The diminishing quality of the forums as of late

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Zeus
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 6:32 am

I'd like to see a similar system, but have a report button.

Instead of reporting inappropriate material, spam and such, it report
utterly useless posting.

It just flags it for review by a few appointed people.

A mod couldn't do all that, so a small team of members could do it.

This all depends on the capabillitys of the forum software.

Sorry for any misspelled words, I'd bloody tired.
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MrCrowley
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 6:36 am

Not a bad idea. I'm sure once a day a mod could sort through the flagged posts and deal with them. Wonder if something like that could be set up...
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lozz08
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:06 am

+1 definitely a report button needed. More active moderating will solve this problem.
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:22 am

Every one on the list has the right to defend themselves if they wish, I ask that you do it via the PM system provide for us by PCGUY.

Now, what makes you guys a qualified judge on what should be posted? Remember back when you where newbies/beginners in the hobby? You had most of the very same questions and comments and ideas. As far as the report button goes, it all ready came and went. It was abused and misused if I remember PCGUYs replies about the question "what happen to the report button?", yes there was a thread about it to.

By the way this is a friendly forum, not your ass just got banned for misspelling a word then your name goes to a thread of shame where cowardly attacks where made forum!

IMO it's threads like this that clutter the forum. :roll:
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inonickname
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:36 am

If anyone on the list is actually offended by having their name there, if they ask here or PM me I will happily remove it.

It's nothing to do with asking questions. Newer people of course will still need help, and there's nothing wrong with even 'noobish' questions. I have no problems with people asking questions, even if they are slightly obvious and simple.

Not everyone can spell perfectly either. Of course there have been one or two members that have had such abysmal spelling they've been called out on it a few times, but noone is really bothered.

None of that bothers me much, though when I see two pages of chatroom style posts between two members, with only one post not being by one of the above members, it gets annoying, fast.

I wasn't really suggesting a report style system, but if that's what it has to come to..

For reiteration:
-If you don't know what you're talking about, don't spin a line as if you do.
-Don't hold chatroom or PM style relays with other members with short, silly posts that add nothing to the topic and belong in the chatroom.
-Don't post purely for the sake of posting.

It's not really the moderators jobs to have to enforce this. They shouldn't really need to. Just think about your posts before you hit submit..

And at JRRDW, no.

This isn't a wall of shame. It's not like the people on the list are all engaging in incestuous relationships with their mothers. It's just a gentle push to remind people of the caliber of the posts they should be submitting.

Edit: Here's a response to JRRDW, on "What makes you a qualified judge on what should be posted?" This has also been pmed to him.

Me, alone, no, I don't have the authority to state that "post this", "conform to this". However, on discussion with many members they have voiced concerns about the quality of many posts by certain members of the forum. One person, going on a crusade to try change the forums wouldn't go far. However, I'm sure you can tell by the responses in the thread that this is very much supported.

Well, it's up to these people if they heed the request or not. We aren't forcing them to do anything. I'm not petitioning for bans (I'd have said we, but the thread is perhaps getting a little out of hand with "report buttons"). At this stage, if any results comes of this it will be because of these members taking heed to it.

Unfortunately, I don't think most of them will. However, it's a risk I was willing to take.


Finally, to JRRDW, I think you misinterpreted my post, the thread, and it's intentions.
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jrrdw
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:13 am

Well I can see where you are editing your original post to accommodate you message as members post their replies. You have now edited 4 times in total instead of the post standing in it's raw form.

That's why it's getting locked until PCGUY makes his decision on it.
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:51 am

Alright, lets unlock this to talk about this a bit more.

I think I've seen a thread like this... maybe 20 times? I've seen it on

-SpudFiles multiple times
-SpudTech multiple times

Unfortunately, people come and go from his hobby, anyone around for long enough has seen that. That means there is a very high member turnover rate, eventually once someone has has become fairly "professional" in their skills and abilities, they tend to grow bored of it/more mature/etc and move onto other projects. Some return months/years later, some never return. It can be sad, but it's the Internet. When people get into college and/or start their "life", they don't have nearly as much time to tinker with things like they did when they were younger.

A long time ago I kept an AIM buddy list that people could import into their AIM chat, and it was about 100 awesome smart members to chat to. I still have that list loaded on my AIM, most of those members are long gone. Although, most people are gone from AIM nowdays :lol:

Now, I haven't seen a thread until now that made a list of members that someone was unhappy with.

If it's just general "chat" within topics, yes this can be solved with moderation and even threads like this. However seeing the same type of projects over and over again is ALWAYS going to be around. Someone always has to start from somewhere. Both SpudFiles and SpudTech went through ups and downs of designs, it all really depended on what skilled members had joined that year. As mentioned earlier, most people forget that spudding DOES appeal to the teenager crowd and a huge percentage of this forum is 13-19 years old.

I totally agree to always wanting new, advanced ideas to come across. But has anyone really sat back and saw just HOW FREAKING MUCH things have advanced between SpudTech and SpudFiles over the last 8 years or so? Not many people can say they have been around as long as I have, I was 13 when I joined SpudTech (when they were on the Network54 or whatever forums) and created SpudFiles, and now I'm 21 almost 22. When I was 13 using beer cans and tape with a BBQ lighter was something still laughed about, but you totally saw members doing it. The most advanced thing back then was the Supah valve and even making simple pneumatics was a tall task that most "noobs" wouldn't consider due to "dangerous pressures". Now we have methods of launching things with thousands of PSI behind them, and the once thought impossible with plastic, mythical Hybrid cannons are considered "plain cannons" and "the same old stuff".

Maybe a Noob type section could work, but the last time an idea like that was cooked up, people cried too much at the thought of deeming members as a "noob" and moving threads there.

What about, maybe subforums of each discussion section for higher end discussions, and a subforum for "noob" questions?

While we are mentioning members, the one thing that gets to me is Lockednloaded's signature, "RIP SpudFiles". You have been around here less than a year, what do you know? YOU could still easily be considered a noob. You haven't even seen a full cycle of members through a year.
Yes, I am the guy that owns & operates SpudFiles (along with our extremely helpful moderators).
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lozz08
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:09 am

I don't post much but I look at the forum all the time. One of the more impressive aspects of spudfiles is the bulk of work that so many people have done here and that it's ALL documented, I can look back on things made in 2006 here, and that adds so much to the place.

Let's do whatever we can to encourage more people to join and be active in this community. That means encouraging those pill bottle cannon makers and giving them a pat on the back, not giving moans of "I've seen that before."

On that subject, trying to get more people on spudfiles, perhaps the thing here to adress is the original complaint, chatroom style posting. That kind of stuff could discourage people from joining as it can make the forum seem sort of like a closed circle of people who know each other that you may as well not bother trying to get into.

To be honest I feel like I'm nearly nitpicking here thinking of a reason that action really needs to be taken and I feel like this has probably gone a bit far.
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:30 am

PCGUY wrote:What about, maybe subforums of each discussion section for higher end discussions, and a subforum for "noob" questions?
I like this idea, it's been talked about before just never implemented.

Experienced Spudders
Intermediate Spudders
Beginning Spudders

How about a test run? 90 days and see how it works out.
Last edited by jrrdw on Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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jackssmirkingrevenge
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:31 am

jrrdw wrote:Experienced Spudders
Intermittent Spudders
Beginning Spudders
Was that deliberate or did you mean "intermediate"?

Personally, I don't like the idea of formal segregation. The cream rises naturally to the top ;)
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:37 am

I agree with jack... segregation sounds a bit like racism or something
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jrrdw
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:38 am

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:Was that deliberate or did you mean "intermediate"?
Clicked the wrong word/spelling in the spell check.
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jackssmirkingrevenge
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:08 pm

POLAND_SPUD wrote:I agree with jack... segregation sounds a bit like racism or something
We don't mind a bit of casual racism, especially when directed at insects :roll: but the point is that tribalism and elitism are natural human traits, which will run their natural course on the forum. Newbies who are willing to learn will stick, those that can't/won't will be automatically ostracised by the community itself, there is no need to institutionalise this mechanism.
jrrdw wrote:Clicked the wrong word/spelling in the spell check.
Makes sense now :)
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:25 pm

I am not offended by having my name on the list, because I know I post a lot. I don't post to get more spud bux or a higher post count, because I don't give a damn how many times I've posted, or if I can buy a new title. However, I think this thread was a REALLY STUPID idea, because not everybody can be expected to be as smart as some of the members on this site, or as innovative, or OCD ( :wink: ), etc. I ESPECIALLY think it is stupid to segregate the people in the forum into categories of beginner through advanced. Some people join this site just to look at some cool guns and comment/congratulate people on their creations, some to learn about making them, some to post guns they already made. In any situation, the members who are not as intelligent as say DYI or Mr. Hall, should not be ganged up on by the members who have been here longer or know more about what they are talking about. I haven't been here long, but some members just hate me, probably because of my post count, and the low quality of 2/3's of my posts, or maybe for something else, god only knows. I guess I have no say in what will happen as to updates to the site for people like me, but I, for one, think it is ridiculous.

EDIT: As for this...
SpudBlaster15 wrote:Thirdly, can we at least try to improve the cannon build quality standards? I'm seeing lots of the same generic designs we've had for years, but most importantly, some pretty dubiously constructed launchers posted by members who overestimate their knowledge and abilities.
I have to say, I think that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say.

Edited by jrrdw, fixed the quote tag.
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Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:15 pm

Hm, I don't have time to respond to everything I want to, so I'll single out a few eye-catching sections.

I'm definitely in favour of a report button, provided it gets used regularly, and not abused by members who misjudge its meaning. We'd likely need more moderating power around here to regularly deal with reported posts, but I think we could use that anyway...
jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:Agreed to some extent, but you will always have newbies who are not technically capable of jumping in the deep end with an innovative design and will make and post a pill bottle mini combustion as their first or fifth project. Certainly nothing new or impressive, but part of individual's development nonetheless, and not one that should be discouraged if this hobby is to flourish.
I agree with this, but it wasn't really what I was referring to. N00b cannons and generic designs are fine, it's the lack of build quality in these designs, and also the absence of a significant fraction of innovative cannons to offset them that is the issue IMO.

Everyone starts from somewhere, and that somewhere should be extensive research and design time. Build something simple to get your feet wet, then move forward and improve upon it. I'm not seeing much of this lately.
SpudFarm wrote:As I remember the forum, there was always a discussion about something new that someone have been thinking alot about. The fact that people used their heads to fantasice about new ideas pushed the community forward.
Now there are mostly just discussions, not many new ideas.
And the innoative designs usually comes from the same posters.
Very good point.
Another thing I noticed is that a bigger part of the forum has converted to BB guns. Some of the BBMG builds is very innovative but mostly they are built from old ideas. Before I left (I think that was around 08 ) there was alot of trial and error that also helped push the forum forward.
Also another good point. BBs are useful for testing new and experimental launch concepts, but otherwise, they're a bit of a dead end as far as true 'cannons' are concerned. I'm not saying that certain members *cough*You know who you are*cough* should cease developments in that area, just that it would be nice to see them branch out and apply their innovation to more traditional 'spudgun' type designs.
jrrdw wrote:Now, what makes you guys a qualified judge on what should be posted? Remember back when you where newbies/beginners in the hobby? You had most of the very same questions and comments and ideas.
This has nothing to do with newbie questions or beginner ideas. Most of the prominent members of today and times past started out on the forums with little knowledge, but the difference is, they were focused on understanding, learning, and making a name for themselves on the site. The people listed in this thread do not follow this mold at all, and simply clutter the forums with crap, which is why they've been singled out.
By the way this is a friendly forum, not your ass just got banned for misspelling a word then your name goes to a thread of shame where cowardly attacks where made forum!
Huh? Ok, there's a significant difference between running a forum like Roguesci (Which I assume is what you're referring to), and simply setting and enforcing a lower limit for posting quality. We don't need to ban anyone based on their spelling ability, or any relatively minuscule issues such as this. However, we should not tolerate members running rampant on the forums, filling it with garbage posting.
PCGUY wrote:Maybe a Noob type section could work, but the last time an idea like that was cooked up, people cried too much at the thought of deeming members as a "noob" and moving threads there.

What about, maybe subforums of each discussion section for higher end discussions, and a subforum for "noob" questions?
Something along the lines of this idea would work. APC forum has a "Newbie Questions" section, as well as a more advanced, request-only section for more technical discussion. A similar system could likely be implemented here.
Gun Freak wrote:I am not offended by having my name on the list, because I know I post a lot. I don't post to get more spud bux or a higher post count, because I don't give a damn how many times I've posted, or if I can buy a new title.
Why use the forum as a social chatroom then? If you didn't realize you were previously doing it, then fine, that's what this thread is for.
However, I think this thread was a REALLY STUPID idea, because not everybody can be expected to be as smart as some of the members on this site, or as innovative, or OCD, etc.
Nobody is expecting you to be as smart or knowledgeable as DYI, Dave, Jimmy, etc.. Not many people are capable of that. All we're asking for is a bit of effort on your end to keep your posts informative and on topic.
I have to say, I think that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say.
Don't be offended because you think I singled you out. I didn't. Your cannon build quality is fine.
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