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This topic has moved here: Subject: An Idea to Improve Our Forums
  • Subject: An Idea to Improve Our Forums
Subject: An Idea to Improve Our Forums
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Many people apparently have problems with the current state of our forums. I brainstormed, and through an insane thought-process that I have yet to comprehend, I came up with this.


It’s a group (just keep reading!), whose purposes are a.) to be awesome, b.) to improve the state of the forums, c.) have fun, and d.) be awesome.

To get in, you’ll need to submit a couple examples of you helping a member, exemplifying the Rules and Code of Conduct, or being awesome. Try not to just answer questions, try to participate in debates as well. Whatever you think will get you in. The couple things will have needed to have taken place within a week or so prior to your submission so that we know you continue to be a good member.

After you have been accepted, you will be asked to submit an example or two of you being a good member every now and again. That’s how you retain membership.

Now, the only people who would really join would be people who have already tried to improve the forums and failed. But not if the perks were high enough.

The group needs to have perks of membership so good that people would go out of their way to be a good member of the forums, and thus be a member of the group. So far, I have

-Exclusive content. Bungie Defenders stuff. Maybe The Bathroom Reader stuff, if we can get Jim onboard. Who knows?
-Contests, with prizes such as little personal videos, drawings, animations and such made for you, perhaps cash or tangible things every now and then.
-Being able to impress the ladies with how you’ve kept membership in such a demanding group.
-Guaranteed good debates with intelligent members and zero spam.
-No topic restrictions in forums.
-Good group/facility interaction.

Now then, the way I see this working is this. We get members on, members not just interested in improving the forums, but in the perks. To keep the perks, they have to help improve the forums. I think it seems like great motivation. Sort of like titles or something, but without authority or any effort from Bungie.

What I’d like from you guys is answers to the following questions:

-Is it a good idea?
-Would you, personally, be interested?
-Would you contribute to contest prizes?
-What would you like to see as perks that would get you to join?
-Any ideas on how to improve on this?


Thanks for all the wonderful feeback so far!


[Edited on 10/2/2006]

  • 10.02.2006 5:48 PM PDT
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Osmosis!

-Is it a good idea? If one had the time for it
-Would you, personally, be interested? Not enough time
-Would you contribute to contest prizes? Probably not
-What would you like to see as perks that would get you to join? ...not really...
-Any ideas on how to improve on this? Keep It Simple, and No topic restrictions in forums will bring in the spammers

  • 10.02.2006 5:58 PM PDT
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"Whatever exists, whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent. These anonymous creatures may seem little or nothing in the world. Yet the smallest crumb can devour us. Any smallest thing beneath yon rock out of men's knowing. Only nature can enslave man and only when the existence of each last entity is routed out and made to stand naked before him will he be properly suzerain of the earth."

Posted by: Douglas Brown
-Is it a good idea?


Per...haps...It seems to be the same idea as paying people to help members. It would definitely promote people helping out, but whether or not the help would be of the "quality" we'd like is up for grabs.

-Would you, personally, be interested?

Personally, no. I'm fine doing what I do right now.

I think based on my last response that I can omit the next two questions.

-Any ideas on how to improve on this?

I'd recommend you turn down your requirements, since I'm skeptical as to whether there are enough cases that all of the members can fulfill the requirements. If there aren't enough cases, you're going to be finding members who will "forcefully help" someone in order to get the point, which is no doubt what we wouldn't want happening.

  • 10.02.2006 6:00 PM PDT

Halo3Planet, the place for all things Halo 3..

Need help finding skulls, make sure to go here.

It's a good idea, but I don't think anyone on these forums gives a -blam!- about making it better. Money might get people to do it, but I personally will not contribute anything, and i doubt there are very many others who will.

  • 10.02.2006 6:02 PM PDT
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I would only be paying for the highest qaulity of help!

I shall make my requirements clear for what I think should be done, and will relax the quanity for quality. Thanks, Mabian!

  • 10.02.2006 6:07 PM PDT
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"Whatever exists, whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent. These anonymous creatures may seem little or nothing in the world. Yet the smallest crumb can devour us. Any smallest thing beneath yon rock out of men's knowing. Only nature can enslave man and only when the existence of each last entity is routed out and made to stand naked before him will he be properly suzerain of the earth."

Posted by: roman arrow12
It's a good idea, but I don't think anyone on these forums gives a -blam!- about making it better. Money might get people to do it, but I personally will not contribute anything, and i doubt there are very many others who will.


You'd be surprised how many members are willing to make the forum better.

  • 10.02.2006 6:17 PM PDT
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Now that you've taken the time to look at my sig, I actually regret not providing you with something more worthwhile.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but are you essentially saying you will reward people for playing forum cop? If that's teh case, then this is a terrible idea. If I'm not quite comprehending what you mean, then give me some examples of what you mean by "helping other members."

  • 10.02.2006 6:19 PM PDT

Halo3Planet, the place for all things Halo 3..

Need help finding skulls, make sure to go here.

I really don't think there are that many members willing to contribute money to make an online forum a better place. Also, this is what the moderators are for, and they do a very good job of it.

  • 10.02.2006 6:22 PM PDT
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Posted by: MeechVII
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but are you essentially saying you will reward people for playing forum cop? If that's teh case, then this is a terrible idea. If I'm not quite comprehending what you mean, then give me some examples of what you mean by "helping other members."


Awesome question. I don't mean forum copping at all. I mean replying to threads with quality posts (decent spelling, good punctuation, relevance, ect), PMing members with detailed answers and chat invites to help them with specific problems (if it hasn't already been fixed), replying FIRST (if it's already been answered, leave it alone) to question threads, creating threads for community interaction, making things for the community (such as stories and the like), keeping a good discussion going with backed-up opinions, ect.

  • 10.02.2006 6:29 PM PDT
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The thing is; elitism. People will compete to help. That's not really the point of helping other people, is it? Then they'll say "I'm better than you because I help more people". It sort of taints the image of a nice person by making them fight to get there.

And then what happens when nearly everyone has joined the group and they all need to find 4 examples a week? They'll scramble on the questions posted in the forums and then people CAN'T make their quota.

Thus, I don't really like the idea.
-TGP-

  • 10.02.2006 6:49 PM PDT
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First, let's try not get hung up on the word "help." It was apparently poorly used. I mean just being a good member. Period. That can mean anything from making quality posts, to helping, to participating, to whatever. It's much boader than just "helping people." Sorry for the confusion.

Posted by: Great_Pretender
The thing is; elitism. People will compete to help. That's not really the point of helping other people, is it? Then they'll say "I'm better than you because I help more people". It sort of taints the image of a nice person by making them fight to get there.

If the help is genuine, or at least made to sound genuine, then they are better than someone who doesn't help at all. Now, if they are both helping, and one is less active, then they're both even. But I don't really like that.

I'll try to be tight on the screening and watching process. If anyone actually tries to pull a "verbal" "I'm better than you" stunt, they're out. I don't want to encourage that.


Posted by: Great_Pretender
And then what happens when nearly everyone has joined the group and they all need to find 4 examples a week? They'll scramble on the questions posted in the forums and then people CAN'T make their quota.


That's why I relaxed and probably removed the quota. I just want them to submit a quality post every now and again to show that they deserve membership. Allow me to edit my original post.

  • 10.02.2006 6:56 PM PDT
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The way I see it, it's a pretty good idea. I don't look at it as some kind of crazy, Victorian elitist movement on the forums. It's just a way to give people some incentive to bet good B.net members (because, let's be honest...quality B.net members are somewhat lacking in quantity nowadays).

  • 10.02.2006 7:39 PM PDT

It was a cold day near the southern base in Blood Gulch. Cortana and I were relaxing over a game of Go Fish, WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE 700 BANSHEES CAME FLYING IN!!! I GRABED MY SPARTAN LASER AND LET HELL REIGN DOWN UPON THEM. I HOPPED IN THE NEAREST WARTHOG AND TOLD CORTANA TO GET IN.

That would be the lamest group evar. It would probably just be a bunch of forum cops correcting each other -_-

EDIT: Casey, I think you mean lacking in quality.

EDIT EDIT: Casey, I think I need to read more carefully.

[Edited on 10/2/2006]

  • 10.02.2006 7:56 PM PDT

I like the idea. I'd explain in more detail but I'm tired and I just ruined a pig roast.

  • 10.02.2006 8:05 PM PDT

2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Bungie Defenders exclusive content FTW >.>

Speaking of that my motivation in that game has increased double. I finished both the Zanzibar and Flood maps and am currently almost done with New Mombasa. <_<

Also good idea >_>

  • 10.02.2006 8:21 PM PDT
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Searching a user's post can tell you a lot about the person.

Just search for darekster2ongame on the Forums-Author

Example

  • 10.02.2006 8:28 PM PDT
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Posted by: Pink Menace
That would be the lamest group evar. It would probably just be a bunch of forum cops correcting each other -_-

EDIT: Casey, I think you mean lacking in quality.

EDIT EDIT: Casey, I think I need to read more carefully.


Pink, Italics are fun.

  • 10.02.2006 8:42 PM PDT

@trueunderdog

Chapter

Narwhallace Smithington: Gone, but not forgotten. Never approve of anything lil guy. <3
Furious George: The new -blam!-

Posted by: Great_Pretender
The thing is; elitism...
-TGP-


I'm glad someone brought up the e-word before I was going to.

Don't get me wrong; I love the idea and I'd do my part to contribute. I often feel like my [helpful] posts are ignored because most of bungie.net doesn't care. I do joke around at times, because I'm friends with a handful of members from the bungie.net community and I like to joke with my friends. I know when to be helpful but those times are ignored. I posted a thread on elitism in the Septagon (dealing with join dates and the removal of them altogether) and it didn't get too much positive feedback. I do want to help but there are others who will compete to get in and use it to be "arguement toppers". Though you say you'll prevent that, those people will keep coming. What's to say you'll stick with removing them? They might come quicker than you can handle. If you can pull it off, I'll tip my hat to you. Know that you've piqued my interest but regardless of if you make a group or not, I'm still going to be helpful. :-)

[Edited on 10/2/2006]

  • 10.02.2006 9:19 PM PDT
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I plan to have many staff members (if the member count warrents it) to handle the watching of the members and the submissions of good will.

  • 10.03.2006 4:30 AM PDT