Has The quality of our Discussions Plummeted?

Has The quality of our Discussions Plummeted?

  • Yes

    Votes: 14 40.0%
  • No

    Votes: 18 51.4%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 8.6%

  • Total voters
    35

Couchpotato

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All right everyone it's time for a serious poll this time. Thanks to HiddenX it has been brought to my attention a problem with the quality of our discussions on the Watch.

I'm not going to point fingers or name names but he is right. I apologize if I'm part of the problem as I come across as rude sometimes, but I'm trying to get better.

Now I want all of us to think about this guy/gals as we have members who rather lurk on the Codex of all places then join, and discus topics on our forums.

So now lets all be honest and give your opinion in the new poll.
 
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That sounds good and all, but where is the poll ?

Edit: Ok now it showed up...
 
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That sounds good and all, but where is the poll ?

Edit: Ok now it showed up…
Sorry about that I had to make the poll after sending the comment.:)

Now I'll borrow a quote from Hidden X.
Non Flamers Guild values:

a) respect others
b) try to use valid arguments
c) at least try to understand other arguments and opinions
d) avoid bullshit posts (ok, some jokes here and there…) ;)
e) avoid walls of text
f) be friendly and polite
g) have fun!
I have to admit guys I don't have fun sometimes, and that was one the reasons why I first came to this site. Now we have a lot of negativity.

That's also the reason for how some of my posts turn out.
 
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So many discussion are like watching a toddler who sees something shiny on a table across the room ... you can see where it is headed quite easily.
 
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I'm avoiding politics section and read/post there rarely so can't possibly know about plummeting in that part. Also never played Xenus so am not sure what's going on in that section.
Thus I'm putting "other".

But I don't think anything plummeted on this site, discussions (outside of "politics") included. It's active, it's not boring, it's not overspammed with bots (thanks for cleaning them), it's not oneliners/IRC and it's not neverending flamewar over everything.
 
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I'm avoiding politics section and read/post there rarely so can't possibly know about plummeting in that part.
Yes I often stay out of the Political section of the forums myself. Nothing good ever comes out of joining those discussions.:wall:
But I don't think anything plummeted on this site, discussions (outside of "politics") included. It's active, it's not boring, it's not overspammed with bots (thanks for cleaning them), it's not oneliners/IRC and it's not neverending flamewar over everything.
Your welcome Joxer as bots and advertisers are another problem I face every time I log on. It becomes a pain banning their accounts everyday.

Sometimes I just need to chill and meditate.:meditate:
 
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I put 'No' probably because when I see a thread is going into the dreaded back-and-forth I just move to the next topic, so it doesn't affect me that much.
 
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Like many here, I've been around for quite some time and have seen a few ass hats pissing on users for no apparent reason.

Whatever your age, respect others or gtfo.

That is all…
 
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Well, I've just been on here since 2011 (a lurker for a few more years), so I can't speak much about before then, but the way I see it, there was always a little bit of the negative stuff going on. So I'm a no vote.
 
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It hasn't plummeted since winter 2012, no. If this board is in decline it must have been so for quite some time. :)
 
I think it's just that we lost some of our oldies.
Magerette, cm, pj, skav,...

There always were done heated discussions, but it seems like now there is less positive...

Less people posting on the return of the daily smile is already a good indication ...
 
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This kind of thing has no use if people can't be specific. If you have a problem, make it known and then we can talk about it.

Is this based on a single person's perception, as in HiddenX?

From my point of view, there are many new faces - and that means the "atmosphere" is, perhaps, less familiar.

Now, I don't take these things personally - and I don't think it's the responsibility of other people to agree with me - or make me feel good about myself.

There are people who don't care too much for debates - and who don't think it's interesting or worthwhile to "go on" - and that's fair enough. I don't think those people need to feel offended because other people do. The problems tend to arrive once you interfere with such a discussion because YOU don't find it interesting. As long as two people are carrying on - it's obviously of interest to them.

That said, I do recognise that I'm one of the people on this board who tend to be the origin of many heated debates. I don't intend for that to happen, but it's key to understand that I don't enter into a debate unless I'm challenged or people respond to my points with some obvious misunderstanding.

I'm trying to get better at not going off-topic, but I think that's a shared responsibility. Also, I don't much mind it happening when other people do it, because I'm the sort of person who's more interested in such exchanges than one-liners being dropped here and there.

But, as I've said before, I'm more than willing to simply leave the Watch - if, indeed, I'm one of the sources of these problems. I'm not going to take it to heart - and it's not something you should feel bad about. It's an honest matter not enjoying the words or contributions of other people, and the last thing I want to do is be a general nuisance.

Again, it's impossible to make use of this kind of post if we can't be honest about it. This is why saying things out in the open is helpful.
 
This kind of thing has no use if people can't be specific. If you have a problem, make it known and then we can talk about it.

Is this based on a single person's perception, as in HiddenX?

From my point of view, there are many new faces - and that means the "atmosphere" is, perhaps, less familiar.

Now, I don't take these things personally - and I don't think it's the responsibility of other people to agree with me - or make me feel good about myself.

There are people who don't care too much for debates - and who don't think it's interesting or worthwhile to "go on" - and that's fair enough. I don't think those people need to feel offended because other people do. The problems tend to arrive once you interfere with such a discussion because YOU don't find it interesting. As long as two people are carrying on - it's obviously of interest to them.

I agree with you on this.

That said, I do recognise that I'm one of the people on this board who tend to be the origin of many heated debates. I don't intend for that to happen, but it's key to understand that I don't enter into a debate unless I'm challenged or people respond to my points with some obvious misunderstanding.

That also makes sense

I'm trying to get better at not going off-topic, but I think that's a shared responsibility. Also, I don't much mind it happening when other people do it, because I'm the sort of person who's more interested in such exchanges than one-liners being dropped here and there.

With you, I feel it's more of being off-topic that tends to make it annoying.
I find your points of view very interesting and I like your debates.

The problem - for me - is that they often tend to go off-topic.

But, as I've said before, I'm more than willing to simply leave the Watch - if, indeed, I'm one of the sources of these problems. I'm not going to take it to heart - and it's not something you should feel bad about. It's an honest matter not enjoying the words or contributions of other people, and the last thing I want to do is be a general nuisance.

Again, it's impossible to make use of this kind of post if we can't be honest about it. This is why saying things out in the open is helpful.

Well, I for one, don't think you should leave the watch.
Your contributions are net positive I'd say.

While you have some annoying points like not let some dogs lie once in a while, your points of view are usually well thought-out and well-written.

You also seem to help people when you can.

Hope that made sense.
 
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I think it is about the same. There are posters who post 30 times a day and those folks like to take over threads and topics sometimes. That has always happened; at least as far back as I can recall. Even today, 75% of posts are done by a small handful of regulars. This board is full of lurkers that never post but login every day, and that's cool. Not everyone likes to, or has the ability to type in English. I still think most of the conversations are driven by the combined personality of the handful. DArt alone is responsible for 17% of the text on this site :D
 
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I think it is about the same. There are posters who post 30 times a day and those folks like to take over threads and topics sometimes. That has always happened; at least as far back as I can recall. Even today, 75% of posts are done by a small handful of regulars. This board is full of lurkers that never post but login every day, and that's cool. Not everyone likes to, or has the ability to type in English. I still think most of the conversations are driven by the combined personality of the handful. DArt alone is responsible for 17% of the text on this site :D

That's the Pareto Principle in action :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle
 
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This kind of thing has no use if people can't be specific. If you have a problem, make it known and then we can talk about it.

Is this based on a single person's perception, as in HiddenX?

From my point of view, there are many new faces - and that means the "atmosphere" is, perhaps, less familiar.

Now, I don't take these things personally - and I don't think it's the responsibility of other people to agree with me - or make me feel good about myself.

There are people who don't care too much for debates - and who don't think it's interesting or worthwhile to "go on" - and that's fair enough. I don't think those people need to feel offended because other people do. The problems tend to arrive once you interfere with such a discussion because YOU don't find it interesting. As long as two people are carrying on - it's obviously of interest to them.

That said, I do recognise that I'm one of the people on this board who tend to be the origin of many heated debates. I don't intend for that to happen, but it's key to understand that I don't enter into a debate unless I'm challenged or people respond to my points with some obvious misunderstanding.

I'm trying to get better at not going off-topic, but I think that's a shared responsibility. Also, I don't much mind it happening when other people do it, because I'm the sort of person who's more interested in such exchanges than one-liners being dropped here and there.

But, as I've said before, I'm more than willing to simply leave the Watch - if, indeed, I'm one of the sources of these problems. I'm not going to take it to heart - and it's not something you should feel bad about. It's an honest matter not enjoying the words or contributions of other people, and the last thing I want to do is be a general nuisance.

Again, it's impossible to make use of this kind of post if we can't be honest about it. This is why saying things out in the open is helpful.

Of course you shouldn't leave the forum would be kind of dead without you! There is always the ignore button for people who feel it is too much…. whenever you do post a huge wall of text it is ussually too much for me to read, but I can simply scroll down… a lot of the posts are both fun and insightfull, and if someone wants to get into an argument with you they all know that'll require a lot of endurance and probably end up with that you don't change your mind.

After that you'll probably start saying that in an ideal society without money... you'd at least be right :) Of course in an ideal society we would all probably be right all the time? Am I right ?
 
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I also support the DArt movement that enjoys his company.
He adds a good kind of spice to the recipe that is the Watch.

I don't have anyting against his waste of potential.
 
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This current picture is rather depressing:

attachment.php


From 660 active users = 100%
We reach 165 guests (reading news mostly) per evening = 25% -> very good!
But only 14 members are online to take possibly part in discussions = 2% -> very bad!

Fact: Our discussions are not attracting much new posters.
Fact: Good quality entertaining posters have left the forum (Magerette, Omega, Dhruin, Skavenhorde,PJ, …) already
Fact: Overall negativity is increasing (even on real good games like D:OS) - BTW: Contrary to the Codex :)
Fact: Older quality laid back posters take less and less part in discussions (Gorath, Jaz, dteowner, Myrthos, Corwin …) Still very good moderators.
Fact: Younger new positive posters like Fluent, Couch, Purpleblob, Wisdom, felipepepe,… are rare.
Fact: Walls of text and one on one discussions are a major turn-off and are killing countless interesting news-topics, that Couchpotato has found before with a lot of work.
Fact: An old trademark of RPGDot and RPGWatch, the friendliness and cheerfulness between members is decreasing.
Fact: We are posting less about well resarched information on games, we rather nitpick certain details.
Fact: Many topics don't lead to a discussion at all.

If we continue like this we will be a News-Only site like GameBanshee in a few years.
 

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