Popular Post stephen_rockefeller Posted March 6, 2015 Popular Post Posted March 6, 2015 There has been a trend we have been seeing lately and I would like to address it. First and foremost this is a Lego investing website. People read the forums and join this site to gain valuable knowledge. That being said some members have decided to post some quite off topic threads, I am guilty of this as well. There are plenty of off topic threads to add to if you feel the need to discuss something else besides LEGO. Please do not feel that since someone started a topic for example what kind of car do you drive, that there needs to be a topic started for every aspect of everyday life. There are plenty of websites where all that other stuff can be discussed. Like I've said before we have been quite lenient in what other topics are discussed but it has got quite out of hand as of late. If a thread gets deleted or moved do not take it personally, and don't think one mod has an agenda against certain members. All deletions and other modifications to posts are discussed privately between mods and admins before any action is taken. Please do your part to keep this forum as a whole on topic. Thanks and feel free to PM me if you have any issues with this post. 10 Quote
nolanfan34 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I think you guys are doing the right thing. Just decide if it's OK, or not OK, as a matter of policy and draw the line there. Right now it isn't super clear. A former forum I used to frequent where I had Exciter level post count (completely different subject matter site) there was an Off Topic part of the forum that over the years grew to be the most traffic-ed part of the site. It certainly grew the traffic and page hit numbers for the site, but the rest of the forums suffered for sure, so I think keeping this scoped to Lego makes sense. Quote
Grynn Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I thought Daily Deals was the "one and only" off-topic thread... Lately there is about one deal per 5 pages. But seriously, glad to see a little direction here. Respectfully, I spend enough time here for Lego business already, and everything else dilutes the results. Quote
diablo2112 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Very much appreciate the guidance. And I think the level of mod "adjustment" is about right. We're all here for Lego Investment reasons, and all the sub-topics that entails. This is a very friendly site and community, and many of us are naturally forming friendships as well. Given this, some level of off-topic discussion is natural, and it seems there's appropriate places for that here. Generally, if the topic is well-labelled and in the right subforum, I don't think it detracts too-much. If you don't care for a thread title, you don't need to dive in. Personally, I haven't opened the "car you drive" thread, but its presence here hasn't been distracting. Just a final note, thanks to the owners and mods here, its a great site, and that doesn't happen be accident. Your hard work shows. Quote
Sauromosis Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Respectfully, I think you are over-thinking it. Hits and eyeballs make forums more successful and increase the value of a forum. If the Macks ever sell this place, it will be more valuable with more users and posts, not everything condensed down as far as possible. My goal with the Travel thread (which I believe prompted this thread) was to find good deals and eventually get a meetup together and I think that it would have taken off. We have high net worth individuals who are good at spotting deals and I don't think they will think to post Travel deals individually in the "non-Lego Deals" section...too tedious to find the section, then create a thread. I've posted deals here and helped this forum for 2 years. That travel thread was gonna be gold. You are limiting the freedom of the members you count on to make this forum work. 3 Quote
exciter1 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Respectfully, I think you are over-thinking it. Hits and eyeballs make forums more successful and increase the value of a forum. If the Macks ever sell this place, it will be more valuable with more users and posts, not everything condensed down as far as possible. My goal with the Travel thread (which I believe prompted this thread) was to find good deals and eventually get a meetup together and I think that it would have taken off. We have high net worth individuals who are good at spotting deals and I don't think they will think to post Travel deals individually in the "non-Lego Deals" section...too tedious to find the section, then create a thread. I've posted deals here and helped this forum for 2 years. That travel thread was gonna be gold. You are limiting the freedom of the members you count on to make this forum work. Well, with this forum, we always hope folks look first for the correct forum before posting new threads. 2 Quote
marcandre Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Perhaps off topic forums should not be included in the 'latest posts' section. I use that list to browse posts almost exclusively. The off topic stuff does tend to clutter it up a bit. 5 Quote
exciter1 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Perhaps off topic forums should not be included in the 'latest posts' section. I use that list to browse posts almost exclusively. The off topic stuff does tend to clutter it up a bit. The "latest posts" is how I can stay on top of what is going on, since I don't subscribe to any threads. It wouldn't be a big deal if the off-LEGO stuff wasn't included, but I'm not sure if we can modify that query in the forum software. Quote
marcandre Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 The "latest posts" is how I can stay on top of what is going on, since I don't subscribe to any threads. It wouldn't be a big deal if the off-LEGO stuff wasn't included, but I'm not sure if we can modify that query in the forum software. I don't subscribe either. This way the off topic stuff is there for people that want to seek it out but not pushing lego threads off the recent updates list. Don't know if it's doable, just floating ideas. Quote
Darth_Raichu Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 The "latest posts" is how I can stay on top of what is going on, since I don't subscribe to any threads. It wouldn't be a big deal if the off-LEGO stuff wasn't included, but I'm not sure if we can modify that query in the forum software. Strange. I thought the capability existed on the forum already. I believed the 50 Shades thread showed up under "latest post" initially, but then disappeared even though people were still posting there. Quote
Sauromosis Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Well, with this forum, we always hope folks look first for the correct forum before posting new threads. Can I post my thread in non-lego or are you insisting that travel deals each have their own thread? Quote
diablo2112 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I, too, pretty much only use the recent posts link to browse the forum. I like off topic posts there. Quote
jaisonline Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 not being mean here (i'm being honest ) but can you try posting the travel deals on a travel web site, forum, facebook, twitter, instead? now if it's a travel deal for legoland, i believe that would be fully acceptable since it's lego related. the mods want to decrease the vast amount of non-lego talk. same applies for excite's 50 cents hotdog (or is it corn dog) deal threads Can I post my thread in non-lego or are you insisting that travel deals each have their own thread? Quote
hxckid88 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 but I don't understand. I don't want to discuss best oatmeal flavor with those strangers on other sites and weird people on SD. I want to discuss it here. with all my bp friends and buddies. cause you are all so special just like me. apple cinnamon for the win. 9 Quote
jaisonline Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 have you tried asking jeff for a private member room or creating a facebook group for these oatmeal conversations? but I don't understand. I don't want to discuss best oatmeal flavor with those strangers on other sites and weird people on SD. I want to discuss it here. with all my bp friends and buddies. cause you are all so special just like me. apple cinnamon for the win. Quote
redghostx Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 maple and brown sugar for TEH win. but I don't understand. I don't want to discuss best oatmeal flavor with those strangers on other sites and weird people on SD. I want to discuss it here. with all my bp friends and buddies. cause you are all so special just like me. apple cinnamon for the win. Quote
wsuskee Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I guess I am in the minority but I like the daily chit chat thread. Normally a lot of the stuff in there are things I want to talk about but haven't brought up yet. I agree with hxckid88 I want to talk all sorts of things with my online Lego friends. Compared to other forums I have been involved in this one has the nicest and friendliest group of people. Maybe it use to be different before I joined but since early December the deals in daily deals are few and far between but the chit chat is more than entertaining. It takes a couple of minutes to go through and find the deals and in the process I get a laugh or two out of it and at times I learn a new trick as well. 9 Quote
Sauromosis Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 As hxc sarcastically points out, this community is special for having money to spend and a keen eye for deals. I get the impression that some of you are content to chase Target clearance and a 5 dollar profit for the next 5 years, but I think we can achieve more. As far as "go join a travel forum" I think the people on this site are better suited to provide me travel deals. And I look forward to buying a drink for anyone who does hook us all up with a big vacation deal. 6 Quote
No More Monkeys Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) I don't see a harm in having generic OT threads (like travel as a single thread) with some sort of flag "exclude from 'latest posts' " BTW, the "Complaint Thread" seriously deserves that flag Edited March 6, 2015 by No More Monkeys Quote
Ed Mack Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I don't see a harm in having generic OT threads (like travel as a single thread) with some sort of flag "exclude from 'latest posts' " BTW, the "Complaint Thread" seriously deserves that flag We already have a whole forum category dedicated to these NON-LEGO DEALS. Why don't people just post their travel deals there? We don't need another category. 2 Quote
No More Monkeys Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) We already have a whole forum category dedicated to these NON-LEGO DEALS. Why don't people just post their travel deals there? We don't need another category.Maybe I misunderstood. i thought mods did not allow to have "travel" as a single thread in that section - they insisted on a thread per deal, while sauromosis wanted to have something like "Video Game/Movie Deals", but for travel Edited March 6, 2015 by No More Monkeys Quote
Ed Mack Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Maybe I misunderstood. i thought mods did not allow to have "travel" as a single thread in that section - they insisted on a thread per deal I don't want a single thread either, but if people have a great travel deal to share, then post it. As I explained to sauromosis, this is a slippery slope. This is a LEGO site, so we have to be careful what we discuss. I really don't want dedicated threads to travel or cars or sports or whatever, but if something interesting comes up...post it, then we will have to see how off topic it is and then deal with it. I have instructed the Mods to be a lttle more lenient with this sort of issue, but people shouldn't take offense if something is removed. I think the forum topics are quite wide ranging, but please cut me a break. No guns or ammo talk. Nothing about drugs, political, sexual or anything else that can construed as controversial. Ask Jeff or I first and you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble. Thanks. 7 Quote
hxckid88 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) We already have a whole forum category dedicated to these NON-LEGO DEALS. Why don't people just post their travel deals there? We don't need another category. another user was and did post those deals there. They were deleted. No one is investing in travel deals though. It's more of a hey I'm tryna help anyone out that may be traveling thing. So, in my opinion the middle ground and compromise for all of this would be a thread as we have now for non lego investments. Other toys for people to make a buck on basically. And then a thread of just deals for travel, and yes oatmeal. Everyone wins. Teo threads. And BP wins as if I posted hey everyone look at this pancakes for cheap on Amazon. Use affiliate link here. This actually happend last week as I know two users used BP affiliate link to buy those Kodiak kakes I was talking about. 2 threads... One for investments and other toys and one for just deals people May like. Yes, I was being sarcastic about oatmeal. My point was I'm really into other things, working out is was one of those things. But, I don't belong to any other online forums. I don't even have Facebook. I like it here. I've made friends on here. Even people here, mods..... That I don't always see eye to eye with and I know every once in awhile they can get frustrated with me is I still want to help anyway I can. For the most part people here have good intentions and want to contribute. Even if it's not a lego deal. Edited March 6, 2015 by hxckid88 2 Quote
Ed Mack Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 another user was and did post those deals there. They were deleted. No one is investing in travel deals though. It's more of a hey I'm tryna help anyone out that may be traveling thing. So, in my opinion the middle ground and compromise for all of this would be a thread as we have now for non lego investments. Other toys for people to make a buck on basically. And then a thread of just deals for travel, and yes oatmeal. Everyone wins. Teo threads. And BP wins as if I posted hey everyone look at this pancakes for cheap on Amazon. Use affiliate link here. This actually happend last week as I know two users used BP affiliate link to buy those Kodiak kakes I was talking about. 2 threads... One for investments and other toys and one for just deals people May like. Yes, I was being sarcastic about oatmeal. My point was I'm really into other things, working out is was one of those things. But, I don't belong to any other online forums. I don't even have Facebook. I like it here. I've made friends on here. Even people here, mods..... That I don't always see eye to eye with and I know every once in awhile they can get frustrated with me is I still want to help anyway I can. For the most part people here have good intentions and want to contribute. Even if it's not a lego deal. Did you read my follow up post? Quote
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