Author Topic: Considering Unmoderated Forum  (Read 14434 times)

Offline Darth Slothus

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #60 on: July 30, 2007, 02:02 PM »
Besides, if things DO get out of hand we have the mods who can quickly clean up any mess that's created.

I say go for it. We don't really have anything to lose.

Hmmm... but if it's unmoderated then just how will they do that?
We don't have anything to lose...? Interesting.

DS

Offline Diddly

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #61 on: July 30, 2007, 02:34 PM »
Besides, if things DO get out of hand we have the mods who can quickly clean up any mess that's created.

I say go for it. We don't really have anything to lose.

Hmmm... but if it's unmoderated then just how will they do that?
We don't have anything to lose...? Interesting.

DS

I meant that as in if a "feud" were to spill over into the Hasbro section of the site then the mods could clean it up quickly.

And by my second comment, we really don't have anything to lose, IMO. It's not like anyone's going to look down on this site for trying something different (different for SW sites at least).
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Offline Deanpaul

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #62 on: July 30, 2007, 02:39 PM »
... but things like this divide the community, not bring it closer togther...

 :P

I don't recall reading "bring the community closer together" listed anywhere in the reasons for creating an unmoderated forum.  Maybe we should start a "gentle hugs" forum?

 ::)

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Offline Darth Slothus

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #63 on: July 30, 2007, 03:39 PM »
I meant that as in if a "feud" were to spill over into the Hasbro section of the site then the mods could clean it up quickly.

And by my second comment, we really don't have anything to lose, IMO. It's not like anyone's going to look down on this site for trying something different (different for SW sites at least).

-Oh, OK.

-You're right, I guess instead we would be retrying failed experiments from other sites because folks believe our site is good enough to handle it and that it could work here. In case you don't understand this I view tons of locked political threads at other sites as failed attempts to have them.

DS

Offline Darth Kenobi

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #64 on: July 30, 2007, 05:01 PM »
I meant that as in if a "feud" were to spill over into the Hasbro section of the site then the mods could clean it up quickly.

And by my second comment, we really don't have anything to lose, IMO. It's not like anyone's going to look down on this site for trying something different (different for SW sites at least).

-Oh, OK.

-You're right, I guess instead we would be retrying failed experiments from other sites because folks believe our site is good enough to handle it and that it could work here. In case you don't understand this I view tons of locked political threads at other sites as failed attempts to have them.

DS

The other two main Star Wars sites that attempted this in the past have both seen that no good would come out of it and lock (plus ban) any political debates threads up quickly now.  I don't think the few regular poster who have posted in the past at RS's or GH's politics thread would be a big problem as oppose to those who will just come over here and post exclusively in that one here.  I had seen it with both of those other sites.  As soon as they locked it up main regular poster in those threads were saying "Since this thread closed goodbye, everyone".  It is these people that I have a feeling would cause trouble for the site as a whole, even with our staff doing a good job at stopping stuff.

Offline Darth Slothus

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #65 on: July 30, 2007, 05:08 PM »
Totally agree Tom, site integrity IS something to lose and not worth the risk.

I don't know I guess I just don't understand why we would take the chance and risk a high possibility problem element and include it here....

DS

Offline Matt

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #66 on: July 30, 2007, 05:23 PM »
As soon as they locked it up main regular poster in those threads were saying "Since this thread closed goodbye, everyone".  It is these people that I have a feeling would cause trouble for the site as a whole. . .

I'm not following the logic here.  If the "one thread wonders," as the GH folks so aptly put it, were to take off once the thread was shut down, then how/why would they stick around to cause trouble for the site?
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Offline Nicklab

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #67 on: July 30, 2007, 05:24 PM »
Creating an unmoderated forum is only going to further divide the membership.  Certainly the idea of a forum with free speech is a great thing conceptually.  A vigorous public discourse is an essential part of a free society.  But as for websites that are devoted to Star Wars collecting?  It's probably not a good idea.

The track record is already there.  Just check out the RS and GH forums.  It got UGLY.  And it definitely spilled out beyond the political threads in those forums.  And to think that people would be able to compartmentalize those socio-political discussions from others is just naive.  People's belief systems are so strongly engrained that attempting to seperate them from everyday discussion is extremely difficult.  Certainly one would like to think that an adult can rationally divide their political views from interpersonal relationships, but that just isn't the case.  Plus, you have to account for the fact that not everyone is a good enough writer in a forum environment to convey when they're being serious, snarky or just ridiculous.  That in and of itself is a huge cause for many a misunderstanding.  And most likely you're also going to draw users who are here solely for that unmoderated forum and don't add anything else to the site.

The integrity of the site would definitely be placed in jeopardy by this kind of scenario.  I think you would slowly see a breakdown in general civility across the site, followed by flareups here and there in unrelated forums.  And I don't think it's fair to those moderators who are supposed to be shepherding Star Wars discussions to have to squash disputes that are going to be started in the unmoderated forum.

And you know what else?  There are plenty of websites all over the internet where socio/political/religious discussions are thriving.  They're just a few clicks away, and that's what those websites are dedicated to.  I don't think that a social experiment is the right reason for tearing apart one of the more cohesive and cool Star Wars collecting forums on the web.
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Offline name

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #68 on: July 30, 2007, 06:39 PM »
can't we just have a topless forum instead?
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #69 on: July 30, 2007, 06:49 PM »
  And I don't think it's fair to those moderators who are supposed to be shepherding Star Wars discussions to have to squash disputes that are going to be started in the unmoderated forum.


Very good point.  Ultimately I think that's who will go through the biggest headache if this ends up going live.

can't we just have a topless forum instead?

LMAO!

 :P

Offline Greg

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #70 on: July 30, 2007, 07:10 PM »
can't we just have a topless forum instead?

I strongly agree with this idea.

Offline Chris

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Re: Considering Unmoderated Forum
« Reply #71 on: August 3, 2007, 11:33 PM »
Thanks for the input. We have decided to give this a try and see how it works out. The forum can be found under Watto's Junk Yard, it is appropriately called "Sarlacc Pit".