[Solace]

Originally Posted by yononaka

Short version: it cuts down on work? Which is not an unreasonable position to take with not that many moderators per a large forum, but could be stated more plainly.

Sure, it cuts down on work. It also helps keeps things organized. Short version, long version...guess it doesn't matter since either can be interpreted as the reader wishes.

Also, in the currect system there seems to be quite a bit of "I don't like it so I won't create it" involved, and I'm not sure the mods can always be the best judges of what topics are "pointless", especially if they're not actively engaged in a sub-board. So it just comes down to asserting authority, sometimes in an abrasive way (from both sides).

The assumption that because moderators aren't frequent posters that we aren't engaged is flawed. At least in my case, I do read the threads a few times a week. I just don't post much because well....I got nothing to say.

As for the decisions of what is approved for thread requests and what isn't, yeah it's exactly like that. I look at the requests and decide if it's worth granting. Sometimes it's an obvious no, because it violates forum rules or I know from experience that it is more trouble than it is worth (for example, shipping/romance threads). Sometimes I need convincing: the idea either needs more explanation or the advocates need to better assure me the benefits outweigh the downsides. Sometimes I say yes immediately, because the idea is just good.

In all cases, this isn't a democracy. So yes, it's an assertion of authority, and you're appealing to it. All moderators try to be a fair as we can, but what we say, goes.

I just don't think the situation is inevitable and I don't like the atmosphere where quite a few people secretly (or even semi-openly) resent the mods because they feel the mods (randomly) enforce but don't engage. I do not share this resentment myself, but in a way I can see why people have developed it.

I knew when I volunteered for the job that it wouldn't earn me many friends. I didn't volunteer for the fame, I did it to help the site as a whole. People can think what they want, but if the perception is that because we aren't always posting that we aren't keeping track of what is going on, they should rethink that position.

Originally Posted by Shiek927

I've been following this discussion for awhile, and their has, in all honesty, been fair points raised by all. You have mentioned Solace however that, if people want to revive posting outside of the usual image/chapter threads that this forum has sadly degenerated into, they could dig up some old threads but with the new material that has been made since then. I'd like to point out, that that has already been tried, and it failed.

The purpose of the game thread is for fun, to bring in some potentially interesting discussion, to bring in new people, and to have fun.....a start to bringing new life and to eventually bring those old threads back....you just can't rebump the old threads first -- Gooral himself have tried that with the japanese thread and several others and that didn't work. We're all partially guilty for not getting involved especially since he posted some interesting debates in hopes of getting people to reply that I, and everyone else, and unfortunately, their were none....

.....which is why the suggestion for the game thread came up in the first place - to bring more people back in and new excitement to be this place first, and then, with said-life, bring those old threads back. Again, just rebumping the old threads won't work - it's been done. Their's alot of factors in why the forum has degenerated the way it has - some natural, like the old-timers eventually moving on from this place, others simpler reasons like lack of attention and laziness. It's a process however if this forum is ever going to recapture it's former glory; merely rebumping the old threads isn't it.

If nothing else, if my theory fails and those old threads never come back to life, at least we have a new game thread to have fun in and have something different aside from the usual chapter/image threads.....the old status quo doesn't have to just be returned too, because that doesn't solve anything in the first place - that just brings us back to square one. You recently however have an idea for something which is an "anime revisit" thread; to be honest, it's a bit strange since I can't recall anybody asking for such an idea -- it's a bit of a waste because something like that is only useful if many, most, if not all users around here are in on it as well...what's the point if only few people actually rewatch the anime? if that many? Something like an anime thread requires communication and everyone in on it at the same time. More likely then not, you are going to see extremely minimal posting done on that, unfortunately.

First point: yes, it was requested, and supported by someone else. And we have done this before, check the Macross and Toradora forums.

Second point: So let me get this straight. Attempts have been made to revive old threads, but people can't be bothered to leave the Chapter threads to support those efforts. However if we create this forum game, because it'll be "fun", that will (hopefully) get people out of that thread and into others? And if that fails, at least people will have something fun to relieve their boredom?

No, sorry. That's even more reason to not allow the thread.

The whole thing boils down to the Chapter threads being the problem, which is that they have become monthly generic discussion threads that also happen to be about the newest Chapter release.

People are going to have to accept that Claymore just isn't as popular as it used to be. Fresh members and discussion aren't as frequent as they used to be. Chapter releases are on a monthly basis, and it is easy to run out of things to discuss.

So yes, I'm going to be ornery when people have an attitude about how "long" it takes to create a new thread, or to review and respond to requests, or why people can't be arsed to migrate discussion to older threads without moderators forcing it to happen.

We could just as easily stop creating new chapter threads and instead relegate all discussion to the generic manga thread; it's not a right that ensures you have a regular discussion thread, it's a privilege.