Performance Evaluation
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| Author | Topic: Performance Evaluation |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Friday, November 24 2006 06:57
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Last posting month, several of us went a little crazy. And of those numbers, many of us claimed it was to nurse the boards back to health. Cutting to the chase, it's been a debate whether last month's spamfest helped the forums, or if it actually hurt them. So, to evaluate, here's a poll which will determine, in your opinion, if our performance last month achieved the desired goal. Poll Information This poll contains 1 question(s). 36 user(s) have voted. You may not view the results of this poll without voting. function launch_voter () { launch_window("http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=poll;d=vote;pollid=tjhWKqbMECtF"); return true; } // end launch_voter function launch_viewer () { launch_window("http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=poll;d=view;pollid=tjhWKqbMECtF"); return true; } // end launch_viewer function launch_window (url) { preview = window.open( url, "preview", "width=550,height=300,toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status,menubar=no,scrollbars,resizable,copyhistory=no" ); window.preview.focus(); return preview; } // end launch_window   -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4248
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written Friday, November 24 2006 07:08
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I don't think spamfests have any real effect to this forum's health. It just makes us seem stupid. What we really need is a deep conversation about religion, science and politics. Then we'd see how stupid we really are. -------------------- I have nothing more to do in this world, so I can go & pester the inhabitants of the next one with a pure concscience. Posts: 617 | Registered: Tuesday, April 13 2004 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 6670
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written Friday, November 24 2006 08:04
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SPAM doesn't kill you. It also has no nutritional value. --------------------  Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2820
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written Friday, November 24 2006 09:50
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It was a minor revitalization in my opinion. Geneforge 4 probably will benefit the forums more than the spamfest last month, though. In any period of increased activity, there are bound to be both hits and misses. Spam helped a little. -------------------- Thuryl: I mean, most of us don't go around consuming our own bodily fluids, no matter how delicious they are. ==== Alorael: War and violence would end if we all had each other's babies! ==== Drakefyre: Those are hideous mangos. Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Friday, November 24 2006 10:25
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Agreed. It wasn't quite the spam itself that helped the boards, though. Other members had to visit more often just to keep up with the current topics, lest they drown in spam. Also, it showed where the line is between normal spam and violation-of-CoC spam. It didn't have the powerful, awe-inspiring effects many were hoping for, but it did help a little, IMHNO. -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Friday, November 24 2006 10:39
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Um. Putting aside the questionable definition of "helped the boards," spam certainly doesn't. It spreads further thin the already thin distribution of actual content, and it drives members with interesting things to say away. It absolutely did not help. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Friday, November 24 2006 10:50
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Well, I think that it did clear the way for some more intelligent discussions to return... and it did actually get people to show up again and stick around for a while. And sometimes, the spam served a very direct purpose, which was very welcome. So... I think it helped a little. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Friday, November 24 2006 11:05
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quote:I just gotta know. Why the unabashed hatred of increased posting? Why the half-baked logic? Why the bias? Your statement that increased posting drives away members seems to be without merit or cause. You, on a personal level, may not feel the need to have a social outlet on a forum devoted to games, but there seem to be quite a few others that do enjoy it. Why harsh their buzz? And for the record, last month the purpose was to increase posting rates, increase board attendance, and generate renewed interest in Spiderweb Software. While a few members determined that this meant spam and flamed spam, that was not always the case, but I'm certain it will only be remembered for the more senseless postings. It just seems easier to remember and condemn the bad than to praise the good. :rolleyes: -------------------- quote: Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Friday, November 24 2006 11:14
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Salmon, read what I said. I did not say spam drives members away. I said it drives members with interesting things to say away. That happens because people who already have interesting things to say are a lot less likely to want to read pages and pages of meaningless posts. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Friday, November 24 2006 11:24
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Hey, Salmon! Somewhat short time, no see! Anyway, that's not what the most recent results are showing. quote:Most people so far think that the spamfest had either no effect or only a slight positive effect. -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7420
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written Friday, November 24 2006 11:40
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quote:Seconded. I don't know whether or not last month's spamfest was helpful or not, but it was certainly more interesting than this month's combination borefest/newbfest. I would have started some flame threads by now if I didn't already have a couple of strikes against me for the month. -------------------- You lose. Posts: 2156 | Registered: Thursday, August 24 2006 07:00 |
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Cartographer
Member # 1851
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written Friday, November 24 2006 11:48
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The positive, neutral and negative are all 5 now, so my non-voiced point goes out the window... Still. Have you forgotten why the boards have been pruned before? You were quite literally bringing another deleting session that much closer. Yes, I know Aran is keeping doubles on everything now and we're not really losing anything, but it's bothersome nonetheless. Not to mention it's all bloody boring to read. -------------------- "I'm not crazy!" "Well, whatever. Maybe you just ate something really questionable, or perhaps someone hit you on the head with something large, blunt and heavy just now. By the way..." Gil nudged Grul pointedly. Ooh! Homepage - Blog - Geneforge, +2, +3 - My Elfwood Gallery and DevArt page So many strange ones around. Don't you think? Posts: 1308 | Registered: Sunday, September 8 2002 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, November 24 2006 11:54
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The boards aren't going to keel over because of mild spam even in large quantities. Getting more talk out there is probably a good thing in general. On the other hand, last month was a bit on the ridiculous side. You can drive people away by being too inane. —Alorael, who thinks Spiderweb is too resilient to die of any posts. The risk is having it become a vacuous sinkhole of mindless babble. Or, as some would contend, even more of one. Last month wasn't enough to do any damage, but a year like it most definitely would be. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Friday, November 24 2006 12:10
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If nothing else, Dikiyoba found it interesting and occasionally surprising to see people's views on spam come out. [ Friday, November 24, 2006 12:11: Message edited by: Dikiyoba ] Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Friday, November 24 2006 13:21
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quote:Slarty, if this is the mindless drivel you are talking about, then I agree wholeheartedly. If on the other hand you are talking about the numerous election-related debates, the buildup to G4-Mac, or the various strong-weak flamefests, I would beg to differ. Look at the statistics for Oct-06 and compare them to Nov-06. Other than quantity, the lists are the same. I fail to see how people with interesting things to say have stayed away. You certainly have interesting things to say and you doubled your postings. It's difficult to debate the merits of increased traffic without knowing how it affects the bottom line at Spidweb. Jeff certainly doesn't discuss that, but given the assumption he keeps these boards open to increase his bottom line, how would more traffic be bad? The highest visitor count to this site was November 15th, with 90 people viewing. These boards exist to promote the company, and to some extent the community. If it is good for the company to maintain a streamlined board through pruning, it is of necessity also good for the community. While it may be inconvenient for people wishing to explore the history of the gaming community, there is no legitimate reason to think that pruning would harm the company. If a question gets asked, it gets answered. If search works, a person might look there first, but really there is no harm done if 30 threads over the course of a year are started about the same in-game question. There are already enough guidelines in place to ensure that over-posting won't drown the board. I remain highly amused at the level of self-righteous "anti-spam" spam that is passing as legitimate content these days. :P -------------------- quote: Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Friday, November 24 2006 15:13
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You know a board is in trouble when one of the most active threads is "do we need spam to keep the boards alive?" :P SPAM is good only when you have no other meat to eat. And electronic spam is never good and shouldn't be posted. If you think your post is spam, don't post it. What people are confused about is that last month saw a combination of increase in legitimate activity and increase in dumb spam. The following things aren't spam: - discussions related to Spidweb games (including anticipation of upcoming games, Geneforge morality threads, etc.) - serious discussions of political, social, and other issues - occasional surveys and quizes - fanfics, parodies, and other social activity The following things are spam: - private conversations (if you've made 2 out of 5 most recent posts on the thread, take it to PM/AIM) - pointless/dumb one-liners ("To Spam!" was funny the first time it was posted, by the fifth time it became extremely annoying. More generally, unless you are one of the few people who have a special talent for 1-liners (SoT, Drew), don't post them more then a couple times a month.) - "me too" posts (If somebody already said exactly what you are planning to say, don't say anything) - useless chat like welcoming sombody back from a 2-day absence, replying to a random post with a comment irrelevant to anything else on the thread and not interesting to anybody but the post's author, etc. Genearally, if your post is only going to be interesting to a person at whom you are directing it, use PM/AIM. -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2820
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written Friday, November 24 2006 15:36
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Spam has a legitimate place in the forum. Without it the content would be too pure to be fun; it makes sense to keep some nonsense for the sake of humor. The spam is a stepping stone for more interesting topics. Topics should not have to undergo a Supreme Court style strict scrutiny test before posting. quote:I thought you thought this type of increased posting was not the way to help the boards. quote:Very nice. :D -------------------- Thuryl: I mean, most of us don't go around consuming our own bodily fluids, no matter how delicious they are. ==== Alorael: War and violence would end if we all had each other's babies! ==== Drakefyre: Those are hideous mangos. Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Friday, November 24 2006 17:01
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The push to have more topics helped bring more interest since there was usually something for everyone to post in last month. The downside was the volume seemed to be disrupting the physical functioning of the board with more lost pages and posting problems. There probably should be some pruning to improve service. In comparison, this month has seen a shift back to game related posting for comparable posting volume. The activity in General is dropping back to almost nothing. [ Friday, November 24, 2006 22:22: Message edited by: Randomizer ] Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, November 24 2006 22:06
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More posts are good, but changing the ratio of spam to non-spam towards the spam is bad. We did a little of both. —Alorael, who might even say that last month saw a little too much of both. Something is odd when half the posts seem to be about making more posts. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Saturday, November 25 2006 06:24
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Would you rather have a town full of people with interesting conversation nodes, or a crapload of guards and serfs with a single generic message and maybe some doomguards thrown in? That's what I thought. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Saturday, November 25 2006 06:58
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That's not exactly a fair analogy, Slartucker. It's more like: "Would you rather have a town with one or two people with interesting conversation nodes but nothing else, or a crapload of guards and serfs with a single generic message?" If we had an equivalent to a town full of people with interesting conversation nodes, last month wouldn't have happened the way it did. Dikiyoba. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Saturday, November 25 2006 07:06
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Fine. Would you rather have two people with interesting conversation nodes and three people with boring ones, or two people with interesting ones and twenty people with boring ones? I know *I* love clicking through boring conversations. :P -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Saturday, November 25 2006 11:41
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Would you rather have two people with interesting conversations or five people with interesting conversations and fifty with boring ones? Where does the ratio have to be to be acceptable? —Alorael, who doesn't know. He thinks generally boring people can be overlooked and forgiven as long as the interesting ones aren't needles in a haystack of insipidness. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2820
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written Saturday, November 25 2006 19:42
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I don't think being boring factors into this discussion. It is a matter of striking the right balance between what is intelligent and interesting, and what is humorous and otherwise pointless. Boring topics, like spam, must exist since not all topics can be captivating masterpieces. Additionally, some boring topics every once in a while still spur discussion though it may be slow-paced and overly academic. It really just boils down to whether you'd think it would be worth it to have a lot of drivel since within it there could potentially be some entertaining material. -------------------- Thuryl: I mean, most of us don't go around consuming our own bodily fluids, no matter how delicious they are. ==== Alorael: War and violence would end if we all had each other's babies! ==== Drakefyre: Those are hideous mangos. Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 1934
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written Sunday, November 26 2006 10:01
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Sheesh. I go on vacation and look what happens. The only thing that spam fest accomplished was freaking out the UBB. It was interesting but I will go back to lurking now. -------------------- You acquire an item: Radio Free Foil Posts: 1169 | Registered: Monday, September 23 2002 07:00 |
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