Closed threads

Banning is kind of harsh...

The problem is, this has been demonstrated to not work. After the initial perpetrators have been removed from the discussion, more people roll in, comment on the flamewar idiots' lines, and then an even bigger flamewar ensues even without the original participants.

It is best for all that the thread is closed and everyone has a chance to cool down. It's when people make secondary threads about the first thread that I get the ban-hammer out.

What's kinda humorous was that I was commenting on Mithrandir's rather aggressive comment, pointing out that it certainly wasn't gonna win any arguments (ignoring whether anything else possibly could), but that it might in fact get the thread closed (though perhaps that is what some people wanted). Then I hit [Reply], and unsurprisingly, the forums tell me that I can't post to a closed thread.

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Original post by Ravuya The problem is, this has been demonstrated to not work. After the initial perpetrators have been removed from the discussion, more people roll in, comment on the flamewar idiots' lines, and then an even bigger flamewar ensues even without the original participants. It is best for all that the thread is closed and everyone has a chance to cool down. It's when people make secondary threads about the first thread that I get the ban-hammer out.

Cool down? Was only person who got hot, and we all have to go into "timeout"? Rather militaristic, but, I'm a guest here and I will play along.

You're right; the thread was primarily closed because of a couple of people who got out of line. I've warned them.

But really, even if we locked up Mithrandir and Fisheye in a soundproof closet together (hmmmm....) there'd still be flaming. The last umpteen creationism threads have turned into flamewars, many without their help. It's a topic which brings out the worst in people, and their actions make the thread, the Lounge, and the entire forums a less friendly place.

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Original post by Stonicus Cool down? Was only person who got hot, and we all have to go into "timeout"? Rather militaristic, but, I'm a guest here and I will play along.

I'm going to call this Binomine's first rule of religous threads: All threads eventually turn into a flamewar via generalization and strawman.

The story was about an attempt to legislate ID within a biology classroom and being banned because of said legislation. The posters expanded this to be ID vs. Science method. Then it was expanded into an arguement that everything is belief and that nothing is real / we're trapped in the matrix / it's all some guys dream!

The thread had run it's useful course. I'm not sure where it would continue to go, except go backwards and rebuild from there. But even if we did, there are still posters interested in continuing the dreamworld-esque arguement.

There's no saving that thread, it died. It's been done to death and it'll continue to be done AGAIN next time some sort of ID thingy gets in the newspaper. If you need to say something, just wait a few weeks. [smile]

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Original post by Binomine I'm going to call this Binomine's first rule of religous threads: All threads eventually turn into a flamewar via generalization and strawman.

I've always been somewhat partial to Godwin's Law. [wink]

As for closing threads, about 99% of the time I agree with the mods that a thread has run its course and is going nowhere fast. I can live with that ratio.

Banning is a very harsh punishment. The method they have at the moment works very well and I am completely confident in what the GameDev moderators and staff have put in place. *cough* move *cough*....

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Original post by Will F I've always been somewhat partial to Godwin's Law. [wink]

That's the worst law ever, you Nazi.

To be fair, there's a number of occasions in the past where a thread has been 'scrubbed,' in that flames have been deleted by mods so that everyone else can continue discussion. If we do it properly then you never even know we were there [smile]

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Original post by superpig If we do it properly then you never even know we were there [smile]

fear the stealth mods!

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Original post by Rob Loach Quote: Original post by Will F I've always been somewhat partial to Godwin's Law. That's the worst law ever, you Nazi.

You failed to read the whole entry [wink]:

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It is considered poor form to arbitrarily raise such a comparison with the motive of ending the thread. There is a widely recognized codicil that any such deliberate invocation of Godwin's Law will be unsuccessful.

Instead of banning them, you could just suspend them. It wouldn't be as harsh as Banning them (although they could just create new accounts..) and it would give them time to think about starting a flamewar, also any who continue flaming could get suspended.

Three Strikes your out, if the continue flaming in other post's then that deservers a straight up BANISHMENT.

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Original post by FuRy777 (although they could just create new accounts..)

Hmmm...Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't IP banning solve that problem?

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Original post by vrok137 Quote: Original post by FuRy777 (although they could just create new accounts..) Hmmm...Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't IP banning solve that problem?

IP banning is a solution of last resort, since most users on the Internet do not have a single IP.

IIRC, Gamedev admins had to IP ban 1/4 of New Zealand to rid ourselves of a single hilarious yet troublesome poster. If that poster would have decided to proxy hop or do other IP hyjinks, it's possible that even that wouldn't be enough to stop him.

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Original post by Binomine Quote: Original post by vrok137 Quote: Original post by FuRy777 (although they could just create new accounts..) Hmmm...Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't IP banning solve that problem? IP banning is a solution of last resort, since most users on the Internet do not have a single IP. IIRC, Gamedev admins had to IP ban 1/4 of New Zealand to rid ourselves of a single hilarious yet troublesome poster. If that poster would have decided to proxy hop or do other IP hyjinks, it's possible that even that wouldn't be enough to stop him.

Admiral Binary AKA Yoda? Fongerchat, now those were the grand old days. (I forgot my old account.)

Two threads in 2 days were closed due to posts by the same guy, on a subject I am very interested in. I am glad to see he has been punished, thank you mods. But it still saddens me that the ones who behave still get punished too with this, by not being allowed to discuss topics we like to discuss. I don't have a better method of regulating the Lounge to propose to you, but I will put some thought into a better method of censoring the forums and maybe we can discuss a better rationale than just straight up banning certain topics, which is where it seems to be now. It just doesn't seem right that a handful of trolls, people who seem to have always been and always will be trolls, are allowed to continue to remain on this forum derailing and hijacking threads. It's nice to be fair and forgiving, but at the expense of integrity? It is rather disturbing that a good thread about religion or politics gets closed but a thread about how many times a day you fart or what hand do you use when you wipe your ass stays around and becomes 20 pages long.

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Original post by Stonicus you fart or what hand do you use when you wipe your ass stays around and becomes 20 pages long.

And what a great thread it was!!!!!!

I mean, did you notice how well everyone played together in the wiping thread? I can't say I see the same comraderie and interest in learning in any political threads.

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Original post by ktuluorion Quote: Original post by Stonicus you fart or what hand do you use when you wipe your ass stays around and becomes 20 pages long. And what a great thread it was!!!!!! I mean, did you notice how well everyone played together in the wiping thread? I can't say I see the same comraderie and interest in learning in any political threads.

Oh the irony, isn't politics all about wiping each others backsides? (/joke)

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Original post by Stonicus A few idiots ran their mouths, and now the thread is closed. Punish the loud mouths, not those of us who were engaged in good discussion. Thank you.

Assuming you're talking about mith here, you realize he's contributed a lot more to GD than you have. $50 for GDNet+ might not be a lot, but it's $50 more than $0. Plus I think he's written a few articles and books(?).

In a "real life" business if a potential customer(you) came in a started harassing actual customers(GDNet+) I'm sure the management would escort you out. But this is the Internets and sadly the "mob-rule" mentality seems to replace normal business procedures thanks to anonymity. I'm not trying to defend mith or get you tossed out, but starting a thread insulting other members isn't a great idea.