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Subject: classifieds...Part 2...

We care about your opinion.

Poll: Are the classifieds an unrealiable way to advertise a new group?  [closed]
Yes:  90%
(18 Votes)
No:  10%
(2 Votes)
Total Votes: 20

Bungie.net...social interaction and the latest news on anything from Halo, to new downloads, etc. Social interaction...right....

This short statement brings me to the main point of my debate topic. Are the classifieds, used for advertising your new or otherwise open group, an unreliable way to do said advertising? I took this question to the Bungie Gen. forums and from it stemmed a heated debate about whether the classifieds even make sense to have online.

I got quite a bit out of it, and through the smoke and flames came the basic gist of the two sides of this now popular question.

Some agreed...in fact, I had a poll asking the question...a simple yes or no inquire. Of 42 votes, 30 agreed with the proposition, and the argument took off. It was between 3 nay-sayers and myself, and the result was fairly enlightening. I gained that the classifieds are a way to post your group and let people know your there, but also keep PM inbox's and other forum rooms free of unneccesary spam.

For lack of a better word, I say "What a crock o' bs!"

What, I ask, is the point of having a classfied forum if no one bothers to check up on it? So far, the situation says, "Join a big group on the featured groups page, then go brag about how your a 'part' of this huge group that contains close to a couple thousand members..." Woop-dee-doo...

Then again, you could make your own group...but therein lies the problem.

There are many ways you could advertise your group, most of which are illegal and the ninjas will jump you before you can say "please join"...You could post a link to your group in other members' inboxes...which has a high possibility of them ignoring it or flagging you for spam. Most group leaders don't really appreciate you advertising your group in THEIR group...so that leaves one obvious solution...post in the classfieds...

Three weeks later your group is still empty but for you and a few cobwebs in the corner...so for a Web Site that lets you interact with other people, they sure didn't think this through...

Instead of a large number of interesting groups with different ideas, we get a few huge groups with no real personality...

Opinions? Please, no flaming or spamming my inbox with -blam!-...


  • 01.01.2008 3:13 PM PDT

Controlling fission events without incident since May, 2012.

Of course the classifieds suck now. After groups went down for when they were, everyone else ignored them, and though groups partially recovered, you couldn't say even close to that for The Classifieds. It was a "meh" forum to begin with, at least for me.

  • 01.01.2008 3:31 PM PDT

We care about your opinion.

Then are groups completely pointless?

  • 01.01.2008 3:38 PM PDT
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Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

Yes, the Classifieds Forum is clearly useless as a way to attract members. It is, however, extremely useful as a way to divert spam from the main forums. Which, if you ask me, is its primary purpose. Threads advertising groups in the wrong forum are frequent, but not nearly as bad as they would be in the absence of a Classifieds Forum.

The reason that nobody visits the Classifieds Forum is because so few people join groups at all, there is no reason to. The primary reason to visit the Classifieds is to advertise a group that you just made. The numbers of Bnet users in groups are not just small -- they are ridiculously miniscule. Look at the Iris campaign -- 80 million people came into some kind of contact with the ARG or Halo 3 through Iris alone. Hundreds of thousands had some kind of involvement in the ARG. Yet the largest dedicated group of players to Iris anywhere -- which happened to be on BNet -- never cracked 4000 members. Despite the extremely convenient presence of a private group, the vast majority of ARG players got all of their IRIS content through the public forums and the public websites such as WikiBruce.

The numbers are just as staggering even if you look only at BNet. One million active users on BNet and yet no group contains more than 3950 members. That's 0.04%. Granted, many users are not in that particular chapter, but even Achronos has mentioned that the percentage of group users is tiny. He mentioned that the best thing that a user who wants more group functionality can do is to USE the groups, which gives the Web Team the appropriate justification to start working on them. That's why I am in 18 groups and try to swing by all of them once a week, if not every day.

It's a vicious cycle -- a large problem that indirectly affects the Classifieds is the functionality of groups. The thing that most people find coolest about groups is not the gathering of like-minded people in a more intimate environment -- it is the ability to play God. Therefore, it's no fun to join a group if you are just a "regular member" unless the discussion or people there are extremely cool. It is much more fun to start your own group with whatever member titles you want and the delicious power to lock threads and ban people on an arbitrary whim. And a large portion of regular BNet members have done exactly that.

As a side note, after seeing how some members act in their private groups, I am often not surprised at Achronos's hesitation to promote new moderators -- that, combined with the trust issues on BNet.

Anyway, once you advertise the group you created in the Classifieds and nobody joins it, the fun of playing God wears off and you're left with a group that plays the same old forum games and spams. You might get people together for a game or two, but rarely anything regular for anything except dedicated clans.

Hopefully group functionality returns with something to give greater incentive to people to join groups, whether those groups be Chapters or Clans. When and if that happens, you will see the Classifieds become much more robust.

As for now, no the Classifieds are not useless at all, as they provide a welcome repository for group advertisements that would otherwise clog and choke other forums.

[Edited on 01.01.2008 3:51 PM PST]

  • 01.01.2008 3:40 PM PDT

Long live the Last Refuge!

The classfieds, the only way to keep group members from spaming PM boxs and Forums. Even though no one uses them, now the only groups that go on are the ones that where started two years ago in 06. Usally from those group members make friends and ask them to join one of there groups and useally that member that just joined will get a friend to join. So it's like damino effect. So the classifieds are yes and no.

  • 01.01.2008 3:54 PM PDT

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Posted by: Cockburnicus
You missed the point like Vader missed the banshee, your whole argument is covered in bees.
Stop sending me group invites -blam!-s!

Posted by: x Foman123 x
Yes, the Classifieds Forum is clearly useless as a way to attract members. It is, however, extremely useful as a way to divert spam from the main forums. Which, if you ask me, is its primary purpose. Threads advertising groups in the wrong forum are frequent, but not nearly as bad as they would be in the absence of a Classifieds Forum.
That's all you had to say Foman. You may write long posts but damn it couldn't hurt to shorten them now and again. I agree with this paragraph and I'm sure I agree with the rest of it too.

So basically, yea, what Foman said is what I feel about the Classifieds.

  • 01.01.2008 3:54 PM PDT
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Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

Posted by: muffin man one
Posted by: x Foman123 x
Yes, the Classifieds Forum is clearly useless as a way to attract members. It is, however, extremely useful as a way to divert spam from the main forums. Which, if you ask me, is its primary purpose. Threads advertising groups in the wrong forum are frequent, but not nearly as bad as they would be in the absence of a Classifieds Forum.
That's all you had to say Foman. You may write long posts but damn it couldn't hurt to shorten them now and again.
It's like some kind of disease. I start writing my opinion and then..... rrrgggghhhh...... I can't help it!!!

At least now I've started including summary paragraphs so that people don't have to read the whole thing unless they want to :-)

  • 01.01.2008 3:57 PM PDT

We care about your opinion.

Well, Im impressed, especially with Foman...that was definately a responce worth reading, so I think that about sums up the whole issue.

As for the ninja, I see your point...

Thanks for clearing that up...and for not arbitrarily flaming me...

  • 01.01.2008 4:16 PM PDT
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So now I'm a beta tester. Let's see where this goes.

To build on what Foman said:

The problem isn't just the groups, it's finding games as well. There have been numerous times when people have advertise finding custom and co-op games claiming "I decided to put this in the community because it seemed more related to the community members." The fact is if nobody visits the classifieds then you will never find a custom game and next time you are willing to try somewhere else, risk breaking the rules, because the worst that could happen is that they just move your thread. The short time it was spamming some other forum at least gave it some exposure.

  • 01.01.2008 4:19 PM PDT

We care about your opinion.

Posted by: Recon Number 54
Interestingly enough, I was just in the Halo 3 forum.

Someone made an ad about a H3 event. I moved it there and sent the message.

They then recreated the thread and when asked, "didn't your other one get locked/moved?" they replied....

"No one goes there and I want people to know about this...."

Which is exactly the sort of attitude and selfishness that I was talking about.


I know what you mean...oddly enough, I've seen the same thing many times, but I also know that it's a major temptation that if you have something that you think is really important, that you should try and let everyone know no matter the cost. It is selfish though...

One guy (name forgotten) had his thread moved as well, and asked the ninja why he wouldn't cut him some slack.

Of course, the ninja wrote saying, "I cut you some slack when I moved it instead of locking it or deleting the post."

  • 01.01.2008 4:28 PM PDT

Video of Rodent's Abode
Posted by: Cockburnicus
You missed the point like Vader missed the banshee, your whole argument is covered in bees.
Stop sending me group invites -blam!-s!

Posted by: Recon Number 54
Interestingly enough, I was just in the Halo 3 forum.

Someone made an ad about a H3 event. I moved it there and sent the message.

They then recreated the thread and when asked, "didn't your other one get locked/moved?" they replied....

"No one goes there and I want people to know about this...."

Which is exactly the sort of attitude and selfishness that I was talking about.
This is where I get confused sometimes. I think all recruitment requests should be in the Classifieds but aren't events something that can be discussed? Sure people can't discuss joining a group but events and projects are different in my opinion. After all if an event needs to be discussed it can't be put in the Classifieds because of the one post only rule.

I think that one post rule should be changed if a thread is regarding an event rather than a group. I think the double post and bumping should be just as strict as ever but give people a little room to breath in that forum and it wouldn't be so useless.

  • 01.01.2008 4:38 PM PDT

We care about your opinion.

Posted by: muffin man one
Posted by: Recon Number 54
Interestingly enough, I was just in the Halo 3 forum.

Someone made an ad about a H3 event. I moved it there and sent the message.

They then recreated the thread and when asked, "didn't your other one get locked/moved?" they replied....

"No one goes there and I want people to know about this...."

Which is exactly the sort of attitude and selfishness that I was talking about.
This is where I get confused sometimes. I think all recruitment requests should be in the Classifieds but aren't events something that can be discussed? Sure people can't discuss joining a group but events and projects are different in my opinion. After all if an event needs to be discussed it can't be put in the Classifieds because of the one post only rule.

I think that one post rule should be changed if a thread is regarding an event rather than a group. I think the double post and bumping should be just as strict as ever but give people a little room to breath in that forum and it wouldn't be so useless.


Bumping is a cheap way to keep YOUR group at the top of the list...it's 'selfish' and unfair to other people...same goes for double posting.

  • 01.01.2008 4:48 PM PDT
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Posted by: Recon Number 54
Posted by: WaFFles72
Of course, the ninja wrote saying, "I cut you some slack when I moved it instead of locking it or deleting the post."

that sounds eerily familiar.....

But seriously. The Classifieds are like that section of the newspaper. If people only read the sports section and the funnies, they can't complain that their want ad isn't getting any traffic.

I will admit, a more robust search feature would allow the classifieds to be a more helpful and productive forum for both "sellers" and "buyers", but even the newspaper version requires you to scan the ads.


But in a newspaper, adds don't continue to slide further back in the paper every hour.

Instead, I see one guy re post his "ad" every 3-6 hours. (Even back into the H3 forum after it gets moved...)

  • 01.01.2008 4:55 PM PDT
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So now I'm a beta tester. Let's see where this goes.

Posted by: AJAQ
Posted by: Recon Number 54
Posted by: WaFFles72
Of course, the ninja wrote saying, "I cut you some slack when I moved it instead of locking it or deleting the post."

that sounds eerily familiar.....

But seriously. The Classifieds are like that section of the newspaper. If people only read the sports section and the funnies, they can't complain that their want ad isn't getting any traffic.

I will admit, a more robust search feature would allow the classifieds to be a more helpful and productive forum for both "sellers" and "buyers", but even the newspaper version requires you to scan the ads.


But in a newspaper, adds don't continue to slide further back in the paper every hour.

Instead, I see one guy re post his "ad" every 3-6 hours. (Even back into the H3 forum after it gets moved...)
It would be helpful if there was a search feature just for the Classifieds so that you don't have to sift through posts to find a new group's thread.

Edit: Oh wait there is one. I feel stupid now.

[Edited on 01.01.2008 5:02 PM PST]

  • 01.01.2008 4:59 PM PDT

We care about your opinion.

But really...could there be an easier way to ad a group? Or are the classifieds the only possibility that won't clog other forums?

They must've thought of some other way...

  • 01.01.2008 5:22 PM PDT

Long live the Last Refuge!

Posted by: Recon Number 54


And even more "official" events? They should have a site or a group in order to organize. A discussion thread is not a good way to do so.


Yeah for one of the group I was in I organized a tourment for december, but the group I was in was a active one so it wasn't that hard(other then the fact that two teams didn't show). So if you really wanted to organize a event, but you don't know any good groups. Then the person might have to post in the classifieds if you really wanted the event to happen.

  • 01.01.2008 6:23 PM PDT

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Yea, I agree. The classifieds are pretty much just a way to channel spam, but it works! Anyways, after the release of Halo 2, Bungie.net groups were never the same. Back in the old Halo Combat Evolved days groups flourished. One specific group I remember was Dark Halo. It's sad to see how far they have fallen, problem is very few people use them productively. Maybe one day groups will return to their former glory...

[Edited on 01.01.2008 7:59 PM PST]

  • 01.01.2008 7:56 PM PDT

The Classifieds are where threads go to die.

The best way to advertise your group is to be an interesting and active B.net member. If you pique people's interest with your threads and posts, that's when they wave their cursor over your ID to see what you're all about.

  • 01.01.2008 8:12 PM PDT

I find that the best way to advertise groups is to get them on the top ten list in the private groups spotlight. Granted that is easier said then done, but whenever a group does get on there, at least with my experiences, more people join. If you want a regular way to advertise though, the classifieds are the only way to go without having to worry about getting into trouble, even if you think it may not be the best way.

  • 01.01.2008 8:53 PM PDT

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