AH Gone to the Dogs

Buford T. Justice XIX

normanoffside wrote: »

Why did a Mod just send a very interesting, fun and inoffensive AH thread off to a dead forum to die?

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=112004291#post112004291

AH is a general forum and generally a lot of the discussion on Boards begins on AH. AH is not the only forum on Boards and posters are advised to open their threads in the most suitable forum for that thread. I took the decision base on the above guidelines and many threads are moved to other forums where they would be more suited to. In all fairness, I think a discussion on maps would be more suited to the Geography forum than AH.

However, feel free to PM the mods there and request a return to AH, I won't in any way be upset by its return if it's decided to send it back.

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Yeah that was an absolutely ridiculous decision. Obviously a personal call but I can’t work out how they’d be offended by it.

Neither can I.

normanoffside wrote: »

That thread is still locked. So much for moving traffic to new forums....

I've sent a PM to the mods there to request that they open it soon.

My apologies for closing the thread, it's a standard procedure before moving threads to notify posters that the thread is moving to a different forum where AH standard posts might not be suitable for the new forum. It gives the mods there a chance to review the thread and decide to open it as is, open it after removing any unsuitable posts, merge with a similar thread or let it remain closed.

Hands up and apologies, closing that thread was a bad call by me.

normanoffside

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

AH is a general forum and generally a lot of the discussion on Boards begins on AH. AH is not the only forum on Boards and posters are advised to open their threads in the most suitable forum for that thread. I took the decision base on the above guidelines and many threads are moved to other forums where they would be more suited to. In all fairness, I think a discussion on maps would be more suited to the Geography forum than AH.

I just can't agree with that.
A lot of the maps posted were more 'fun' and had nothing to do with georgraphy.

You could make the same argument (more appropriate form) for many of the popular AH thread.

If the maps was a cler Geography thread why was it left in AH for over a week?

Many more arguments as to why this was a bad move- those are just a few.

Mods deleting people’s posts in this thread without notification?

Skylinehead

Professor Genius wrote: »

Ffs an interesting thread with 3/4 pages a day now just tumbleweed. They won’t move it back as they think is will generate traffic on a dead forum. You couldn’t make it up !

"They" aren't a monolith. I've not been active for a while due to work and college but I loved that thread, would never have moved it. At least not without discussion first.

TheValeyard

Professor Genius wrote: »

Ffs an interesting thread with 3/4 pages a day now just tumbleweed. They won’t move it back as they think is will generate traffic on a dead forum. You couldn’t make it up !

Yeah, that was a good thread.

normanoffside

Professor Genius wrote: »

So just move it back. It’s been a day since there’s been a post in it

The only posts since it moved were the local mods ( not even embedding their maps) then arguing with people asking it to be moved back!

Beasty

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Mods deleting people’s posts in this thread without notification?

There have been 3 posts deleted by Mods/Admins in this thread - the last one being on 1 September. Some users have deleted their own posts

Just to dd though, you only qualified to post in this forum today, as there is a minimum 100 posts and 3 months on site required before posting in Feedback

Beasty

Beasty wrote: »

There have been 3 posts deleted by Mods/Admins in this thread - the last one being on 1 September. Some users have deleted their own posts

Just to dd though, you only qualified to post in this forum today, as there is a minimum 100 posts and 3 months on site required before posting in Feedback

Care to add anything on moving the good inoffensive thread back from the ghost town forum?

Skylinehead

Professor Genius wrote: »

So just move it back. It’s been a day since there’s been a post in it

I'm not a mod of that forum, so I'm not able to.

Beasty

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Care to add anything on moving the good inoffensive thread back from the ghost town forum?

I was just correcting the statement you made

In terms of the underlying thread it continues to be active and the local mods have indicated in the thread they are happy to leave it there

Anyone who is not banned from Geography and Geology can continue to post in it. There remains a link in AH and anyone who has posted in it (as I have) can see it in their "My Threads" list unless they have chosen to remove the link

Let it die then. Grand.

normanoffside

Beasty wrote: »

I
In terms of the underlying thread it continues to be active and the local mods have indicated in the thread they are happy to leave it there

What do you mean an 'active' thread?
The only map posted in the last 48 hours is a sarcastic map indicating the number of people who want the thread moved back to AH

All the other posts are posters arguing with local mods over whether it should be moved back to AH or not.

Can it just not be admitted the move was a mistake and send it bacK?

Beasty

normanoffside wrote: »

What do you mean an 'active' thread?
The only map posted in the last 48 hours is a sarcastic map indicating the number of people who want the thread moved back to AH

All the other posts are posters arguing with local mods over whether it should be moved back to AH or not.

Can it just not be admitted the move was a mistake and send it bacK?

Can't you post in a forum other than AH?

normanoffside

normanoffside wrote: »

What do you mean an 'active' thread?
The only map posted in the last 48 hours is a sarcastic map indicating the number of people who want the thread moved back to AH

All the other posts are posters arguing with local mods over whether it should be moved back to AH or not.

Can it just not be admitted the move was a mistake and send it bacK?

That’s the real issue here and the reason it will never be moved back, even though they know themselves it should be.

Beasty

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

That’s the real issue here and the reason it will never be moved back, even though they know themselves it should be.

Post in it where it is. If you think it should be back in AH ask the local mods, although they have already indicated they are happy to keep it there

normanoffside

Beasty wrote: »

Can't you post in a forum other than AH?

I can and I do. Only 1/9th of my posts are in AH, but I have AH bookmarked and will see that thread when something is posted.

I won't be going to the Geography forum indefinitely just to see if someone has updated the thread and apart from me, either will anyone else.
That's the crux of the issue; a good, fun and engaging thread is going to die in a very quiet forum.
The mod who moved it has already admitted he was wrong and another AH mod has said if he were around it would not have been moved.
The OP of the thread is pi**ed off it was moved (see here).

So all in all it has been a mess up.
Just admit the mistake, move it back and everyone will move on.

The moderator on the new forum seems to have an attitude too so it’s really going to kill it off.

Deja Boo

Beasty wrote: »

Can't you post in a forum other than AH?

We all post in other forums, but the nature of the new forum isn't exactly someplace I would be comfortable posting, say, a map of Where People Mostly Believe in Santa Claus, in a scientific forum... would you?

osarusan

One of the things about a community spirit or whatever on a forum is is that people get to know posters, and enjoy interacting with them, and want to hear what they think about different topics.

If somebody starts a "best film you have ever seen" thread in AH, maybe they want to hear what the AH regulars have to say, rather than a discussion of film in the film forum with a bunch of posters they don't know.

Skylinehead

Beasty wrote: »

Can't you post in a forum other than AH?

That's not an argument at all. Decision was made, thread died, can we move it back now? I don't have the power to do it.

osarusan wrote: »

One of the things about a community spirit or whatever on a forum is is that people get to know posters, and enjoy interacting with them, and want to hear what they think about different topics.

If somebody starts a "best film you have ever seen" thread in AH, maybe they want to hear what the AH regulars have to say, rather than a discussion of film in the film forum with a bunch of posters they don't know.

Yep, there's plenty of threads about films (usually generic) and music in AH. We don't move everything out, or there'd be nothing left.

osarusan

osarusan wrote: »

One of the things about a community spirit or whatever on a forum is is that people get to know posters, and enjoy interacting with them, and want to hear what they think about different topics.

If somebody starts a "best film you have ever seen" thread in AH, maybe they want to hear what the AH regulars have to say, rather than a discussion of film in the film forum with a bunch of posters they don't know.

And in the dedicated forum you’ll need to be a complete expert on the subject not to face complete condescension. Sometimes posters might just want a laid back chat about something without it getting too heavy.


The post about some maps on funnier subjects above is the main point on all this though. That’s why it was perfect for AH but the mods waded in and moved it too quick before really thinking about it. They have made a mistake but can’t put the hands up to it now and rectify it. It’s like a show of strength always has to be made, often to the detriment of the forum and its users.

Beasty

I wanted to discuss it with the Geography & Geology mods before doing anything with the Interesting maps thread and I've just moved it back to AH.


If anyone has any other ideas for perhaps a day trip for the thread please let us know.....:)

normanoffside

Beasty wrote: »

I wanted to discuss it with the Geography & Geology mods before doing anything with the Interesting maps thread and I've just moved it back to AH.


If anyone has any other ideas for perhaps a day trip for the thread please let us know.....:)

Thanks Beasty for being reasonable.

Deja Boo

Beasty wrote: »

I wanted to discuss it with the Geography & Geology mods before doing anything with the Interesting maps thread and I've just moved it back to AH.


If anyone has any other ideas for perhaps a day trip for the thread please let us know.....:)

There's something in it for every forum... it could make the rounds :eek:

Thanks for hearing us out Beasty.

Dial Hard

Genuine question - can we put a limit on the number of threads people can start within a given time frame? The constant barrage of stupid question threads is gone beyond ridiculous at this stage.

Beasty

Dial Hard wrote: »

Genuine question - can we put a limit on the number of threads people can start within a given time frame? The constant barrage of stupid question threads is gone beyond ridiculous at this stage.

Cannot do it automatically. I can guess at one of the posters you are thinking of, but equally maybe some posters enjoy that sort of thread. Indeed if other posters reply it's normally because they have something to say on the topic

Having said that I am also aware that the mods have on occasion stopped a specific poster from starting new threads. It's easy to police it if it's only one or two posters as some of those getting wound up by it all will in all likelihood report any trangressions

Just to add though, it is also part of the return to having more light-hearted debate and banter in AH with most of the heavy duty stuff now in CA/IMHO

coffee_cake

i'm gona be honest
i don't mind the stupid question threads

they're fairly original

Dial Hard

bluewolf wrote: »

i'm gona be honest
i don't mind the stupid question threads

they're fairly original

My issue is that I genuinely think one particular poster needs professional help. Not whatever weird validation he's getting from AH.

EmmetSpiceland

Dial Hard wrote: »

My issue is that I genuinely think one particular poster needs professional help. Not whatever weird validation he's getting from AH.

Let’s face it, D. The “powers that be” at boards.ie are always going to be happy enough with the traffic these threads generate.

Sure, until those, inane, threads started appearing they had a mod that would put up similar threads that were reminiscent of a teacher asking primary school children what they did on their holidays or for their “news”.

As with those threads, the best way to be rid of them is not to post in them. For some reason these threads get pages, and pages, of responses. Users, constantly, telling the OP their an “idiot” or giving out about their crap threads, all that does is keep the thread on the first page and causes more people to post in it.

As long as these users are staying within the rules those threads will be with us. Encouraging others not to post on them might be an idea but that could be seen as being “exclusionary” and against the “spirit” of the site.

Either way, it’s the users, themselves, who seem to be at fault here.

coffee_cake

Dial Hard wrote: »

My issue is that I genuinely think one particular poster needs professional help. Not whatever weird validation he's getting from AH.

that's fair