Seriously, what's up?

[CookieMoses]

People have been talking about recent -scape- problems, but I seriously have a big problem, and I feel I need to share it with the community.

As one to question authority, I really worry about how this place is run, granted I understand (as much as one can) that the mods and administrators definitely have their hands full, and God bless them for keeping this place alive.

However, I've noticed serious harshness from older members and staff members directed at newer members. Yes, I understand that there is a great need to keep out obnoxious, annoying, uneducated fangirls who can just READ the lovely biographies on the website, but what about people asking questions and then threads getting locked left-and-right? To be honest, I LOVE this community, but I feel like it tends to go through these crappy phases, you know? I think we can all agree that -scape- is at least not at its best at the moment, or at least I'd hope so.

But, as a semi-established member, I question the motives for constantly locking threads left-and-right. My only real problem is that I feel like I have to dance to some specific ballet set by the mods to keep from having topics locked.

Please understand that I seriously DO NOT intend to disrespect ANY of the staff members OR any of the established members. I am just seriously concerned because I truly love this site, even if I have never really fit in.

It's just these worries that've caused me to want to leave... again. And, I understand that I can be annoying to some and that a LOT of people don't agree with me; that's fine, and I came to terms with that in my "real life" LOOOONG ago (comparitively). I'm not just talking about the issue in the "Kana - Spade" thread. I did seem to REALLY offend quite a few people (but I still do not understand it; I was only stating my opinions). But, that--the fact that I feel uncomfortable in simply stating my opinions because I FEEL that people can't just agree to disagree--and the fact that I've seen a LOT of threads being locked over and over again just bothers me...

Again, though, I REALLY don't mean to be disrespectful; I say this out of pure concern, and if I've terribly offended anyone, I do ask to be forgiven just because I would really like to continue posting here and being an active member of this community, but I would really like to hear people's feedback...

 

[flowersofnight]

Is there any specific thread locking that you take issue with? If anything, we've had some dissatisfaction from people who feel we let certain threads and behaviors go on too long, and correspondingly we have been quicker to enforce the rules lately. Generally, I'll lock a thread if it violates our rules, if it is a revival of a really old thread, or if it has just become too unpleasant and confrontational. While we have a certain amount of discretion in applying these, I don't think it's arbitrary or unreasonable.

 

[Akurei]

I question the motives for constantly locking threads left-and-right. My only real problem is that I feel like I have to dance to some specific ballet set by the mods to keep from having topics locked.

I see a lot of newcomers ask questions that other people have asked before. And while I guess it may be easier just to post a new thread and ask the question, it's more effective if they'd just go and search through older threads. There's going to be more of the same information that everyone's already added on. It's not just like, oho, they're asking the same thing again - lock time!, either. Sometimes I think some of the members go off on a tangent and start discussing the most random things that really should just go on their weblogs or whatever.

And anyway, a lot of the threads that are locked recently seem to be those that are months-old, no?

I'm not just talking about the issue in the "Kana - Spade" thread. I did seem to REALLY offend quite a few people (but I still do not understand it; I was only stating my opinions).

I suppose I don't count much as "a few people," but I was bothered by what you had said in the Kana thread, and I didn't get a chance to say anything before the thread was locked. Yes, you're entitled to your opinions like everyone else, but I don't see the point of telling her off in a thread made for Kana fans and people interested in getting a listen of her music. Hence...it being in the Downloads forum, and not Off-Topic?

Do we really need long debates on everyone's differentiating views of what an "artist" is? If everyone's views and opinions are different, like you often point out, why go to lengths and start posting about it? We all know that in the end, it's this kind of stuff that makes us all bicker and get annoyed at each other.

Which brings us back up to your point - it's stuff like this that gets threads locked. That's what I see, anyway. :\

Meh. Going back to lurking now, kthx.

 

[CookieMoses]

Though I didn't intend to incite an argument in a Kana thread in the DOWNLOADS section, you're right; I shouldn't've been so critical in a thread dedicated to her music. But, we all make mistakes, I suppose...

And, flowers, I suppose it's just the fact that I see so many threads locked that I feel this way. And, I was kinda bothered that my "thread" about my leaving was locked and then deleted (if I'm not mistaken) when Kazuo's thread still has people posting in it, but he's a more popular member than I. My intentions were not at all to down the site or to be rude, but it was apparently taken that way. I guess I'm just being too negative...

But, I dunno, I just don't feel welcome or liked here (which is kind of a personal problem), and I often see that things have just gotten... MUCH more strict. Maybe it's needed, but I still am a bit concerned, possibly because it doesn't feel right...

 

[Shadows Paradox X]

maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to just tear down the forum and start scape all over again. i remember i joined just as this was happening. although i think scape had crashed or something to that effect. maybe a brand new scape would be nice. no more mountains of locked/dead threads pilling up, less # of members that never post anything. just my 2 cents. i realise of course that this could also have negative repercusions.

 

[CookieMoses]

maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to just tear down the forum and start scape all over again. i remember i joined just as this was happening. although i think scape had crashed or something to that effect. maybe a brand new scape would be nice. no more mountains of locked/dead threads pilling up, less # of members that never post anything. just my 2 cents. i realise of course that this could also have negative repercusions.

I second that. Well, the mods COULD just clean the mega-mess up!

 

[Elec]

From my perception, the philosophy of locking threads is that we have a discussion, drag it out as far as we can take it, then it falls by the wayside. If someone comes in asking a similar question, we lock the thread and direct them to the old one, even if it's to resurrect it with relevant discussion. This way, it's more like a 'library' of discussions and anyone who comes across it will be able to find detailed information without much clutter.

 

[flowersofnight]

This way, it's more like a 'library' of discussions and anyone who comes across it will be able to find detailed information without much clutter.

... which is also why we're not going to do another "reboot" of the forum and start it over, to anwer Shadows Paradox X's question. We'd lose all that information which is now currently one click of the "Search" button away.
As for the members who don't post, we've already cleaned that up as much as reasonably possible.

 

[Demanufacturer]

i think the mods are actually doing a good job

some threads indeed are so usesless, and other's are well, already there.

the new ppl (or ''old'' ppl too sometimes) just have to take a look in the older threads. Yes there are a LOT of old threads, and i too get lost sometimes finding an old thread or subject, but that doesn't matter. In fact, i sometimes find something interesting that i wasn't looking for in the first place.

 

[navate]

And, flowers, I suppose it's just the fact that I see so many threads locked that I feel this way. And, I was kinda bothered that my "thread" about my leaving was locked and then deleted (if I'm not mistaken) when Kazuo's thread still has people posting in it, but he's a more popular member than I. My intentions were not at all to down the site or to be rude, but it was apparently taken that way. I guess I'm just being too negative...

But, I dunno, I just don't feel welcome or liked here (which is kind of a personal problem), and I often see that things have just gotten... MUCH more strict. Maybe it's needed, but I still am a bit concerned, possibly because it doesn't feel right...

Yes, your thread was deleted. Please do not compare it to Kazuo's thread: he left with legitimate concerns for the forum and (bravely, I thought) put his frustrations into the open instead of just up and leaving. I feel his thread contained a lot of things that needed to be said. Your thread, though, came off as a "Ok, no one likes me so I'm leaving and telling everyone I'm leaving just to be spiteful." Do not bring "popularity" into this. It was the content of the threads, not the poster. Kazuo didn't try and make a scene; his hiatus was a sidenote in light of the problems the forum was facing and his topic was a genuine effort to bring those problems into discussion. All I got from your thread was "Scape is annoying me so I'm going to be a drama queen." If you had posted something like this thread in the first place, there would not have been a problem.

I really don't things have gotten more strict... moreover, there has been a boom in members breaking the rules so we've been forced to take more action than usual. We've been forced to make rules of things that should have been unsaid etiquette. We are more active, locking more things and scolding folks more often, but that's only because we are trying to keep the standards scape has had since the beginning. Things have slipped lately, and we're trying to remedy that. The only other alterative is to allow this forum go down the drain and be overrun with newbies and fangirlism. So, hopefully understandably, Flowers and I have chosen to pursue the "mean-moderator" path rather than do nothing.

 

[Tastes Like Future]

the mods do a good job... but they do seem rather harsh at times.. like if you ever try to Pm them or talk to them *shudder*