Crack Down On Pointless Or Opinionless Threads.

System wars gets very busy and this means that often good worthwhile threads get lost in the shuffle.

In an attempt to combat this, moderators are going to become far more ruthless in locking threads which add no substantive value or discussion to the forum. In rare cases, those who repeatedly offend or make no effort to provide meaningful discussion with their threads, may be subject to a moderation for disruptive posting.

A rough guide to making better threads:

• Dont just link say what you think!

State (and preferably backup/explain) your opinion on your chosen discussion topic. This includes when posting news stories.

• Has someone else already posted this?

Check the first few pages to see if someone has already made the topic (or a similar one) to the one you were about to make.

• What is the point of my thread?

Am I just trying to annoy people?, am I just trying to boost my post count?, do I not believe what I am saying? If the answer is yes to any of these do not click the submit button.

Hopefully for the majority of you this will require no change to how you post and will just leave the board filled with many more worthwhile topics.

I will leave this open for questions untill you guys run out of them or I begin to lose the will to live. :)

Not to make SW sound like a forum full of dumbasses (I don't need to even try) but I've noticed very often that when you post a news topic and then your opinion in it, it can either have a full thread of people simply reading what you say and agreeing with it if you're a 'credible' poster or disagreeing with it if you're a fanboy.

So my point is that I don't think it should be mandatory to post opinions in news threads. A lot of the times it just leads to attacks on the poster rather than discussion, I don't want to give examples of who I'm talking about but it's obvious, if you do visit the forum regularly (and if you don't, leave while you still can).

I dunno if everyone agrees with the observation though, that's just from my experience so shout out if you do...

I respect your ideas to try and make system wars a more credible, less trashy place. But you are fighting a losing battle. People here are not interested in other people's opinions. All they care about is rammin their fanboy BS down other people's throats. Fanboys cannot be reasoned with, they cannot hold a proper debate, they need help. This forum is like a asylum giving them their daily dose of fanboy pills. And the mods are the people in white coats stopping them from taking out the rest of us with their meltdowns.

Let them get on with it, and if you have any sanity left, get out while you can. You will not find reasonable people here willing to debate with you, only madness.

What is the point of my thread?

Am I just trying to annoy people?, am I just trying to boost my post count?, do I not believe what I am saying? If the answer is yes to any of these do not click the submit button.

cakeorrdeath

Can't say I agree with this mate

System Wars threads by their nature will annoy fanboys. If we're required to make threads as inoffensive to everyone as possible then this becomes General Gaming Discussion

[QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

What is the point of my thread?

Am I just trying to annoy people?, am I just trying to boost my post count?, do I not believe what I am saying? If the answer is yes to any of these do not click the submit button.

vicmackey39

Can't say I agree with this mate

System Wars threads by their nature will annoy fanboys. If we're required to make threads as inoffensive to everyone as possible then this becomes General Gaming Discussion

Highlighted the key word. You can still be confrontational, you just need a point.

[QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

What is the point of my thread?

Am I just trying to annoy people?, am I just trying to boost my post count?, do I not believe what I am saying? If the answer is yes to any of these do not click the submit button.

vicmackey39

Can't say I agree with this mate

System Wars threads by their nature will annoy fanboys. If we're required to make threads as inoffensive to everyone as possible then this becomes General Gaming Discussion

Annoying people's not the same as trying to annoy people ;)

I think disabling users level 1 - 5 thread making abilities in system wars will help keep troll topics from popping up all the time. It might just be me, but I've never seen a topic made by anyone in that level actually post a cool, calm, non-trolling thread, ever. While I know not all low level users aren't complete numb-tards (did I just make that up?), a good majority of them are, or atleast the ones in System Wars.Spartan8907

Post that in site enhancements. It has been suggested before but it cant hurt to try again.

[QUOTE="vicmackey39"][QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

What is the point of my thread?

Am I just trying to annoy people?, am I just trying to boost my post count?, do I not believe what I am saying? If the answer is yes to any of these do not click the submit button.

tbone29

Can't say I agree with this mate

System Wars threads by their nature will annoy fanboys. If we're required to make threads as inoffensive to everyone as possible then this becomes General Gaming Discussion

Annoying people's not the same as trying to annoy people ;)

Well put.

Not to make SW sound like a forum full of dumbasses (I don't need to even try) but I've noticed very often that when you post a news topic and then your opinion in it, it can either have a full thread of people simply reading what you say and agreeing with it if you're a 'credible' poster or disagreeing with it if you're a fanboy.

So my point is that I don't think it should be mandatory to post opinions in news threads. A lot of the times it just leads to attacks on the poster rather than discussion, I don't want to give examples of who I'm talking about but it's obvious, if you do visit the forum regularly (and if you don't, leave while you still can).

I dunno if everyone agrees with the observation though, that's just from my experience so shout out if you do...

the-very-best

Try it this way, but I will review the situation and talk it over with the other mods.

This is a vast improvement over the previous update. It should allow all the threads that are only intending to annoy people or spam get strained out while leaving behind the other content that we come here for in the first place.

-

It would still be nice if that minimum level cap could be put in place in the future - since that combined with this would effectively seal out the fakeboys.

Well put.

cakeorrdeath

Yeah but the intention behind the thread could be viewed diferently depending on whether you are a mod or the OP

Case in point, I recently made a thread about how I was selling my Wii because it was crap (After the E3 conference). The thread got locked and I got a 2 day ban

It's funny how you all of a sudden spring into actian after (removed) launched.elektrixxx

This sticky has been in negotiations for weeks now... if you're not aware there was a sticky prior to this one that was removed so the mod team could re-evaluate it based on compaints from SW users. And if you must blame someone, I'm partially to blame for the delay in having it up - as well as Tsug_Ze_Wind :P

Damn those GS mods for listening to the users and making the rules less restrictive. *Shakes fist* damn them for listening to the community. :P

I agree with TVB....I always call someone like Renegade a hardcore cow. But for the most part he only links the source and shows the article. There is nothing wrong with that.

When he puts an opinion on it.......gameover.

Cows Versus Lemming war of stupidity.

I think that putting your opinion shouldn't be mandatory. Sometimes a vague discussion topic should be allowed.jg4xchamp

Not to make SW sound like a forum full of dumbasses (I don't need to even try) but I've noticed very often that when you post a news topic and then your opinion in it, it can either have a full thread of people simply reading what you say and agreeing with it if you're a 'credible' poster or disagreeing with it if you're a fanboy.

So my point is that I don't think it should be mandatory to post opinions in news threads. A lot of the times it just leads to attacks on the poster rather than discussion, I don't want to give examples of who I'm talking about but it's obvious, if you do visit the forum regularly (and if you don't, leave while you still can).

I dunno if everyone agrees with the observation though, that's just from my experience so shout out if you do...

the-very-best

I agree with both of you. If GhostMLD, Dur_Rocky, Renegade, etc were to post their opion about an article you would get alot of "Agrees" and "I disagrees" or a full out fanboy war.

Am I just trying to annoy people?

cakeorrdeath

I thought that was the point of SW. oh well, do as you will. just don't lock topics for "not bashing systems enough" (yes, I've seen it happen, maybe not from you but from other mods).

(yes, I've seen it happen, maybe not from you but from other mods). Hewkii

[QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

Am I just trying to annoy people?

Hewkii

I thought that was the point of SW. oh well, do as you will. just don't lock topics for "not bashing systems enough" (yes, I've seen it happen, maybe not from you but from other mods).

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

CaseyWegner

[QUOTE="CaseyWegner"]

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

AltAcct

post appropriately and it won't matter.

[QUOTE="Hewkii"][QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

Am I just trying to annoy people?

CaseyWegner

I thought that was the point of SW. oh well, do as you will. just don't lock topics for "not bashing systems enough" (yes, I've seen it happen, maybe not from you but from other mods).

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

*facepalm*

I thought that's what this sticky was making clear - that topics would only be locked to cut down on spam - NOT to punish people who want general discussion in System Wars. If that's the case, I'll be happy to show you an angry forum full of people protesting, a couple dozen PMs a day, and a generally dissatisfied community on your doorstep.

There is absolutely NO reason to push people who post 24-7 in System Wars to GGD. That board is dead - has been dead - and remains dead. And the thing is - if a System Wars poster *were* to post there, it would be locked, because the discussion they were intending to have would be locked. :|

Really Casey, don't start this again, I don't want another pointless fight against your agenda to hyper-structuralize SW - it's anti-end user to do so. Locking duplicate topics, ill-informed posts (people posting "the 360 GPU gets to over 100 degrees celsius!" and that sort of crap) and fakeboys? Fine. Locking someone's topic because it's "not enough conflict in the OP!" is just silly :|

I disagree with a lot of this. If you start getting picky about what you allow to be posted or not it just going to push users away. Even good users like subrosian who posted a Nintendo hate thread with parts is a great example of a thread just to annoy Nintendo fans. Now this is system wars so it expect for him or any poster to post something like that. No matter how much I disagree.

I also think news stories are great even if the user does not post anything else to go with it. A lot of gaming news can be found in system wars it one of the best reasons to check the board out. The recent target on it is sad, I love the amount of news I get on system wars. Even if it about one new game coming out on a system. It a game others systems don't have so it should be allowed or sales data news. Not all news needs a post to go with it. Some news is great on it own, if not just to say so you agree with this. It all makes for a good read and also should be part of system wars.

I agree with some of the other posters you should just not allow new post under lvl 5 and leave it there. Start making all these rules and you will work on making this place a ghost town.

[QUOTE="AltAcct"][QUOTE="CaseyWegner"]

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

CaseyWegner

post appropriately and it won't matter.

What precisely does that mean? You're coming across as simply bashing users for posting here :|

What I'm reading from the sticky here is that a Fakeboy posting "the 360 RROD" topics or something like that would be locked. That I agree with - enough already. That duplicate topics that don't add content will be locked - make sense. However, a discussion of singular games is not explicitly banned - nor is news discussion in this sticky - are you trying to imply that you're going to try the ill-fated move to push tha to GGD again despite no outright rule stating that being posted?

You're coming across as simply bashing users for posting here :|subrosian

[QUOTE="the-very-best"]

Not to make SW sound like a forum full of dumbasses (I don't need to even try) but I've noticed very often that when you post a news topic and then your opinion in it, it can either have a full thread of people simply reading what you say and agreeing with it if you're a 'credible' poster or disagreeing with it if you're a fanboy.

So my point is that I don't think it should be mandatory to post opinions in news threads. A lot of the times it just leads to attacks on the poster rather than discussion, I don't want to give examples of who I'm talking about but it's obvious, if you do visit the forum regularly (and if you don't, leave while you still can).

I dunno if everyone agrees with the observation though, that's just from my experience so shout out if you do...

cakeorrdeath

Try it this way, but I will review the situation and talk it over with the other mods.

Maybe to avoid posts that are just links, allow the poster to either post an opinion on the info from the link or post a short condensed synopsis (Or even a C&P from the site).

That way, there is substance in the post while allowing for either opinion or no.

[QUOTE="Hewkii"][QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

Am I just trying to annoy people?

CaseyWegner

I thought that was the point of SW. oh well, do as you will. just don't lock topics for "not bashing systems enough" (yes, I've seen it happen, maybe not from you but from other mods).

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

I would almost argue that the two should be merged, as the lines are blurry at best anyway.

That way, there is substance in the post while allowing for either opinion or no.

SpruceCaboose

[QUOTE="elektrixxx"]It's funny how you all of a sudden spring into actian after (removed) launched.subrosian

This sticky has been in negotiations for weeks now... if you're not aware there was a sticky prior to this one that was removed so the mod team could re-evaluate it based on compaints from SW users. And if you must blame someone, I'm partially to blame for the delay in having it up - as well as Tsug_Ze_Wind :P

Damn those GS mods for listening to the users and making the rules less restrictive. *Shakes fist* damn them for listening to the community. :P

Less restrictive? I dont know about that. I got a frigging point loss violation slapped on me yesterday, because I made a post begging the mods to do something about the um... *ahem* less than proper pics flooding our threads yesterday. I know it wasnt about a console or anything, however, I am at work and just wanted to see something done about it, so my rear didnt get popped for viewing that kind of material at work. Thread was locked, which was fine... that means a mod saw it, which was what I was hoping for, but then I find out I get a point loss violation for disruptive posting?

I am sorry, but thats complete garbage. I didnt deserve that. Attempts at politely contacting mods to rectify this have given me the basic answer of sorry, nothing we can do about it. If we are going to become this heavily scrutinized, whats the point of even posting here anymore? Yeah, I am furious about this, and I am not going to just go quietly into the night about it. I was wronged, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning.

Sure, there are posts on here where its obvious the mods need to do something about it, and sometimes something harsh. IE the poster I was REFERRING to in my thread yesterday. Yet I get popped? Sorry, but I'm not going to take someone smacking my hand, claiming to be showing me I'm being irresponsible, when I am pretty sure I know WAY more about the meaning of the word. (That word being responsibility)

As far as pointless or opinionless threads, my thread yesterday was a thread that had a point, I was stating my opinion, and I was showing concern for the whole board in general. And I get a point loss???

Thats a barnyard full of horse crap, and if thats your idea of good moderating, I think someone needs to check their intelligence at the door.

JediRiff

[QUOTE="CaseyWegner"][QUOTE="Hewkii"][QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

Am I just trying to annoy people?

subrosian

I thought that was the point of SW. oh well, do as you will. just don't lock topics for "not bashing systems enough" (yes, I've seen it happen, maybe not from you but from other mods).

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

*facepalm*

I thought that's what this sticky was making clear - that topics would only be locked to cut down on spam - NOT to punish people who want general discussion in System Wars. If that's the case, I'll be happy to show you an angry forum full of people protesting, a couple dozen PMs a day, and a generally dissatisfied community on your doorstep.

There is absolutely NO reason to push people who post 24-7 in System Wars to GGD. That board is dead - has been dead - and remains dead. And the thing is - if a System Wars poster *were* to post there, it would be locked, because the discussion they were intending to have would be locked. :|

Really Casey, don't start this again, I don't want another pointless fight against your agenda to hyper-structuralize SW - it's anti-end user to do so. Locking duplicate topics, ill-informed posts (people posting "the 360 GPU gets to over 100 degrees celsius!" and that sort of crap) and fakeboys? Fine. Locking someone's topic because it's "not enough conflict in the OP!" is just silly :|

i agree. besides anything you post about video games reflects in the war of the systems so there ;)

[QUOTE="CaseyWegner"][QUOTE="Hewkii"][QUOTE="cakeorrdeath"]

Am I just trying to annoy people?

SpruceCaboose

I thought that was the point of SW. oh well, do as you will. just don't lock topics for "not bashing systems enough" (yes, I've seen it happen, maybe not from you but from other mods).

it's the system wars forum. if you just want a general discussion about games, there's the general games discussion forum.

I would almost argue that the two should be merged, as the lines are blurry at best anyway.

Agreed...Like yeasterday a poster posted a thread about a new game called Spray for the Wii. Now a new game like that can't be posted without fans of the 360/PC/PS3 stating why it would not be a good game or it better on their system. Now if a user posted that news on GGD that would not be allowed. Then again by the rules of system wars he should not have posted the thread to begin with. So where he post it under the Nintendo Wii thread where everyone going to agree with him. That is boring and loses the fun of posting to begin with.

[QUOTE="subrosian"]

[QUOTE="elektrixxx"]It's funny how you all of a sudden spring into actian after (removed) launched.JediRiff

This sticky has been in negotiations for weeks now... if you're not aware there was a sticky prior to this one that was removed so the mod team could re-evaluate it based on compaints from SW users. And if you must blame someone, I'm partially to blame for the delay in having it up - as well as Tsug_Ze_Wind :P

Damn those GS mods for listening to the users and making the rules less restrictive. *Shakes fist* damn them for listening to the community. :P

Less restrictive? I dont know about that. I got a frigging point loss violation slapped on me yesterday, because I made a post begging the mods to do something about the um... *ahem* less than proper pics flooding our threads yesterday. I know it wasnt about a console or anything, however, I am at work and just wanted to see something done about it, so my rear didnt get popped for viewing that kind of material at work. Thread was locked, which was fine... that means a mod saw it, which was what I was hoping for, but then I find out I get a point loss violation for disruptive posting?

I am sorry, but thats complete garbage. I didnt deserve that. Attempts at politely contacting mods to rectify this have given me the basic answer of sorry, nothing we can do about it. If we are going to become this heavily scrutinized, whats the point of even posting here anymore? Yeah, I am furious about this, and I am not going to just go quietly into the night about it. I was wronged, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning.

Sure, there are posts on here where its obvious the mods need to do something about it, and sometimes something harsh. IE the poster I was REFERRING to in my thread yesterday. Yet I get popped? Sorry, but I'm not going to take someone smacking my hand, claiming to be showing me I'm being irresponsible, when I am pretty sure I know WAY more about the meaning of the word. (That word being responsibility)

As far as pointless or opinionless threads, my thread yesterday was a thread that had a point, I was stating my opinion, and I was showing concern for the whole board in general. And I get a point loss???

Thats a barnyard full of horse crap, and if thats your idea of good moderating, I think someone needs to check their intelligence at the door.

I agree with jediriff, why would a mod dock someone for trying to make system wars a little safer for others? He was on the boards yesterday and ran into a poster who was habitually posting inappropriate material in an effort to get banned. He gave it some time and STILL NOTHING HAPPENED. This just doesn't make sense. Do the (whisper) mods not want us toaddressthem and bring up concerns we have with the boards here on gamespot? I thought this was a community of gamers discussing the things that we share and love and that we are all in this together to make it a safe and secure place. Now I'm finding that everything I post gets me worried about being banned by the moderators. Why wouldn't the mods focus on the people who are continually suspended and docked instead of the people who are trying to discuss what we are all here about, the games. Every single company/organization/website I can think of always has the policy of listening to their customers/users and taking their suggestions. It sounds like the moderators think they know everything about their task here at gamepot. Well, frankly, they don't, and sometimes they will need a helping hand from us users. Its high time they stopped painting pictures of themselves as demi-gods, and started paying attention to US, or I will find myself and many other users going to IGN.

Thank you. Orson Agrees.

Not to make SW sound like a forum full of dumbasses (I don't need to even try) but I've noticed very often that when you post a news topic and then your opinion in it, it can either have a full thread of people simply reading what you say and agreeing with it if you're a 'credible' poster or disagreeing with it if you're a fanboy.

So my point is that I don't think it should be mandatory to post opinions in news threads. A lot of the times it just leads to attacks on the poster rather than discussion, I don't want to give examples of who I'm talking about but it's obvious, if you do visit the forum regularly (and if you don't, leave while you still can).

I dunno if everyone agrees with the observation though, that's just from my experience so shout out if you do...

the-very-best

Less restrictive? I dont know about that. I got a frigging point loss violation slapped on me yesterday, because I made a post begging the mods to do something about the um... *ahem* less than proper pics flooding our threads yesterday. I know it wasnt about a console or anything, however, I am at work and just wanted to see something done about it, so my rear didnt get popped for viewing that kind of material at work. Thread was locked, which was fine... that means a mod saw it, which was what I was hoping for, but then I find out I get a point loss violation for disruptive posting?

JediRiff

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

If the thread as dumb as a rock - will get lock !

Official SW Motto ? j/k ;)

I don't see too much that I disagree with. The demands aren't really over-the-top and it would definitely weed out some of the fanboys/fakeboys.

So, unless I'm not seeing something within these rules that would tick me off, I like them and don't mind if they are enforced.

so how are we seeing this enforced. SW looks the same as any other day... apart from the stickycrunchUK

Good. I find it annoying when people make a topic title like "Gears of War 2" and their opening post just says "discuss"Snowboarder99