Hello users of SF, greetings. Hope the year is going well so far.

This is a friendly reminder to all about staying on the topics posted on the website. There's nothing wrong with a little side discussion, I know I engage in that more than I should. What we're talking about is pages and pages of meaningless posts seen in several places around here, particularly in the Cycle and Chat sections. It can be frustrating when good discussions such as this are led astray, among several others.
So we're basically asking for everyone to make posts when you actually have something to say in the topic. People might respect you fleetingly for having a high rank, but it's the quality you of what say that will be remembered. Also, when you get there, then what?

For random discussions, there is the Bored topic, and the Forum Games section. =)

Ps: Please try to leave the Bored topic with less spam, makes it easier to read.

Any questions, PM us or ask here. =)

-The SF Team

Amen to that, my friend. One of the reasons I haven't been too active lately is because threads are beginning to be more and more pointless spam and less and less decent conversation.

But as for the things to ponder thread, why can't another be opened? If you think about it, owing to this well placed announcement, if another is made it shouldn't overload with crap next time.

Another idea, download IM.

MSN = http://download.live.com/?sku=messenger

Yahoo = http://messenger.yahoo.com/download


The 'things to ponder' thread was closed because users were asking dumb or simple questions, not the actual "things to ponder" intended by the creator. I am not optimistic that it would degenerate back to that again.

@Annie: But for some one like me, such a proposed act would take my 10-50 posts a day (ok that's probably an understatement...) to about 4 posts a day that would count, I mean, yes, getting on and finding 20 pages of the same three people posting while at school (big no-no in my book mind you) is greatly irking, I don't think something like that should be done (cutting Chat from post count)

*realized that is Fanghur, CDG, and I* I usually post after school, but I am in a different time zone. I actually can second AnnieBee's proposal =D I mean, I am realizing we all take advantage of the form. But then again, I didn't know that the Forums Game didn't count until I had posted 100 times in it.... So if we want to become a more Eragon-strict-base some steps like that will have to be made


At 3000 pages Alex said "Ok, time to shut this down." And I actually agreed, 3000 pages of pointless topics =D

@Aorian
Well it's not that we want people to stop talking or anything of that nature. But the topic is a place for everyone to speak with each other, not for 30-50 pages a day of the same things. There are several people who do not come around as much because of this general phenomena.

But no one feel like they're being blamed, because that's not the object of this exercise. We want all members to feel welcome and able to share their thoughts without being overrun.

Hence the IM suggestion. I personally enjoy being rather dumb until physically restrained, believe it or not. And I get a good bit of it out there.

(Italics to make passage stand out)

It doesn't have to be 'Eragon strict'

Topic of conversation is completely, totally and utterly irrelevant.

If you made a thread about the most pointless, spammy subject on earth, it's fine as long as you actually give productive posts about that spammy subject.

The annoying thing that clogs threads with crap is when people respond just saying 'Lol' or 'Haha' or 'Hi', or they talk completely off topic and irrelevant to the current conversation.

If you go into a thread about cheese, and post about cheese, with a post that will contribute to the conversation about cheese, that is fine. But if you go into a thread about cheese and talk about chicken, or say 'Lol' or 'WHATS UP GUISE HAHAHAHA' then you are part of the cancer killing SF.

But how can you filter individual posts?

Ok, cool. Next question:

What about people who don't use the Inheritance sections much? Their post count stays forever static? Logically, there is a limit to how much chatting about Inheritance can be rinsed out, seeing as it isn't a regular series like a TV program or something, and SF isn't only a place to chat about Inheritance, it's a social hub for many people too. I personally don't think the post count system is flawed at the moment, but we are missing a very common forum that most other places have: Spam chat.

Basically, there should be a place like CHWYAB, but for pointless spam. People can post whatever pointless garble they want (within forum rules of course) and it will not add to their post count.

Can louis disable post counts for some ppl??? So if you find they are spamming in chat sections disable their cha post count and wait for them to smarten up for a while.... i think that would be the best action... BTW i especcially hate when the *actions* spam the bored topic since it is thechnicly a game.

I do believe that there is a couple of "chat" topics in the forum games which already exist. These would not increase the post count.

Stoping a persons post count from going up would be really easy, just have to configure a group with the same settings that apply for forum games for all sections

We could disable all post count from the anything else, but there is a couple of problems with that. Old users would keep there accumulated post counts which would be unfair for newer users. The second problem is that the spammy posts might move to the inheritance sections.

YeA I don't think disabling anything else will do anything and the amount of posting would drop dramaticly. If you can disabe the post count for a while then perhaps they will not spam. But what would the boundry be between disabling and non disabling?

we could refer them to this topic, having seen any thing blow up there for a while...

There is no need to shut down a topic so that there are no post counts. We need to disable post counts of spammers. It is the only permanent fix to this. Some new members post like 70 a day of not usefull discussin

We need to get people less bothered about their level.

Of all forums I use, I have to say this one has the most people trying to bump their level, and I'm disappointed to say this, but I can't help noticing people with higher levels generally tend to be more respected, and have their opinions and ideas more respected, regardless of their post quality.

I think one good idea is a 'reputation' level, where you can give someone good or bad reputation as feedback for your thoughts on their post.

Or we could scrap levels altogether. (Okay, this isn't gonna happen. If I was the admin, I would, though. Levels mean nothing to me.)

OR, the users of SF can get their act together and start being less tunnelminded, and try respecting people for more than just status.

Newbies respect post count not actual members that have been around

I've noticed newbies seem to get ignored by the higher leveled members, even though a few of them have very good things to say.

Few things to say:

@xwon3: I do use the *action* multiple times, but I usually do this

*watches as Fanghur and CDG fight over if Arya will fall for Eragon* Guys, can't we all be friends? Although I do agree with Fanghur, I think in the end she will become a dragonrider and love him.

And I only do that in the "Chat" and "Forum Games" section. I am sorry if it annoys people.

@Shintaro: Well, there IS that.

I didn't like it when I joined how some people called me a "Newbie" like you just did. It made me feel like I wasn't in some exclusive group. THis made me strive to put my count post up, and Chat was the place to do that. I have propbably put down a few members myself, but because they are insulting me or saying my view is very incorrect. I have never seen anyone turn down a idea JUST because they are new.

@ The Spamming Issue: Maybe we should just take away the "Chats" post count, period? Like Forum Games? Instead of "ANything Else". Also should we report spam posts? Like if someone says "Ha" and we tell them it is a spam, should we still report it? (I am not sure, for lots of spam from our newer members (although I am one I guess) seems to come in CHWYAB that doesn't effect anyone)

I really don't want to stop the chat section is sf from having post because its the most popular you just can't spam

and the actions are the worst when the whole post is..

*stabs shade of red*

oops lol i failed

one more quote to go in the quotes section eh?

Basicly i don't want to see the chat section posts be disabled because there are some major members that only post there now... *points to me* anyways it would take the point out of it.. you should have post count in chat and anyone who spams too much gets theirs disabled till they stop spamming for X # of days... then the post count returns...

Yes he did in a earlyer post...

YAY i have a good idea!!!!

lol...

i'm happy now.

Apologies for the usage of the term 'Newbie', it seems you all have a different meaning for it to me.

As it goes in my books, and as I find most common on my trips around the internet, newbie is just an inoffensive term for new person. The offensive ones are newb, noob, n00b and nub, but I suppose offensiveness is in the eye of the beholder, so I apologize for any misunderstandings. From now on, I say 'new person' to avoid this happening again.

Oops I guess I used the term too sorry

Yea last nihts discussion was great!

Have any conclusions been made to stop this problem yet?

Although the spamming still happened....... Hmmmm.... Well at least it is not happening right now. Mainly caus nobody is posting.

I love that action thread and the concept to it.

However, I don't think it's home should be in Chat. Within the walls of that topic you will not find the contents of any intellegent conversation. To me it seems like it coils be taken advantage of for an easy boost in post count. It may solve the pages of spam actions on the CHWYN topic, but the source problem has not been eliminated..but instead just rellocated.

I believe the topic should be moved to games. I also agree with Annie, in order to stop spam posts clouding up the forums..the staff will just have to crack down and let people know when they are riding that line.

to tell you the truth we have reached 2000 a long time ago, but we have been deleting spam accounts and accounts that have never been activated. You can see this by checking the number of the latest user is about 5300.

I know that I generally just lurk here and that I don't post much outside of the creative writing/fanfiction section, but you may want to take this proposal into consideration:

If you want to prioritise the IC forums, how about dedicating an entire section to them at the top of the board?

Like say:

Section title: The Cycle
Forums:
Eragon
-Eragon movie
Eldest
Brisingr
Book 4
General Inheritance Discussion.

Then put all of your ''other'' forums at the bottom of the board. Just a thought.

If you want to stop posting just to raise post count why not make it so that to get a post to go toward rank it has to be intelligent and well thought out? Have a button that recommends that the author be given a "point" towards the ranks? Place a limit on how many post can be recommended a day, say 1-2, and make it impossible for a post to be recommended more that say 2-3 times, then a really good post can have a good reward and a pointless post will be ignored. Also you then have a type of rank hierarchy that actually allows you to pick threw the intelligent posters who actually deserve the rank. Then you can lower the post requirement to a certain amount of good post, as their will be a lot less “Points” going toward peoples ranks than their where overall post count. I don’t know if this is tailored to this exact problem but maybe something similar could help fix it?

That is actually a cool idea, but it might be really difficult to implement right away. I know games have that same "fame" idea, but there is some nasty code in there that has to be in place correctly and I personally think its a little complex (the code itself) and I don't know if Louis can do it (not doubting his abilities ).