Meeptroid Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 Wow, TJ. That was nicely written. Makes great sense to me. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie_Penguin Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I think it should be kept because it helps all of us get away from the "neopets" area for a bit. It helps to get to know people better. However, I think there should be unique rules for the OTB: 1)No "four" word thing. Even mods do it, c'mon! That is a total spam. 2)I don't like the whole "oh yes I agree with you" "Oh i ALSO agree". 3)Posting stuff like "i really don't know". Oh yes, also I don't know if anyone mentioned this before, but if you guys deleted the OTB a lot of people are going to start creating pointless little topics so the work the mods would have to do would be equivalent to the work if you keep the OTB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antiaircraft Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I'm neutral on this subject, but I will admit that the OTB gets spammy at times, and that I have flipped past subjects that I would have liked to comment on. However, it is a great board for getting well acquainted with other members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie_Penguin Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Just to give you an example. The debate board was going to be deleted, but thanks to Chipmonker for volunteering to become a mod for that board only, they're back in business and running pretty well! I think the same thing should happen with the OTB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chipmonker Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I understand the points that both Samuel and TJ have made, although I am quite neutral on the subject. I have only posted/visited there once or twice. So one could say that my opinion is quite a small grain of salt. >.< I do see that the OTB is a nuisance and quite frankly, it amazes me to no end that there is a 875 page topic on the forum. And it is true that the OTB seems to be the majority of TDN's posts...actually it looks to be 20% of the board...1 post out of 5 posts are in that topic... o_O Now I almost want to blam it! However, I do see a point in an offtopic board. A place to type freely - even though most of us can post more than 4 words <_< It keeps them annoyances into one place...away from the debate...WHICH REMINDS ME - Personal Statement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Dan. Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 A lot of people hated me for bringing up this debate a while back, and now I get to voice my opinion. Woot. We're a freaking Neopets forum. If the OTB continues at the rate it's at, it'll be best for us to change to the OTB-forum.com , but it is a healthy staple of our forum. I know it's the only thing you can post on at night when no-one's around to really pay attention, which is what the late-nighter Club thingy does. I'd have to say for it to stay. I support moving the OTB to it's own section, not as part of the Word Games thing, and have it like the Word Game section, where it doesn't up post count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie_Penguin Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Dan that is a GREAT idea! What didn't I think of moving it to the word games section or something o_O. I personally wouldn't mind as long as the OTB is still up for us to go to relax XD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Dan. Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I know...but didn't TJ come up with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kikaown Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I think that it should not count for posts. Even if it does contribute to spam around the entire forums, the word games do the same thing, but they do not cause problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I dont care if the OTB is moved to the word play. but it needs to stay. So you can babble on about your day. How annoying would it be if every time someone made a topic about How THERE day we would have like 50 million threads. Or like me for instance my friend died. I need some support. I think it would be a waste of time to make a new topic that many people would never see. Yes I could use the shoutbox but not many people stay on the main page. I wouldnt message random people because that would be rude. So you saying every time i have a new idea. I should make a new board. Ok. Well well have like 60 new boards every day. And no one would post on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruto Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Although you made a lot of sense, Samuel, I'd hate to see the OTB go. For example: If every topic brought up in the OTB were to have its own thread, we'd have over 200 pages of threads that will probably hardly be used. Why? Because we talk to each other like friends at school. You discuss one subject, then move on. The idea sounds unrealistic, but it is true for more recent topics. Some people DO spam there, but not that often. We have a active mod there to usually take care of the problems. Spammers shouldn't have to make the OTB look bad. :thumbs_down: The idea of moving the OTB to the Word Games thread sounds okay to me. This arguement may not be as...sophisticated as TJ's o_O, but nonetheless should be heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Personally, I had no interest in this OTB but I did get to visit there once or twice. My opinion is closing it down. Well, talking about the problem of spams, most spams, from my observation, origin from OTB, and Off-topic Board doesn't mean that it is a board for spamming, right? If so, then this will turn into another Neoboards, and it is very unwise to transform such an excellent forum with awesome staff members to an uncontrolled market place, where people just shout here and there, making pointless conversations. It's true that Off-topic board may seem a relaxing place to go, but using the computer, and going online to chat with people of same interests are already entertainment from your busy lives. Why should there be a place that distorts the original purpose of this forum? So, in conclusion, I suggest having it closed down. If not, then I have the following idea: Setting up a few rules for OTB and then start a new one (delete the old one of course). Then, we'd give it a trial period to see if members really behave. That will decide the fate of OTB. How does it sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lightning Strike Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I now am starting to become in favor of SOME reasons. The OTB board is turning into a IM. I mean, if you want to chat that fast/changing topics quickly, use an IM client, or the shoutbox! Those are their functions. It's just encouraging spam. However, I now lean towards webpixie's thought. I think you should get a supplementary moderator just for that thread (like Chipmonker is for the Debates forum), which can balance the activity there, for those who want to keep it. Although change it to Word Games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zac Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Just a little thing but, Are you able to move it to its own forum and still have the no post count thing? Because teh OTB doesn't really fit in the word games section, and then, if there was mod, wouldn't that person have mod powers over the word game section? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lightning Strike Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Just a little thing but, Are you able to move it to its own forum and still have the no post count thing? Because teh OTB doesn't really fit in the word games section, and then, if there was mod, wouldn't that person have mod powers over the word game section? Yeah, but moving a thread to it's own topic is absurd. I mean, the mod would have powers on the Word Games, but if it continued in RCC, the mod would have powers over that forum too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zac Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 hey, just an opinion and anyways is there a way to make it so that only one thread doesn't count for your total post count? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webpixie Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Yeah, but moving a thread to it's own topic is absurd. I mean, the mod would have powers on the Word Games, but if it continued in RCC, the mod would have powers over that forum too. dose it reaslly matter ifthe mod would have controls over other threads? if theo nly way to set up the mods is over a section then they just simply wouldnt act on anything but thato n thread, if the person abuses it then they lose the responsibility, after all anyone that would abuse any mod status shuldnt be a mod at all to begin with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zac Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Good Point, and Im know Im goign a little off topic here but TDN needs to hire mods that are on in the mornings, Im sick of all the spammers..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lightning Strike Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Good Point, and Im know Im goign a little off topic here but TDN needs to hire mods that are on in the mornings, Im sick of all the spammers..... Well, I'm sure that staff applications and so on will be discussed when TDN Y2 comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cheese Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 skimmage anyway, yes, when Y2 comes out, we will be hiring new staff and therefor more staf = more moderators ;) So really we dont need people to strictly watch the forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Theoretically, we've got 2 official mods. Me, in England, who will be around for about this time till about 5 hours later. And there's Mikey, who should be on times when I'm not. Obviously, we're not working on here 24/7, so we can't. Sure, we need mods, but when we can find someone we can trust, we will do it ourselves, thanks. ;) Back on topic (How Ironic...), moderating all the new topics shouldn't be too much of a struggle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Posted March 13, 2007 Author Share Posted March 13, 2007 You all raise very valid points, and I know I'll miss some here, but: - Where it is really isnt the issue. We really dont give two Chias if it's in the Word Games forum, or where it is now. Post counts are obviously important, but as their is no benefit to a high post count, there's no point in restricting it anyway. (And, besides, we cant for single topics.) - I'm really suprised at some posts; you want a subject to stay on a board for 5 minutes? Our job is to look after the forum, so if there's more topics, thats something that we deal with. And it shouldn't mean that there will be a hundred dead boards - if you actually all get involved, instead of five of you, then the forum will flourish. And if we do get 300 more topics, you'll be reading them, and if there's anythign inappropriate, you'll just report them. No issue whatsoever there. - Guests are not impressed by a board full of random pointless chitchat. That is for an IM service; we're forums. We're not here for short random babble - we're here for intellectual stuff ;) - You want to get to know new members? Talking about getting to know them on the Newbie board is fine. Then you get to know them around the forums on various topics - it's their job to get to know you. Forums such as PPT, JN and NL are flourising ever so much without a OTB. It's unprofessional, tacky, and unworkable. Do you really want this to stop the expansion of TDN? It's demise would, in my opinion, be a whole lot better for the boards as a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cheese Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Do we ever give two chias? :P And I think that a pinned topic in the word games forum is the best option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldspy101 Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I know I only just joined here. but I agree it would be a good idea to delete the off topic board. From what I have seen, a lot of subjects discussed on the boards could have their own topics. In fact. some of them probably should have their own topics, because they involve suggestions. As well, I find it can be quite annoying to have to leave in the middle of discussing a subject only to come back and find out that I have no idea what people are talking about any more. It would be better to encourage people to start discussions in threads so that people are not pressured to respond "Right away, right now" just so that their opinions will be heard. I also recall how seeing the Off topic board was intimidating the first day I join. With the most active thread being so large, it makes you wonder, at least when you first join, if people ever create new threads. And this, of course, can be intimidating. So there it is. Even though I am new here, in my opinion it would be a good idea to delete or close or lock (or whatever it is you do) the off topic board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Dan. Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I think we should have a poll to vote on this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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