There's a difference in fostering a welcoming community and fostering a festering cesspool of topics such as the counting game.
I agree, but realistically, with a more lax moderation style I don't see SEN turning into a festering cesspool with loads of threads. I think SEN should strive to be a welcoming community. I don't think threads like
http://www.staredit.net/topic/14025/ ,
http://www.staredit.net/topic/14400/ ,
http://www.staredit.net/topic/14352/ ,
http://www.staredit.net/topic/14407/ or even
http://www.staredit.net/topic/14371/ are making SEN unwelcoming, though. They might be pointless, stupid, lighthearted, had little or nothing to really discuss, or threads that probably wouldn't have taken off, but are they really harmful to our community? I think what's less welcoming is a nearly fascist warning message, threatening with severity or locking down threads that are stupid mindless fun in a forum that seems to me is geared for that sort of thing.
When I first joined this site I posted a
thread suggesting some ideas I thought would help the site. I made my case in a civil manner, I encouraged discussion on both sides, and I asked for any of the staff to jump in and throw their two cents in. I was clearly only looking to help the forum out. Devlin replied with a brief, uninspired answer telling me the reason why it'll never happen has been said before, somewhere. Didn't really explain anything, and kind of came across like I was doing something wrong for even suggesting the idea. The thread lasted an entire 36 minutes before it was locked. As a new member, that had made me feel unwelcomed No more than a week ago I posted something and it was deleted by a moderator. I asked the moderator that deleted the post "why?", got a message saying because my post violated a rule, followed up with a message asking what harm my post was doing, and I haven't gotten a reply since. I didn't feel like my concerns as a member mattered either time. I felt ignored, and I felt unwelcomed. I don't think stricter moderation, or a crack down is the answer. I know this came off a bit ranty and perhaps melodramatic, but it's truly how I feel. Ignore it if you like.
There is a great deal of difference between the new members who post such, and those that actively contribute to the community.
On a scale of 1 - 10, how afraid are you of new members rushing to sign up and spam Null with counting threads as soon as moderation eases back on moderation? Well, it's not going to happen. I understand not supporting SEN going completely moderation free(besides spam, flaming, advertising, etc.) as I've suggested earlier, but what about loosening up a bit. The threads I posted earlier -- would this place be less inviting, or worse, if those were never locked?
I do not want a SEN where new members join only for the games. I know I didn't come to SEN for the mafia game. This late in the game, SCI mapping is dead, and we are getting no new members for it. SCII mapping is even worse than dead, from what I'm told, with some actual decent content mixed between the "EVOLVES" or "Merchants RPG" remakes.
Well, with Starcraft 1 not getting any new members, and Starcraft II mapping even worse than that, what do you suggest? You agree that it's in SEN's best interest to get new members, right?
For the record, I've never made a map, and I'm not the only member who's ever contributed to this forum who hasn't either.
You're right, there's no need to alienate potential new members, but when they simply do not prove themselves capable of posting anything better than the Mao game (funny that Kame's been allowed to keep that up as long as she has) or the Rules game that was up before that...
The best part about all this is, is that the Mao game is a rather large thread. A lot of people participated in it. Our members are actually enjoying it! So why not embrace that!?
You catch my drift. "shitty post quality" is not limited to Null, whereas the limits of this crackdown are. As such, the new members would feel even more out of place in an important section of SEN, whereas even in the "post-crackdown" Null, there's little actual change between 3 weeks ago and today.
When I joined my first forum I assume 90% of the people reading my posts thought I had some sort of mental retardation. I would bet a lot of the people on SEN today weren't any different. It took a bit of time, but I got up to speed with things. If these members of this cesspool you speak of post poor quality in forums such as Serious Discussion, well, that's what we have moderators for! Give them a chance, and some of them will learn how to be beneficial members to the community.
I really don't understand why you're crusading so hard against what amounts to nearly no change at all.[/color]
Because I'm not in Mafia or the Mao game, so I really don't have any other thread to post in.
But seriously, I guess I just get tired of seeing "Topic has served its purpose" everywhere. ;(
None.