Board Maturity Level

BelgarionBelgarion Join Date: 2002-07-19 Member: 973Members
<div class="IPBDescription">are we seeing a decline?</div> Does it feel to anyone else as though the maturity level of the NS forums overall has dropped significantly? I can remember very few flamewars around here, and i've always thought of the NS forums as very mature and well mannered. But in the last few weeks it seems as though there have been a large number of ill-tempered/provoking/just plain rude posts, flame posts and even a few flamewars going on.

maybe it's just me, but i feel the board in general has taken a turn for the worse.
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Comments

  • SoulSkorpionSoulSkorpion Join Date: 2002-04-12 Member: 423Members
    Nope, not really. Off topic's pretty much as it always has been. Can't comment on the General forum, though.
  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    I don't think anything has happened in the past few weeks.

    I just think the level of seriousness has gone down... In serious topics, people don't think about it and reply, everybody just wants to try to be funny.

    And yet other people simply post because it raises their post count, sometimes not even bothing to give a post worth reading. In the past day or so, when I only just noticed it, I saw it through one person with a 2, 3 thousand + post count who just posted because... I don't know why. Looked to me like superficial things, that didn't actually contribute to the thread or forum.

    I think that posts under 1 paragraph are generally not worth reading, and shouldn't be written or posted.

    What would help I think is if we took away post counts... Sure people like to see that they have a lot of posts and maybe want to be known that they are active, but let people see how active and worthwhile you are by the levels of intelligence, effort and thought you put into each post.
  • GeminosityGeminosity :3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
    edited February 2004
    I've always preferred boards where the post-count isn't shown and the 'ranks' either didn't exist or were based on something other than posts =3

    Best system i ever saw was the one where there were only 3 ways to accumulate points for your rank;

    <b>-</b> every day that you post you get a point, note that it's irrelevant how much you actually post that day, whether it's 1 post or 100 you still only got 1 point for the day. Personally I prefer the idea of per week rather than day as it's even less likely to encourage spam or those who don't want to check in every single day =P
    <b>-</b> everyone was capable of donating points to others, quite often they were given as a gift or a reward by other high-level posters (who no longer really needed their own points) to people who made good posts.
    <b>-</b> admins would sometimes give them as the prize for competitions or just general good behavior ^^

    Course, on those boards points were also used to change your title, avatar, enable your sig and stuff like that so they were kinda handy to have too <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->


    <b>edit:</b> not naming names huh eediot? =3
  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    edited February 2004
    Geminosity - would that happen to be CAD forums? If so, yeah the set up was good, but i didnt like the community there......

    And naming names, no it wasnt you if thats what you were implying... The one i saw was rather relevent to... communism. But hey, thats just how it looked to me

    On the whole, from what i can dig up from my memory just now, I would say Geminosity that you're a fairly responsible and reasonably poster. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    edit: other people certainly do it too, but hes the one i noticed last night or the night before doing it, and thats what brought it to mind
  • MouseMouse The Lighter Side of Pessimism Join Date: 2002-03-02 Member: 263Members, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    Depends on when your initial point of reference is.
    Generally speaking I would say yes.
    Since I first joined these forums? most definately
  • GeminosityGeminosity :3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
    awww thankies eediot ^^
    I was just curious really though I do get a lil paranoid about stuff like that as I usually just post whenever I feel like saying something and my postcount tends to skyrocket when I'm feeling particularly chatty sometimes leading to people teasing me trying to say I spam; especially when I start on a new board =s

    oh and the funny setup thingy I've actually seen on a couple of boards. Shame really because like you with CAD while I liked the setup I didn't think much of the communities themselves =3
  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    edited February 2004
    Yeah, I try not to post in threads that I don't really have any 'jurisdiction' in, know about, or care about... Sometimes if I'm really bored and have nothing to do I might try and carry a conversation out in them, but generally I just stick to what interests me <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> And that helps to keep the level of crappy posts down, hehe

    Yeah the point system is probably on a few boards, I think it might be either customised or private distribution, because I haven't heard anything about it as a public forum distribution, or even for sale... [Not that I would buy it... also I'm broke <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->]

    It's sad, because CAD is a GREAT comic strip, but the community there is so harsh, unforgiving, selfish, stupid, immature, abusive... Well, a whole lot of adjectives really <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Also, apparently I'm not allowed to post even THREE emoticons... weird.

    Edit: I mean, four. Guess I must have missed that one. But I have never gotten that error before... must be a new thing. New as in, past two or three minutes.
  • MoquiaoMoquiao Join Date: 2003-05-09 Member: 16168Members
    the irony of this arguement is the forums in your sig... presumably your forums...

    have ranks and postcounts. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> and im not trying to be a **** just an observation.
  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    edited February 2004
    Moquiao, if you are talking to me, yeah they have postcounts... I have never tried PHPBB before so I didn't think about turning them off. I just wanted them up so the alliance could talk and discuss things, it's based around a central theme so you don't need controls like this forum does with Off-Topic.

    But hey, if you want to I can turn them off. It just seems like a lot of effort for something that is fairly inconsequential.

    Edit: Or, as bender might say... "It's not ironic, It's just coincidental!"
  • docchimpydocchimpy Join Date: 2003-07-19 Member: 18266Members
    This is still the most mature board I've been to. That's why I stay.

    Stupidheads.

    (J/k)
  • MoquiaoMoquiao Join Date: 2003-05-09 Member: 16168Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-docchimpy+Feb 11 2004, 01:19 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (docchimpy @ Feb 11 2004, 01:19 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> This is still the most mature board I've been to. That's why I stay.

    Stupidheads.

    (J/k) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    this is true.


    while it has degenerated slightly.... it is STILL by far better then other boards
  • Marine0IMarine0I Join Date: 2002-11-14 Member: 8639Members, Constellation
    It certainly is one of the most mature forums that I've ever posted on. I think 1% is that NS'ers are kinda the more intelligent of the FPS gamers, favouring a game that requires tactics and strategy just as much as godlike reflexs.

    The other 99% is moderation. Moderators pretty much set the level of maturity. In this case, the moderators have set the standard high and have followed through consistantly.

    Case in point - the day of defeat clan forums at 1911. Until just recently, it was a cesspool of incessant foul language, constant racial slurs, never ending cheat accusations and a 24/7 flamewar. Throw in a little pornography, and even the CPL admins commented on their immaturity. Now a heavier hand of moderation has started to come down, and its slowing getting its act together.

    Were MonsE, Nem, coil, marik, mouse etc to let their hair down, this forum would be trash in approximately 3 days.

    Moral of the story - when reporting some flamers post, be sure to include your own message of love for the mod.
  • CommunistWithAGunCommunistWithAGun Local Propaganda Guy Join Date: 2003-04-30 Member: 15953Members
    edited February 2004
    I think ever since I came to the forums a year ago its been going downhill <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    <span style='color:white'>[edit]</span><!--QuoteBegin-Marine01+Feb 11 2004, 07:50 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Marine01 @ Feb 11 2004, 07:50 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
    Were MonsE, Nem, coil, marik, mouse etc to let their hair down, this forum would be trash in approximately 3 days. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I could do it in 1 hour.<span style='color:white'>[/edit]

    Note the irony of CWAG using a doublepost to say this...</span>
  • MoquiaoMoquiao Join Date: 2003-05-09 Member: 16168Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-CommunistWithAGun+Feb 11 2004, 01:54 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (CommunistWithAGun @ Feb 11 2004, 01:54 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Marine01+Feb 11 2004, 07:50 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Marine01 @ Feb 11 2004, 07:50 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
    Were MonsE, Nem, coil, marik, mouse etc to let their hair down, this forum would be trash in approximately 3 days. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I could do it in 1 hour. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    monsE still has hair? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> j/k! lol


    na the mods here rock. hard,
  • RyoOhkiRyoOhki Join Date: 2003-01-26 Member: 12789Members
    Well whilst it's certainly true that the boards would go to hell in a handbasket very quickly if moderation was dropped, I believe that would mainly be due to new members. The forum regulars I've found to be an excellent group of people, mature, friendly and easy to talk to. I doubt that given the chance, we'd drop the pleasentries and go ape on each other. Of course the only way to prove that would be to drop the moderation and none of us want that.

    Personally I havn't really experianced a drop in board quality (though I only ever drop by Off-Topic and Discussions now that the beta has gone open). And is it just me or does Uranium-235 randomly appear, get banned, return and get banned again? When I first joined the forums he got banned soon after, then a while back he reappeared. Now he's gone again...
  • CronosCronos Join Date: 2002-10-18 Member: 1542Members
    You want to see a degenerate community? Visit the Planet Counterstrike Forums.

    Not only do they have more moderators then you can shake a stick at, they also dont moderate their forums.

    In addition, before the admins forced them to take action, their community quite regularly went on spamming rampages across other boards and in a case of unique punishment even had custom avatars suspended (until they hacked it).

    Although there is a slight decline in quality due the the number of people flooding into the boards, I maintain that we are not that bad compared the the PCS community on the gamespy forums.
  • GeminosityGeminosity :3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
    worst board I ever saw was the 'running with scissors' one... not like it was surprising considering this is the company that produces the 'postal' games ^^;
    not a nice place...
  • CplDavisCplDavis I hunt the arctic Snonos Join Date: 2003-01-09 Member: 12097Members
    ermm I dont know, I recently know of 1 NS great who has contributed SIGNIFICANTLY to the community, (think of the 3.0 hand grenade skin as a starter) who has left the community by a gret part do to several ways he was treated in his last days.

    He will be missed. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Id say the general aspect of the forum is ok so far though. We've always had our little spurts of ups and downs.

    I also see the same thing with players in 3.0 servers.
    I see the same levels of "OMG U HAX" in some servers as I do in a CS server <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    And usualy its over something stupid like
    OMG HOW DID U SEE ME AHHHHHHHHH HACKER!
    -- dude calm down its called Motion tracking...

    I personaly wish Flayra had not reinstated the score board but whoops im getting off topic. sorry

    No I think the NS forums are just in its normal state of ups and downs. Nothing to worry about so far.
  • GWARGWAR Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2297Members, Contributor
    <!--QuoteBegin-Geminosity+Feb 11 2004, 02:24 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Geminosity @ Feb 11 2004, 02:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> worst board I ever saw was the 'running with scissors' one... not like it was surprising considering this is the company that produces the 'postal' games ^^;
    not a nice place... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I want to visit that sometime... Just for a laugh I suppose.

    As a suggestion, maybe the admins should turn on the (x) character requirement per post. It will remove all the blank/useless posts containing nothing but "lol" (spam)
  • taboofirestaboofires Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9853Members
    Whenever there's a new major release, there's a surge of new players and forumgoers. Newness comes with ignorance, both to reasonable and unreasonable levels (not reading the rules is not reasonable, for instance), as well as just a general excitement over NS. Both of which leads to many extra posts.

    We just kinda get drowned out.
  • MonsieurEvilMonsieurEvil Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 4Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    edited February 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-Moquiao+Feb 11 2004, 07:58 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Moquiao @ Feb 11 2004, 07:58 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> monsE still has hair? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> j/k! lol <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    All in all, I think our moderators and admins do an incredible job keeping things under control both here and in the IRC channel. It's not always easy, trust me.
  • MoquiaoMoquiao Join Date: 2003-05-09 Member: 16168Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-MonsieurEvil+Feb 11 2004, 04:44 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MonsieurEvil @ Feb 11 2004, 04:44 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Moquiao+Feb 11 2004, 07:58 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Moquiao @ Feb 11 2004, 07:58 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> monsE still has hair? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> j/k! lol <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    All in all, I think our moderators and admins do an incredible job keeping things under control both here and in the IRC channel. It's not always easy, trust me. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    hear hear


    /me kisses monsE's bald spot <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • DOOManiacDOOManiac Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
    edited February 2004
    I stay the hell away from the General, I&S, and Discussion forums, Off Topic remains to be a personal haven.

    While sure we have a few rotten apples in the bunch, considering the size of the board its amazing how nice things are here. I've seen a lot worse with a lot fewer people.

    One thing I like here is that the community, while moderated, isn't sterile. I occassionally go to <a href='http://smartphone.modaco.com/index.php' target='_blank'>Modaco</a>'s Forums to see if there are any new free apps/games for my phone, and their community there is pretty much sterile. No life or emotion whatsoever, due to their heavy OVER moderation of things.

    But the mods aren't entirely responsible. Yes they play a big part, but I believe a bigger part is that, for the most part, you're all a pretty good crowd. That keeps the forums on a mostly clean slate to begin with. The mods can only do so much.

    So while the mods certainly deserve a pat on the back, I think everyone else does too. :)
  • AldarisAldaris Join Date: 2002-03-25 Member: 351Members, Constellation
    The moderating team, for ns, I feel, has the perfect balance between strictness and freedom. I've seen forums with spamming, rude comments, and racist insults. On the other hand I've seen forums were the slightest negative comment towards the mod results in lockage/temp ban.

    *looks at join date*

    I remember when the moderating team as tiny, and every comment as a boon. I feel old now.
  • GwahirGwahir Join Date: 2002-04-24 Member: 513Members, Constellation
    I agree that we have a fairly good bunch here, I agree more that the moderators make it all possible. It has been proven many times that if a group under strict control, when given more freedom, will extend their misbehavior beyond those new limits. Take a prison, if the rules are relaxed, the inmates riot.

    If the moderators were not so effective here, the few that started a stir would annoy the otherwise good members who would then misbehave starting a cycle and all would degenerate, very quickly.
  • BurrBurr Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9358Members
    Personally, I don't see anything wrong with the maturity level of the forums...of course all I go to is off-topic... if there is a decline in maturity it might have something to do with the release of 3.0, but like I said I never venture over to other forums, im loyal to my NS Off Topic forum..I enjoy the controlled chaos of it. (whee oxymorons!)
  • dr_ddr_d Join Date: 2003-03-28 Member: 14979Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Belgarion+Feb 11 2004, 04:37 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Belgarion @ Feb 11 2004, 04:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Does it feel to anyone else as though the maturity level of the NS forums overall has dropped significantly? I can remember very few flamewars around here, and i've always thought of the NS forums as very mature and well mannered. But in the last few weeks it seems as though there have been a large number of ill-tempered/provoking/just plain rude posts, flame posts and even a few flamewars going on.

    maybe it's just me, but i feel the board in general has taken a turn for the worse. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Shaddup nub, you smell like poop.
  • ThinGThinG Lord of wub and vlaai Join Date: 2003-04-11 Member: 15400Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    If you boldly wish to know if the atmosphere in 2002 was better than it is now, yes it was.
    Was it more mature? Yes, it was <b>in my opinion</b>.

    But keep in mind that there were but a "few" members back then, and now there are so, so many...
  • ZigZig ...I am Captain Planet&#33; Join Date: 2002-10-23 Member: 1576Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Dmaniac+ 'bove--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Dmaniac @ 'bove)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I stay the hell away from the General, I&S, and Discussion forums, Off Topic remains to be a personal haven.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
  • AfrAfr Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16240Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    The veteran forum sure was a mess , but i think it has gotten a little better now.
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