Column #136; By Xuenay

[Xuenay]

There might be more intellectual discussion in other forums, but I didnt bother to do the research.

The column was never intended to be taken seriously.

EDIT: But I can still argue and defend my column, if you want to. I dont have time right now, but if you want to, I'll come back in a few hours and get a nice little argument. I love arguing.

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"Now Lone Star, you will see that Evil will always triumph, because Good is Dumb!"
-- Dark Helmet

Moderator, Final Fantasy Alpha Boards
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by Xuenay (edited October 17, 2000).]</font>

[catullus]

(rant)
Xuenay and I have more or less the same post count. We are both sort-of oldtimers, I even registered before the beginning of time itself. I've read the forum at least once a week, usually once a day, for years. Strangely, I never saw a post from Xuenay before.

I read and post to the general/strategy/help Civ2 forums. A newcomer to a Civ2 forum has two ways to find to find out if I'm a good player and a helpful participant: Read my posts or look at title. I think I've brought more insight into the game by my 150 articles than (e.g.) Alexander's Horse with his 7000. Before his new title, a newcomer might think (at least a short while) that AH was a true contributor.

I never read Off Topic. The subject on top, Dead horse, has among other uninteresting posts, this one from Seneca (whose posts I never saw before, but has managed 900 posts in 4 months...):

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quote:
Originally posted by SilverDragon on 10-22-2000 09:23 PM
I thought this was about AH too.
52 posts to go until prince.

Such blatant spam
106 posts to go until King...

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No, off topic is not (necessarily) the forum with the "highest intellectual level". And posting just for titles does happen, maybe with tongue in cheek sometimes. I have nothing against the off topic forum or the people using it. But the titles and post count distract when you come out from the smalltalk forum.

Sure, I'm kind of proud of being one of the True Veterans here, and that every newbie can see that. I guess I'll celebrate if I ever get out of warlord. But I serve Apolyton and the Civ2 community better by posting quality, not quantity.

C.
(unmounts his high horse to take a leak)

[phoenixcager]

I can understand why the on-topic-only posters live Cattulus feel so strongly about OTers bringing their post counts to the off-topic forums.

I know this would be difficult to implement, but what about breaking down the post counts by forums? Or listing the top 2 most forums each poster most frequently posts in? This could be a new section in the profile.

[UltraSonix]

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</font>I think I've brought more insight into the game by my 150 articles than (e.g.) Alexander's Horse with his 7000. Before his new title, a newcomer might think (at least a short while) that AH was a true contributor.
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This is absolutely true. I arrived at the Civ3 forum in May, but only went to OT in Sep. During that period, I didn't even know about OT, and so anytime I saw AH post, I'd wonder about how the hell he managed to reach emperor... now I see emperors all the time.

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No, in Australia we don't live with kangaroos and koalas in our backyards... Despite any stupid advertisments you may see to the contrary...

[Narck]

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<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by catullus on 10-23-2000 11:20 AM</font>
A newcomer to a Civ2 forum has two ways to find to find out if I'm a good player and a helpful participant: Read my posts or look at title.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>The first option is the better way to determine whether or not you're a helpful participant.

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</font>Before his new title, a newcomer might think (at least a short while) that AH was a true contributor.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>They might, until they visit the OT for the first time

[Xuenay]

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</font>Sure, I'm kind of proud of being one of the True Veterans here, and that every newbie can see that. I guess I'll celebrate if I ever get out of warlord.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>

Me too. I feel the same about every word.

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"Now Lone Star, you will see that Evil will always triumph, because Good is Dumb!"
-- Dark Helmet

Moderator, Final Fantasy Alpha Boards

[Lazarus & the Gimp]

There are intellectual threads.

Then there are spam threads.

Then there are anally retentive threads. Guess which one this is closest to fitting?

The whole concept of attempting to equate anyone's worth with a post count, small or large, is a joke. There are brilliant posters with tiny post counts, and there are deity-level posters who produce bursts of utter genius. The whole post-count debate is probably the most pointless and frustrating waste of time I've seen on this site.

I would be overjoyed if postcounts were dropped altogether. It just isn't worth all the sniping and back-biting that they generate, and people can be judged by the quality of their posts alone.

[Xuenay]

In a bitter mood today, Lazarus?

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"Now Lone Star, you will see that Evil will always triumph, because Good is Dumb!"
-- Dark Helmet

Moderator, Final Fantasy Alpha Boards

[Lazarus & the Gimp]

If you had much experience of the OT you'd know that the above mood was more or less average by my standards.

I'm serious, though. When we start getting people declaring a pride in how few posts they make here I'd say we have a clear indication of something highly dysfunctional taking place. Apolyton is getting a reputation of being post-count obsessed.

Check out the comment by catullus...

"The subject on top, Dead horse, has among other uninteresting posts, this one from Seneca (whose posts I never saw before, but has managed 900 posts in 4 months...):"

Now Seneca is an entertaining and well-informed debater, but he's just been dismissed in view of the fact that he posts on a regular basis. Is that healthy? I think not. It's an ignorant, knee-jerk reaction based on a postcount, and it's an excellent reason for ditching them entirely.

Someone mentioned the concept of "newbies" "sucking up" to long-term posters, or posters with high post counts. I've been posting on the OT for 18 months and I've never noticed that happening. Anyone "sucking up" to me would be treated with all the hysterical derision they deserve.

I judge people purely on the content of their posts. I respect powerful debaters, imaginative story-tellers, innovative Civ-posters and snappy wits. I couldn't give a monkey's sac for size of post count or date of registration. If someone can convince me that my approach is not as worthwhile as judging people by their post count (or lack of it, for the benefit of the inverted snobs) then I'll withdraw all comments with humble apologies.

I really can't see that happening, however.

[UltraSonix]

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</font>Anyone "sucking up" to me would be treated with all the hysterical derision they deserve.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>Did you know, I've always respects your posts - they provide great insight...

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
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</font>Now Seneca is an entertaining and well-informed debater, but he's just been dismissed in view of the fact that he posts on a regular basis.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>Is the really the case?!

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No, in Australia we don't live with kangaroos and koalas in our backyards... Despite any stupid advertisments you may see to the contrary...

[catullus]

Agreed, Lazarus, this discussion a bit retentive...

The off-topic forum is a great idea. It never will be my main forum, but in case I wanted smalltalk, it's better for the Civ2 forums I take the discussion over to off-topic than leave it among the hardcore game talks. I've seen web forums, e-mail lists, even usenet groups bog down in off-topic. It's a nasty sight. Serious posters flee, and you're left with a steadliy smaller well-knit group, difficult to approach by newcomers, impossible to approach by on-topic newcomers. A separate off-topic forum within the Civ2 universe will help both on-topic and off-topic discussions.

Nope, I don't take pride in low post-count. I don't know how you got that idea. I take pride in high content quality. I would have loved to manage posting over 200 posts a month. I see Seneca and you do that. I am just not able to do that on-topic. Seneca wasn't dismissed in any way, high or low count. I just noted that he replied to a post-count-poster (TM) with another post-count-post (TM).

"I judge people purely on the content of their posts. (...) I couldn't give a monkey's sac for size of post count or date of registration. If someone can convince me that my approach is not as worthwhile as judging people by their post count (or lack of it, for the benefit of the inverted snobs)..."

But of course. It's exactly that approach I want to see.
I'm concerned that some people are post-count obsessed, as demonstrated in said thread. And I'm concerned that Apolyton titles distract from posting content. Civ2 players are members of a diminishing community. Newcomers should be welcomed as peers, not as nomads among kings and princes.


C.

[Lazarus & the Gimp]

Well said.