Considering closing GM

[BeardofPants]

Originally posted by bmilder
In Darth Tater's opinion, a newbie is someone who registered after December 19th.

That's complete b/s. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I belonged to another MB that got run over by 11 year old legolas lurvers. That's why I came here! Just cos I'm new here, doesn't make me a newbie to Tolkien or MBs!!! I belonged to my other one for well over a year before it degenerated!!!!

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by bmilder
I think emplynx has the right idea.

There is only so much that one can say about Tolkien. The movies have revitalized interest, but after a time, most discussion will be exhausted.

The only way that themed message boards can remain successful is by balancing the distinguishing "real" content with the needs of a growing virtual community.

Has this forum had more than its share of inane and pointless messages? Sure. Just as we can't expect everyone discuss Tolkien 24/7, we can't expect you to participate in intellectual debates all the time either (which tend to degenerate into flame wars anyway, but I digress )

Believe it or not - there is also only so many ways I can discuss or complain about Jackson's movie. (haven't really discussed the books too much in their forum) The General Messages are good during this lag time between the movies. Without general messages I'm sure many people would just stop posting completely - and may not come back when TT comes out. The movie forum will pick up once the DVDs are out - the general message board will keep people interested in Entmoot until that time.

[Comic Book Guy]

I belonged to my other one for well over a year before it degenerated!!!!

What Tater actually means (I think), that after December 19, Entmoot has degenerated. Pretty much all of our regulars have joined after December 19, so they haven't noticed. Compared to when I first joined Entmoot last year, Entmoot currently sucks.

I belonged to another MB that got run over by 11 year old legolas lurvers.

Before December 19, I can assure you that there was no Orlando Bloom crap, or any other shallow tripe like this.

Believe it or not - there is also only so many ways I can discuss or complain about Jackson's movie. (haven't really discussed the books too much in their forum) The General Messages are good during this lag time between the movies. Without general messages I'm sure many people would just stop posting completely - and may not come back when TT comes out. The movie forum will pick up once the DVDs are out - the general message board will keep people interested in Entmoot until that time.

When the DVDs are released, we will have a surge of new members, and all of them may not have any GM forum to visit, so they won't know what they are missing.

[Elf Girl]

I see your point admins, but probably people would just start switching the chat that curruntly lives here to the Tolkien forums, and Entmoot will degenerate even more. If you can focus the degeneration to GM, at least the Tolkien forums will remain relatively pure.

And now I'm all sad I didn't see Entmoot before it degenerated down this far.

But really, is it the "humor" threads in the Tolkien forums that the admins think of as spam? Tolkien's works are terrifying in their own way, we would all collapse (or at least I would) if there was no way of seeing some of Tolkien as funny.

[samwise of the shire]

Darth Tater would you have tons of Spamming in the Book forum? Or perhaps the entertainment forum (as that seems to be the forum you'd go to if you shut this down.)? OF course not. What do you think will happen to the rest of the board if you shut this down. There will still be spamming no matter how hard you try to stop it and it WONT stop JUST because you shut GM down. It'll only spread and then where would we be?
And if I remeber correctly the title for the GM says"Talk about ANYTHING you want in THIS forum". I was under the impression that we can talk about whatever we wanted in this forum. It's good for us to know what's up with each other. I told the whole forum aobut my friend who has cancer and you were all uplifting and helpful. I would like to get to know the people here more and this forum is the only way you can get to know each other.
Anyway put your power to work Darth. If you don't like the newbies who talk Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood constantly why not make a new forum for them? Or why not just lock the threads with major spamming in them. Just go through and lock up all the spam threads and leave this one open with a warning saying"Anyone found spamming(i.e Chatting off topic)here will be booted from the moot for a day or so". But I like getting to talk with the cool people I meet here.
Sam

[Darth Tater]

Ben enjoys kissing peoples buts you see But come on man, you don't even read the board, and you only post when an issue like this comes up, I think those of us in the administration who are actually around have a better grasp of the issues. I was undecided, and this thread has helped me make up my mind, thanks ya'll!

[BeardofPants]

Originally posted by samwise of the shire
If you don't like the newbies who talk Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood constantly why not make a new forum for them? Or why not just lock the threads with major spamming in them.

No sorry, here I must disagree with you. I came to this board to escape this shallow crap. There are heaps of fan sites and Orli/'Lij wallowing sites out there already, we don't need another one.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Comic Book Guy


When the DVDs are released, we will have a surge of new members, and all of them may not have any GM forum to visit, so they won't know what they are missing.

I can personally care less if Entmoot closes down GM - but you'll get a bunch of "newbies" for the time when the movies come out.

If you don't want the newbies and the spam - then do away with the Movie forum. That'll solve most of what seems to be the complaint. You'll get more true Tolkien fans - if the only thing they can discuss are the books.

[Comic Book Guy]

Tater you used to be cool man, now you have to think about doing the right thing.

[emplynx]

Originally posted by bmilder
In Darth Tater's opinion, a newbie is someone who registered after December 19th.

*raises hand*
I'm not a newbie. Nananabobo!

[samwise of the shire]

BOP~Bad Idea on the lij/orlie thing. Thanks for pointing that out BOP. Not sarcasm intended.
DT~Under my post. Was that ME you were talking to or someone else, because you see I dont read alot of the board I post tonse though. And what's the desicion?
Sam

[frodosgirlfriend]

do away with the Movie forum. That'll solve most of what seems to be the complaint. You'll get more true Tolkien fans - if the only thing they can discuss are the books.

if there wasn't a movie form alot of ppl wouldn't be here who r just starting to know Tolkien. So what if I don't study Tolkien every body has to start somehow, and that movie started it for me. I'm sorry if I'm not a true Tolkien fan, but I'm becoming one. if there wasn't a movie I wouldn't even know who the heck Tolkien was.

[Sister Golden Hair]

The one thing I find a problem with is when the only knowledge of Tolkien comes from a movie for some people, and then they enter the book forum and try to talk Tolkien and they sound utterly rediculous, and annoy the actual Tolkien readers. And as I and Comic Book Guy can tell you, this happens frequently.

[cassiopeia]

I havn't read any replies cause I'm in a hurry, but my opinion is: don't close it because, although I don't read many posts here, its fun to talk about other stuff than LOTR/ME, sometimes (please don't hurt me). This is the best newsgroup/board I've visited, so keep GM.

I just checked quickly and someone said do away with the movie forum. NO WAY! How else are we going to survive to Christmas? I hope people are intelligent enough to keep the movie and book separate (even though I am guilty of not sometimes).

[Tar-Elendil]

well first of all..
saying the admin. are considering closing the general mesage forum and our opinion basicly doesnt matter makes me think "why post this anyway" -just to see our reaction?..wow great reason.. and if yall wanna focus more on Tolkien, shutdown the Stawars forum, for i hate those movies

[Sister Golden Hair]

Now that you mention it, I think another problem with the GM board, but not neccessarily limited to it, is that alot of folks simply don't read posts, but just talk. this isn't a good thing, because it causes repetitive threads and posts.

[Tar-Elendil]

and also..shutting down the lotr movie forum would be ,in my opinion, dumb. everyone would just start to post about the movie in either middle-earth or lotr books even( supposing admins. also shut down the gen. message and entertainment forums)..leave the movie forum be

[Arathorn]

Originally posted by StrawberryIcecream


so u are implying that i am a newbie?

anyway. goodbye...perhaps forever. shakes head. aaaarghgh, too much shakespeare!

I'm implying that we both are; and it doesn't really matter. Great Shakespeare, btw.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally posted by Tar-Elendil
well first of all..
saying the admin. are considering closing the general mesage forum and our opinion basicly doesnt matter makes me think "why post this anyway" -just to see our reaction?..wow great reason..

Although Tater says you can not vote, I am sure your opinions will be a deciding factor in how the administration decides. So in an indirect way your opinions will count. As for just seeing how you would react, that is and will be an important factor in making the decision I would think.

[mirrille]

Closing down the GM could create more problems than it solves.
I think an official "welcome" area could help, if set up in a way so that people would actually use it.
I think one problem with closing down this section is that it will ultimately decrease traffic to the Tolkien threads and this whole board altogether. I post mostly in GM, I've noticed lately, but I do check up on the Tolkien fora and post if I see something interesting. If GM closes, I will very likely stop coming altogether. As has been said before, GM is a good way to retain users who may have initially come across this board because of Tolkien.