It really doesn't. It really, really doesn't. Hence why Word Association and this or that still exist. Let William have one blunder in an otherwise spot on post.
I used the Simba Cliff thread as an example either way, to be honest. Plus, I just wanted to say "Simba Cliff." What I don't understand is why you all think the forums are going to end up looking like a junkyard if you let everyone make threads and have fun. Isn't that the point of the forum? We're supposed to be having fun, letting off steam, talking to friends and having a good time. Yet when we make a thread to do so, we get yelled at and told it's pointless. It really just seems to defeat the purpose, to me. It's not like something like that is going to happen every night, where 800 new threads are created just to one-up another thread. They were a little out of hand, I'll admit, but how often is that going to happen? Once every Easter, I'd imagine. Let things take their course. If a thread is too ridiculous, by all means, close it. But if people are having fun with it, let it go.
Personally, I think this kind of complaining is what's taking the fun out of the forum. Yeah, you can't make all the threads you want, so what? Get over it and post what you can. It's been enjoyable so far, so why change it? You've been having a good enough time to stick around this long. It's the internet. Seriously, is it that big of a deal that you can't have all the random threads you want?
Though that's the main basis for the arguments and discussions here, that's not really the entire point. The main point is that we're yelled at, berated and belittled for making threads that are pointless in the opinions of the admins (which, I'll admit, are still superior in circumstances like this), yet we're STILL berated and belittled for going through "Random Thoughts" threads like they're toilet paper. I find it quite irritating when an admin makes a comment (albeit a well-covered and subtle one) about the users not having lives because "Random Thoughts" aren't lasting as long as they used to. It's annoying.
Apparently it hasn't been enjoyable. Look at all the members leaving and all that. People are complaining, and maybe changing things a little will help.
I didn't see anyone getting berated for the threads. Maybe I missed that. When Todd started one of the last two RT threads, I think he was just kidding when he said "What did you people do for that 15 minutes!?" As a side note, It took me 4 tries to type "people" because I kept typing "pople". It's only 5:45am and Ive been up since 10. EDIT: Well, I asked Cale. earlier and he said he was enjoying it here. That's why he's still here. But he's the one complaining. So it didn't really make sense to me.
Just cause somethings enjoyable doesn't mean it's as good as it could be. Think of the current LPA as being masturbation. You see? It's still good, but it's just not sex.
He'd claim he was kidding. Anyone would, to avoid confrontation. Did you see how fast Todd apologized for the video he posted to end that one thread the other day? He wanted to avoid the confrontation. But this isn't meant to single out Todd. I feel insulted when someone questions whether I have a "life" or not simply because I post in a "Random Thoughts" thread and contribute to its 10,000 posts. It seems unbecoming of someone who's supposed to lead by example. Edit: I know the reason I'm still posting is because I love it here. Contrary to what others may think, you're all my second family. And I don't want more people to leave just because they're not having fun anymore, so I'm doing what I can to maybe help make things more fun, because I do think the LPA is fun. But like all things, it can be made more fun.
I didn't even see the video. I did read the posts afterwards about how inappropriate it was and no, I don't agree with that at all. But it did seem his post starting RT was in good fun (smiley included) but this IS the internet and it's very easy to hide what you really mean. Whether it be sarcastic or not. I'm on your side about the "no life" thing, it's just that's the way I saw that specific post.
You're right, and I probably used that as a bad example once again. (I'm good at that.) But still, it seems the staff looks down on us because we go through "Random Thoughts" threads so quickly, but they're the ones telling us to keep everything in those threads. It really makes no sense. I just think if they let people make threads to discuss whatever (so long as it wasn't completely stupid), things might lighten up a bit here and there, and people wouldn't feel left out of things and whatnot.
Completely stupid threads are fantastic. Obviously within the rules, but I think the forum is a bit mature for it's own good at times.
I don't think the staff looks down on anyone for posting in Random Thoughts. In fact, we always joke on who is going to make the next one. It's light-hearted and seems like an event we look foreword to and always takes us by surprise. Now if you feel bad for posting in Random Thoughts so much, I don't think that's an issue we can fix... And Harlz, I don't believe people are leaving because of lack of entertainment.
I think I'm not wording things correctly. Forgive me, it's 6 am here and I've been up all night. Sometimes I just get the feeling that the staff really does feel that some users don't have lives for the amount of posts they have and they take little stabs at them here and there (like Todd's "15 minute" comment). Though I guess that's just my own paranoia or something stupid like that. I really don't mean to make you all seem like a horrible lot, because you're not at all. I wouldn't have been on the staff with you guys if you were. But I do feel that allowing threads to be made, whether they last ten minutes or ten months, would help some people become more in-tune with the community, and would allow for much more discussion and a much more active forum in general.
I wasn't exactly here for all of the hubub, but from how I see it, the pointless-ness of a thread is purely judgemental based on who's looking at it. I'll admit, the Hayley Williams thread definitely gave me a laugh for a few minutes, but in it's entertainment value, it did break the rules. I didn't really see a problem with any of the other threads that were closed (minus the Picture Dueling thread of course), but of course that's my opinion. What the admins believe may be and probably are entirely different. In my opinion, I don't really see the connection between the reasoning for closing the threads themselves. They seemed innocent enough, and really as Will said, it would keep us more in-tune with the community. I do, however, kinda see the point that one of the admins made... create a topic for random subjects, not random discussion. Although really, I don't see how that applies for the threads in question.
I didn't see a Hayley Williams thread in the Random Chat forum so I made my own (even though it was brought to my attention that a Hayley Williams thread existed just a few minutes after I made a new thread) and I titled it 'Hayley Williams Appreciation'. Within 5 minutes it was closed because a Hayley Williams thread already existed but then like 20 minutes later that thread was closed. Surely a Hayley Williams appreciation thread wasn't breaking the rules or anything. I personally thought Cale's thread was better when I got round to checking it out, but in a way I did expect it to be closed simply because it was to do with doing her lol. I don't see how my thread would have broken the rules. Appreciation could mean anything postive to do with Hayley whether it be her work in Paramore or her looks. Of course there was probably gonna be people saying they'd like to rail Hayley, but then again if people were gonna get warned for breaking the keeping it clean rule that then atleast 10 people including myself would be banned already for saying it several times in Random Thoughts. It made sense to me to keep my thread open because it wasn't specifically saying ''would you do Hayley''. I'm not saying that out of regret that my thread was closed but out of a sense that had it remained open then people wouldn't have to put up with like 3 pages a day of Hayley Williams talk in RT.
Harlz, your thread was closed hours earlier for being a duplicate and for no other reason. The "fucking" thread was over the top and vulgar, and thus why both threads were closed. Will, I think the whole belittling/berating point is blowing things out of proportion. Long ago we would make snide remarks when closing threads but we don't anymore. As for whether the staff look down on members for being active, firstly that's untrue, and secondly I don't think that's really the problem here. Random subject for discussion = good. threads made for random discussion = RT
What I don't get is why the Hayley Williams Appreciation Thread was closed. We weren't getting graphic. I mean, sure I said that it was probably going to deteriorate into that, but was it just locked as a preventative measure? If that's even a word?