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Your future at TBF - Poll
- Thread starter Motokid
- Start date
- Status
RitalinKid
New Member
I'm layin' low just because I don't have a lot of time right now. Hopefully, I'll get back to posting sometime.
Miss Shelf
New Member
Thia thread could certainly be deleted. It's going round and round in circles.
Motokid
New Member
The bandwidth thing is a non-issue. It's bullshit. If there was a problem with the forum shutting down Darren would be here, and/or the mods would be here cleaning things up, and deleting things, and asking for our help in keeping posts focused, and at a minimum...especially spam and non-book related threads. So the bandwidth thing is not the issue.
The issue is people who want to force the forum to be focused. All of it. The tolerance for those who just want to have some fun and conversate with members seems to ebb and flow. I can understand not wanting to read certain threads, but I can't understand wanting to keep people from starting those threads, and participating in them.
It's censorship in a way. Censorship of the forum. If that's what most of the people want that's fine. I don't understand it, but I can live with it.
The issue is people who want to force the forum to be focused. All of it. The tolerance for those who just want to have some fun and conversate with members seems to ebb and flow. I can understand not wanting to read certain threads, but I can't understand wanting to keep people from starting those threads, and participating in them.
It's censorship in a way. Censorship of the forum. If that's what most of the people want that's fine. I don't understand it, but I can live with it.
StillILearn
New Member
Good try, Stewart.
Peder
Well-Known Member
Ther are threads I look at and threads I don't and never have, and the threads I don't look at don't bother me by their presence. It is, after all, pretty easy not to click on an entire thread. So I don't see why other forum menbers are upset by the wide mix of topics in the forum from flippant to serious. I think that is to be expected in a public forum. If it were a case of wanting the forum as a whole to project a proper image to prospective members or to the outside world, then I think that should be a concern of the administrator and the moderators, and not especially of other members trying to police the content of the forum. Why not live and let live? We do it in other areas of our lives don't we?
Peder
Peder
SFG75
Well-Known Member
Nothing like being on a forum for awhile and rounding up the newbs by the fireplace and let 'em know about how the good old days were. To me, a forum experience is what you make of it. I've known people who have quit or become very disgruntled over the same type of things that I find disagreeable. To me, I just add what I have to say and the matter is over. It's amazing to me how people turn red in the face and leave while I find the same issue a minor one. I guess I let a lot more roll off of my back then others.
To me, a forum experience is what you make of it. I've known people who have quit or become very disgruntled over the same type of things that I find disagreeable. To me, I just add what I have to say and the matter is over. It's amazing to me how people turn red in the face and leave while I find the same issue a minor one. I guess I let a lot more roll off of my back then others.
Kookamoor
New Member
I'm just checking in here because I've been busy and will continue to be for a while. I currently don't really have time to be reading, and someone raised a very valid point in a different thread that if I don't have time to read I shouldn't be as active as I am on TBF. I'm nearing the end of my thesis and will be moving back to Oz permanently in the new year for work. I have no intention of leaving TBF permanently, and I look forward to conversing with you all in the New Year about the wonderful books that I am currently looking forward to reading. In the meantime I'll be posting infrequently.
Someone raised the point that we have been going around in circles of late in regard to these threads, trying to sort out what the Forum is all about. I feel like someone should write a 'Chicken Soup for the TBF'. It's incredibly sad to hear that some members have decided this isn't the place for them any more. I love hearing the antics of Jenn, Ronny and Ricky. I guess for me TBF is more of a book club at times; I hear about what people are reading, but at the same time hear about their daily lives as well.
The problem seems to be a matter of balance - for some members the quality and quantity of the book discussion is low and gets lost amid the general sort of chat. For others, they feel that crude behaviour (crude being defined by the reader) and posting is creeping out of the General Chat section and spamming up the forum. Others yet feel that they are no longer welcome on the forum because their behaviour, allowable under the Forum rules, is not appreciated by other members and overall unwelcome.
I think all these perspectives are valid.
The question is what to do about it, because this issue keeps coming around and will not stop until either all the dissatisfied members leave, or until something is done to satisfy everyone. I offer the following suggestions.
1. It's not simple to just avoid General Chat. Most people (I believe) use the 'New Posts' button to find what threads they want to read. Currently it is impossible not to notice the amount of posts in the General Chat section. Is it possible for the New Posts to be divided into two sections: one for New Book Postings and one that includes All New Posts? This way it would be possible for those who do not enjoy General Chat to completely avoid it. Those who are interested in General Chat can use the All New Posts section.
2. Perhaps a new Forum could be considered in the Miscellaneous section, which would be specifically for "real time chat" or conversations between groups of members. Perhaps this could be called 'Tea Break' or something to signify that it is for everyday conversations between the members who are around at the time. This would be the place to go if you start getting off topic and want to continue the banter. This thread could be limitted to an archive of 1 or 2 weeks to reduce storage space if that was an issue. General Chat would remain for threads with a specific non-book related issue to discuss (such as current issues, happy birthday threads, situation threads, eg: Your most embarrassing moment, etc).
3. Spamming on all threads, General Chat included, should be reduced. A thread has a title for a reason and we should respect that. If you find that a thread is getting off topic, either ask the members involved to set up another thread in the appropriate section (General Chat or Tea Break) or set one up yourself. This is easier said than done, I realise, but with some self policing and greater awareness, particularly among members who are specifically bothered by this or who feel 'guilty' of spamming, this should be possible. This has already been occuring with the "I'm Drunk" thread, where members have posted that they feel the discussion is getting off topic and to reconvene there. If someone was particularly bothered the spam could be removed by the mods.
Finally, I'd like to applaud Moto for starting this thread. He's frustrated by the Forum and the people who are displeased and he wants to do something about it. That's what we all should do. In (approximately) the words of Ell, "Take back the boards and make them what you want".
Rather than argue about whether something is a problem or not, outline what you want to see to improve your TBF experience.
My appologies for the length. I just really love it here and would love to see old members stay and new members share in the experience.
Someone raised the point that we have been going around in circles of late in regard to these threads, trying to sort out what the Forum is all about. I feel like someone should write a 'Chicken Soup for the TBF'. It's incredibly sad to hear that some members have decided this isn't the place for them any more. I love hearing the antics of Jenn, Ronny and Ricky. I guess for me TBF is more of a book club at times; I hear about what people are reading, but at the same time hear about their daily lives as well.
The problem seems to be a matter of balance - for some members the quality and quantity of the book discussion is low and gets lost amid the general sort of chat. For others, they feel that crude behaviour (crude being defined by the reader) and posting is creeping out of the General Chat section and spamming up the forum. Others yet feel that they are no longer welcome on the forum because their behaviour, allowable under the Forum rules, is not appreciated by other members and overall unwelcome.
I think all these perspectives are valid.
The question is what to do about it, because this issue keeps coming around and will not stop until either all the dissatisfied members leave, or until something is done to satisfy everyone. I offer the following suggestions.
1. It's not simple to just avoid General Chat. Most people (I believe) use the 'New Posts' button to find what threads they want to read. Currently it is impossible not to notice the amount of posts in the General Chat section. Is it possible for the New Posts to be divided into two sections: one for New Book Postings and one that includes All New Posts? This way it would be possible for those who do not enjoy General Chat to completely avoid it. Those who are interested in General Chat can use the All New Posts section.
2. Perhaps a new Forum could be considered in the Miscellaneous section, which would be specifically for "real time chat" or conversations between groups of members. Perhaps this could be called 'Tea Break' or something to signify that it is for everyday conversations between the members who are around at the time. This would be the place to go if you start getting off topic and want to continue the banter. This thread could be limitted to an archive of 1 or 2 weeks to reduce storage space if that was an issue. General Chat would remain for threads with a specific non-book related issue to discuss (such as current issues, happy birthday threads, situation threads, eg: Your most embarrassing moment, etc).
3. Spamming on all threads, General Chat included, should be reduced. A thread has a title for a reason and we should respect that. If you find that a thread is getting off topic, either ask the members involved to set up another thread in the appropriate section (General Chat or Tea Break) or set one up yourself. This is easier said than done, I realise, but with some self policing and greater awareness, particularly among members who are specifically bothered by this or who feel 'guilty' of spamming, this should be possible. This has already been occuring with the "I'm Drunk" thread, where members have posted that they feel the discussion is getting off topic and to reconvene there. If someone was particularly bothered the spam could be removed by the mods.
Finally, I'd like to applaud Moto for starting this thread. He's frustrated by the Forum and the people who are displeased and he wants to do something about it. That's what we all should do. In (approximately) the words of Ell, "Take back the boards and make them what you want".
Rather than argue about whether something is a problem or not, outline what you want to see to improve your TBF experience.
My appologies for the length. I just really love it here and would love to see old members stay and new members share in the experience.
SFG75
Well-Known Member
sirmyk said:
Some people are meant to flame out at forums, you can't do anything to stop it. In life, these are the people that you spot at the bar who are busy picking a fight with someone who is three-times their size. It's the person online who gets personal and then doesn't understand how they sat on their own sword in attempting to stick the sword into you. I agree, it is fun to watch-and even more fun to laugh about as time passes.
*Edited for clarity.
sirmyk
New Member
Sometimes it's fun to sit within the fire with a sword sticking through your belly and watch everything burn around you as you bleed and laugh hysterically as the flames seal the wound.
Anyway... again, Kook took the nail sticking out of my mind, placed it on the forum table, and hit it right on the head.
My problem is that I forgot to put the nail on the forum table before pounding away.
Anyway... again, Kook took the nail sticking out of my mind, placed it on the forum table, and hit it right on the head.
My problem is that I forgot to put the nail on the forum table before pounding away.
MonkeyCatcher
New Member
I think that some people are having problems with the fact that spam is /not/ being restricted only to specific threads, but are cropping up elsewhere, such as the thread in Suggestions which Stewart used as an example, which makes it a bit harder to dodge.Peder said:
Motokid
New Member
Wow....nice post Kookamoor....
My original intent was not to have a "what's wrong with the forum now" thread...I was more interested in finding out what each member who read this thread intended to do about it.
The members are the forum. If people do not want specific types of conversations they won't, or shouldn't engage in them. By popping into a thread and providing conflict of any kind you are keeping a thread alive and providing fuel for it to live longer. If you don't want to see 500 page long threads on what music people are listening to, then don't go in there and post that the thread is a silly waste of space. Obviously there are many others who like that kind of thing.
If you want more book discussion, read more, and post more in those areas. I don't see how that can be looked at as a silly idea, or "it's just not that simple". It is just that simple.
If you don't like sifting through general chat threads to find the book threads don't click on "new posts", click on "forums" and then go straight to the book related areas. Every thread has a signal to let you know if there's new activity. It's really not hard to avoid general chat. I don't buy into that arguement at all.
If you are not getting what you want from TBF you have a few choices:
You can try to create what you want.
You can blaim the lack of something specific on other members.
You can seek it out some place else.
I prefer the creative part.
The farting thread, deep fryer thread, ice cream thread, or what are you listening to thread are all perfectly within the bounds of the forum's membership agreement. No different than any of the Harry Potter threads, LOTR threads, or Life of Pi threads. It does not matter that the title of the forum is "The Book Forum". Books do not post. People do. It's a community. People are social animals. Talking and having fun, getting know each other, is all part of the social experience. What you read, and how much you read should have no relevance on how much and what you post here.
It's up to each and every one of you to direct where this forum goes.
You can quit.
You can be a passenger and just go where ever the forum takes you.
You can drive, and pick which direction this place goes.
I enjoy driving.
My original intent was not to have a "what's wrong with the forum now" thread...I was more interested in finding out what each member who read this thread intended to do about it.
The members are the forum. If people do not want specific types of conversations they won't, or shouldn't engage in them. By popping into a thread and providing conflict of any kind you are keeping a thread alive and providing fuel for it to live longer. If you don't want to see 500 page long threads on what music people are listening to, then don't go in there and post that the thread is a silly waste of space. Obviously there are many others who like that kind of thing.
If you want more book discussion, read more, and post more in those areas. I don't see how that can be looked at as a silly idea, or "it's just not that simple". It is just that simple.
If you don't like sifting through general chat threads to find the book threads don't click on "new posts", click on "forums" and then go straight to the book related areas. Every thread has a signal to let you know if there's new activity. It's really not hard to avoid general chat. I don't buy into that arguement at all.
If you are not getting what you want from TBF you have a few choices:
You can try to create what you want.
You can blaim the lack of something specific on other members.
You can seek it out some place else.
I prefer the creative part.
The farting thread, deep fryer thread, ice cream thread, or what are you listening to thread are all perfectly within the bounds of the forum's membership agreement. No different than any of the Harry Potter threads, LOTR threads, or Life of Pi threads. It does not matter that the title of the forum is "The Book Forum". Books do not post. People do. It's a community. People are social animals. Talking and having fun, getting know each other, is all part of the social experience. What you read, and how much you read should have no relevance on how much and what you post here.
It's up to each and every one of you to direct where this forum goes.
You can quit.
You can be a passenger and just go where ever the forum takes you.
You can drive, and pick which direction this place goes.
I enjoy driving.
Peder
Well-Known Member
MC,MonkeyCatcher said:
Yes, that happens in other forums as well. And there the residents of that discussion don't have much trouble saying reasonably politely "Take it to Chat" or "Take it to email" And that usually solves it. People genrally take the hint. I have the impression that here people are less inclined to speak up with such reminders until things really get out of hand and somebody gets really irritated and lets fly.
OMO
No biggie,
Peder
I wasn't going to say anything in this thread. But I've changed my mind. I think this has been a very useful thread. I say this as a fairly new member: I now know what annoys people, and what is or isn't the done thing on a forum like this.
I don't feel the need to repeat what's already been said in this thread: the important things have already been said in a far better way than I can put them by the likes of Peder and Kookamoor.
However, I would just like to say that I fart and get drunk. If I feel like talking about it on here, I will. No one has to read it. If I've made an innapropriate post anywhere and annoyed anyone, then all apologies - paint me the colour newbie why don't you?
Finally, something like this forum is meant to be fun, isn't it? And for many people, having fun involves silliness, banality and generally being daft.
Ok. That's it.
I don't feel the need to repeat what's already been said in this thread: the important things have already been said in a far better way than I can put them by the likes of Peder and Kookamoor.
However, I would just like to say that I fart and get drunk. If I feel like talking about it on here, I will. No one has to read it. If I've made an innapropriate post anywhere and annoyed anyone, then all apologies - paint me the colour newbie why don't you?
Finally, something like this forum is meant to be fun, isn't it? And for many people, having fun involves silliness, banality and generally being daft.
Ok. That's it.
"And for many people, having fun involves silliness, banality and generally being daft".
You seem to indicate that these are the only people who matter. What about the people who don't get their fun through silliness, banality and generally being daft?
I personally get my fun on this forum by sharing thoughts on books, reading other people's impressions on what they have read, and picking up recommendations for future books to read.
Hmmm, that's all to do with books. And on a book forum too.
The other thing that amuses me is the newbies who post thoughts after 300 odd posts.
I have only a hundred or so more posts but have been here about a year as long. Maybe that's because I don't get my fun from silliness, banality and generally being daft? Maybe it's because I merely post on the threads that make me think and/or cause me to sit up and say 'No way'.... Jenn (mourned by most, but not by me) had about ten times as many posts as me and I rarely saw her contribute to discussions on books.
When that happens, you've got to ask why that person spent as much time as they did on a *BOOK* forum.... Why not just find random people to talk to on MSN Messenger - that seemed about the sum total of the posts that she made. Random chat.
You seem to indicate that these are the only people who matter. What about the people who don't get their fun through silliness, banality and generally being daft?
I personally get my fun on this forum by sharing thoughts on books, reading other people's impressions on what they have read, and picking up recommendations for future books to read.
Hmmm, that's all to do with books. And on a book forum too.
The other thing that amuses me is the newbies who post thoughts after 300 odd posts.
I have only a hundred or so more posts but have been here about a year as long. Maybe that's because I don't get my fun from silliness, banality and generally being daft? Maybe it's because I merely post on the threads that make me think and/or cause me to sit up and say 'No way'.... Jenn (mourned by most, but not by me) had about ten times as many posts as me and I rarely saw her contribute to discussions on books.
When that happens, you've got to ask why that person spent as much time as they did on a *BOOK* forum.... Why not just find random people to talk to on MSN Messenger - that seemed about the sum total of the posts that she made. Random chat.
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