Less People Posting?

[LightPhoenix]

It seems to me there are less people posting on ENWorld these days. Is this really the case?

[Piratecat]

We've been steady at 42-50K posts a month for the last year. That's down a little from 2+ years ago; possibly those are Pathfinder fans who have moved primarily to Paizo's boards.

[Odhanan]

I was personally a very regular poster and community supporter a few years ago.

I am now flabbergasted at the way this site has morphed into a clique of people who can't stand disagreement, argument, and which promote the idea of licking WotC's (and other VIPs') boots at every turn.

When I see threads closed with comments from Piratecat like "I am so very tired of babysitting a very small number of threads, and this thread is one of them. Klunk." (if you're tired of babysitting, PC, don't be a mod in the first place), or Morrus who goes against people by ascribing motives to their posts (which in itself is against the rules of ENWorld), this tells me right there why I stopped posting here, and why I'm deluded in thinking things have gotten better over time.

This site sucks, now. This is sad. I used to love it.

Edit - Sorry for the blunt post, but if I'm the one who needs to say it, so be it.

[Mark]

There might be fewer recognizable names posting because some leave as they perceive the boards aren't inclusive of their needs and interests, in combination with the addition of so many forums on the boards causing some folks to post less in the gerneral forum.

[Piratecat]

Odhanan, I'll put things in perspective a bit. We normally get 2, maybe 3 reported posts a day. We've gotten 31 since yesterday, with vastly the lion's share in the several threads I closed. I don't know what it is, but people on both sides of the issue were being repeatedly rude. As always, we don't have a lot of interest in micromanaging threads like that, so closed it goes.

Was I annoyed? You bet.

If you want to make the site better, post interesting threads that are about cool D&D things. That, more than any veiled or mean-spirited attack thread, helps other people have fun.

[LightPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Mark

There might be fewer recognizable names posting because some leave as they perceive the boards aren't inclusive of their needs and interests, in combination with the addition of so many forums on the boards causing some folks to post less in the gerneral forum.

That's possibly it, though I'm not certain it's a lack of recognizable names. Where it seems most pronounced to me is in Off Topic. Perhaps that's because people are posting at CM or other boards. 4E Rules seems to have slowed down as well, probably because it's been some time since the launch. The Software forum seems to be another one that's relatively slow... but then, there's a general lack of big computing stuff going on, and other sites.

As PCat said, the number of posts hasn't changed, so it's probably all in my head.

[Piratecat]

Well, it's down a little from last year and is less than 3-4 years ago, when 3e was at its peak. So it's not entirely your imagination. I think the change in editions has affected it, and there are other really good message boards now that weren't there years ago. OD&D, Pathfinder, 3e, 4e -- people should find the site that's the most fun for them.

We have consistent numbers of new threads and new posts, which is nice. It's probably folks shifting around.

[Crothian]

With many menbers in college don't we usually get a little less posts over the summer months when kids are no longer in school?

[Morrus]

Originally Posted by Odhanan

This site sucks

I respectfully diagree. This site may not be for everyone all of the time, but it absolutely does not suck.

I stopped posting here

And a quick search suggests to me that you post here a lot more than you think you do!

[Odhanan]

Originally Posted by Morrus

And a quick search suggests to me that you post here a lot more than you think you do!

Maybe so, but I daresay your search was quick indeed, since I am also not posting nearly as much as I used to.

As for the site sucking, I'm going to agree that certainly some people might think its contents, moderation and overall ambiance are great as they are right now. I do not. I know for a fact the site could be much better than it now is, since it once was.

[joethelawyer]

Originally Posted by Odhanan

Maybe so, but I daresay your search was quick indeed, since I am also not posting nearly as much as I used to.

As for the site sucking, I'm going to agree that certainly some people might think its contents, moderation and overall ambiance are great as they are right now. I do not. I know for a fact the site could be much better than it now is, since it once was.

I agree. When I post a thread with legitimate questions, and a mod and the owner of the board break their own rules and start questioning motives, likely because of their impressions of me from other posts, and because they don't want to offend anyone at WOTC apparently and cut off revenue streams, then I am pretty much done with this place.

My final parting words to you guys is that it was overall nice being here, I enjoyed interacting with many of you, but the management needs to grow some stones and be less hypocritical.

Later

[Hairfoot]

Originally Posted by Odhanan

I was personally a very regular poster and community supporter a few years ago.

I am now flabbergasted at the way this site has morphed into a clique of people who can't stand disagreement, argument, and which promote the idea of licking WotC's (and other VIPs') boots at every turn.

When I see threads closed with comments from Piratecat like "I am so very tired of babysitting a very small number of threads, and this thread is one of them. Klunk." (if you're tired of babysitting, PC, don't be a mod in the first place), or Morrus who goes against people by ascribing motives to their posts (which in itself is against the rules of ENWorld), this tells me right there why I stopped posting here, and why I'm deluded in thinking things have gotten better over time.

I couldn't agree more. I don't think ENworld sucks - yet - but it's as close to an unofficial official Wizards of the Coast site as you can get.

I've been posting here for five years, and there have always been edition wars, flaming and complaints about game publishers. What used to make ENworld so classy was firm but even-handed moderation. But try criticising 4E now - or worse, WotC - and watch the mods not only tolerate, but even lead the attack on the critics. 4E/WotC boosters, on the other hand, can expect a free ride all the way, even down to the most bitter attacks on those they disagree with.

The treatment of Joethelawyer's thread was astounding. It was completely mild and almost flame-free, while other, ever-present, threads of vicious argument are allowed to play out for page after page in the General forum.

As for 31 complaints, pull the other one. If it really was that many, are they assessed for relevance and seriousness? The most florid personal insults usually result in some red text and maybe a poster being kicked from a thread, but - oh, boy - criticise Hasbro and the whole thing gets nuked.

And let's keep in mind that the thread was about whether Hasbro might try to hammer those of us who aren't playing 4E. Surely that's a legitimate and highly relevant topic for a board that purports to be for "general" game discussion. Instead, the conversation was apparently shut off for containing unfavourable comments about a games publishing corporation. Can the ENworld team really not see something fundamentally rotten at the core of that?

Since I returned to gaming, ENworld is where I've had the most discussion, and it's been great. But now the site is a thinly-veiled marketing board for Hasbro products, fully endorsed by the moderation team. It makes me sad to put Gamespot and ENworld in the same basket, but I'd be naive not to.

If the future of ENworld is in helping Hasbro to shift units, for whatever reward or esteem in return, then either be up front about it or make an effort to make it a discussion site again, rather than a discuss-4E-positively-or-else site.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Originally Posted by Mark

There might be fewer recognizable names posting because some leave as they perceive the boards aren't inclusive of their needs and interests, in combination with the addition of so many forums on the boards causing some folks to post less in the gerneral forum.

That and:

1) A few bannings, notably of someone with multiple alts.

2) Several posters changing screen names

3) A few posters who have been on hiatus due to RW reasons...some of whom have started to re-post.

[Morrus]

Originally Posted by joethelawyer

I agree. When I post a thread with legitimate questions, and a mod and the owner of the board break their own rules and start questioning motives, likely because of their impressions of me from other posts, and because they don't want to offend anyone at WOTC apparently and cut off revenue streams, then I am pretty much done with this place.

I think that at the point where someone complains about their motives being questioned while postulating theories of dishonest motives themselves, the thread is pretty much done and has nowhere good to go.

My final parting words to you guys is that it was overall nice being here, I enjoyed interacting with many of you, but the management needs to grow some stones and be less hypocritical.

You really are burning your bridges here, Joe. Take care; I hope you find a site more to your liking. I think we can mutually agree that EN World clearly isn't the place for you if you're at the "insulting the mods" stage, which is a clear no-no.