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ZFGC.com => Feedback => Topic started by: Kleaver on April 20, 2006, 10:52:36 pm

Title: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kleaver on April 20, 2006, 10:52:36 pm
I often doubt where is the line between Community Speak and Off-Topic...ok, presenting yourself to the community in one, but those topics are just there all the time, a general welcome topic would be more efficient.

I suggest merging Off-Topic and Community Speak, into one "General Talk" board. Where one topic serves as welcoming topic. Ofcourse, Debates and Spam will become 2 seperate boards under community.

Perhaps later we can add the wanted "General Zelda" board  ;)
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Fox on April 21, 2006, 01:19:22 pm
I think I'll agree with you. Spam is different from Off-topic, and there is indeed not much difference between OT and CS. We might want to merge those two. And the Zelda-board... *_* Yes, pweeze... I want that too! :D

Besides, I noticed a high ammount of "Hi I'm new"-topics. That'd be a good stickied topic, yet again, most users would simply ignore/not notice it. Hm. But I'll agree with you on your ideas.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kleaver on April 21, 2006, 01:22:10 pm
If they ignore it we can merge it with the welcome topic, or just redirect them.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Krynn on April 21, 2006, 06:22:33 pm
there should be a welcome sub-board in the community speech section.

Anything that acutally has to do with something, to do with the community should be in community speech. Something about yourself should go in off-topic.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Alex2539 on April 21, 2006, 08:22:48 pm
No, things that are about you and are about your personal life belong in CS since you're a member of the community. Topics that aren't spam and don't really have anything to do with the community go into Off-Topic.

Example:
My puppy died -> CS
I'm joining the marines -> CS
I just found a great new fertilizer -> OT
What size bucket is best for carrying milk? -> OT
I IZ A NINJA -> SPAM
I did a project on ninjas -> OT
My parents we just killed by a ninja -> CS (assuming that they actually were killed by a ninja)

There is a difference between CS and OT, it's just that most people see OT as un-serious so they want their serious topics posted in a serious board; CS. Because of this, a lot of stupid topics wind up in OT and a lot of OT topics wind up in CS.

I dunno... maybe we should merge them. The only question is will the serious topics still get through? Or will OT just overpower them all?
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kren on April 21, 2006, 08:29:56 pm
hmm we shouldn't merge it, people don't see a real problem that will affect all the community
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kleaver on April 21, 2006, 08:44:08 pm
But how much community talk would we have, Off Topic IS Community. The entire section of that board is.

I did a project on ninjas -> OT
I'm joining the marines -> CS

So then the difference is when its got to do with your own life change its community? I think the lines are very close and one general topic will even ENCOURAGE more serious talk from Off-Topic.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kleaver on April 21, 2006, 08:52:31 pm
Most activity is from people introducing themselves. We can put that all in one topic like most forums do, it saves bandwidth and a whole lot of topics. I guess Community Speak will mostly vanish and Off-Topic will be the General Talk board. Any other big community issues can be handled in the information center or announcements or something.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Fox on April 22, 2006, 08:26:42 am
No, things that are about you and are about your personal life belong in CS since you're a member of the community. Topics that aren't spam and don't really have anything to do with the community go into Off-Topic.

Example:
My puppy died -> CS
I'm joining the marines -> CS
I just found a great new fertilizer -> OT
What size bucket is best for carrying milk? -> OT
I IZ A NINJA -> SPAM
I did a project on ninjas -> OT
My parents we just killed by a ninja -> CS (assuming that they actually were killed by a ninja)

There is a difference between CS and OT, it's just that most people see OT as un-serious so they want their serious topics posted in a serious board; CS. Because of this, a lot of stupid topics wind up in OT and a lot of OT topics wind up in CS.

I dunno... maybe we should merge them. The only question is will the serious topics still get through? Or will OT just overpower them all?
Not everything in Off-Topic is actually not worth to be posted in CS, and in reverse. Judging the relevance of a topic is bitchy, I know, but I think we should merge them, because (as Kleaver said) we would encourage people to write more relevant posts. If people really think they have to write crap, they'll do so in Spam, I think... Well, that's my opinion.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Pyru on April 22, 2006, 12:28:13 pm
No, things that are about you and are about your personal life belong in CS since you're a member of the community. Topics that aren't spam and don't really have anything to do with the community go into Off-Topic.

Example:
My puppy died -> CS
I'm joining the marines -> CS
I just found a great new fertilizer -> OT
What size bucket is best for carrying milk? -> OT
I IZ A NINJA -> SPAM
I did a project on ninjas -> OT
My parents we just killed by a ninja -> CS (assuming that they actually were killed by a ninja)

There is a difference between CS and OT, it's just that most people see OT as un-serious so they want their serious topics posted in a serious board; CS. Because of this, a lot of stupid topics wind up in OT and a lot of OT topics wind up in CS.

I dunno... maybe we should merge them. The only question is will the serious topics still get through? Or will OT just overpower them all?

Yeah, I agree with the way you laid it out..

I mean, if the two were merged, there would be so many non-spam, non-debate topics going into a single board. Off-topic is nice just to have an area where "If it doesn't fit anywhere else, it goes here", y'know?
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Ben on April 22, 2006, 12:29:39 pm
Off topic should be the place where you discuss things like what was on TV or what your favourite foods are.
Community speak should be about things close to your heart (:-p).
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Pyru on April 22, 2006, 12:31:30 pm
Off topic should be the place where you discuss things like what was on TV or what your favourite foods are.
Community speak should be about things close to your heart (:-p).

Maybe even more precise than that: CS is about things that happen, or have happened, involving you, and OT is just things.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kleaver on April 22, 2006, 12:49:17 pm
Allright, lets keep Community Speak for welcomes or goodbyes and personal issues. And Off-Topic for everything else.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kleaver on April 22, 2006, 12:51:47 pm
Actually, no...I see most of you dont agree. And this was just an idea. If you dont like it, we dont do it.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Limey on April 22, 2006, 07:49:36 pm
They're different:

Anything that isn't about your daily life, the news, the world in general, or the forum, goes in CS.  EVERYTHING else goes in Off topic. 
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Sprite Collector on May 16, 2006, 06:50:25 pm
I think it'd be good to have a subforum strictly for:
-"Hello"
-"I'm leaving for good. I'm SUPER CEREAL this time!!"
-"I'm back"
This way, CS won't be flooded and it would keep a lot of drama on a smaller board. Hah hah. Combining CS and Off-Topic seems a little strange. I've always been able to see the difference between the two, and up until recently, I haven't seen any discrepancies on where to put things. I really like the idea for a Zelda subforum. =D
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: skully on May 16, 2006, 07:42:38 pm
I honestly don't see anything wrong with merging the two. I read all of the comments and you guys were saying things like 'community speak is for personal issues, off-topic is for anything that doesn't go anywhere else'

I don't get it.. What dose it matter? If we just had a 'General Discussion' board to house both, close to the heart personal matters, and general chat that doesn't really have to do with anything (your daily life). What would be the problem? I can't grasp how exactly this would be bad for us. It would be so much easier then having two seperate forums I have to check for practically the same content. I mean, Community Speak, isn't really all that active at the moment anyways. Why not just merge the both of them, and then put a child bord in there like SC said for the following;
Quote
-"Hello"
-"I'm leaving for good. I'm SUPER CEREAL this time!!"
-"I'm back"

What would be the problem if people discussed their life, and random things in our world today, just as a community, you know 'general discussion about anything not zelda or fan-game related. Is it hurting anybody if there is a topic about somebody joining the military, along side a topic about video editing software? They are both just generalized as general discussion. Why break them up into seperate boards? It just wastes mroe time browsing between the boards. It is cleaner, and more simpleized if we just have Ganeral Discussion that sums up both off topic matters and community speak matters.

There really isn't any extremly logical reason why we shouldnt do it other then wanting to catagorize 'everything' and not cut down on the index crowding. Would anybody care that much if they had to check one simply labled "General Discussion" board for all general discussion between members, about members, the community, life, and anything not zelda or fan game related? Rather then wo very similar boards about almost the same things? Where in one people don't take things as seriously becasue for some reason they automaticly generalize it as spam.

It's sensable if you ask me. I think it's agreat idea to merge them. And completly agree with what SC said right above me. If you merged the two and added that child bord for all of those intro, leaveing, coming back topics to keep them out of the general discussion. That would only benifate us, and be less confusing for people just looking for generl discussion about anything not spam.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Limey on May 17, 2006, 02:23:51 am
Fine, we could probably merge them.  And make a board called the "Hellos and goodbyes' Forum ;)
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: 4Sword on May 17, 2006, 02:32:58 am
The problem with Off Topic is that nobody can tell if anything is going on there.  The overuse of the Spam section makes it so the most recent post for the Off Topic board is always from the Spam section.  Considering that the most recent displayed topics at the bottom of the screen only shows the five most recent posts, there is little if almost no chance of anything from Off Topic able to be seen.  A lot of the time, if there is anything, it probably has to be moved to Spam anyway.

So, I do not think that the boards should merge.  They would ruin each other if they were fused; how would you like your topic about your whole family dieing in a horrible car crash being replaced with a topic about something that is of a completely different spectrum.  As I have said, if there was less board confusion and cover-up, then there would not be this discussion.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: skully on May 17, 2006, 02:38:06 am
The problem with Off Topic is that nobody can tell if anything is going on there.  The overuse of the Spam section makes it so the most recent post for the Off Topic board is always from the Spam section.  Considering that the most recent displayed topics at the bottom of the screen only shows the five most recent posts, there is little if almost no chance of anything from Off Topic able to be seen.  A lot of the time, if there is anything, it probably has to be moved to Spam anyway.

So, I do not think that the boards should merge.  They would ruin each other if they were fused; how would you like your topic about your whole family dieing in a horrible car crash being replaced with a topic about something that is of a completely different spectrum.  As I have said, if there was less board confusion and cover-up, then there would not be this discussion.
But off topic isn't suppose to be spam and such. I don't t hink it would really ruin CS at all. Maybe if you look at it in its current sence it might seem that way. But if they wre merged and just became a kickback place for all general chat, personal life, jobs, school, the world, and anything non zelda related then what is the problem. I mean, you are better off making a specific board for personal family issues and then having a merged general discussion then what we have at the moment. And I mean, it wouldn't be that drasticly different would it? It would still feel like community speak. It wouldn't feel spammy. People just make that assumtion and get that feeling because the spam baord is within off-topic. So things aren't really taken serious. Whereas with general chat everything would be taken more serious as they are in CS. And people can still go to the seperate spam board to goof off.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: 4Sword on May 17, 2006, 03:02:01 am
I never said that Off Topic was Spam, I only said that it is overshadowed by Spam and is thus avoided.  There should be options in one's user profile to avoid boards all-together.  Some people do not want to see the board Spam or view it on the board index sometimes; it makes some people feel stupid for coming here.

I guess that they would be find merged now, but it would be awkward for a while.  People still do not fully know that Off Topic exists.  I know this, because I either see spammy posts in Off Topic or serious posts in Spam.  Anyway, do whatever; my opinions really do not matter here anyway.



Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Alex2539 on May 17, 2006, 03:06:04 am
You're proposing the same as what's at DSR, right? I don't like that. All of the serious topics get hidden behind the joke-ish ones that are not quite spam, but completely unimportant. The merged section does, in fact, almost feel spammy and nothing like CS. There is a difference between CS and Ot, a large one at that, it's just up to the users' common sense and discretion to be able to determine that difference. Should that fail, the moderators' discretino is called upon. When I was still a g-mod, I moved a couple of topics from CS to OT, as did other mods. The sections are completely different and they ought to remain separate. If needed, I can convert that other post I made into a sticky topic that goes into both section, describing the sort of content that belongs within.

CS is for serious, more personal topics.

OT is for any topic that is serious, or maybe not, but has a point and doesn't belong in any other section. Sort of lke CS, but not personal

Spam is for anything without a point.
Title: Re: Comunity Speak + Off Topic
Post by: Kleaver on May 17, 2006, 01:45:38 pm
...Ok, but then YOU write up the exact guidelines for topics in CS and OT

For example
http://www.zfgc.com/index.php/topic,2651.0.html

This one also could have been put in Community Speak. So it doesnt matter when a Community Speak topic is posted in Off-Topic, but if an Off-Topic one is posted is CS it is?

And there are always topics that are more serious than others, even in CS or Off-Topic.

Quote
Anyway, do whatever; my opinions really do not matter here anyway.
Actually, they do...thats why I post it here, instead of in the Mod board. I like input from members.

Well I see some people find it a good idea and some don't. Well why dont we just try it out for one week. And it it turns out to really be bad we could move it back.
But I didnt see anyone against making a Zelda board :D So can I make that now? ^_^

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