I propose this idea... - by Gingerbread Man
dexterward on 24/6/2011 at 19:11
It`s hard to imagine internet forum without some drama. Even such venerable one like this.
I`m as much for bit of handbags-at-noon/derailing as the next guy, but in some point it dawned on me that net arguments are even more pointless than IRL ones. So in some dumber exchanges I employ sort of two-replies-and-I`m-out policy even though I`m not gonna have this precious last word. Recommended ;)
Voted for number one, but don`t really know...apart from Karma - pleeez "no" for this one! Lack of any look-at-me! devices was one of the reasons I registered here....I think karma systems either lead to whoring or some serious ego inflation leading to more fights. Or both.
All in all, I have yet to see a real troll here - jury`s out on Llama, but most of the alleged "bad boys" or the ones I disagree with seem to be AOK anyway, with something interesting/funny to say in areas other than CommChat...
PeeperStorm on 24/6/2011 at 19:28
How about this: In the pull down menu that you get when you click on a username, add an item that will directly add that individual user to one's Ignore List. That would make it much more convenient to simply not have to look at a particular idiot's posts ever again, rather than having to drill down into one's settings to find the list and add them to it.
Stitch on 24/6/2011 at 19:39
This idea, while noble, has two problems:
First, SERIOUS tags might squash down the kind of witty back and forth that used to be this place's stock and trade. I miss the actual discussion threads, but even more so I miss the incredible jokes that would steamroll out of nowhere.
Secondly, the true plague currently reducing Comm Chat to a ghost town extends well beyond the attempts at serious threads. My recent TTLG silence wasn't so much a planned break as it was me throwing up my hands after reading countless threads populated by the same posters who consider discussion to be the shouting of one's opinion louder than the other guy.
I recognize that moderating this sort of thing can be dicey, especially as strongly worded opinions are something of a hallmark of this forum, but at a certain point we need to aim higher than the debating equivalent of a board with a nail in it.
Sap'em on 24/6/2011 at 19:50
Aww..but where else would I go to get my laugh on at the juxtaposition of total asshattry and serious discussion if you put them into two different forums. Badly played sir!:mad:
As a serious answer, a karma system that lets you not see the bad posts at your option is the best answer I think.
Chimpy Chompy on 24/6/2011 at 19:54
I think I could go with the first option. I trust our elite moderating team here to sort the quality zingers and entertaining banter from the outright twattery or pointless hostility.
That said I think there's more to the quiet state of commchat than just fear of twattery.
Aerothorn on 24/6/2011 at 20:03
Note: I voted for the "clubhouse" option, but was confused - consider my vote for the first.
Basically, I'm really happy you're making this, because I've been toying with the idea of leaving TTLG altogether, or at least finding a second "main" forum, for a while now. I love the place and don't want to have to re-learn the personalities of some new monstrosity, but it's really degraded. My initial concern was that we were slowly but surely bleeding membership, and that this place would eventually turn into a legit ghost town; but there is now of much less concern than the asshattery that kicked off this thread. I don't mind a small, tight-knit community. I just would prefer that they balance the insult-matches with something more engaging.
That said, the "separate forum" idea is problematic, not just for the reasons mentioned below but because of the membership size. I don't think Comm Chat has enough regulars to support two separate forums; people would inevitably favor one over the other and you'd split the membership more than the forum can really handle.
I think the "serious" thread tag is a good idea, at least to start. It may need some tweaking down the road, and a loose write-up of the expected limits would probably be helpful, but I think it's clear to folks that it's not a NO JOKES sign; simply that your post must actually have some real thought and effort put into it, rather that's a clever send-up or a serious response. The many variations on "You just don't get it, do you?" should be the kind of shit that should be discouraged.
PeeperStorm on 24/6/2011 at 20:05
Quote Posted by Sap'em
As a serious answer, a karma system that lets you not see the bad posts at your option is the best answer I think.
Maybe one where each user can determine what level of Bad Karma they're willing to look at would work. Have "All" as the default setting.
Sulphur on 24/6/2011 at 20:17
Note about the Karma system: even though I suggested it, more or less, I abhor the idea of a rating system for every single post. I don't see much point in applying Karma en masse to all posts and threads because it's only going to cause so much useless clutter. I'd rather see it used to rate a thread's discussion appeal overall, and to that end, ratings would apply only to the thread as a whole on the index page/the OP for that thread.
To Stitch and everybody else with similar concerns: it is true that the dwindling readership and participation of CommChat is symptomatic of things that can't be fixed via any of the systems discussed for this poll. But - and I hate to be the one to do this - what can be done to get participation back to healthy levels? I don't see any ideas being floated around about that. If the general response is going to be, 'shucks, there ain't nothing no one can do, it's dead and we're gone/leaving', then what's the point of making your initial posts to begin with.
Gingerbread Man on 24/6/2011 at 20:49
This is shaping up nicely. Balls to a Karma system, and a subforum (while having potential) would probably only serve to isolate people and cause a different kind of problem.
Let's be clear that I haven't been talking about volleys of goodnatured silliness and pokes in the eye between people who know what is what. There is a huge difference between the kind of noise we want and the kind of noise we don't, and yeah I think we're all on the same page as far as that one goes.
The intention is not to create separation. It's more about nurturing two different crops at the same time rather than having the kudzu right in there with the apple trees.
Or something.
:D
Gingerbread Man on 24/6/2011 at 20:54
Quote Posted by Sulphur
But - and I hate to be the one to do this - what can be done to get participation back to healthy levels? I don't see any ideas being floated around about that.
There have been half a dozen photoshop threads and two pretty interesting discussions that I wanted to start in CommChat since January of this year. Did not do it. Wrote it all up, did not pres butan.
Why?
Because I remembered what happens to every kind of HEY GUISE LETS ALL DO SOMETHING FUN TOGETHER thread I have made in the past. No one joins in.
I'll tell you what...
This weekend I will start something. I am not going to be doing this to prove that no one joins in, I am going to be doing this to see if people will join in. I hope it will be fun, and I hope that even the people who don't have the skills to participate will give it their best shot even if it's terrible.
Someone try to remind me that I have said this. My memory is shorter than the distance between wapiti.
