Season 7 Modding - see post 28 before posting

Nody

Previous thread name: Forum feedback - Season 6

Right as we're wrapping up season 6 we'd like your feedback on how you found the moderation of the season as we implemented some changes from season 5 such as the pre-setup of threads, allowing book readers in the non book reader thread (but not allowed to post book related information) etc.

This thread will be open until 10th July (two weeks) and is not a promise that anything will change but we'd like to know if you found something working well, things you think did not work well, something you'd like to see etc. before we go into season 7. Please keep your feedback constructive.

Cheers,
The Mod team

Paddy Cow

I would like to see a ban on people discussing the next episode preview in the current episode thread. I never watch previews and it's frustrating when it happens.

empacher

Id just like to say thanks, threads are always ready before each episode. Forums fairly moderated. Really well run forum. I suppose after tonights episode i'll see you all next year for the final season.

I give it a solid 5 out of 7.

rawn

empacher wrote:

I give it a solid 5 out of 7.

Full marks then?

Daith

Clarifying if the threads are for people who have seen the full episode. Some people watch and post.

Only came up because one episode was leaked but could happen again.

Personally feel the threads are for people who've watched the full ep.

amos13

Daith wrote:

Personally feel the threads are for people who've watched the full ep.

While I don't understand why people would be focussing more on posting than watching during the episode, each to their own and I don't really think it's a mod issue. The mods have been great this season imo.

EagererBeaver

It's pretty clear. Speculation threads are far preview discussion and, you got it, speculation. The main episode threads are for post-watching discussion. If you read the thread without having seen the episode, it's your own fault.

One thing that annoyed me was people copying and pasting posts into both book reader and non book reader threads. I read and post in both as I like to remind myself that some people are missing a lot of background context that the book provides, particularly in relation to events that occurred before the show began, and it's interesting to see how it's viewed purely as a TV show. However, several posters simply can't wait to show off how much they know about the lore

riffmongous

I also think the leak should be addressed with a mod policy in future, it didn't happen to me but it did happen to a few people. I don't do it myself because of the timing for each episode but live chat can be good fun

Penn

Speculation threads for next episodes nearly always feature Book Reader theories with stuff Non-readers wouldn't know about. As much as I hate to say it, especially since we're past the books, might be better to have two speculation threads before episodes.

OneOfThem Stumbled

Is there any point having reader and book threads after this (provided Winds of Winter doesn't get published in the interim)? There are, as far as I am aware, literally zero spoilers for following content.

rawn

OneOfThem Stumbled wrote: »

Is there any point having reader and book threads after this (provided Winds of Winter doesn't get published in the interim)? There are, as far as I am aware, literally zero spoilers for following content.

There's still lots of details from the books we discuss that non-book readers don't want to know about.

pinkypinky

Very happy with the way it all worked this year. Thanks for all the hard work.

Washington Irving

Paddy Cow wrote: »

I would like to see a ban on people discussing the next episode preview in the current episode thread. I never watch previews and it's frustrating when it happens.

Agreed. Previews should be kept in the speculation threads (which were a great addition by the way) and episode threads kept to discussing the episode aired.

Only thing I noticed were some reactions and slighty spoilery posts in the speculation threads shortly after episodes aired on the Sunday night. Can see how people might mistake the thread though, especially at that hour!

Modding has been great overall, far cry from the earlier seasons of the show.

Vojera

I think this is my first year using the GoT forum and it's been great. I like how the threads are set up in advance.

The only issue I've had is that I think people should wait a day or two before posting spoilery memes in the Funny thread. Most people are careful anyway, but I think it should be clearer that either spoilers can be posted straight away after the overnight airing or that they should wait until after the Monday night showing.

granty1987

Can we increase the scope to the Moderation of Facebook?! I now completely avoid the place til i have watched the episode #minefield

Whispered

One of my favourite forums. I really enjoy reading the different theories and having certain aspects refreshed.

wp_rathead

Penn wrote: »

Speculation threads for next episodes nearly always feature Book Reader theories with stuff Non-readers wouldn't know about. As much as I hate to say it, especially since we're past the books, might be better to have two speculation threads before episodes.

+1 on this
It's unfair on the non-book readers

Penn

granty1987 wrote: »

Can we increase the scope to the Moderation of Facebook?! I now completely avoid the place til i have watched the episode #minefield

I'll moderate everyone on Facebook whose surname begins with A-L, you take M-Z

d22ontour

If you have read any of the books you have no place in the non book reader threads, it doesn't work and the choice should be one or the other.I read both threads as a non book reader and the smugness in the non book threads is pathetic from the book readers.

wp_rathead

d22ontour wrote: »

If you have read any of the books you have no place in the non book reader threads, it doesn't work and the choice should be one or the other.I read both threads as a non book reader and the smugness in the non book threads is pathetic from the book readers.

Disagree, as long as you not referencing books or using your knowledge of books to explain characters motivations/action's i don't see the issue in using both..

amos13

wp_rathead wrote:

Disagree, as long as you not referencing books or using your knowledge of books to explain characters motivations/action's i don't see the issue in using both..

Agreed. An issue with posters smugness isn't a genuine criticism of moderating imo.

Penn

wp_rathead wrote: »

Disagree, as long as you not referencing books or using your knowledge of books to explain characters motivations/action's i don't see the issue in using both..

Few days ago from the Non-readers S7 speculation thread:

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Hmmm. It's not as though the Lord of Light goes around randomly resurrecting people. There are a number of preconditions starting with the presence of a red priest/priestess and a prayer being answered.

I'm also not sure that your conviction that he would be brought back is not coloured by hindsight. Book spoiler (although the TV show is now ahead of the books, I'll stick with the thread convention):

In the books so far he's dead and I'm still not sure that he'll be resurrected in that storyline.

That and a few posts after are why book readers should stick to the book readers thread. Terms of reference while putting forward discussion points are coming from a different perspective and base of knowledge. Which means either they have to dance around the issue or spoiler book things in the non-book readers thread.

Why not just stick to the proper threads?

Nody

Penn wrote: »

Why not just stick to the proper threads?

I'll give an reply to this even though the thread is not finished; don't take this as a decision but rather an explanation for the discussion at hand as this was a change from season 5 to 6.

In season 5 we'd get multiple reported posts in every episode of poster people thought might be book readers (as they were banned from the non book thread) and had to spend considerable time investigating their posts to see if they were really book readers or not (and we had some false positives in there). In season 6 it was changed instead to not allow any book related information in the book reader thread instead which drastically cut down the number of reported posts in relation to book spoilers (also partly accounted for of the fact that the books had not covered all the lines in the series to the point shown).

In regards to the quoted post by Penn this was not reported and hence could not be removed until now; I do try to keep an eye on the threads as they start up but as they start going triple digits chances are I'll miss things as I skim through them for spoilers

Penn

Nody wrote: »

I'll give an reply to this even though the thread is not finished; don't take this as a decision but rather an explanation for the discussion at hand as this was a change from season 5 to 6.

In season 5 we'd get multiple reported posts in every episode of poster people thought might be book readers (as they were banned from the non book thread) and had to spend considerable time investigating their posts to see if they were really book readers or not (and we had some false positives in there). In season 6 it was changed instead to not allow any book related information in the book reader thread instead which drastically cut down the number of reported posts in relation to book spoilers (also partly accounted for of the fact that the books had not covered all the lines in the series to the point shown).

In regards to the quoted post by Penn this was not reported and hence could not be removed until now; I do try to keep an eye on the threads as they start up but as they start going triple digits chances are I'll miss things as I skim through them for spoilers

With respect Nody, I believe I did report one of the posts (most likely the last one saying they should move over to the book readers thread).

But it's indicative of what's likely to happen. A book reader is discussing something but is using knowledge of the books as a basis for their argument, even if not actually explicitly saying something. I know at this point the show has moved past the books but there's likely still foreshadowing of things in the books that may indicate what might happen in the show.

If there's a thread for book readers, why can't they just discuss things in that thread, free to use/reference events in the books, and let non-readers not have to worry about someone saying "I think XXX might happen" and not knowing if they're saying that because they're basing that on knowledge of a reference made in the books?

wp_rathead

Penn wrote: »

If there's a thread for book readers, why can't they just discuss things in that thread, free to use/reference events in the books, and let non-readers not have to worry about someone saying "I think XXX might happen" and not knowing if they're saying that because they're basing that on knowledge of a reference made in the books?

Ah, but that's the speculation thread - which I agree book readers shouldn't post in non-book readers (there should be two, was only 1 this year and was so many spoilers and book references it wasn't fair)

I think most book readers have the cop on to be aware what they saying is influenced on the episode they just watched or a book they've read (probably yonks ago)

The non-book threads are much more enjoyable imo

Nody

Penn wrote: »

With respect Nody, I believe I did report one of the posts (most likely the last one saying they should move over to the book readers thread).

Actually you did; not sure why I missed it, sorry about that.

Nody

Closing feedback; give us a week or two to discuss it and come back with what (if anything) will change with season 7.

Nody

Ok, since I appear to be doing this on G.R.R. Martin timelines here's the proposal for Season 7.

1) Two episode threads, two speculation threads with one for book readers posted in advance on most likely Sunday (assuming they keep the same days as per season 6), one for non book readers with the speculation thread not hard off limit but no book knowledge. Failure to adhere to that though will mean thread ban for the season
2) Warning in header that the full episode will be discussed from post 2 forward potentially
3) If a episode is leaked early we'll release the discussion threads early but add a warning in the first post about it
4) Next episode spoilers from episode X goes into the speculation thread even if it was shown in episode X

Feel free to comment on the above; I'll leave this thread open until about a month before season 7 opens and as always subject to change as required.