Here's another thread started by a low-ranked member in which a very simple question is posed, one which any shitposter could answer easily in one or two lines--and that makes me suspicious, not to mention the level of English for a newcomer sets off alarms in my head of AI being used.

If people are being genuine in asking questions, giving input, or whatever then bitcointalk is at best a neutral place in terms of friendliness, and that's if those posts are being read at all.  But as soon as a person shows themselves to be a sig spammer or someone out to use this forum as a place of employment, forget about it.  You'll see the daggers come out faster than you can blink.  Personally I have no problem with that, because there are so many idiots here that they need a firm hand applied to keep them in check.

As long as I've been a member here, the vibe has been prickly at best, i.e., there have been a lot of members at each others' throats.  That's quieted down to a large extent since some of the prickliest members have left (Lauda, TMAN, Vod, and numerous others), but overall the vibe still lingers.