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Why is Boards so quiet?

Jobs OXO

Hi have been on the site with previous (now closed) accounts for a good number of years. I have never seen it so quiet. Sunday morning and looking at latest posts traffic seems so slow. Is no one posting anymore? AH doesn't seem to be much craic anymore. Anyone notice the same? Any ideas how to improve the situation ?

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JCX BXC

Insect Overlord wrote: »

That thread last night was fucking revolting. Just a load of scumbags turning up in sync to push their agendas on everybody else. I would not be using that as an example of something to aspire to. It was fucking shameful.

The beginning of it I found to be quite modest.

Today however, as is normally the case with these threads, it's turned into a sh*t show. Still, I don't agree it should be censored.

Only one thing I took issue with was the assertion that people were happy the attack occurred, that was quite revolting.

Thelomen Toblackai

The problem with boards is it's discussion based rather than content based like every other site on the internet.

People want to share and discuss content and tbh boards make it very hard to do that. It's impossible for new users to share anything. They don't even have access to the text tools to create a list!

Posting without offering an opinion is a no no. So sharing content in and of itself is discouraged. There's huge threads where all related content is forced, posts get lost and discussion is diluted.

I think people go overboard on the moderation but at the same time it's impossible to spend any amount off time here without getting frustrated with it. Everyone seems to be held to an unrealistic standard while action is doled out in a random fashion with the complaints process set up to waste everyone's time backing up whatever the moderator did because the charters and rules would back up banning someone for saying hello if the mod decided they wanted to do it. The general attitude of mods, admins and management towards users is also shocking. I've been wrongly banned myself over an ip issue and treated like absolute **** by admins in "prison".

If it's to survive imo it needs to accept that content with a quick turnaround is the key to keeping a large user base active and interested and change to suit rather than trying to force people to communicate in an outdated fashion. They also need to decide whether they want a site of saints and sort out something better than half interested volunteers or realise people aren't all children, idiots or assholes and can't be all treated as such without them eventually going elsewhere.

looksee

Insect Overlord wrote: »

That thread last night was fucking revolting. Just a load of scumbags turning up in sync to push their agendas on everybody else. I would not be using that as an example of something to aspire to. It was fucking shameful.

I totally agree, if that is the level of 'discussion' that people want then you won't have any problem with too many mods on the site, I for one would not want to be associated with it.

Yourself isit

JCX BXC wrote: »

Credit where credit is due, the AH thread regarding the incident in Manchester has been left largely untampered with. Discussion has been allowed develop by itself and I feel as if this has been a good step.

Hopefully we are being listened to :P

Oh they've just thrown a few cards around.

Which brings me to a problem I have. Mod instructions basically change the rules mid game but can easily get lost. The software needs to be updated to somehow tell everybody the rules have changed. When you "ignore instructions" there is no defence either.

Gavinz

looksee wrote: »

I totally agree, if that is the level of 'discussion' that people want then you won't have any problem with too many mods on the site, I for one would not want to be associated with it.

Well, I'm sure that isn't quite true.

Perhaps you're different...

But the Boards thing seems to be, in the face of criticism/change, cling to whatever little internet power that you have, and users be damned. Do not let them take away our modship.

For people who were apparently chosen to guide the site and their specific forums, you all seem to get very antsy and agitated whenever your position is questioned.

What happened to your "love of the site"?

"We are united, and if you haven't been specially selected then you are automatically a semi-retarded pleb."

Christ lads and ladies, it's laughable when you look at it from a distance.

Alf Stewart.

Yourself isit wrote: »

Oh they've just thrown a few cards around.

Which brings me to a problem I have. Mod instructions basically change the rules mid game but can easily get lost. The software needs to be updated to somehow tell everybody the rules have changed. When you "ignore instructions" there is no defence either.

Fair point, imo the best way to deal with breaches post on thread rule changes would be to delete offending post, with a gentle reminder via PM as to why the post was deleted, and maybe a link to the post where the mod explains the thread rules had been changed etc.

Should a user breach again, then mod action could be considered, I've seen too many cases in the past where the exact scenario has panned out (the ignorance is no defence line).

Stheno

Alf Stewart. wrote: »

Fair point, imo the best way to deal with breaches post on thread rule changes would be to delete offending post, with a gentle reminder via PM as to why the post was deleted, and maybe a link to the post where the mod explains the thread rules had been changed etc.

Should a user breach again, then mod action could be considered, I've seen too many cases in the past where the exact scenario has panned out (the ignorance is no defence line).

I know that is an approach taken after a warning has been recently posted, or e.g. when we changed the rules about namecalling in the cafe, that was also done, we didn't delete posts though, in most instances I would pm a user asking them to take note of the warning and edit their post appropriately.

However for megathreads, if a warning is posted, and linked in the op of the post and the title is updated with the mod warning and the relevant post (usually the op)

I do think thread titles should reference mod warnings, something I didn't do myself earlier this week and will go and correct later

Beasty

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Seems a pain, but a worthwhile activity - otherwise, as you say, you have the illusion of moderator cover on a forum rather than any actual modding.
....

Archive section the path to victory here - the historical content still has value, and should be searchable.

TBH I've held off long enough re the quiet/dead forums and your comment are a useful reminder. I'll try and progress something on that front on Sports with the Admins, suggesting the Archive idea

We're also overdue a review of inactive mods and we'll have a scan through the Sports forums. Whether this ultimately becomes automated will be down to the development guys and whether the Admins and full time staff think it's something worth pursuing. Hopefully the other categories will be able to look at things in a similar vein

looksee

Gavinz wrote: »

Well, I'm sure that isn't quite true.

Perhaps you're different...

But the Boards thing seems to be, in the face of criticism/change, cling to whatever little internet power that you have, and users be damned. Do not let them take away our modship.

For people who were apparently chosen to guide the site and their specific forums, you all seem to get very antsy and agitated whenever your position is questioned.

What happened to your "love of the site"?

"We are united, and if you haven't been specially selected then you are automatically a semi-retarded pleb."

Christ lads and ladies, it's laughable when you look at it from a distance.

What on earth does any of that have to do with what I said?

Tom Mann Centuria

Beasty wrote: »

TBH I've held off long enough re the quiet/dead forums and your comment are a useful reminder. I'll try and progress something on that front on Sports with the Admins, suggesting the Archive idea

Paddington hard stare.

Gavinz

looksee wrote: »

What on earth does any of that have to do with what I said?

Beasty

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Paddington hard stare.

Don't worry Tom, the forums you have a particular interest in will be defended to the hilt by me!

Steve

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

HH forum is a good point but you'll have to murder Zaph first.

Get in line behind the Mustard detractors.

Boards has to remain a modicum of fun to retain moderators and long timers, making it uber sterile and business like will ultimately fail IMO.

As regards inactive mods, I regularly check this and remove them as appropriate in my category.

If you know of any that need looking at, feel free to pm me

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Tom Mann Centuria

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

I know what you're saying but these seldom used forums could be a way people find the site. They are looking for info about "insert seldom used forum name here" in Ask Jeeves or the like and boards comes up. They might look and think, nah, dead as a dodo, off they go, they might think, well I'll leave a post and see if anyone responds, or they might leave the forum and see the front page with all the diversity that has (though not a patch on the old front page that had so much to pick from) and get into a conversation elsewhere.

Also what harm do they do would be my other comment.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

BowSideChamp

Why is this website dead?

- the "responsive" site is pure garbage. Feedback was not listened to.

- the layout of the new menu is horrible. Feedback was not listened to.

- the owners got bad legal advice regarding the requirement to allow users the option to close their accounts. Regardless the implementation of this led to the website turning into a graveyard.

- on the mobile site you cannot navigate easily between forums. E.g. you are in the athletic events sub-forum but here is no link back to the main athletic forum. This annoys me so much.

- Too many dead forums with no users.

- when new users come onto the site a cookie notification bar blocks the menu bar hiding and preventing navigation across the site. What kind of web designer would do this??

- users didn't come back after the website got hacked and compromised the personal data of the users

- most threads on After Hours/Politics end up in an endless loop of the same mindless argument over and over again. People get fed up and leave.

- my biggest pet peeve is not allowing new users the option to post links or use basic formatting. It is as if they want to make the website as difficult as possible to use. I cannot imagine twitter or Facebook going down this road!!

Zaph

BowSideChamp wrote: »

- my biggest pet peeve is not allowing new users the option to post links

This restriction has been eased fairly recently, but it is an essential anti-spam measure because in the past we've been plagued by spammers posting links in their first or second post. Denying them that ability makes the site less attractive to them. I'm open to correction, but I think the minimum number of posts required to post links is down to five now, which is hardly onerous.

Steve

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

A long forgotten post in a long forgotten forum.

Should this not be preserved for the sake of nostalgia?

I'm not arguing for preservation of anything btw, but, as you are well aware boards is not a democracy (well, at least not yet thankfully)
and as soon as the dictatorship falls, I'm out.

Books4you

The thread about the 7 month old baby that died in AH is also what is wrong on this site. Sad story to read and heart breaking for the parents and then you have these hateful posters on there acting holier than thou. The perfect parents. Very easy to hide behind a keyboard but i wonder how many would say it to the poor dad's face?

There's definitely a meanness/bitterness in this country and that often takes over on this site.

Mark Tapley

Books4you wrote: »

The thread about the 7 month old baby that died in AH is also what is wrong on this site. Sad story to read and heart breaking for the parents and then you have these hateful posters on there acting holier than thou. The perfect parents. Very easy to hide behind a keyboard but i wonder how many would say it to the poor dad's face?

There's definitely a meanness/bitterness in this country and that often takes over on this site.

I admit I haven't read the whole thread but it seemed the majority of posters were showing great compassion.

[Deleted User]

Inability to differentiate usability issues, moderation issues, content issues and whatever you're having yourself all presentable correct in the last few pages.

I'd be concerned that mods are linking opinions expressed in a thread with their role as mods. The opinion is neutral from a mod point of view so long as it's not legally actionable (which bar the site hides behind to a ridiculous enough extent as is tbh), a moderator qua moderator shouldn't even be concerning themselves about any other value of a post.

I'd be interested to know what elements of the Manchester discussion so irked the mods posting about it in this thread, because the attempted curation of threads is a major problem and I'd have a sneaking suspicion the concerns evinced would be on political/ideological grounds.

If this were to be the case you'd have a thread discussing problems with the site within which some mods seem essentially to be stating that they don't feel like moderating threads wherein opinions they aren't comfortable with are expressed.

I mean I may be misunderstanding and I may be accused of misrepresenting but from observation it seems a fit with a lot of the feedback on moderation.

Sure I thought it was interesting anyway.

[Deleted User]

Hmm. that didn't start out as a rant about mods.

Sorry mods. Love ye really. Most of ye.

Guffy

Cause yer not on the werewolves forum... crazy busy

Thelomen Toblackai

Books4you wrote: »

The thread about the 7 month old baby that died in AH is also what is wrong on this site. Sad story to read and heart breaking for the parents and then you have these hateful posters on there acting holier than thou. The perfect parents. Very easy to hide behind a keyboard but i wonder how many would say it to the poor dad's face?

There's definitely a meanness/bitterness in this country and that often takes over on this site.

The only problem with that thread was all the over emotional parents throwing around personal insults at those they thought wernt being respectful.

People go on about meanness, bitterness, AH being the pits, comments being disgraceful etc but it's all just varying degrees of commentary on a news story until people start getting personally upset with other posters and insulting them.

I thought the thread was handled well. Card the personal insults but no mod warnings trying to dictate what people post based on others sensibilities.

.......

This post has been deleted.

buzzwell

Books4you wrote: »

The thread about the 7 month old baby that died in AH is also what is wrong on this site. Sad story to read and heart breaking for the parents and then you have these hateful posters on there acting holier than thou. The perfect parents. Very easy to hide behind a keyboard but i wonder how many would say it to the poor dad's face?

There's definitely a meanness/bitterness in this country and that often takes over on this site.

The thread has been locked twice.
Whether it's because personal insults are flying or because of the subject matter it's hard to tell, locked for review means nothing.

That is the kind of subject which is going to have a clear cut set of views.

I wonder whether boards actually wants honest discussion, including putting up with those with contrarian viewpoints.
The Eric Locke thread was recently closed once questions about taking risks were brought up.

If this one gets closed too the direction of the site is cast.

ProfessorMahoo

Books4you wrote: »

The thread about the 7 month old baby that died in AH is also what is wrong on this site. Sad story to read and heart breaking for the parents and then you have these hateful posters on there acting holier than thou. The perfect parents. Very easy to hide behind a keyboard but i wonder how many would say it to the poor dad's face?

There's definitely a meanness/bitterness in this country and that often takes over on this site.

Mods are too busy looking for people to ban for smart remarks about Bruce Jenner.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Murrisk

Thelomen Toblackai wrote: »

The only problem with that thread was all the over emotional parents throwing around personal insults at those they thought wernt being respectful.

Meh, very little sympathy for anyone who got on their high horse at the dad in that thread. They absolutely deserve a sharp dressing down, IMO, and if they are confident in their position, they'll be able to defend themselves.

The only solace really is that they stuck out as particularly odious on the thread and that's satifying. Spout your repugnant view? Well, be prepared to defend it.