What was so good about being 'in the newbies'?!
FAO Mods/admins
- Thread starter Mickey
- Start date
What was so good about being 'in the newbies'?!
I don't think it was about how good it was to be in the newbies. But there are threads and discussions that took place "down there" that the guys who have been promoted like to look back on due to the fact they can no longer access them. Brewlio started the thread off as a pisstake but then it developed into the above. Recently though it has descended into a bunch of spastic meaningless shite and I have campaigned for it to be deleted too.
Top post, i completely agree.
SEcond question of the night. Why arent we allowed to say ***? 
is not that simple.
When an unknown poster fecks up, he gets banned and, unless he has a close friend here, no one notices
when an over 15000 post member fecks up, and a mod or admin bans him, lots of threads are started by his e-friend complaining about the way the caf is administered
Same rules apply to everyone surely? Otherwise why have them if they aren't enforced fairly? Some people get away with murder on here because they have alot of posts. Surely that can't be right?
The caf can be exceptionally cruel to newbies, espically when they start to get picked on by the cool crowd. Just doesn't seem overly fair sometimes from a relative onlooker, politics has always infuriated me
Aah... the old broken window theory! I live is such a society and thus explains my natural inclination towards civility and generally all-round niceness in this forum.
Same rules apply to everyone surely? Otherwise why have them if they aren't enforced fairly? Some people get away with murder on here because they have alot of posts. Surely that can't be right?
The caf can be exceptionally cruel to newbies, espically when they start to get picked on by the cool crowd. Just doesn't seem overly fair sometimes from a relative onlooker, politics has always infuriated me
I don't think anybody gets away with murder, plenty of people are infracted and warned if they step out of line. It's actually very hard to get yourself a perma-ban on here, and I'm sure the mods/admins don't want to be giving them out anyway (Aside from the returnee's and WUMS).
The mods will probably be slightly more lenient to those who have been here a long time, which is fair enough IMO.
You were bullied at school weren't you Redsky?
It's alright, let it all out.
It's alright, let it all out.
Anyone know why *** has been banned?
Boo Hoo Hoo. No more Epic Asses.
Here's my opinions:
I'm glad the mods are doing something. Even in my opinion the general has become a bit tedious lately, mainly due to the recent crop of newbies and a few older posters going along with them. Not that I'm blameless.
I'm not bothered about the close-to-porn banning, I just hope there's no trouble around grey areas. And as long as the Cheryl Cole thread is safe.
A few people are complaining about there being too many "general" style posters, but I find the football forums far more frustrating than the general has ever been. I believe the true spastics tend to frequent the football forums, bar a few of the younger posters the General has many intelligent people with balanced points of view - we just act like Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime sometimes in the General because nobody really cares. Most threads in the football areas are so generic, predictable and boring, or a slight variation on something that was posted a couple of months ago (PICK YOUR BEST PLAYERS LOL!1!). Even good debating threads degenerate into toss after two or three posters bicker for pages on end, arguing in circles.
I'm not expecting a forum-utopia, as a lot of football fans genuinely are idiots. I'd just like some reasonable opinion-sharing that doesn't become tedious, and if this became the norm I'd be much more inclined to contribute in the same fashion.
I'm glad the mods are doing something. Even in my opinion the general has become a bit tedious lately, mainly due to the recent crop of newbies and a few older posters going along with them. Not that I'm blameless.
I'm not bothered about the close-to-porn banning, I just hope there's no trouble around grey areas. And as long as the Cheryl Cole thread is safe.
A few people are complaining about there being too many "general" style posters, but I find the football forums far more frustrating than the general has ever been. I believe the true spastics tend to frequent the football forums, bar a few of the younger posters the General has many intelligent people with balanced points of view - we just act like Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime sometimes in the General because nobody really cares. Most threads in the football areas are so generic, predictable and boring, or a slight variation on something that was posted a couple of months ago (PICK YOUR BEST PLAYERS LOL!1!). Even good debating threads degenerate into toss after two or three posters bicker for pages on end, arguing in circles.
I'm not expecting a forum-utopia, as a lot of football fans genuinely are idiots. I'd just like some reasonable opinion-sharing that doesn't become tedious, and if this became the norm I'd be much more inclined to contribute in the same fashion.
Spoony has access to the mod forum?
All good points. We will be scrutinizing the football forums on the site as well to ensure that everyone has a chance to join in the discussions without getting berated.
Raoul, have the powers that be considered using temporary thread locks? When a thread looks like it's getting too crazy you jump in with a post saying so and so members need to watch their language/behavior because it's getting too antagonistic and then lock it for a 15 minute cooldown period or so. It would give not only the combatants but everyone else in the thread a chance to reevaluate their behavior and their tone, and with enough explanation it would help clearly draw the line of what's acceptable and what isn't before more drastic actions like bannings will take place.
It would have to be done manually so it isn't really an option in many cases. In any case most threads that get locked aren't worth opening again although we have done so in some cases when people ask (rather than demand in a strop).
We will be handing out a few more bans and infractions than has been usual recently but we won't be going overboard and as usual we won't be infracting banning for opinion or personality.
We will be handing out a few more bans and infractions than has been usual recently but we won't be going overboard and as usual we won't be infracting banning for opinion or personality.
Yeah I didn't mean an automatic temporary lock, just explanation post, lock, wait, unlock, observe. And I meant for it to be used before threads get so out of control that you have to lock them.
Of course it would probably get annoying for posters.
and where the feck is askabob?
Surely a lock would suffice?
Pm him.
Well literally, he should be in India or has been for the last couple of weeks.
I just don't like arrogant people who assume because they have more posts they can get away with breaking the odd rule now and then. Tricksy people them sort.It may well be annoying but for the vast majority it's an acceptable annoyance and they either move on or calm down. Hopefully the tiny minority who throw a strop will adapt and learn to live with the Caf rules.
Hyderabad (India)
I will admit that the spastic newb memoirs thread was originally posted as both a piss take and a stand against the newb orientated nonsense that was appearing in far too many threads at the time. The crop of promotees at the time were out of control. But until it spiraled out of control months ago, it was somewhere for them to go to talk their newb shite. They could chat about old gay games of late night isketch and how big Big Cheez's schlong was to their hearts content. For a while at least, the thread had some sort of purpose and ownership. As much as many of you will blatantly abhor the thread, it actually did serve a purpose. It is only of late that the nonsense has spilled back into General threads. If the thread now only encourages assholishness, then maybe it is time to whack it with a great big padlock
There are far too many meaningless, nonsensical threads about. I for one welcome this change of policy and hope that it will be tweaked further so that posters have to tow the line. I might get slated for this, but several regulars can probably be blamed for setting a poor example to more junior posters. The way that they constantly attempt to undermine the policies already in place and the personnel that has been put in place to facilitate the running of the Caf kind of sets a precedent that it ok to do what you want, when you want in any colourful language that you want. As much as a nuisance that young MJLD can be, well he is only copying behaviours. Making an example of a junior poster who talks shite is not going to necessarily send shockwaves through the forum and get the message across.
I appreciate that this post may come across as hypocritical, as at times I can no doubt be held responsible for an hour or 2 of chaos. Having read this entire thread it has certainly given me some food for thought about adhering to the rules and my own behaviour in general. This has been a healthy discussion on the whole.
The spastic newbie memoir thread was actually a good idea to help stop the new promotees spamming the introduction thread, also stops their love spilling onto other non related threads.
Am i of the "newbie" generation you guys are referring to above (the spamming lot)? I think I will mention it at our Redcafe annual newbiew class of 2010 reunion...
On a more serious note, what kind of bans are there? (and nope, I am not interested in a demonstration, thank you kindly ).
On a more serious note, what kind of bans are there? (and nope, I am not interested in a demonstration, thank you kindly
).brewlio, never far from trouble.
As long as its done consistantly which hasnt always happened here
So about 98% of the caf then.
Also, have you seen the MatchDay thread for the Philadelphia game? It's a complete shambles.
For those who are worried about the football forums, we're all acutely aware that they've been a bit problematic recently, especially with the Agenda Posters. Those are the easier ones to do something about, because if they're derailing threads we can stop that. But how do you stop "dumb"?
Everyone goes berserk when we even suggest 'quality control' bannings, although they are almost never used. That's probably not the answer, so what is?
Some of us are not too fond of going in the MUFC or Football forums right now because there is so much rubbish. It used to be that there were idiots and agenda posters, but that they were the minority who were laughed at or ignored by others.
A few years ago a shift began towards there being so many muppets that the muppets eventually outnumbered the ones with footballing sense and drove some of them away or to post less.
What to do about it is the question.
For the General, every few years the laid back attitude of the mods eventually drags the site down, in the General and spilling out into elsewhere, so a bit of an adjustment is needed. That's happening now.
Everyone goes berserk when we even suggest 'quality control' bannings, although they are almost never used. That's probably not the answer, so what is?
Some of us are not too fond of going in the MUFC or Football forums right now because there is so much rubbish. It used to be that there were idiots and agenda posters, but that they were the minority who were laughed at or ignored by others.
A few years ago a shift began towards there being so many muppets that the muppets eventually outnumbered the ones with footballing sense and drove some of them away or to post less.
What to do about it is the question.
For the General, every few years the laid back attitude of the mods eventually drags the site down, in the General and spilling out into elsewhere, so a bit of an adjustment is needed. That's happening now.
like by mods posting rather tasteless jokes about starving kids? haha lol fair play.
It's a tricky question to answer. I'd agree that 'quality' bannings aren't the way to go, as quality is pretty subjective.
But I wouldn't be opposed to seeing some sort of strike system in place in the football forums, whereby if you make a post that has the sole intention of derailing the discussion, making it personal or repeating yourself unnecessarily with the intention of frustrating discussion, then you get a 'strike' or sorts (after being asked to stop/warned etc). If they reach a certain number, they get some sort of punishment, for example a two day ban from the United forum, with any subsequent bans increasing on a sliding scale.
It's only a half-thought out idea, in truth, but some of what's passing for discussion in the football forums is terrible (though I won't mention any names, I'm sure you lot are aware of the main offenders), and I have a lot of sympathy for the mods/admins who have to chase them around. I don't think the situation is helped by the standard of posters being promoted from the newbies either.
Posters who keeps on bringing up the no value "jokes" should be deleted as it's become really tedious.
I really want to try and get everyone to sing the Fresh Prince Theme, it would be a fantastically ironic way to finish the thread.
the theme from "it aint half hot mum" would be better!!
Good post zebra, and you are probably right. Your post gives a reasoning behind the concern I raised in my post.
Re the football forums, I think some of the problem is that some topics just won't die.
Topics like Glazers/RK/GG, Berbatov, Hargreaves, Carrick have been going on for years now and it just keeps going in circles. (Obviously the GG/RK was new this year, but it is much of the same as we've had in Glazer threads before). These threads together with some of the Zlatan/Messi/Ronaldo threads is probably where the majority of the agenda posters are.
Obviously these topics won't die until something drastic changes but till that point we'll have the "agenda posters" going at it time and again.
I like the GG/RK threads by the way. They are way too specific for me to contribute but reading those threads gives a good overview of the situation. Once you figure out who represents what, then the total amount of info in there is quite useful IMO.
And about how you moderate "dumbness" the obvious answer is the newbie system. Like I said earlier, promote mainly those who show quality in the footballing forums down there, not General ones.
having said that, look at the recent bunch of mod/semi mod/scouts (whatever the feck they are) promotions, they were all mostly active in the general forum and not so much in the football forums.
make of that, what you will.
I don't know who the scouts are tbh.
But if that is true then I'd guess that it was part of the problem.