Regarding the Off-Topic boards

[Null]

So I'm not really an off-topic person. I don't have much I care to talk about other than server stuff and lolcow stuff. As a result, I'm more out-of-touch with this board than any board.

I'm curious if anyone has any feedback regarding Off-Topic.

As it stands, the requirements for Off-Topic are:
20 likes
10 posts
3 day old account

Off-Topic is restricted to Lolcows, Predatory users, and Disruptive autists.

I'm curious if:
a) opening the board to new users sooner would be a good idea.
b) opening it to guests would be a good idea.

I'm also contemplating adding social groups back to the forum. I have found a different mod that may accomplish it better.

 

[Ronald Gaygun]

For the short while they were around, I though the social group thing seemed pretty promising.

 

[Coster]

I think the requirements for Off-Topic are fine the way they are personally. I like that it's hidden from view until you've been here for a bit.

 

[EI 903]

I think keeping things as they are is reasonable. Angry speds can't get into it in one day while they're still up in arms, and have to wait a couple of cool-down days. Opening it to guests is probably a bad idea.

 

[Cephalometrist]

I know this coming from one of the newer users is kind of strange, but considering the recent influx of new members and the probable inflation of the rating system*, shouldn't the requirements for viewing and posting on the Off-Topic board be made stricter?

I mean it is quite easy to meet all of these requirements: Join the forums when there is something new about OPL, post exclusively on the OPL board about what a horrible person Chris is for half an hour and wait for three days and you gain access to relatively personal information about quite a few forum members.
It's the same reason I would strongly disadvice opening the OT boards for guests.

Maybe splitting the OT board into one board for personal stuff (pictures, meetings, grief, etc.) and one board dedicated to hobbies, political stuff etc. would be a good solution.

*Not too sure if that is actually happening, but logically it should

 

[Watcher]

I think the offtopic boards are fine the way they are.

Adding the groups back is a good idea in my opinion. I really liked running the traditional gaming one and I would like to run a tech support one as well.

I know this coming from one of the newer users is kind of strange, but considering the recent influx of new members and the probable inflation of the rating system*, shouldn't the requirements for viewing and posting on the Off-Topic board be made stricter?

There have always been large influxes of new members during pivotal moments. I remember when Chris's house set on fire there were tons of new members.

 

[100 Whole Bepis]

Requirements are fine the way they are, but the board should probably remain closed to guests. As people in the off-topic boards are more likely to post personal information, whether it would be pics or venting in the Coping Thread or such, keeping it closed to guests would help keep out vengeful lolcows that come looking for dirt on their "trolls". Especially on Tumblr doxxing has become a pretty big concern so it'd be in our best interests to keep them and kiwi's personal info as far away from each other as possible.

 

[Cute Anime Girl]

I honestly think the requirements should be bigger then they are now. Like 150 likes, 50 posts, here for at least a month.

 

[CatParty]

It should be harder to get into. This is a community section and there are some threads are are too community specific for users who have just been here 3 days. I would suggest even a voting or vetting system as a requirement to enter.

 

[applecat]

I second @Cute Anime Girl 's suggestion. It seems like a good number to match the inflation of the community while not making Off Topic completely inaccessible to newcomers.

 

[Morbid Boredom]

It should be harder to get into. This is a community section and there are some threads are are too community specific for users who have just been here 3 days. I would suggest even a voting or vetting system as a requirement to enter.

That would effectively lock the off-topic forum to all users who joined after voting was implemented (inb4 "That's the point").

But I agree that the requirements should be stricter -a user can get 20 likes for posting "Chris is gay".

 

[CatParty]

But I agree that the requirements should be stricter -a user can get 20 likes for posting "Chris is gay".

at the very least 20

 

[TL 611]

I think I agree with maaybe splitting the board?

I mean if we raise the bar that high then discussion is going to suffer. People will start posting off topic stuff there because they can't access off topic.

Maybe personal and off topic (with all the subforums)? Personal having the higher post requirement, off topic staying the same.

However I'd like to point out that the Inner Circle forum has a way higher requirement BUT NOBODY USES IT BECAUSE YOURE ALL SHITPOSTING DEVIANTS.

... Deep breaths, Melchett, deep breaths.

 

[CatParty]

I think I agree with maaybe splitting the board?

I mean if we raise the bar that high then discussion is going to suffer. People will start posting off topic stuff there because they can't access off topic.

Maybe personal and off topic (with all the subforums)? Personal having the higher post requirement, off topic staying the same.

However I'd like to point out that the Inner Circle forum has a way higher requirement BUT NOBODY USES IT BECAUSE YOURE ALL SHITPOSTING DEVIANTS.

... Deep breaths, Melchett, deep breaths.

make the shitpost innercircle the general off topic and raise requirements for true off-topic

 

[Clown Doll]

I though the social group thing seemed pretty promising.

I thought they kind of fragmented Off-Topic into way too tiny islets that hid the relevant posts behind sub-forums. The community has almost doubled in size in the span of a year, but it's still fairly small and the capacity to make a new micro-forum for activity that almost doesn't even warrant a single thread in Off-topic general or the Off-topic sub boards is kind of pointless.

 

[Cuck Norris]

You mean us plebs will finally experience dank memes?

 

[Sammy]

make the shitpost innercircle the general off topic and raise requirements for true off-topic

I kinda like this, but kinda not. I'm not sure how I feel about brand new people (or guests) coming to this forum and seeing six threads about how much of a faggot Jon-Nyan is.

Also, there seems to be some sort of high school style rivalry with other cow watching enthusiast communities we have going on, I'm not sure I want them to see our dirty laundry so easily either. I think it could just give them ammo and make life harder for the management.

 

[CatParty]

I kinda like this, but kinda not. I'm not sure how I feel about brand new people (or guests) coming to this forum and seeing a six threads about how much of a faggot Jon-Nyan is.

Like they're not gonna find that out sooner rather than later

 

[TL 611]

I thought they kind of fragmented Off-Topic into way too tiny islets that hid the relevant posts behind sub-forums. The community has almost doubled in size in the span of a year, but it's still fairly small and the capacity to make a new micro-forum for activity that almost doesn't even warrant a single thread in Off-topic general or the Off-topic sub boards.

This is something people should remember. The groups were cool, sure, but they weren't useful.

I'd suggest not allowing everyone to make a group because it means like there are stupid subforums with like 4 people in them and a single thread. Maybe like some weird nomination system? People suggest a group and its the discretion of staff whether it's deemed popular enough/not spergy to be worthwhile.

 

[TL 611]

Also fuck it there is NOTHING of value in that subforum, unless I get a reallllyyyy bad reaction from a lot of people I'm deleting all of the posts in inner circle. John-Nyans spergatory doesn't deserve to kill an entire forum.