Nodochi (01-22-2012)
Honestly, I think both forums could probably do with being joined together. Yes, the general forum is supposed to be for more serious topics, however most possible serious topics are able to be discussed elsewhere (such as in the debate zone, real life situations forum, etc.)
I propose that the spam + general sub-forums should be merged, but that the forum games/giveaway section remain as separate entities.
I suggest that the rules for the new sub-forum would be as they are in the current incarnation of Spam section, with the one exception that posts there should count towards a user's post count. Basically, this mean that anything goes: anything but which is outlawed here:
(you need an account to see links)
(This post has been copy and pasted from something I posted yesterday: my apologies if you've already read this, but I believe that this is a more appropriate place to make the suggestion).
Fatality.
Nodochi (01-22-2012)
Wait so you want post count to go up when people post spam? Not to sure what you mean.
I think its good the way it is now.
Ashleys165 (01-22-2012)
From what I understood, General chat + Spam should be together and posts shouldn't count?
For topics like "What is your favourite colour" I agree.
I say leave it as it is... I mean, then someone may spam on a more serious thread. That would get in the way too much.
Don't you think it seems a little odd to not have posts count towards post counts, when we have the following stats for each sub forum?
SPAM:
Threads: 884
Posts: 21,866
General:
Threads: 106
Posts: 2,587
So, the spam section is approximately 10 times more active than the general section. More posts are made in spam than in everywhere else on the site combined: by quite a margin, even. The first place that I, for one, think of posting in, when I want something to reach the community as a whole, is the spam section, regardless of subject (if it does not fit somewhere else more specific): and I am sure I am the only one who feels this way.
The spam sub-forum is basically the social hub of the site, right now. A large percentage of the posts made there right now would easily qualify as valid posts in the general forum: and indeed, a large number of posts in the general forum may easily be described as spam.
So the question I ask: why are members not rewarded with post counts for simply being social? What kind of forum would uphold such a rule? If it is the name of the sub-forum alone which is the problem here, then I repeat my suggestion that spam and general are merged, and that they keep the name of the general forum. Not only does this solve the problem of the spam section being a paradoxical "important place deemed as unimportant", this unification may result in an end-product which is even more active than anything we have had before.
As it is, we have two similar forums with different names. One is active, the other, not so much. Unless you want to divide the community into some kind of false intellectual apartheid, I would think it wise to consider either find a distinct role for the general forum (and uphold the rules), or simply allow the community to bring itself together by splicing its social parts to create a new, rewarding area of the site.
Fatality.
God this so much.
Its always been mega hypocritcal to have the spam forum designed the way it is, on other sites its just called General Discussion.
Spam should technically be a subforum of General Discussion imo. Otherwise they should merge and just be a 'Lounge' and also have no post increments.
@(you need an account to see links)
Spam, in its current incarnation, being just a sub forum of general discussion would not solve any problems. There would still be a dichotomy of discussion, where no dichotomy should exist.
Either we do make that "lounge" (which is quite a nice name, I have to say) a reality, or we somehow shift the focus of everyday discussion back to general discussion, and leave the spam forum as a place for people to bash their keyboards and simply dump posts directly from their subconscious, unfiltered (as true spam forums typically allow for). There are two reasons why I think the former option is the most desirable: firstly, because those of us who are not psychologists or psychiatrists probably do not have any interest in reading up on the metaphorical vomiting of the collective forum's subconscious mind, and secondly, because it is simply much easier to force people into new habits than to gently push them and hope they follow. No offence intended, too, but I do not think that the current roster of staff would even be able to enforce such a pushing: it would require ultra vigilant moderation, and quite a large amount of time and effort from every person involved.
In this case, forcing the issue by combining the sub-forums is not only harmless, but would also be beneficial to the community as a whole. This is what I believe, but if anybody else has something to say, please feel free to make a counter-point: it'd be especially interesting to hear from somebody who solely talks on the general discussion board, and not in spam. If, indeed, such a person even exists.
Fatality.
Ben(01-22-2012)
You've done it again Inq. You are probably the best suggester/debater around here. Overall, I like both of the options. The lounge would probably be simpler however. @(you need an account to see links) would have to decide the final decision.
Inq (01-22-2012)