I propose this idea... - by Gingerbread Man
Thirith on 29/6/2011 at 08:36
On quite a few healthy message boards that I've seen, megathreads can easily exist side by side with deep, interesting discussion threads. I think that people are getting hung up on one specific bugbear of theirs, but that strikes me as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Does anyone seriously think that without the occasional megathread the board will suddenly become this wonderful place of banter, wit and erudition, where deep people discuss deep things, like in the good old days?
The TTLG boards have their problems, and many of them have been mentioned - but I doubt that Megathreads - yes/no will have much of an effect on things.
Scots Taffer on 29/6/2011 at 09:27
I disagree with pretty much my entire being. I challenge you to find much evidence of meaningful conversation in a megathread (and no, a handful of responses does not qualify) for the past three to six months and then have a look to see how many individual threads cropped up in that timeframe devoted to a single movie or TV (where historically a lot of conversation has occurred). They kill conversation deader than dead. They're shit.
I think when there are a spread of decent threads around it prompts people in an offhand way to create more threads and more threads creates more opportunity for interaction and increased interaction creates banter and banter turns this place back into the runaway train of jokes and serious conversations that I used to love.
I'll commit to that theory anyway and practise it whenever I can.
Thirith on 29/6/2011 at 09:43
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
I disagree with pretty much my entire being. I challenge you to find much evidence of meaningful conversation in a megathread (and no, a handful of responses does not qualify) for the past three to six months and then have a look to see how many individual threads cropped up in that timeframe devoted to a single movie or TV (where historically a lot of conversation has occurred). They kill conversation deader than dead. They're shit.
I agree with you that megathreads aren't the place to find meaningful conversation, but that's not their purpose. I remain unconvinced that it's the megathreads that caused individual discussions of film X or series Y to vanish - personally I think it's more that this place has become such a combination of clubhouse and S&M club, that many of the regulars spent more time and energy on slagging each other off while new members would pretty quickly go somewhere that isn't as forbidding at first glance.
Having said that, if the mods were to delete all megathreads, I wouldn't cry into my cereal for days and weeks. As a matter of fact, if it's as easy as banning all megathreads to get people back to actually interesting discussions, I'll be very happy to admit that I was wrong.
Quote:
I think when there are a spread of decent threads around it prompts people in an offhand way to create more threads and more threads creates more opportunity for interaction and increased interaction creates banter and banter turns this place back into the runaway train of jokes and serious conversations that I used to love.
I'll commit to that theory anyway and practise it whenever I can.
Definitely agree with you on that part.
Scots Taffer on 29/6/2011 at 09:46
I question what purpose megathreads DO serve in a community such as this though. I think they are fine in massive and active communities where a drive-by-post in a megathread doesn't constitute the entire activity on the board for the day, but a small forum like this where people post more infrequently and have to choose between:
a. drive-by short post "I saw/ate/read/listened to ... and it was good/bad/indifferent"
b. construct a more thought out post/thread on a subject
It seems to me that it's clear what happens when people have the option.
Thirith on 29/6/2011 at 10:05
There seems to be enough support for your view, so unless there are strong objections (and mine aren't objections so much as not thinking it'll work) would it be an idea to ban them outright (and put this in a sticky thread at the top containing some simple rules)?
Sg3 on 29/6/2011 at 11:39
Isn't it kind of like chain-smoking emphysema patients wondering why they are having a hard time breathing, and discussing what they can do about it?
SubJeff on 29/6/2011 at 12:18
Quote Posted by Dia
Only if ZB & SE agree to participate.
Whatever that insufferable logic pervert decides is up to him but I'm not your lapdog, posting insults to entertain those parts of you that lack imagination (which seems to be most of it) at your unholy behest.
Nitwit.
henke on 29/6/2011 at 12:40
I'd like a thumbs up/thumbs down system on every post. I don't wanna post just to say "lol" or "seconded", but if there was a thumbs up-button I'd click that. And thumbs down is for when someone says someting stupid. I don't like the idea of a Karma-system, because noone makes bad posts all the time. Hell, even Koki writes something worth reading every now and again. And letting people know when they've said something smart might be helpful in reforming dumbasses.
Or it might just lead to people peppering their posts with popular slogans that will insure lots of thumbs ups am I rite TTLG aka THE GREATEST FORUM IN THE WORLD :D:D:cool::thumb:
Vernon on 29/6/2011 at 12:53
I personally only drink Pays des Côtes Commchateau '98 screw you new kids, screw your mums after all we're the same age, ban dethtoll, megathrads and fun, biodynamic strontium doug. :mad: pour me a glass fuckdonks
fett on 29/6/2011 at 13:54
Discouraging megathreads isn't going to fix everything - no one said that. The reason I don't "just jump in" is because I don't want to spend precious time scanning 75 pages to see if someone's already mentioned it. Maybe I saw a movie or found an album a year late. Was it discussed when it came out? If it was, and I post in the megathread, it's old hat. In such a small community, if only 3-5 people think the way I do, we completely miss each other, or miss an existing discussion. That adds up after a while.
