There seems to be two separate trends coalescing...
* A number of threads of late dealing with older-editions or clones, and specific elements therein (rules lightness, S&S elements, retro-viability, or nostalgia) that begin with an extolling for virtues of said play, but degenerate quickly into "our way is better" vs. "your way is outdated" flame-battles.
* A smaller number of threads dealing with industry elements (and
3pp in specific) that have touched off a firestorm of
3pp vs. 1pp arguments and "industry health" debates, especially focused on
4e's sales and potential D&D-inspired competitors.
I think this is partially due to the slower release schedule and lack of anything interesting going on in the industry (certain company-health stories aside). Once Gen-Con, Pathfinder, and
DMG II all fall on the horizon, some of these petty squabbles will fade again.
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