PlaneShift

Support => Forum and Website Discussions => Topic started by: DaveG on August 03, 2005, 02:38:36 am

Title: Min req to post...
Post by: DaveG on August 03, 2005, 02:38:36 am
Um... there\'s too many idiots out there.  Demarthl posted a suggestion in the long winding dead server thread (http://www.planeshift3d.com/wbboard/thread.php?threadid=18038&boardid=17), and due to my extensive boredom, I\'m posting it here as well...  Set a minimum requirement to create a new thread.  It\'ll cut down drastically on the pollution here, and after reading my 40 bazillionth moron post, I think my head is going to explode...  :rolleyes:  (I can insult them all I want... they won\'t ever read this.  :D )

The rank \"Forum Member\" (50 posts) sounds like a good mark.  Might as well actually gain something with that \"membership\".  :P
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Post by: Talamir on August 03, 2005, 02:41:33 am
I dunno..some newbies DO have things to say/ new questions to ask that deserve new threads..I for one started my guild thread at 53 posts...so 4 posts earlier and I couldn\'t have my guild thread till I posted once more :(  

BUT: It will mostly help..I dunno..theres that extremely small percentage thats being negatively effected, like there is in most ideas..
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Post by: Mordaan on August 03, 2005, 02:51:39 am
Might lead to spam (existing threads) to get the post count up.
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Post by: DaveG on August 03, 2005, 02:53:35 am
The main problem areas are the various support and development forums.  (or at least just the wish list)  The minimum requirement could just be restricted to these.

The irony is, that people are told to use the search button when they post a redundant thread.  But all the meaningless stuff clutters things up so much, that it gets harder and harder to actually find anything...

EDIT:
Quote
Originally posted by Mordaan
Might lead to spam (existing threads) to get the post count up.

A mod can just delete those, then their new thread.  :P
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Post by: Sikarda on August 03, 2005, 03:42:58 am
@DaveG, doesn\'t this just takes the cake and re-inforce exactly what you are talking about. :)

Quote
Originally posted by Longsii
I just signed up and are trying to start playing but I keep getting a server failure error. Please correct the problem or contact me with a fix.


......thinks, \"I\'m just a noob annoyed by other noobs, aren\'t I\"  ;)
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Post by: Talamir on August 03, 2005, 05:11:49 am
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Originally posted by Sikarda @DaveG, doesn\'t this just takes the cake and re-inforce exactly what you are talking about. :)
Quote
Originally posted by Longsii I just signed up and are trying to start playing but I keep getting a server failure error. Please correct the problem or contact me with a fix.
......thinks, \"I\'m just a noob annoyed by other noobs, aren\'t I\" ;)


Well, I say make it 100 posts, Daves being too soft.

/me smacks Dave with a anti-soft staff +9 [size=18] *SMACK*[/size]
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Post by: ramlambmoo on August 03, 2005, 06:59:55 am
Actually this brings up a point which i\'ve always suspected but never bothered to investigate: Most of the threads in these forums are started by newbies.  I looked at the last 15 threads started on the General Discussion board, and the average Number of Posts for the thread starter was just 40.  I think only about 3 or 4 people had more than 100 posts.  If people under 50 or under 100 posts couldnt start threads, the forums would actually be pretty dead.  True, they might start useless threads, but the threads sooner or later get taken over by other people who usually go onto discuss something useful.
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Post by: Talamir on August 03, 2005, 07:02:40 am
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but the threads sooner or later get taken over by other people who usually go onto discuss something useful.


I noticed that too..All those age, etc things that we post on so much...We would be dead as a door nail.

And your not one of those people eh Ram?
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Post by: ramlambmoo on August 03, 2005, 12:54:50 pm
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And your not one of those people eh Ram?


Eh? Not one of what people?  Not one of the people who take over threads and turn them useful?
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Post by: Moogie on August 03, 2005, 03:39:46 pm
I would rather delete a few useless threads than have to delete 100 useless posts.
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Post by: lukus on August 03, 2005, 05:02:12 pm
So, the server is down, you want to stop people posting new thread cause they are constantly making new one about the server?

Solution: limit posts to be able to create new thread
Disadvantage: User join to explicitly ask a question, Can\'t because they are not allowed to make new posts.  
Users will make new threads in the wrong sections
Users wil make threads asking why they cant make threads
User will post in other people threads going off topic asking both those questions^ if you were to limit thread creation privledges in all sections of the forum.  

forums are considered a discustion and support feature... people don\'t find a problem with the software and go ooh i bet EVERY1 is affect therefore i\'ll search for it...

They look under the support section /FAQ on the main site.... thus we should actually be making the first page of the support section of site post clearly any situations that are going on... clearly detailing the server is down and you wont be ble to connect till otherwise expressed.

after that they will go to the forum asking for help... rather than looking for posts there... you would asume somthing as majour as this would get a big fat notice all over the site by now.

when you have a problem with a new program, do you think it\'s just you /known bug or that the server is down and being updated for a couple of days?
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Post by: Uthor Draal on August 03, 2005, 05:55:57 pm
Perhaps a way to stop excess threads, like for example, the plethora of threads relating to the servers being down, would be to have a locked sticky thread which can only be written in by Devs Gms Mods. In this thread all relevent factual information could be reported, and available to all who truely seek to know the state of affairs, and as situations change it could be updated by the same group of people. Then any repetitive threads dealing with this topic could just be deleted. This would foil those who post just because they like to start new threads, or who are too lazy to search for themselves. It would also go a small way to reducing general clutter in the forums.

In this way we have both control of threads and equal right of access.

-Uthor
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Post by: Kixie on August 04, 2005, 11:52:24 am
There is the occasional newb who is very fluent in the english language, contrary to the common belief that all newbies are babbling idiots. Numbers are usually pointing in that direction, however, the occasional new person does enter the forums with a sincere problem that needs to be addressed. They present in a modest fashion and it is addressed imediately by the mass public.

I hardly think it is fair to discriminate upon this new person, with sincere problems, just because his kin all too often violate the english language in unspeakable ways to their liking. Therefore in retrospect I look upon my previous newb-smashing with extreme prejeduce, and I say \"Protect this fair creature; For his ways, while not often are of good, are of sometimes just that. Therefore this endangered species must post his woes of planeshift, and be answered in a timely fashion.\"

 :D
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Post by: Keyaz on August 04, 2005, 02:28:12 pm
or they can just use the search function because their question has actually been ansered in the past anyway, wether they speak english or not :|
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Post by: lanser on August 04, 2005, 05:55:25 pm
There does seem to be an excessive amount of accounts registered in august (4 days) that have managed to amass post counts of 50-60 plus with out really having anything worthwhile to say.
Most of the questions asked could (should) have been answered by using the mark one search tool (eyeball) and looking at the thread titles!
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Post by: DaveG on August 04, 2005, 09:21:49 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Kixie
There is the occasional newb who is very fluent in the english language, contrary to the common belief that all newbies are babbling idiots.

No, not all newbies are morons... just the ones that post...  :P  The smart ones read existing threads.  :rolleyes:
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Post by: atomtan on August 05, 2005, 08:10:10 am
Quote
Originally posted by DaveG
Quote
Originally posted by Kixie
There is the occasional newb who is very fluent in the english language, contrary to the common belief that all newbies are babbling idiots.

No, not all newbies are morons... just the ones that post...  :P  The smart ones read existing threads.  :rolleyes:


Yeah, I\'m tired of reading these \"minimum posting requirements\" threads.  This is probably my first post to the forums, and that\'s because I...
A) Read existing threads for answers.
and B) like others, can\'t stand the stupid nonsense posts that say things like \"I like pie,\" and other things that have nothing to do with the entire thread whatsoever.

*shakes his fist in anger*

It\'s people like them who give people like me a bad name.

I\'ve also encountered a glitch in the game, and since it hasn\'t been covered in any existing post and there are a number of people here who look down on newbies creating threads, I\'ll just sit back and wait until some veteran posts the glitch, so then the problem might be taken seriously.

Anyway, I\'ll go back to my corner and be quiet again.
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Post by: Cyl on August 05, 2005, 09:21:44 am
Eww, did someone notice that newbies turned to sewer Rats? ...

Well atomtan, you certainly have what it take to post a new thread, and if this glitch hasn\'t already been reported you ARE free to post a new thread. It\'s just that most \'newbs\' come in and say something like \"OMGORZORZORZ I WANNZ LPAY TIS GAME!! BUT I CAN\'T FIND THE SITE WHERE THE GAME STARTS! WUT THE (censored) DID I WRONG!!\"
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Post by: Dandamis on August 05, 2005, 01:42:30 pm
I find it highly amusing  (but unfortunately quite commonplace) the way people react to newbs nowadays.  Sure it\'s annoying to have to put up with so many lazy newbs on a regular basis, but think about it for just a bit:

1a) Lazy newb has problem, so he goes to forum and presses post button to post new thread without ever looking for existing thread.

1b) finds he can\'t since there is a \"post requirement to post new threads\" So what does he do?

1c) Lazy newb posts his original post in the 1st open thread in the current forum regardless of the subject.

Congrats, now all this does is make even more of a mess of the current organization of info.  Locking door #1 isn\'t going to make newb suddenly gain a brain and learn to use the search feature.

Which is what the real problem is.  I see newbs as a challenge to the forum moderators and administrators to organize the information in as accessible a way as possible.  You\'ll never stop all the newb posts, but if you\'re getting swamped with them, then it\'s a good indicator you could do something to better organize the data being sought after.

Just my 2 trias.
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Post by: Cha0s on August 07, 2005, 08:06:19 pm
Mmmm... I have an idea. How about until a person meets a minimum post requirement (20, 50, 100, whatever), whenever they try to make a new thread, they first get redirected to a nice screen with big letters, \"Did you search (http://www.planeshift3d.com/wbboard/search.php?boardid=10) first?\" which stays there for 5 seconds before redirecting them to the new thread creation page. I\'m sure this wouldn\'t stop all the pointless threads, but it would stop some of them.

Edit: Something else that would be helpful would be a series of basic forum rules. One-liners that can be blown up really big to be read by anyone creating a new forum account. Again, it would work like the search thing with 5 seconds before moving to the next page. It would include things such as \"Search before posting,\" \"Don\'t spam,\" etc.