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I recently saw some rising criticism about some aspects of Apolyton forums, and it is reflecting in many cases what I had in my head since quite some time. This post is about general problems seen on Apolyton forums and in forums with large communities as a general rule.
I think that Apolyton forums are (no idea if it is new or exist since its beginning) partly corrupted by some few aspects, which are seen on alot (most) of forums on the net. Consequences? More useless, unconstructive forums.
The causes:
- The number of posts/day. Like MarkG said in another thread, there's 20 post/24hrs. Which post stays? Well the more getting more replies, which aren't always the more evolutionary posts and makes so that less replies post going garbage.
- Posts for posts. Such as repetitive posts, or posts without any arguments sustaining the assumptions, only for chatting, giving an opinion WITH arguments but that was already said 30k times (repetition again), repetition (what am I doing? Ok, ok
).
- Whining. Now let me define that, or maybe alot of people will even class me in the whiner category, which I think is a fault since they would even class Plato and Kant as whiner. A whiner isn't someone that is criticizing. Put out criticizing and you'll put out any serious discussion. Discussion is from the verb discuss, and I think discuss isn't the verb chat... My point here is that crticism there to find what would be better isn't whining. Whining is the action of simply say you don't like this, this, this and that without trying to give new arguments or anything. Non-constructive blablabla yelling at the wind.
The solutions: lot harder when coming to solutions...
- Some forums where all what hasn't arguments sustaining the affirmations is closed?... Dunno... Well I know I would like it, but I'd say that most people will yell at it when it will be done ("I can't give my opinion!!!" Your opinion was said by someoen else...). This would become some kind of List-like forum or what?... And we'd have to make some very solid/precise system to make so that some ideas wont be more closed than some others, which is catastrophic in a forum as I see it.
- Something between my solution below and actual forums maybe... dunno.
- Technically speaking, it could be an idea to make some List-like forum where forums are by point (1.0.1, 1.1.1...) and permitting more precise arguing this way. Not interested people wont go on such technical forums. But i just can't imgine (and don't even know) the work it would implicate.
I know that our forums aren't a particularity. I saw many other forums and most of them are worst and useless. Due to the size of the community, it is perfectly normal that most of them aren'tt really seriously arguing but more to talk, chat. But I want things to become better and better, not worst and worst or stagnant. Of course, I would guess most people prefer simply chatting on every subject, just saying on which side they are... But we wont ameliorate Civ III that way, good posts beeing flooded in a sea of uselessness fun.
PS: I'm not asking for any direct change from this post, but more trying to put the bases of the problem. This is some kind of draft.
I think that Apolyton forums are (no idea if it is new or exist since its beginning) partly corrupted by some few aspects, which are seen on alot (most) of forums on the net. Consequences? More useless, unconstructive forums.
The causes:
- The number of posts/day. Like MarkG said in another thread, there's 20 post/24hrs. Which post stays? Well the more getting more replies, which aren't always the more evolutionary posts and makes so that less replies post going garbage.
- Posts for posts. Such as repetitive posts, or posts without any arguments sustaining the assumptions, only for chatting, giving an opinion WITH arguments but that was already said 30k times (repetition again), repetition (what am I doing? Ok, ok
).- Whining. Now let me define that, or maybe alot of people will even class me in the whiner category, which I think is a fault since they would even class Plato and Kant as whiner. A whiner isn't someone that is criticizing. Put out criticizing and you'll put out any serious discussion. Discussion is from the verb discuss, and I think discuss isn't the verb chat... My point here is that crticism there to find what would be better isn't whining. Whining is the action of simply say you don't like this, this, this and that without trying to give new arguments or anything. Non-constructive blablabla yelling at the wind.
The solutions: lot harder when coming to solutions...
- Some forums where all what hasn't arguments sustaining the affirmations is closed?... Dunno... Well I know I would like it, but I'd say that most people will yell at it when it will be done ("I can't give my opinion!!!" Your opinion was said by someoen else...). This would become some kind of List-like forum or what?... And we'd have to make some very solid/precise system to make so that some ideas wont be more closed than some others, which is catastrophic in a forum as I see it.
- Something between my solution below and actual forums maybe... dunno.
- Technically speaking, it could be an idea to make some List-like forum where forums are by point (1.0.1, 1.1.1...) and permitting more precise arguing this way. Not interested people wont go on such technical forums. But i just can't imgine (and don't even know) the work it would implicate.
I know that our forums aren't a particularity. I saw many other forums and most of them are worst and useless. Due to the size of the community, it is perfectly normal that most of them aren'tt really seriously arguing but more to talk, chat. But I want things to become better and better, not worst and worst or stagnant. Of course, I would guess most people prefer simply chatting on every subject, just saying on which side they are... But we wont ameliorate Civ III that way, good posts beeing flooded in a sea of uselessness fun.
PS: I'm not asking for any direct change from this post, but more trying to put the bases of the problem. This is some kind of draft.
But as a perfectionist I appreciate your effort.
...not that I'm trying to hamper a critical discussion
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