I'm just an ordinary poster on this board. I'm no moderator. And I have to admit, that I only read a fraction of the threads here. Mostly the very technical ones.
But still, I would like to say something. About quality.
Why do all of you come here to read and post in this forum? Most of you do so, because this is the best forum about consoles on the internet.
How did it get to be like that? Or, more generally, when is a forum a good forum? I think that is not very hard. It is a good forum, when many knowledgeable people can have a good discussion together. There is a large amount of forums where you can go to read that your stuff is the best. And there are just as many opposite forums where you can flame people who disagree. But that doesn't make them good forums, with a lot of very good information. It makes them into dumb flame fests.
Beyond3D is about information. You want to know something? You can find it here. You want to ask a complex question? Do it here, and you will get many very good answers. And that works really well, as long as the majority of all participants do so. And when they are all willing to compare all the different brands, methods and products to one another without trying to make their favorite one look best, whatever, in any case. Just because it's their favorite one.
Because there is no real information in that. Or interresting discussion. You get those by looking at all the different possibilities and discussing them together. It encourages other knowledgeable people to post all those interesting things we would like to know about it. I rather have someone explain to me in depth why my view is wrong, than a one-liner telling me I rock. While that might be satisfying, I won't learn anything new and interesting by that.
There is a good thing and a bad thing about public internet forums, and they're both the same: anyone can and should be able to participate. That's the really great thing about them. But it's the bad part as well, when it means that everything goes down into a flame fest. Which is just a way to score, to win, for many people. Attack the opponent, don't bother about the facts, the other board members or the quality of the forum.
But there already are plenty of forums where you can do that. And there is only one Beyond3D forum, where you can find all the good stuff.
So, the choice is to all of us: do we want yet another place to brag and flame, or do we want to hold Beyond3D sacred, as one of the few places you really can go to find the information you want to know, and have an intelligent discussion?
The quality of any board is determined by the quality of the posters. Moderation can only help with that. What is the use of deleting flame posts, when there is no good information coming in? And when the percentage of flames and personal wars rises, the amount of interesting information and discussions declines, as the posters who value that will start to look for another board and leave.
In the end, having a high-quality console forum depends on the posters who value that. No moderation can do that. It can help, but the important part is that all the people who value a great forum make it so.
So, I would like to ask of everyone who values this forum to think about that before posting, and discourage or ignore posters who think otherwise. Or just explain controversial subjects neutrally and in-depth, for the people who want to know. Because that's what most people here are interested in.
But still, I would like to say something. About quality.
Why do all of you come here to read and post in this forum? Most of you do so, because this is the best forum about consoles on the internet.
How did it get to be like that? Or, more generally, when is a forum a good forum? I think that is not very hard. It is a good forum, when many knowledgeable people can have a good discussion together. There is a large amount of forums where you can go to read that your stuff is the best. And there are just as many opposite forums where you can flame people who disagree. But that doesn't make them good forums, with a lot of very good information. It makes them into dumb flame fests.
Beyond3D is about information. You want to know something? You can find it here. You want to ask a complex question? Do it here, and you will get many very good answers. And that works really well, as long as the majority of all participants do so. And when they are all willing to compare all the different brands, methods and products to one another without trying to make their favorite one look best, whatever, in any case. Just because it's their favorite one.
Because there is no real information in that. Or interresting discussion. You get those by looking at all the different possibilities and discussing them together. It encourages other knowledgeable people to post all those interesting things we would like to know about it. I rather have someone explain to me in depth why my view is wrong, than a one-liner telling me I rock. While that might be satisfying, I won't learn anything new and interesting by that.
There is a good thing and a bad thing about public internet forums, and they're both the same: anyone can and should be able to participate. That's the really great thing about them. But it's the bad part as well, when it means that everything goes down into a flame fest. Which is just a way to score, to win, for many people. Attack the opponent, don't bother about the facts, the other board members or the quality of the forum.
But there already are plenty of forums where you can do that. And there is only one Beyond3D forum, where you can find all the good stuff.
So, the choice is to all of us: do we want yet another place to brag and flame, or do we want to hold Beyond3D sacred, as one of the few places you really can go to find the information you want to know, and have an intelligent discussion?
The quality of any board is determined by the quality of the posters. Moderation can only help with that. What is the use of deleting flame posts, when there is no good information coming in? And when the percentage of flames and personal wars rises, the amount of interesting information and discussions declines, as the posters who value that will start to look for another board and leave.
In the end, having a high-quality console forum depends on the posters who value that. No moderation can do that. It can help, but the important part is that all the people who value a great forum make it so.
So, I would like to ask of everyone who values this forum to think about that before posting, and discourage or ignore posters who think otherwise. Or just explain controversial subjects neutrally and in-depth, for the people who want to know. Because that's what most people here are interested in.
