Pleonastic
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2000
- Messages
- 9,428
Lets just start with a link to the full text of the Guidelines for the Aus Bluelight Social Forum. Everyone who hasn't actually read these yet should go and do so sometime soon.
Now. The reason I'm posting this is not so I can have a whinge about how it was better in the old days. People change and people move on, and it's natural to think that it was better a year ago. I'm sure in a years time a lot more people will think the same way about the way it is now. So don't think this is an oldskool bitch and moan from someone that's not even really that oldskool
. This is just a friendly reminder to everyone...
The major point of this thread is a request to everyone to think before they start a new topic. Rather than just starting a new thread for whatever it is that pops into your mind at the time, try and think about what sort of responses the thread will invite. And more importantly, think about whether it's the sort of thing that needs a new thread at all. There might be a very similar thread already in existence, or it might be a topic better suited to discussion somewhere else like the IRC channel for example.
There's probably three major types of threads that get started in Aus Social: The Poll/Rollcall, The News Article, and The Discussion. Of those, the discussion thread is the most welcome. Discussion threads invite people to have a think, use their brains a bit, and often debate an issue. Try to word the thread so that it's clear exactly what issue you want people to discuss. These types of threads I think have the most value, and are a large part of what sets us apart from the main social forum.
The News Article thread is where you come across something interesting in the media and so quote the media article in a new thread. These are often good because we can be alerted to something interesting that we otherwise might have missed, and they usually drop off the first page in a few days anyway. But try to restrict yourselves to only posting them occasionally - and preferably if there's not already 10 others on the first page.
The one that's a bit of a problem at the moment (in my opinion) is the Poll/Rollcall threads. These usually just invoke one word answers from people, and often end up degenerating into total shit talk (for want of a better term). Now it's not like these types of threads are going to be completely banned or anything, far from it. But these are the ones I want everyone to really have a good think about before they start a new topic. If every thread on the first page is asking people what their favourite vegetable is (the most recent example that springs to mind, apologies for singling it out), then it makes Aus Social very boring for the people that just lurk.
So to sum up, I'll say it again. Think before starting a new topic. Our social forum is a great place because it's not considered a dumping ground for any old shit people think of that won't fit anywhere else. But I'd hate to see the place slip too far, because recently it's been hard sometimes to tell the difference between Aus and Main social.
Thankyou...
[ Edit: title changed ]
[ 15 April 2002: Message edited by: Pleonastic ]
Now. The reason I'm posting this is not so I can have a whinge about how it was better in the old days. People change and people move on, and it's natural to think that it was better a year ago. I'm sure in a years time a lot more people will think the same way about the way it is now. So don't think this is an oldskool bitch and moan from someone that's not even really that oldskool
. This is just a friendly reminder to everyone...The major point of this thread is a request to everyone to think before they start a new topic. Rather than just starting a new thread for whatever it is that pops into your mind at the time, try and think about what sort of responses the thread will invite. And more importantly, think about whether it's the sort of thing that needs a new thread at all. There might be a very similar thread already in existence, or it might be a topic better suited to discussion somewhere else like the IRC channel for example.
There's probably three major types of threads that get started in Aus Social: The Poll/Rollcall, The News Article, and The Discussion. Of those, the discussion thread is the most welcome. Discussion threads invite people to have a think, use their brains a bit, and often debate an issue. Try to word the thread so that it's clear exactly what issue you want people to discuss. These types of threads I think have the most value, and are a large part of what sets us apart from the main social forum.
The News Article thread is where you come across something interesting in the media and so quote the media article in a new thread. These are often good because we can be alerted to something interesting that we otherwise might have missed, and they usually drop off the first page in a few days anyway. But try to restrict yourselves to only posting them occasionally - and preferably if there's not already 10 others on the first page.
The one that's a bit of a problem at the moment (in my opinion) is the Poll/Rollcall threads. These usually just invoke one word answers from people, and often end up degenerating into total shit talk (for want of a better term). Now it's not like these types of threads are going to be completely banned or anything, far from it. But these are the ones I want everyone to really have a good think about before they start a new topic. If every thread on the first page is asking people what their favourite vegetable is (the most recent example that springs to mind, apologies for singling it out), then it makes Aus Social very boring for the people that just lurk.
So to sum up, I'll say it again. Think before starting a new topic. Our social forum is a great place because it's not considered a dumping ground for any old shit people think of that won't fit anywhere else. But I'd hate to see the place slip too far, because recently it's been hard sometimes to tell the difference between Aus and Main social.
Thankyou...
[ Edit: title changed ]
[ 15 April 2002: Message edited by: Pleonastic ]
