How much reading of non-reported threads goes on? For example, over in Critical Failures, do you guys read the countless Play By Post, Phalla and boardgame play threads?
...Has anyone reported a post from Critical Failures because someone cheated in a game?
Yes. and the CF users could be performing human sacrifice in there for all I know. (Echo watches over them)
And to be honest, when I look at the various Phalla threads I mostly go "what is this I don't even" and slowly back away. They move at a brisk pace and any raging going on could very well be a part of the game for all that I know. So I rely a lot on user reports if there's anything that needs the delicate touch of a sledgehammer.
So either there's very little trouble with Phalla threads, or there are international assassinations being plotted and nobody reports them.
But really, I only remember a single-digit number of reports from Phalla threads, and nothing that required more of me than frowning hard in someone's general direction.
CF by nature isn't much of a discussion or chat forum, nearly everything there is highly topical and people go elsewhere for chat/discussion. As far as I'm concerned, CF runs itself just fine 99.8% of the time.
This is amusing to me because the roleplaying subforum on another forum I frequent has a reputation as "the one where all the mass bannings happen".
This is amusing to me because the roleplaying subforum on another forum I frequent has a reputation as "the one where all the mass bannings happen".
It's a bit surprising when you really think about it. Forum-run RPGs/games sound like a massive potential for being dicks. I guess our community is just that mature. :^:
Did you know that Noam Chomsky replies to almost all the emails he gets?
i did know that, for I am Noam Chomsky
what do people email you about, Doc?
I emailed you when I was much younger
I was thinking of what I'd ask now
and really there's nothing worth anyone's time
Did you know that Noam Chomsky replies to almost all the emails he gets?
i did know that, for I am Noam Chomsky
what do people email you about, Doc?
I emailed you when I was much younger
I was thinking of what I'd ask now
and really there's nothing worth anyone's time
The only worthless thing in this world is illegitimate authority. let all the little workers come to me, and I will speak with them.
Oh so actual Tube/mod question (or maybe even IcyLiquid)
Is it possible that when people are kicked out of threads, they could be locked out of posting in that thread as if it were closed?
Because even though that can make for funny threads from time to time, it can definitely not be fun when you have been kicked, but don't know it yet, so you post again and get infracted again on top of being kicked out.
That might not be a technical possibility but just something I thought of this morning.
Did you know that Noam Chomsky replies to almost all the emails he gets?
i did know that, for I am Noam Chomsky
what do people email you about, Doc?
I emailed you when I was much younger
I was thinking of what I'd ask now
and really there's nothing worth anyone's time
The only worthless thing in this world is illegitimate authority. let all the little workers come to me, and I will speak with them.
A more serious question: Is there anything that can be done about baiting? To be clear by what I mean, baiting isn't really the same thing as trolling, it's basically making comments that are inflammatory in nature but aren't technically against the rules, they're just opinions that are basically bad faith arguments and terrible hypotheticals designed to rile up the people they apply to, namely minority members of the community.
The instinctive response to an incident of baiting is should be report it, but often viewed on its own without context it can just look like you're reporting someone for having an opinion you don't like that is awful, rather than specifically designed to be a provocative response to outrage. And like that, it's not really actionable and nothing will happen and the person being reported can just keep on doing it.
Which means the person being baited feels powerless, and ends up reacting badly, and now they are definitely breaking the rules, and they get reported and get infracted for it. I'm not saying they shouldn't be, or that mercy should be shown to them, or something.
What I'm saying is that there is definitely a feeling among some minority groups on this forum that there are those who definitely make baiting posts and get away with it because they're not technically against the rules, and it disenfranchises the people it impacts from reporting them or really engaging with the forum administration in good faith because they feel like the people being shitty to them get away with it by virtue of working the angles of the system in their favor.
Is there a nuanced approach to this issue, or do you feel it's just a non-issue and tl;dr nobody cares, Pony?
Please do not submit your questions in essay form.
We keep an eye out for people who are baiting others, and it's something we pay attention to in reports. There are two main problems:
1. We can't excuse reacting to the bait. Reacting to the bait is half of the reason the community suffers from trolling.
2. People who are accused of baiting or trolling aren't always actually trolling. Sometimes they're just saying a thing that someone doesn't like.
It's an issue that is rarely black and white, and always causes some kind of ill feeling. One hand feels like "I'm being abused, and you're not stopping it" and the other feels "I'm being punished for having an opinion you don't like"
This is a weird question, but can any mod find out what happened to my original account that was named just "timspork"? Back in 2006 I was typing a post and hit submit right when the entire server crashed and when it came back up my account seemed to have disapeared. I emailed a mod at the time, no idea who, but never heard anything so I made this account instead. It wasn't a big deal. I only really lost my original join date which was older.
I've always been curious what happened.
I don't know dude, I've never heard of that happening before.
The forum culture changes completely on a cycle of about 18 months. The main thing that keeps me going during particularly obnoxious phases is "this too shall pass".
Now that's super interesting. Based on your observation of previous cycles, what aspects of the current iteration, if any, stand out as particularly worthy of preserving or discarding?
Generally the increasing willingness of people to be excellent to each other over time. We're moving closer to a community that contains more than the trappings of politeness and contains genuine positive behaviour.
Have you ever considered changing your tone when moderating moments of crisis? I understand that as comfortable as posters might be there is a line of safety that has to be drawn to protect the staff, the community, and the people who are experiencing extreme duress.
It just feels brutal sometimes to watch. As an observer it feels like people get punished for being too comfortable expressing themselves sometimes, and I don't know if that's an overreaction on my part or if you deliberately choose that voice.
I hope that doesn't read as really antagonizing. I really appreciate you and the work you put in, particularly towards these kinds of sensitive subjects.
i was trying to figure out how to formulate a question about this
there's kind of an antagonistic, laying-down-the-law tone that you often seem to employ in tense situations
i assume this is a calculated decision? like, it's not necessarily that you're trying to aggravate people, but you do want to forestall criticism by adopting this sort of mock-dictatorial stance. it always struck me as something you do consciously as a way of stemming the flow of (often extremely bad and stupid) complaints you get on an hourly basis
how much thought goes into the way you present yourself on these forums? has that changed over the years as the needs of the community have changed?
Tone is always changing in various situations, and it would be absurd of me to say that I always get it right. In most situations there isn't any right, because no matter what, at least 5% of people will take it differently.
Different crises are handled differently so I can't speak to a particular example, but generally voice is chosen deliberately to an extent. It can be used to make it clear that I'm not kidding around. Sometimes it's to remind people that they don't get to dictate terms. Sometimes it's a joke.
To an extent there's sometimes no choice in the matter, because community managers who bargain with their community are courting chaos. One of the primary factors in the health of this community is the fact that I'm not required or encouraged to be nice. People who are looking to be a dick stay away from here, because they know the staff have been playing that game longer than them and have become very good at it.
I am curious Tube do posts or certain people annoy you to the point that other mods have to step in?
I can't remember the last time it happened to me personally, but it comes up with mod staff. If a mod is personally invested in a situation they ask for a second opinion, or for another mod to step in.
There are certainly people I find obnoxious and unpleasant. They're a standing testimony to the fact that the commonly held belief that I ban people just because I dislike them is bollocks.
Question for Tube: Last trans thread it was brought up when it is/isn't appropriate to use the report button. Someone said that it felt inappropriate to use it when someone had a problem with someone else discussing something/saying something that made them uncomfortable but wasn't directly against the rules. I suggested using the report button if they wanted, as that seems like a better solution to self-moderating what people are/aren't allowed to talk about or say in a thread. As to me, it seems like it's a good fall back button for 'I want to say this thing that kind of sounds like user-moderation but also know it's not okay to self-moderate a thread' and its better to just get a mod. But some people were worried that was seen as inappropriately trying to get someone infracted and that using that button was blowing it out of proportion. Essentially, tattling unnecessarily.
baiscally, is it appropriate to use the report/flag button in a situation where you're uncomfortable with what's being discussed/how its being discussed in a 'safe' thread?
Yes. Unless you're being rude or demanding, it's always ok to use the report button. At worst we'll tell you to stop.
I've been wondering for a while about how the mod staff feels about the "cliquiness" that can crop up amongst long time posters.
I'm not really talking about per thread cliques, but friendships between groups of people who've internet known each other for a long time. I know that for me I really like and get along with a lot of people here and it leads to in jokes or familiarity that might be offputting to new users. When I first started posting I know seeing people referred to by something other than their user name was confusing and made me feel like I was missing out.
Do you see that kind of thing as an issue or discouraging to new users, or is anything that makes a closer community cool?
People forging strong connections is good for the community. There are bad things about it, but they can't be ferreted out without destroying the ability to form those connections. What are we going to do, march in and say "guys, you're being too familiar. Cut it out". You take the bad with the good.
I was quite a fan of Marcus and his mysterious band of disco ravens.
Question to Tube: is there any possibility of you doing a streamed playthrough of Heavy Rain if sufficiently excessive funds were raised for Child's Play?
Marcus actually got fucked over, he's the only person whose name I changed more than he wanted it. I feel a little bit bad.
I have no objection to doing a Heavy Rain playthrough, but the practicalities of doing so make it unlikely to ever happen. I don't own a PS3, they're becoming harder to come by and I have no plans to buy one under my own steam. I like doing livestreams, but not enough to throw five hundred odd quid at it.
You're not really missing much. Apparently the game is super busted on PC right now anyway. Apparently even the Titan is dipping into 10 fps on a regular basis.
You're not really missing much. Apparently the game is super busted on PC right now anyway. Apparently even the Titan is dipping into 10 fps on a regular basis.
It's totally playable but it does hiccup a lot
Contemplating getting a refund and buying the ps4 version
You're not really missing much. Apparently the game is super busted on PC right now anyway. Apparently even the Titan is dipping into 10 fps on a regular basis.
It's totally playable but it does hiccup a lot
Contemplating getting a refund and buying the ps4 version
I don't own a PS4, and I got the PC version at a significant discount so I'm stuck waiting for a patch, but if you can, "trading in" for console's not a bad idea.
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Raijin QuickfootI'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Are there any forumers you really want to ban but just never break the rules?
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Garlic Breadi'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm aRegistered User, Disagreeableregular
Are there any forumers you really want to ban but just never break the rules?
He says, with a shit-eating grin
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HacksawJ. Duggan Esq.Wrestler at LawRegistered Userregular
Do you still lift, Tube?
And please tell me you still have that Hellboy cutout. I saw one in a comic book shop window a few weeks back and I remembered that you had one and I was jealous because I couldn't have the one in the window (it wasn't for sale).
Posts
two titos?
but which one is the real one
i did know that, for I am Noam Chomsky
I do not answer those because I am not in need of their services
It's a bit surprising when you really think about it. Forum-run RPGs/games sound like a massive potential for being dicks. I guess our community is just that mature. :^:
They could just put it in their sig or location or title
what do people email you about, Doc?
I emailed you when I was much younger
I was thinking of what I'd ask now
and really there's nothing worth anyone's time
The only worthless thing in this world is illegitimate authority. let all the little workers come to me, and I will speak with them.
Now then Noamster. You owe me a beer.
Should be easy enough to find - who's been hurling abuse at @DaMoonRulz recently?
Is it possible that when people are kicked out of threads, they could be locked out of posting in that thread as if it were closed?
Because even though that can make for funny threads from time to time, it can definitely not be fun when you have been kicked, but don't know it yet, so you post again and get infracted again on top of being kicked out.
That might not be a technical possibility but just something I thought of this morning.
and when im scrolling through a thread it gets annoying to scroll through a quote tree that is like a column of letters
Yeah, good old Buzz Aldrin. Definitely made it back to Earth same as he left it, that guy. Not a sleeper, nosirree! *slow nod*
Crisis on Infinite Titos.
But fill our hearts with so much looooove
"So, like, what's your deal, man?"
Please do not submit your questions in essay form.
We keep an eye out for people who are baiting others, and it's something we pay attention to in reports. There are two main problems:
1. We can't excuse reacting to the bait. Reacting to the bait is half of the reason the community suffers from trolling.
2. People who are accused of baiting or trolling aren't always actually trolling. Sometimes they're just saying a thing that someone doesn't like.
It's an issue that is rarely black and white, and always causes some kind of ill feeling. One hand feels like "I'm being abused, and you're not stopping it" and the other feels "I'm being punished for having an opinion you don't like"
I don't know dude, I've never heard of that happening before.
Generally the increasing willingness of people to be excellent to each other over time. We're moving closer to a community that contains more than the trappings of politeness and contains genuine positive behaviour.
Tone is always changing in various situations, and it would be absurd of me to say that I always get it right. In most situations there isn't any right, because no matter what, at least 5% of people will take it differently.
Different crises are handled differently so I can't speak to a particular example, but generally voice is chosen deliberately to an extent. It can be used to make it clear that I'm not kidding around. Sometimes it's to remind people that they don't get to dictate terms. Sometimes it's a joke.
To an extent there's sometimes no choice in the matter, because community managers who bargain with their community are courting chaos. One of the primary factors in the health of this community is the fact that I'm not required or encouraged to be nice. People who are looking to be a dick stay away from here, because they know the staff have been playing that game longer than them and have become very good at it.
@Brogey I fucking wish. My computer is busto.
I can't remember the last time it happened to me personally, but it comes up with mod staff. If a mod is personally invested in a situation they ask for a second opinion, or for another mod to step in.
There are certainly people I find obnoxious and unpleasant. They're a standing testimony to the fact that the commonly held belief that I ban people just because I dislike them is bollocks.
The honest answer is that you're cleverer than me and I didn't think of it.
Yes. Unless you're being rude or demanding, it's always ok to use the report button. At worst we'll tell you to stop.
People forging strong connections is good for the community. There are bad things about it, but they can't be ferreted out without destroying the ability to form those connections. What are we going to do, march in and say "guys, you're being too familiar. Cut it out". You take the bad with the good.
Marcus actually got fucked over, he's the only person whose name I changed more than he wanted it. I feel a little bit bad.
I have no objection to doing a Heavy Rain playthrough, but the practicalities of doing so make it unlikely to ever happen. I don't own a PS3, they're becoming harder to come by and I have no plans to buy one under my own steam. I like doing livestreams, but not enough to throw five hundred odd quid at it.
All the time.
Thanks for all the answers
You're not really missing much. Apparently the game is super busted on PC right now anyway. Apparently even the Titan is dipping into 10 fps on a regular basis.
It's totally playable but it does hiccup a lot
Contemplating getting a refund and buying the ps4 version
http://www.audioentropy.com/
EDIT: Both big GPU companies released new drivers today, which apparently are helping some
I don't own a PS4, and I got the PC version at a significant discount so I'm stuck waiting for a patch, but if you can, "trading in" for console's not a bad idea.
the tostito
He says, with a shit-eating grin
And please tell me you still have that Hellboy cutout. I saw one in a comic book shop window a few weeks back and I remembered that you had one and I was jealous because I couldn't have the one in the window (it wasn't for sale).
XBox LIVE: Bogestrom | Destiny
PSN: Bogestrom