You be the mods/Cleaning up General Messages

[Sister Golden Hair]

Look at it this way. When you have a conversation with somebody at work or school or whatever you don't continue with one subject the whole time. One thing leads to another. And you start a new subject. I know it's not always good for the thread but it's how people are. You just have to comment. This leads to another off topic comment. See?

It is how people are, but that is real life, not Entmoot. Entmoot is a MB with rules, and the rules are neccessary. That seems to be one of the major problems that folks don't understand.

[Lizra]

Gwaimir, what is (MEA)?

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally posted by Lizra
Gwaimir, what is (MEA)?

Yeah GW, what is that?

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Grr, replied, but my internet messed up. Anywho, I just got tired of typing My Emphasis Added.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Ah, ok then.

[Khamûl]

Originally posted by Lizra
I'd try to stop spam after six to eight posts, name calling, flame baiting, and continuous sexual inuendo.

See, there is a slight problem with that. Most of the time these things only occur for half an hour or so and during that time, there is probably not a mod on the board to nudge the folks back in line. By the time one of us gets to it, the escapade is over and done with.

That said, I haven't been able to get online as much lately. Things have changed in real life. However, school will soon be out and I should have a lot more free time in order to better do my job.

[Lizra]

If the escapade is over in half a day, no biggie! It's the three day long deals that kills interest! Mods should not have to work hard! Let's shape this place up people! Khamul, Congratulations again. Happy graduation! I wish I could see you and clap till my hands are sore!

[Artanis]

Originally posted by azalea
In the Lotr forums, sometimes I think it is off-putting for newbies and also "long-time" members who are looking for fun discussions rather than cut-throat debate, when people post snide and cutting remarks at them beginning with "Actually,..." and proceed to rip apart that person's comments. I think some people left because they were tired of having no room to speculate or imagine about ME because others would say basically, "You can't think that because 'xxx'; quote from 'xxx' obscure reference in 'xxx' obscure book refutes that."

Originally posted by Aralyn
I don't know everything about LOTR and I always get upset when someone makes a big deal out of a mistake I make.

Originally posted by Lizra
It's not much fun to talk about Middle Earth as if it's a math course! "Loremaster" gas bags can stop a interesting conversation dead, on the second post

Ehem - I agree with you all, but I'm also a little disturbed. I use quotes if I can, to validate my views (wasn't there something in FAQ/rules that we were encouraged to do this, or am I thinking of another board?), and I'll probably make a comment if another poster has got some facts wrong. It's not intended to be intimidating, and I'm certainly not a scholar! If any of you should find anything in my posts that you think could cause people to leave the board, please tell me! Scaring someone away is the last thing I want.

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by Coney
Threads I would close, would be the Most Wanted Mooters.........Jonathon Calendar Thread (I can't believe this was allowed to stay open, there are eleven yr old kids on here) and the Entmoot Mudwrestling Thread (sorry Jon) .........by their nature they are exclusive to the folks featured in the Websites the threads are concerning :/ (and I'm in two of them )

I don't mind having my threads closed down. The Mud Wrestling contest could still be continued and followed on its website, for example.

I think threads like the Anything thread, the Previous poster, Middle-Earth's ABC and "Entmoot wouldn't be the same..." could be closed. But then the administrators must give straight answers of why the threads were not allowed to remain, after having existed for such a long time.
Then the administrators would have to be quick to close any similar threads that are likely to pop up to sort of "fill the vacuum".

[Blackboar]

Originally posted by durin's bane
I think the previous poster should be closed (no offense to its owner) but a lot of the times two buddies will keep posting for each other and it discourages other members to participate. And sometimes the poster who's supposed to say something about you will just say something you already said (like you say, "< is going swimming this afternoon", and the next person will say "^is going swimming this afternoon") and then writes this huge paragraph on themselves.
Entmoot wouldn't be the if... thread is good because it lets us see what other members think of us.

Suppose your all right, close my thread then! (If it hasn't been closed already..I've been away for a while)

[Lalaith]

first of all, sorry for my long-term spamming, I'm trying to get better.
Okay, two suggestions:
1. What if this or that or someone or something be a woman?
I know that it isn't on the first two pages of the GM's but this thread (and others like that) really annoyed me.

2. Probabably the Previous poster (although I love it myself). But I would keep the Anything post, because it's interesting to post questions and answers.

[Sheeana]

I believe Sween brought it up in the decline thread - those threads that are cliqish. They only serve to alienate those who aren't currently in the "in" crowd.

[cassiopeia]

I would get rid of the Previous Poster and the Anthing Post. I'm not subscribed to them, though I have checked them out and they seem uninteresting.
I do think posting in some forums can be intimidating. Which is why I usually only read the posts in the Silmarillion forum. I don't mind being told I'm incorrect, it's a good way to learn, but it still makes you feel silly all the same. I don't mind Tolkien scholars. If they have extra information on the topic I'm only too glad to hear it.

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally posted by Sister Golden Hair
In light of the discussion taking place in the "decline of Entmoot" thread, I would like to do a little experiment. I would like all of you to be mods and list the threads in the General Messages forum that you would close and state why you would close them. Now, I don't mean threads that go back two years. I mean current threads that are being discussed. Let's say that could cover the first two pages of GMs.

Also, I would like everyone to list their ideas and suggestions on how they would improve Entmoot, and particularly the General Messages forum.

I think this could help the staff to improve the board as far as moderation, and it gives the members a chance to be part of running their community if their suggestions are used.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

Perhaps Sub-forums for easy subject-determination would be something for General Messages:

Politics & National Issues, Religion, History, Philosophy, Opinions (Polls), Social & Cultural Issues.

...for example.

[Sween]

Originally posted by Sheeana
I believe Sween brought it up in the decline thread - those threads that are cliqish. They only serve to alienate those who aren't currently in the "in" crowd.

when did i become observent?

i think maybe to sort the Genral messages out we need to cut the crap out from it cos the crap keeps comming to the top.

in the books forum i thinks it wrong that people get shot down for not automatically having an understanding of the book or even read it! This is a result of the movie but i hadnt read the book b4 the movie came out so you know i wont have a good the movie made me read the book and i like the book now! dont forget the books are difficult to understand at best i had read a lot of synopsis b4 i read the book itself to i understood it a lot better as well as using a lot of resiources on the net and yes indeed using entmoot.

maybe for the genral messages we need to have the more inttelegent mooters lead the discussion set off threads of intrest. Topical topics as i like to call them which dont stray off topic so much as they are continually developing i came to the moot still in the wake of 9/11 which produced a lot of intresting threads about international realtions etc. Iraq war was also a good one bringing up a lot of intresting issues but did that become a spam thread? a few mooters me included argueeing back and forth about issues i mean jerseydevil is excellent at finding evidence on the net but to be honest i would of liked to seen less posts by some of us and other mooters join the disscussion!

Polictical dissussion are of intrest to me and some other mooters but lets not forget that some of the mooters (mainly younger mooters) probably are more intrested in other threads and this must be accounted for

[Lizra]

Originally posted by Artanis
Ehem - I agree with you all, but I'm also a little disturbed. I use quotes if I can, to validate my views (wasn't there something in FAQ/rules that we were encouraged to do this, or am I thinking of another board?), and I'll probably make a comment if another poster has got some facts wrong. It's not intended to be intimidating, and I'm certainly not a scholar! If any of you should find anything in my posts that you think could cause people to leave the board, please tell me! Scaring someone away is the last thing I want.

Your posts are great! I mean people who get on at the second post and say something like
"How inane, Tolkien says many times that that would never happen, (or was impossible). In "Unfinished Letters About Possible Tales" volume 645, he clearly states 'Blah, blah blah' you Nimrod."

I want to know more, and appreciate when "scholarly types" come forth and illuminate topics. I just think it is polite to allow some discussion to occur, and to offer "lore" in an upbeat, pleasant manner.

[Coney]

Originally posted by Grey_Wolf
Perhaps Sub-forums for easy subject-determination would be something for General Messages:

Politics & National Issues, Religion, History, Philosophy, Opinions (Polls), Social & Cultural Issues.

I don't know if this is what they-who-must-be-obeyed have in mind for the 'moot but a MBoard I used to post at split thier General Messages into two distinct forums.

General Messages remained a place to discuss Religion, Politics, Social and Cultural issues etc They then created a new forum, for the getting-to-know-you, happy/venting thread, Anything and previous poster type threads..........basically keeping the more serious discussions away from the more frivolous chit-chat.

It worked very well, and I think it would here........GM is just too big and way too diverse.

Anyhoo, just at thought that passed through the old cranium

[azalea]

I'm glad people agree with me about what I posted.
SGH and Artanis, just to clarify, I wasn't meaning that we shouldn't "go deep," if you will. If you guys (and other "scholarly types" didn't post, the forums up there would be very boring! I meant it was more the way SOME (not all) people make their responses can be rude, and that is definately off-putting for newbies and long-timers who aren't familiar with the deeper mythology of ME. I was just suggesting that people be a)as Lizra said, be polite and gracious in their responses, and b)allow people to have fun with Tolkien's works without always having to adhere to "the letter of the Tolkien law." I love to learn and hear all the info that is posted up there, and of course am not suggesting it be "fluffy," but I was just trying to say that it can cause people to be intimidated about posting when they have to worry about being "corrected" or typing a "wrong answer."

The same goes for some of the threads here, and I think that is what Sween was saying in his second main paragraph. It's not at all that everyone shouldn't feel free to post, but when people are gentle in their responses, it naturally encourages people to post who usually feel intimidated. When threads get heated, no one wants to go in there except for the few who are arguing, and when people give snotty responses ridiculing another's "obvious lack of a grasp" on the subject being discussed, well, who the heck wants to post there again, knowing that person will just ridicule what they say again? No one wants to get "shocked" again, so they keep their hand out of the light socket. (That was a weak analogy ) I LOVE (!!!) the debates, and they are part of what makes coming here so fun and interesting, but just remember to be polite in your responses, and take into consideration to whom you are responding.

[Lizra]

Back to Kahmul's point about Mods not being able to curb rule breakers in a timely fashion....Even if a person who is rude, crude and breaks the rules, is told three days later to get his/her act together or leave, it helps curb the "decline", and spares the quality posters and innocent lurkers from having to wade through more and more negative posts. Mod's shouldn't have to feel "overworked" I would think Moderating a forum should be a good experience. (usually! )

[Sween]

what about us mooters who never mean offence but sometimes make or cause offence by our own failings as a person! I know its been known that i do this!

I do find that some people on the moot are a bit snobbish, no perhaps snobbish is the wrong word but they remind me of the interlectuals ive had to put up with all my life that sometimes look down upon you for bad spelling or simply not agreeing with your ideas to them may seem idiotic occasionally!