Should Forums Be Changed?
I suggested this maybe 9 months ago and now I suggest it again.
Wouldn't it be nice if the posts and text would become the main-thing in forums? Wipe out join dates, post-counts, avatars, signatures and everything except the post and nick. Somehow I'm convinced that this kind of forums would be very much better than the current ones. I know I can take out these things from my controls but I'd like everyone to enjoy the same forum-type <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I think we would get a lot less spam and a lot more intelligent more easily readable posts and threads. Yes, it would probably scare away part of the community but if post counts were more important than the main thing, ns, then maybe those people shouldn't have been on these forums in the first place.
What do you think?
Wouldn't it be nice if the posts and text would become the main-thing in forums? Wipe out join dates, post-counts, avatars, signatures and everything except the post and nick. Somehow I'm convinced that this kind of forums would be very much better than the current ones. I know I can take out these things from my controls but I'd like everyone to enjoy the same forum-type <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I think we would get a lot less spam and a lot more intelligent more easily readable posts and threads. Yes, it would probably scare away part of the community but if post counts were more important than the main thing, ns, then maybe those people shouldn't have been on these forums in the first place.
What do you think?
Comments
It WOULD be helpful is there were a "clean version" for people on modems or whatever, maybe without any images and less info about the posts.
But I guess it would be WAYYYYYY too much work to code.
Just my 2c
Does that matter? If you make intelligent posts, you will be automatically recognized as "that smart dude". Is it necessery to know if it was a new or old member who made the post? Also I don't think it would scare away THAT big part of the community. How important were they anyway, if they can't handle pure informational forum.
I've been in this Pelit.fi forums(you have to order a magazine to get acces) and those forums are just like what I described. Everything works really smooth and the general feeling is much more relaxed and yet more effecient because no one has to show anything anybody. They can just be and discuss.
Does that matter? If you make intelligent posts, you will be automatically recognized as "that smart dude". Is it necessery to know if it was a new or old member who made the post? Also I don't think it would scare away THAT big part of the community. How important were they anyway, if they can't handle pure informational forum.
I've been in this Pelit.fi forums(you have to order a magazine to get acces) and those forums are just like what I described. Everything works really smooth and the general feeling is much more relaxed and yet more effecient because no one has to show anything anybody. They can just be and discuss. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
it really helps someone's argument depending on the length someone has been here, and it should be held true. I know of no one who I introduced NS to (that loved it) who didn't join the NS forums when they had some sort of newbie question within the first few weeks of their first NS game. Someone who has an invisible join date can claim "Iv'e bean heer for 1 year, b4 NS wuz releced" and be completely full of ****. It just makes it easier, and puts many posters' points of view into perspective. As for post counts, probably doesn't matter much, but it helps to show how active in the community they are. You have an excellent argument about the poster recognition, people do that already, we don't need a nerfed info to make us think that way.
Closing Thoughts-I like it the way it is, but change would be irrelevant, I'd stay through thick&thin.
Yeah, but an avatar is much more memorable. I have to say I disagree, sigs and avatars should stay. They make it easier to recognize people. For a long time I could never remember coil's name, just that he was the admin with the cute onos avatar.
If anything the post counts should get removed cause they encourage spam, but they won't go either... why? Because the people that have been round the longest want and deserve the recognition those profile features provide.
removin signatures, avatrars etc etc removes the personality of the forum making it bland.
<--coming from someone who cant decide on a good avatar pic <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Does that matter? If you make intelligent posts, you will be automatically recognized as "that smart dude". Is it necessery to know if it was a new or old member who made the post? Also I don't think it would scare away THAT big part of the community. How important were they anyway, if they can't handle pure informational forum.
I've been in this Pelit.fi forums(you have to order a magazine to get acces) and those forums are just like what I described. Everything works really smooth and the general feeling is much more relaxed and yet more effecient because no one has to show anything anybody. They can just be and discuss. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
it really helps someone's argument depending on the length someone has been here, and it should be held true. I know of no one who I introduced NS to (that loved it) who didn't join the NS forums when they had some sort of newbie question within the first few weeks of their first NS game. Someone who has an invisible join date can claim "Iv'e bean heer for 1 year, b4 NS wuz releced" and be completely full of ****. It just makes it easier, and puts many posters' points of view into perspective. As for post counts, probably doesn't matter much, but it helps to show how active in the community they are. You have an excellent argument about the poster recognition, people do that already, we don't need a nerfed info to make us think that way.
Closing Thoughts-I like it the way it is, but change would be irrelevant, I'd stay through thick&thin. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
lol we joined on the same day, hum i wounder if this is the sorta spam he was talking about?
removin signatures, avatrars etc etc removes the personality of the forum making it bland.
<--coming from someone who cant decide on a good avatar pic <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like the red X my self.
I don't like elitism and I don't like spam. I like informational forums which only purpose is to serve ns communitys purposes instead of "funny-funny-joy-joy-spam-spam" forums with only small percentage of real content. Irc is for that, I'd prefer Natural Selection forums more, eh, intelligent place to be and discuss(though here's a dilemma, I'm not intelligent <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->)
Maybe it's just me but I really really enjoyed the Pelit.fi bland forums.
Your almost getting political when you start talking about how everyone should be the same and such...i.e. communism. Works in theory, never in practice <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Now on a serious note, yeah they are right. Avatars and sig make up the personality. And you needed a "scorpianthathovarswithoutflapping"?
<b>RIGHT HERE</b> <---
But I agree on the post count. Why do people rely on post counts? pathos, logos, ethos. It's the ethos part - credibility. Apparently, some people are too stupid to take logic into their own hands and blindly trust a forumer with a "elite" number of posts. Who cares if they say "I've been here for blah years and bleh months"? It's just a pathetic argument of credibility, and plus experienced forum goers can easily say "I don't recall seeing you blah years ago."
I'm not really expecting things to be changed. People are afraid of changes. This would have to start from admins and them liking the idea, not depending on masses opinions.
But I myself definitely like the idea of a forum where nobody feels they have to prove anything, they just post relevant, non-spamming posts.
How does it help someone’s argument? How long someone has been here is completely irrelevant. Perhaps we should add grade of education, current job situation, religious culture one was brought up in, marital status etc. too, because it would "help someone's argument".
If I say 1 + 1 = 2, and you say 1 + 1 = 3, am I not right even if I joined a few seconds ago, compared to you who joined 15.3 billion years ago?
//Edit:
Oh, and yes. I do believe a simple forum is far better for the content of the posts. Removes to importance of who you are, and allow people to focus on what you say. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
no, I disagree, here's why:
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->It's not the fact that it would be "bland" without avatars and postcounts and such but it's more of an individuality type of thing. Seperating the new from the old actually helps in some cases. When I see a poster with under 10 posts go and say something retard (at least to the more experienced ears) or something that's been said 400 times already, I now try to be more kind than to jab them with witty retorts as I would with an elder veteran.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Knowing that the guy just joined, and posted in the S&I forum without actually reading the FAQ is annoying, not knowing that the guy was perhaps merely ignorant and not stupid and ignorant <b>does</b> make a difference as to how you should respond (outside of the lockage that occurs, regardless). It also helps when looking through the general forums. I have seen most posts there already, and by looking at the poster's join date, I might see why he reposted the SAME topic for the 35th time (the other 34 due to the poster not knowing of the thread already existing.. Savage threads, for example)
As for posting correct and incorrect information, that's not what is being argued. Although someone who joined earlier will be more believable, the correct data will always land on top (ideally).
As for postcounts.. like I said earlier, I'll stick with this forum regardless.
Yes, there is someone who agrees with me! \o/
That's just like the mother in the supermarket who tries to tell the kid in a calm low voice,"It's not nice to scream, please stop pulling all the cans off the shelf sweetie". 99.9% of the time it doesn't work. The poster comes back later and does the same thing again and again and again. Just like when I used to visit the S&I forums, people used to post something repetitive because they were too lazy to use the search button and didn't even bother to hide it, (i.e. "I'm too lazy to search and see if this was brought up before...but anyway...").
And yes, I LIKE my individuality, it's what makes me, me and seperates me from someone else. If someone remembered me for my blatantly ripped off avatar thats fine! You mention people are afraid of change as well. Honestly, if people were afraid of change, we'd be chatting in a unix environment or worse. We wouldn't have colorful avatars. In fact it might still be like YOU liked it, it would never have changed to the new pretty more user friendly environment of today.
To whomever posted the:
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->If I say 1 + 1 = 2, and you say 1 + 1 = 3, am I not right even if I joined a few seconds ago, compared to you who joined 15.3 billion years ago?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
it was not a good example of what we're trying to get across. We're trying to make the point more if I say that 1.04 is broken because marines have a game breaking strategy vs. the newbie who says ALIENS win because they get crushed all the time on whatever server they play on (I want to find these nefarious alien win servers!). It's not as simple as common sense math, it's more learned experience that most (not all) higher post count people have.
If I was a newbie to this forum, I would most certainly take a higher post count posters' word over a lesser. Because with a higher post count, you are almost certainly involved in more discussions and therefore more experienced and knowledgable than the 1st poster. The art of 'lurking' is almost totally gone so the poster with 10 posts and a wealth of knowledge is almost non-existant. Even so, I'd rather deal with the few knowledgable low count posters and the moronic high level ones than not even be able to tell the difference because the MAJORITY does not fall into the odd levels of experience vs. posts (as stated above).
Someone else said:
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Removes the importance of who you are<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
which is just about what I said before. Communism works perfectly in theory but never in practice yet. Not even online. And some people, like myself, are resistant to the whole communal idea. I personally LIKE my importance of who I am. If I am known, they I like being known for my witty quotes, my easily understood counter-arguments, my avatar or my toes. I won't give up my individuality for anything <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Firstly this has nothing to do with communism. It's been quite a while since cold war so could you americans(if you are one) stop mixing communism to everything, kplzthanks <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> Besides it works fine. I've seen it and been a part of it(not communistic nation but a part of "bland" forums). You would be surprised how well you remember people only by looking at their names. Also you start to recognize them for their writing-style.
Secondly, <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And yes, I LIKE my individuality, it's what makes me, me and seperates me from someone else.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Your posts make you, not your sig or avatar or post count. Also I'm sure there are several people with 10posts and yet they know more of NS than me and you. I, for example, like to lurk more and post once in a while but not very actively(at least compared to the amount of time I spend here).
Thirdly, why on earth someone should recognize you for your sig? Why do you want to be recognized? Why oh why?! I can't understand this, I'm dumb. Explain to me, why someone should recognize me or you longer than for one thread at a time?
Secondly I think people should submit their post to the forums indirectly through a generlized posting system that takes what you posted, scans it for grammatical mistakes (IE elite speak, acronyms, abbreviations, smilies, etc.) corrects them, also removes flames, cuts out irrelevant or repetitive section and posts it on the boards without a time, date, or username attached.
I like sigs/avatars (thougH I still have not sat down and made my avatar), I like em simply b/c I don't generaly check names (the avatar/sig is larger and more memorable, espeicaly in a forum THIS large)
for instance, Dread you are the guy with the sushi avatar(I know it is a hedgie b/c I just looked at the url, it still looks like a piece of a roll)
MonsE has the freaky children of the corn avatar, Flay has the Hive, SBV tends to have his name/initials displayed largly,
then there are coils chibis (storm has the gorge, joyv has Tux etc)
Esuna has the red headed pixle d00d
dancing smiles, freaky animated sigs/avatars, etc etc etc
these are generaly the things I note (for instance if I wana find one of my posts I simply can scan through till I see my sig, I do the same with flay and monse, just with their avatars)
again, it makes it more astheticly pleasing, gives individuality etc etc.
Now on the Post count and join date.
They give you an idea of what this person is like. If there is some one with 200 posts and they joined 2 days ago... that says something.
If some piece of flame bait starts going off on how long posts are 'bad' and then I see he has very few posts I have an esier time ignoring him.
If some ones first post is 'I want a scorpian that hovers with out flapping' I know I can safly just laugh this person off.
Also if I am looking for ACTUAL info and every one starts spewing out diff stuff as if it was gosspel I know I can trust those with higher post counts and join dates b/c they probably ACTUALY know what they are talking about.
I have been around for a month or so before the release and picked up alot of info in that ime (partialy b/c the dev team had more time back then to ans silly Qs), so, in having a earlier join date I actualy do have a better chance of knowing something.
meh, to each his own.
[EDIT] @Dr.D: you just listed the one way to make me leave this forum. Dear god I LIKE BEING AN INDIVIDUAL!
And if this is your idea of Communism, you got osmething wrong, that is the 'communism' that 'true blue americans' are supposed to hate. Communism is not lack of individuality, it is that every one is equal, every one is important. what you describe is enforced conformity, something that is just SCARY, I meen really scary.[/EDIT]
The off-topic forum is a little salvation from the tedeium that general and S&I forums have become, you want a purely informative forum read the beta discussion one, only playtesters can post there, and its pure information.
Twisted Master: Either I or you have mistaken, because I always thought ns-forums are not a chatroom. Imho virtual images shouldn't be part of forums. That's for IRC/Chatrooms <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Thansal: I still think it's more important what is said than who says it. You get all the important info from stickied threads and beta discussion anyway. Of course we could leave "Group" with Nick too, so that people know who is dev and pt. Even the ranking system could stay if we could just wipe out all the other stuff.
Edit: Fine! I changed my avatar. Hope you are all happy now :/
I wonder what ever happened to plans for an alien skin. =(