This is how off topic convos should start

[Germwise]

First let me say i've been following the boards since we were talking about the HTC passion. I try to visit a couple of times a day for new pics rumors and speculation.

However, recently its become more and more difficult for me to check up. I visited the incredible thread and had to wade through nearly 100 pages of junk to get a few pics and some specs.

I appreciate everyone putting info and I do understand the need for community and some playful convo while we all wait for more info but the mods are right.

I'm here to get HTC incredible info. Sometimes I'm not necessarily in the mood for:

*people asking what are the first 10, 20, 30 things you'll do once you get it
*talking about their old phones they are sick of
*where they are from, what store they plan on buying it from
* posts about going crazy waiting
* etc etc.

I think 1 -2 per page would be ok, but since so many follow the thread, it just gets loaded with off topic posts.

If you have something else to discuss thats great! I love scrolling through a message board and looking for some fun conversations to join.

But PLEASE START A NEW THREAD!

if something pertinent to the incredible comes out of that thread we can always copy/paste or just reference the thread.

Lets make it so people can come over and get the info they want in 5 minutes instead of literally 45 minutes.


I'll be glad to hear your thoughts. Feel free to flame me.

And yes, I am also dying to get my hands on an incredible!

 

[drhill]

This thread has nothing to do with the Incredible and should be moved to the general forum.

 

[Anonimac]

First let me say i've been following the boards since we were talking about the HTC passion. I try to visit a couple of times a day for new pics rumors and speculation.

However, recently its become more and more difficult for me to check up. I visited the incredible thread and had to wade through nearly 100 pages of junk to get a few pics and some specs.

I appreciate everyone putting info and I do understand the need for community and some playful convo while we all wait for more info but the mods are right.

I'm here to get HTC incredible info. Sometimes I'm not necessarily in the mood for:

*people asking what are the first 10, 20, 30 things you'll do once you get it
*talking about their old phones they are sick of
*where they are from, what store they plan on buying it from
* posts about going crazy waiting
* etc etc.

I think 1 -2 per page would be ok, but since so many follow the thread, it just gets loaded with off topic posts.

If you have something else to discuss thats great! I love scrolling through a message board and looking for some fun conversations to join.

But PLEASE START A NEW THREAD!

if something pertinent to the incredible comes out of that thread we can always copy/paste or just reference the thread.

Lets make it so people can come over and get the info they want in 5 minutes instead of literally 45 minutes.


I'll be glad to hear your thoughts. Feel free to flame me.

And yes, I am also dying to get my hands on an incredible!

One small caveat...the MOST PERTINENT information was always on the very first post of that thread and kept updated at all times. It was a personal choice of all of us to wade through the rest and read unrelated postings just as it could have been someone else's not to and only read the first post.

 

[Germwise]

I disagree that all the information was on the first page.

Sure the specs and pics were there but if you relied on the front page you would not only be behind the times but you would lose out on a lot of the info and interaction.

For example, you wouldn't know when someone was meeting their contact for more info. You wouldn't see the answers to many smaller questions that other members were posing to NKT and others with info. You would miss out Nashdroid's renders of different color backings or the speculations on delivery.

There is a reason why people go to forums rather than just hitting up engadget.

Those conversations are great and 30 pages of those would be fun. Whats not fun is the other things I've listed above. Already the unofficial thread is over 3 pages long of which a significant number are discussing why mods closed the last one, can we re-open it. etc etc.

My point is unless it directly adds to the topic, make a new one. you'll find more interest and we'll keep the focus of the original thread.



A

 

[miniSQ]

I disagree that all the information was on the first page.

Sure the specs and pics were there but if you relied on the front page you would not only be behind the times but you would lose out on a lot of the info and interaction.

For example, you wouldn't know when someone was meeting their contact for more info. You wouldn't see the answers to many smaller questions that other members were posing to NKT and others with info. You would miss out Nashdroid's renders of different color backings or the speculations on delivery.

There is a reason why people go to forums rather than just hitting up engadget.

Those conversations are great and 30 pages of those would be fun. Whats not fun is the other things I've listed above. Already the unofficial thread is over 3 pages long of which a significant number are discussing why mods closed the last one, can we re-open it. etc etc.

My point is unless it directly adds to the topic, make a new one. you'll find more interest and we'll keep the focus of the original thread.



A

But did the original poster ever complain?? No....so it should have been left alone. If you want to create a topic and request only pertinent data be placed in it then go for it....but don't cheese on someone elses thread.

The people that were actively adding info to that thread were never complaining...the mods screwed up and they know it. If the close the "unofficial" thread...then a new one will start....so stop obama'ing this forum. we are perfectly able to moderate ourselves.

 

[Reginald VelJohnson]

...
However, recently its become more and more difficult for me to check up. I visited the incredible thread and had to wade through nearly 100 pages of junk to get a few pics and some specs.

I appreciate everyone putting info and I do understand the need for community and some playful convo while we all wait for more info but the mods are right.
...

Sure the specs and pics were there but if you relied on the front page you would not only be behind the times but you would lose out on a lot of the info and interaction.
...
There is a reason why people go to forums rather than just hitting up engadget.

It seems to me that you have a very strict interpretation of what should be allowed and what should not, almost to the point of being self-contradictory. Generally, I don't envy mods, but on this forum, they really have a pretty easy job. We're a well behaved bunch for the most part, but we have a problem because they have not come out and defined for us what's allowed, what's not, what constitutes off topic and what does not.

I know that would be a difficult task in and of itself, but until they do so, everyone will have their own interpretation and the "rules", such as they are, will continue to be enforced inconsistently. For example, I personally think all the iPhone/lawsuit banter was perfectly on-topic. What Apple does directly affects Android and the Incredible. Others feel completely opposite.

If all a person wants are the nuts-and-bolts of the latest "confirmed" news, there is a sticky that's constantly updated for just that. If you want some banter and the absolute LATEST and most detailed info, there is (or was) a multi-thousand page thread you can follow about that. If you want to be a day or two behind, there's Engadget and BGR. Really, it's about all a person could ask for, IMO.

If the mods want to keep all the traffic this thread has driven to their site, they need to be clear and consistent. No, the mods and site owners don't "owe" us anything, but the flip side of that is that this site's users are also free to take their eyeballs somewhere else. For the most part, I really like it here, we just need a few tweaks.

 

[pequeajim]

It seems to me that you have a very strict interpretation of what should be allowed and what should not, almost to the point of being self-contradictory. Generally, I don't envy mods, but on this forum, they really have a pretty easy job. We're a well behaved bunch for the most part, but we have a problem because they have not come out and defined for us what's allowed, what's not, what constitutes off topic and what does not.

I know that would be a difficult task in and of itself, but until they do so, everyone will have their own interpretation and the "rules", such as they are, will continue to be enforced inconsistently. For example, I personally think all the iPhone/lawsuit banter was perfectly on-topic. What Apple does directly affects Android and the Incredible. Others feel completely opposite.

If all a person wants are the nuts-and-bolts of the latest "confirmed" news, there is a sticky that's constantly updated for just that. If you want some banter and the absolute LATEST and most detailed info, there is (or was) a multi-thousand page thread you can follow about that. If you want to be a day or two behind, there's Engadget and BGR. Really, it's about all a person could ask for, IMO.

If the mods want to keep all the traffic this thread has driven to their site, they need to be clear and consistent. No, the mods and site owners don't "owe" us anything, but the flip side of that is that this site's users are also free to take their eyeballs somewhere else. For the most part, I really like it here, we just need a few tweaks.

For the most part I agree with you, however, my interpretation of what the mods are trying to do is to loosely keep the thread on topic. This is for people who see the topic and want to read about the phone, not Apple lawsuits, or other non Incredible conversation. Yes, I enjoy the banter and the slightly off topic posts, jokes and side conversation, but when the thread goes way off on a tangent of 10-15 posts that have nothing to do with the Incredible, then I can see where people become frustrated. I admit that I did several times, but at that point, I just chose to not participate rather than fume about it. I posted a couple of hints to stay on topic, then went elsewhere, no biggie, my choice. I still am reading the second thread, but rarely post. Remember, the users of the thread define the content, so each of us as users can choose to participate or not.

The way I see it, the thread is composed of a group of good people who for the most part of funny and friendly which makes for some interesting conversation. Perhaps someone should open a topic called the Incredible Lounge? Many forums that I have been on do this. The conversation would be general with a slant towards the Incredible?

Kind regards
Jim!

 

[Reginald VelJohnson]

For the most part I agree with you, however, my interpretation of what the mods are trying to do is to loosely keep the thread on topic. This is for people who see the topic and want to read about the phone, not Apple lawsuits, or other non Incredible conversation. Yes, I enjoy the banter and the slightly off topic posts, jokes and side conversation, but when the thread goes way off on a tangent of 10-15 posts that have nothing to do with the Incredible, then I can see where people become frustrated. I admit that I did several times, but at that point, I just chose to not participate rather than fume about it. I posted a couple of hints to stay on topic, then went elsewhere, no biggie, my choice. I still am reading the second thread, but rarely post. Remember, the users of the thread define the content, so each of us as users can choose to participate or not.

The way I see it, the thread is composed of a group of good people who for the most part of funny and friendly which makes for some interesting conversation. Perhaps someone should open a topic called the Incredible Lounge? Many forums that I have been on do this. The conversation would be general with a slant towards the Incredible?

Kind regards
Jim!

The number one problem right now is that there is NOTHING official about this phone. Makes it pretty hard to have an "official" or on-topic discussion, no? Once it's announced by Verizon, we can get organized- and believe it or not, my experience tells me that will happen more or less automatically. At that time, I agree, an Incredible Lounge-type thread would be absolutely appropriate.

If we had to limit ourselves to what we KNOW about this phone, this forum would consist of one post with a couple pictures and videos in it. In the absence of formal HTC or Verizon announcements, what constitutes official (or one could say on-topic) conversation is pretty much an indefinable concept.

IMO, before the mods brought the hammer down, we'd done a pretty good job of self-organizing. Now that they have, nothing has really changed except making some of us a little gun shy.

 

[pequeajim]

If we had to limit ourselves to what we KNOW about this phone, this forum would consist of one post with a couple pictures and videos in it.

Agreed...

 

[YamiYaiba]

If we had to limit ourselves to what we KNOW about this phone, this forum would consist of one post with a couple pictures and videos in it. In the absence of formal HTC or Verizon announcements, what constitutes official (or one could say on-topic) conversation is pretty much an indefinable concept.

Now now, we don't know that's the Incredible. It could be the HTC Brick for all we know.

We have nothing official. Not until this puppy is announced at least.

You are spot on though. We can't stay on topic when there's no news. This is a forum, not the stock market. It's not all business here.

 

[Phases]

http://androidforums.com/htc-incred...dible-thread-everyone-read-me.html#post444728