The meaning of "rant"

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

It seems to me we might want to come to some sort of consensus on what this particular forum means. A lot of people (esp. Newbies) have used the "Rants and stuff" title to justify strange ramblings that make no sense and which no one else gives a fig about to shoot up their post count and makes them unpopular at the same time. I've head members complaining about it too.

It is my proposal that "Rant" be looked at as complaining (dictionary.com says it means to speak or write angrily -- i don't think anger is necessary though) and should NOT be interpreted to mean "incoherant ramblings."

THe occassional offshoot into nonsense is excusable, but 50-odd posts or more on a thread between two people just saying weird stuff that is meaningless is not.

The "and stuff" part is to do shameless self propmotion or to tell jokes. Shameless as it may be, however, it should have a point to it.

Input?

[Maxwell]

you're referring to me are'nt you?

[Spriggan]

yes.  We wouldn't mind as much if the majority of your conversations weren't with your friends from school while useing the forums here as a chat room

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

i'm not naming names. I'm just trying to increase the communication and help us all be on the same page of understanding.

[Spriggan]

I was, but I'm not the "civil" forum moderator.

[House of Mustard]

Hear hear.

Honestly, I've found little reason to visit the forum in the last few days, simply because I get sick of wading through crap to find the interesting topics.  

I'm all for encouraging the site to grow, but there's a difference between the growth of a beautiful, well-maintained garden, and an overgrown weed-infested yard.  I think there needs to be some hedge-trimming here.

[Spriggan]

I understand what you mean Mustard, the past week or so I've only been reading about 10% of the new topics becasue the rest is crap.  And trust me, if I could lock topics in this area I would have.

[House of Mustard]

Yeah, Sprig.  I've emailed Fell about it all today to see if he can start cleaning things up -- with his despotic bosses at work he's 1) not allowed to get on the forum much and 2) never home to check it from there.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

he should give me ultimate power so that I can smite my enemies....

I mean, so that I can judiciously moderate.

Actually, it doesn't have to be me, in fact, it probably shouldn't. Just someone who's been around a while and will be on a bunch. Also, someone who's got a cool head. That might mean JP more than anyone else, but he kinda blew up this time. Sprig and I both get hot headed at times. Tage doesn't respond enough, I wonder if he's online. EUOL and Fell are the only two I remember never getting feisty.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Ok I agree with Saint, but allow me to play devils advocate for a moment.
Its not like newbies are the only ones posting in threads to increase their post count and spout nonsequiters. Other posters have expressed distress at the word association threads and a few other "post builders".

Perhaps the time has come open a TWG Mirc channel or a yahoo style chat room.

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

I think I've asked this before, that I should be made the moderator for the Rants & Stuff section. Or something like that. I have to say, over the past year I've been around here, I've actually sort of bettered myself.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

playing Angel's advocate (what is one arguing against a devil's advocate called if they realize it's a hypothetical argument?)

The word association thread is a directed activity, that is easily grasped adn followed, even if major changes happen in the intervening period. This makes it inherantly different than the types of thread we're discussing. I don't know what other post-boosting threads there are except the music lyrics one, which has the same basis.

A chat room is fine, but I don't think it does anything to alleviate the forum issue. For one thing, I wouldn't ever go to a chat room from work, while I would (and do, and am now) on the forum.

[fuzzyoctopus]

We could just kick the newbies out and go back to being happy the way we were before.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I don't want to slam the door on growth. We want new people (imo), we just want them to fit into the community rather than have the community have to deal with a completely opposed style.

[fuzzyoctopus]

But I like the intelligent caliber we had before.  Even Gemm and Gorgon are intelligent and can act like adults.  I'm not seeing the same level of possibility from these new guys at ALL.

We dont' have to stop growth, but can't we at least have  some say in who we let hang around?

(I know, I know, I'm a b*tch and I should be nice to everyone and not hate people who annoy me.  But I'm not.  I'm an elitist.)