MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
That could be a disclaimer attached to most of the threads here. Lots of interesting discussions, but too little recognition (in my opinion) that we are the outliers in this hobby. And maybe also too little recognition that our fanaticism, and our tenure*, do not give our opinions and preferences any elevated importance.
*I always laugh when somebody "casually" tries to work into their arguments how long they've been playing D&D, as if that gives them some kind of authority.
Depends what the topic of discussion is. If it is about, say, how the game was played in the 70s and 80s, I think whether or not you were playing in the 70s or 80s gives your anecdotes more weight than someone who was not.
I also think that someone who has played multiple editions and many systems over many years *may* have more insight regarding, say, the effect of some specific rule on game play.
But if I want to know more about what makes a game attractive to young, new players the grognards may not be the best people to listen to.
In many of my posts I state that I started playing in the early 80s. Stopped in the early 90s. Started again with 5e. My purpose in doing so is simply to give those that I'm engaging in a discussing with an idea of where I'm coming from. It may increase the weight or decrease the weight of any assertions I make.