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[Feedback Thread] How can WE improve on the PD forum? Suggestions welcome!

I posted part of this in the PD social thread, but it belongs here:

First off, let me preface this by saying that I love PD, and I appreciate all the work put in by our dedicated moderators. The following is based on my observation of the forum over the years, with some suggestions for improvement.

The turnover of PD threads has gone from a steady flow to a torrent in the past year or so. I think a lot of it has to do with the higher volume of posters and increased traffic that the forum has attracted, and I think this should generally be seen as a positive...information reaches a wider audience. But more significant changes include an increase in the number of repetitive or inappropriate threads, and a general decline in the quality of posts. Thoughtful posts get drowned out quickly, and it often no longer feels like such a post is contributing to the general knowledge about a particular compound or topic. The B&D threads are 90% repetitive, off-topic banter. That said, I am fully aware that I have not contributed to cleaning up the forum, and I realize that it is a daunting, if not impossible task. Maybe next spring, when I have time off, I can lend a hand to organizing information from B&D threads back into a useful format.

As the late mod, Church, discovered, the easiest way to stay on top of the problem is to close threads. This includes immediately closing inappropriate or repetitive threads and closing "quick question" threads after the question has been answered. As for off-topic banter in B&D threads (as some mods have already discovered), warnings and temporary bans seem to be the only way to change the posting habits of some new members that may be used to different standards on other message boards.

You all have been granted the almighty mod stick, don't be afraid to use it.

/end back-seat driving rant

<3
 
^Ha, I was accused (by the good B9) of being the thread closingest mod on bluelight :D....It does work though. But it also really irritates people. Everyone feels that their own question is valid, I guess- which is true.

Personally, I tried to ensure that the question was answered or the poster is at least directed to the appropriate thread...But I also did just flat out shut them. :\

The B&D threads can get overlooked simply because they are 'old'; a newer thread with a catchy title will get purused more readily. People generaly don't have the patience to go through entire B&D, and the bl search function is pretty crap.

I would urge people to use ctrl-f, to find keywords in each page at the very least.
 
I hear you Don. I think it's a combination of cathinoated UK posters and the general chattering, zero attention spanned, shallow focused inanity that seems to define the net generation coming into its own today. Close your fourth opened IM chat during lecture and read a book contemplatively and in silence ALONE you goddamned brats! It builds character!
 
Modding PD can be a full time job if you let it be. Coming on here and closing or merging all the time along with B&D trimming every now and then will turn BL into a full time chore filled job.

I don't blame the mods for simply upholding the BLUA; doing other stuff is just too much work. If PD is going to have any form of organization it's going to require a larger mod force.

I've mentioned it before about "temporary mod status" where a proven member or former mod can request a few hours of mod powers (with no title under username) when they have free time and the desire to help out with forum cleaning. I haven't gotten any form of yay or nay on the subject though. I think a few PD regulars would be very willing to help if such a platform was available.
 
willow11 said:
^Ha, I was accused (by the good B9) of being the thread closingest mod on bluelight :D....It does work though. But it also really irritates people. Everyone feels that their own question is valid, I guess- which is true.

Personally, I tried to ensure that the question was answered or the poster is at least directed to the appropriate thread...But I also did just flat out shut them. :\

The B&D threads can get overlooked simply because they are 'old'; a newer thread with a catchy title will get purused more readily. People generaly don't have the patience to go through entire B&D, and the bl search function is pretty crap.

I would urge people to use ctrl-f, to find keywords in each page at the very least.
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Agreed on using the sticks. When I saw a new thread for a simple question as soon as it was answered I closed it. If good discussion came from it I merged with a B&D. If it was stupid I simply closed it and said why it was closed.

Coming on here and doing all those things on a daily basis when there's 10 new threads like that is a lot of work though. All mods have to pull their equal share of the weight for it to be bearable.

It's also hard doing that stuff because often people come on here when they're tired after a long day and just want to hang out. Not to mention how nauseatingly repetitive it all is.
 
willow11 said:
^Ha, I was accused (by the good B9) of being the thread closingest mod on bluelight :D
Click to expand...

Swilow, you did a great job. Same to you PSox. "Thread closingest mod" ... that should be an honorary title. Of course some people will get upset, but if it's done respectfully, and the question is answered, I think most people will understand. And the forum will be a hell of a lot easier to keep in order.

All the mods put in good effort, but I think applying it at the root of the problem will yield better results.

psood0nym said:
I hear you Don. I think it's a combination of cathinoated UK posters and the general chattering, zero attention spanned, shallow focused inanity that seems to define the net generation coming into its own today. Close your fourth opened IM chat during lecture and read a book contemplatively and in silence ALONE you goddamned brats! It builds character!
Click to expand...

You are such a crotchety old man.

;)
 
^Well, I actually decided to take the proactive thread-shutting approach because of how church did things. It works, IMO. :)

PepperSocks said:
Modding PD can be a full time job if you let it be. Coming on here and closing or merging all the time along with B&D trimming every now and then will turn BL into a full time chore filled job.
Click to expand...

Hmm. I never found it to all that difficult; but then, I didn't really do anything all that organisational. My brain implodes when trying to make sense of a page of vbcode.

I don't blame the mods for simply upholding the BLUA; doing other stuff is just too much work. If PD is going to have any form of organization it's going to require a larger mod force.
Click to expand...

To be fair, it seems very well organised now- much more so then about a year ago. The PD index is really very good. I thank whichever mods did the legwork there (it certainly wasn't me...:! ;)) I'm guessing you did some of it Psox; so thanks :)

One of the issues that I see is simply how many psychedelic/dissociative drugs there are in existence. They share one common factor; hallucinatory. But there is a huge difference between, say, 2C-E and 2C-D, even though they are of the same class/family of drug. Theres no real way to use the prefix system as found in Other Drugs. One can quite easily have a set prefix for Opiates for example- that would work, because most opiates are very similar in effect- not all, but most are similar enough to lump under an umbrella term such as "Opiate" regardless of whether you're discussing pethidine or tramadol.

I've mentioned it before about "temporary mod status" where a proven member or former mod can request a few hours of mod powers (with no title under username) when they have free time and the desire to help out with forum cleaning. I haven't gotten any form of yay or nay on the subject though. I think a few PD regulars would be very willing to help if such a platform was available.
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Personally, I can see that causing more confusion, as people will naturally have different ideas on how to oraganise the forum.

Thats why this thread was started really; for forum purveyors, regular or not, to suggest changes/improvements that they wish to see.

PepperSocks said:
It's also hard doing that stuff because often people come on here when they're tired after a long day and just want to hang out. Not to mention how nauseatingly repetitive it all is.
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I understand that I guess; but it really only takes a bout 20 minutes to catch up on whats been posted during one's abscence.

It should be remembered that the moderators don't need to know the answers to whatever queries arise. Mods simply need to ensure that various guidlines, rules and a certain etiquette is being observed. The answering questions bit is up to everyone.

Anyhow, just thought I'd say stuff :)
 
Psychedelics are so damn open to interpretation... it can be a bit confusing for many people. Also there's alot of fiddly techniques with some of them, picking the right shrooms, trying to get a bastard-hard-to-acheive salvia breakthrough, getting the most out of DMT etc, blah blah, you know all this. I been posting here for a few months, not really prolific, but anyway I'm still trying to find my way around and there's alot of even newer guys n gals floating around.

I can't see how the fat can be trimmed really easily though if I'm honest. I used to moderate a small message board before, much smaller scale, so it doesn't really compare.

On a side note I prefer smaller, closer communities, and as psychedelics are my main point of interest I just hover round here. I'd like to think that at some point in the future when perhaps I've gained some respect I'd love to help out on PD.
 
I'd like to see some cracking down on all this fucking vendor talk. Everyone keeps referring to "the vendor from place A" or "that vendor from place B" or "that vendor who has MDAI which looks like coffee grounds".. It's getting out of hand.

These guys don't need additional customers pointed towards their sites. Some of them are already doing a good enough job getting themselves and the shit they carry noticed, there's other forums for these kind of discussions, I'd like to see PD free of all this thinly veiled advertising.
 
I think I've changed my stance on organization; the information we have in the index/B&D's is sufficient, and whoever goes searching in there will likely find the answer to their question.

Most newcomers don't bother opening the index so all the work of organizing would be useless anyway.

I think we have a far more important thing to work towards; making it clear that vendor discussion, hinting, and seeking will not be seen in public postings.

There's no way to organize the massive flow of threads, but to instantly shut down any threads/posts with any market information seeking would be a good call.

Maybe even put a wordfilter on the word 'vendor'.
 
Censoring words never helps. Everyone knows what's being meant with it if it get's changed. Hardcore moddding is the answer, constantly reminding everyone to use the report function also helps.'

It'd help btw, if (some of) the mods wouldn't spend so much time in the social threads, instead, moderate the forum. Ouch, harsh.
 
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list of every drug and brand names of the drug,
people be less mean and saying utfse because we use it then we cant find anything
 
Xorkoth said:
Aw, no one noticed when I cleaned the entire thing 2 different times. :(
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Nor I so many times I couldn't keep up under the weightiest of weighty beasts... but what are we all here if not to take a fat load or two in the face sometimes :D

Other than that, s'all lookin' okay from where I'm sat but will dig deeper later. Much <3 PD mods - it's harder than it looks which is why it generally looks so damn fine under y'all <3
 
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