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Suggestion: Possible rebranding of General Chat

Her

Her

  • Very Chatty Chatot Chatty Chatot Cherish Ball Gold Heart
    • 11,359
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    17
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    • Seen Jun 19, 2025
    So, what I've noticed over the last few weeks is that General Chat, while impossibly lax in the first place, has become even more lax and focused on conversations/user interaction than ever before. More and more, posters are responding to people in the thread rather than overarching questions. Threads are often resembling group conversations deviating entirely from the thread, which if managed properly, often improves the thread to a level far higher than what it would have been.
    I don't there has been a conscious effort towards this level of conversation, rather, it's just... happened. From what I've read up on, the forum decided to focus towards more user-oriented discussion a while ago, instead of post 'n' go stuff. I think it's gone beyond that, to the point where discussion is fueled by wanting a laugh, or wanting to partake in a conversation rather than answering a question, no matter how fun the question may be. The forum, in my eyes, is heading to a point where it really is chat.

    Furthermore, there have been threads which ordinarily, would have been edited or outright locked. Threads like this, this and this, for starters. For the record, I think the previous two threads should have been moved to Forum Games upon inception, but for the point of this thread, they're representative of a changed attitude in the section. As such, I think there should be an official change in how the forum should be viewed and what can go down in it. A change to represent the heightened freeness and looseness of the forum.

    While what will/can change and how it will/can come about is most certainly up for discussion, I think that threads in the forum should be officially encouraged to be centered more around user discussion, sometimes not even with a question to answer. A topic to contribute to that doesn't necessarily have an issue. Again, what this actually means is open to interpretation, but I think we've come to a time where the forum can go about yet another change. This time, not out of necessity (such as the accommodation of OVP), but because the forum is, in the words of Jessie J, sexy and free.
     
    I see what you are saying here, but I feel like General Chat is actually in a pretty good place. I do feel some threads stray way off topic and get lost in silly nonsense but generally steer their way back before the point of the thread is completely lost. I don't want to see GC feel like it has to move from it's laid back, feel free to chit chat without the fear of getting infracted or deleted nature to, simply answer the OP and leave(which I know isn't what you are suggesting but I am afraid would happen). If we could find a balance between sticking to the topic in the OP while still having casual chat interaction that would probably be the most ideal thing.

    Another thing that I feel is wrong with GC is there is always 5 pages of threads and so many get lost, duplicated, etc. Not sure how to remedy this other than giving GC a subforum for the more poll like threads that require less discussion, but idk how I feel about that either tbh.
     
    I think we've been talking about this for a long time now, here and there, and wouldn't you know - nowadays even I am posting in GC! I kind of shunned that place a bit in the past, but now it's really enjoyable, because as you say it's a bunch of relaxed group chats around some title-based starting point. Love that when I feel like FG is too random and PG is too unrandom, if that makes any sense. As long as it doesn't turn into FG (which is unlikely as the trivia there is mostly games with rules nowadays) everything is sunshine and roses, no?

    Not sure I think it needs to be renamed or so, but hey, the day we stop doing things that can be considered unnecessary is the day PC stops turning.
     
    Castform said:
    I see what you are saying here, but I feel like General Chat is actually in a pretty good place. I do feel some threads stray way off topic and get lost in silly nonsense but generally steer their way back before the point of the thread is completely lost. I don't want to see GC feel like it has to move from it's laid back, feel free to chit chat without the fear of getting infracted or deleted nature to, simply answer the OP and leave(which I know isn't what you are suggesting but I am afraid would happen). If we could find a balance between sticking to the topic in the OP while still having casual chat interaction that would probably be the most ideal thing.
    Click to expand...

    The thing is though, it's hardly an adjustment. The forum has pretty much moved on already. I do agree with liking the forum as it is, but I feel that we now need to formalise the direction it is heading and work with it. Jump the gun with a calculated guess, so to speak. Such a loose forum would require utmost presence by section mods, plus the limit of loose discussion would have to be regulated to make sure it doesn't turn into a pit.

    Another thing that I feel is wrong with GC is there is always 5 pages of threads and so many get lost, duplicated, etc. Not sure how to remedy this other than giving GC a subforum for the more poll like threads that require less discussion, but idk how I feel about that either tbh.
    Click to expand...

    A subforum would essentially bring OVP back to life, which is kinda pointless, given that it was merged into Other Chat for not serving a purpose other than being a sterile version of Other Chat. Now that I think about it, were you even here for OVP? Was that still a section when you joined? Lord almighty, I'm old. Anyway, such mishaps are only natural due to the high amount of activity and there currently only being one mod in the section right now. But, if someone really wants to contribute to a section, they'll find threads that are considered lost.
    I don't think it'll be that much of a problem, though. But if I'm wrong, then back to the drawing board.

    adventure said:
    As long as it doesn't turn into FG (which is unlikely as the trivia there is mostly games with rules nowadays) everything is sunshine and roses, no?
    Click to expand...

    If the 'vision' is outlined clearly and section mods are able to maintain order, I doubt it'll infringe on Forum Games or Fanclubs. If it does, then the situation can be dealt with accordingly.

    Not sure I think it needs to be renamed or so, but hey, the day we stop doing things that can be considered unnecessary is the day PC stops turning.
    Click to expand...

    Oh lord, no. General Chat is a fine name. It would just be elaborated upon in the rules and with an announcement and so forth.
     
    I've been a proponent of letting the forum get less rigid for a long time but I feel as if we've come to a point now where it's too loose, if I'm completely honest. I like the idea of actually interacting with members within threads instead of, y'know, answering questions and then bailing, but posting gif's back and forth isn't exactly my idea of a stimulating thread, nor is it particularly "chatty," which is in the section's name so that probably bears some importance. it's not nearly the end of the world in my mind, but I feel as if some classification and potentially separation would be for the better. my opinion doesn't exactly hold much water at the end of the day right now considering I am but an infinitesimal speck on the giant canvas which is PC, so.

    essentially, I agree with Harley.
     
    All I can say is to keep an eye on it for the next week or so. We have some ideas in mind for the forum and think they should be getting implementation soon. I won't be too detailed now since we're teasing a few things out; but I think most people should be pleased to see it get the "rebranding" we have in mind! You beat us to the punch by literally a few days haha
     
    Are you saying that the rules are the only thing that don't reflect the new free range perspective the section has now? Because if so, I would agree with you there. I've been trying really hard to just be super lax without breaking rules and incredibly fun to have a place on PC I can actually do that in for once. I don't like to have to think super hard to post in GC threads, which I used to have to when it was OVP (no offense to any threadmakers here, for I was one, too, for a long time and probably will start becoming more of one again over time) so I enjoy the shift in attitude.
     
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