I think you’re right. That place was terrible when I arrived at about 2015. I started on the human sexuality forum which was probably one of the most popular forums on Topix. But I didn’t stay for very long.
People there were rude, nasty, hateful, spiteful, with some of the worst scumbags of any other forum you could find; and I didn’t really like all the pretense people came with when many like myself just wanted friends or someone to have good conversations with, which was few and far between. Many got ran off, or left altogether because of all the trolls there. That’s where that nice lady NorCalNative came and asked if I’d like to join her on her forum for conversations, games and the like. I joined her and some other's there and managed to mingle my way around to a couple other’s when invited.
I don’t normally like confrontations, but I’ve learned from a few friends on how to defend myself without any real damage to either party as a whole: and a couple I leaned this from was on the Old Topix. They were good people while some other’s just liked getting to anyone they could, and just for the sake of arguments. It was way too ridiculous for my liking, and at the time I couldn’t really defined myself very well and took lessons from a couple who I still hold much respect and admiration for. My per usual stance was to just back off and come back later. But that didn’t work as well as I hoped on that site of venomous vipers you had to put up with on a day to day basis. So I ended up going to just a few forums that were actually moderated where I could spend some time with friends there who I actually got along with. Very good people that I’m glad to call my friends.
So not all of Topix was overrun with trolls because I had some really good conversations there and I wish some of them would come here. They are good people that I get to know some of them through PM. And I’ve told you about one of them in particular who also, like yourself, could handle himself very well on that forum. lol!
Oh, and did I say that’s where I found the love of my life? 😁
I will respond later but I did know NorCal Native, we were friends and sad she passed away a few years back. I have been to her forum but not much....