!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~Why Spam is bad for our Guild~~~!!!!!!!!!!!

[The_Enigmatic_SEF]

Most of you probably like to think that you are not repeating or spamming anything in this guild. But unfortunitly sometimes people make a post without looking past the first and second page for a similar topic. When you neglect previous topics you only create more babble and spam; This makes it hard to organize and use the guild to its full advantage. When you search for a similar topic rather then posting after a quick scan Not only do you acknowlege your fellows ideas but you encourage a group discution. That makes us stronger as a community. I know its exciting when you think of something and you want to share with others, and that it can be disapointing to find someone has almost said the same thing you want to, but it makes a much more rich discution when you share with others. Please for the sake of the whole guild keep this in mind. Its ok if you make a mistake every once and a while, but please try.
In conclusion:



READ THE RULES
scream
I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!! DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE ME TO DISTRACTION?!?!?!?!?!
scream
crying Why?! why do you hate me? why won't you read the rules? do you WANT to create work for the few of us there are?? DO YOU WANT US TO GO CRAZY?! READ THE RULES!!!

Please feel free to discuss this topic in this thread.  

[Hairy Priest]

Err... what seffy-chan said!

To elaborate a bit, the repeat threads are starting to clutter up the guild, which is bad because it splits conversations on the same topic over multiple threads. For example, we've got several threads at the moment devoted to theories about what happens in the season finale... this should all go into a single thread where people can compare and debate all the ideas in one place, rather than scattering the same ideas all over the place. Cluttering is bad because it pushes other topics off the 1st page (which is probably the only page many people look at), which leads to repeat threads being created for those topics as well... a self-perpetuating cycle.

In some boards there's an option for moderators to merge threads together, but unfortunately I don't believe this is possible on Gaia. So that means that the Crew has 3 choices: delete the repeat thread, lock the thread, or let the thread remain active. Deleting is the only one that really solves the clutter problem, but it also means that any interesting ideas in the thread are gone forever. We don't really want to do it, so please don't make it become necessary!

As for the off-topic threads, please keep them in the chatterbox subforum. There's nothing wrong with wanting to socialize with other Who fans about non-Who stuff, but do it in the right place.

I have one final bit to add about thread titles and spoilers, but that will have to wait till later... on account of me going off for lunch. domokun  

[Hairy Priest]

Thread titles are another thing that have been causing a bit of irritation lately. Just two requests:

1. Do not put any spoiler information in the title of the thread! Although some of us want to know every possible scrap of information as soon as possible, some people prefer to watch a story blissfully unaware of what happens in advance. Therefore, try not to have threads with names that reveal plot information like "New Companion is (blah blah blah)!" or "The Doctor Sleeps with Harriet Jones in Season Finale!" or whatever.

2. Please name your thread something that gives some indication as to what the topic is actually about. Not something completely uninformative like "Why?" or "This isn't against the rules!".  

[The_Enigmatic_SEF]

yes that would help a lot too.. but mostly the spam thing. Its a problem with everyone. I can't say I've been innocent of it in the past ether. I'm just trying to bring awareness about the topic. Hairys points are very valid and I agree with them as well.

somebody already threatened to leave the guild because of this post.. they also blocked me from pming them so here is a reply to their last letter to me:

well I've been that way too. Everybody has stress.. the worst thing you can do is make other peoples lives miserable. that said.. gonk I hope you get better! I know how much stress sucks.
anyways you should probably post on that (this) thread about what you think of spam and such. Even if it contradicts whats being said. (and even if I argue with it)

I'm really upset that anybody thinks that this is pointed to anyone in specific. try not to take this personal guys. rolleyes  

[Eirwyn]

Yes, I agree with what Seffy is saying. This is still a small forum, but why wait until it's huge to fix it?
Just go have a good long look at the Sci Fi DW board if you want to see a real mess in progress. And it's only about 3 months old! eek I'd be very happy not to have to wade through something that cluttered on any other forums! smile  

[sadahsulrerhawkerkehrwqe]

Spam is bad for any guild, or forum, or online discussion area.
So cast it out, I say, spread butter on it and slide it across the smooth, slippy surfaces of purgatory and into the sweet, sweet oblivion of Hell.
...But it is, has been, and probably always will be a problem on Gaia. However, never let your forum rules become over-enforced, like this forum I went on once...Flashstand, or something, where if your conversation was locked instantly for no good reason.
"Off topic! Locked."
"Pointless! Locked."
"Silly! Locked."
"Wrong forum! Locked."
"Repeat! Locked."

The ideal comment, in place of the last, is thus:
"There is already a topic on this: (URL of original)
This topic is now locked."

I will follow the rules for as long as I can remember them, and as devoutly as I can remember them.  

[isidar_mithram]

I have a question. Us Aussies, we've only just seen Christmas Invasion, yes? SO what if we were to talk about that on the guild? The actual Christmas Invasion thread would have fallen back so far..it might not even be worth recovering, and it would take a lot of patience to search for that. Would we be allowed to create a new topic on the Christmas Invasion instead of searching for the old one?

(This is on theory only, seeing as most of us are in the same school and can comunicate there - with the exception of any australian here who is not, in fact, on of our friends-, but say we wanted to talk with those here who have also seen it..?)

On a side note, I actually did find the Christmas Invasion thread on page 5..so maybe this isn't all that relevant. I chose a page and found it on my first go..but anyway, the point still stands. What if someone who was not so patient (or lucky) wanted to talk about a topic which has been here in a past thread fallen far beyond recognition?

An actual search would be so useful..  

[The_Enigmatic_SEF]

see.. at the moment thats just kinda lazy. for the most part you can scan for threads you want to join in discussing just by looking at the titles.. (most but not all) Its easy to look for things. if I allowed people to restart threads for that reason most people wouldn't look past the first and second pages. but if you look, just scan, you can see fairly recent threads on the third fourth and fifth pages. do you see where I am going here?? In any case you guys in Australia see the stuff before the americans do, I don't and won't allow that behavior from my own countrymen so I'm not makeing an exception for you guys (no mater how cool you guys are gonk )
by search do you mean a thread listing?  

[Eirwyn]

Since there is no search feature built into the forums, I for one think such a thing would be useful--major topics at least, not necessarily every thread that comes up. Maybe not yet, but when the forum gets to 10 or more pages deep?
Going back to the aforementioned clutter-pile forum of my last post, they do have a search feature (too bad more people don't use it!), and it used to have an Index thread that had all the more informative or popular threads listed. Unfortunately, since none of us can make stickys there, it required constant bumping & eventually the person maintaining it wandered off the forum & it must be 20 pages down or more by now.  

[Hairy Priest]

seffy_chan

by search do you mean a thread listing?

She probably means the lack of a search function in the forums, something I wish Gaia would implement. A sticky listing some of the more important threads in the guild might not be such a bad idea though.

I agree that having a whole new set of threads for each story as they appear in Australia would be a bad idea, but how about a single thread for the entire season? It may have been against policy, but that's essentially what we had when SciFi started broadcasting series 1 in America:
http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=2712271

The only problem I have with this approach is that we might end up with several country-specific threads, if everyone living outside the UK wanted to start one. So continuing the discussion in the older threads is probably the best solution after all... sweatdrop  

[isidar_mithram]

Hmm..I wasn't just relating it back to us aussies, seeing as we're getting it pretty soon, considering. It's fine for us to go back, searching. I was really asking in general, seeing as it might not be worth going back ten or so pages when America get it..approximately. Or any other threads that have come and gone in the past that newer people might not even suspect are there. And thus create another..I don't know..

A single thread about the whole series, as Hairy Priest suggested, but with links to the others if you want to talk specifically about them? And make that particular thread a sticky? A thread listing for major topics could be useful. When I said a search, I originally meant an actual search in the forums, noting it as a suggestion we could make for future features of guilds...but a thread listing would be good.

How about you set a page limit? Like, if it's not on the first..five pages or so, then you can create a new one? Just suggestions.  

[QuarkMaster]

I concur, this kind of spam=bad evil . But you know what? Canned Spam=yummy 4laugh !  

[The_Enigmatic_SEF]

isidar_mithram

Hmm..I wasn't just relating it back to us aussies, seeing as we're getting it pretty soon, considering. It's fine for us to go back, searching. I was really asking in general, seeing as it might not be worth going back ten or so pages when America get it..approximately. Or any other threads that have come and gone in the past that newer people might not even suspect are there. And thus create another..I don't know..

A single thread about the whole series, as Hairy Priest suggested, but with links to the others if you want to talk specifically about them? And make that particular thread a sticky? A thread listing for major topics could be useful. When I said a search, I originally meant an actual search in the forums, noting it as a suggestion we could make for future features of guilds...but a thread listing would be good.

How about you set a page limit? Like, if it's not on the first..five pages or so, then you can create a new one? Just suggestions.

The problem with that is.. Who really reads the rules?? less then half the guild if not 1/4th of the guild. how would we enforce it? I'm not saying its terrible as and idea just looking for sugestions.  

[isidar_mithram]

That's the thing, you can't ensure it will be upheld, whatever rule you enforce. It's the same wherever you go. For new members, you can insist they read the rules first, and put something random in the rules like "If you have read these and are presently reading this put (insert random thing here) in your join request." For old members..just insist really really loudly that they read them...

The thing is..is the repeting of old threads the problem, or the repeating of new threads? For example. duplicate..Doomsday threads, or a thread with the same base as one in the past, for instance the dalek song?

If it's the doomsday type that are the problem...people have to search the first few pages. If it's a dalek song type problem..you can't really blame them..because sometimes people have strange titles for threads...

I don't know where I'm going with this. Ignore me. I have a half formed idea in my head that isn't happening. I'll try and pick up that strand of thought next time, when I can figure out what it was.  

[The_Enigmatic_SEF]

I'm willing to wait xd