I officially declare the forums deceased.

Agree or disagree?

Just napping.

eet's bleedin' DEMISED!

Put it this way.

Right now we're at a point where the forums can go one way or the other.

Either we have a sort of renaissance, or we have a rotting carcass.

Personally, I'd prefer a renaissance, but I don't think the Lindens are going to put up with that, because it'd require them to be a bit more responsible for bugs.

Alright, if he's resting, I'll wake him up.

HALLOOOOOO MR. POLLY PARROT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWAKEY WAKEY!

ah...probably pining for the fjords.

btw

beaten

Getting rid of some of the moderators would help, and replacing them with new people.

Lewis

like who, lewis?

;P

...and...waiiit for et...

...has to be coming...

..can you smell it?

Perhaps it depends on what one is looking for in terms of life-signs from the patient before one decides it is time to pull the plug on the iron lung. Clearly it ain't at all well, but there are some indications it's not time for last rites just yet.

Although the forums are still suffused throughout with a somewhat acrid flavor, a good bit of what used to infect the body politic and render it utterly unappealing has been drawn off to the third party sites where the bile and venom can run freely. I don't think the forums ever really scared many people--if any--away from participating in SL, but the daily train wrecks that went on here definitely prevented quite a few folks from taking part on the forums themselves. Yes, the theatricality of the rampaging egos and mindless one-upmanship had a certain entertainment value, but it was rather liike watching Three Stooges films--something you may be inexplicably drawn to view, but certainly not something you would want to be a part of.

Now, there seem to be quite a few new people who are willing to give it a go. You see new and different names, which is a vey good sign. Amidst the dross, you get introduced to people that you think, "hmm, I believe I would like to meet that person" (rather than the previous state of things where more often than not, you would think, "well, I know who and what to avoid". The ocassional gem of an idea or bit of information that you can skim off and put to good use does regularly float to the top of this offal stew.

There are still people out there who can say things that you will at least make you smile, and sometimes even ruin your keyboard with the proverbial Diet Dr. Pepper-nose-spray.

As the saying goes, tasty little mushrooms are grown on really big piles of excreta.

At the very least, people are still using the forums as a place to vent, to get things off their chests, which after all is one of the primary reasons why such places exist. True, it may not always be deathless prose and it usually ain't pretty to look at, but it still has its purposes and uses.

I wouldn't call the priest in just yet.

I think that the forums are not so much dead, they lost their focus.
The forums are trying to be everything for everybody.
In the current situation, with so many communities, different interests, it's no longer maintainable.

IMHO, the official forums should be reduced to have a basic core functionality. With specific purposes:
1. Announcements from LL about SL (current version/previes etc.)
2. Direct feedback to questions to LL
3. Technical questions
4. Maybe specific interest forums covering building, scripting, etc.

Over time, it's probably wise to divert all other purposes, (general interest,off topic interests, group communications, shopping etc.) to resident created forums. Nowadays there are plenty of resident created forums to fulfill these functions, probably better than LL would be able to.

I'm never one for nerfing functionality in any way, and i'm an avid reader, and moderate poster. But I think the current way the forums are managed is, both for LL and the
residents, something nobody is pleased with.
Esp. the fact that LL is in the hard situation where they (or SL) are both subject and controller of many forum posts. It's basically impossible for them to manage it in an objective way.
It's a situation where, however way LL chooses to implement to control the situation, in the end, everybody loses.

This dual role of LL being both subject and controller has to end. And the only definitive way to do this, is by removing any chance of involvement in conflicts with either LL or other residents. This means, removing the general/economic/political and off-topic forums. The gap that will be left will be filled in by resident forums quickly enough. (This is already happening.)

And I would win so many hours back from my day

Agreed..

OOH OOH ME ME

People should have the right to discuss things here. After all it is a forum.

Deceased, but running about with the spirited vigor of a freshly decapitated chicken.

I don't think they are dead per se, but like with any plant they could stand for a good pruning to allow for fresh growth and shed dead wood.

So remove all the forums? No, too much use and utility of sections of the forums like Linden forums, Content Creation, Feedback, Technical Talk, Classifieds.

I would however be inclined to agree with the removal of the entire sub-subsection of resident conversation subforums as they seem to be the source of most consternation and resource drain in so far as the need to police them.

The functions of the resident conversation subforums as a source of "freedom of speech", venting, flaming, trolling et al can be easily duplicated on other forums and from my understanding already has. More over, those same said other forums are more suited as external forums to real freedom of speech.

Lose the resident conversation subforums and no more wringing of hands about omgz rezmods11!!elevenity1, onoes forum punishments = in world punishments!!11one, and free up lindens whom are policing these charming waters to go in world and police/build the community, whatever.

Win, win. ^.^

Drop the resident conversation subforums tout suite! Or not, heh. ^.-

Yeah, we do need to have mods cycled more often... it wasn't supposed to be perminent for any one person right?

I kinda of say that out of resentment... I don't like seeing the terms of service used to close my post, and sadly, they picked terms that don't even apply in the remotest sense.

These posts declaring the forums dead are lame.

It ain't over, till its over!

Like Lewis.

Hmmm. "I" and "officially". Well, if you say you are a Linden, who am I to disagree?

To be honest the forums has reached a Really Redundant Loop a while a go for me. Even new things get covered with the same old drama by new resis.
I wish there was a easier way to get info on things that might concern me or that i'm interrested. Actually there are, maybe i should just focus even more on those then i do now. :/

And they are.... what?

Looks around. hey where is my pizza I ordered oh is this suppose to be a joke.......heheh atlease some people have the minds straight.........

Finally something i can agree on! It's not over till the fat lady sings, or untill the forum gets removed... either way some fat ladys gona do something.

You're saying fat ladies power the forums? I might be inclined to agree...

If they got rid of the forums

They would not be able to have a wealth of feedback from the community

They would not know who has been naughty and cross them off their list

When some viable competiton arives they wont be aware of it till after the fact..

and yadda yadda yadda

But yeah, the redundancy of hearing about furries is getting old..
just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you have to shout it out from the tallest building...