edlib Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 *Sigh* The exact location of the fine line seperating "Spam" and "casual off-topic discussion" is one that has been debated since the introduction of the first electronic bulletin board, and will never be truly revealed in our lifetimes. Just an observation: Usually, whenever I see people complaining about too much spam and not enough serious threads at a given forum, I also notice the ones doing the majority of the complaining aren't starting any serious threads themselves, or even doing all that much of the posting. It always comes across as a case of sour-grapes. You don't like the situation, but are taking no positive steps to change things to the way you wish they were... only negative actions. It's always easier to complain. A forum always takes on a life of it's own depending on the most active member's personalities, wishes, and preferences. If the people who are doing all the posting have no problem with the way things are, then it seems to me those are the real standards on which the definition of what really is "Spam" should be seen. Snapping shut most of the current open threads may cut down on what the moderation team has seen fit to define as spam, but that course of action could also alienate all your current non-mod members who started, were posting to, and enjoying those very threads. It's seems to me that going from "too leinient" to "too heavy handed" in your moderation duties instantly is almost a sure-fire recipe to a dead forum in this instance. I have seen no sign that any new Monkey Island games are planned in the immediate future,.. so the influx of new members to this board, now only a trickle, could eventually dry up completely. Taking steps that could very well lead to your current collection of active posters becoming frustrated, alienated, and eventually drifting away doesn't seem like a particlulary wise couse of action to me. Personally, I feel that if you really wanted to change the nature of the Harbor and turn it around for the better, getting in there and mixing it up with the members as often as possible, starting threads on topics you feel appropriate, and steering conversations in more serious directions is a far better way towards achieving that objective than just locking out every thread you happen to not like,.. then making vindictive-feeling, off-hand public mockery of your current members. On the other hand: If your goal is to get rid of the all people you don't like, so you can use this forum as a semi-private chat room for an exclusive group of mods, then the plan is genius, and you have already gone far towards achieving that goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 Dude you're so right. It IS genius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 *sigh* zoom. i think everytime i go to this thread and say some it tends to get closed. for you satisfaction i will give you the right to close me, too! and i think if we start a quantum theory thread .. over at the harbour. it gets closed too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted July 11, 2003 Author Share Posted July 11, 2003 Relax, Ray. You see how these guys are being, don't you? Bullies, plain and simple. Ignore the children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 Thats correct, give me your dinner money right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrik Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 Heh heh heh.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 .. i already had lunch! But how about.. asking my big brother.. over there.. ps. zoomie. i love to ignore everything you say me.. (Hey this was almost a relaxed wordgame.. eh?? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cmdr. Cracken Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 Niel, Cracken from teh RS.Net mod team... if you call one man a team. ^_^ anyway, the way i see it is to try to introduce new idea's of spam slowly, or not at all. Over at RSN.Net, the Downtime Lounge is basically your off-topic forums, not by choice mind you. I'd love to see RS.NET get back onto topic for RS, but i don't see that happening, with RS and RL and RL2 either obsolete, or not enough players. So, i let them have thier fun, all the wile keeping an eye on the level of spam. I'm more lenient than most mods, probbaly, because i know my people. They're a good buncha yound adults and teens, a won't do anything horrendiously stupid, because they know i'm watching, and usually, that's enough. The Harbor, as i understand it, is a completly different situation. It's designed and designated as an OFF-TOPIC forum. WHich, to me, means pretty much anything goes, within reason. Now, i do like your go to additude of trying to curb spam, but you have to realize something. people have differnt ways of freeing the peoples reservations to open new lanes of conversation. That said, Zoom Rabbit does it in a very interesting, and off the wall way that works. Granted, may what look like spam to you, may actually be his way of opening people's minds and create a flow of ideas and conversation. So, what is to be learned? simple. before you take action, you must get a feel for the new members coming in. That's why i usually give new posters a go for an intro thread, usually seen as spam, so i can get a feel for thier personality and things of that nature. true, it can clog teh forums, but it's the way i feel that works best for getting a feel for new people. That way, i can determine spam and such other things. Now, you are relitivly new. I was at RS.Net when RS first came out many moons ago, in '97 or so. I've seen much more spam, flame wars, and pure idiocy spread acrossed the boards than you can imagine. (Any old RS.NET'rs will remember Hells wayyyyyyyy back in teh day.) ANd from that experience, i can determine and squelch flame wars and the like fairly easily. I think that what you did was simply because of in-experience, but that's okay, we all need to learn sometime. ^_^ in no way is this a flame, we're all apart of teh same team, but more so a post of some advice to help you in your moderating career. Of all things, a good mod knows his people, and gets to know people coming in. it's essential. Good day, and see you 'round. (ANd if i sound to high and mighty/preachy, sorry.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mort-Hog Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 The moonlanding thread is boring boring boring. Ever since man did land on the moon, the Russians put forward claims that they didn't, pseudo-scientific points were made to back it up, and those points were disproved, rinse and repeat for the last 30 years. You'll find exactly the same discussion on practically ever single forum ever, and it is just another addition to the collection of tear-jerkingly dull threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 word to cmdr. cracken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshi Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 Edlib, who exactly are you refering to? Only one of the reasons I was chosen as a mod here was because I was a regular poster (also because I was sensible if any of you regular crazy people were getting your hopes up). For someone who doesn't visit these forums regularily, maybe you should get your facts right first. And yes, i haven't posted any new exciting and thought provoking threads here lately, adn that's basically because i know what the people here would do to it. But I've learnt to live with that, I've found other forums where I can speak about what I want and not fear it being turned into a spam thread. Ray Jones, youre wrong, if we started a thread on quantum physics, I would gladly participate and keep it open (before it was turnede into complete and utter spam). Cmdr. Cracken, you said that the harbor has a rep for being an Off Topic forum, yes, that is true, but believe me, it didn't used to be like that, this is only recently that this has happened. Like I said before, we had a moon landing thread on here which had no spam in there whatsoever, it was a very successfull if not contraversial topic. If I were to put that here now, how much do you want to bet that it'll turn spamtasic? The forums simply aren't what they used to be. And finally Zoom, no we didn't go into quantum physics on our thread, we really didn't need to, most of our proof was right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edlib Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 I was referring to the "Things I Hate About The Harbor" thread. Most of the people there had a lot of negative input, but until now I personally haven't seen most them making an effort to correct these trends they have seen. At least not recently, in the few weeks I've been hanging out, anyways. I've seen a lot of talk here about "I hate how things have become..." but not a lot of butting into threads and asking "Where is this going, folks?" and giving a it a chance to pull out before locking the door. I haven't seen much in the way of "Hey! Let's talk about this instead..." but a lot of talk about how everyone here is a spammer. I have also seen some comments here that strike me as "This thread is junk, and you people are pathetic!" which isn't exactly positive reinforcement. I'm still of the opinion that the best way to moderate is by positive example. If you feel people are taking the topic of a thread you started too far off topic, say something! Save your thread,.. or accept the fact that it's going to go where it wants and enjoy the trip. Or try to find out what interests everybody if that topic just isn't doing it for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted July 12, 2003 Author Share Posted July 12, 2003 So pretty much what I post here is considered spam? Whatever. *(Leaves.)* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrik Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 Seriously?! Woohoo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 you're a craptalking furball zoom. you're my idol. *takes a -Sticker and sticks it on thriks head* *runs away* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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