Have the SL forums become dysfunctional?

I posed this question in a doomed thread, so I am restating it here. How would you compare the usefulness of the forums now compared to, say, 2-6 months ago? If you have an idea or concern, do you feel confident that posting it in the SL forums will result in a productive exchange of ideas? Or do you expect the discussion to disintegrate after a handful of posts?

How about option c) they always have been dysfunctional.

This is why is said "compared to 2-6 months ago" If you feel they are always dysfunctional then vote NO.

Well, being a former troll (but not half as annoying as the 'new wave') I look back and see how annoying I was.

Sure I like to have fun, mess around, be sarcastic, but I never EVER de-railed sensible threads.

Lately, there seems to be a few individuals that have their 'hand in every pie' so to speak, but its all criticism and narkiness and its just plain rude and annoying (not to mention long).

Sure if ppl want to share opinions, go for it, but when someone is looking for help, or making decent suggestions, do we HAVE to turn it into a 15 page long twat fest?

I admit, I don't ever come to the forums for anything serious, cos I really just think its easier to find someone sensible and IM them in world.

Nice try, Aimee.

I know that people can't bear dissent. Even the most cogently prepared ideas are suppresed by the forum harpies.

Threads don't quickly degenerate, they last for days and days until Jeska puts them out of their misery -- but they get that way because a handful of 6 people post everything from numerous off-topic posts and ad-hominem attacks to stupid pictures of fruit.

It's hard to take when someone comes along and rocks your world. But it's a vital part of growing and changing. Poll away, you can't shake me loose just because I don't agree with you and refuse to yield you pride of place.

Thank you for your input.

I cant answer as to previous times in SL past .. but I can compare the recent flame wars to other forums I know.

There are a couple individuals who make it a mission to bring up essentially the same Rhetoric Over and Over again.. Attempting to be so loud they drown differing opinions out.

That is not a healthy thing, and I would question the motives behind the efforts of those who do it.

I would suggest we have read enough of those particular people's opinions on these matters to say 'point taken' and either agree or disagree.

If they have something truly new to say it would be different. But it doesnt not seem so.

I would suggest Everyone in Forums and elsewhere in life to remember all people's opinions matter as much as yours do. Just becuase you can yell louder , or in the forums write more and more often, does not make your opinion better then anyone elses.

Many of the threads of late all seem to be the SAME thread. and its just a waste of good energy to keep grinding away at it.

And like Aimee suggests this leads to Disfunction

I still think interesting ideas are exchanged here. You just have to sift through the crap a little more.

Something I've noticed though is that players seem to have ... well bonded because of the constant bashing of SL by one specific person. Players who might not mingle with each other in world support each other here. It's quite interesting... and good.

Actually, Aimee, I do agree we need to raise the level of respect and politeness around here.

I have asked time and time again for forum mods to start banning people when they started down the personal attack route.

I honestly think if we did that, everything would be a lot more pleasant around here.

The noise ratio is higher these days - but if we let others define for eveyone then the forums will become more dysfunctional. SL is not a single vision, not mine, yours or "theirs." It the combine vision of us all...

What's different is that people are trying to change minds by engaging to the point of frustration - lots and lots of frustration!

I've never felt the that the forums are based on debate only. There's way too much more fun to be had here then just debating.

All I can do is speak the truth as I perceive it in an attempt to offer my heart felt vision of Second Life and my inWorld reality.

Thanks for doing this Poll Aimee.

Amazingly enough, Aimee was able to start a poll without having to pigeon-hole sections of the population.

Thanks for your input.

Thank you for your input too. Right now I do want to focus on "is there a problem" and if the answer turns out to be "YES" then perhaps we can try to throw around a few ideas as to how to solve it.

Don't forget, personal attacks can take many forms. A person can just outright say "fuck you moron" or they can systematically and subtly personally attack groups and individuals over a period of time. The amusing part is when the perpetrators of the latter scenario think that it doesn't show up on the radar.

I can eat a bag of m&ms one per day or the whole bag at once, in the end I still ate a bag of m&ms; ya know?

Honestly, I haven't posted much as you can see, but I always read the forums. As of now, General=Drama and the bs is so thick you need boots to skim through. I don't bother arguing in these multiple "FIC" threads because it's not worth it. I think paranoia and a closed mind are a bad combination and unfortunately the combination is abundant in the forums. Trying to fight someone like this is, as a friend put it, "trying to nail jello to the wall". If a fire doesn't have fuel it dies and maybe some day people will realize that. Until that day comes I'll continue to read and post when I feel the need or to lighten the mood. It's not about what the world sets at your feet, it's what you bring to the world that counts in the end. Now go have a coke and a smile, or something that makes you smile.

The 'signal to noise' ratio on these forums is much higher than many other places I've been part of over the years, and other than two people who are always found as the instigators of any pileup, function very well indeed.

So I would say labeling the place as 'dysfunctional' is a bit premature... on the other hand, those who run the place could say everyone a lot of 'noise' and greatly improve the 'signal' by taking the two ever-talking-gobstoppers out of here.

One can hope.

Aimee, 29 months ago I would have said no, 18 months ago I would have said no but about 12 months ago when the big push for new members came into play then my opinion changed.

As time has progressed on and the cumulative debates over Government, forums and a few peoples asinine ideologies. I actually no longer expect any productive correspondence on a truly intelligent level anymore.

Every person has their own opinions and philosophies the problem is lately a select few tend to try to ram theirs down everyone’s throats while bashing the very creators that made this world what it is today.

But to add to that with the recent “Closing” of threads due to one persons opinion leads me to believe that in all honesty no fruitful discussion can take place.

I will admit I am quite guilty of being a Tard and a Troll lately.
But then again I am ancient and I have seen this entire gambit roll around the bend 1 or 2 times before and know it will blow over soon.

I guess what irks me the most is the fact that a select few seem to have the opinion that they are smarter than the rest of us that have frequented these forums for quite some time. Their opinion, attitudes and actions speak louder than anything I could ever bitch about, but that is just me.

So, I voted Yes, and wait to be proven otherwise considering.

Shadow

<<edited to add the word gambit>>

The forums have always been dysfunctional...but in a nicer friendlier way. Now everything is drama and as soon as there's smoke we have pitchforks and torches.

There have always been squables and those that just cant get along ...but the forums have become nasty in many ways...What used to be a real fun place to be for the most part has turned into a flaming pile of shit.

Cienna, did you mean my signal to YOUR noise?

Because signal and noise are in the eye of the beholder. Honestly, you need to get a grip on this.

Anyone who writes FUCK YOU like this in big letters is more on the noise side of the spectrum, would you agree? Whatever the ad in their siggy about writing skills.



I'm glad to have stimulated the People's art production in recent months. Their poster output is at an alltime high, as is their t-shirt production. Under previous administrations, theyr art production ratio was very poor, indeed, you could say they were outright slackers!

Today, thanks to the binding power of Prokofy, the Art Workers of SL have solidarized and created the substrate of the Art Product that will Serve the Motherland for many Ages to come.

Ingrid, if I didn't exist, you'd have to create me. But...could you? ARE you that creative?!

I think they are about the same, except censored far more.

We've seen other very opinionated folks come and go, and other "doom-sayer" folk come and go. There has been other drama. Other heated, tit-for-tat posts. Other long-winded rants.

If anything, I believe there is possibly a class seperation, or percieved class seperation that is coming about due to 4-5 changed LL has made (with the best intentions) that have left some folks feeling as though they don't matter, and others nodding their heads, saying "See..I was right!".

I do think it's a shame that people get their feelings hurt in the forums. As much as I disagree with Prokofy's behavior, posts, manner of posting, and opinions, I still worry sometimes that he is getting hurt by the pile-ons, even though he continues to wave the red flag at everyone. I don't want to hurt Prok's feelings.

I hope folks take the forums for what they are. A bunch of people with agendas, opinions, boredom and time, spewing ideas, thoughts, humor and judgements, with occasional great ideas and insights, and information from LL. Don't take it too seriously. Don't get overly offended. You can log in-world and 95% of the folks will stare at you with blank eyes and slack mouth if you begin to discuss the "important" events on the forums.

The forums are always a great sounding tool, a place to bring up concerns, and a place to solicit opinions, but when all is said and done, to hell with them all.

Ack OMG *new people* came in the game! Help! Shut the doors! quick!

All forums are dysfunctional to a certain extent. Its the nature of the beast.

You don't have to face the person you're talking to
+
Straight text is harder to interpret than vocalized speech (in terms of insinuation, implication, satire, etc.)
+
In order to feel that you're explaining yourself clearly, the ability to be concise gets thrown out the window.


Forums are great for posting opinions, but for actual discussions of topics they have an unnerving tendency to dehumanize and invalidate everyone else's opinions but your own. The need to feel like you're being heard means you shout louder...and longer...and you toss in more verbal tricks to get attention (but its the wrong type of attention)....kapow, thread explodes.

Unfortunately, there's probably no way to regulate the "Take a deep breath, count to ten, and remember the person I'm responding to is a lot more like me than different" plan of action.

P.S. Aimee, your response in this thread is a personal reminder to me to try and be the bigger person. Good show

Just a quick note to everybody.

Certain controversial people have already started posting here. It would be in THEIR best interest for this thread to close, and I really don't want that to happen. So for the sake of allowing this thread to proceed to its conclusion, please resist the temptation to "get into it" with them. If you MUST reply, please open a new thread, paste their comments, and reply to them as you see fit.

Tanks!

Thank you SO much. With some of the mud I have gotten on me lately, you don't know how much this means to me.

I'd like to quote an awesome post I saw in another thread. I think it has great relevance here:



IMHO - there's no "one person" or people to blame. We're all to blame, really. Too often we take an eye-for-an-eye approach to an immature post - and as an end result, not only does the thread take a nosedive, but any credibility of opinion is lost on all sides.

If we just respected each other more, and sought revenge or retort less - these forums would be a much nicer place to be.

Its easy to blast people, but harder to take it. Its even harder to take it and not blast back. I'd even venture to say its a telltale sign of maturity. *hugs*