Cygna Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Ordo Imperialis Forum Users,Our website has gone through numerous leaps and bounds in growth since it's debut on April 3, 2008. It is an invaluable mode in which Ordo personnel have been using to communicate for over a year, providing all with the ability to speak out with any questions, concerns, information, or just general fun banter. I am happy to say my primary mission, to create a portal on the web for Ordo to communicate and share, has been a fantastic success. I still have the mission of improving this mode, of which I will do to the best of my abilities.Now, with that said, I would like to make an important comment on our forum usage. I read every topic that pops up, it's part of the job description of being an Administrator. I have noticed an increasing amount of posts that would be deleted upon reading by a typical forum administrator around the net. These posts range from spam, flame, and off-topic, to even the abuse of posting regulations.Here's a quick scenario of what I am seeing lately in threads. This scenario can be applied to all types of threads, in all types of forums.Eugene makes a thread titled "My awesome hamster". The thread's OP post (operator post, the first post of any thread and usually by the thread creator), says "This is my hamster. He's really awesome and can do this and that and he eats all the time!"Jacob makes a post. His post says "Well MY hamster can do this and that and this and that."John makes a post. His post says "lol, you're all stupid. Hamsters suck."Tina doesn't make a post. She just minus reps everyone.Jacob makes another post. His post says "Haha no, hamsters are awesome. And who de-rep me?!"Jacob makes another post. His post says "Oh wait it was Tina lol"Tina makes another post. Her post says "I'm just mean like that"Eugene makes another post. His post says "I wonder when the forum is going to be red."Haley makes a post. His/Her/It's post says "LOL Snakes on a plane"As a select few of you reading the above thread may have realized, there is something very wrong with it. Every single post, aside from OP's, is off-topic, spam, or flame, and would normally be deleted in a professionally run forum. The thread above is about EUGENE'S awesome hamster. Not Jacob's. John shouldn't be posting in the thread all together, he doesn't like hamsters or knows very little about them. Tina is abusing the rep system because she's being spiteful. Jacob shouldn't feed the troll. Jacob shouldn't double post. Tina wants attention. Eugene, the OP, is now off-topic. Haley is absolutely off-topic.Intus has been nice and isn't deleting these sort of posts lately. Why? Because I like to promote forum activity, and deleting posts would make people angry face and perhaps stop visiting the forums all together because they can't be silly.In the future I will be monitoring threads more closely, and if your off-topic post doesn't appear the next time you visit that thread, don't be surprised. Read the topic title and the OP post before you make your post. For example, if you wanted to post in Eugene's thread, it would be a post about Eugene's awesome hamster. "I like his coat." "What are you feeding him?". "Be careful with what he eats." "Can he do tricks?". are all fair on-topic game for Eugene's thread. These are on topic because Eugene's topic is about his awesome hamster, and those posts are.. about eugene's awesome hamster.Now, if the topic title was "My hamster is ill," then "Can he do tricks?" and "I like his coat." are offtopic, but "What are you feeding him?" and "Be careful with what he eats." are still on topic.Anyway. That is all, thank you for reading and in the future please follow standard protocol in forum posting. Kynnaria Merlin, ribena Homewood and Emma Roy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RazorFox Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I'm generally accustomed to the forum behaviors in Something Awful's FYAD-lite forums, wherein normally-unacceptable forum behaviors are considered humorous and encouraged. These include such things as multi-posting, completely unrelated non-sequiturs, burns and flames (only if actually funny), and/or allusions to previous inside jokes regarding the subject matter in places where said inside joke was not previously invoked.If I perceive the subject matter of the thread to be of a serious nature not befitting such unacceptable behavior, I tend to keep it on topic and make reasonable contributions, but really, there's room for some silliness in other places, I think. Kynnaria Merlin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dascede Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 On the means of abuse, however, Cyphre does have a point. Perhaps the rep system here is becoming a little out of hand, and I would like to ask that it be shut off, Intus. It's becoming a problem with people trying to compete with Aryte (as the Imperator, he naturally is rather popular) and Desereck at really negative number. I honestly feel as though it's become pointless. That would put a stop to one problem right there. Emma Roy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygna Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Stay on topic, please. Topic is forum spam, not the rep system.but really, there's room for some silliness in other places, I think.Agreed, yes. Although where to draw the line? Kynnaria Merlin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyphre Iredell Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Rep systems and the like are equally on topic with forum spam and general silliness, as was indicated in your given example and explanation. Thank you Das, for replying to my deleted post that was still applicable in the given context of this insight on forum behavior. Rep systems are pointless unless you intend to run tech support or other help. If you did not intend to bring up the issue of the rep system, then perhaps you should remove it from your example. Otherwise, face that issue just the same as the rest of the point you are trying to make.Forum spam is and always will be subjectively permitted or disallowed based upon the preference of moderators. There has definitely been plenty of it here that could be locked or deleted sooner rather than later before pages of posts roll by of pointlessness. ribena Homewood 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygna Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Please direct reputation system comments to this thread./>http://forums.ordoimperialis.com/index.php?/topic/3938-forum-reputation-system/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulliver Carpool Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 So is this thread about Eugene's hamster or...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desereck Creeggan Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Off-Topic forum is generaly where people /can/ be silly, which is why people dont go posting random ass videos they find in the Main Discussion, because they'll get yelled at. Closing a topic that has generally turned into "spam" doesnt stop the problem, it just makes people go into other topics and reply there.Generally:Silly - If the origional post (therefor the starting post) is silly in nature, it will usualy get a silly in nature reply which not always follows a professional tone.Serious - If the origional post is serious in nature (such as Aryte's Curia outline revamp) it will usualy get a serious in nature reply, which will probably follow a proffessional tone.Neutral - If the origional post is inbetween in nature (such as "I will be away this week") it will usualy get serious and silly replies, which may or may not be proffessional.That said, if someone replies to this thread saying "LOL LOOK AT THIS VIDEOZ" yes, it should be deleted because people arent interested, and it would spiral this serious in nature thread into the silly in nature. But lets say for example someone made a thread sharing a funny flash, and then replied "I FOUND THIS EL OH EL" , no it shouldn't be deleted, because it would keep the subject all into one thread, and continue the origional 'theme' of the thread.I believe this applies to every aspect, if someone makes a serious post in a silly thread, it should be deleted (unless its Aryte >_>).In order to remove flame, spam, and off topic banter, you need to remove the off-topic section as a whole, or put a big stickied rules thread at the very top, and no one would post in it again, except for people who are set to the "Public" group. As far as I know, no one has put a degrading, attacking, or hurtful post as of yet that was posted by someone not in the "banned" group. Cygna 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ribena Homewood Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I'll cut down on useless posts and be on topic, you do have a point, haha.*spams* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyphre Iredell Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 The original intent and purpose of 'Off-topic' is to converse on subjects that do not directly relate to the given nature of the main board. In this case, all things Ordo related are intended for this forum, so if you want to talk about Eugene, your hamster, it goes into Off-topic. Being silly is the result of... being silly and hasn't really been confined to the off-topic forum.... ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygna Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Yes, exactly. Off-topic is for non-Ordo Imperialis related, which definitely doesn't mean it's for silliness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash Silverfall Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Then we should need a subforum for sillyness, well you know general discussion but with all sillyness in it??yes, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sera Otoro Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 people occasionally have been saying to keep on topic in various threads... i think we should be a little more strict with the off topic posts, but still not as much as the generic forum admin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kytec Switchblade Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Well you have to read into the context of the post. For example, Agares posted specs for a new computer he was going to buy, but asked "what do you all think". I responded with an answer to his question aswell as alternate configuration choices, including my own. His thread was about his hamster, and i brought up my own, but in context. If it's a thread about "hey this is what I have, i require no further input" then thats one thing, but when they leave it an open discussion there is some room for comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desereck Creeggan Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 (edited) Yes, exactly. Off-topic is for non-Ordo Imperialis related, which definitely doesn't mean it's for silliness. So posting flashes, youtube links, traps, ect. Is not silly, which means it shouldnt be on this forums? If not we're both guilty of it.Silly Threads: Recipe: 'Oreo Imperialis Creamy Sensation' Whipped cream, oreo, and a hint of the Imperator's pixie dust Christoph VS. Erusia **Important** Big favor I need help... Random Spider Study! Very interesting! GAMEZ halp Jamez Bond By Dwedit Serious Threads: Help account bugged Good at Windows XP tech support? Neutral Threads: The computer of doom gets a new brain What have i done Happy 21st Kellerfish! The neutral, and serious threads, as you can see.. both have 2 threads, and the threads didn't get "overlooked" by the silly ones, because people replied in full to both. Edited July 17, 2009 by Desereck Creeggan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygna Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 I'm sorry, I guess I'm a bit confused as to the message you're trying to convey, Desereck. All of those threads you listed are valid, off-topic threads--- as long as people don't spam up the threads with the wrong content (like the example I gave).Could I please ask you to elaborate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
