Official Suggestions Thread

[ExLight]

And this is getting offtrack, I just wanted Cynical and the people supporting it to elaborate on the suggestion. What exactly is being proposed?

That a spoiler-free TotK and a spoiler TotK section coexist? If so, why would the point of the spoiler-free section be? If it's all of TotK in a spoiler section, how can we make it and its threads accessible to everyone without risking spoilering them? Would it be hard for newer members to find?

 

[Jimmu]

I don't really think we need a spoiler free and a spoiler specific forum for TotK - there is already a spoiler specific thread and new users joining are likely to post in the wrong section anyway so at the end of the day there is only so much we can do.

We could potentially temporarily turn on manual review for all threads posted in the Tears of the Kingdom and Game Help section but this may impact activity and new user retention by making it take some time for threads to be approved and shown publicly. In addition some may be more sensitive than others as to what constitutes a spoiler so there is a chance that someone may consider a title a spoiler and someone else may not. The thread title will need to at least give some vague indication on what the content of the thread is.

 

[Zinger2099]

I have two suggestions to make.

1. I'd like to suggest that the Life Advice subforum cannot be posted in until after a person has made their mandatory 5 posts to clear the spam filters elsewhere.

2. I also understand that posts made in the mafia section don't count for a probably good reason (though I'm not entirely sure what that reason is), but if it is remotely possible I'd like to suggest some sort of compromise be reached where they count less rather than not at all. I dunno if this could be programmed in, but if it was something like every 10 posts in the mafia section counts as 1 post, that seems more reasonable to me than nothing at all. Why does this matter? Well, a few days back there was a big bit of drama in the shoutbox, and one particularly high post-count user suggested that because certain mafia member's post counts were low that their feelings didn't matter, or that they weren't important parts of this community. That kind of attitude is pretty derogatory and probably shouldn't exist in the first place, but since you can't very well change other people's attitudes, you can mitigate this at the pass by not having mafia members' posts count for nothing. I have chatted with a few members of the mafia community, and I am not the only person who feels this way.

Thanks for considering my suggestions.

 

[Pen]

2. I also understand that posts made in the mafia section don't count for a probably good reason (though I'm not entirely sure what that reason is), but if it is remotely possible I'd like to suggest some sort of compromise be reached where they count less rather than not at all. I dunno if this could be programmed in, but if it was something like every 10 posts in the mafia section counts as 1 post, that seems more reasonable to me than nothing at all. Why does this matter? Well, a few days back there was a big bit of drama in the shoutbox, and one particularly high post-count user suggested that because certain mafia member's post counts were low that their feelings didn't matter, or that they weren't important parts of this community. That kind of attitude is pretty derogatory and probably shouldn't exist in the first place, but since you can't very well change other people's attitudes, you can mitigate this at the pass by not having mafia members' posts count for nothing. I have chatted with a few members of the mafia community, and I am not the only person who feels this way.

This type of behaviour goes against the forum rules. The very first section of the forum rules, in fact. I think a better course of action is to report whoever it is that acted this way.

 

[Zinger2099]

This type of behaviour goes against the forum rules. The very first section of the forum rules, in fact. I think a better course of action is to report whoever it is that acted this way.

Oh, I absolutely did, believe me. To my knowledge, they got a slap on the wrist. But I still think if people are going to look at a user's post count and judge them harshly for not being "contributing members of this community" (which may or may not be true because of how posts are tracked in certain sections), there's nothing moderators can do about that. Changing the rules on how posts are tracked does, though. I'd really like my suggestion considered regardless of the specific incident that prompted it, and again, I've spoken to several other mafia members who feel the same way about it, if that counts for anything.

 

[Fierce Deity Link]

I suggest the laugh emoji be changed to Ganondorf.

 

[Fraxinus]

Post count being important is such a 2010 forum mindset; people spamming to up their post count was such a problem back then. If anyone thinks someone's post count has any say about their contribution to the forum, then I would hope they're in the minority.

 

[MightyMario]

All posts should count toward post count regardless of which forum section they’re in.

Just my suggestion.

 

[Zinger2099]

All posts should count toward post count regardless of which forum section they’re in.

Just my suggestion.

I personally actually agree with this, I merely suggested the 10 to 1 thing as a kind of compromise. I assume the discounting mafia posts exists for a logical reason (though I know not what it might be), and I was trying to present a compromise that still accounts for that logical reason. If there is not logical reason for it, then it should just be done away with entirely, tbh.

 

[ExLight]

I'd personally prefer to keep the Life Advice subforum without requiring a minimum amount of posts. If someone for some reason joins the forum because they are seeking for urgent life advice I'd rather have them to be able to post, rather than get gatekept by some a rule that doesn't really add much to it.
The incident we had last month could've honestly have happened in any subforum, and Monster's posts just were unfortunate to happen in the Life Advice due to unfamiliarity with the forums.

Regarding posts counting in the mafia section that's probably a topic that ressurges from time to time. I think the logic behind it is that it's because it's one of these forums with high amount of posts that don't contribute towards the main community as a whole.

 

[Morbid Minish]

I personally would argue that mafia contributes more towards the community than threads like "Post what song you're listening to" or whatever. Mafia has brought new members who do stick around and contribute to other parts of the forum.

 

[Zinger2099]

I think the logic behind it is that it's because it's one of these forums with high amount of posts that don't contribute towards the main community as a whole.

I think that logic is flawed, obviously biased, and a matter of opinion. It encourages the kind of elitist attitudes that is precisely the kind of attitudes my suggestion exists to combat. Who gets to decide what is a valid contribution to the main community? Who can make that determination without bias?

You don't think mafia games contribute to the community? Why even allow people to play them here, then, if that is the general consensus?

 

[Fraxinus]

I'd personally prefer to keep the Life Advice subforum without requiring a minimum amount of posts. If someone for some reason joins the forum because they are seeking for urgent life advice I'd rather have them to be able to post, rather than get gatekept by some a rule that doesn't really add much to it.

I don't really know why someone would feel comfortable opening up first thing to a community they do not know. It is not safe to be that open and I would hope if someone is really struggling mentally, they wouldn't be signing up for a new community that would overwhelm them even more.

The only cases I can think of members making their first posts in there (not counting the recent incident) have been a serious case of tmi of talking about their sex lives to complete strangers and I think it actually affected their ability to integrate into the community afterward. This is stuff that could have waited until people already had an impression of them.

Barring it off on a permission basis may be too drastic but I think having some sort of pop up or dialogue that you have to agree to before viewing the section (as I doubt people read the rules in that section before posting) may... help, but I don't know if it's possible. Make it known they are also consenting to sharing things with an internet community cuz I feel like a lot of people aren't really as aware of what this means anymore; rather think they're talking into a void. And if talking into a void is what they need, they're better keeping a journal because the benefit of that is getting your thoughts out rather than seeking advice or support or informing the community of stuff going on in your life.

 

[ExLight]

I personally would argue that mafia contributes more towards the community than threads like "Post what song you're listening to" or whatever. Mafia has brought new members who do stick around and contribute to other parts of the forum.

I agree with this, but I think it's more of a hypocrisy regarding these almost these kinda threads that are a bit of a gray area between community content and almost game-like, tbh.

You don't think mafia games contribute to the community? Why even allow people to play them here, then, if that is the general consensus?

I think mafia can help bring new people to the main community (which was my case, I came here to play a crossover between Bulbagarden and ZD), but that's not often what happens, which frustrates some of users that get their hopes high about meeting new people they might share interest with (mainly Zelda). We almost had a "civil war" here back in 2020 because of some people were annoyed by the mafia section gathering people just for games (which honestly is kinda ???? if they main community was struggling at finding and welcoming people than the mafia community, that's not the mafia's community fault).

I also feel like it used to help members of the community strengthen bonds, but ended up evolving in a pretty different and isolated culture from the main community. The skill/ game knowledge barrier can also be a bit intimidating for the users, and also makes it even hard to simply spectate. The fact people that aren't playing can't even post in the games, as opposed to the people in it having to constantly post for a decently fluid one, also makes it kinda contrasting to other parts of the forum - as it's the only one like that.

I'd probably be more comfortable with the posts in mafia counting if it tapped a bit more into the main community directly, which I think is a bit of an issue at our (the mafia community's) end, since we could try a bit harder to promote more beginner friendly stuff.

I don't really know why someone would feel comfortable opening up first thing to a community they do not know. It is not safe to be that open and I would hope if someone is really struggling mentally, they wouldn't be signing up for a new community that would overwhelm them even more.

Hmm, people pushed into a corner do weird things. I've joined a few communities in the past while struggling mentally trying to seek some comfort venting or asking for advice to strangers, knowing they wouldn't have some types of biases. Another scenario like an old member that is returning with a puppet account or simply forgot their previous login info.
I know it's a lot of what ifs, but if someone might be able to get help from us I'd prefer if they didn't have to go through some bureaucracy to be able to ask for it.

The only cases I can think of members making their first posts in there (not counting the recent incident) have been a serious case of tmi of talking about their sex lives to complete strangers and I think it actually affected their ability to integrate into the community afterward.

Assuming we're thinking of the same individual, I think that didn't even happen on Life Advice? Wasn't that on General Discussion?
I'm not sure how imposing a restriction on Life Advice could probably help with this issue. If anything having it open there allows for a more appropriate place to talk about stuff like that, while making it more avoidable for users that are sensitive to topics like that.

 

[Zinger2099]

If the main community wants more users, and they alienate the mafia community which is thriving, that seems like it is their own fault, really. Plenty of brand new users here right now for my mafia game. Now is the time to make a good first impression. Instead we have people like Plinko arguing that we don't belong.

This policy on post count is dumb and should change.