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I've not been here the longest time, but I've heard a lot of people talking about how forums have changed. How the quality of posts and posters has dropped, and how it seems to be spreading from forum to forum like some sort of disease.
So, what are the symptoms? How does this disease propagate itself?
Do the newbie's bring it in with them? Are certain ignorant individuals the prime carriers? And above all, how can we stop it?
I have a theory.
Among the symptoms is a certain amount of spamming. I think that this is just a side effect however, or one of the main causes. The forums are being choked. Choked by their own popularity.
What I'm referring to I can only describe as "legal spam threads".
For example the “movie chain” thread, and the “what music are you listening to right now?” thread in the Movies Forum.
PS2 Longest Thread
Word Association
Even the recent Puzzle Thread, which I have enjoyed immensely.
And why are they choking the forums? Well, because if you list the chat rooms, and try and pick out where the new posts are happening often you're not interested in the PS2 longest thread, or the word association thread.
Also these threads often dominate the post lists, remaining at the top and making it less obvious where people have been posting in other threads.
As a consequence after a while people no longer check those forums, the decent posters move elsewhere, and the forums collapse.
Like I said, choked by their own popularity.
So how could we stop this?
Well, I do think that it would be a shame to stop these threads. Perhaps the answer is to try and contain them. Maybe one solution would be to create a new forum for them. A "fast moving threads" forum. Containing these threads means that decent posts will be easier to pick out from all the other forums.
What do you think?
Could this be the cause of some forum's demise?
and could this be a potential solution?
So, what are the symptoms? How does this disease propagate itself?
Do the newbie's bring it in with them? Are certain ignorant individuals the prime carriers? And above all, how can we stop it?
I have a theory.
Among the symptoms is a certain amount of spamming. I think that this is just a side effect however, or one of the main causes. The forums are being choked. Choked by their own popularity.
What I'm referring to I can only describe as "legal spam threads".
For example the “movie chain” thread, and the “what music are you listening to right now?” thread in the Movies Forum.
PS2 Longest Thread
Word Association
Even the recent Puzzle Thread, which I have enjoyed immensely.
And why are they choking the forums? Well, because if you list the chat rooms, and try and pick out where the new posts are happening often you're not interested in the PS2 longest thread, or the word association thread.
Also these threads often dominate the post lists, remaining at the top and making it less obvious where people have been posting in other threads.
As a consequence after a while people no longer check those forums, the decent posters move elsewhere, and the forums collapse.
Like I said, choked by their own popularity.
So how could we stop this?
Well, I do think that it would be a shame to stop these threads. Perhaps the answer is to try and contain them. Maybe one solution would be to create a new forum for them. A "fast moving threads" forum. Containing these threads means that decent posts will be easier to pick out from all the other forums.
What do you think?
Could this be the cause of some forum's demise?
and could this be a potential solution?
Page:
Goatboy wrote:
> Flanders wrote:
> ?!?
>
> ---
>
> He was saying I rule above all else.
> BAD CHURCHMAN!
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, goatboy, if that is your real name.
> Flanders wrote:
> ?!?
>
> ---
>
> He was saying I rule above all else.
> BAD CHURCHMAN!
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, goatboy, if that is your real name.
Simon Says wrote:
> locky1133 wrote:
>
> WHAT? I'm not superman. I'm not rich, I'm not strong, I have only an
> abstract intellect.
>
> The point is that your comment had no validity. IB's potential
> defection from this forum has no effect on world starvation. If he
> wants to go, he'll go. That's his decision. The suggestion that
> because people are starving he should stop having an opinion here, or
> want to re-evaluate his place here is completely absurd.
But why does he have to broadcast it in such a way? We are lucky so why complain. I'm off back to lesson.
> locky1133 wrote:
>
> WHAT? I'm not superman. I'm not rich, I'm not strong, I have only an
> abstract intellect.
>
> The point is that your comment had no validity. IB's potential
> defection from this forum has no effect on world starvation. If he
> wants to go, he'll go. That's his decision. The suggestion that
> because people are starving he should stop having an opinion here, or
> want to re-evaluate his place here is completely absurd.
But why does he have to broadcast it in such a way? We are lucky so why complain. I'm off back to lesson.
locky1133 wrote:
> I merely wanted an official view on IBs possible future defection, and
> the GAD system.
What have the staff got to do with me leaving? And the GAD system has nothing to do with me leaving either.
I think you're getting confused.
> I merely wanted an official view on IBs possible future defection, and
> the GAD system.
What have the staff got to do with me leaving? And the GAD system has nothing to do with me leaving either.
I think you're getting confused.
Flanders wrote:
> ?!?
---
He was saying I rule above all else.
BAD CHURCHMAN!
> ?!?
---
He was saying I rule above all else.
BAD CHURCHMAN!
Simon Says wrote:
> locky1133 wrote:
> I think a Staff perspective on the GAD system may help here...
>
> Why?
>
> Oh I see, the staff are special and their opinions are worth so much
> more than ours, just like the notables. Not the noobs though, they're
> all worthless and JAT's. Jeez don't even go there.
I merely wanted an official view on IBs possible future defection, and the GAD system.
> locky1133 wrote:
> I think a Staff perspective on the GAD system may help here...
>
> Why?
>
> Oh I see, the staff are special and their opinions are worth so much
> more than ours, just like the notables. Not the noobs though, they're
> all worthless and JAT's. Jeez don't even go there.
I merely wanted an official view on IBs possible future defection, and the GAD system.
Goatboy wrote:
> locky1133 wrote:
> Well GAD-winning posts are usually the most unintelligible ones...
> --
> Thanks!
?!?
> locky1133 wrote:
> Well GAD-winning posts are usually the most unintelligible ones...
> --
> Thanks!
?!?
locky1133 wrote:
> Well GAD-winning posts are usually the most intelligent ones...
--
Thanks!
> Well GAD-winning posts are usually the most intelligent ones...
--
Thanks!
Flanders wrote:
>
> Frankly I don't know what can be done about it - if the decent posters
> leave then mostly they have their reasons and you can't make them come
> back. As you know I will be dissapearing from these forums myself in
> tree weeks time - due to my personal circumstances changing - I hope
> to come in from time to time and see what's going on but who knows.
>
> Wookie doesn't post so much because he used to post mostly from work
> but has moved on. Your Honour and Sonicrav moved of to Uni - various
> other people do things that cause them to move on and if new people
> come in at a time when the standard of postings has deteriorated then
> it will not encourage them to stay - some potential good posters will
> just pop in - look around and go.
Absolutely agreed. At the end of the day this is just an internet chat forum. The potential reasons and changes that I suggested focus only on that. If people move on, they move on. You can't help that, but is that the only reason why the post quality has declined, if indeed, it has?
>
> Frankly I don't know what can be done about it - if the decent posters
> leave then mostly they have their reasons and you can't make them come
> back. As you know I will be dissapearing from these forums myself in
> tree weeks time - due to my personal circumstances changing - I hope
> to come in from time to time and see what's going on but who knows.
>
> Wookie doesn't post so much because he used to post mostly from work
> but has moved on. Your Honour and Sonicrav moved of to Uni - various
> other people do things that cause them to move on and if new people
> come in at a time when the standard of postings has deteriorated then
> it will not encourage them to stay - some potential good posters will
> just pop in - look around and go.
Absolutely agreed. At the end of the day this is just an internet chat forum. The potential reasons and changes that I suggested focus only on that. If people move on, they move on. You can't help that, but is that the only reason why the post quality has declined, if indeed, it has?
Simon Says wrote:
> Care to comment on the original post here, as to why that is the case,
> and what could potentially be done about it?
Frankly I don't know what can be done about it - if the decent posters leave then mostly they have their reasons and you can't make them come back. As you know I will be dissapearing from these forums myself in tree weeks time - due to my personal circumstances changing - I hope to come in from time to time and see what's going on but who knows.
Wookie doesn't post so much because he used to post mostly from work but has moved on. Your Honour and Sonicrav moved of to Uni - various other people do things that cause them to move on and if new people come in at a time when the standard of postings has deteriorated then it will not encourage them to stay - some potential good posters will just pop in - look around and go.
> Care to comment on the original post here, as to why that is the case,
> and what could potentially be done about it?
Frankly I don't know what can be done about it - if the decent posters leave then mostly they have their reasons and you can't make them come back. As you know I will be dissapearing from these forums myself in tree weeks time - due to my personal circumstances changing - I hope to come in from time to time and see what's going on but who knows.
Wookie doesn't post so much because he used to post mostly from work but has moved on. Your Honour and Sonicrav moved of to Uni - various other people do things that cause them to move on and if new people come in at a time when the standard of postings has deteriorated then it will not encourage them to stay - some potential good posters will just pop in - look around and go.
locky1133 wrote:
I was simply pointing out that
> there are bigger problems in the world.
And they are being discussed in other threads.
I was simply pointing out that
> there are bigger problems in the world.
And they are being discussed in other threads.
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