Bringing Attention to a Serious Matter

[tg]

Thank you for starting this thread, moezy-chan!  ^_^    I hope you can stay because you're one of the vets that help keep this forum running.  Pikari did say a lot of good things as well as others.    I understand the feeling when there are users who abuse the forum system by "spamming" a lot trying to gain post count.   This happens in a lot of forums.  There are always ways to improve forums.  A limit on the "What" board sounds nice.  As for trying to get back that "discussion seriousness" going on....     Maybe, some alternate sub-forums for some of the major TRC and CCS sections such as "theories", "relationship", etc. to keep discussions rolling instead of just "General TRC Discussion" and "Chatper Discussion"?   There's a way to expand discussion on a manga/anime series.

I'm still rather new around here so I have no ideal what it was like one year ago but I've been on plenty of other fandom message boards across the net for several years now.   That said, I have seen many good forums have an in-coming of new users and then, the dreaded "noobs" (although, I don't like using that term myself).  When I first came here, I was a bit surprised by some dis-organization among some of the threads.   I don't mean this as in a bad way but I've been use to other forums having a lot of sub-sections in the past.    In the Fan-Creations' section, the fan-arts mingle with fan-fiction.   ^_^    Just some of my 2-cents.            

[Tenkuuken]

I'd like to admit a few things... A long time ago, I joined this forum, just like the way I joined other forums, simply because I hoping to find TRC mp3s and pictures. I was just beginning to like TRC back then, and besides, I thought, this would be a good place to meet and hear from new people who have much to know about TRC as I do.

Today, I admit to not knowing enough about TRC or CCS, and I admit to posting so much on the miscellaneous forums rather on the anime and manga-related forums, but that doesn't mean I'm losing interest or merely raising my post count. You see, as much as my personal involvement in this forum is concerned, I feel strange that I'm still involved in anime unlike most people my age. I find it somehow strange that I talk about TRC and CCSwith my coworkers (who reply to me with raised eyebrows), or bring Mokona and Larg plushies in the office, or have pictures of Sakura on my desktop and folder (and have people ask me about her, in return), or even watch Filipino-dubbed episodes of CCS in the office.

I guess this comes with my own personal grappling with my age. But what never changed is the opportunities I get in this forum to reach out to people and share a part of myself as well. As long as I can meet new people and talk to them, as long as I am among people I can talk and relate with, and as long as I am among fans like me, even if I'm not a rabid fan, then I would want to stay on and learn from everyone in this forum.

I don't really know how to express this, but I still insist that I'm too old for anime now, much more CCS/TRC. Then again, maybe it's CCS and TRC that binds people together, as in the case of this forum, and that's what I like about this place. Just my two cent's worth.

[Robin Sena]

It depends on the user, the more information rolls around the better.

Though it can change, people need to work hard for it (unfortunately I'm not the comepletely analytical type.)

As with Tenkouken, CCS and TRC is the reason people gets to join here. It can also be its downfall. Which is which? It's up to us.

[Crystal_Wings]

I am so guilty of not posting in serious conversations. I feel bad now.
I don't know if this is true to anyone else, but the reason I don't post many meaningful things is because I don't have time to read through all the posts and then write something important. I'm always busy, I guess I should try slowing down.
I also don't post in the TRC threads because I haven't read all the manga or been able to watch all of the show. The last time I went into a TRC thread I  got a few things spoiled for me. SO now I stay away.
From now on, I will try to post in topics other than the what board.

[tg]

You don't hae to feel guilty for that.  If you have a good reason for not participating in either main sections, that's alright.    ^______^     The same goes for everyone else who don't post much in the other discussions.   I agree that it does depend on the users and what they do with their account.   I think moezy-chan is really aiming just at the people who are super super lazy.   Hehe...

[augustserenade]

Do you think turning the post count off on the What Board would help at all? People may still post in it like crazy, but at least it won't contribute to their number of posts. It might not attract as many people to post in that board, at least for those who just post for posting's sake. O_o This is just a questionable suggestion. I'm just trying to think of ways to encourage more discussion. Sakaki's idea was good too, about restarting the threads in the board every 500 posts.  I also liked tg's suggestion of getting sub-forums, or at least more specific threads, for the TRC and CCS forums instead of general discussion threads.

I'm really glad that you pointed this out, Moezy-chan. I'm quite guilty of making useless posts myself, and you reminded me what I'm really here for - TRC and CCS. I hope that we can work together to improve on this situation before the month is over, so that you don't have to leave, and so we don't lose any more valuable members.

[Emiko]

I had a dream about this thread last night 

I dreamt everyone from CW.net got together at this rec centre to discuss this thread and the problems it identified. It was like a group help session. We all had chairs and name-tags. And everyone except me was blonde! LOL.

Anyway, back on topic... Ahem...

Maybe there should be some sort of suggested ratio for how many 'what' posts you should (not HAVE TO, but is reccommended) do in comparison to how many actual discussion posts. I'm not entirely sure we can stop people posting in there excessively, just because people are independent beings and not everyone would follow such a rule even if it was put into effect...

All I can do is promise not to post in the 'What' board at all, to maybe even things out a little. (I never really posted there much in the first place anyway)

[moezychan]

Do you think turning the post count off on the What Board would help at all? People may still post in it like crazy, but at least it won't contribute to their number of posts. It might not attract as many people to post in that board, at least for those who just post for posting's sake. O_o This is just a questionable suggestion. I'm just trying to think of ways to encourage more discussion. Sakaki's idea was good too, about restarting the threads in the board every 500 posts.  I also liked tg's suggestion of getting sub-forums, or at least more specific threads, for the TRC and CCS forums instead of general discussion threads.

I'm really glad that you pointed this out, Moezy-chan. I'm quite guilty of making useless posts myself, and you reminded me what I'm really here for - TRC and CCS. I hope that we can work together to improve on this situation before the month is over, so that you don't have to leave, and so we don't lose any more valuable members.

That is a good suggestion, but at the same time, it does have a flaw. The post count in the Chains Boards are also turned off, and people spend almost as much time in there as in the What Board. That might not work. I agree with Emiko-san on making a limit for each day. Say about 5 posts a day in the What Board might change what has been happening.

And thank you very much for showing your support hoshisenshi-san. Knowing that I have your approval is what I was hoping for. And thank you for wanting me to stay. I think if we all work together, I won't have to do it, because truly, I don't want to. And I'm all for tj-san's point on subforums. It was a very valid suggestion.

[Sakaki]

That is a good suggestion, but at the same time, it does have a flaw. The post count in the Chains Boards are also turned off, and people spend almost as much time in there as in the What Board. That might not work. I agree with Emiko-san on making a limit for each day. Say about 5 posts a day in the What Board might change what has been happening.

So you aren't annoyed by the post count, you just don't want people posting in anything but the manga/anime sections? That's only going to hurt the forums. Posts generate posts, regardless of where people are posting. The more people know each other, the more likely they are to have valid discussions at some point. And we have always had 'what' topics, they just weren't all put together in a specific section like they are now.

I don't think limiting people to five posts a day in the whole what board is a good idea. When there is nothing new to discuss in anime/manga or when the forums are just slow, we need those other sections to keep the forums moving. Assuming people will start making long ingenious posts in the anime/manga sections just because they can't post to the what board and chains is unrealistic. And checking to make sure everyone is staying on their restricted limit would be extremely time consuming.

[moezychan]

So you aren't annoyed by the post count, you just don't want people posting in anything but the manga/anime sections? That's only going to hurt the forums. Posts generate posts, regardless of where people are posting. The more people know each other, the more likely they are to have valid discussions at some point. And we have always had 'what' topics, they just weren't all put together in a specific section like they are now.

I don't think limiting people to five posts a day in the whole what board is a good idea. When there is nothing new to discuss in anime/manga or when the forums are just slow, we need those other sections to keep the forums moving. Assuming people will start making long ingenious posts in the anime/manga sections just because they can't post to the what board and chains is unrealistic. And checking to make sure everyone is staying on their restricted limit would be extremely time consuming.

No, I think you misunderstood me. It's not about just posting in the anime/manga sections. I understand that posts validate posts. And I don't want to stop any of the people from posting, but is that all we're here for. I'm open to any alternatives. This was merely a suggestion. It's not like I'm trying to get everybody on my side. I am all for having the forums being a fun place, and yes, the what board does make it fun, but that's not all we're here for. If you have any suggestions or alternatives I'm all for hearing them. I want us all to work together on this matter. I'm not a leader; I never was, so I'm not about to start dictating anybody.

[Pikari]

Believe me when I say this, I have thought on this long and hard. I had other alternatives, but they're not what I can carry out because I don't have either admin or mod status, and nor do I want it. But my ultimatum is my last resort. I want to stay, truly I do. I love all the people I met here; granted I have had my share of arguments, but nothing that could ruin the forums entirely. I want to help everybody out. I got my title for a reason. It's not like I made it myself. I helped, without expecting anything in return. I want to continue to help, but at the same time, I want my love, and everyone else's love for anime/manga to grow and expand. I found more to the anime world than just CCS and TRC, and it's because of this forum I have.

Honestly, what turned me off to your post and made my first post so negative was your ultimatum. I found it kind of offending that you had to threaten to leave the forum because people weren't posting in the anime/manga sections, rather than posting there yourself and encouraging others to post without guilt of making you leave. That being said, I understand you're sincere and I'm all for encouraging posts in all sections of the forums. I've seen other TRC forums, and I'm happy that this one does remain relatively spam-free and there are a good amount of mature posters, regardless of how slow it may have been lately, otherwise I would have left long ago. And I think the what board does help with that by keeping spam in it's place.

And all suggestions to improve the board should be welcome. I agree the what boards should be cleaned up regularly, just to get rid of the clutter that accumulates there. I don't see the point to extra subforums in the TRC sections... most of the categories suggested can be contained in one or two long discussion threads, so personally I don't think they need their own subforums or that that would really encourage more posting. I am still in favor though, of an xxxHolic forum since we have several of those  topics already and it is closely related to CLAMP and TRC.

[moezychan]

Honestly, what turned me off to your post and made my first post so negative was your ultimatum. I found it kind of offending that you had to threaten to leave the forum because people weren't posting in the anime/manga sections, rather than posting there yourself and encouraging others to post without guilt of making you leave. That being said, I understand you're sincere and I'm all for encouraging posts in all sections of the forums. I've seen other TRC forums, and I'm happy that this one does remain relatively spam-free and there are a good amount of mature posters, regardless of how slow it may have been lately, otherwise I would have left long ago. And I think the what board does help with that by keeping spam in it's place.

And all suggestions to improve the board should be welcome. I agree the what boards should be cleaned up regularly, just to get rid of the clutter that accumulates there. I don't see the point to extra subforums in the TRC sections... most of the categories suggested can be contained in one or two long discussion threads, so personally I don't think they need their own subforums or that that would really encourage more posting. I am still in favor though, of an xxxHolic forum since we have several of those  topics already and it is closely related to CLAMP and TRC.

Point taken, and I do apologise for that, but as stated, I really couldn't think of any alternative. I do want to stay, but I also want this forum to have a purpose. And as for posting, believe me, I've tried, but it's not fun posting when nobody replies. I've made complaints about this before, and certain members that will remain nameless have told me that everybody is busy. Ok, I'll go with that, but if everybody is so busy, how can anybody make at least 15-20 posts in a row in the what board? That should almost equal the time to make one long meaningful post.

As for having the boards cleaned up regularly, it still doesn't stop people from posting there. Members will simply make more threads that contain "what" in it. That will also add up to post counts. Now, I have nothing against a high post count, especially considering mine is the second highest in the forums, but the majority of my posts are from either helping people with their problems, or talking about Card Captor Sakura.

Also, I do appreciate you stating your argument without getting mad at me. That helped me to think clearly. I truly don't want to start any flame wars or act like I'm some know-it-all that everybody should listen to. I'm just frustrated, and my frustration does have a breaking point and this was my breaking point.

[tg]

I don't see the point to extra subforums in the TRC sections... most of the categories suggested can be contained in one or two long discussion threads, so personally I don't think they need their own subforums or that that would really encourage more posting. I am still in favor though, of an xxxHolic forum since we have several of those topics already and it is closely related to CLAMP and TRC.

I understand.   ^_^  I just notice that special sub-forums for more specific topics can be very effective, but, it will increase the work for admin and moderators to handle.   Encouraging more posting can also be a good thing (for things being on-topic).   ^_o

I agree that there should to be an XXXHolic section.  Even if it might get less views, I think it's only fair that XXXHolic should be here too since it's running right along with Tsubasa.

[Arcademan]

I could point out the irony of this being posted in the 'Anything Goes'...section however its meaning would be lost by most people here

[kudan]

*looks at my post count* I think I'm one of the guilty ones... ^^; I was at a point of losing interests too though, with me posting in the "what" boards seeming quite meaningless, a reason why I nearly stopped posting as much as I used to in the "what" boards, just before Moezy-chan started this thread. ^^; (Talk about timing. xD) And... like what Pikari said, the "what" board somehow acts as a place to keep spam in it's place, I have a few other suggestions though. ._.

Instead of muting/banning/warning users when they spam or break rules, maybe we can follow what a few forums are using now to keep everything in order. They have a meter somewhere underneath your avatar with something like "number of times warned" and whenever a mod gives a warning, they'll add a point to the meter, until a certain point and the user's banned/suspended etc. A good point about this option is that everyone's able to see the number of times the user is warned everytime he/she posts, ensuring that they'll think twice before spamming or posting anything that breaks the rules. Downside is that few may find it more for a strict forum and leave just because it uses "shame" as punishment, or something that mods use to restrict freedom of speech. ^^;

And... I may be a little bold, but.. ^^; Maybe delete the "what" board? ._. I mean.. I don't see much difference between the "what" board and the "chains" board... And, if there's a board just for topics that start with "what", what about "who", "when", "where" and "how"? Eh.. what I'm trying to explain is that a board that only allows threads that start with a certain word is... (gosh, I can't find the proper adjective to use... @.@) weird and not what we usually find in an anime/manga disscussion forums?

[Ashlee]

Instead of muting/banning/warning users when they spam or break rules, maybe we can follow what a few forums are using now to keep everything in order. They have a meter somewhere underneath your avatar with something like "number of times warned" and whenever a mod gives a warning, they'll add a point to the meter, until a certain point and the user's banned/suspended etc. A good point about this option is that everyone's able to see the number of times the user is warned everytime he/she posts, ensuring that they'll think twice before spamming or posting anything that breaks the rules. Downside is that few may find it more for a strict forum and leave just because it uses "shame" as punishment, or something that mods use to restrict freedom of speech. ^^;

In a fourm I help in, we have the same thing going on. When a member breaks the rules more then twice, then they get the "bad" under their name. It seems to work. I only had to do it once to one person, and they learn their lesson. And not much people are spaming as much anymore.

And... I may be a little bold, but.. ^^; Maybe delete the "what" board? ._. I mean.. I don't see much difference between the "what" board and the "chains" board... And, if there's a board just for topics that start with "what", what about "who", "when", "where" and "how"? Eh.. what I'm trying to explain is that a board that only allows threads that start with a certain word is... (gosh, I can't find the proper adjective to use... @.@) weird and not what we usually find in an anime/manga disscussion forums?

Even though I do agree that the "What Board" is going out of hand. But I do like the board. I do follow the rules by not going crazy on them, but their are alot of newbies that do go crazy on them. I was wondering. You when we make a post, and up above (i'm using the yellow layout), the post is shown by the name & who posted. What if we get rid of that part. Just for the what board. So people can still post, but it won't show above. But when you post somewhere else, it does show. Will that work? I know its not the best idea, but its all I have. 

[Jeannette]

I agree the 'What' board was getting way out of hand. But I don't really think deleting it is the answer, for reasons already stated, and because the 'What' board definitely serves as a way to get people to know each other better. Anywho.

This is the BEST anime/manga forum I have ever been to. Seriously. I've signed up for like five other forums and dropped them after a week or two, because nobody seriously discussed anything, or it was a bunch of fans randomly spouting bad theories. My best, most in-depth discussions have, for the past year or so, been on CW and on LiveJournal. Even if we haven't been having a lot of serious discussion lately, we've been having more than most of the other forums I've seen.

[Emiko]

I signed up in February and only recently started posting, and I have to agree that CW.net is one of the best forums I've ever been on, even if I wasn't around for it's "glory days". Though abuse of the What forum can be a bit daunting, I don't think deleting it will help, since it's sort of an ice-breaker for newbies and it's the only place where some people feel comfortable posting. However, I'd like to see it used less... rabidly.

[Becster]

I used to only post in the 'What' boards. Well, not just those, but I did post there. I try not to anymore because...well...

...You can't really have a good discussion in a 'What' board. I love being to argue (in a friendly manner) over why pairings work, what's going to happen next in Tsubasa/HOLiC/Or-random-anime-on-the-anime-boards...even just random crack on the new Tsubasa chapter threads to help us get over a shocking revaltion (yes I'm talking to you you lovely Chapter 12- people XD) ...it's fun to do. I've never noticed any real hostility around here, so I have no problem with stating my views. It is sad that this place has been overrun by the 'What' boards...But, as has been said...what good will deleting it do? I mean, it's a place for people to break the ice. I'll confess, I plunged straight into the deep end and posted around the anime forums, and I'm fine...but...for some people it's a nice little way to get a background on the people here. Although there's a pretty delicate balance between that What boards and everything else...and...I agree it's being tilted a leetle bit too much in the wrong direction.

I'm glad you posted this up, so congratulations on having the courage to do so!

[moezychan]

I signed up in February and only recently started posting, and I have to agree that CW.net is one of the best forums I've ever been on, even if I wasn't around for it's "glory days". Though abuse of the What forum can be a bit daunting, I don't think deleting it will help, since it's sort of an ice-breaker for newbies and it's the only place where some people feel comfortable posting. However, I'd like to see it used less... rabidly.

Yes, thank you. You stated my exact purpose. I'll admit, when I was a newbie, I would first go to the anime/manga boards and read, but not post, because I was too shy, so, even though the what board didn't exist back then, I started posting here in Anything Goes so I would feel more comfortable. About 4-5 posts later I began posting in the anime/manga boards. I agree, the what board does take the tension off of some members that are too shy, but there is a huge difference between using it to break the ice, and using it to up your post count.

I'm glad you posted this up, so congratulations on having the courage to do so!

Thank you. It wasn't easy, but I had to. It means a lot that I have your support.