So-and-so has [died/gotten sick/gotten divorced/grown a hangnail] posts
- Thread starter PowerWordDumb
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PowerWordDumb
First Post
I'll be the first to admit there's likely no real easy answer (and no, "don't read them" isn't one either), but I'm of the opinion you don't point out a problem without at least suggesting some possible form of solution. I'm not wedded to the idea of an OT forum, it was just the first possible solution that came to mind.
Granted, an offtopic forum may create more issues than it's worth, as might filters, but there's got to be some way to maintain the community aspects of ENWorld without having to wade through OT threads up to your neck in the General RPG Discussion forum. Posts about how much gamer-chic you wear is one thing. A boatload of posts about random public personality X's trials and tribulations is entirely another.
I'm as open to ideas as anyone. Must be something constructive and non-draconian we can do, if even just deciding to show a tiny little bit of restraint in our posting habits.
Granted, an offtopic forum may create more issues than it's worth, as might filters, but there's got to be some way to maintain the community aspects of ENWorld without having to wade through OT threads up to your neck in the General RPG Discussion forum. Posts about how much gamer-chic you wear is one thing. A boatload of posts about random public personality X's trials and tribulations is entirely another.
I'm as open to ideas as anyone. Must be something constructive and non-draconian we can do, if even just deciding to show a tiny little bit of restraint in our posting habits.
Tarrasque Wrangler
First Post
LightPhoenix said:
Adding some flavor of OT Forum is the mootest point ever. Morrus and Eric have said time and again why they don't want this. IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.
You do bring up a good point about the limitations of the site's operations. But there's an alternative to altering an aspect of the boards that make it so great (IMHO, but apparently Morrus's HO and Eric's HO too) if we want to have boards that work better. Why not push for a Community Supporter subscription drive, like the ones on PBS but with fewer program interruptions
? This is something that would make the entire site run better and faster and we would not have to change one iota of its content. Even if such a "pledge drive" only netted 100 new Supporters, that would be like, what, $3000? That's a new server, right there. How can we go about this?
Slap a puchase link right there at the top of the thread list. I know that I kinda had to go hunting for a link when I signed up for a CSA. It should not be that hard.
How about a slight price break, maybe to $30 or $25 (For a Limited Time Only, of course)? Knock a few bucks off and it might net a few people who were on the fence.
Tell people what EN World will do with the increased revenue and exactly how it will help the site.
Community Supporters get one or two nice perks for signing up. Would vBulletin support more perks added in? Maybe free up more space for .sigs. I know that I wouldn't turn down a freebie PDF or three as well.
Net result: More proud members. More revenue. Better site infrastructure. I'm not the EN World accountant, but this sure feels like a no-lose proposition. How about it, Morrus?
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jdavis
First Post
As much as I love reading OT threads I would hate to see a OT forum, there are plenty of forums here now and many of the off topic post are only off topic because they are posted in general (such as the Johnny Cash post really wouldn't be OT if it was in Movies & TV and most personal posts probably belong in Meta). On the first two pages of General right now there are only three OT threads and one has already been moved to computers and software, this isn't that big a problem that we need a whole new forum. Just get people to post in the right forums, besides I'm sure the moderators wouldn't mind not having to move threads around all the time.
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Tarrasque Wrangler
First Post
Yeah, what the fryman said. Although I think Johnny Cash would be OT for Movies and TV, and I think Meta's gone offtrack enough with the birthday posts. I thought meta was topics about the boards, but it seems to be a dumping ground for oddities too.
And to the folks who think that an OT forum would make General run faster: I think that the "peer pressure" that keeps OT posts to about 10% of the total (mod or admin care to check what the actual percentage is? I'm eyeballing here, but I think my estimate's on the high side) would evaporate if you gave it it's own forum. As Darkness said above, look at Tangency on RPG.net. Unless you gave it it's own server, that one forum's just going to slow down every other forum too.
And to the folks who think that an OT forum would make General run faster: I think that the "peer pressure" that keeps OT posts to about 10% of the total (mod or admin care to check what the actual percentage is? I'm eyeballing here, but I think my estimate's on the high side) would evaporate if you gave it it's own forum. As Darkness said above, look at Tangency on RPG.net. Unless you gave it it's own server, that one forum's just going to slow down every other forum too.
Brother Shatterstone
Dark Moderator of PbP
I can see this on both sides, if your going to cut out OT post then pretty much all of them need to be cut out. When you start looking at censorship (even in posts) it means someone has final say, which I don't have a problem with, but someone’s going to have to work more or someone is going to end up looking like the bad guy. Another non RPG board I go to has a zero tolerance for OT, again I have no issues with this, but the main thread theirs one guys that patrols it pretty much 24/7 and is very disliked cause of his job... Poor guy rarely posts for anything other than for his job cause of that policy.
Now giving a total off topic forum is just a horrible idea as there would be the temptation for many to try and fill it up.
I really just suggest the status quo, and ignore the ones you don't want to read, as this is a community and will always act as one.
Now giving a total off topic forum is just a horrible idea as there would be the temptation for many to try and fill it up.
I really just suggest the status quo, and ignore the ones you don't want to read, as this is a community and will always act as one.
William Ronald
Explorer
I was initially going to create a thread for an idea that I have, but saw this thread. (No need to create threads needlessly.)
One possible solution to some of the OT posts would be a Community Forum. As an example of how it might be described, here is a sample tag line: "Posts on events in the lives of your fellow board members. A place for various announcements. No political or religious discussion please."
This might provide many of the OT posts a home where members can check on various announcements. It would at least cut down on some complaints about various OT threads. (I don't really have a problem with OT threads, per se. I am offering a possible solution to what some people see as a problem.) An advantage of a Community forum is that it might cut down on some of the complaints. (I have no problem with trying to be supportive to my fellow board members in the General RPG forum. I would continue to be supportive even if the messages are posted somewhere else.)
I don't know if this would really make the moderators work any easier, but I have seen some things that would fit well in a community forum. OT posts are to be expected. I tried posting about a few OT stuff in plots and places (real world stuff that can be used as plot hooks), but the thread never took off.
One possible solution to some of the OT posts would be a Community Forum. As an example of how it might be described, here is a sample tag line: "Posts on events in the lives of your fellow board members. A place for various announcements. No political or religious discussion please."
This might provide many of the OT posts a home where members can check on various announcements. It would at least cut down on some complaints about various OT threads. (I don't really have a problem with OT threads, per se. I am offering a possible solution to what some people see as a problem.) An advantage of a Community forum is that it might cut down on some of the complaints. (I have no problem with trying to be supportive to my fellow board members in the General RPG forum. I would continue to be supportive even if the messages are posted somewhere else.)
I don't know if this would really make the moderators work any easier, but I have seen some things that would fit well in a community forum. OT posts are to be expected. I tried posting about a few OT stuff in plots and places (real world stuff that can be used as plot hooks), but the thread never took off.
Djeta Thernadier
First Post
I don't really understand why the NFL and other real world sports stuff is still up, yet other OT stuff gets closed/ moved, etc?
Brother Shatterstone
Dark Moderator of PbP
Probably cause it's only an issue on Sunday and it quickly fades from the front page by Monday morning... Only about 20 more weeks of football though...Djeta Thernadier said:
Are you sure threads have been closed and not just moved?
LightPhoenix
First Post
I think a big part of reducing off-topic threads, wrong forum posts, and improper tagging is simply to get a hammer and bludgeon people over the head.
Well, asumming you're talking about yours and Arthur's threads that were moved, I presume it's because those are about the forums and their members, and thus belonged in Meta in the first place. I mean, they don't write those forum descriptions for nothing. The NFL stuff isn't about the forums, or members, and thus is OT in any forum. Thus, it stays in General.
Now, that's just my interpretation, and I'm not a moderator. I understand the frustration that posts meant to further the sense of community are moved when less-OT posts aren't. Personally, I don't understand why sports stuff is allowed to stay myself either - there are whole other websites devoted to that, and certainly Nutkinland if nothing else. But again, I'm not a moderator, or site owner, and it's basically the call of the mods and Morrus as to what goes and stays.
Djeta Thernadier said:
Well, asumming you're talking about yours and Arthur's threads that were moved, I presume it's because those are about the forums and their members, and thus belonged in Meta in the first place. I mean, they don't write those forum descriptions for nothing. The NFL stuff isn't about the forums, or members, and thus is OT in any forum. Thus, it stays in General.
Now, that's just my interpretation, and I'm not a moderator. I understand the frustration that posts meant to further the sense of community are moved when less-OT posts aren't. Personally, I don't understand why sports stuff is allowed to stay myself either - there are whole other websites devoted to that, and certainly Nutkinland if nothing else. But again, I'm not a moderator, or site owner, and it's basically the call of the mods and Morrus as to what goes and stays.
