69 replies to this topic

[Lace]

I would like to preface this post with a question, and then promptly answer with my very own opinion.

What is the difference between the SPOT and the Satellite Lounge?

Well, the general trend seems to be that the SPOT is for threads too dumb, too chaotic, too useless or too topic-less to be in the Satellite Lounge. Mayhaps that is the point. In fact, the very description of the forum reads: "A place for anything that is WAY off topic and composed of complete chaos that has been left unchecked".

Okay.

Why the hell do we want a breeding ground for idiots and idiotic behavior? Isn't that something that is frowned upon in the rest of the forums? People say that nobody gives a shit about the rules in the SPOT. Why should it be exempt? Isn't it always important to, say, not call people niggers? More importantly, perhaps, if there is a thread in the SPOT with a sufficiently strong topic of conversation, why not just move it to the satellite lounge?

I simply do not know the answers to these questions.
Personally, I feel that the SPOT is idiotic and should be removed. That's my suggestion. Obviously, some of you guys have differing viewpoints. If you think the SPOT should stay as it is, say why. If you think it just needs a more clear definition of what should go there, say so, and give suggestions.

I can't really think of a better way to do this.

[MetaSeraphim]

All forums have spam forums, no exceptions.

Why the hell do we want a breeding ground for idiots and idiotic behavior? Isn't that something that is frowned upon in the rest of the forums?

Please don't tell me you're serious. Far more idiotic things have happened in the Cave Story section than in The SPOT. And in fact people act like idiots all over the forum, even the hack and mod section isn't safe from it even though it does get much less than other parts of the forum.

Personally, I feel that the SPOT is idiotic and should be removed.

Might as well delete the whole forum, eh?

If you think the SPOT should stay as it is, say why. If you think it just needs a more clear definition of what should go there, say so, and give suggestions.

The SPOT should stay and it should be given a better definition, yes. First off, rules shouldn't be completely ignored in The SPOT, but they shouldn't be completely there as well, they need to be lax, since it is indeed The SPOT, the spam section of the forum.

It is sad when even the staff doesn't know what that section is for.

Yeah I'm locking this. The SPOT was made for a place to move spam posts or offtopic discussions, not a place where we could spam for the sake of spamming.

Of course the staff of the forum is compose of snails, so I shouldn't be surprised.


The purpose of The SPOT is for a relaxed setting where you don't have to be bent over by the rules but not where you can bend the rules over. You shouldn't go into The SPOT and start flaming people and saying stuff like "METASERAPHIM YOU SUCK I HOPE YOU DIE AND GET RAPED." but you should be allowed to make a thread that has no purpose at all besides to have fun and mess around with other members of the forum as long as you aren't setting out to break all the rules. Since The SPOT is the spam section spam should be allowed as long as you don't go overboard with it like posting 21 threads in an hour. All things in moderation, no?

Also, The SPOT isn't only just trash forum where you move trash threads to, that is what a trash bin section is for. The SPOT is a section simply for have fun no point threads, nothing more, nothing less.

[Captain Fabulous]

I use the SPOT because really, we're all friends here, and we need to have informal discussion sometimes (AKA dicking around). Yes, the IRC is for that, but IRC is real-time and not everyone uses it. I don't think it's bad to have completely relaxed discussion with less rules that has no impact on the rest of the forums.
Basically, it's for fun, and since nothing important happens in there, you don't have to use it.

[Wedge of Cheese]

I don't really think of the spot as being a "breeding ground" for stupidity; it's more of a place for people to get that out of their system, so that they don't do as much spamming in other parts of the forums, so in that sense the spot is actually beneficial to the rest of the forums.

That being said, I wouldn't really object that much to the spot being removed, since we do have irc for more spammy stuff.

In my view, the main problem with the spot currently is that the rules are inconsistently enforced. I think, if the spot continues to exist, it should not have the rules enforced, since, by definition, there essentially are no rules. The way it is now, they sometimes are enforced, and sometimes aren't, which is frustrating to everyone. Basically, the spot + enforced rules = the satellite lounge, so, if rules were enforced in the spot, there would no longer be any point to having the two be separate.

[DoubleThink]

The problem with the SPOT is that no clear explanation of what's allowed there and what isn't was given upon its creation (which I'll remind you was before I was a staff member). This hasn't really been fair on GIR and Noxid because they don't know what they're expected to do there.

The staff are discussing things currently, and after we get a chance to talk to Noxid we'll come up with a proper outline for the SPOT. Possibly a name change as well, so that people don't feel encouraged to act stupid.

[Ralren]

Throughout my entire experience with the forums, it's well known that the SPOT is meant for stupid, random bullshit. I just don't understand what's the point into spending too much time with locking threads that just come back in the next few days. It's not harming anyone, the only problem is that there may be children waddling around aimlessly, vurnable to the overpowering stench of a explicit vocabulary and imagery.

I have mixed feelings about the forums, anyways. I really like the majority of the community, but I don't like how the forums just keep itself from being ontopic about what it's meant for: Indie gaming. It seems to me that these forums have just blown up into a complete friend circle other than a fully public forum, which isn't a very abnormal case. It's actually really common for most forums, I've seen it before 7 years ago. (9 years old at a really lame and obnoxious furry forum that I expected to be a video game discussion forum).

We've discussed every little bit and piece about Cavestory, yes, but there are many other things that can be discussed that are similar other than completely focusing on one game.

If you want a completely clean forum, I'd suggest deleting the S.P.O.T and the rest of the rotting nonsense, however most members who came here just to have fun and dick around would most likely leave, hell, I would probably join them, since I have no purpose to being here in the first place anymore. However, the forum would live up to it's name alot more, and it would actually turn out to be what it is for the most part.

If not, well.. keep the SPOT and don't clean up. The forums will just stay the same. I just think that these forums are just blown up into all these messy portions.. some parts are discussing about what's actually expected from these forums, while most parts are just friend-circle related discussions.

That's my view of the forums, I'm not proving anything right or wrong, and I'm not questioning any authorities. My wars with staff members and others are long gone ever since I re-discovered my behavior on the internet.

[sexplosive]

I'm just worried that if all of the "regular" members leave, the forums will only be left with the new, much younger users who shout out random, old, overused memes and smiley faces all the time, without having meaningful discussion
[no offense to any of you, some of you are really great and honestly we need more people like you i.e. Dubby (who really isn't that new anymore), cripplechair, etc]

Frankly the "other side" of the forums is what keeps it running right now, as well as the mod section to a smaller extent (what's left of it right now is really great though).

So yeah.

[DoubleThink]

There's a balance and we're going to find it. Not much sense in going on about the community and its importance if both sides of the argument can't be taken into consideration.

[sexplosive]

good point. hey maybe instead of commenting on the community I should talk about the spot? yeah let's do that.

I say that as long as something isn't explicitly offending someone from these forums (i.e. FUCK YOU CAPTAIN FABULOUS I HATE YOU GO DIE), or people are complaining consistently about someone's posting and they aren't stopping, moderation should be kept out of that section of the forums. Spam etc. is part of the "flow" of discussion in there.

That being said could we at least try to have half decent topics of discussion in there. I mean, it's for humor (in my opinion), not just for stupid random shit

[sinophile]

1. The SPOT isn't a place for people to release their silliness because people act silly even outside it. Its more of a place where the regulars can circlejerk (man thats such a bad word but theres no better one to describe it) without being reprimanded for it. I think this is a good thing. If theres circlejerk everywhere else, new users become alienated to what they see as an already established community where they're not welcome.

2. In my experience, relying on an all encompassing and well-defined set of rules for a forum works crappily. Most people don't even read the rules. And if you punish someone, they're going to argue back using some niche interpretation of the rules, and it becomes an upward battle about the semantics of the rules. This is idiotic. What works much better is a small list of general rules, mods are highly visible and use their own common sense and discreetion in deciding punishments and this is all within a culture of trust.