The low content rules...

[Froggy Slayer]

I don't get why all low content posts are zapped. Sure, some are stupid, and it stops FIRSTLOLOLOL, but seeing as there are individual moderators isn't it done on a case by case basis? Sometimes you only need a word or a picture to give a short, snappy response, and adding more content just makes it drag on and stop being witty/insightful.

 

[aba1]

Generally if it is worth saying it can be said in a full sentence.

 

[GameChanger]

Don't care.

ok ok ok, don't ban me. There's a lot of text here, some of it you can't see. That's the magic of it.

Mods can't discriminate, that's kinda why. You can't warn one and not the other when it comes to democracy etc.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Generally if it is worth saying it can be said in a full sentence.

yeah, if your opinion is so important, you should bother to write more than two words about it. How about explaining your opinion?

 

[Dead Seerius]

I'm actually with you on this one. Sometimes all I need is a good 8-word sentence to answer a question posed by the OP, and more filler would just be unnecessary. And there are cases where making a post with a desired level of humor requires less words.

I don't think 'low content' should be synonymous with 'few words' or 'just a picture', but rather for having next to nothing to say about a topic. For example - a thread describing how much someone adores the story of a new game and a reply is "Yah I agree." That is low content, and not just because it was only 3 words.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Last time I check, this site isn't some images heavy site to make the said snappy or witty one liners. Topic are made on here thereby you are expected to discuss about it which is usually typing out and explain about your opinions which isn't a very short sentences.

Seeing how you made it on a Saturday, a mod won't be able to comment on here until Monday.

 

[JoJo]

I'm fine with the low content rule, if you can't write even a sentence on the topic then you might as well not bother posting on the thread.

 

[tippy2k2]

I've offered this challenge before and not one person has responded. If you can prove differently, I will disregard my old view and join yours:

Give me one example where a low-content warning was unjust. A situation where there was literally NOTHING else you could have said about the situation. Go on...I'll wait here. I've never seen a low-content post that wasn't either:

A. FIRST!
B. I agree
C. A recommendation for something with absolutely no reasoning
D. A picture that anyone that has been on the internet for more than a day has seen already (Captain Kirk doing a facepalm! That's comedic gold there!)
EDIT:
E. "oh look, this thread again" (thanks TopazFusion!)
/EDIT

So go on, give me just one example where a few words is all that was needed and I will do a complete 180 on my opinion.

 

[TimeLord]

Seeing how you made it on a Saturday, a mod won't be able to comment on here until Monday.

Mods are active on the weekends. Quite a few are in fact.

Anyway, the low content rule exists because and I quote;

"These forums are used for discussion and low content posts halt discussion. In order to participate in conversation one should present an explanation of the reasoning that informs your opinion. "I like pie" isn't an argument. The fact that you like pie is well and good, but why do you like that pie? This explanation offers others an opportunity to respond to your opinion and avoids forum spam.

Pictures, Links and Videos will all be considered low content posts if not accompanied by a well thought out opinion, debate or reasoning. Pics, links and videos should help to strengthen your stance or opinion, not the other way around."

 

[sky14kemea]

Gotta agree with that.

If someone has something to say, and says it succinctly, they shouldn't be penalized for that.

Same goes for holding a conversation in a thread.

Having to post 'OT' and repeat an opinion after every joke with friends is tedious and honestly quite silly.

I usually take into account if someone is having a conversation with someone else. :/ heck I do it myself sometimes.

 

[Dead Seerius]

I've offered this challenge before and not one person has responded. If you can prove differently, I will disregard my old view and join yours:

Give me one example where a low-content warning was unjust. A situation where there was literally NOTHING else you could have said about the situation. Go on...I'll wait here. I've never seen a low-content post that wasn't either:

A. FIRST!
B. I agree
C. A recommendation for something with absolutely no reasoning
D. A picture that anyone that has been on the internet for more than a day has seen already (Captain Kirk doing a facepalm! That's comedic gold there!)
EDIT:
E. "oh look, this thread again" (thanks TopazFusion!)
/EDIT

So go on, give me just one example where a few words is all that was needed and I will do a complete 180 on my opinion.

It's not that they COULDN'T put anything else into their post, but rather they feel they it's not necessary to do so. Usually when someone is filed for low content the act is justified so I'm not going to try to sway you. I like the low content rule. I myself have never received a low content warning.

However I feel the need to play Devil's advocate and mentioned that some answers just don't need paragraphs of justification for a reply. Such as threads asking what someone's favorite ______ is. Some people just want to say their answer and throw in a positive line for it. Thought provoking? Hardly. But a justifiable response if you ask me.

 

[tippy2k2]

However I feel the need to play Devil's advocate and mentioned that some answers just don't need paragraphs of justification for a reply. Such as threads asking what someone's favorite ______ is. Some people just want to say their answer and throw in a positive line for it. Thought provoking? Hardly. But a justifiable response if you ask me.

Oh yeah! Well I'll...angel's advocate!?!...or something....

You are correct; you don't need a paragraph to explain some things but how about a sentence? Let's use your own example there...

Let me find the nearest "Recommend me _____" thread in Off-Topic:

This will do nicely: Favorite Book Series [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.397959-Favourite-Book-series]

"Well excellent", says tippy2k2 out loud for some strange reason, "I just got a Nook and I need something to read! Well let's take a look..."

Huh...everyone's just putting series down. I have no clue what genre these are, what kind of writing style this author employs, who the author actually IS in some cases, what the series is about...there is absolutely no information that is useful to me in any way, shape, or form unless I decide to just start Googling stuff to see what might stick. This isn't a discussion; this is people talking. With the current info given by the majority of posters in that thread, there is nothing useful being given out.

Hell, the Mods used to smack people for that so there IS leniency in the low-content rule. Also, I know you are playing devil's advocate but I am still coming at the question with my full arsenal here because I know someone who isn't playing DA has the same opinion

 

[Hero in a half shell]

It's always quite jarring when I go on other internet forums and see the comments filled with one word or even one letter replies, or a post that literally just quotes someone else adding nothing of their own into the conversation. Sure it can be annoying the odd time you want to make a humourous reply that would work best in a single image or by using as few words as possible, but I'd gladly give that up if it means every post will have to add something extra to the conversation and when reading a thread I don't have to wade through a sea of useless filler posts.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I think we need to start applying it to people who post a link to a story, maybe a paragraph from the source and then ends with "what do you think?".

At least offer your own opinion up in the OP to get the ball rolling.\

Anyway, I'm content with the low content rule as it is. I've been dinged with it in the past too so I always double check my posts to see if I've said enough these days.

[sub][sub][sub]Excluding Forum Games of course... <.<[/sub][/sub][/sub]

 

[omega 616]

Cos this site doesn't want to be a circle jerk of "this" or something like 9gag, where pictures with a sentence are the norm.

It's like watching an interview with a person who answers all questions with a single word, "did you enjoy working on your latest movie?"

"yes"

What was it like working with Seth? "

" good"

Its just boring and not very insightful, which is why they always ramble a bit and explain themselves. Same on this forum, posting 1 sentence is crap to get your point across and so is a picture, no matter how funny or cute... It may help your post but it can't be your post

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I don't see anything wrong with it. If your opinion is just one word or one picture then you're probably not adding all that much to the conversation, I don't see why it would bother you that much that you can't post it. Posting in every thread isn't obligatory you know.

 

[5ilver]

We punish posters for having the audacity to express themselves with anything less than a 50cm wall of text here, at the Escapist.
*rolleyes*

 

[madwarper]

I'd say it's more of a low character rule than a low content rule.

I remember threads in the Gaming Discussion forum where the OP asks something like "What's the best game on console [___]?"
One person responds "[Game X]" and gets a warning, the next person responds with "[Game X: Subtitle]" and doesn't get a warning.
By my reckoning both responses have the same amount of content, that [Game X] might be the best game on console [___]. The only difference is that the second person added more characters with the [Subtitle].

Also, as others have said starting a thread with "Here's a link/quote, discuss" should be a violation of low content rule, because it has no content.

 

[Dead Seerius]

However I feel the need to play Devil's advocate and mentioned that some answers just don't need paragraphs of justification for a reply. Such as threads asking what someone's favorite ______ is. Some people just want to say their answer and throw in a positive line for it. Thought provoking? Hardly. But a justifiable response if you ask me.

Oh yeah! Well I'll...angel's advocate!?!...or something....

You are correct; you don't need a paragraph to explain some things but how about a sentence? Let's use your own example there...

Let me find the nearest "Recommend me _____" thread in Off-Topic:

This will do nicely: Favorite Book Series [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.397959-Favourite-Book-series]

"Well excellent", says tippy2k2 out loud for some strange reason, "I just got a Nook and I need something to read! Well let's take a look..."

Huh...everyone's just putting series down. I have no clue what genre these are, what kind of writing style this author employs, who the author actually IS in some cases, what the series is about...there is absolutely no information that is useful to me in any way, shape, or form unless I decide to just start Googling stuff to see what might stick. This isn't a discussion; this is people talking. With the current info given by the majority of posters in that thread, there is nothing useful being given out.

Hell, the Mods used to smack people for that so there IS leniency in the low-content rule. Also, I know you are playing devil's advocate but I am still coming at the question with my full arsenal here because I know someone who isn't playing DA has the same opinion

That's a pretty good point. I guess it just comes down to what purpose people see in threads like that. Most people, like you and probably the OP of such a thread, want information so that they can use what other people have to say to make an informed decision on something while others simply think "oh this'll be a great chance for me to give a shoutout to _____."

I like it when posts have actual purpose so I agree with you. But I'm thinking not everyone goes into threads with that same mentality, and that's where the low content posts come in. It's still their fault, but you can kind of see why they don't think their answer needs any more information.

 

[Arakasi]

I remember one time when someone in a thread posed the question: "Is the answer to this question no?" I replied with simply "Nope" and I got away with it.
Whether it was because the mods didn't see it, or they decided it wasn't low content I don't know, but I hope it was the latter.