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Feedback Re: off-topic chat

Kess73

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Hi folks,

We (the 3 Midwest mods) have been a bit concerned about the way this thread has been used recently. The original intention was to create a useful outlet as an alternative to the posting of off-topic chat/banter/in-jokes in other threads. As a system it has been working pretty well (there was a time when any kind of a cheeky reply on this forum, even among friends, could be red carded) and the thread has dramatically improved the general atmosphere of the Limerick forum.

The problem, we feel, is that some of the running jokes are beginning to take too prominent a place in the Waffle Thread. It makes for some uncomfortable reading at times, and could be off-putting to potential new posters. This has been known to happen on other forums on Boards before now in similar social threads, so it's by no means a unique/new problem.

We feel the best solution for the time being is to give the thread a short break. It should last just for a day or two. This is a chance to re-focus on quality discussion of local events, topics and interests.

Some personal stories/anecdotes/in-jokes might better be shared via PM, or on other social media. The Internet is a very public place, and this is a very widely read website. When this thread is open again, remember to think before you post (lest it come back to embarrass someone in the future ).

Thanks also to the few posters who sent PMs in the last few hours. We're always happy to respond to queries, so any further questions about this thread can be directed to us via that channel.

IO.

Just curious as to whether or not this mod rule is gone now or what because it has not been followed at all and the thread seems to be exactly what the mods said was not to happen anymore.

Or is it a case that the rule does not apply to all.

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The Snipe

I don't see it happening again, We were having an ongoing discussion, including the quiz last night!

Kess73

The Snipe wrote: »

I don't see it happening again, We were having an ongoing discussion, including the quiz last night!

The ongoing discussions seem to go against this which was said by IO.

The problem, we feel, is that some of the running jokes are beginning to take too prominent a place in the Waffle Thread

Some personal stories/anecdotes/in-jokes might better be shared via PM, or on other social media

Looking back over the past few weeks it would appear that running jokes are being allowed along with personal stories and in jokes being allowed.

Insect Overlord

How about you drop the mock indignation and report any posts that you feel breach the rule in question? I don't read every single post here.

DaveNoCheese

Understand what you mean with that post IO, say if someone comes onto the thread looking for a bit of advice and see all these posts, they'd be put off I'd imagine. Will try my best to cut out chatter

Kess73

Insect Overlord wrote: »

How about you drop the mock indignation and report any posts that you feel breach the rule in question? I don't read every single post here.

There is no mock indignation. You put up a new set of rules and sent out PMs about it and it would appear that what was put up can be ignored when it suits.

And don't come on with your report every post crap either because I sent you a pm on your new rule when you announced it and you did not even bother to reply. Plus there is no need to report all the posts or for you to read all the posts because plenty of your own posts since you put up the new rule are of a personal nature or containing in jokes something that you said should be shared by pm or elsewhere.

You are the one that announced the changes, so it is up to you to say whether they are still in place for all or not. You can call it mock indignation if you want, but you closed the thread and put up your new set of rules, yet the people that you go drinking with irl and hang out with irl can totally ignore those rules. If banter and chats about nights out etc are allowed, then just come out and say it, but if they are not then enforce it.

Because from what I can see the Limerick forum is just a clique at this point when one group can chat, put up youtube videos and what not, and things like the gif I put up in this waffle thread (the one with the basketball player pointing and laughing) the other day gets me a snotty pm from an individual about it not being "appropriate" for the thread.

Kess73

Kess73 wrote: »

A hard man look? Snipe?

And here is my post which I was told was inappropriate for this thread.

So if this post is out of order and inappropriate, then pretty much everything in the thread for the last few days is of the same standard.

Kess73

No quick response? What a shock.

Well IO I got a snotty im because of that post with the gif, and I had your post with the new rules quoted to me in that message. So you can clear up if your new rules actually apply or not. If not, then fine, but if they do apply then it should be done so in a consistent manner for all posters who use the forum and not just some, otherwise the thread on a public forum is not equally available to all.

xsiborg

Kess you're a member of boards long enough now to know that you PM a mod if you want to query any mod instructions or decisions. how would you feel if a user of the forums you mod came and shat all over a thread to try and embarrass you?

speaking only for myself, i have always gone out of my way to be welcoming and helpful to new posters in the limerick froum and i have always tried to include everybody in the froum and in the waffle thread are where most of my less serious posts go.

i think you have unfairly tarnished some of the posters in here insinuating nonsense about cliques and special treatment, etc. again, only speaking for myself- i only met IO at the limerick beers, and even then we didnt get to talk much as i couldnt get near him with the swans! snipe i've met a couple of times for coffee.

so because i couldnt make it to roasts gig the other night, i tried to get as many limerick posters as i could, to come down and join in the quiz last night. the bit of chat back and forth is just that, and it has been limerick related, even inspired a couple of new threads such as the AQP "art" exhibition, and the decades festival thread.

the limerick forum is one of the best regional forums in terms of poster contributions (and i frequent quite a few regional forums!) and the waffle thread here is one of the best off-topic threads among those fora. i like to think that there IS a sense of community here, both on boards and off boards, and i like to involve as many in that community as i can.

anyway, there's a point in there somewhere, i've waffled on long enough.

roast

xsiborg wrote: »

the limerick forum is one of the best regional forums in terms of poster contributions (and i frequent quite a few regional forums!) and the waffle thread here is one of the best off-topic threads among those fora. i like to think that there IS a sense of community here, both on boards and off boards, and i like to involve as many in that community as i can.

+1 on that xsiborg

I don't frequently post in many of the other regional fora (although I do tend to read a lot of threads in them) but one thing I've noticed is that the Limerick forum definitely has a great sense of community.

Kess, I kinda have to disagree with you, sorry

. I've only began to post frequently here recently, and so far I don't think there's any possibility of any new or old poster being alienated, as long as their willing to contribute to the discussion or the random waffle. So, from recent posts, I don't think there's any "in jokes" per say.

Also, I think I have to disagree with IO also here. The thread title "Random Waffle" insinuates just random, off topic, un-themed posts... abolishing the pointless/in joke/personal posts might just go against that title. There's a paradox in there somewhere. :pac:

source

Kess mate, you're a good poster and I agree with quite a lot of what you say, but the above is a bit over the top man.

I remember myself saying in this thread a while back that the whole kess v snipe thing had gone a little overboard, and had taken over the thread.

I think that's what IOs rules were about, rules I don't agree with in the waffle thread BTW, but given the extent of the interactions between yourself and snipe I can see that something had to be done about it.

I'd rather not see a falling out on here over something like this, we've managed to build a nice community and it would be a shame to see that affected.

Insect Overlord

Kess73 wrote: »

No quick response? What a shock.

Well IO I got a snotty im because of that post with the gif, and I had your post with the new rules quoted to me in that message. So you can clear up if your new rules actually apply or not. If not, then fine, but if they do apply then it should be done so in a consistent manner for all posters who use the forum and not just some, otherwise the thread on a public forum is not equally available to all.

I suppose I should put petty little Boards arguments at the top of my "to do" list. Sure shopping and cooking dinner for my brother and sister can wait while Kess gets answers to all his questions.

You know how things work around here. PM a mod if you have a problem. Calling one out on-thread usually gets a card or a ban. And you know damn well I can't moderate the things you receive in private messages from other users. Report "indignant" PMs to an Administrator if you have that much of a problem with them.

Insect Overlord

Kess73 wrote: »

yet the people that you go drinking with irl and hang out with irl can totally ignore those rules. If banter and chats about nights out etc are allowed, then just come out and say it, but if they are not then enforce it.

As for this, I only met Dave and Sar for the first time last night when I went over to say hello at the end of the night. I have no "favourites" or special rules for drinking buddies around here. That was below the belt.

Gallee

Insect Overlord wrote: »

The problem, we feel, is that some of the running jokes are beginning to take too prominent a place in the Waffle Thread. It makes for some uncomfortable reading at times, and could be off-putting to potential new posters.
IO.

I'am a newish poster and above is the exact reason I found it "uncomfortable" in this particular thread. For the last 4 or 5 pages it's pretty evident. That guy Kess has made a very valid point. From the outside it looks like a cosy group backslapping each other about the great night the had in the pub that had its own thread here every now and again.

The Snipe

Sorry for making you feel uncomrtable, We are quite open to new people in the thread and the forum!

There isn't really a clique, its just, we have no other medium of staying in contact with eachother as some of us aren't on facebook etc. and the thread is really for Random Waffle, which the bit of banter about a group of us at the pub last night, I personally think would be involved in that!

xsiborg

Gallee wrote: »

I'am a newish poster and above is the exact reason I found it "uncomfortable" in this particular thread. For the last 4 or 5 pages it's pretty evident. That guy Kess has made a very valid point. From the outside it looks like a cosy group backslapping each other about the great night the had in the pub that had its own thread here every now and again.

you should come down to the quiz some night and join the "cosy little group", but then you'd probably be disappointed as there is no "cosy little group", one and all are welcome and welcome to get involved.

nobody goes out of their way here to exclude anybody, in fact i would frown more upon that than reading a couple of posters having a bit of back and forth while they organised a night out. as you saw, one poster had no credit and im not on facebook as was suggested, and 90% of the time im posting from mobile so "checking my PM's" on the touch site is a pain in the proverbial, and i would've only read that PM about two hours later, when it would've been too late.

i also wouldnt call a user that's been here for five months a newish poster by any means, but it does mean you were around here long enough to read what the thread was like before, almost stopping short of user's home addresses being posted on a public forum and their personal lives being dissected and put up in public.

as i previously posted, there are plenty of threads that evolved from the waffle thread (including the patrick street renovations thread, forg ot that one too earlier!), and the few posts organising a night out and then a few random posts after it about how posters went to o connells for the quiz, smyths and then icon instead of costelllos, might have other posters suggest other places to try out or other activities that the limerick forum boards community as a whole could get involved in.

The Snipe

And, incase you think its a "tight knit group" I've actually only started to notice DaveNoCheese and Sar_Bar posting in the week or so. And my first time meeting them was yesterday at the quiz, which was thanks to Xsiborg. Which honestly, was quite awkward to begin, as I met them as I was squeezing into the taxi. If we wanted to be in a clique, then it would be very obvious!

We aren't a clique, which anyone who has gone to any of the beers would notice, we all move from person to person talking and getting to know eachother a bit better. And then some of us would also be friends in real life, which is the same accross every forum.

xsiborg

The Snipe wrote: »

And, incase you think its a "tight knit group" I've actually only started to notice DaveNoCheese and Sar_Bar posting in the week or so. And my first time meeting them was yesterday at the quiz, which was thanks to Xsiborg. Which honestly, was quite awkward to begin, as I met them as I was squeezing into the taxi. If we wanted to be in a clique, then it would be very obvious!

We aren't a clique, which anyone who has gone to any of the beers would notice, we all move from person to person talking and getting to know eachother a bit better. And then some of us would also be friends in real life, which is the same accross every forum.

worst. clique. ever-

xsiborg wrote: »

ah excellent stuff, and if there's anyone else in the limerick forum would like to come down for a bit of a laugh, the quiz is on monday nights in o connells at 9 o clock, pints are all €3 and €15 a table...

Sar_Bear

It's called A Random Waffle Thread. If people aren't happy with people randomly wafflingon about things, then maybe a name change is in order or even an off topic chat thread in the Limerick forum.

The Snipe

Sar, even in those threads, it would be the same thing as its all off-topic chat.

But anyway, back to random waffling!

xsiborg

Sar_Bear wrote: »

It's called A Random Waffle Thread. If people aren't happy with people randomly wafflingon about things, then maybe a name change is in order or even an off topic chat thread in the Limerick forum.

or to be even more helpful to the newish posters around here that find any posts uncomfortable, they can use the "report post" button

under that posters user name to report a post, where one of the THREE moderators- Clareman, the drifter or Insect Overlord (who give up their free time voluntarily!) will deal with either the post or the poster, in an expedient and appropriate manner, and take appropriate action where necessary, as soon as can.

Insect Overlord

Split from the Waffle thread, just to avoid confusion.

ZombieBride

I'm on many forums and this clique debate happens often, especially after a meet up, but in my experience there are rarely cliques its usually those who like to banter and those who feel left out.
Waffle imo includes banter to take that away then the waffle is just sterile phrases that might as well not be on a regional forum at all.
Now as this is a regional form boarders will meet, by accident or intention, and waffle shall follow.

Kess73

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I suppose I should put petty little Boards arguments at the top of my "to do" list. Sure shopping and cooking dinner for my brother and sister can wait while Kess gets answers to all his questions.

You know how things work around here. PM a mod if you have a problem. Calling one out on-thread usually gets a card or a ban. And you know damn well I can't moderate the things you receive in private messages from other users. Report "indignant" PMs to an Administrator if you have that much of a problem with them.

Hope you got to feed all your family. I would feel just awful if you left them go hungry on account of me. Please keep them fed and do not rush any reply to me if you are feeding anyone

I did send you a pm in which I said something about the need to be consistent and you did not reply so the sending a pm route proved fruitless, plus the person who sent me the message about the "ofensive and inpropriate" (to use their ghetto level of spelling) gif I put up, used what I presume is your real full name, and referenced your post about the new rules for this thread and they sent it to the yahoo account that I only use for Boards as a message using the same full name, along with some colourful adjectives.

Apols for seeing red if you did not send it. I guess there is no need for me to report it because it is only your real name that was being used to send messages and not mine, so they can spam who they want with it I guess. Probably had a good laugh at my reaction to it as well when I rose to the bait.

Insect Overlord

Kess73 wrote: »

plus the person who sent me the message about the "ofensive and inpropriate" (to use their ghetto level of spelling) gif I put up, used what I presume is your real full name, and referenced your post about the new rules for this thread and they sent it to the yahoo account that I only use for Boards as a message using the same full name, along with some colourful adjectives.

This gets more and more interesting. Just so I'm sure, are you telling me you received a message via e-mail, as opposed to a PM on Boards?

We're going to have to talk about this part of the story over PM, because it sounds like there's something much more serious after happening. Let's keep this thread for figuring out what we're going to do with the Random Waffle situation.

Insect Overlord

Rango555 wrote: »

I DO NOT recommend reporting any posts by a few regulars as you will be infracted and red carded for absolutely nothing at all. In my case the mod admitted quite blatantly to me via PM that I was being red carded because I had reported an earlier post by a regular poster. I considered bringing it further up the ladder but decided to just not post in this forum instead. If you cannot see the clique in here then you are probably a part of it. (que red cards etc for telling the truth) Last post in this forum btw mods so take whatever course of action you feel necessary. I will not be replying to any PM's.

Just to clarify what's happening here:

Rango555 received a yellow card over a year ago for a series of personalised remarks in a thread on this forum. They were also given a red card on the same day for continuing the argument after earlier warnings, as well as accusations of trolling (also considered back-seat modding).
Prior to the above post they had only ever posted in 2 threads on this forum, neither of which was the off-topic chat thread.

They've received a yellow card for the above post as should be in the Dispute Resolution forum and not in here. It is off-topic, unhelpful to the current debate and concerns moderator actions that have nothing to do with the Waffle thread.

Edit: I've deleted the post because Rango555 came back and edited it twice after the warning. More back-seat modding.

Just so we were all clear on that.

Now, where were we?

Kess73

Insect Overlord wrote: »

This gets more and more interesting. Just so I'm sure, are you telling me you received a message via e-mail, as opposed to a PM on Boards?

We're going to have to talk about this part of the story over PM, because it sounds like there's something much more serious after happening. Let's keep this thread for figuring out what we're going to do with the Random Waffle situation.

Yes I received two messages. One from an individual here on Boards and the second was sent to the Yahoo account that I use for getting reported post notifications from Boards, to chat with the Boardsies I meet irl, and sometimes for letting anyone whose post I have deleted/edited etc the option of debating it with me in real time. That yahoo account is only used for Boards and has only been in existence since I became a mod.Basically the Y that is under my Av picture.

Insect Overlord

Kess73 wrote: »

Yes I received two messages. One from an individual here on Boards and the second was sent to the Yahoo account that I use for getting reported post notifications from Boards, to chat with the Boardsies I meet irl, and sometimes for letting anyone whose post I have deleted/edited etc the option of debating it with me in real time. That yahoo account is only used for Boards and has only been in existence since I became a mod.Basically the Y that is under my Av picture.

They were probably both sent by the same person, so if you could report the PM I'd appreciate it. The admins should be notified if someone is impersonating a moderator.

Kess73

Insect Overlord wrote: »

They were probably both sent by the same person, so if you could report the PM I'd appreciate it. The admins should be notified if someone is impersonating a moderator.

The pm quoted your post and quoted your name. The message to my yahoo used the name, which I think is your name, and was colourful in "complementing" me.

Technically the pm pointed me in the direction of your post with the new rules and referenced you, whilst calling my gif "ofensive and inpropriate" .

The mail I got came from an email account called nafili2009 which I took as being the plural of your old username before you switched to Insect overlord. Maybe it is someone on here thinking they were being funny and I messed up their joke (or gave them what they wanted) by reacting in the forum.

Have just mailed back that email account and left a message that it would be best if he/she explained to you why he/she thought it would be funny to mail me from that email account using what I think is your name. If they get in touch with you and it is just a prank by someone that knows you that did not go as planned, then you can let me know what the story is ( whether you say who he/she actually is can be up to you)

If that does not get any response, well that bridge can be crossed if the need arises.

DaveNoCheese

Regarding the random waffle thread, I think I'll throw my two cents in (whether ye listen or not is up to ye

)

Although I've only started regularly posting in the Limerick forum (as I recently moved back), I've been lurking here for almost a year now (have worked in Limerick for last four years).

Looking back on the last few pages of the thread, there are a few jokes here and there and what might be considered an 'in' reference. To be honest, someone will post some random thing in there and it will usually spawn a series of posts or a chat (for the lack of a better word) on that subject.

And then other times (like just recently), people will start chatting about stuff that happened in real life, in this instance, the table quiz. Been told there are cliques and the like when most of these people only met for the first time is a bit ridicules.

Sure we had a laugh and did reference jokes that were made on the night in the thread but that shouldn't be considered a clique. Usually these only last a page or two before the topic is changed.

And as time goes on and people meet each other more in real life, a friendship may form which will lead to more posts about things that happen in real life. If this is going to cause hassle down the line then maybe a 'random chat' thread should be started and the waffle thread be used to ask quick questions or something along those lines that don't warrant a whole new separate thread.

Maybe this is something the Mods need to discuss, but for now can we all just get back to getting along

Insect Overlord

DaveNoCheese wrote: »

And as time goes on and people meet each other more in real life, a friendship may form which will lead to more posts about things that happen in real life. If this is going to cause hassle down the line then maybe a 'random chat' thread should be started and the waffle thread be used to ask quick questions or something along those lines that don't warrant a whole new separate thread.

That's what the Waffle thread is for really. People chatting about stuff not directly connected to specific threads on the forum. We sometimes move over off-topic posts from other threads too to keep them to the point. Similarly, we sometimes move stuff into their own dedicated threads when the topic runs on long enough.

I put up the message quoted in Kess's OP last month because the 3 Midwest mods felt the thread was being dominated by 3 or 4 voices for too long. It was as much of an invitation for new posters to join in as it was a reminder for people not to be posting too much personal/private stuff amongst each other.