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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?
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locky1133 wrote:
> Then ask to be re-iniated among the sheep. Swop places with the second
> runner. Or sign up under a different name. If all you want to do is
> chat, get a new identity, free from the 'pressures' of Notability.
I don't see that there are any "pressures" of notability. It's just a label. An honour, maybe, but it's still only a label.
The point is that IB feels the forum has fallen so badly that he is preparing to leave it all behind. Leave his label and start a new.
Why?
and if you think that's wrong, what steps could we take to convince him otherwise, assuming he can be convinced?
> Then ask to be re-iniated among the sheep. Swop places with the second
> runner. Or sign up under a different name. If all you want to do is
> chat, get a new identity, free from the 'pressures' of Notability.
I don't see that there are any "pressures" of notability. It's just a label. An honour, maybe, but it's still only a label.
The point is that IB feels the forum has fallen so badly that he is preparing to leave it all behind. Leave his label and start a new.
Why?
and if you think that's wrong, what steps could we take to convince him otherwise, assuming he can be convinced?
locky1133 wrote:
> You won't though. Because that sense of notable pride resides inside
> you. It may be deep inside, but it is there. And you won't give it up.
I was a Notable once, but I turned it down. True story.
> You won't though. Because that sense of notable pride resides inside
> you. It may be deep inside, but it is there. And you won't give it up.
I was a Notable once, but I turned it down. True story.
Insane Bartender wrote:
> I'm currently looking for somewhere else to spend my time.
OMG, *world's smallest violin*, what a blatant attempt at trying to get our attention and sympathy! You ain't getting it that easily!
> I'm currently looking for somewhere else to spend my time.
OMG, *world's smallest violin*, what a blatant attempt at trying to get our attention and sympathy! You ain't getting it that easily!
You won't though. Because that sense of notable pride resides inside you. It may be deep inside, but it is there. And you won't give it up.
Then ask to be re-iniated among the sheep. Swop places with the second runner. Or sign up under a different name. If all you want to do is chat, get a new identity, free from the 'pressures' of Notability.
I signed up to chat about stuff, not to urinate into the wind in a noble, if foolish attempt to make scholars out of a horde of philistines and booboisies.
Did the soldiers in Iraq ask to be there. They signed up to join the military knowing the conseqeunces. You sighned up to the forums as a noob knowing the conseqeunces. So men are born with greatness, some men acheive greatness, some men have it thrust upon them.
locky1133 wrote:
> Notables should represent the forums, not look for a bunker or
> safe-house until the 'bad times' are through.
Did I ask to be a representative?
> Notables should represent the forums, not look for a bunker or
> safe-house until the 'bad times' are through.
Did I ask to be a representative?
locky1133 wrote:
> and that's experience talking:)
:)
That's all well and good. Like I said I haven't been here the longest time so some of this theory is based upon other peoples opinions that have been here for longer. That and the fact that as a relatively new person watching for new posts, the reason why I don't say much is some forums is because the tool for picking up the latest post in each forum is partially disabled if it is constantly being triggered by these longest thread forums, which don't really hold any interest.
Maybe you are right.
Like you said you are speaking form experience
> and that's experience talking:)
:)
That's all well and good. Like I said I haven't been here the longest time so some of this theory is based upon other peoples opinions that have been here for longer. That and the fact that as a relatively new person watching for new posts, the reason why I don't say much is some forums is because the tool for picking up the latest post in each forum is partially disabled if it is constantly being triggered by these longest thread forums, which don't really hold any interest.
Maybe you are right.
Like you said you are speaking form experience
Notables should represent the forums, not look for a bunker or safe-house until the 'bad times' are through.
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