Archive through February 03, 2003
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TV ClubHouse: Archives: 2003 February: New Area "Hot Topics": Archive through February 03, 2003

Ryn

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 12:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
After a lot of discussion we have decided to create a new area on the board for some of the topics where the discussion can get rather intense at times.

This area is called "Hot Topics" and, at this point will be mainly for the Political and Religion related threads. "War" topics will also be found here.

This area is not any different than other areas, the rules of the board will not be any different, but we felt that due to the nature of those topics it would be best to move them to their own area so that those members who do not choose to participate in those threads will not find them mixed in with the other "General Discussion" threads. Also it will allow the members who come to the site specifically for those threads to find them all grouped closely together :)

The new area can be found here:

Hot Topics

Sadiesmom

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 01:07 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
thank you, you could have just stopped them.
Aren't there more to be moved though? I thought there were more than that.

Draheid

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 01:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm sure more topics will be moved as time allows.

I would suggested that everyone check their profile and update their "Favorite Topics" selections regardless of whether you choose to include the 'Hot Topics' thread in your favorite areas.

Moderator

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 02:08 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Draheid, I had forgot to check mine!

(dh)

Wiseolowl

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 03:07 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Mods I suspect that my recent posts may have had something to do with this move - and am feeling like a woos - but thanks, I think, for doing so .

Only problem is that - it's kind of like being in Eve's position regarding the forbidden fruit - there's that temptation now to peek!!

Juju2bigdog

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 03:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Hahahahahaha, I love it!!! Will we periodically move the Dog thread in and out of here?

<runs for the hills>

Should we leave our bowls of Wheaties outside the door?

JUST kidding. I think it is probably a good idea, although the heated threads don't bother me at all except to make me thank my lucky stars I was never dumb enough to agree to become a Moderator. :)

Yay Mods!!

Moderator

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 03:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Don’t feel bad Wiseolowl, this move is just one part of a board reorganization we have been working on for a couple of months. We try to do our major housekeeping during the Big Brother off season.

Having the board organized by type makes it easier for the mods that work certain types of threads.

The fruit is not forbidden we are just separating the apples from the mangos.

(dh)

Maris

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 04:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
No Juju, I could see the "Guy thread" getting moved here since that seems to have generated some heat in its time.

Feels less like forbidden fruit and more like detention. lol. Get into an argument and faster than you can say Emerill bam, banished to the hot topic thread.

Lancecrossfire

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 05:03 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The reason I liked the idea of this area is for the groups of posters who 1) are attracted to threads that are or can become controversial, and 2) for the folsk who want to avoid such threads.

No one has to go sifting through them in the GD area to read/post or to avoid read/posting.

If something becomes an issue of "detention", it will be made quite clear that is the intent.

And for me, like (dh) indicates a side benefit is making the more controversial threads easier to deal with in terms of moderating--or at least watching. But as I said, a side benefit as oppsed to one of the reasons the area was created. (think of after-thought)

Cmore

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 11:26 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
One of the things I really found attractive about this board was being able to find such a wide diversity of topics in one place, like the general discussion area.

Its sad to see this board move away from the simple, newbie friendly style, to a less user friendly, more complicated, time consuming system.

While you may have made it easier for people to avoid controversial threads and easier for people who like "Only" controversial threads, you have made it much more difficult for the majority who enjoy both controversial and non controversial threads.

Why do the majority ( non complainers ) have to suffer because a few object to certain topics? Its not a problem avoiding the topics you don't wish to read. After all isn't that why its called General Discussions?

Maris

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 05:30 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree Cmore.

Bryan

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 06:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I do not see how adding one more folder to the list of the existing 17 folders or so makes it less user friendly or more difficult to read.

Simply by using the new message feature it will show what has been posted in any folder on the entire board. Cmore, do you just open the General Discussions folder and then open each topic? There is a lot of good stuff in some of the other sections of the board if all you read is General Discussions.

I am not suffering from this minor change in the organization of the message board. Does this mean I am now in the complainer category?

Maris

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 06:31 am EditMoveDeleteIP
From my view it just strikes me as a sort of segregation. I post in other folders but I usually stick to general discussions area. It seems to me that if the intent is to move a folder outside general discussions to isolate certain topics/posters it is a form of segregation.

I agree with Cmore in that I dont understand why people who may not like a thread's subject cant just hop on by it. If I open a folder I am not interested in, I just close it and move on. What determines what a Hot Topic is?

I would guess that the Hot Topic Folder will fade away which may have been the intent.

Oh Oh.... Looks like this thread will have to move out of General discussions, if we debate it any further.

Ginger1218

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 06:53 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree with CMore and Maris. It is a form of segregation. General Discussion means just that, there are all different topics, and people can chose to avoid those topics, just like they would avoid goint to the Hot Topics Folder. They still have the option to ignore it, one place or another. I think it is a waste of time.

Bryan

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 07:00 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Maris, if you see it as segregation then that is quite a bit different than Cmore saying it made it more complicated. From my viewpoint I see the move from General Discussions to a new folder called Hot Topics as giving you your own special recognition.

A folder named Hot Topics would sure seem to draw more attention than a huge folder called General Discussions. The only way folders fade away is if no one posts in them. I think your following is large enough that you will find plenty of people waiting to debate you.

Moderator

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 07:44 am EditMoveDeleteIP
We are well aware that we can't please everyone, and I'm sorry that some of you are unhappy with the changes. The General Discussion area had become unweildy and difficult to moderate and maintain - often having well over 100 threads - some which needed to kept long-term, others which had short lives.

So we reorganized the long-running threads into the Community Corner. We also moved the more controversial threads into one area to make them easier to moderate, and to allow those who came here for lighter conversation to avoid them. The other choice we pondered was to eliminate them entirely because we get so many complaints about them. This seemed the fairest compromise.

So I hope you will bear with us and try to get used to the new organization. We serve a very diverse group of people, and we try to take *everyone*'s needs into account, and strike the best balance we can. We know that means some people won't like it, but we do really try our best to be fair to everyone. (K)

Maris

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 07:50 am EditMoveDeleteIP
"your following"? "your own special recognition"? not sure what the implication is there. Going to have to think about that one.

Cassie

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 08:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Mod: <This seemed the fairest compromise.>

Not only fair, but a logical move :)

Bryan

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 09:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Maris, allow me to say the same thing in different words if my meaning was unclear. The majority of people who post on this board will have certain topics/threads that they have more interest in than others. As they post in these threads many times you will find that relationships develop with other people frequenting the topic.

A lot of people begin to actually seek out a particular user name just to see what they are saying. I would suspect that you even seek out particular members names to just see what their comment is in whatever topic is being posted. In a more extreme example, you will eventually see it often get to a point that when you see one user name you can almost count on certain other user names to follow with posts.

I did not intend to imply this is negative to have a "following". It seems to be nothing more than what happens in real life, you have people you connect with and you have interaction. I suppose you could choose to wear it as a laurel or you could wear it as a hard hat.

"Your own special recognition" was intended to be a compliment and directed at the group of people who have interest in these particular topics. I wonder if the pet lovers would be excited to get their own folder set aside for their favorite topics or think they were being segregated?

Moderator

Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 09:35 am EditMoveDeleteIP
For your convenience, you will now find a bar across the top of each of the changed sections with links to the other sections that have been changed. Clicking these quick links will take you directly to that area.

Quick Links-> General Discussions | Community Corner | A Caring Place | Hot Topics

(22)

Cmore

Monday, February 03, 2003 - 01:28 am EditMoveDeleteIP

Quote:

I do not see how adding one more folder to the list of the existing 17 folders or so makes it less user friendly or more difficult to read.




Because now you have to search to find topics that may be of interest to you, rather than having them located in the general area. What constitutes a Hot topic? Obviously its not just popular threads because there are some there with only 1 post.

If a new person comes to this board, they are going to think hot topics are the most popular threads, which is really not true. Some of the "most popular" threads like "a fact or two about you" now resides in the 'Community Corner' area of the board.

So the question now is, what is a general topic?
Whats a Hot topic? or a community corner topic? and how do you tell the difference? If I am confused, I am quite certain new members will be confused.


Quote:

I am not suffering from this minor change in the organization of the message board. Does this mean I am now in the complainer category?




I am quite certain you are not suffering. From looking through the threads, I don't see anything that you had any particular interest in has changed. Its not a matter of suffering anyway, its a matter of the time it takes to search and locate threads that you may have interest in, that were once located in a common area. A common area that has a description of " Discussions on everything!".

It seems that description has changed to " discussions on certain things that don't bother some people" " and I still have to avoid the topics I don't like there, but I won't complain and say they need to be moved or removed completely because I object to them.

I just hate to see boards cave in to pressure from people who force their wills or views of what everyone should read or what should be allowed in certain areas of forums. What happened to the simple rule, " if you don't like it don't read it"

Ryn

Monday, February 03, 2003 - 05:17 am EditMoveDeleteIP
We are not "caving to pressure" we are trying to make our own experience here as moderators easier.

"hot topics" are what we (mods) have generally agreed are topics that push most folks hot buttons and are likely to have a lot of intense debate, with members being very polorized in their opinions.

This change has been discussed for months. We discussed elimitating any threads that were related to politics or religion or other such things because they generally require more time to keep from getting out of hand. Some mods were in favor or removing them entirely, others said they felt they should be allowed to remain. A comprimise was reached and we implimented it this weekend.

"discussions on everything" has been the description of this area for 3 years, I suppose its not as accurate as it used to be but 'new' members will certainly figgure it out as they get accustomed to the board.

As for finding threads of interest to you, I will suggest what has been suggested to me. Edit you profile and select your "favorite" topics, then when you come to the board click on the "new msg" link located at the top of every page and run it to see what is new in all the areas you consider favorites.

Many many many members don't think of this board as having distinct areas since they use the "new msg" feature and then look at the most active threads that way.

btw, in an effort to reduce the number of top-level threads we have also removed the "tvch exclusives" and moved the "Bachelor" and "Mole" topics within the "other reality show" areas.

Lastly, one of our mods worked very hard this weekend and placed a list of shortcuts to all the other main topics at the top of each area, so it actually has become easier to navigate for people (like me) that do not use the "new msg" feature.

Goddessatlaw

Monday, February 03, 2003 - 05:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I see - while the cat's away!! Have had a chance to look around the Board and see the changes. I like them. Particularly I like the hot topics removed to an area where I can go and choose to be tweaked if I want to be tweaked, but not out in GD tweaking me when I don't want to be tweaked and am just looking for a little relaxation and fun. The shortcuts are great, too, and make the changes much easier to navigate. Thanks for all your hard work, mods. We'll get used to it soon enough.

Squaredsc

Monday, February 03, 2003 - 06:11 am EditMoveDeleteIP
i like the colors. and im glad that now i don't have to do the username and password to get into the community corner. that was what kept me from there while im at work mainly.

Suitsmefine

Monday, February 03, 2003 - 06:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
cheerleader....Well all I can say is well done Moderators!!!!!! I like the new board.
I LOVE TVCH!!!!