Comments Out of Hand

To be truthful, I'm actually in an Inworld lull. My interest is somewhat stifled, I am reassesing what I want from SL, and if it is headed in a direction that I want to invest more time and or money into. I am getting most of my SL entertainment from this place. I want to see it continue and still be as fun and entertaining as it has been up to now. Some days I wonder why I come here, then all it takes is one or two thoughtful or funny posts to explain why. Daresay I could easier turn my back on SL itself than on this place.

But what constitutes an appropriate question? The guidelines don't specify posters to only ask concrete "how do you do this?" type of questions. More philosophical questions can be asked, such as ones about pros and cons of camping, or SL relationships. In "general discussion" residents can find many answers. Otherwise what's the point of discussion at all?

To quote Brenda "people get pissy" but that happens and will always happen. I used to be afraid of posting here for some of the reasons Jig spoke of, but soon came to realize that most of it isn't personal. I would like to see everyone be nice of course, and have said so. But something draws me to read this forum everyday. While I've learned so much here about how SL works, I've also enjoyed the silly, the thoughtful, and the downright irritating off- and on- topic discussions.
So Jig...hang in there with us.

I disagree. It has a different Dynamic, yes, and it seems intimidating to an outsider, far more intimidating than this place can seem, but much like here all you have to do is jump in say hello and go with it. If you are someone who doesn't like to see opposing views, opinionated people, adult language and humor, then yes stay away, you will be highly offended. But those people have been together a long time in many cases, they have history, and sometimes the threads reflect that and a new person doesn't get the references and feels passed over. But if you make an effort to join in, it is pretty much a welcoming bunch, much like here, just different. I'm not as active there as I am here, but I enjoy popping over there. I lurked for the longest time, because I didn't know how I'd be received, as I'm sure to some I'm the face of What's wrong with this forum, but it's been fine.So I'd suggest taking a look, it may be your kind of place, if not, no biggie. But let's not turn this thread into a debate over SLU.

OH dear! Oh dear, oh dear! My heart is saddened to hear the Jig is up! I sure hope that I didn't get too emotional (I tend to at times) and entered a debate, be it ever so brief, just to add to the heat...Forgive me if I did.

Even sadder, there is a small handful of people who (know who they are) do not know how to apologize. It’s better to apologize even when you are right in an issue, when you see you are about to lose someone, someone dear to us all. It’s not really important to always be right, but to have a good attitude about it and know when to drop an issue before you lose everyone. Its one thing to 'stick to your guns' about a particular issue, it’s an entirely different thing to lose friends and acquaintances over it.

As Brenda above my post states: You can't have opinions about truth.
Well I'll state my opinion about truth: it IS important, but it’s not worth it if someone is lost over it...this is how denominations (division) get started...over truth. The truth gets dissected intellectually until no one is able to embrace it at a heart level any more.

I heard an interesting analogy:

One day a mother was washing her baby who had gotten very soiled by you know what... and the bath water became unbearable, and useless. She got so upset at the bathwater that she forgot the baby was still in it and began to pour it into the toilet and then flushed the toilet. Well long story made short, the baby drowned and the mother was committed to an insane asylum.

You’re wondering how this HORRID story relates to what is happening in the forums...


And please forgive me for writing with poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation...I get like this when I am emotional.

It's an emotion called grief...

If RA becomes another general form, I myself will not be back. I despise general forums and avoid them. Anyone who has been to one would know why. Resident Answers needs to be for help from fellow residents only. There are many other playgrounds to go to to have general discussions.

Dude, you rarely add anything but snipey comments here. At least most general discussion tries to stay on the non-abrasive side. Maybe consider giving a helpful answer once in a while instead of playing the role of the forum malcontent.

The spaces inbetween are large enough to drive a battleship through.

Define off-topic. If you mean general discussion about SL rather than Q & A, it seems clear that is going to be allowed. Fully off-topic threads that have absolutely no bearing on SL need to go away. People are already posting crap that emphatically doesn't belong here and it will continue until this forum is closed by LL after it becomes that agenda-driven sewer that the old off-topic forum became.

Cynical but not beyond the bounds of possibility.

You can't get an abuse report for a third party Forum. I doubt I'd bother with a third party Forum anyway since the essence of SL is to live it not talk about it IMO. That being said, without the bounds and constraints of this being actually attached to Forums I am sure I would be my normal helpful self but I doubt I'd bother kid gloving idiots.

They sure have in the nearly two weeks that we've been without a mod. It's very hard to find real question threads and when they do pop up they very quickly get lost amidst all the opinion threads.

You said you thought it was fine, Phil, but LL has made it clear from past experience that they don't. That's why many of us are concerned. They shut down the old GD thread and the more RA becomes one the more likely we'll lose it too.

BTW, Sally, beautifully said.

I thought we were clique-y. And mean and nasty too.

There are many places where you can find answers to SL questions. Stickies at the top of this page, Search, Knowledge Base, Solution Finder,Tutorial Videos, FAQ, Resident Resources, even an e-book that offered a free chapter, and I'm certain I've missed a few.

Why do people new and old still come here to ask questions? Because it's quick and easy, and they are being answered in a generally friendly way. Every single day, many, many questions are being asked and answered. If RA were as horrid as some have suggested, who would ever come back and post? So far, I've seen many more "Thanx so much!", than "NO one's answering me, why?" Not everyone who signs up to SL know people already inworld. It's great to get answers from a human, almost right away. This is also a wonderful place to make friends, like a jumping board to new people. LL knows this, and I'm sure appreciate residents helping other residents. Bonus, it's not costing them a hell of a lot.

They are NOT going to close this down because people like to discuss among themselves while awaiting questions. Give them more credit.

Why is there a box on my head? - How many times have people asked this question? They've been answered each time with no snarkiness. Sure, they could have browsed through the stickies, but it's so much more fun to reach out and 'touch' other residents by asking them directly. If you don't enjoy 'opinion' questions, there's no need to read them.

And sometimes when you just don't want to risk offending by starting a thread, you can ask in the group in world. It took me about a half hour to get the group IM to start (and when it finally did, I was reduced to just trying to get it started with a "Hello?". Thanks everyone for the quick help to my question. Slightly annoying that I had to purchase Lindens to get payment info on file to actually appear in world. Seems "Payment Info on File" should be "Payment Info on File" and not "CC or Credit card has been Used".

"Lost" more than 20 lindens because the moneytrees required payment info on file. I had the stupid thing on file but it just wouldn't show inside SL. Aaaah. Sorry. And why do they have moneytrees that require payment info on file? Especially since actually having payment info on file isn't good enough to have payment info on file show up in world? And, mind you, I am very appreciative for all the helpful freebie places and moneytrees.

---
Oh, and thanks to those threads that suggested that "free" Mystitool. Great device. Just a note: It isn't free, it is 1 Linden. What with running into "payment info on file" monetrees continuously, it took me some time to get that 1 Linden (and then in one moment I went up 500L Thank-you very much ).

Don't worry too much about it, by the time I found this forum and learned about money trees and freebies to accounts younger than 30 days, it was of course too late. No free money for me hehe

Since Linens are so cheap, I put in $20 right away. Always hated walking around with no cash on me (RL/SL). I understand that not everyone is willing to put money on their credit card right away, not until they make sure they like the game, etc. So walk around and enjoy yourself, and by all means, take advantage of those offers for new residents - I'm jealous

What occured me is that LL doesn't really care at all. Two reasons caused me to think that. One is Torley's sticky in this sub-forum. The sub-foum was only added after a lot of requests over a long period of time. The other is that they don't seem to be concerned about moderating it.

They seem to be happy enough to close it down if things get out of hand, but not concerned about it enough to actually run it. That's my impression, anyway, and if it's true, it'll be closed down sooner or later, because it only takes one or two unmoderated, griefer-mentality, dickheads to ruin a forum.

Please note I am not trying to be 'snippy' with you, but tell you of online community realities from a voice of experience.

The fact is you either need to grow some thick skin and let certain things rolls off your back, or, simply get out of SL and all other online communities. This happens, and it will NEVER change in for foreseeable future in the online medium.

I lost count the amount of times I have seen this. A community starts, get a loyal and for the most more mature following due to the small size. After it breaks into the main stream and is flooded with new people, views, levels of tact and the like the 'old timers' moan and complain for the 'old days'.

The 'old days' are gone. Dead. RIP. No more.

The sooner the 'elders' here accept and adjust to that the easier it will be. But fighting it, complaining about it and living in the past will a. not be productive on a community level and b. simply do little more then raise your blood pressure for a end result.

The best advice I can give in do your best educate new people in proper SL etiquette, and learn to work in the 'new era' with like minded fellows to hopefully find some happy middle ground with the new realities.

Hopefully those of you unhappy with see this new situation and rather then the futile bickering on the forums, be proactive. Spend some time in newbie areas, take one under your wing and show them the ropes and etiquette. While this won't bring back the 'old days' it will help shape the next wave of SL players. and if enough SL elders do this it will be a big step in creating a generally better place and hopefully a happy medium most can accept.

This shift happens in every community I have seen and been a part of that grows suddenly. Fighting and refusing to accept the changes I promise is a lost cause sadly. It will either make you so frustrated you will quit SL or you will end up bitter and not enjoying you time here.

In my experience we always see the Old Days through rose colored lenses. SL is changing as is the forum, pretty much the exact way it was when I arrived a year ago. We can take in the good, throw out the bad, and grow as a community. or we can go off in a snit, whine and stamp our feet. I'm not very experienced online, but you don't have to be to see it. It's no different from Real Life.

QFT

Very true, and it isn't just a one time deal. It moves in cycles. The people who are considered the regulars in these forums now are by and large a completely different group of people than the regulars of a few years ago. Those who new forum members might see as the "in-crowd" are all mostly different people than who would have been perceived that way in the past. Come back in another two years and the same will be true. Forum regulars who get to know each other and form friendships, share inside jokes, and so on, can create the appearance to others that there's such a thing as an "in-crowd," but that's mostly all in their heads. Old people leave. New people arrive. And the forum crowd changes and evolves. So has it ever been. So will it ever be.

Having said all that, I don't blame people for worrying that RA will get out of hand because we've come close to losing the forums in the past as part of LL's philosophy of letting the residents do all the heavy lifting. After they suggested everyone move to third party sites, the fact that there's such a vibrant and active community on these forums still is a testament to how useful they are. They have real value and hopefully LL will step up with some sensible moderation so this place can continue to thrive without becoming too intimidating to new posters or outliving its usefulness.

Wouldn't it be great if the OP had the ability to lock their own thread? Just as we can edit our own posts. If people in any way were offended by the answers coming through, then 'click', locked. It wouldn't solve everything, but since the OP started the thread, seems fitting he should stop it at any time. Also, maybe set a maximum to the pages permitted. 5? Usually, the question's been answered by then, the rest is just a rehashing of the same points. Any other suggestions?

Thank-you :) I eagerly search for the great free stuff for those under 30 days, found two skin bundles and one hair bundle so far (all three quality :)).


Probably arguments for or against :) I've read many threads now on here, and elsewhere, so it might of been this forum where the thread creator would say "ok, done now" after one or two responses (not this thread creator, the creator of the threads I was referring to . . and I can't express myself correctly). It was slightly annoying when that was seen :)

Just don't respond. If we each hit the send button just one less time a day, I think it can make a difference.

I agree with this.

coco

+
I don't think closing the general was a cop-out to prevent criticism of LL. (After all, there is still plenty of that on the blog, which anybody can read.)

The old General was a flippin BLOOD BATH.

Still, that doesn't mean we can't have things reasonable now, without having to go to one extreme or the other.

coco