Nah, it was fun times. People like Watoad and Insane Steve and Black Mage were very active. And the secret areas were super-fun.
Blast! I should have used my powerful skills of investigating to look beyond the surface, then. That probably could have been an enjoyable experience. Way back then, I was just as clever and witty as I am now (perhaps more so), but I was easily put off by things I find objectionable. As in, channeling an intense distaste that can only be explained by an immature ability to tolerate differences in what people find morally correct.
So, maybe coming back when I had been fully shocked into the realization that other people cannot be judged as evil by a handful of actions was a good idea. That occurred in 7th grade, when people were really throwing stones at me for trying to be the "perfect student." (which, incidentally, is the eventual reason a socially defunct Suffix emerged in 2004)