Can moderating just stay as it is

[the.games]

As far as I'm aware that rule has been there since I got my mod trial in August.

[Kyle]

As far as I'm aware that rule has been there since I got my mod trial in August.

I'm quite sure that there was a section of the rule that gave the sort of threads in misc a certain amount of immunity to the rule dating back to at least 2 years ago. Obviously previous forum management felt that those threads did serve some purpose!

[GommeInc]

They don't generate discussion. They were put in forums, in which the purpose was to discuss things, not to post random song titles and get the post count up. A discussion is generated when two people talk about an issue cohesively.

Most threads in this forum do not generate a discussion. It's a point people fail to provide actual evidence for. If a discussion is when two people talk about an issue cohesively, then there are a lot of fake-rule breakers out there. Quite a lot of people make just one post in a thread and never return - that's not a discussion, that's just contribution. How do you entail to enforce this fake-rule that the forum must only be for discussion? Because there are a lot of members not joining in a discussion, they're merely contributing a post and leaving, which is partly what a forum is about (for some reason HxF has this idea that forums are strictly for discussions :S)

Also, I'd like to see the rule which says "You must only use this forum for discussion", because there's a reason there isn't one because it's a rule that cannot be enforced, especially given the definition of discussion you have provided.

As far as I can tell, you think the "Post when Habbo is Down", "Post your Speedtest Results" and the "Post your Desktop/Setup" threads should be in that forum. They clearly do not create discussion, no more than the other threads where there's the odd few members who decide to reply to each other, but that is in itself not a discussion more an acknowledgement. A discussion afterall, by your definition requires the two people to converse about a point to reach a decision or exchange ideas. What most people in these threads are doing is merely acknowledging rather than committing to a discussion. Hence, your logic doesn't really work.

I totally agree with this if I'm honest. It always used to irritate me when post counts increased for posting in those threads, I mean you could get 35 posts a week from each thread.

35 posts a week? Pfft, those posts are all worthless - the post ranking system requires a hell of a lot more to actually mean anything.

Also, you quoted Rule A7. A rule which doesn't make these threads pointless. Most of these apparently offensive threads contain more than 2 words. The biggests offender, What are you listening to?, has an average of 5 posts.

Then there's the real life definition of point and pointless, and seeing as these threads all have a purpose then they are clearly not pointless. Again, another claim people forget to provide actual evidence for.

[Kardan]

Just a little comment, if 'People are abusing the threads to gain post count' isn't considered a valid reason, how is 'It makes the forum look ugly' a valid reason? The fact is, there are a few sub-forums with less threads than Misc.

[GommeInc]

Just a little comment, if 'People are abusing the threads to gain post count' isn't considered a valid reason, how is 'It makes the forum look ugly' a valid reason? The fact is, there are a few sub-forums with less threads than Misc.

Simple. Considering there are now more reasons to move those threads back to their right place than there were to remove them in the first place, that forum is now becoming a bit of an eye sore to look at when that forum has so little threads in there, which is evidence that these sorts of threads can't be that much of a problem if so few exist. Besides, those threads weren't ever abused, as that assumes that people were gaining a lot when actually they weren't.

I assume the other forums which lack threads you are thinking of are the Debates Forum? Official debates are removed from that when they are over.

The Misc. forums only reason to exist is to please very few people whose original reasons are becoming less valid by the day, especially when those people either:

Misread forum rules
Forgot the meanings of words
Forget that these threads are common place
Aren't aware that the forum is filled with threads that lack discussion
Forget what a forum actually is; OR
Simply have something against other members and are trying to impose their half-baked views on them when the reality is that these threads do no actual harm to the forum.

[Chippiewill]

Besides, those threads weren't ever abused,

They were abused for years and people would frequently rack up 5+ posts in each a day. Just because you didn't notice doesn't make the point less valid.

---------- Post added 20-10-2012 at 03:11 PM ----------

The rule was changed after the threads were moved...

It was not, I have complained about the threads for several years and throughout the entire time that specific rule changed once to allow people to confirm other people's conclusions with "I agree" or "This is a good idea".

[Richie]

It's not really any of your business whether other people's post counts increase or not. If it really is irritating to you that people are gaining a higher postcount quicker than you are then you either need to join in or reevaluate your life.

We're certainly not going to be seeing any discussion in them in their current state because they've already been dismissed at pointless threads and placed into what is essentially a forum bin. I don't really know what you mean by "discussion" but surely allowing a user to contribute to a thread in their own way is contribution enough. The change has had no positive impact other than to shut up a couple of whiners. Why shouldn't it be reversed? Poll plz

If people don't post in them just because their post count doesn't go up it just proves what the use of the thread was for

[Kyle]

If people don't post in them just because their post count doesn't go up it just proves what the use of the thread was for

People are still posting in them, just not as much. As has been stated numerous times already - why should it matter to you or anyone else what other people are doing to contribute to the forum activity, so long as it instils them with a sense that they at least belong to the community and are actively posting within its boards. Better that than alienate users by moving threads they enjoy posting in to a subsection of the forum whose purpose is to collect threads deemed too worthless to deserve a post count!

[Richie]

People are still posting in them, just not as much. As has been stated numerous times already - why should it matter to you or anyone else what other people are doing to contribute to the forum activity, so long as it instils them with a sense that they at least belong to the community and are actively posting within its boards. Better that than alienate users by moving threads they enjoy posting in to a subsection of the forum whose purpose is to collect threads deemed too worthless to deserve a post count!

The thing is I quite frankly couldn't give a crap if post count went up in them or not I just find it to be pointless if they did. It'd be like arguing ALTHOUGH SPAM POSTS ARE POINTLESS WE SHOULD ALLOW POST COUNT TO GAIN BECAUSE THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING IN THEIR OWN WAY.

[GommeInc]

They were abused for years and people would frequently rack up 5+ posts in each a day. Just because you didn't notice doesn't make the point less valid.

5 posts Oh the damage to the system! 5 posts isn't a lot, and it's certainly not abuse at all. The ranking system doesn't give posts a lot of value and 5 posts a day is completely worthless...

Honestly, why do people think these threads were abused, then state such miniscule numbers? It's ridiculous and doesn't prove a point.