Site News: Forums

December 06, 2007, 11:46 AM

by brandon, via us -
[permalink]

After much deliberation about alternate methods and ways to integrate the forums with the site's content, Vince and I have decided to start up the insert credit forums in traditional form with one particular exception: me being a hardass. Essentially how it works is this – I have an idea about the type of forum I want to post in, and that idea occasionally lapped over with the vibe of the insert credit or selectbutton forums, but not at all times. My aim is to make one that is constantly in keeping with my vision at all times. That is to say, a place where intelligent discussion of games (and other things) can happen freely, new users are not treated as outsiders, and people generally respect each other at all times, while still fostering a fun environment.

That's not to say the insert credit or select button forums were against those things – far from it. Here's what it does mean. There will be a moratorium on superfluous false irony or pretension, ala threads titled "Lessons I learned in bed, or why Dragon Quest IX will suck." No overly silly existential postmodernism either! And flame wars will not get very far. People must attempt to be reasonable to others, and attempt to understand where they're coming from, even if they think said 'others' are total cocklords. If said others are, indeed, being cocklords, they will be warned to stop. Persons making stupid ironic threads or attempting to emulate tim rogers will also be warned to stop. I have yet to figure out what to do in the event that someone actually is tim rogers, but that will be addressed when it occurs (note: this is a joke).

Persons who have been warned can choose to figure themselves out, or they can choose to continue – should they choose the latter, they'll be banned, even if I've known them for years. People I've known for years should be able to figure out how to never cross this line and still enjoy themselves, and if they can't, they might want to think about that for a bit. People who have been banned are welcome to appeal, assuming they actually realize why they were banned. If banned persons think that I'm a total jerk and they didn't deserve it then this will not really wind up being a place they'd enjoy anyway!

There will be no 'forum axe' section – there's one on selectbutton, and that's good enough. This forum isn't meant to replace selectbutton anyway! There will simply be 'main' and 'development' forums (the latter behind the wall of registration). There will also be no 'thing I found on youtube' thread, or 'news' stickies – those topics can all be done on their own. I understand it's helpful for some people, but I find it clutters the top of the page even more to have those there at all times. Also makes it tough to wade through.

I don't like being a jerk, but I want a certain kind of forums, and this is how Frank has made his nice, so I'm going to try it. I really, really want this to be a fun place for everyone who agrees with the kinds of things I'm saying. For those who don't, there are existing venues, and this probably shouldn't even disturb you! So, enjoy! I encourage you to start discussing right away, avoiding the 'hi guys' type posts, and if you're new to the forums, no introduction necessary, just jump in. We'll find out who you are by what you write.