Self-Appointed Forum Police - Does It Bother You?

I realize that the Moderation thing is not overly active - I actually rather prefer that since overly aggressive moderating is annoying on its own. But what about people that decide they have the ultimate answer on how things should be done and go out of their way to tell others? When you see a thread title that seems out of context, do you read it anyway and then comment about its appropriateness? Does the comment itself seem gratuitous to you?

I don't think the word 'police' is correct in the thread title. Maybe moderator or protocol protector or something like that.

LOL

Just as long as it isn't "Nahhhhziiiisss".......

If I read a thread whose title is not descriptive, or which leads my brain down the wrong path (heh...I am easily led), I chuckle, but rarely comment on the title's appropriateness. I have a hard enough time trying to write complete sentences to worry if the title matches the purpose of the thread.

So, yes, I read the thread anyway, and no, I rarely comment.

Most of the time I just shrug it off. If I let people like that get to me, then SL and the forums wouldn't be fun. I can't say that 100% it doesn't get to me, but for the most part...ah, why bother wasting my energy on some blowhard that think they have the answers. They might not like it but it won't stop me from saying my piece, and nothing will really stop them from saying theres.

(I'm easy)

There's a way to say/write things. Nothing wrong in voicing your opinion on a particular thread or post, and if it's appropriate for RA.
If you're rude though, and are doing it more to show your superior knowledge, instead of simply wanting to inform, then you deserve the point and laughs...

There are two forum members only that have ever pissed me off with their moderation/attempted dictation of the forums. Although they've never directed their dick-tatership towards me personally, I always find it annoying but don't usually say anything about it. Somebody else comes along and says it better than myself anyway.

Agreed. They do bug me a little,especially before coffee. But I don't even listen to my own mother,so they can try I guess....... It is kind of comical though to see someone get all bent out of shape over a post being in the wrong forum.

My sentiments exactly

I see the opposite as being comical though...

If you look at the "specialized" subforums, a lot of the people who answer posts there don't participate in RA (much). Directing a scripting question to the scripting forums for instance is not about being "forum police", it's about pointing out where a question is most likely to get the answer the OP is after.

The same with pointing to another thread, if the OP had taken a minute to search before posting they would have gotten an instant (or at least partial) answer to their question and wouldn't have had to wait.

The only time it bothers me is when someone is rude about it and thats all they post. There are a couple individuals I've noticed who it seems the only time they reply to anything is to inform people they posted in the wrong forum or their title was not descriptive. They almost never participate in any actual conversation.

I can understand wanting to inform someone who maybe isn't familiar with these forums that their question could be better answered in the scripting forum, products wanted, building etc. Or that their title might not be related to the question....but try to have a nice approach in doing so.

I think that these forums are actually rather friendly though, even with the lack of moderation there isn't heated arguments often and everyone is really helpful. Most forums I've seen resemble a text war zone, even with moderation.

The point is not a matter of "superiority" but getting people to go to the better source for the answers. There are some excellent tutorials and stickies in the texturing forum, but some people never really go there. If people keep answering here, they will not go to the better source. It just happens that we have a lot of people here with varying degrees of knowledge of textures or other content creation, and we all like to help. But point them to the right forum and answer the question there. If you keep reinforcing the behavior here, it will not change.

The forum structure doesn't help in this regard - many people see Resident Answers and don't bother to look further for the relevant forum.

True and I agree that pointing people to the right place is a good idea,but I am specifically talking about the people who go on and on about it. There was a thread not too long ago that lasted about 4 pages with someone being so upset that it was in the wrong forum. It's just a silly thing to get so upset over,especially when you are not even a moderator.

I think you bring up a good point. I do, however, think there is a difference with someone pointing to another subforum in order to give someone a little extra help as opposed to being rude and making them feel like an idiot because they came to RA first. It's all in how it is said, RA is for help in all things SL, IMHO.

/me nods in agreement. I noticed that as well.

That's very true, but how would you prefer someone to tell you about posting in another forum? Like this,

"If you had taken a minute to search before posting, you would have gotten an instant (or at least partial) answer to your question ."

Or like this,

"Not many scripters here at the moment, try posting here >insert url< for a quicker response."

RA is about residents helping other residents, not about who's smarter and better.

I agree that it's a very good idea to suggest that someone might want to check one of the specialized forums, but often when someone is making that suggestion, it seems to be written in a somewhat terse manner (intentional or unintentional...hard to tell ), and that, I think, is what can be off-putting to the original poster.

The response says more about the reader than the poster. If a person reads "Ask this in the Scripting Tips forum" as "You lowly fool, how dare you darken RA with such pithy drivel" then that is entirely their own issue. No one here is trying to demean anyone with a redirect to the content forum.

The Pie Police is a great idea, so long as they are kind and respectful like the RL cops are. At least it may tone down the rudeness but keep the fun sarcasm banter alllowed

It's true that we read things with our own inflections and that it is often difficult to put your self in another's shoes and really know how it was meant - 100% - but it is generally true also that a concise response need not be terse. Sadly, what may be intended as concise all too often sounds more as lacking in patience.

*bump*

Maybe I just don't see those posts, but I don't think anyone is ever rude or dismissive to new posters, even if they do post in the wrong forum (I can recall a lot of commenting about how it's not helpful to redirect on the other hand).

If someone is a frequent poster though and if they persist in doing it again and again I really don't see much issue if anyone is harsher/more direct about it.

The problem with this topic always seems to be the same . Some people insist it's there, others don't see it and without being able to "point fingers" it's hard to post a list threads/posts and go "I think so and so was being rude here" to illustrate.

LOL. quite right!!!

One further note: there have been one or two times when I have asked questions in what would be considered to be the "correct" forum...and have received little or no response!!! Instead...RA came through for me.

So I canz throw pie now?