Poly admin change

[Unimatrix11]

The off-topic is the place to migrate to in the ´winter´, between releases (=summer), where the community sticks it out, till the next game comes around. If neither Civ 5 is released nor this site´s policy changed by, say, june - i am gone - for good. I dont feel the need to stick out in a shelter with a bunch of guys who cant hold their farts and even giggle each time they violently push it out.

[Velociryx]

Mike, true 'nuff, but without much in the way of moderation, I'd really hate to see how quickly this place would sink into the swamp.

@ Asher - Yes, we've been over it before and it bears repeating. The site has multiple problems and they can be tackled in tandem. It's not as though the owners (old or new) are incapable of working on more than one thing at a time, and as such, mentioning OTHER problem areas isn't really much of a distraction.

As to the OT being fairly active...it is, yes, compared to the dying vines of the on topic areas (so the front compartments of the Titanic haven't filled with water yet...while comforting, it won't stop the ship from sinking ). I'm quite sure you've noticed that over time, the level of activity (even in the OT) has dropped fairly dramatically, and that's got nothing to do with what content is, or is not present in the topical sections of this site.

True, we get brief blips of heightened activity in OT when the latest bit of drama unfold, but traffic is way down across the board, and unless several things change, the trend isn't going to reverse.

Obviously the topical areas of the site need to be the primary focus of those changes, but to make the assumption that the polarization and the attitudes in the OT have nothing to do with the shape and future of this community as a whole is...incorrect.

-=Vel=-

[Velociryx]

One of those "other problems."

DP deleted.

-=Vel=-

[Velociryx]

THis is the typical thinking that will kill the site in the long run. GO read the other thread asking who still plays CIV. Gee almost everyone in the OT still plays civ with the exception of Asher and a few other trolls. So saying that OT posters provide the least amount of relevant content is just plain silly. Gee I'm one of those OT posters, and I dare you to say that I haven't provided relevant content.
The OT is the place where we go in between releases. (which is most of the time)
Without the fun of the OT, we all would have drifted elsewhere in between releases.
AND without the OT, the total site traffic would make this site truely insignificant.

Read a bit more closely, Master Rah. Not saying that no one who posts in the OT provides good content, but that the OT as a section of a gaming site provides the least amount of content relevant to the site, which is hardly surprising.

I post some here as well, but I started in SMAC and would like to think that, on balance, I have added something to the site.

The heart of the problem is that if a gaming site has to rely on its OT to be "of significance," then it's probably not a gaming site any more.

-=Vel=-

[Asher]

True, we get brief blips of heightened activity in OT when the latest bit of drama unfold, but traffic is way down across the board, and unless several things change, the trend isn't going to reverse.

I don't mean to be rude, but don't talk out of your ass.

Since when do you have statistics showing OTF traffic?

[Asher]

Read a bit more closely, Master Rah. Not saying that no one who posts in the OT provides good content, but that the OT as a section of a gaming site provides the least amount of content relevant to the site, which is hardly surprising.

It is not zero sum.

The OT is what's keeping people still here, here. It's certainly not the on-topic coverage.

You've misdiagnosed the problem and have valiantly tried to blame the OTF for what is obviously an on-topic content problem. The OTF isn't responsible for not bringing in new on-topic visitors, which is the root cause of all of Apolyton's problems.

The OTF is the lifeline for the site while the "old boys" wait out the administrative...issues....and make the site relevant again.

[Velociryx]

I don't mean to be rude, but don't talk out of your ass.

Since when do you have statistics showing OTF traffic?

You're rude by nature, cupcake.

And it's not my place to speak to the particulars of the stats. That, I leave to the owners (old or new). As a Mod, I have seen them, and will not comment further.

-=Vel=-

[Velociryx]

It is not zero sum.

The OT is what's keeping people still here, here. It's certainly not the on-topic coverage.

You've misdiagnosed the problem and have valiantly tried to blame the OTF for what is obviously an on-topic content problem. The OTF isn't responsible for not bringing in new on-topic visitors, which is the root cause of all of Apolyton's problems.

The OTF is the lifeline for the site while the "old boys" wait out the administrative...issues....and make the site relevant again.

I've not misdiagnosed anything, sir. Our thinking is actually quite close as to what constitutes the problems on this site. Where we differ is that I see the prevailing attitudes in the OT as being part of the site's problems, and you don't (but you've got a vested interest in not seeing things that way, which makes your view unsurprising).

And you're also correct to say that it's not the OT's fault for not bringing in new on-topic visitors. To believe otherwise would be a silly position indeed, but new people who find their way to this place are, and have been driven off by the attitudes here (and those trollish tendencies have been leeching out of here and infecting even the topical areas to a degree, which only twists the knife further).

Now, as much as I enjoy pissing in your cornflakes, I've got stuff to do this afternoon, so...make your next snide reply, throw your requisite tantrum to show what a peacock you are, and I'll catch your act later, 'k?

-=Vel=-

[Alexander's Horse]

Asher has been shamelessly begging to be made a mod for almost 10 years.

[Ming]

The traffic across the site sucks. The OTF has declined as well, but at least it's active. And, the Spanish Site does nicely as well.

While Asher likes to be rude, and cram his ideas down people's throats, he is indeed correct.
I've seen too many posters and even staff members blame ALL of APOLYTON's woes on the trolls in the OTF.
I say BS.

The site traffic fell way behind CFC long before we lossened up the OTF modding. The real problem of this site is design, lack of support to the community, terrible uploading and downloading, and server problems. I guess it's easier for people to point at a single factor and rally around the flag so that they can ignore the real issues here.
Sure, you can blame the trolls for chasing "a few" people away... but the site has done a pretty good job of that all on it's own... and far longer than the trolls. If you will remember, when Apolyton was number one way in the past... the trolls were running the OTF... and it didn't seem to hurt traffic then. Hell, I was brought in to calm them down... and we were an easy number one at that time. So, place the blame where it belongs.

I pray to god that the new owners take serious action to boost content, bring more involvement, solve the server problems, and improve the site.

[Japher]

I blame Obama!

[Velociryx]

I've seen too many posters and even staff members blame ALL of APOLYTON's woes on the trolls in the OTF.
I say BS.


And indeed it is BS, but to pretend that it's not a part of our current troubles is equally BS. That's my point. I know it's not a popular opinion here, but I've never been terribly worried about being popular.

But, like you, I am hopeful that things can still be turned around.

-=Vel=-

[chequita guevara]

OT really is a community. We really are friends, most of us. It's a local pub, minus beer and actual human face.

Asher says that OT is the only part of Poly that is still active. That's true, but it's not as active as it used to be. It's not as interesting as it used to be. Part of that is because OT was split into three parts. Part of it is because some of our posters are going up, growing to college, and getting RL friends. Part of it is the level of rudeness here. Two of these things can be fixed.

[Japher]

if we gave a way weed the growing up and college thing will be fixed

[Guynemer]

If you will remember, when Apolyton was number one way in the past... the trolls were running the OTF... and it didn't seem to hurt traffic then. Hell, I was brought in to calm them down... and we were an easy number one at that time. So, place the blame where it belongs.

So he admits it! It's all Ming's fault!