Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself? [Threadbanned users in 1st post]

suvigirl · 09-04-2024 01:39PM

I loved the old competitions that used to run here before the change over. I'm not sure what it was that stopped them running the way they did, but they're a massive loss, entertaining, light hearted and a bit of fun.

I have had a few different posters on here go out of their way to give me assistance, even in real life about issues I had posted on. You wouldn't get that elsewhere online.

The post of the day was great too.

JP Liz V1 · 09-04-2024 01:47PM

@Gormal and others are good contributers with competitions to enter

It's nice to get a win or hear of others winning

archfi · 09-04-2024 01:47PM

….

ozmo · 09-04-2024 01:55PM

A thread I was following for a couple years - got a reply to day - I went to view it and saw the whole thread deleted -

Why would a mod delete this thread - people take the time to post - I think this site, being(or was) the top Irish forum, has a responsibility in archiving what people take time to post - in this case a very useful reminder/tip on not getting your driving test cancelled - an expensive mistake.

When would a thread lock be justified ? - When would a whole thread delete be justified? - how much more of boards data has been deleted?

Right now - you can see the post still in google search: https://www.google.com/search?q=Driving+test+cancelled+due+to+the+disc+strip+is+faded+from+green+to+blue&safe=active&ssui=on

Vote4Squirrels · 09-04-2024 01:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121996767#Comment_121996767

I was going to suggest like a poster of the week, mod of the month, something along those lines ?

Discussion of the week maybe ?

Eibhir · 09-04-2024 02:12PM

I enjoy the site. Meteorology is my main interest and favourite thread.

Soaps fora are light hearted and easygoing. Very difficult to get into trouble!

Threads like the Late Late, DWTS, Operation Transformation and such reality tv are usually light too.

Current Affairs isn't worth it, when people hold opposing passionate views, with the best of intentions, things can get heated. You could be having a bad day and get over reactive to posts. I post occasionally in Gazza but dip in and out as it's a heavy thread and again one where you can easily get too emotional.

I think, maybe it's in place already, a course for mods before becoming one, and refresher courses would be good.

Items like the reporting process, the types of trolling and how to identify them. Spotting a goading poster who should receive the same sanction as a poster they cause to make an outburst. Group think in threads and not letting that influence a mod. How to avoid bringing bias to moderation, particularly on social and political issues.

I started to read the thread last night where a mod said they started in their teens. That's way too young in my opinion. You simply don't have enough worldly experience or maturity.

Overall I'm happy with moderation in the fora I'm in. The weather forum is exceptionally good. Lovely atmosphere. You learn so much. I'd recommend it to posters.

Eibhir · 09-04-2024 02:37PM

Just to add, I think the best mods are good communicators, and often in their day job are people managers with skills for getting the best out of people.

I feel a lot of posters are shot down too abruptly. Simply put in the timesink/bad apple poster pigeon hole.

Sometimes something as simple as 'Hey Gruffalo 2024. Your style is very confrontational and insulting. Please have a think as to whether you would speak to a person like this offline? I want to work with you and give you a chance but you need to change the language and tone in the post outlined below. You have to respect every poster you reply to'.

Eibhir · 09-04-2024 02:52PM

Also we need to respect our mods. If there's a constant denigration of their work, everything falls apart. It's like a referee in sport, bad calls are made but refs, like mods are human. All of us posters make mistakes too.

A fortnight ago I got a deserved warning on the GAA forum. All I could see was what I replied to was as bad! Shamobuc gave me the warning and of course my reply was did you see what the other poster said?! He replied I've 100s of posts to go through but will look at it in due course. This was the practical reality from his side. Often us posters just see the 'wrongs' done to us.

And he did deal with it well in due course.

I don't know the situation but maybe mods in CA are overworked? When I first heard mods weren't paid I was shocked. It's a big commitment.

Leg End Reject · 09-04-2024 02:55PM

On the subject of deleting threads, why are non-contentious threads started by a banned rereg automatically deleted? Why not let them run?

I can understand if it's a deliberately inflammatory thread, but surely others could be left.

09-04-2024 03:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121997353#Comment_121997353

usually not to give them oxygen

Ten of Swords · 09-04-2024 03:21PM

When a rereg is banned typically all of their content is removed. Removing post #1 of any thread means the entire thread is removed

awec · 09-04-2024 03:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121997353#Comment_121997353

We have to remove so many re-reg and troll accounts that it would simply be a massive time sink to analyse every thread they create to see if it's worth keeping or not.

In general, I will nuke the account if they haven't got a lot of posts.

For the very few re-regs / trolls that manage to accrue a large post count before getting caught I will generally leave their content as it can cause a bit of a mess deleting a lot of posts.

Eibhir · 09-04-2024 03:31PM

I also feel covid's effects could be seen online. Some people were effected more than others by the various lockdowns. You could see this in reality with some returning to work etc.

Online people became more angry, frustrated, and this became evident far outside the issue of covid itself. The resultant conflict and increase in negativity brought about more bans and tension on sites like this. I suppose 2016 was a kick off year for polarisation Brexit, Trump and so on. Then Covid took over for 2 years, now Gaza.

Cultural wars, 'wokeism', left v right etc all sensitive areas which cause polarisation are difficult to mod.

Shan Doras · 09-04-2024 03:47PM

Has boards considered doing a gofundme type campaign to move to a better platform than vanilla?

o1s1n · 09-04-2024 04:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121996767#Comment_121996767

I was just about to mention the 'Post of the day' thing too. I remember when the thanks function was first introduced to the site and that was a cool little feature that resulted from it.

If I remember correctly, there was an account that 'liked' all the Post of the Day posts and you could click on that account's profile to look back through all the best posts.

Some of the charity fund raising stuff was great. Lots of boardsies in their nip in public spaces there for a bit. 😁

Ten of Swords · 09-04-2024 04:24PM

Post of the Day

Thread of the Day

Love.php

League of B*stards

None of these survived the migration :(

HildaOgdenx · 09-04-2024 04:36PM

I used to love the Most Thanked post feature, it often brought me into areas that I wouldn't usually read.

Always interesting or funny.

Tell me how · 09-04-2024 05:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121997793#Comment_121997793

I've mentioned this several times on feedback threads.

I used to read those posts on my lunch break and like you said it often ended up in me reading much more of the threads they were on that I may have missed for some reason.

I remember when I saw one of my posts be Most Thanked post for the first time and I legit got a buzz out of it.

I don't like that now, for popular posts, you can't see who has thanked them.

Necro · 09-04-2024 05:26PM

There's a whole Best Of option in the menu at the moment that has the sum total of nothing contained within. Why is it not populated with the sort of things that people are talking about here, Thread of the Day, Most Thanked, Post of the Day... Seems like a waste of a resource.

PmMeUrDogs · 09-04-2024 07:47PM

Positives as requested -

1. Post and thread of the day. Loved those.

2. Love.php was always good craic.

3. AH before CA. Now any "current affairs" go to CA, which I understand. But it's dry, serious and quite frankly a handful of posters arguing in circles. My suggestion would be allow current affairs in AH as well as in CA, or get rid of CA. It was always a mix of seriousness and light heartedness when discussing current affairs in AH, and that mix always felt good to me.

4. In general, boards is fantastic as a resource. Why I'm still here, albeit on an "alt" account because I nuked my previous accounts.

nachouser · 09-04-2024 08:13PM

I'd agree that the site can be a good resource but, let's be honest, "Thread of the Day, Most Thanked, Post of the Day..."

They would all be CA anti-trans, anti-immigrant, 33k civs being killed is perfectly fine, etc. The sh*t posters would win out. You can add the anti-bus lane lads to the list:-)

nachouser · 09-04-2024 08:45PM

I'd also wonder, why is there an actual allowed Gangland thread? With actual new accounts posting about stuff they've just done?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058103388/gangland-shootings-part-4-read-op-before-posting-updated-30-12-23

Anyone?

Quantum Erasure · 09-04-2024 09:00PM

SHhhh, you'll spoil the fun for everyone.

If you don't like it you don't have to click into it

Esel · 09-04-2024 09:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121998782#Comment_121998782

With actual new accounts posting about stuff they've just done?

Can you give examples of the above? I read the thread, but can't recollect any offhand.

SafeSurfer · 09-04-2024 10:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991402#Comment_121991402

There seems to be a lack of consistency about what “being civil” means. For example the Russia thread is full of obnoxious racism which is never called out as long as it is aimed in the right direction.
I was banned from the Israel/Gaza thread for suggesting that a future Hamas leader, like the PLO before them, could be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. For this I was labeled, by a mod, “a Hamas apologist”! Merely for pointing out historic precedent.

bucketybuck · 09-04-2024 10:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121999216#Comment_121999216

This weekend a poster quoted me to say I was talking nonsense, in fact I was talking complete bollocks, and that repeating it was on me than anything else.

Civil?

Apparently so, the mods appear to have no problem with the post. Its inherently a comment on a poster rather than the post, but all good seemingly.

For myself I have no more interest in hearing about being "uncivil".

Goldengirl · 09-04-2024 10:37PM

Haven't been feeling very positive here lately but mostly enjoy this site and have learned a lot from it since I started here .

Love the DIY, Gardening and "things you remember threads ..helpful , amusing and easy going posters .

Public transport is good too. Some very knowledgeable posters so I rarely contribute just read . Same with Construction etc very specialised but really good info .

Current Affairs can be stimulating when it's going well but it does descend into a lot of fights and circular arguments on all sides. These threads definitely need more mods but the mods that are there are busy but fair and if you get a warning that you think isn't warranted they will look at it again and review it .. might still be upheld but it's a decent system .

Agree that Post of the Day might be overtaken by some not so pleasant subjects these days , sign of the times maybe .

My favourite thing about boards when I started was the advice and genuine help from boardsies in a lot of the practical forums . And the very witty people posting here who make me laugh every day .

Gremlinertia et al on the Nocturnal thread kept me going when I was on breaks on night duty . Brilliant.

I love the Music threads .

They are still all plus points today and there are a lot more positives than negatives to being here. Despite Vanilla . T

Necro · 09-04-2024 11:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121998604#Comment_121998604

Fairly easy solution to that. Exclude CA from the post of the day/thread etc and have it more focused on the smaller forums. Pretty sure similar used to be done with personal issues as well (for obvious reasons). There's a wide range of forums out there other than CA on Boards, if people could actually find them.

Weather can be great when there's a storm coming. Motors has some nice threads on people's awful parking. A few people mentioned DIY having good threads too, these should be highlighted and not hidden away under the mess of a UI that there currently is to try and find them.

We all know where CA is so I wouldn't have any interest clicking into a "thread of the day" from there tbh.

09-04-2024 11:43PM

The forums should be a place to discuss politics and current affairs. What's needed is civility when having those discussions.

Tell me how · 09-04-2024 11:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121998498#Comment_121998498

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121998604#Comment_121998604

I proposed as part of a larger post that CA could maybe become a members only for the more severe types of conversations.

The forum could be hidden unless you requested access (a la the soccer forum), posts within could be excluded from daily 'most thanked' etc and moderation would be more hands off unless more severe lines were crossed such as direct abuse or anything that might present legal issues for the site.

There's conversations that are unpleasant, and lead to harsh viewpoints but society needs to be able to discuss them in my view. Put them in a dark corner and then maybe the arguing in circles is left to those who want to be a part of it.

This might allow AH to be the AH that it was for a number of years but hasn't been for quite a while.

Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself? [Threadbanned users in 1st post]

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