Hey Gaffers (old and new),
It can't have escaped anyone's attention, that there have been some recent updates on console power, technology and approaches. Some threads have derailed into infighting pretty quickly but a larger number are consistently at the edge of being completely unreadable at the moment - which leads to more threads (for similar topics) being created as people can't follow/abandon existing ones. Most of the reports we are handling are falling into two main categories at the moment.
| New members signing up who have obviously read something from the sidelines, got raged up and let their inner console monster run wild once approved |
| Members, who persistently derail threads around loose tangential points which means pages are lost (e.g. It doesn't matter about XsX because MS has no games, or Sony don't need faster streaming because their characters walk so slow) |
What we're trying to do here is make GAF as inviting and pleasant as possible, while still retaining the 'edge' and biting observations you folks are know for, We've had a lot of people reach out, and we've read a lot of threads where people are getting frustrated at this behaviour. When we're reading through threads ourselves we'll have to stop and examine histories and other comments, or wait until reports come in and assess the situation there. All of this takes time as we want to be as fair as we can to all members of the forum. Sometimes a difficult decision will take time and need a mod consensus before we take actions. That's just our general policy with giving people the benefit of the doubt as much as possible.
Moving forward
So what does this mean? It means going forward that threads that have a lot of effort put into them, or are to discuss specific technologies or have a more theoretical question/topic will have a little more protection. For these select topics we're going to take a different approach. We do use reply bans sparingly and bans even more sparingly, however there does seem to be bit too much 'noise' in some of the threads and derailing. In these select topics, moderation policy will be a bit more focused on removing members who are not on topic and instead derailing or trying to cause a fight.
How do I know which threads will be held to a higher standard?
We may create a tag but for the time being we want to be as minimally intrusive as possible. So for now, we will simply stick an asterisk in the thread title so it is clearly denoted on the main topic page. This is just a simple flag that lets you know the topic will be getting moderated more 'actively'. And if you go there with the intent of causing drama you will find yourself quickly removed from participation (in that thread alone).
I still want to shitpost!
God bless you folks. We love the memes and some of the stuff you come out with. Some of it is genuinely funny. New console cycles will always have a level of one liners, shitposting and meme drops. The rest of the board remains the same. While things are wild, we want to give those other threads with real insight a chance to get some momentum and be a little more free of the side drama. We want to be definite and transparent on the policy side so feel a clear guideline will benefit everyone rather than risk perceived inconsistency.
As always feel free to drop any comments or feedback in here. We might not tag every reply but we do read the posts and your input and it does influence certain decisions we make for th good of the board and everyone using it. Even if you just want to drop some suggestions or a general point please do so below.
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