CWBorne said:

Again its likely a reflection of my own adulthood, and there's a good chance someone on here will explain that discussions and arguments could get just as embittered and nasty 15 years ago, but I don't know, just seems like there was a genuine sense of hopefulness to the whole franchise that's sorely lacking these days.

We were in the denial stage back then and have only recently gone into the anger stage xD

It would not at all be surprising if people seemed more optimistic pre-PT. We were awaiting new films. Silly novels were easily compartmentalized as not really Star Wars since they weren't the movies. Granted we still do that. But back then it was all about possibility.

Then the PT changed everything. It professed to say, this is what happened, and yes it happened this stupidly. I think it made many of us take a more critical view. And if we could reject actual movies...why not reject any form of Star Wars media.

Of course that was about the time the Yuuzhan Vong appeared and proceeded to murder Chewbacca. Hm, shocking we became less optimistic! :p

Eh, maybe we're curmudgeons.

I think about how my own views have changed since 1999. I know that having time to digest the PT has changed many of my ideas.