DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
edited December 2006
Part of my half year or whatever exile from D&D was due to me no longer enjoying the place very much. So I left. Then I thought, hey, maybe I'll like it again, and how about that, I really do.
It is amazing how easy it is to exert self control in such matters.
I haven't been around long enough to get nostalgic......I would like more active posting in the discussion threads but that just means I and others need to come up with better topics.
I don't remember our threads ever being better. The quality of our regs has always been even, and lurkers stay out of most uncontentious threads, but come out swinging heavily for Loonville when something juicy comes up.
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FencingsaxIt is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understandingGNU Terry PratchettRegistered Userregular
Part of my half year or whatever exile from D&D was due to me no longer enjoying the place very much. So I left. Then I thought, hey, maybe I'll like it again, and how about that, I really do.
It is amazing how easy it is to exert self control in such matters.
Ecoterrorism is actually the single largest terrorist threat at the moment. They don't usually kill people, but they blow up or set on fire very expensive things.
I think the chat and Phalla threads are fine. I don't spend most of my time posting in them but I have in the past and it was fun. The discussion threads are going ok, though there are some who derail every argument into the same crap over and over again (I hope I don't fall into that category :oops: ).
I do think that people should be a bit nicer with the way they phrase their arguments; instead of calling someone a "dumbshit bat brain" if they disagree with you, concentrate more on the actual content of the post (though sometimes, hilarious profanity and insults are warranted). Also, it's ok to admit you're wrong and adjust your position (I've done it here a few times, I probably should do it more) instead of simply abandoning a thread if you feel like your argument does not hold water.
Basically, I agree that this shouldn't be an intellectual cock-waving contest in which people are out to win. People should argue passionately but I do think that many members of the board, including myself, need to learn to listen to others with more of an open mind.
My 2 cents
It's important to remember that our userbase is self-selected for people who find things like punching babies and flipping off boxes of kittens hilarious.
Ecoterrorism is actually the single largest terrorist threat at the moment. They don't usually kill people, but they blow up or set on fire very expensive things.
Without the chat thread I would never be able to figure out which forumers were joking when they preface a response with "Listen up, you uncouth swine" and which ones were serious.
I can't comment on the Phalla threads, because I don't participate. (although, like a sex-deprived freshman, I am curious...)
The chat threads serve a purpose. Not only do they foster community by being blatantly non-topical, they also give the D&D'ers a place to let off steam from other threads. A social coffee break. The virtual watercooler for Debate & Discourse. Without it, we'd probably be a whole lot crankier in the on-topic threads.
Each forum is run on it's own standards. If the mods decide that [chat] and/or Phalla has run it's course, they'll change the status-quo. Until then, decide for yourself if you'd like to participate in them.
[chat] thread is great. It builds the community. Allows people to know each other. Share jokes, talk about their lives, and so on. And it's covered by the second D.
Phalla is a forum game. People in a community like to play games once in a while. I don't see a problem with that.
If D&D has a problem, IMO, it would be people who take the debates too seriously, tear apart arguments and super-analyse them to an obsene degree. Just because an argument isn't taken straight from Bob's Guide to Classical Greek Debates doesn't mean you should destroy it, as opposed to answering it.
Also, LondonBridge and misc. trolls. And religious threads. So that's three problems we have.
[chat] thread is great. It builds the community. Allows people to know each other. Share jokes, talk about their lives, and so on. And it's covered by the second D.
Phalla is a forum game. People in a community like to play games once in a while. I don't see a problem with that.
If D&D has a problem, IMO, it would be people who take the debates too seriously, tear apart arguments and super-analyse them to an obsene degree. Just because an argument isn't taken straight from Bob's Guide to Classical Greek Debates doesn't mean you should destroy it, as opposed to answering it.
Also, LondonBridge and misc. trolls. And religious threads. So that's three problems we have.
Religion threads can be festering swamps of stupidity but there are occasionally good moments.
The other trolls do make for some sense of unity as they get pounded into the dirt. I did learn a lot about the engineering and physics behind skyscrapers as a result of the 9/11 conspiracy thread, so I count that as a victory
I think chat threads are really important to build a community.
But I think D&D can be really, really insular. All the time I see the chat thread talking about some idiot posting in another thread, rather than confronting him directly, or talking about how bad G&T or SE++ sucks. And that isn't good.
As to that point I think moving Phalla into Of Dice & Men would be a really good move, just because it would force some of the people to interact with the rest of the Penny Arcade forum, which would be a good thing. Because subforums hating other subforums is dumb.
I think chat threads are really important to build a community.
But I think D&D can be really, really insular. All the time I see the chat thread talking about some idiot posting in another thread, rather than confronting him directly, or talking about how bad G&T or SE++ sucks. And that isn't good.
As to that point I think moving Phalla into Of Dice & Men would be a really good move, just because it would force some of the people to interact with the rest of the Penny Arcade forum, which would be a good thing. Because subforums hating other subforums is dumb.
Maybe have a sticky in D&D for one or two games. "LOOKING FOR PHALLA?"
It might even get some oD&M players over here. That would be cool.
It's important to remember that our userbase is self-selected for people who find things like punching babies and flipping off boxes of kittens hilarious.
It's funny because when you said "punching babies" I cracked up, and then when you said "flipping off boxes of kittens", I cracked up.
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DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Part of my half year or whatever exile from D&D was due to me no longer enjoying the place very much. So I left. Then I thought, hey, maybe I'll like it again, and how about that, I really do.
I've been thinking about taking a vacation from D&D.
Might be just the thing.
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Irond WillWARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!!Cambridge. MAModeratormod
There's a clear difference in quality between any SE thread and the d&D chat thread, and it's not just that I don't know SE as well (At all). They're not the same thing, so equating them is stupid. Stop it.
The point isn't the quality of the chat threads. The point is that there's no reason to have a [chat] thread in D&D except for the "we like it!" argument.
Must there be a better reason than "we like it" and "it creates an environment we like"?
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
edited December 2006
Shinto
why do I always think you're quoting Death of a Salesman whenever you say something depressing?
There's a clear difference in quality between any SE thread and the d&D chat thread, and it's not just that I don't know SE as well (At all). They're not the same thing, so equating them is stupid. Stop it.
The point isn't the quality of the chat threads. The point is that there's no reason to have a [chat] thread in D&D except for the "we like it!" argument.
Must there be a better reason than "we like it" and "it creates an environment we like"?
Yes, and it must be demonstrated in symbolic logic. In Greek. With annotations and footnotes. In iambic pentameter.
There's a clear difference in quality between any SE thread and the d&D chat thread, and it's not just that I don't know SE as well (At all). They're not the same thing, so equating them is stupid. Stop it.
The point isn't the quality of the chat threads. The point is that there's no reason to have a [chat] thread in D&D except for the "we like it!" argument.
Must there be a better reason than "we like it" and "it creates an environment we like"?
Presumably. Forum changes are not made because of poll results. So it seems like there is some structure in place which is not simply, "What do people like?"
I don't like trolls because stupid raises my blood pressure. One of these days, a negatively awesome troll will give me a heart attack.
I have never met a person here or in real life that I could not drive to a coronary first. I'm sure somewhere in a remote village, there is a Tibetan boy that will out-prick me with a vengeance, but until that day arrives...
There's a clear difference in quality between any SE thread and the d&D chat thread, and it's not just that I don't know SE as well (At all). They're not the same thing, so equating them is stupid. Stop it.
The point isn't the quality of the chat threads. The point is that there's no reason to have a [chat] thread in D&D except for the "we like it!" argument.
Must there be a better reason than "we like it" and "it creates an environment we like"?
Presumably. Forum changes are not made because of poll results. So it seems like there is some structure in place which is not simply, "What do people like?"
Having a chat thread isn't a change.
Not having a chat thread would be a change.
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DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Part of my half year or whatever exile from D&D was due to me no longer enjoying the place very much. So I left. Then I thought, hey, maybe I'll like it again, and how about that, I really do.
I've been thinking about taking a vacation from D&D.
Might be just the thing.
Yeah, you've sounded burnt out at times. I'm really glad Will came back, and if you take a break, don't forget about us or let it be for too long.
There's a clear difference in quality between any SE thread and the d&D chat thread, and it's not just that I don't know SE as well (At all). They're not the same thing, so equating them is stupid. Stop it.
The point isn't the quality of the chat threads. The point is that there's no reason to have a [chat] thread in D&D except for the "we like it!" argument.
Must there be a better reason than "we like it" and "it creates an environment we like"?
Presumably. Forum changes are not made because of poll results. So it seems like there is some structure in place which is not simply, "What do people like?"
It's one of the main inputs into the policy apparatus.
Ecoterrorism is actually the single largest terrorist threat at the moment. They don't usually kill people, but they blow up or set on fire very expensive things.
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
edited December 2006
Also, there's a ton of people who have 99% of their D&D posts in the chat thread.
I'm becoming one.
And the chat thread is sort of a debate thread. There's always some mini debate going on.
Posts
It is amazing how easy it is to exert self control in such matters.
I haven't been around long enough to get nostalgic......I would like more active posting in the discussion threads but that just means I and others need to come up with better topics.
You and your self control. Where can I get some?
It's important to remember that our userbase is self-selected for people who find things like punching babies and flipping off boxes of kittens hilarious.
we need ot make Dyna an admin in that case
The chat threads serve a purpose. Not only do they foster community by being blatantly non-topical, they also give the D&D'ers a place to let off steam from other threads. A social coffee break. The virtual watercooler for Debate & Discourse. Without it, we'd probably be a whole lot crankier in the on-topic threads.
Each forum is run on it's own standards. If the mods decide that [chat] and/or Phalla has run it's course, they'll change the status-quo. Until then, decide for yourself if you'd like to participate in them.
Phalla is a forum game. People in a community like to play games once in a while. I don't see a problem with that.
If D&D has a problem, IMO, it would be people who take the debates too seriously, tear apart arguments and super-analyse them to an obsene degree. Just because an argument isn't taken straight from Bob's Guide to Classical Greek Debates doesn't mean you should destroy it, as opposed to answering it.
Also, LondonBridge and misc. trolls. And religious threads. So that's three problems we have.
Religion threads can be festering swamps of stupidity but there are occasionally good moments.
The other trolls do make for some sense of unity as they get pounded into the dirt. I did learn a lot about the engineering and physics behind skyscrapers as a result of the 9/11 conspiracy thread, so I count that as a victory
But I think D&D can be really, really insular. All the time I see the chat thread talking about some idiot posting in another thread, rather than confronting him directly, or talking about how bad G&T or SE++ sucks. And that isn't good.
As to that point I think moving Phalla into Of Dice & Men would be a really good move, just because it would force some of the people to interact with the rest of the Penny Arcade forum, which would be a good thing. Because subforums hating other subforums is dumb.
How 'bout a big hot steaming bowl of [spoiler:ac4a9f2265]oatmeal[/spoiler:ac4a9f2265]?
It might even get some oD&M players over here. That would be cool.
I have no worry of ever being asked to do that.
EVER.
Neither do we.
- John Stuart Mill
Get out of here with your sensible compromise position.
I've been thinking about taking a vacation from D&D.
Might be just the thing.
Must there be a better reason than "we like it" and "it creates an environment we like"?
why do I always think you're quoting Death of a Salesman whenever you say something depressing?
Yes, and it must be demonstrated in symbolic logic. In Greek. With annotations and footnotes. In iambic pentameter.
Presumably. Forum changes are not made because of poll results. So it seems like there is some structure in place which is not simply, "What do people like?"
Because after all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.
Not having a chat thread would be a change.
It's one of the main inputs into the policy apparatus.
I'm becoming one.
And the chat thread is sort of a debate thread. There's always some mini debate going on.