Forum warnings

I am noticing more and more of these forum warnings where a red warning text is placed above a post saying that it was either off-topic, too short, too simplistic, etc.

I don't want to nag or sound like an anarchist, but I have the feeling that this is starting to be overdone. For example, I had a warning for discussing a tunnel-tactic in a thread about tunnel-tactics, saying it was off-topic.

Secondly, there is a forum section called off-topic, which is also drowing in red warning of off-topicness. I know these are about not staying on-topic of the thread, but is that such a big problem in the off-topic section?

And thirdly, why does it give these warnings? A better idea would be to
A. Delete the post, the red warning only makes it longer.
B. Delete the post, but only show the warning (maybe with a pop-out button for the post itself)

Option B is for the people who believe one can actually learn from seeing these warnings with the posts itself. I, for one, believe we can't so I would suggest just deleting the posts, it causes the least irritation.

Besides, a red text above the post only makes it more prominent, thus more attractive to read, and thus it will only have the opposite effect; people would read that post instead of the on-topic ones.

Well that's enough nagging for today LaughingOutLoud.

~BoiiW

 

I received a warning for simply suggesting that people (Mainly server owners and people who play on the server) who have issues with the KAG guards should disable KAG guards and put moderators on the server that they personally trust as appose to the "universally trusted moderators"

Very unjust warning.

 

I agree with most of it and I am afraid of this forum going in the same direction. In just 2 - 3 months I have seen a rapid increase in restrictions. It might be partially caused by an increase in population here, but I hope that forum guards will make sure to communicate with each other to insure that they all use the same guidelines and apply the rules on the same level and to insure that the level is not too low (so a post that is ''argueably'' on-topic, is handled as on-topic (referring to my tunnel-related post)

I just hope the forum guards will make sure to keep a certain level of freedom on the forums. If the forums become too strict, the community will leave, and that will also have an effect on the game.

Watch out for warnings *sadface*

If it's just your opinion, it is indeed quite unjust.


EDIT: Haha okay, I have been looking around a little bit, and I actually found some posts by KAG and forum guards that should have been flagged as off-topic. Not blaming anyone here, but I think it should be noted.

 

I must be like one of the only people who have actually read the rules.

Anyway, "Try and stay on topic - We understand that everyone wonders off-topic a little bit but straying to far will result in a warning"

Problem with this they don't specify what "too far" is, giving unbalanced moderation across the forum.

"No flame-wars. Want to bash someone? Send them a private message, don't rage all over the forums"

Anyone can perceive flame wars or basically "flaming" is any way they wish, flaming is a bad word to use in the forum rules, the rules should specify what flaming is and ONLY is.

In other forums i have seen intense discussion threads and other such threads closed because of "flaming" or "potential flaming"

 

Most of the forum guards seem to think of it as ''anything that doesn't contain the topic sentence'' or something...

 

Staying on topic is really a rule that ideally should read

"Don't spam topics with irrelevent, non sequiter comments or low quality posts that do nothing to further the discussion or completely derail the thread entirely"

Its basically a rule against changing the subject too far to quickly. A thread can involve, but without moderation a thread about trains descends into madness about kittens and ice-cream way too fast.

 

Completely entirely; a tautology :p

 

Tautology (rhetoric), using different words to say the same thing even if the repetition does not provide clarity. Tautology also means a series of self-reinforcing statements that cannot be disproved because the statements depend on the assumption that they are already correct.

I made it clearer, you are just obviously unable to comprehend that. I will reiterate.
The natural progression of a thread from talking about problems with the administration of the community to there being a customer service problem and perhaps a extra turn to a discussion about good customer service practice is completely normal. This is on topic, how a conversation progresses.

A thread discussing the same topic that were to suddenly become solely about who has the most kills has been derailed.

 

Thanks for providing the definition to prove my statement :p

And to get back on-topic; the fact that a moderator is calling this thread ''whining'' in a warning, is saying more about the moderator in question than this thread.

Off-topic in a thread whining about off-topic warnings

That is not how a professional moderator should handle threads that criticize their behaviour as moderators. They should take it to their heart and re-think their actions, maybe discuss this matter with other moderators, but to call a complaint ''whining'' is really unprofessional.

I am disappoint.

That said, FinDude really seems to hate me

 

I am not a 'professional moderator', I am an unpaid volunteer.
You didn't include the high five part of the warning text;
I thought it was humorous enough for pointing out that it was more of a light-hearted comment.

The red warning text is there as a "Look, this is bad, don't do it."
We may have to post a sticky explaining this in the future.
If the community ever matures, we may begin removing most of the trivial posts from sight.

As a good-will gesture, I've lifted the already expired piece of text.

I were acting overzealous simply because of the ridiculous volume of off-topic content there is.
Threads are very cluttered, and the walls of text certain members produce aren't doing any favours.

But tell me, what harm does the odd bordercase unjust warning cause?

It takes a lot of warning 'points' for the automatic system to take any action,
far more than these rare human errors could produce.
Unless you are misbehaving anyways, they will do you no real harm.

Or hey, people might actually start to consider what they're posting?

Oh no.

 

Well that's all really great, I am just worried that these forums are going in the dictator direction, which I would find a shame, to have such a great game have such a failing forum(-community?)

 

I think it is absurd to think that this is a " failed forum " .
Also, no one is stopping you from making your own KAG fan forum and run it how you see fit. I did that for Tribes 2 and the forum became far more popular than the official forum.

 

That is indeed absurd to think. Luckily I never said I did.

 

You implied it. And let me assure you the forums here are quite liberal in terms of the rules. And I have seen many forums online since 1991. This forum is impressive and I sense no impending shift in the mods and admins in terms of drastic draconian rule changes. In fact, I have been very impressed at the quality of the modding and the sound, intelligent admins like Shadlington who are very communicative, kind, and patient.

 

I will just repeat it once more, I never said this forum is a failed forum. Implying is nothing. It's subjective and has no meaning what so ever.

And I am just saying ''admins'' in general for privacy reasons. Of course there are admins who are doing it right and some who are doing it too strict, in my opinion. I'm just not going to name them, which is pretty logical if you ask me.

 

Looking at your warning history, you have two warnings for going off-topic; both posts, in my opinion, fail to further the current subject matter at all. I am more often than not extremely lenient with my "punishments"-if you can call raising an arbitrary number by one or two digits a punishment--, but perhaps I should enforce better just so nobody else can make it official with a warning and thus provide cause to complain about "overzealous moderators".

Lots of your recent posts--5, I counted-- have been all about how you're not allowed to go off-topic at all, and in some cases these posts are off-topic in and of themselves; yet you've only been warned for two of them. I really cannot comprehend why you care enough to make them, but I am beginning to appreciate it less and less; I am sure you would react much the same if complaints over incredibly trivial matters were yours to deal with, administratively.

Take it in your stride, dude. It's not a big deal.