Arcane rules that need to go

[Colonâ„¢]

- the 2 threads a day limit
- the double login rule
- the person-specific thread rule (or something like that)
- the 500 posts-a-thread limit

Apolyton sometimes has the otherwordly air of North Korea with that stuff.

[snoopy369]

Without the 2 thread limit Oerdin would fill up the OT quickly with blog posts, and LS would have happy birthday posts for every spambot You prefer that?

DL rule is most certainly not going anywhere... this is not eventis

500 post limit is useful for 'ending' threads that need to end anyway... lots of arguments will stop because of the limit (that weren't going anywhere anyway). It's not like it's that hard to start a new thread, if you actually care... and it makes navigating truly long threads easier (as long as the first post has the multiple incarnations in it).

I don't know what you mean by person-specific threads, as that could mean a few things, but I can't think of a good reason to end any of those rules either

Don't think of us as North Korea. Thinks of us as Canada with a dutch flair.

[Colonâ„¢]

Do you ever visit any other forum that isn't poly/civ related? These rules are really weird.

[snoopy369]

Our rules are extremely mild compared to pretty much every other forum i've ever posted in excepting spam-forums like CG or eventis.

I just gave good reasons for the rules... feel free to object to them They all contribute positively to the forum, in my opinion, and (obviously) in the opinion of the admins, as far as they've indicated by leaving them in

[Lancer]

Snoopy, I'm guessing you deleted my site feedback thread earlier about the deleting of my goodbye thread in the OT. Got me wondering, exactly what types of site feedback are not allowed? Are questions about mod actions not allowed? Is that not site feedback?

[Colonâ„¢]

Snoopy, I don't think you quite answered my question... It's bizarre one of the most mature and intelligent forums I know has the least confidence in its users. Christ, do you even realise you're worried about the responsibility of a geologist and a consultant? Do you ever mingle with people that didn't have tertiary education or less?

[snoopy369]

Lancer: No, they are not allowed in threads. Read the FAQ.

Colon: I directly answered your question. Point by point, except for the one I didn't quite understand. I answered the general point (this forum has far fewer rules than most), and the specifics. Feel free to suggest why we don't need them

I'm also curious why you feel they should go away... why should DLs be allowed, for example? What benefit could that provide? I can't think of one...

[Colonâ„¢]

You mentioned CG and Eventis. Those are poly related forums and quite odd as well. With their own cliques. Nowhere else exist rules like the ones I mentioned.

And it's quite hard to object to those rules without objecting to rules that prohibit users to pick their rules as well. It's a matter of having confidence in the users. And when it comes to a forum that has, on average, so many intelligent and educated users it's bizarre it doesn't in have as much confidence that people can't be allowed to open more than 2 threads a day. Even if Oerdin creates 3 blog threads or more a day, the standard of this forum would still be higher than 95% of the forums out there.

[snoopy369]

That specific point was actually just poking a bit of fun at a comment by someone else in one of Oerdin's threads (don't recall which or whatnot)... I think 2 off-topic threads is enough, personally (and my opinions here are my own, not those of the site's). This site, ultimately, is a Civ site; that's the origin of the rule (preferring people to post Civ threads to non-civ), after all.

I certainly think that point, of all of yours, has the most merit; but I think it's still quite reasonable.

Side note: I wonder how well wordpress would integrate with the forums... hmmm...

[Colonâ„¢]

All forums have their own raisons d'etre, and none object to users opening more than 2 off-topics a day (though I'll admit some don't have off-topic subforums at all). It's the general general distrustful attitude towards the users that's getting increasingly weird. Lancer is an intelligent and mature guy though he doesn't bother to make a good impression.
KrazyHorse once mentioned in his intelligence ranking thread that he still considered the lowest ranked posters on his list to be well above average of the general population. He wasn't lying.

[snoopy369]

I don't think it has anything to do with intelligence or maturity... but i'd leave it to the rulemakers to clarify the specific reasons

[Nikolai]

Apolyton is quite lenient on the rules, other forums like PI's are much more nazi on things.

[Solver]

These rules are here to stay.

1. Two threads per day in the OT. It helps to maintain the OT as a more meaningful forum. Two per day is enough for most users, but there are some who would post a lot if allowed to. And we can this way have a clear rule as to what is and what isn't allowed, decisions on a case-to-case basis would inevitably be less clear and lead to more confusion and arguments.

2. The DL rule. Certainly not going anywhere, do I really need to comment on this?

3. The club thread / personal thread rule. You know, we're pretty lenient on this. We allow threads where people talk about their experiences (blog-style posts), we allow threads that are only of interest to a small part of the audience, we even have the occasional look-at-me thread. The rule is really just keeping all of this within some sane limits.

4. The 500 post rule. This serves, as snoopy says, a dual purpose. One is that it helps threads end naturally at times, another is that searching/navigating/moderating long threads is much easier. It'd really be a PITA to search a 2500 post thread, let alone selectively moderate it for whatever reason. Exceptions can be and are made (picture thread for one) but it'sa very effective "housekeeping" rule.

[ZEE]

The word association thread should be allowed to go over 500 according to your rule 4, then IMO.

[Solver]

Why would it qualify for an exception?