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[SenseOfTumour]

Well, as a WOW guild leader, of a casual guild, we have a very relaxed attitude to newbies, giving em a '3 strikes' system, so they've really got to try to get booted out, then later on , they have to take a test to get promoted and then we can be tougher as they've had to read and understand the rules and 'feel' of the guild.

I suggest a similar thing here, if someone takes an item they shouldn't have and they're new, we don't flip out all in caps, we quietly take them to one side and explain how a fair system works.

Same here, if they've got a low post count, let's cut them some slack, and gently explain any errors, instead of jumping all over them like they just ninja'd the sword of a thousand truths.

Say, give em...50 posts maybe then they should be expected to know the 'feel' of the Escapist.

OF course, idiots who are just blatantly trolling/ spamming/ being abusive, feel free to ban em, but lets go easy on simple mistakes like grammar, spelling, double/empty posts ,etc.

Oh and I'll drop another vote for knowing why threads are locked, if it's not too obvious already.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

I think one of the reasons older members are posting less and less is because forum topics aren't what they used to be.

Or possibly that they've already posted in threads covering similar things enough times and don't see the point in repeating themselves.
That's my reason anyway, of course thinking of myself as an older member is a bit of a stretch.

I may be wrong, and don't really care if I am. But I would suggest that a good deal of all this "Bwaah! Nothing's the same as it used to be!" crap is down to the fact that all the older members are spending so much time sobbing about the decline of their beloved site that they aren't leaving any time to post in the manner that they used to.

The problem isn't the new members, the problem isn't the elitism. The problem, is that far too many people are too concerned with these supposed problems to do anything worthwhile.

You want the old escapist back? For the love or hatred of whatever god you do or don't believe in, just drop all this "Where did we go wrong?" bullshit and post something I can read and then either laugh or scratch my chin thoughtfully about.
I read through threads these days and can't go a single fucking page without seeing this doomsaying crap. I try not to be a deja nazi, but for fucks sake, haven't we talked about this enough yet?

That said, now I should probably follow my own advice and say something that isn't about the workings of the forums themselves.

So uh... Crabs. Yeah, that'll work.

My favourite type of crab (excluding the awesome one on my shoulder) is the Ghost Crab (and all the sub-species of said type of crab), they got called ghost crabs because they can run away really fast and sort of disappear, like a ghost (apparently)

Fiddler crabs are also pretty neat, the males have one claw which is way bigger than the other one, which it uses like a gamerscore, except it actually helps him score chicks and doesn't make him look like a total loser when he brags about it like my friend Gary (I don't have a friend named Gary, my friend's real name is stupid, I wish I had a friend named Gary though, that would be awesome.) The other claw is used for feeding, and it looks really comical when it commences said eating.

Horseshoe crabs are really cool. They remind me of Kabuto from Pokemon. I didn't like Kabuto that much, but horseshoe crabs are still cool regardless. I saw David Attenborough sitting next to some horseshoe crabs once. David Attenborough has a sexy voice, I don't know what the actual accent is though, I'm aware of his nationality, but the specific regional accent he has is unknown to me. The fact that he usually whispers everything probably enhances the sexiness somewhat.

Edward Norton sounds like the name of a Pig Farmer, that always bothered me.
I still like Edward Norton though, he's pretty sexy too.
But not as sexy as David Attenborough.

By the way, I realise the stupidity behind complaining about people complaining, but I also don't care about the stupidity behind complaining about people complaining. Especially if it means I get to complain about people complaining.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Anyone else notice how much The Iron Ninja sounds like Bill Bailey?

P.S That's a massive compliment by the way...

 

[Lukeje]

Anyone else notice how much The Iron Ninja sounds like Bill Bailey?

P.S That's a massive compliment by the way...

Wait, you can hear people through text? Are you running the site through a Bill Bailey speech synthesiser? 'Cos that would explain it.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

Anyone else notice how much The Iron Ninja sounds like Bill Bailey?

P.S That's a massive compliment by the way...

I'd like to think that I have slightly better hair than him, but aside from that I shall take that as the massive compliment that you suggested I should take it as.

Edit: I thought about saying what Lukje (I'm in edit mode, I think I got his name right... I might not have though. Apologies whatever your name is, mr Top hat dog man) said, but I figured that your text-to-voice superpower was supposed to remain a secret, lest you come under the spotlight of the media and end up in some government complex where they use your powers for evil things.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

I like hermit crabs. When I was little and went to the beach, I'd catch a bunch (it's very easy to do) and put them in a bucket with some sea water, sand and other crabs. If I had a clear bucket, I could watch them crawl around through the bottom of the bucket. Occasionally, if I put some empty shells in the bucket, I'd see one of them "trading up" their old single-level shell for a nice country model with a porch and a few acres.

Hermit crabs look a lot like spiders without their shells, and spiders scare me a bit. I seem to have a morbid fascination with things that scare me.

I also use to catch bigger, non-hermit crabs at the beach. They move way faster than you'd think, and unless you pick them up in just the right way, they'll always pinch you.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Anyone else notice how much The Iron Ninja sounds like Bill Bailey?

P.S That's a massive compliment by the way...

Wait, you can hear people through text? Are you running the site through a Bill Bailey speech synthesiser? 'Cos that would explain it.

Anyone else notice how much The Iron Ninja sounds like Bill Bailey?

P.S That's a massive compliment by the way...

I'd like to think that I have slightly better hair than him, but aside from that I shall take that as the massive compliment that you suggested I should take it as.

Edit: I thought about saying what Lukje (I'm in edit mode, I think I got his name right... I might not have though. Apologies whatever your name is, mr Top hat dog man) said, but I figured that your text-to-voice superpower was supposed to remain a secret, lest you come under the spotlight of the media and end up in some government complex where they use your powers for evil things.

Noooo! My super secret Bill-Bailey-text-to-voice-internet-reader-thingy-ma-jig- has been discovered. What do I do?

Stay calm...

I'll pretend to be a harmless pony...


Yeah thats a good idea...

*ahem*

Neigh!!

 

[Inverse Skies]

Stay calm...

I'll pretend to be a harmless pony...


Yeah thats a good idea...

*ahem*

Neigh!!

Trying to get the pony badge are we?

 

[IchStrafenDich]

I'm new to The Escapist, so my opinions are worthless. If that matters to you, stop reading here.

I've been an 'old boy' on various other message boards, and have seen this discussion before. I've watched whole communities devastated by wave upon wave of youthfully incomprehensible posters and inane topics, and I confess that I've advocated open hostility and railing of new members who commit minor textual offenses. So here are my totally irrelevant suggestions: community guidelines are great, but many people simply don't pay attention to them unless they are enforced by pedants. Peer-editing functions (like flagging something for grammar, a point system whereby too many flags have negative consequences, etc.) are fantastic, but open to abuse if not designed properly. This applies doubly to most moderating squads; power corrupts. Ultimately, skipping conveniently over logic and exposition for the sake of brevity, I think it is best to err on the side of over-moderation, whilst still encouraging the participation of new members.

 

[Conqueror Kenny]

I meant a material magazine. Like the ones in newsagents? And congragulations on wasting half a page on re-explaining the thread.

The Escapist Magazine used to be available for .PDF download in the format of any other magazine, handy to print off and have as any other magazine. Though after ~20-30 issues it switched to the format that you may or may not be familiar with now.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Stay calm...

I'll pretend to be a harmless pony...


Yeah thats a good idea...

*ahem*

Neigh!!

Trying to get the pony badge are we?

Who doesn't want the pony badge?

*clip clop clip clop*

 

[Inverse Skies]

I'm new to The Escapist, so my opinions are worthless. If that matters to you, stop reading here.

Of course they're not worthless. You've been suggesting ideas you've seen from other forums because you've seen a similar situation to what could (potentially) happen here. There's nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[megapenguinx]

I think one of the reasons older members are posting less and less is because forum topics aren't what they used to be.

Or possibly that they've already posted in threads covering similar things enough times and don't see the point in repeating themselves.
That's my reason anyway, of course thinking of myself as an older member is a bit of a stretch.

I may be wrong, and don't really care if I am. But I would suggest that a good deal of all this "Bwaah! Nothing's the same as it used to be!" crap is down to the fact that all the older members are spending so much time sobbing about the decline of their beloved site that they aren't leaving any time to post in the manner that they used to.

The problem isn't the new members, the problem isn't the elitism. The problem, is that far too many people are too concerned with these supposed problems to do anything worthwhile.

You want the old escapist back? For the love or hatred of whatever god you do or don't believe in, just drop all this "Where did we go wrong?" bullshit and post something I can read and then either laugh or scratch my chin thoughtfully about.
I read through threads these days and can't go a single fucking page without seeing this doomsaying crap. I try not to be a deja nazi, but for fucks sake, haven't we talked about this enough yet?

That said, now I should probably follow my own advice and say something that isn't about the workings of the forums themselves.

So uh... Crabs. Yeah, that'll work.

My favourite type of crab (excluding the awesome one on my shoulder) is the Ghost Crab (and all the sub-species of said type of crab), they got called ghost crabs because they can run away really fast and sort of disappear, like a ghost (apparently)

Fiddler crabs are also pretty neat, the males have one claw which is way bigger than the other one, which it uses like a gamerscore, except it actually helps him score chicks and doesn't make him look like a total loser when he brags about it like my friend Gary (I don't have a friend named Gary, my friend's real name is stupid, I wish I had a friend named Gary though, that would be awesome.) The other claw is used for feeding, and it looks really comical when it commences said eating.

Horseshoe crabs are really cool. They remind me of Kabuto from Pokemon. I didn't like Kabuto that much, but horseshoe crabs are still cool regardless. I saw David Attenborough sitting next to some horseshoe crabs once. David Attenborough has a sexy voice, I don't know what the actual accent is though, I'm aware of his nationality, but the specific regional accent he has is unknown to me. The fact that he usually whispers everything probably enhances the sexiness somewhat.

Edward Norton sounds like the name of a Pig Farmer, that always bothered me.
I still like Edward Norton though, he's pretty sexy too.
But not as sexy as David Attenborough.

By the way, I realise the stupidity behind complaining about people complaining, but I also don't care about the stupidity behind complaining about people complaining. Especially if it means I get to complain about people complaining.

Actually people need to realize what I meant was older forum members see new topics, see they've been done before, see that they've already commented on said topic and so they don't on this one.
Anywho I like horseshoe crabs. But they all scare the crap out of me

 

[Gamine]

How did this topic get to Crabs now???

I guess one thing ive noticed about forums is how particular topics get swamped with Offtopic postings

Just like in a thread asking if someone would online date here, 419 had to come up..WHAT THE???!!

 

[Zykon TheLich]

How did this topic get to Crabs now???

I have a distinct feeling that it is the work of the shadowy figure known as 'The Iron Ninja'.

 

[Gamine]

How did this topic get to Crabs now???

I have a distinct feeling that it is the work of the shadowy figure known as 'The Iron Ninja'.

Wonderful!

 

[zen5887]

In all honesty, I am torn between a more open escapist and a totally elitist escapist.

I like feeling relaxed when I discuss stuff on forums, on the other hand I don't want to see any more ZP fanboys running around quoting him because 'zomg he is so funny!'

If we could get a good balance then that would be best.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

In replying to this post, please consider the following ideas;

1 WHAT actions do you believe have a detrimental effect on the community yet cannot be overseen by moderators?

2 HOW, as a community, would we go about responding to such indiscretions? How should we act when someone does not do something in the spirit of the Escapist community?

3 ARE there any other points you would care the mention on this topic?

In my response to 1, there several issues I notice. Firstly is the total lack of respect eminating from some particular posters when they have an opinion on something.

You know what I'm the most tired of on this site? Atheists in religious discussions.
Notice I used the term discussion. Because it's a pleasant conversation until several members, and they know who they are, come in, and can't accept that somebody could believe in something they don't, and fuck it up for everyone else.
Every religious thread I have seen has been closed, and it's because the damned atheists and and such are militant pricks. And that makes me mad. That something that carries such weight in life can't be discussed between gamers because some of them out there, are just suck pricks that they ruin it for everyone else.
Then again, there are some dumb people on this board who just shouldn't post in such threads, atheist or otherwise.

This is an example, but is not just confined to religion threads. It also tends to happen in gaming threads. I.E. Someone will ask about the RRoD and a bunch of PS3 fanatics will come in and take a crap all over the thread in delight. This kind of behaviour should stop. We shouldn't have to say it. Moderators shouldn't have to get involved in this. It's like asking people to use the toilet instead of the corner of the room. The Escapist is a place where WE come every day and WE try to have conversations with people. Anyone who deliberately tries to fuck it up or create an uncomfortable environment for people who think differently is screwing it up for everyone.

A disagreement with someone else on a particular point is something that is valuble. You can discuss why you don't disagree which can give you a completely different view-point on a particular matter. But there is a tendancy, among some, to take disagreement personally and then state the same fucking thing over and over again in the hope everyone will "see the light" and agree with them on everything. It doesn't work that way. If you discuss something and you clearly aren't going to agree, and the tone is getting a bit barbed and nasty, it is time to just "ok, next subject".

Lastly, if people are not interested in a topic then do not fucking post. I am embarrassed to have to point this out, it like asking them to not throw shit at people. Browsers have back buttons. There is a little red "X" at the top. There is "home". There is "profile". There are a lot of other things to click that aren't "post". If you aren't interested in a discussion then do not post in it. In kindergarten, do the boys go over to the girls table and start playing with the Barbies then complain how boring it is? Do the girls try to play war games with the boys and then moan about how their brothers do it? They might do it once, in their life.

Learn from those kindergarteners!

In response to 2, we, as a community, should collectively ignore people who behave in such a way. Don't post in troll threads. Don't respond to troll posts. You know the kind of thing I mean, the stuff that can't really be moderatored because it is not overtly offensive but never-the-less is negatively charged. When we respond to such things we add to the problem. Responding once or twice yes. But once the person has made it clear they are not going to adjust their behaviour it is time to simply try to ignore them. But ignore doesn't work unless everyone does it.

3. I'll think of something later.