Req Rubbish Idea(?).
#1
Tongue 
Quote:The Off-Topic Forum was originally removed due to it attracting ridiculous amounts of spam. We quickly realized that we NEEDED a dumping ground for Off-Topic threads that weren't so Off-Topic as to be deletable. We've decided to bring back the Off-Topic forum but with thread creation disabled. So there will be no user created threads here, but threads a moderator deems off topic can be moved here and discussion can continue. This DOES NOT mean you can create threads where ever you want and request they be moved to the Off-Topic Forum. Threads created in this fashion, or otherwise aiming to exploit the Off-Topic forum usage, will be deleted. The team would like to keep the focus of the forums as a whole on XBMC. Thanks for understanding and respecting our decision.

I noticed that you guys don't offer people to willingly post in Off-Topic. While I think this has it's merits, I think the goal you had in mind is actually gotten worse due to this fact. If you allow people to post threads in Off-Topic, most will probably post there instead of mult-threading or private messaging you(team...guys). Your guy's definition of "spam" to me is unknown because Off-Topic isn't worth digging in but I think if you renamed Off-Topic to Off-Topic/Skeptic Threads, remove the lock and give a moderator(old or newly hired for this) and he/she can have specific moderation abilities in that part of the forum. This would ease the stress of those constant post you guys move, merge and delete not to mention making your regular's happy. Heck. Get some bots and a reliable moderator all up in that section and you guys got yourself a armored fortress of simplicity. I've been a moderator on a few forums and a temporary administrator on fewer forums and we did the very same thing. And yes it worked.

Not to be mean but I think you guys are making this a bigger deal than it really is...
Reply
#2
I moderate tons of posts daily, and very rarely is there an "off-topic" related issue.

Spam is when (normally bots) try to sell/advertise stuff, and that's deleted on the spot. Threads that break rules are either deleted or moved to the "garbage bin". If someone makes a harmless off-topic thread, we move it to "off-topic" and it's no big deal.

More often someone will actually ask me if they can make a post in off-topic and the thread is actually on-topic to XBMC. So I tell them not to worry about it, and that's actually a topic we have no problem with (usually hardware or supplemental software related), and they can post about it in the existing forums.

No one... private messages me to say "hey, what do you think of the latest episode of Golden Girls". There's certainly no stress involved with "off-topic". What kind of situation is playing out in your mind? It's never been a big deal or a source of stress before.
Reply
#3
I concur with Ned. There are, at most, only a handful of posts moved to Off-Topic Discussion on a weekly basis, so it's less of a workload than, say, moving threads opened in "XBMC General Discussion" that really belong in one of the support forums.
Reply
#4
(2013-03-20, 06:23)Ned Scott Wrote: I moderate tons of posts daily, and very rarely is there an "off-topic" related issue.

Spam is when (normally bots) try to sell/advertise stuff, and that's deleted on the spot. Threads that break rules are either deleted or moved to the "garbage bin". If someone makes a harmless off-topic thread, we move it to "off-topic" and it's no big deal.

More often someone will actually ask me if they can make a post in off-topic and the thread is actually on-topic to XBMC. So I tell them not to worry about it, and that's actually a topic we have no problem with (usually hardware or supplemental software related), and they can post about it in the existing forums.

No one... private messages me to say "hey, what do you think of the latest episode of Golden Girls". There's certainly no stress involved with "off-topic". What kind of situation is playing out in your mind? It's never been a big deal or a source of stress before.

Ahh, well it was just a idea. The situation I was thinking of was black & white, grainy and had a lot of screaming. I'd imagine with how many people who log-in and browse, a lot would appreciate talking to the community about how Alf isn't a funny show or how EA is being a bunch of ***holes about their DRM's. You know, lounge type thing.

I guess my experiences differ a lot because most of the time I had to literally take over because of my incompetent superiors but from your comment they seem to be alright.
Reply

Logout Mark Read Team Forum Stats Members Help
Rubbish Idea(?).1