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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:
Flanders wrote:
>
> I'm with you here though.
Care to comment on the original post here, as to why that is the case, and what could potentially be done about it?
>
> I'm with you here though.
Care to comment on the original post here, as to why that is the case, and what could potentially be done about it?
locky1133 wrote:
> I have not seen that post but I'm sure it was not without merit. GAD -
> GameADay, if it was mediocre, perhaps the other posts that day were
> poor. Perhaps if you had contributed something meaningful that day...
Believe me - it was total dogs doodahs and there were at least three other posts that were infinatley better that day.
> I have not seen that post but I'm sure it was not without merit. GAD -
> GameADay, if it was mediocre, perhaps the other posts that day were
> poor. Perhaps if you had contributed something meaningful that day...
Believe me - it was total dogs doodahs and there were at least three other posts that were infinatley better that day.
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.
>
> 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.
Insane Bartender wrote:
> locky1133 wrote:
> Few crap posts have won GAD. They are always intelligent,
> interesting
> or witty.
>
> What, like Vice City rap?
I thought you'd gotton over that one by now !!
I'm with you here though - you could probably come up with a list of no more than 10 / 15 names of people that contribute decent stuff to the forums on a regular basis nowadays - note that that figure is less than the total number of Notables.
Not getting at the Notables but people like Pro Evo and Wookie who always post good stuff are hardly ever on nowadays - though I have noticed the hairy one being on a bit more recently. Even SHEEPY is posting alot less nowadays - at least he used to make me laugh...
I have noticed that the standard of post's has slipped dramatically over the last six months and many people that I used to chat to regularly just are not here anymore - and if they are they are probably sticking 2 or 3 posts in that dissapear under the constant drivel that gets posted.
> locky1133 wrote:
> Few crap posts have won GAD. They are always intelligent,
> interesting
> or witty.
>
> What, like Vice City rap?
I thought you'd gotton over that one by now !!
I'm with you here though - you could probably come up with a list of no more than 10 / 15 names of people that contribute decent stuff to the forums on a regular basis nowadays - note that that figure is less than the total number of Notables.
Not getting at the Notables but people like Pro Evo and Wookie who always post good stuff are hardly ever on nowadays - though I have noticed the hairy one being on a bit more recently. Even SHEEPY is posting alot less nowadays - at least he used to make me laugh...
I have noticed that the standard of post's has slipped dramatically over the last six months and many people that I used to chat to regularly just are not here anymore - and if they are they are probably sticking 2 or 3 posts in that dissapear under the constant drivel that gets posted.
locky1133 wrote:
> Not enough by any stretch of anyones imagination. I donate what money
> I can when I can, but that is all. I was simply pointing out that
> there are bigger problems in the world.
And yet rather than spend some time making a meaningful contribution, you sit here, complaining that I have declared your favoured daytime hobby a load of crap.
*slow claps*
> Not enough by any stretch of anyones imagination. I donate what money
> I can when I can, but that is all. I was simply pointing out that
> there are bigger problems in the world.
And yet rather than spend some time making a meaningful contribution, you sit here, complaining that I have declared your favoured daytime hobby a load of crap.
*slow claps*
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 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.
Simon Says wrote:
> locky1133 wrote:
> People are dying of starvation in the world and your being p*ssy
> 'cos
> you don't fit in. I suggest you leave your angst outside the virtual
> door.
>
> What?!?
>
> I don't believe you said that? You cannot think that is a valid
> point.
>
> People are dying of starvation in the world and we are all sitting on
> our backsides reading a forum. If you are that worried about
> starvation in the world go and do something about it.
WHAT? I'm not superman. I'm not rich, I'm not strong, I have only an abstract intellect.
> locky1133 wrote:
> People are dying of starvation in the world and your being p*ssy
> 'cos
> you don't fit in. I suggest you leave your angst outside the virtual
> door.
>
> What?!?
>
> I don't believe you said that? You cannot think that is a valid
> point.
>
> People are dying of starvation in the world and we are all sitting on
> our backsides reading a forum. If you are that worried about
> starvation in the world go and do something about it.
WHAT? I'm not superman. I'm not rich, I'm not strong, I have only an abstract intellect.
locky1133 wrote:
> I have not seen that post but I'm sure it was not without merit. GAD -
> GameADay, if it was mediocre, perhaps the other posts that day were
> poor. Perhaps if you had contributed something meaningful that day...
***Breaking News***
Insane Bartender voluntarily removed himself from the GAD competition months ago.
> I have not seen that post but I'm sure it was not without merit. GAD -
> GameADay, if it was mediocre, perhaps the other posts that day were
> poor. Perhaps if you had contributed something meaningful that day...
***Breaking News***
Insane Bartender voluntarily removed himself from the GAD competition months ago.
Insane Bartender wrote:
> locky1133 wrote:
> People are dying of starvation in the world and your being p*ssy
> 'cos
> you don't fit in. I suggest you leave your angst outside the virtual
> door.
>
> Yes, people around the world are dying of starvation. What are YOU
> doing about it?
Not enough by any stretch of anyones imagination. I donate what money I can when I can, but that is all. I was simply pointing out that there are bigger problems in the world.
> locky1133 wrote:
> People are dying of starvation in the world and your being p*ssy
> 'cos
> you don't fit in. I suggest you leave your angst outside the virtual
> door.
>
> Yes, people around the world are dying of starvation. What are YOU
> doing about it?
Not enough by any stretch of anyones imagination. I donate what money I can when I can, but that is all. I was simply pointing out that there are bigger problems in the world.
locky1133 wrote:
> People are dying of starvation in the world and your being p*ssy 'cos
> you don't fit in. I suggest you leave your angst outside the virtual
> door.
What?!?
I don't believe you said that? You cannot think that is a valid point.
People are dying of starvation in the world and we are all sitting on our backsides reading a forum. If you are that worried about starvation in the world go and do something about it.
> People are dying of starvation in the world and your being p*ssy 'cos
> you don't fit in. I suggest you leave your angst outside the virtual
> door.
What?!?
I don't believe you said that? You cannot think that is a valid point.
People are dying of starvation in the world and we are all sitting on our backsides reading a forum. If you are that worried about starvation in the world go and do something about it.
Page: