Helping restore Apolyton

[Grandpa Troll]

Madness! I tell you

[Asher]

And yet

Is there any purpose to this post?

[Grandpa Troll]

Is there any purpose to this post?

I didnt click it so not sure my friend

[TCO]

It's already been said before, but I'll just chime in to put my voice in with the rest.

I personally don't like how OT is. A lot of threads about fairly interesting stuff tend to devolve into personal attacks. People generally don't attack me, but the fact that they're flailing away at each other puts me off the thread.

But that's just my opinion and I'm only one of very many users in the OT. A lot of the funniest threads are the ones that are also the most chaotic. Then again, there are several threads where people just troll away in personal attacks against each other. That doesn't really do anything for me and it's not long before I head elsewhere. Ultimately, I wouldn't run my own message board this way, if I had one, but I can see that it's more or less workable, and so I understand if Ming/Rah want a place where speech is much freer. Given that it's their board, I think it's kind of going out on a limb for them, but if they're comfortable with it... :shrugs:

On-Topic, though, it's a different matter. People go there for game related help, and that's what Poly was set up to do in the first place. I think modding can be expected to be more strict on the On-Topic threads, since it is a situation where being unfriendly can and will drive people away when they need some help.

I've visited some forums where the mods refused to do anything about trolls even in the On-Topic forums. Those boards are pretty much dead to newcomers, or they generally visit quickly, plunder all the downloads, and then leave without posting. That does not make for a good community. (TTLG's System Shock 2 boards are a good example - despite offering some really good fan-made missions and other help, there are a few posters there who have a broad sense of self-entitlement and a narrow regard for decency for others. The problem is, they're the main contributors, so the site's mods are too scared to scale them back.)

I was on OT for about two years since my "return" in 2007, and by this time I feel like I've outgrown it, or maybe it's outgrown me. Most threads turn into pissing contests between people I don't really know all that well, and the basic question usually disappears. Since March I've started limiting myself more to On-Topic, and that's worked pretty well.

Split tail.

[Grandpa Troll]

Split tail

Check out the home of our resident Split Tail

[TCO]

[Ben Kenobi]

From my lurking there, and my mostly lurking here, their OTF seems like it's filled with idiots. Whole threads filled with BK class posts but without the smackdown that happens here. Not what I need to get me through the work day

[lord of the mark]

@LOTM - I'm trying to comprehend, but I fail

I was going to post the song "Chai!" in response to the death wishes, but the awful irony of Ofra Haza singing it deterred me.

[Lancer]

Is there an admin/mod so bored with life that they are still reading this thread?

[SlowwHand]

I there? Hi there?

PLUS, I happen to agree with Ali about the personal attacks being a distraction.
If you dumb bastards, like you Lancer, would keep a little bit of focus, maybe the thread could go somewhere. I don't know where, but somewhere.

[Lancer]

It will go somewhere Sloww, you unhygenic verminous she ***** dog, its called page 2.

[rah]

This is exactly why Nazi type moderation is silly. Both of you could be banned for those posts.
Such serious insults.

[Lancer]

Sloww started it!

[TCO]

Get inside that Galaxy with you know what.

[Alexander's Horse]

The problem as I see it is this: the only valuable asset Apolyton has right now is its posters.

I'm back now so everything should be okay