[SO META] On the current format of General Chat threads.

[Sonata]

I think that if we made a seperate sub forum for polls then gc would lose a lot of our posters. I don't think that we need to do anything like that, it's too drastic. My thoughts are that we slowly introduce a different way to present questions, like with what you just did for the fashion thread. We need to retrain the members to think the way that we want so that we can have them post the way that we want so we actually have conversations instead of just replies. If we have multiple people stop making threads so straightforward and more open ended then the majority of the problems will be solved, people will start following their examples, sure there will still be an occasional straightforward poll post, but it's better to have a little of both because not everyone wants to write out a bunch of text for a question without guidelines all the time and it gives us a break from the norm.

 

[Honest]

I think that if we made a seperate sub forum for polls then gc would lose a lot of our posters. I don't think that we need to do anything like that, it's too drastic. My thoughts are that we slowly introduce a different way to present questions, like with what you just did for the fashion thread. We need to retrain the members to think the way that we want so that we can have them post the way that we want. If we have multiple people stop making threads so straightforward and more open ended then the majority of the problems will be solved, sure there will still be an ocassional straightforward poll post, but it's better to have a little of both because not everyone wants to write out a bunch of text for a question without guidelines all the time.

A subforum of GC would still be a part of GC, just saying.

 

[Sonata]

A subforum of GC would still be a part of GC, just saying.

A lot of subforums dont get any attention at least from what I've seen. Sub forums are forgotten and looked over a lot. If someone put a poll thread into gc then it got moved it probably wouldn't get seen by a good portion of the community.

 

[Nick]

I think that if we made a seperate sub forum for polls then gc would lose a lot of our posters. I don't think that we need to do anything like that, it's too drastic. My thoughts are that we slowly introduce a different way to present questions, like with what you just did for the fashion thread. We need to retrain the members to think the way that we want so that we can have them post the way that we want so we actually have conversations instead of just replies. If we have multiple people stop making threads so straightforward and more open ended then the majority of the problems will be solved, people will start following their examples, sure there will still be an occasional straightforward poll post, but it's better to have a little of both because not everyone wants to write out a bunch of text for a question without guidelines all the time and it gives us a break from the norm.

People still don't feel comfortable not sticking to the topic.

Andy has been intentionally replying the way he does to encourage people to stop being so "we need to stay on topic" and those types of attitudes that people seem to have. But it's not really something that's a huge shock, because staying on topic is generally a huge rule in not only our forum, but others as well.

 

[Honest]

A lot of subforums dont get any attention at least from what I've seen. Sub forums are forgotten and looked over a lot. If someone put a poll thread into gc then it got moved it probably wouldn't get seen by a good portion of the community.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, primarily because, well, GC is (well, was, id, bout now) literally the most replied to section on PC. I don't think creating a subforum would hurt it nearly as much as you're fearing. There hasn't been a clear cut precedent to base such a conclusion off of, and everything that currently exists pales in comparison to GC.

 

[Nick]

What I think this forum should become:

Each thread is a mini DCC, but with whatever that topic is about being the prime point of focus, and discussions and chats being generated on, about, or in reference to that topic.

People are so afraid of deviating form the norm because we have a DCC. In my heart, I believe that to be the case, and in my experience with being here, I think I have a pretty clear grasp on how the regulars here are and the culture of the forum.

They don't want to branch out from the topic, because that's what people GENERALLY do in the DCC. The DCC is a lot more light hearted than the topics in this forum. There's a clear and noticeable difference there, for a least most of the topics that sprout up in DCC.

I sort of feel like the best way to encourage these discussions progressing and this forum being what a lot of people here want it to be, the DCC needs to end. But I know that won't happen.

 

[Sonata]

People still don't feel comfortable not sticking to the topic.

Andy has been intentionally replying the way he does to encourage people to stop being so "we need to stay on topic" and those types of attitudes that people seem to have. But it's not really something that's a huge shock, because staying on topic is generally a huge rule in not only our forum, but others as well.

I like Andy but one person or even a couple of people can't instantly change the way that people think, people won't get off topic too much because of the fear that they will be punished if they get off topic. If we want people to have conversations we need to have a medium sized group of people that are well liked and also post a good amount in gc to start acting the way that we desire and then more people will take notice. Which is also where a reward could come in for people who go out of their way to help start conversations. It will take time of course, we can't expect everything to change overnight but gradually change would come.

 

[Nick]

I like Andy but one person or even a couple of people can't instantly change the way that people think, people won't get off topic too much because of the fear that they will be punished if they get off topic. If we want people to have conversations we need to have a medium sized group of people that are well liked and also post a good amount in gc to start acting the way that we desire and then more people will take notice. Which is also where a reward could come in for people who go out of their way to help start conversations. It will take time of course, we can't expect everything to change overnight but gradually change would come.

"If the moderator is off topic, I can be too." is generally the reaction that I think he hoped people would have. I know where you're coming from, though.

 

[Honest]

What I think this forum should become:

Each thread is a mini DCC, but with whatever that topic is about being the prime point of focus, and discussions and chats being generated on, about, or in reference to that topic.

People are so afraid of deviating form the norm because we have a DCC. In my heart, I believe that to be the case, and in my experience with being here, I think I have a pretty clear grasp on how the regulars here are and the culture of the forum.

They don't want to branch out from the topic, because that's what people GENERALLY do in the DCC. The DCC is a lot more light hearted than the topics in this forum. There's a clear and noticeable difference there, for a least most of the topics that sprout up in DCC.

I sort of feel like the best way to encourage these discussions progressing and this forum being what a lot of people here want it to be, the DCC needs to end. But I know that won't happen.

And bingo was his name-o.

 

[Nick]

And bingo was his name-o.

Make it happen, bubba.

 

[DJTiki]

Couldn't we simply encourage branching off the topic, on a Stick thread or something.

ACTUALLY, how about some Prefixes, which can tell what type of thread it is.

Chat prefix for chat that encourages branching off
Poll for polls
Something along the lines of "post and go", where we just answer the thread question.

Prefixes could be the missing link here. Other sub-forums use prefixes. ROM Hacking Hub's Beginner's Lounge sub-forum has Help, to see if there is help needed. Idea to discuss ideas. Also some other examples could be Pokémon General, which has a prefix for Theories.

Maybe.....

 

[Oryx]

But we want to encourage chatting in every thread, right? Even if the person is "polling" by asking like "what color shirt are you wearing" people can branch out and talk to other people about how good a brand is or something.

I'm not sure people would read a sticky about it, because it's already partially in the rules, and people don't seem to care.

What we need is an chat army under General Chat!! Cute, relevant to the section, and makes people feel important for starting discussion (if you stimulate discussion on a lot of threads you can get promoted in rank!).

 

[Nick]

Couldn't we simply encourage branching off the topic, on a Stick thread or something.

ACTUALLY, how about some Prefixes, which can tell what type of thread it is.

Chat prefix for chat that encourages branching off
Poll for polls
Something along the lines of "post and go", where we just answer the thread question.

Prefixes could be the missing link here. Other sub-forums use prefixes. ROM Hacking Hub's Beginner's Lounge sub-forum has Help, to see if there is help needed. Idea to discuss ideas. Also some other examples could be Pokémon General, which has a prefix for Theories.

Maybe.....

Can we all stop going for the "we need prefixes to fix this problem" attitude? I'm not trying to single you out, but that seems to be the #1 go to solution people have for literally any problem with a single forum.

But also

NO
NO POST AND GO THREADS

That is literally what we are trying to extinguish. We want people to come back to the threads, rather than posting once and never returning.

 

[Honest]

But we want to encourage chatting in every thread, right? Even if the person is "polling" by asking like "what color shirt are you wearing" people can branch out and talk to other people about how good a brand is or something.

I'm not sure people would read a sticky about it, because it's already partially in the rules, and people don't seem to care.

What we need is an chat army under General Chat!! Cute, relevant to the section, and makes people feel important for starting discussion (if you stimulate discussion on a lot of threads you can get promoted in rank!).

I need you to explain that last bit, what.

 

[Oryx]

I need you to explain that last bit, what.

Like I was talking about before and like Oaka is saying with people that are basically volunteering to try to stimulate discussion in the forums but they can be troops because General Chat and then they can be promoted by starting lots of discussion and it would be fun and kind of like a contest that makes the forum better in the process!

 

[DJTiki]

Can we all stop going for the "we need prefixes to fix this problem" attitude? I'm not trying to single you out, but that seems to be the #1 go to solution people have for literally any problem with a single forum.

But also

NO
NO POST AND GO THREADS

That is literally what we are trying to extinguish. We want people to come back to the threads, rather than posting once and never returning.

I apoligoze that my idea of prefixes wasn't original, as I thought I was first to point it out. I know that is the very thing we are trying to remove, but if people want to make them, we shouldn't just completely leave them out, in my opinion.

 

[Alexander Nicholi]

Annihilating the DCC is a scary thought, but interestingly I think it'd work. Often I've noticed that I and other regulars frequently put topics and such into the DCC as opposed to another thread, because (as was mentioned before) it flows a lot better as opposed to the other threads. If it were destroyed, I'd imagine people would be a lot more keen on making threads and such and everything the DCC did would be dispersed into all the normal threads.

Dipu, I'd love to give you a medal for that idea. Crazy but right :o


EDIT: Oryx, you never cease to amaze me. And I applaud you for that idea, even as I feel really indifferent to it it's still just… yeah. :>

 

[Nick]

I apoligoze that my idea of prefixes wasn't original, as I thought I was first to point it out. I know that is the very thing we are trying to remove, but if people want to make them, we shouldn't just completely leave them out, in my opinion.

People will always treat threads here like post an go threads, because this forum is literally the easiest forum to rack up post count and get those first 15 posts so you can actually post links. That's why a lot of new people come here, if they do come here. That's why I came here originally. That's why a lot of people I know started posting here when they were new, and that's why this forum is always suggested to people who want to post links and why it's brought up in introduction threads in the Welcome Lounge.

Leaving them out or not leaving them out isn't the point of focus, though, because it's always up to how the other members treat the thread. There are just people who think they should only post once and then not post again, because they already said all that needed to be said.

But threads that are intentionally post and go threads? That's no beuno.

 

[Honest]

Annihilating the DCC is a scary thought, but interestingly I think it'd work. Often I've noticed that I and other regulars frequently put topics and such into the DCC as opposed to another thread, because (as was mentioned before) it flows a lot better as opposed to the other threads. If it were destroyed, I'd imagine people would be a lot more keen on making threads and such and everything the DCC did would be dispersed into all the normal threads.


Dipu, I'd love to give you a medal for that idea. Crazy but right :o


EDIT: Oryx you never cease to amaze me. And I applaud you for that idea, even as I feel really indifferent to it. :>

Nick's idea, not mine, but I do like it.

 

[Nick]

Nick's idea, not mine, but I do like it.

Honestly I've wanted the DCC to be gone for a long time. I always felt it was infringing on a lot of success this forum could have.