I still reluctantly direct them to this site, but not without first warning them about the "signal to noise" ratio of this forum.

The quality of posts truly has gone down hill over the years, which is to be expected as more people join the bitcoin ecosystem. I don't have a solution, and doubtless there is no solution that will please everyone. Nevertheless, the abundance of "ZOMG!!!!1 BITCON IS DOOMED!!!! FTW1111 ZOMG!~!!!!" type threads makes newcomers pause and wonder if they are getting involved in something used by a bunch of melodramatic script kiddies.

It does affect confidence and thus adoption and price.

I understand the argument that "if bitcoin can't withstand threads started by bunch of stupid noobs spreading FUD then it has no future anyway."

I also understand the issues involved with limiting free speech. Such is the tyranny of the majority and of the stupid, I suppose.

Not that bitcointalk has ever been a site of upstanding repute. I think most of us understand that this site has quite a few skeletons in its closet.

Yet if one browses the forum posts from 2010, the juxtaposition with the posts now is startling. Again, it's the "signal to noise ratio."

On the bright side, the subforums that focus on the technical and development aspects of bitcoin are still brimful with quality posts. I still find myself learning new things about bitcoin by reading many of the posts by people who deeply understand the bitcoin code and protocol. But some of the other subforums.....well....you know.

I offer no solution, yet I do wonder how much the content would improve with more restrictions placed upon new users. Or a cleanup of the altcoin section.