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[DY_nasty]

Alright, I can better understand the situation now after reading Deacon's and Evilore's last posts...

I'll keep a lookout for the rest of NegroGAF and I'll be sure to post a good thread for us whenever I see something worthwhile. We had a good thing going, just gotta switch it up a little.

swag swag, dueces

 

[MWS Natural]

Alright, I can better understand the situation now after reading Deacon's and Evilore's last posts...

I'll keep a lookout for the rest of NegroGAF and I'll be sure to post a good thread for us whenever I see something worthwhile. We had a good thing going, just gotta switch it up a little.

swag swag, dueces

Someone could always start up a separate NegroGAF IRC channel I guess.

 

[EviLore]

Great example of the hostility to be expected from the entrenched subcommunity participants, Himu!

 

[DrFunk]

that Boondocks Season thread was butter

 

[cory64]

Agreed, megathreads can ruin forums.

 

[sciplore]

Himu how many forums you been to?

 

[harSon]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=23758193&postcount=6275

~20k posts = new thread is started to continue a megathread (OT2 and so forth), to prevent server issues. Already done when threads get big and not what is being discussed here.

That megathreads are allowed for certain areas (sports stickies, official threads for games) is a concession to ensure the gaming and off-topic areas aren't overwhelmed by thread creation for those subjects. Megathreads not being allowed for other areas (most all other discussion on the gaming forum) has nothing to do with the 20k post issue, it's to keep the forum moving and browsable for the millions of people who read GAF, not to cater to the dozen or two entrenched posters of any particular insular megathread subcommunity.

This is a trickier issue on the off-topic forum because it's more participation-oriented than the gaming side. So the balance is different.

I brought it up before but there's already a sizeable presence of megathreads in the OT, and by extension, is already quite 'cliquish'. For example; Political GAF, official manga thread, seasonal anime thread, an encompassing film thread ('What moves have you seen lately'), Official Apple product thread, Android hardware/software thread, Hip Hop thread, seasonal television show threads (one for each popular television show), Cooking-GAF thread, what tv shows are you watching thread, etc.

 

[Pickles the Firecat]

I think he is saying that if you have multiple megathreads then the entire front page will eventually become megathreads around particular topics preventing regular threads, which is the real purpose of a message board, from ever getting seen. Most message boards have more than 'main topic' and 'off-topic' for this reason.

I get that I'm not an admin and don't have to worry about the longterm future of GAF, but I really don't think the racial OTs were going to become some kind of longterm trend. Negro-Age took off because it was fun and discovering how many fellow black posters there were was fucking crazy. It was going to slow down imminently. Hispanic-Age was, I think, bumped because of Negro-Age. It didn't even need to die down. White-Age was a joke thread and Asian-Age was kind of a joke thread from what I saw (or got the shit trolled out of it).

I look at Negro-Age the same way I look at the larger Girl-Age thread. It's there for shits and giggles, provides a legit resource for some people, and doesn't get in the way of people posting dedicated threads for related topics. It certainly wasn't going to be a catalyst for an all racial OT future. I get the concern though and I'll drop all of this after this post. Forum flow and all that, I understand the reasoning.

 

[DY_nasty]

Its okay, Himuro. I'm Malcolm - Its all good. We'll just throw a NegroGAF label on threads and try to keep the community active and open.

Someone could always start up a separate NegroGAF IRC channel I guess.

So we can post booty pics 24 hours without fear? :lol

 

[spindashing]

So the verdict is no GayGAF, NegroGAF, HispaniGAF, etc? I can't take the suspense anymore, my young heart is about to blow.

 

[jett]

wtf happened here?

 

[EviLore]

I brought it up before but there's already a sizeable presence of megathreads in the OT, and by extension, is already quite 'cliquish'. For example; Political GAF, official manga thread, seasonal anime thread, an encompassing film thread ('What moves have you seen lately'), Official Apple product thread, Android hardware/software thread, Hip Hop thread, seasonal television show threads (one for each popular television show), Cooking-GAF thread, what tv shows are you watching thread, etc.

I'm aware, yes. I'm not singling you guys out. This is just how I do things: messily, revising on the fly with internal deliberation and user input as it explodes. It's not like all of those are going to be ignored.

 

[DY_nasty]

wtf happened here?

Subliminal is the troll of the year.

 

[poppabk]

Why must everything be catered to you? Why can't you click a thread that interests you, read it, and post in it?

I think the point is that if the mega threads get out of control it limits the number of new threads to click-on as all the discussion is in the mega threads. Pieces of news get lost unless you happen to be posting at the right time - hence the mods making 'new news, new thread' threads recently.

 

[PBY]

I'm aware, yes. I'm not singling you guys out. This is just how I do things: messily, revising on the fly with internal deliberation and user input as it explodes. It's not like all of those are going to be ignored.

please let the hip hop thread live

 

[Celsior]

After looking at the gaming side and seeing at least a quarter of the topics on the first page are OT's, I agree with Evil Lore, why the hell would I want to read through these long as OT threads? A new member would have to go through so much in a damn 10,000 post thread.

 

[ZephyrFate]

That's my problem because it's like:

Gay GAF...hey fellas welcome enjoy yourselves
Hispanic GAF....hola amigo's!
Black GAF....awwwwh shit dey goin' crash da forumz!!! Shut this shit down!!


But I guess it's just a coincidence things turned out this way.

We've been like that for a year, though. It's not some suddenly new thing.

the thing about gaygaf is that despite its post count size, you can jump in at anytime, we don't have any insulated discussion despite being an insulated community.

 

[Cuban Legend]

Unlike a gaming/poli/sports Megatghread that always have new related content added 24/7, a race/culture topic would not be able to hold have the constant post speed of a standard Megathread over time for news reasons.

It's because everyone on GAF has a race/culture, so discovering the thread and talking about culture related things would become the threads fuel. This seems like a different type of thread in comparison threads that revolves around a game release schedule or a yearly sports season with constant news.

Isn't that what this all comes down to? Whether or not and why any specific race/culture thread would be classified a "Megathread".

 

[Dresden]

After looking at the gaming side and seeing at least a quarter of the topics on the first page are OT's, I agree with Evil Lore, why the hell would I want to read through these long as OT threads? A new member would have to go through so much in a damn 10,000 post thread.

Or they could just read the OP and jump in the discussion without sifting through 10k posts of 'this shit is awesome' repeated over and over.

 

[Kitschkraft]

Find some some movie poster pictures, "OFFICIAL THREAD FOR ALL HORROR DISCUSSION," everything horror related pigeonholed into one thread. No thanks. If you want to make a thread about appreciation of horror movies, go for it, but it's not an |OT|.

I see. So basically, if someone wanted to post new information about an upcoming horror film, you want to leave the possibility open for a new topic, instead of people feeling like they have to "respect" some "official" overarching topic. I definitely get that. But is it possible that you could just change the name and reopen it? LOL, I'm just asking because I made a big post....

I still think that the ethnic threads are worth preserving, because these threads are not about topics, they are about experiences and communities. They also were places where people felt comfortable discussing things that they might not thing is worthy of a whole new topic but that can get responses in an ethnic thread.

 

[PBY]

Or they could just read the OP and jump in the discussion without sifting through 10k posts of 'this shit sucks" repeated over and over.

fixed, this is neogaf dude

 

[DY_nasty]

We've been like that for a year, though. It's not some suddenly new thing.

the thing about gaygaf is that despite its post count size, you can jump in at anytime, we don't have any insulated discussion despite being an insulated community.

The thing is, when the GayGAF thread started it was met immediately by the Straight-Age BS. That thread was closed and you guys went on just fine. Negro and HispaniGAF got put in the same situation and we got our shit wrecked. Our threads weren't any different, you could jump into your thread the same way people jumped into our own.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Agreed, megathreads can ruin forums.

agreed.

but some topics naturally become big threads.

 

[Celsior]

Or they could just read the OP and jump in the discussion without sifting through 10k posts of 'this shit is awesome' repeated over and over.

Well the point is, it reaches the point were they start to have there own discussions and as a newcomer you really can't just join the discussion at any point. Some of them are not like that, but it can happen after a while.

Who said you have to go through a 10k post thread?

It's not like these threads are always flying off the shelf one post a minute. Usually you can go back and read back a page or two or make a post and it'll be replied to within an hour. But MOST people just read the first post, reply and post their thoughts and add to discussion. It's not hard.

So once again, why must anyone cater to you due to your own laziness? It's a gaming forum, what do you expect? No discussion at all?

You are missing the point, after a while these topics become there own community, they start to have there own discussions and form there own little cliques, with this it becomes less of a game discussion thread and more of a social thread. Because of the megathreads existence all the game related news gets posted in there so if someone decides not to be apart of the megathread they are left out.

 

[Zeke]

Great example of the hostility to be expected from the entrenched subcommunity participants, Himu!

the hostility comes from the feeling of posters that feel they are being punished because of some attention whore troll. This really has little to do with members being "entrenched subcommunity participants" a more with feeling wronged.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

Or they could just read the OP and jump in the discussion without sifting through 10k posts of 'this shit is awesome' repeated over and over.

It is not like all the OPs are always updated too. That's why is hard to jump to a thread, and big news could have been posted 15+ pages ago and you have no idea.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

How does it negatively impact a forum?

Why does it bother you so much that there are people who have their own sub-community? Every single OT has its own sub-community. The Dead Rising 2 thread which I've been participating in lately is a sub-community. RPG-gaf tends to have threads related to rpgs, and we all post in rpg-related threads. That's a sub-community. The current thread in gaming about the FF Versus and Agito threads? Sub-community.

So basically, why are you acting like you're so offended? It's a forum community for discussion, not a means to cater to you.

When you have a community as large as gaf, you will have sub-communities. Communities are where message boards like this really strive. Having a community within a community is appealing because it appeals to a specific niche.

Why must everything be catered to you? Why can't you click a thread that interests you, read it, and post in it?

You have a Boondocks avatar. Were you offended at the existence of the Boondocks season 3 official thread? Probably not, because that'd be retarded and for pussies. Having one central thread makes a lot more sense than making a new thread every week for the same show. We agree on that, right?

Sub communities can exist as a by-product of their interests, not necessarily because of a thread they click on. That's the problem here.

Do you or I, for example, stop being black because "Negro-GAF |OT|" No longer exists? If I want to make a comment or connect with another black user on the forum, is my only outlet removed? No, all I have to do is make a new thread. Same with all of the other examples you posted. Are you no longer a fan of Dead Rising 2 if no megathread exists? Love it so much? Make a new thread with a new idea!

Conversely, what if I am black but don't wish to participate in "Negro-GAF"? What if I want to talk shop about Janelle Monae or if I should continue to twist my hair? What happens? I post a new thread, and invariably someone will say "This should really be posted in the Negro-Age thread".

the hostility comes from the feeling of posters that feel they are being punished because of some attention whore troll. This really has little to do with members being "entrenched subcommunity participants" a more with feeling wronged.

The "attention whore troll" was bound to happen because the idea of willful segregation into one all encompassing thread was a really stupid idea.

 

[EviLore]

I should hire you to post for me, it's much less stressful ;b

 

[Cuban Legend]

Good point, DeaconKnowledge. Well I'm converted, as they say.

 

[ZephyrFate]

The thing is, when the GayGAF thread started it was met immediately by the Straight-Age BS. That thread was closed and you guys went on just fine. Negro and HispaniGAF got put in the same situation and we got our shit wrecked. Our threads weren't any different, you could jump into your thread the same way people jumped into our own.

And I'm sure two different mods handled the situation. I know that it sucks, but to be bitter and give us shit for what is essentially out of our hands is just unfair. We're getting the axe just like you and we have only Subliminal to blame.

 

[spindashing]

I love that you brought up Janelle Monae, I love that woman...

Okay let me fade off into the shadows again. ._.

 

[El Sloth]

This is a sensitive issue to me so I feel compelled to post about it. The very idea of a megathread runs counter productive to a web forum. Ideally, the entire forum should act as a canvas to post about ideas and learn new information. When a megathread is born, that thread becomes its own conduit within the community. Members grow an affiliation with it and post into it on a regular basis, and as such topics get absorbed into them, many of which you would never know about unless you happen to read the megathread. As megathreads grow, they become more and more insular, to the point where members join just to participate in that thread or series of threads, which negatively impacts the entire forum. You get users that never visit the other sections of your forum, never participate in anything that doesn't have to do with the megathreads, and the cycle continues to get worse.

Yeah, okay I can see how that can be a problem. Threads centered around ethnicity, and more so Hispanigaf being centered around language, can be sizable barriers from regular members wanting to participate in discussion. Although I would argue that neither thread, by which I mean the Hispanigaf and Negro-age threads, weren't quite there yet.

The influence of the megathreads then spreads to the rest of the forum. someone will post something and someone will say "shouldn't this go in the megathread?" (This is happening right now on the gaming side.) people comply, and the main traffic on the board, say, gaming side, slows, because all of the pertinent info is stored in the megathreads. New members have to "catch up" if they want to be up to speed at all, and people can miss info entirely because of things that may have developed when they were sleeping, or otherwise not paying attention. Existing members grow a companionship with regular posters, and shut out "outsiders" until they gain enough influence to be recognized. Not to mention the amount of pages that megathreads go to put a huge strain on servers.

Those are good examples to the argument against megathreads in general, but I don't see how they have any bearing on the Ethnic/Cultural threads. Neither threads were that big that they would being to impact the server more than any other reasonably large thread, nor did they need new members to "catch up" if they wanted to participate in current discussions.

I used to moderate a forum that devolved into one giant megathread despite my best efforts. Checking it now there are other threads up, but many of them only last a page because everything, and everyone, just posts in the giant megathread.

This depressed me a bit for some reason.

 

[sciplore]

The thing is, when the GayGAF thread started it was met immediately by the Straight-Age BS. That thread was closed and you guys went on just fine. Negro and HispaniGAF got put in the same situation and we got our shit wrecked. Our threads weren't any different, you could jump into your thread the same way people jumped into our own.

I think its timing, from what I gather Evilore was planning this for a bit now and it was not a issue when Gaygaf was created. The threads would have been shut down whether or not those troll threads were made. Evilore just choose this time to lay the rules down is all.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

I should hire you to post for me, it's much less stressful ;b

Happy to help.

 

[DY_nasty]

And I'm sure two different mods handled the situation. I know that it sucks, but to be bitter and give us shit for what is essentially out of our hands is just unfair. We're getting the axe just like you and we have only Subliminal to blame.

Yeah...

BTW, Sorry if I came off like a jerk earlier. Just sucks because everyone in NegroGAF knew that we were inevitably going to get our thread trolled and shutdown (and thats why there was never one posted before). Still not happy to actually see it go down exactly like we thought it would though. We thought we were good when Bish and Blackace both gave us their blessings.

 

[ZephyrFate]

I think its timing, from what I gather Evilore was planning this for a bit now and it was not a issue when Gaygaf was created. The threads would have been shut down whether or not those troll threads were made. Evilore just choose this time to lay the rules down is all.

I just wish GayGAF wasn't caught in the mess, too. But now I foresee a bunch of smaller gay threads and then the same complaining that existed June 2009 about 'too many gay threads'.

It's a vicious cycle.

Edit: We're cool, DY_Nasty.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

How much has "this should go in the official thread" happened recently, though? Maybe I'm just not paying attention, but it certainly seems that in the last year or so (especially with the welcome "new game news = new thread" guidelines being pushed in the recent months), that very few people are actually saying that; the ones that do are almost always rebutted by posters rightfully pointing out that they'd miss it otherwise.

 

[Cuban Legend]

see ya round my brothers imma bounce

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

I do hope that the film thread stays in tact, as that tends to spawn discussion about older and foreign movies that wouldn't attract much attention if we had to make individual threads for each new film that we watched; in its defense, people seem relatively unafraid to pop in there and contribute, so I don't think it's as insular as some of the other megathreads.

I think certain megathreads are useful (PoliGAF, for example, seems necessary to me since the news cycle runs 24/7), but overall, they tend to run contrary to the goals of a lurker-based board like NeoGAF.

 

[i_am_ben]

I agree with Evilore's logic, however, the creation of megathreads need not become a "black hole" of discussion absorbing all associated news. For instance, the gaygaf thread (obviously the thread i am most familiar with) has never prevented the creation of gay news threads.

In fact, I'm struggling to think of any major gay news that has not had an individual thread on gaf.

 

[cory64]

I've always thought of " "-GAF's as communities that exist whether or not there's a thread for them.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

The "attention whore troll" was bound to happen because the idea of willful segregation into one all encompassing thread was a really stupid idea.

strongly disagree. there was nothing segregated about it. anyone was free to come in and participate. we were simply sharing common stories, common themes and common experiences. there was no club. there was no pin for the lapel. there was no "reserved" sign on the outside of the door. it was not the NOI. as evidenced by the white and Hispanic brothers and sisters that posted that they enjoyed the thread and miss it.

 

[ZephyrFate]

I've always thought of " "-GAF's as communities that exist whether or not there's a thread for them.

GayGAF existed well before the community had a thread for it, but we were very fragmented and the thread helped us all come together, connect, sometimes form relationships and/or help us come out. On top of that we have a shit ton of lurkers both gay and straight that the thread has helped -- either through changing mindsets (making gays look normal) or telling the more shy gays that "it gets better."

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

How much has "this should go in the official thread" happened recently, though? Maybe I'm just not paying attention, but it certainly seems that in the last year or so (especially with the welcome "new game news = new thread" guidelines being pushed in the recent months), that very few people are actually saying that; the ones that do are almost always rebutted by posters rightfully pointing out that they'd miss it otherwise.

I've read posters saying it in thread about 4 or five times this week alone. The 3DS handheld has turned into its own insular community with that FAQ thread for example.

 

[SnakeSlashRO]

Yooooo, don't tell me its gone!!! ALREADY!?!?!? DAMN!!! Cant have shit! :lol

 

[DY_nasty]

strongly disagree. there was nothing segregated about it. anyone was free to come in and participate. we were simply sharing common stories, common themes and common experiences. there was no club. there was no pin for the lapel. there was no "reserved" sign on the outside of the door. it was not the NOI. as evidenced by the white and Hispanic brothers and sisters that posted that they enjoyed the thread and miss it.

Sports threads are way more hostile imo :lol

 

[Jinfash]

I don't know about you guys, but having one encompassing thread for "Girl Age" talk is not a bad idea, because that way I can easily ignore it unlike when 10 threads were dominating the front page of the OT at any given time.

Megathreads aren't always counterproductive or impact the readability of GAF, imo.

 

[Celsior]

Sports threads are way more hostile imo :lol

It is those damn bandwagon fan!:lol

 

[ZephyrFate]

I wanted to say that regardless of people's opinions on megathreads GayGAF and others have shown that we are not alone on this forum and that we have a solidarity together as people. Without that huge ass gay thread, we would not have the strong gay voice we have today on this forum.

It's a sad thing to see it go.

 

[mollipen]

This is a sensitive issue to me so I feel compelled to post about it. The very idea of a megathread runs counter productive to a web forum.

A web forum exist to host discussion. If it is hosting discussion, it is doing its job.

Not that I don't respect your opinions on the matter, but as somebody who has also started, run, hosted, and/or been an admin on a number of message forums, I can't say I agree.