I propose this idea...

Llama on 27/6/2011 at 01:28

Quote Posted by Zooey

I'm holding back my vote until there's a "Moderators start moderating"-option.

so true

june gloom on 27/6/2011 at 01:47

Yeah, can I change my vote? I want that option and I want my vote changed to it.

fett on 27/6/2011 at 03:46

I'm just happy to hear from most of the people posting in this forum (my perpetual hatred for all things Koki notwithstanding...). Troll tags sound good to me. Can I have the purple one with the little flowers on it?

Mr.Duck on 27/6/2011 at 05:07

What Vas, BA, Shayde and a few others have said.

Less favoritism, maybe add a few more mods for closer patrolling (without turning nazi police state, mind you). Gradual punishment leading up to permban, troll tagging, etc.

Heck, mix and match. I'm sure the weed killer that comes out will eventually do in most people not really worth having around.

Martin Karne on 27/6/2011 at 05:36

So then can I be a Nutzi-Mod?

Aja on 27/6/2011 at 07:24

The biggest problem here seems obvious to me: lack of new threads. If the regulars here adopt the attitude "well maybe it's not the best idea for a thread and maybe it won't get a lot of replies but fuck it I'm posting anyway," and then not get all existential if there aren't any replies, we'd end up with, well, lots of threads. And not all of them would be about our current whatevers, or politics. Wouldn't that be nice? Sure, discussions would still get drawn down into a pit, but with more to choose from, I just, um... I think it would be better, somehow.

What, put my money where my mouth is, you say? Fine, I will start making new threads. And if you do too, things will be interesting again. We've just become too hesitant these days.

Scots Taffer on 27/6/2011 at 07:32

Megathreads.

Used to be every other movie that opened got a thread, particularly all the comic book ones, and we'd bash it or whatever. I remember once criticising a thread for a movie and in retrospect I hope that didn't happen too often generally and lead to what we have now.

I know I have been vocal in my anti-megathread stance, despite then contributing to them on occasion out of sheer empty frustration.

SubJeff on 27/6/2011 at 13:21

Tbh I don't get the options.

But make me a mod anyway and I'll ban everyone who needs it, self included, forthwith

demagogue on 27/6/2011 at 14:58

I thought the issue was mostly attitude & inspiration too, not something officialdom can even do too much about, though some things would help more than others.

To be really wonk & unfunny about it, my sociology of online communications class (lol, I got credit for this?) said online communities fly when members feel like they're contributing, like applying the gift society idea from anthropology; you're validated as a good member when you're contributing something for everyone (that's received by them as worth something to them), and you validate others when you're getting something from them, and everyone wins.

For the Thief forums, that's like contributing FMs or opinions on FMs or a walkthru or whatever (which is why they're so damn touchy about daring to "criticize" an FM; "they're all welcome". It's not really about the FM. I's about validating the author as a member). For GenGaming it's contributing your informed thoughts on a game (that's a whole other debate!).

For CommChat, I guess the two things it offers are interesting discussion and comedy gold. So I guess you can't feel validated if you don't feel able to contribute -- either you feel your arguments are falling on deaf ears so not worth making, or the comedy will fall flat or you feel the people that are going to read it aren't worth the lolz. (I just imagine if I can only at least make MrDuck giggle or fett smile & nod it's always worth it; you know, the low hanging fruit, haha.)

I don't know; maybe Aja & Scots have a point. It might be a matter of opportunity... More of the right threads = more opportunity = more validation. Not sure this helps decide what steps might help. Trolling can suck the spirit out of a thread when you don't feel like adding any more to it, but comedy gold spawns out of a little spontaneous chaos too. But anyway, for my own part I just post in threads where I think I'm adding something, I don't suck myself into drama or take it too seriously if it happens, and I don't worry about threads off the rails... just move on to another thread.

Ko0K on 28/6/2011 at 07:50

I think the real problem is that the old farts are jaded and the whippersnaps are trying too hard.