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Request: Please remove off-topic categories from recent posts list

MarshallONeil

Join Date 03/2006

Request: Please remove off-topic categories from recent posts list

I'm sorry to have to post this, but I just cannot take it anymore. I come to this forum to discuss and read news about Galactic Civilizations. Increasingly, though, I find the list of recent posts saturated with threads that have nothing to do with the game; topics from religion to politics to songs to console games, everything except what I come here to read.

Right now, if you click the 'More Recent Posts' link, you get a list of 25 recent posts, seven of which (that's almost one third) are completely unrelated to Galactic Civilizations. This was not always the case. I have held my tongue for a few months,
but I feel that it has gotten completely out of hand. When I sign off of this forum these days, I feel like I've just been stuck a dank closet full of somebody's unwashed socks.

Almost all discussion forums in existence have an off-topic area where people can go to blow off steam or talk about topics that aren't related to the forum's primary subject matter. I think this is a great thing, but normally it is something the reader has to "opt into", i.e. go into the off-topic area to see what's new there, rather than having heaps of unrelated material scattered throughout the main portion of the forum.

I have refrained from expressing my opinions about the contents of the posts in question because I mean this request seriously. I don't want to disrespect anyone, or stop anyone from expressing themselves. What I do want is a place to go for news and discussion about Galactic Civilizations where I don't have to wade through a bunch of extraneous topics on which I don't care to read people's opinions.

Yes, I know the Galactic Core forum is such a place, and I am thankful that it is there and that it keeps off-topic posts separate from other topics. This forum, though, is the primary landing place for new players and remains an important information source for many of us who have been involved with the game for a long time. I want to see it remain relevant and informative, and it does not currently feel that way to me. I can't imagine what new players must think when they see so much time and space dedicated to non-GCII topics. I know it would make me feel that the game was probably getting old and people were losing interest.

I'm not trying to start a petition or anything, and I don't mean this as a rant. It is just a shout-out to the powers that be that I feel that the forum structure needs to be tweaked for the good of the community. I posted it here, rather than in a PM to the moderators, because I am curious if others feel the same way. Please add your opinions below, and try to keep it at least as civil as I have.

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Thank you, for pointing this out. You have my full support!

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Philocthetes

Join Date 10/2003

+153

Even though I strongly support the idea of keeping OT threads out of the Recent Posts list on the home page (and enabling logged-in users to ignore whole forum areas), I have to take exception to the blanket rejections of "non-game talk."

IMO, one of the greatest virtues of GC2 is that it is like an SF novel that never reads the same way twice, and I read SF to make myself think. This game models freakin' galactic empires! How does a theme like that not entail notions of government, identity, eternity, destiny, etc. Sheesh, the Tech Win is a transcendence story.

I agree taht carrying on about whether Stargate-style transcendance is possible has no value for helping a player improve their score or solve a game problem, but for me the value of a particular thread has as much to do with my mood at a given moment as with anything else. When I'm re-evaluating my ship design habits, I want one kind of thread. When I'm taking a quick break from work, I might have much more fun scoffing nonsense in OT.

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i actually can't remember the last time i saw a dev journal or a reply from any of the devs concerning updates or bugs.....cept Kryo.

Has Stardock given up on GalCivII? They no longer care about this site it may seem, or at the very least feel Sins is more of a priority.

I very much doubt that. They're probably too busy working on 1.7 and/or on holidays. And it is a weekend currently, so they're probably not at work either

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I sense there are really two points here at issue. The first, mentioned by the OP, is the presence of threads on the Recent List that are of no intrest to the OP. I can agree with this. I really like the opt out system mentioned above. Who knows how much effort this will take to implement, but it might be a nice touch especially for those of us who have specific intrests in the game (I don't do metaverse - like some of the mods too much, so I have really no intrest in metaverse threads - just an example).

I think the other issue mentioned during the course of the thread is the backlash toward the "explosion" of religious themed threads. I personally don't mind an honest, innocent thread where people can talk about thier philosophies and beliefs. However, that said, I feel the threads that are in existence in the OTF exist more to ruffle feathers and to insult the readers of this forum. There is nothing open nor constructive about them. It results in a flame war that drives people apart.

This is a game forum. Yes off topic is nice, and I do enjoy visiting it. But it is turning into more of a circus and is really draging the rest of the forums down.

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[Long-time lurker, first time post-er]

I completely agree with the OP.

The best point made, among others, is that the front page is the initial thing that a new (or potential) player will come across when checking out the site. If they encounter only OT posts, especially ones that are borderline nonsense, then their impression of the community, and perhaps the game, is diminished.

I believe the "recent posts" section should not show updates from the OT section. Further, it should be an opt-in, rather than opt-out, due to the reason above.

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Neilo

Join Date 04/2006

+128

And it is a weekend currently, so they're probably not at work either

That counts for now. My point was that a dev has rarely been seen in the last few weeks, Cari i believe was the last i saw in the 1.6 memory leak thread, anyone seen a stardockian?...Anyway we have digressed.

I sense there are really two points here at issue.

I can see this and i wonder if i am at least partly to blame, my post did hang on the religious more than not.

I am very keen to know what the powers that be make of all this. Is it in the works to implement any kind of filter, have they been reading this thread at all, are they annoyed by the irrelavent clutter or do they want/need to hold onto freedom of speech.

There at least seems to be a growing consensus that these threads have at the very least no place in "recent topics". I really feel that action needs to be taken to eliminate this clutter from the front page,

The best point made, among others, is that the front page is the initial thing that a new (or potential) player will come across when checking out the site. If they encounter only OT posts, especially ones that are borderline nonsense, then their impression of the community, and perhaps the game, is diminished.

I can't think of a better reason why than the above quote. I know when i open up this site and see the religious and inane content, i sigh and close the page. How many others have left or not bothered to come back because of this?

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I'll throw my lot in with a filtering system!

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As suprising as this may sound, some people might actually be interested in joining off topic threads.

New commers at least should be given the opportunity to decide for themselves what they wan't to see instead of all you guys dictating what will be seen in recent posts.

Yes Stardock, by all means add a personal option for off topic thread filter! end of problem.

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Neilo

Join Date 04/2006

+128

Im not sure anyone is dictating anything. Our collective opinion just happens to be the same. I'm sure there are many people interested in the OTF, otherwise this whole thread would be pointless. It is in the manner in which these, unrelated to the purpose of the site, topics, are being displayed and the fact they are masking out the game related threads that has people annoyed.

These threads, if i was to dictate, would be tossed out the door in a heartbeat, but i of course realize they have a place and should have space to be heard.

This a gaming forum after all, should not the main emphasis be on that game?

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Mumblefratz

Join Date 07/2006

+139

This request has actually been made before, I'm sure a lot of folks remember the times. At that point there were fewer threads involved and the conversations centered on politics and seemed to get quite a bit more virulent than the current crop of shall I say drivel.

At that time there were a number of requests and suggestions to move these kinds of topics to JoeUser but all were ignored. It did seem that though these topics didn't move they at least became slightly more civil.

Anyway, the content of the offending threads as well as how many there are has certainly changed. I particulaly detest the ones that seem like religious prostelyzation. I would personally prefer those to be outright locked and deleted instead of simply being blocked from the most recent posts lists. However I doubt very much that this will happen.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their own set of religious beliefs, I just simply don't want to hear about them.

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This task is quite difficult to implement. How can a program detect, whether the topic is ON/OFF topic? It is too difficult to implement. Something similar are trying to do spam-blockers and a no one from them works with 100% precision. If you install such feature, you can prohibit some game-related topics and some non related will be allowed.

I can imagine an "ignore thread" button. Such thing can be implemented - you dislike the topic, click on this button and it will never be shown to you again (if you are logged in).

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How can a program detect, whether the topic is ON/OFF topic?

I guess the problem concern threads from the Galciv II/Off-Topic subforum. So that should be easy to detect

In any case, since I am in Europe, I always use the following URL https://forums.galciv2.com/?g=recent to get the recent posts when I connect the morning. And since it lists more threads, I am less annoyed by the threads from the Off-Topic subforum.

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

+458

or do they want/need to hold onto freedom of speech.

More or less. As long as they don't burst into flame[war]s, they'll be tolerated. I haven't noticed anything to that effect in skimming them, but if I've missed anything, don't hesitate to use the report option.

The two threads in question haven't been replied to all weekend anyway, though, so one can hope that interest in them is starting to wane naturally.

New forum options aren't likely to happen, as the web team has a full plate already at present.

i actually can't remember the last time i saw a dev journal or a reply from any of the devs concerning updates or bugs.....cept Kryo.

My point was that a dev has rarely been seen in the last few weeks, Cari i believe was the last i saw in the 1.6 memory leak thread, anyone seen a stardockian?

Last I checked, Cari and Codecritter were busy with DA 1.7 and/or the DL Vista update. The other devs, who are very rarely seen here anyway, are on other project(s).

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Neilo

Join Date 04/2006

+128

Last I checked, Cari and Codecritter were busy with DA 1.7 and/or the DL Vista update.

Thanks for the update Kryo.

As for the threads, and i understand everyone is busy, but is Mrakomo's suggestion a possible implementation in the future given the time necessary to complete such a task?

I can imagine an "ignore thread" button. Such thing can be implemented - you dislike the topic, click on this button and it will never be shown to you again (if you are logged in).

Yes as you mention, the topics in question are waining in popularity, ATM, but it is only until the next time. I know you may have to remain unbiased, but surely you can see the downside of having OT threads taking up the front page space of game related topics....

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This request has actually been made before, I'm sure a lot of folks remember the times.

See my forum avatar - it really is in my nature.

Partly, I wanted to see if I was really in the minority in being disgusted by the digital vomitus that has been spewed on this forum for the past few months.

My real, hidden agenda for this post was to raise awareness among those of us who are tired of the drivel and are perhaps ready to quit coming here at all. I think abandoning the forum would be a tragedy both for the new players who come to the site and for those of us who have enjoyed this community and hate to see it degenerate into a morass of sophomoric pseudo logic and glurge.

Rather than giving up, I'd like to encourage each of you to try to help starve the trolls out. Not all off-topic posts - we all know what kind I'm talking about. When these crap threads surface or resurface, either don't post in them or post a request for others not to reply; the OP is most likely just looking to start a pointless argument.

Use the rating button (the star at the bottom of all reply posts) to report trolling. I've refrained from doing that so far, but it is clear that we have to use the tools at hand if we want this forum to continue to have any value or relevance to the game.

Now, Sancho, where is my lance...

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The other side of the coin is to have more robust on-topic posts. A very good way to move the OT's down the list....Although being able to customize what you see would be the perfect solution!

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In any case, since I am in Europe, I always use the following URL https://forums.galciv2.com/?g=recent to get the recent posts when I connect the morning.

Is there another way? I also always use the one you mentioned, so I don't quite see why a few OT threads are so bad.

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It is in the manner in which these, unrelated to the purpose of the site, topics, are being displayed and the fact they are masking out the game related threads that has people annoyed.

yes this is true, it is just the way the forum works.

one thing i like to do before replying to off topic threads (if i have time) is to quickly check the recent threads to see if there is anything needing input before it gets bumped to the next page. If everyone did this then it would reduce the problem.

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Not all off-topic posts are bad.For example, there's a thread out there talking about what game genre you would want to be reborn. Nice thread, no flaming or religion. Should it be blocked? I think they need to have off-topic-gaming and off-topic parts of the forum. Off-topic should be for all the religious and political threads and off-topic-gaming would be for all the stuff about games or gametalk(other).

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Phew....their threads are petering off. Perhaps their reign of terror is coming to an end. Some haven't been replied to in days so I think (and hope) they have been buried and forgotten. Unless some necromancers come along.

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Philocthetes

Join Date 10/2003

+153

I think they need to have off-topic-gaming and off-topic parts of the forum.

There might be a small elephant in the room here. I've barely ever tried moderating a forum (only as part of teaching online classes), and I can tell from that experience and reading around here that some portion of users have *no* idea what forum areas are and another portion have very different ideas about how to use a particular area.

Just doing my part to muddy the waters

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MottiKhan

Join Date 04/2007

+152

The religious posts don't belong here. It's plain and simple. That goes for the ones that proclaim god or the ones that deny god, such as the one that is popping up to the top now.

I'd like to take the request a little further than the original and ask that ALL religious topics be erased from the forums, not just taken off of the recent list. Come on. I'm not going to convince you to believe like I do and you certainly won't convince me the believe like you do.

PLEASE ERASE THEM ALL!

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Here Here! I'm behind you all the way, but we need someway to catch the attention of the moderator.

Infact, bumb it up one more notch. Ban the people who make them, whethor they post one or more god thread. If they post just one, ban them for a week. If they do two ban them for two weeks, or just ban them permanently...such as the case of Evil Stormbringer, but let's not bring him up. (Any old members around here remember Psycho?)

PS: There also needs to be a bump/no-bump button. Just in case we don't want our comments to bump a thread.

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Phew....their threads are petering off. Perhaps their reign of terror is coming to an end

Bad thing about this is that one of the same few people will come along sooner or later and bump every one of those threads starting the whole process over again. Once they go unreplied for a few days they should be locked to prevent that. If they had to create a new thread each time to spread their useless message then hopefully it would expose them as the trolls they are.

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Neilo

Join Date 04/2006

+128

These religious threads are really starting to affect me here on this forum. I rarely look to join in any conversations at the moment because i am so sick of seeing the crap that is out there.

It's a quick check my posts and replies and back out again.

That is not how i used to be. I would spend quite an amount of time here and due to the inane drivel that is spreading i just can't be bothered spending time on this site.

Kryo, i know freedom of speech and all, but at what point do you throw that out in favour of retaining the users here that are actually active on the game threads or in the MV and not simply trolling the OT threads bumping unrelated topics?

I'm not suggesting that a mass exodus is imminent, but surely you and others have noticed a lack of activity in other areas, at least i have in the threads i have frequented.

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