[Just your average movie goer]

In the good old days, we'd sit around in the Star Wars forum bitching about George Lucas, sipping tea and patting each other on the back.

But as time has worn on, we've taken on more and more chaps who quite like Lucas and adjustments have been made. Some of these chaps settled in well. Others of a less savoury nature liked to rock the boat.

Some of the old gang welcome the new chaps and thrive on the hearty debates that take place. Others, like this average forum goer, reminisce about the days gone by and wish that we could have them back again.

But it doesn't have to be this way. For I have seen a new possibility of a forum for all! We need some divisions.

What I propose is three sub-forums:

1. The basher's haven... where us old fogeys can sit about, complaining about the new films and share our ideas on how we'd do it differently, while drinking gin and tonic.

2. The gusher's haven... where the kiddies can rave about all the new things going on in Star Wars like General Grievous, and tell each other how badass everything is, while gulping down slurpees.

and lastly...

3. The battlefield... where those who like the heat of the argument, the stimulus of a charged intellectual debate can venture forth from their encampments and try to win support for their views or smother their opponents with their political propoganda!



Then those who miss the old days can return there, those who'd like to sing the praises of their god Lucas without fear of persecution can do so in safety, and those who wish to fight their sworn enemies can do so with all the passion and gusto they can muster!

What say you?

[barend]

i say all three threads will end up full of talk about germanys dark days and other idiots ruining our fun...

i think the only solution at this point is to disable these peoples ability to post, ban them...

the trouble makers that is...

we have people like jariten who never stop defending the PT we hate so much, but we love him, (personally because of his reverence for Agento, but there are other reasons to love him too)... and there are others...

but we need to shorten how long we are willing to tolerate retards and trolls...

This post has been edited by barend: 21 April 2005 - 12:45 AM

[Just your average movie goer]

I'd settle for that solution. I do hope they're doing something about the trolls.

[Chefelf]

Regarding Star Wars Sub Forums...

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. The thing is I'm not sure how to divide it up. We could divide it up by bashers and gushers or by movies, or PT and OT... it's tough to decide what kind of division is necessary.

I don't necessarily want to divide up the bashers and the gushers. Firstly we have such a small amount of gushers here as it is. Secondly I think we've done a really good job of coming together despite our differences. Why split that up?

It's tough to decide but I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Regarding trolls...

I think forum administration is going to be taking a more hard line stance regarding trolling. It's fine if people want to have a good natured debate about a topic. I'm all for that, that's why the Debate Club exists. However, I'm quite tired of seeing every topic in EVERY forum turn into a debate. That's ALSO why the Debate Club exists.

No only are too many threads turning into debates they are also turning into ANGRY debates, flame wars and drifting off topic. If you intend to post something in the Star Wars forum, it should be on topic. Off topic posts will be moved or deleted with more consistency from now on.

[Just your average movie goer]

Cool. That's the kind of thing we were after.

With the division, now that you've explained it a little bit more, it does sound a bit tricky. What about a two section approach - one for prequel bashing only and the other open for anything (except flaming of course)?

[Lord Aquaman]

This sub-forum idea stimulates and fascinates me.

[Chefelf]

Well, for now I think I will leave it as is. The forums are definitely very busy but I'll wait before I start splitting things up. TFN's forums have a million subforums but I think they need it there more than we do.

It's somethign I will certainly keep in mind for the future and if you have any ideas let me know.

[jariten]

I have to say that I don't see how splitting the groups up is going to work (at least in the way movie goer suggested). Unless things have changed a lot since i've been in there (which is a while now admittedly), are there even enough fans of the prequels to warrant a sub-forum just for them? The reason I love it there is because theres some intelligent and interesting debate flying about, i'm not really interested in sitting around and talking about how great Lucas is. On the other hand, PT/OT sub forums might work, but that would just turn into a huge argument in the PT forum and relative calm in the OT forum.

Like I said though, i've not been there for a while, but maybe there are 50 jaritens now. I just always equate sub dividing with diluting.

[civilian_number_two]

I agree with jariten. Sub-forums are pointless, since everyone is going to want to read and post in all of them anyway. MG: If you see a post you don't like, don't reply to it! Go look at some nice soothing porn instead.

[Just your average movie goer]

Hmmm.... sounds like a good idea.

You're right actually. I do seem to get too fired up over the stupidest little things. Alright, I'll give that idea a go, mate.

[Jordan]

JYAMG, I understand your anger with that last prick. I also understand how hard it is to keep your mouth shut.

I kept hannibal on ban for about 2 weeks and could not take it any more. I had to read what he was saying. Since then, I've mellowed out and I don't hate him any longer.

I think people here generally drift towards the debates. Eventually all the gushers and bashers would migrate to the same forum and unleash hell as usual.

A tougher stance on trolling is a must. What makes this community so great is the fact that we have so few. I think the idea of Chef handing out mod titles to a handful of members has solved this problem for the most part. I'd say most of UTF's posts lasted no more than 1 hour till they got burnt down.

[Just your average movie goer]

That's true. But I couldn't understand why he was able to post at all. He should have been banned a long time ago.

[Kirby]

Sorry for showing off my N000Bishness, but what is trolling?

[Jordan]

I asked that same question! I'm not sure if Chef can or would ban an IP address.

I don't even know what an IP address is. But I've been ban via IP blocking. I got into a flame war a long time ago on a Warcraft III forum. They banned me, I tried to log back on with my account and it said "you've been ban scum". So I then tried to open another account (I just had to get my final say!) and it said "you've been ban scum"

So the forum recognized my computer, and I never posted their again.

[Just your average movie goer]

An IP address is your computer's location in terms of the internet. So if someone blocked it, it wouldn't matter what email accounts or other tricks you used to get past such blocking.


And Kirby:

An troll is a person who deliberately irritates other people on the net for their own personal reasons, whatever they may be. Basically they get off on upsetting other people. They love to spam forums, can't be reasoned with and just enjoy causing trouble. Use the Force, for example, is a troll... and a very good example of one.