There is actually a good scientific explanation why every internet community (after a certain point) tends to separate itself in castes (where antagonism you described is one of the side effects). BASA (Brazilian Academy of Science and Arts) conducted an interesting experiment in 2007 regarding the behavioral patterns of people with different social ranks and the main idea behind their study was to use different cups in quality, shape and size. The test subjects who participated in the experiment had a task to eliminate various cups as time went by just based on their appearance. However, what's interesting is that a pattern emerged where it was evident how the cups of better quality were usually last to be eliminated, until there was only one left. To this day, it is considered as one of the breakthrough studies when it comes to human psychology and two female scientists came up with it achieved great recognition in their field, not to mention how their video of the whole study is one of the most downloaded ones.
Anyway, it's called 2 Girls 1 Cup, just enter that in google and you should be able to find some footage. Definitely worth checking out, there's nothing in the world like it.

Ok this is just my personal take. It might not be right or wrong for everyone.

I personally see the spirit of this site to be to GIVE and if you win something, or end up on someone's whitelist, or invite...it's just a bonus right on top of doing something nice for others and meeting some awesome personalities. I realize there are givers and takers in the world, and the site does have its share of takers who have little to no intention of giving back.

I see this site as a nice way for many people in a variety of countries around the world to win something they might not normally be able to buy at Steam's prices. (For example, I have heard a few times that Australia's game pricing is exceptionally high, even if that only means physical copies, winning the digital game version is a nice alternative!)

So, if someone doesn't have enough money to buy Steam games easily, why do I promote high level GA's so much? I see the need already being fulfilled to make low tier GA's as there is a massive amount of low-to-no level required GA's. People coming to this site at level zero have many options for GA's to enter and win. I also see very few high level GA's, and I wish to see those people, who have given THOUSANDS of USD dollars of non-bundle GA's (sorry I dont know other country exchange rates), to receive something exclusively just for them. I think this is a nice bonus for them for their contributions.

One thing that I have also noticed (not that this is why I do it), but when I make mid-high level GA's, these are people who already know to mark gifts received promptly...they tend to check back on the site more frequently and mark an item received more promptly. Sometimes people join the site and don't immediately get into the rhythm right away, or have been here long enough to understand some of the courtesies that pop up. It can cause SEVER MENTAL ANGUISH (haha) when a giver is sitting at Level 5.99 for a week, and someone just posted a flash GA for GTAV for all the level 6's!

Anyway just IMO, I don't expect everyone to agree, I just thought I would share one perspective.

Well, judging by the level 10+ raffles I see from time to time...
Yes.
Absolutely.
417/779 (More than half) Agree that there is a problem.
IMO, It's not real charity if your giving it to people who have already proven they can throw a lot of money away for the sake of someone else. Your just saving somebody 60 some-odd dollars, instead of giving it to someone who couldn't get it otherwise. This also brings up the question of if those contributing are trying some sort of gambit to make a profit off this site. (Unlikely,. though it may be)
I don't expect to change anyone minds, but if I am going to be a part of this community, then I will say my two cents on a issue when it arises.

From what I've seen most of the hostility between the two groups comes from the low levels.

Contrary to the beliefs I'm seeing, I think it's the high levels hating on the low levels.
So many high level users bar the door from the low levels, refusing to so much as entertain the thought of them entering the 'giveaway'.
When you ask them about it, you get instantly blacklisted for DARING to say something they did not agree with.
If they didn't have anything against the low levels, they would not use the level requirements. Thus, I conclude that the level system is a facilitator for hatred and segregation.

I hate everyone equally.

Bought this for a reason.

It's really all about the ratio. Quite a lot of people blacklist based on ratio. Although a lot of people don't base it on that also. I know from experience. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Last time I murdered a level 9 or above was, what, 5 months ago? So I'd say that the hatred level isn't that high.

Actually it's not a matter of levels, it's a rather "leeching" thing. I do look down on users who won 500$ worth of games and only gave away 20$. I also blacklist most of those kind of users.

Almost 4 years on this site and I haven't noticed any of this type of behaviour before. There's certainly a fair amount of hostility towards lower levels looking to take more than they receive though. I think anyone would have a problem with that regardless of their level.

I'm not a forum regular but I haven't noticed this. As to me, my whitelist ranges from level 0 to 10. I don't really see reasons beyond envy and snobbery for that kind of clashes.
That being said, I have to admit I'm not a big fan of groups created with the sole purpose of boosting one's CV.

It has to be said I've been fairly bemused and disturbed by some of the attitudes expressed in this thread. And as I currently have some free time on my hands I hope people will forgive me a long and rambling post.

The first thing that I'm baffled by is where some people seem to think high level users come from. I've seen terms like 'apartheid', 'elitists' and 'segregation' thrown around as if high level users are some corrupt ruling caste born into a life of idle luxury and unfair privilege - but the truth of the matter is high level users are just low level users who gave away some games. That is all. They don't have special powers and they aren't all in some kind of a secret club together.

Exactly like the low level users that they started off as high level users don't all act the same, they aren't all friends with each other and they don't necessarily even like each other. Like other groups of users they clearly range from complete assholes to veritable saints with most somewhere in between. Stereotyping such a broad group in any way is no better than stereotyping all low level users as 'leechers' - which certain people would clearly be surprised to learn isn't actually a very common opinion.

It should be obvious that not every high level user is a boon to the community and not every low level user is a hindrance - so how about just judging individuals by their actions rather than having some kind of a class war mentality and making sweeping and offensive generalisations about thousands of people?

The second thing that baffles me is why some people seem to think that a different and higher set of standards should apply to high level users, which increasingly appears to the case. Consider the following example (or not, as the case may be).

Most of my own giveaways so far have been in the form of trains posted in discussions. That was because I enjoyed other trains that I saw and I discovered it saved me a lot of problems as people who paid attention to the forums were far more likely to follow instructions and activate games. I gave away hundreds of games in this manner. Most of the games given away were bundle games as I had a lot of spare bundle keys.

I set contributor levels from 0-5 to try and make sure there was something for everyone. Most of the games were given away at level 2 as I didn't think it unreasonable that most people who met the requirements for the site would be able to achieve that, and most of the nicer games were towards the higher levels to reward good contributors. Looking back I gave away stuff from Dishonored GOTY at level 2 to Alien: Isolation at level 5. I still think none of this unreasonable and most of the reaction received was positive.

But as my own level increased criticism also increased even though I was doing the same thing. Apparently it is fine for a low level user to give away bundle games to low level users but for a high level user to do the same thing can be taken as thinking 'low level scum will enjoy just any bundle crap'. Actually, what I was thinking was that the games not be the most expensive, but people can enter if they want them and ignore them if they don't - but whatever, the point is what do some people expect me to do?

Because I have given away a certain amount of games do people now feel that I'm wealthy enough that if I don't entirely stock my trains with GTA V, Witcher 3, Fallout 4 I'm taking the piss? Should I only give bundle games to other high level users to avoid offending low level users with my meagre offerings? (For the record my solution to the dilemma is that I have joined that well known high level circle-jerk Bundle Quest, where I assume it is OK to give away bundle games.)

Apparently some users hate it when they think high level users might be 'flaunting their wealth'. But apparently they also hate it when high level users are not 'flaunting their wealth'. Some users hate that high level users are 'elitist'. But also some users hate it when high level users are doing the same things as low level users. I could ramble on about double standards for a while, but I'd like to cover a third point at least briefly - exclusion.

After a string of bad experiences making public giveaways I decided some form of exclusion was necessary. It is something I have experimented with and invited discussions on and it is also a subject that is clearly very controversial and that people have very different opinions about. Public giveaways + blacklisting always seemed potentially fairest option to me - being the most targeted and excluding the fewest people. But it is also the option that causes by far the most upset.

Maybe it is something that has a bad rep because of the amount of people telling each other they are blacklisted in discussions (something I never saw the point of myself, especially as I have seen users who have never made a giveaway in years on the site and high level users who only make private group giveaways telling other people they are blacklisted even though it will clearly make no difference ever). Maybe I'm just missing something of the impact as I don't even enter that many giveaways to start with.

On the other hand whitelist giveaways cause far less upset and simply for that reason I think I will be focusing on those in the future - even though that to me seems strange as they are also actually far more exclusionary.

Giveaways with level requirements are clearly another form of exclusion, and I can only say that although I am often grateful for some lovely giveaways I see I suspect that many lower users who think that higher level users are all participating in some kind of grand circle-jerk would overall be disappointed with the number of giveaways available compared to the money spent to gain access.

Finally that wonderful blunt instrument that seems to be so popular for bludgeoning those vile elitist scum with - small private group giveaways! Which actually seem to exist across all levels of users and are simply a tool no more 'good' or 'bad' than the groups and users wielding them.

Or is that really a finally, or is just not making giveaways actually the biggest exclusion of them all? Sure there are plenty of low level users who clearly just can't afford much stuff or live in countries that put them at a serious disadvantage, and what is the point of this site if not for a few such folks to win games they otherwise wouldn't have a chance at? But for every one of those terrible high level users we keep hearing about who take from the poor while only gifting to maintain their ratios in their precious private giveaway groups, I've seen at least a dozen level 1 users who have been here for years, gifting only one piece of DLC, winning many giveaways - and also have three times as many games as me and all the latest AAA titles.

How about a few more of those folks contribute? But I guess it is easier to just tell the people who do contribute how they should and shouldn't contribute all the damn time just because they are more visible.

As ever, I can type far more quickly than I can think and I can apologise if this has once again degenerated from something that started out with a point to some sort of stream-of-consciousness vent...

Im mid level, i suppose i should hate everyone equally, right? :o

And symmetry is regained again :-)