General Messages Returns [Archive]

Joe Siegler

07-10-2007, 12:05 PM

After careful consideration, and a proper mulling over of facts ADM badgering me into it, I've decided to bring back General Messages in a limited capacity.

The deal is this.. You can reply to any thread that's here already (and is not locked). You can't however arbitrarily post any new thread. You can post them, but they go into a submissions queue. We're doing this to try and keep a handle on all the ridiculous and inane crap that used to be posted.

Most stuff will get posted/cleared, but this will help deal with duplicate and tertiary repeat threads, as well as stuff that we don't really want posted. There isn't a list yet - this is a new idea, so hard rules on what to and what not to post don't exist yet. This is going to be a fly by the seat of the pants thing for the time being to see how it goes.

If THIS doesn't work, I can't imagine any other ways to do Gen Msgs and not keep the usual crap from coming up.

Thoughts?

Joe Siegler

07-10-2007, 12:13 PM

BTW, nothing can be restored from the last time we had a Gen Msgs, all of that stuff was nuked into non existence when I shut it down.

Sang

07-10-2007, 12:21 PM

Sounds like it could work.

Phait

07-10-2007, 12:26 PM

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9671/donotwant1xxqr6.jpg

I'm kidding, it's a decent idea, but less motivating to post because everythings kinda up by committee and no guarantee what you want to share will be seen.

Sang

07-10-2007, 12:29 PM

less motivating to post

Well I thought that was the point - To prevent people from going mad on the Submit button :)

Joe Siegler

07-10-2007, 12:33 PM

I'm kidding, it's a decent idea, but less motivating to post because everythings kinda up by committee and no guarantee what you want to share will be seen.

I considered that issue. But the level of noise the old way generated was extremely high. If people had some clue as to how to not act like asshats, it might be different. We'll see how it goes.

Phait

07-10-2007, 12:33 PM

Yeah, and thats good. But I mean for good topics that might be in a grey area? Like something pseudo-political/religious - or maybe something that's not even overtly that, but one may foresee the discussion spilling into that area when the thread creator didn't intend that.

Joe Siegler

07-10-2007, 12:36 PM

Well, as I said in the first message, most stuff will get posted. I don't think it will be as bad as you think. Course I could be wrong, we've never tried this before. Let's get some real activity first before panicking. :)

Heck, I also contemplated bringing back the Babe Thread.

Phait

07-10-2007, 12:39 PM

That's exempt from committee. :D

IwantMORE

07-10-2007, 01:09 PM

Yippeeee

mysteryperfecta

07-10-2007, 01:35 PM

I applaud bringing GM back, even in this limited capacity, for the sake of the community.

Questions: will a rejected submission result in a notification/reason to the submitter? Do you have any feeling about what the turnaround might be for submission-->approval?

TerminX

07-10-2007, 01:51 PM

Seems like a good idea to me. The little bit more work that'll have to be put in to moderate all of the posted threads before they show up seems worth the result.

Inanimate Carbon Rod

07-10-2007, 02:02 PM

Yay!!

Water12356

07-10-2007, 02:59 PM

I think its a good idea.

Joe Siegler

07-10-2007, 03:22 PM

Questions: will a rejected submission result in a notification/reason to the submitter? Do you have any feeling about what the turnaround might be for submission-->approval?

I don't believe the software notifies people. I did some tests before opening this with the fake "Ted Turner" account, and wasn't notified. I can inquire on the support board. I personally would like that.

Turnaround? Initially it'll be just me approving topics, so it'll be up to when I'm around to hit the forums.

SyntaxN

07-10-2007, 03:58 PM

Thanks :)

SonnyBonds

07-10-2007, 04:35 PM

This is very cool :D

Komb.at

07-10-2007, 05:08 PM

Thanks a bunch

NutWrench

07-10-2007, 05:31 PM

Thoughts?

Having a submissions queue sounds like a good way to keep the crap down.

Thank you for giving this a try, Joe. :)

Towelie2k4

07-10-2007, 08:36 PM

Joe, you are a God amongst men. :love:

This definitely sounds like a great way to keep things sane. Thanks for giving GM another chance.

Wooloomooloo

07-10-2007, 08:45 PM

Yay!

*explodes*

John

07-10-2007, 09:18 PM

:) Thanks Joe. Atleast theres a place on the forum to get away from game and movie talk. (I love both of them very much so but, c'mon, it isn't ALL people think about. :p And I like to communicate with people on these forums.)

BillyD

07-11-2007, 03:19 AM

Are there any guidelines as far as what you wouldn't like seen submitted, besides goats.e and the usual crap? I recall the gen. messages forum somewhat turning into a news-posting/commenting free for all and some people didn't seem all too happy about it (I don't remember you being to particularly fond of it, Joe). It may save some time from being wasted by you and the mods if there were a sticky about topics to not even think about submitting for the new general messages forum.

ADM

07-11-2007, 04:10 AM

BillyD: Reread the first post:

There isn't a list yet - this is a new idea, so hard rules on what to and what not to post don't exist yet. This is going to be a fly by the seat of the pants thing for the time being to see how it goes.

As time goes on we'll make a list, we'll see how things go for the time being.

Bludd

07-11-2007, 04:49 AM

This could be likened to a moderated USENET newsgroup. I think it is a good idea since you guys intend to keep this forum serious.

Rider

07-11-2007, 05:50 AM

Happy days and jubilation!

This is awesome, hail Joe! :)

Hudson

07-11-2007, 10:52 AM

Sounds like a good idea, I really missed G.M.

Thanks guys!

Detharin

07-11-2007, 11:03 AM

Heck, I also contemplated bringing back the Babe Thread.

and thats reason enough for its existence.

Viva la Babe Thread!

crunchy superman

07-11-2007, 11:56 AM

Thanks for reviving this forum, Joe!

Dave-ros

07-11-2007, 02:59 PM

Blimey, I didn't even notice this -- and I've already found another forum for "serious" non-computer-related posting... but I'll drop by here occasionally, especially since this is a cosmopolitan mixture from the entire world, and not just middle-class Brits ;)

Joe Siegler

07-11-2007, 03:36 PM

Don't forget. Free Slurpees (Squishees) at 7-11 today in honor of today being their 80th birthday. It's a small one mind you, but it's free!

BillyD

07-11-2007, 04:46 PM

BillyD: Reread the first post
Oops, it seems like I completely read over that particular paragraph. Reading is for chumps, anyways :p

Vivi

07-11-2007, 04:49 PM

Thank you Joe!

Steve

07-12-2007, 02:58 AM

Nice :)

Deftones

07-12-2007, 09:30 AM

Hmm maybe this should be added to the DNF section to keep the crap down in there.

Joe Siegler

07-12-2007, 10:02 AM

Hmm maybe this should be added to the DNF section to keep the crap down in there.

Good idea, but I don't think George would go for it. If enough people asked for it, though......

Scream

07-12-2007, 11:22 AM

Glad to have GM back. :)

Deftones

07-12-2007, 02:54 PM

Good idea, but I don't think George would go for it. If enough people asked for it, though......

Only problem I see with is when DNF does finally come out the que will explode with 1000's of new topics a day. lol I can see it now, thousands of people signing up on the boards and making the forums come to a screeching halt.

ShadeEX

07-12-2007, 04:51 PM

Nice to have it back

I like the submissions queue idea.. Should definatly help dealing with the unwanted content..

motionblur

07-12-2007, 05:41 PM

Cool :)
Also ADM is mod again, I see.

Let's see. how this goes. I for one really missed general messages. Everything else just felt like being limited to smalltalk, with no real purpose. Kind of....

Joe Siegler

07-12-2007, 06:44 PM

Only problem I see with is when DNF does finally come out the que will explode with 1000's of new topics a day. lol I can see it now, thousands of people signing up on the boards and making the forums come to a screeching halt.

DNF post release is totally different. No way could that work. This would be for "now", with "what do you want", and all the stuff we end up nuking anyway.

Either way, I don't think George would go for it, so I'm not bothering. 15 years working for the guy has given me an idea what he will actually do.

Hudson

07-13-2007, 10:25 AM

Honestly sometimes I think nothing short of releasing the game would please the DNF forum regulars.. and occasionally not even that :o

John

07-13-2007, 01:47 PM

There will still be posters who complain when the game is released, sadly. :( Especially since alot of people have this mentality that DNF will be the game to end all games.

Mudsling3

07-13-2007, 10:14 PM

Great! I might post more often :D

hell-angel

07-14-2007, 01:53 PM

Good to see it back. :)

If I get this straight, pretty much everything goes as long as it is not aggressive, discriminating, retarded, posted before or stupid.

I can go for that. :)

XPM

07-15-2007, 11:30 PM

I'm glad now :)

ShakeItBaby

07-16-2007, 02:58 AM

Great, now I can put this place back on my bookmarks again.

mysteryperfecta

07-16-2007, 12:14 PM

Hey, Joe-

After about a week of Gen. Messages, what would you say your ratio of approvals/denials is (unless you don't want to divulge, which I would understand). I would guess that the rejections are few. At least for a while, people will use their sense of what would and would not be approved, leading to some self-regulation.

Dave-ros

07-16-2007, 12:52 PM

I was wondering that too, though I feared the ratio would be more like 100 spam/general cr*p to 1 decent one, simply because people would be so happy to see GenMess back again that they'd, er, lose control :o

I haven't submitted any yet... can't think of anything interesting enough for a diverse international audience :(

Mr.Fibbles

07-16-2007, 01:08 PM

I missed this!! My week away was the week Joe decided to bring back the GM. I was conditioned to stop looking down there for it and now I missed it last night when I got back and had to catch up with stuff.
I also must thank Joe for this, the diversity of this board out weighs most of the rest of the boards out there that aren't just post happy retards. A lot of us are on our way (or already are) adults because we have been here since the days of Duke3D or before. That, I think, allows things to be a bit more controlled and civil here.
I am also curious about the first week. I can imagine there were quite a few people over excited about the Gen. Mes. return that they posted too much crap right away.

Joe Siegler

07-16-2007, 04:45 PM

Nessus

07-16-2007, 05:06 PM

I've only rejected two so far.

Yes! Great to see it back.

8IronBob

07-17-2007, 02:57 PM

Sure, I'm all for this. Could be a great place to post popular news events again. ;)

The Baskinator

07-18-2007, 01:01 AM

Checked, on a whim, to see if GM had returned.

Lo, and behold...! Cool beans.

ShadeEX

07-18-2007, 12:12 PM

Hopefully people who haven't posted in a while will start posting again..

Haven't heard from a few for a while..

Destroyer

07-20-2007, 12:22 AM

yaaaaaaaaa. Thanks Joe. I missed this. :)

thefly

07-21-2007, 05:45 AM

I didn't even notice GM was back until just now.

Zztx

07-22-2007, 06:54 PM

Holy hell, it's back.

Gamebrain

07-22-2007, 06:57 PM

It sure is

Betelgeuse

07-24-2007, 12:38 AM

oh, nice, i also didn't notice the general messages thread until now.

hoo-rah!

Fragger00

07-25-2007, 12:04 AM

Steve

07-25-2007, 12:12 AM

Joe, can you provide examples of subject lines you reject?
Retarded ones. Common sense, really.

Scotty

07-25-2007, 12:19 AM

Take the stupidest post you can think of, multiply the stupid factor by about 1000, and post a thread about it. Watch dozens of other peeps follow your lead to post dozens of equally stupid threads. Post about some current event. Post about how this event could have been better/worse with more/less gun control, religion, government spending, etc. Grab a Coke and some popcorn and sit back and watch the fireworks.

Fragger00

07-25-2007, 01:43 AM

Post about how this event could have been better/worse with more/less gun control, religion, government spending, etc.

I often thought these were the best topics, although certainly hard to moderate due to the shear volume of posts.

Dave-ros

07-25-2007, 03:57 AM

Yeah, but we just end up arguing in circles, never changing anyone else's opinion but just getting more and more agumentative... fortunately just about everyone agreed with Joe's thread about the Running of the Bulls, but imagine a thread about whether 9/11 was a government conspiracy! Go on, imagine it. Get yourself a good mental picture of the sheer horror of a thread that would result. Then lie down in a dark room and scream for two hours :eek:

Sang

07-25-2007, 06:53 AM

The thing with forum discusssions is.. at first everyone gives their opinion, then someone else provides counter-arguments.. so does the other person. After a while though people run out of arguments, so it turns into Monty Python's Argument Clinic. ;)

Mr.Fibbles

07-25-2007, 01:41 PM

One of the things about religion or politics is those discussions sometimes tend to turn into flame wars and ad hominums after all logical arguments are exhausted. In some cases that happens sooner than others. Even when there is one or two people offering serious and well thought out posts, there are always a few guys just throwing out bull headed post to disrupt the whole thing.
I personally enjoy discussions on religion etc but that is because I am passionate and knowledgeable about it (at least to some degree) and as long as some one is asking questions that are reasonable, I don't have a problem with answering them. Closemindedness is bad for discussion, but being so open and passive is bad for yourself.

Joe Siegler

07-25-2007, 03:53 PM

Joe, can you provide examples of subject lines you reject? I have no idea about what you mean about being an ass and stuff. I did not frequent the General Messages Forum very much right before you shut it down.

Did you read this thread already? :)

I said why I did not give this information in the first post. Plus someone else already asked this question further up.

Fragger00

07-25-2007, 08:05 PM

I read most of the forum and all of your posts. Also, since the first post you already rejected at least two topics, so you do have an idea of what you are baring.

Whatever, I just will not make a Religion or Iraq thread.

Sang

07-26-2007, 05:24 AM

Whatever, I just will not make a Religion or Iraq thread.

It's working! :D

Destroyer

07-28-2007, 03:04 AM

im so glad you brought these forums back joe.
now if we can just get fnord. haha just joking.

Waiter

07-29-2007, 08:02 AM

Great, now I can put this place back on my bookmarks again.

Dito, though I still had my old bookmark and was immensely surprised when it worked. I havent missed GM all that much, but that might be a result of not really having had a proper internet connection at all for the past 2-3 months.

Seems to be a good idea. I'll just lean back and see what happens. It doesn't sound like less work to me for Joe to check every thread before it's posted, but hopefully it brings more working pleasure if it keeps the forums in a better state.

Good Luck!

ixfd64

07-31-2007, 09:03 PM

Thanks so much, Joe!

wayskobfssae

08-01-2007, 01:05 PM

*jaw drops open*

Niiiiiiice....

hiob

08-05-2007, 08:04 AM

I've stayed away from this subforum to see how it turns out, and it seems to be working out pretty well. *knocks on wood*
Now I can safely say, thanks Joe for bringing it back. :)

LeadBullet

08-05-2007, 03:26 PM

It seems to be working out well, although allowing the Post Thread back seems to be somewhat of a contradiction.

Kalki

08-05-2007, 10:06 PM

Or a release valve for pent-up fnord.

Scotty

08-05-2007, 10:12 PM

As long as ppl don't spam or act like dipshits, TPT should work out.

I haven't read TPT in a few weeks, but I may have time to wade through it next week when I'm on vacation.

-Scotty

...and if "Postwhore Paradise" hadn't been shut down, I could always go back there and bump my old "Vacation all I ever wanted..." thread... :D

Jeff

09-22-2007, 09:11 PM

I wanted to post something about this article about a 12th planet being found and that it has a chance to come close to Earth and potentially causing massive global damage. I take it by what you said that this falls under the current events thing and wouldn't be allowed? Also mentions something about some alien race that looks similar to humans called the Annunaki from a planet called Nibiru. Well not current, but more like 5 years from now.