[ Suggestions ] - The Direction of ClubTheWorld.com

[James]

Originally Posted by Fintbeast ...

 

This site really needs to sort out what it wants to be:

 

If it's a breeding ground and forum for up and coming djs and event promotion...then it needs to be more professional;

 

If it's a forum for helping people to organise a wicked night out with like-minded people ...then there shouldn't be room for people to slag each other off in public.

 

If you want it to be a place where people can have rational, frank, adult discussions about safety issues in recreational drug use...then such forums need to be moderated carefully and responsibly.

 

If people want to chew the fat about their day / weekend / gripes / grievances / getting mashed etc...they should be able to do this in private (i.e. chat or pm - both available already!) or in forums that really are moderated.

 

Why do a minority of punters have to regress to playground tactics of bitching at each other in public and trying to demonstrate how clever they are or - worse still - by hiding, in a cowardly fashion, behind the anonymous tag and taking potshots at people who are then provoked into equally stupid reactions.

 

Those (very few of you) that know me, will be well aware that there are people on this site that I don't have particularly high opinions of. I will happily talk about this amongst friends and I won't show two faces to the people / person in question. If I can, I avoid seeing these people. This is what you do in 'REAL LIFE'. Logging on to this site is pure escapism in the same vein as watching a good film or reading a good book...if of slightly less cultural / intellectual value.

 

You can take the site any way you want: it can be highly amusing, very irritating, dull or just plain weird. If these are all things which the site aspires to then congratulations you're doing a great job...if there are other aims and objectives behind the site then some things may need re-assessing...

 

Some very good points here Fin, thanks for your constructive comments.

 

We're currently re-evaluating what our direction is with the site and what the long term goal is... Things definitely need to change around here one way or another, and if the site is to grow in a positive fashion then I do think we need to stop trying to cater for everything & everyone.

 

Taking some time out to think about all this ...

 

[Capn Jack]

I think a rigorous policy involving the removal of topics that have created a slanging match between members should be in place. If people really want to fight each other, take it elsewhere.

 

I do like the Serious issues and debates, so long as there aren't any personal attacks. It is interesting seeing like minded peoples views on subjects.

[Don]

Any thoughts on my idea of having a private forum for DJ's, promoters and organisers, so there aren't any lapses or overlaps? Or is this the spinback/CTW section?

 

Fin (as usual) is spot on. This goes over some of the conversations when we (James, Creamy and myself) met at Bar 38. I think the site has the potential to do all three - but it is going to take leadership rather than consensus.

[Lisa]

Capn_Jack said:

I think a rigorous policy involving the removal of topics that have created a slanging match between members should be in place. If people really want to fight each other, take it elsewhere.

 

I do like the Serious issues and debates, so long as there aren't any personal attacks. It is interesting seeing like minded peoples views on subjects.

 

I totally agree with ya jack!!!

[Rick D]

I think you should try some rules... For example, it seems threats of physical violence are acceptable by members, but verbal 'sparring' is frowned upon...

[fintbeast]

Hi James,

 

Only just found this post...have to admit I've never looked in Comments and suggestions since the first time, where I found a lot of techie suggestions about servers and stuff. I suppose this is exactly where it needs to be. I do hate it when people only proffer problems...everybody who's got the front to moan about something has the ability to offer solutions...that was the reasoning behind my original post. Hope the (constructive?) criticism was taken as intended...let us know if you come up with anything or want more concrete suggestions from anyone.

[alasdairm]

hey james

 

i think you've built up a good base and you can capitalise on that.

 

i know there's a tendency to want to please everybody and i know that people will get pissed off at me for saying this but i think a firmer hand moderating the forum discussion will go a long way to improving - growing-up, if you will - the site.

 

for me, because i can't physically join in events, the forums are a big part of what CTW is to me. frankly, they are a bit of a mess because people just insist on rambling and posting off-topic [censored] all over the forums and all over the threads.

 

claire's not here but she would say "if you don't want to read it don't" and again i say, that's great but it's idealistic nonsense. when people post off-topic stuff and hijack threads, we've got no choice but to read it. anybody who's mantra is "don't read it if you don't like it" is fooling themselves.

 

in my opinion, you need to close threads when they are 'done'. you need to edit and delete off-topic replies and you need to ensure a set of expectations are set and met.

 

i'm not suggesting being a killjoy but it is annoying for me - and i'm sure it must be for others although i could be wrong - to see somebody ask a question, get an answer to then see the thread turn into an online tennis match of:

 

"oi! you're a twat"

"do one"

"says who"

"she says so"

"she's a slapper"

etc.

 

delegating is always hard but you might experiment with making a few new forum moderators so that you can concentrate on the bigger vision of CTW - strategy, etc.

 

there are plenty of people who frequent the forums who would, in my opinion, surely make excellent moderators. give it a go?

 

i know that "the grass is always greener" applies but i only really frequent one other board and, while it is a very different culture to this board, i think it's a shining example of how firm-but-fair moderation can really help a board move along more smoothly.

 

you should spend some time reading some of the forums and see if you agree:

 

http://www.bluelight.nu

 

i moderate a couple of forums on that site so it's hard for me to be objective. anyway, check it out and see what you think.

 

whatever, congrats on all you have achieved so far. you (and others) have a lot to be proud of.

 

onwards and upwards.

 

alasdair

Edited June 6, 2003 by alasdairm

[fintbeast]

Checked out Bluelight...a fantastic, mature forum where issues are discussed properly and with respect. CTW could do that if that was what James and everybody who uses it wanted...to be honest, CTW could do almost anything if it was what people wanted.

 

James, bite the bullet, mate. Decide what you really want the site to achieve. Make the necessary changes to bring this about. And screw anybody who disagrees with it.

There is always the option of franchising out bits of the site to people who have different 'visions'...it would still be CTW, and a lot of the same people could still throw [censored] at each other, but those who didn't want to see / hear it would very quickly learn to stay away from those bits.

[TomD]

alasdairm said:

for me, because i can't physically join in events, the forums are a big part of what CTW is to me.

 

alasdair, i'd be interested to know which forums you read the most often on ctw and which you'd be most likely to post in? i know you've just mentioned the "if you don't like it, don't read it" principle, but i think most of the disorganised stuff is in the Random forum anyway, and threads in most other forums seem to be pretty much mostly on-topic to me

[James]

Alasdair, as ever you put into words what I feel and think but for some reason cant put into words and I end up confusing people.

 

100% agree with you A

[alasdairm]

TomD said:

alasdair, i'd be interested to know which forums you read the most often on ctw and which you'd be most likely to post in? i know you've just mentioned the "if you don't like it, don't read it" principle, but i think most of the disorganised stuff is in the Random forum anyway, and threads in most other forums seem to be pretty much mostly on-topic to me

 

i scan most of the 'General Forums', the 'Music' forums occasionally and the 'Serious Topics' forums also. i participate mostly in those forums also.

 

i agree with your last point but, for example (not to single anybody out - these are just examples of what i'm talking about:

I broke a nail...

 

something like that is pretty easy to avoid (if that's what you want to do) because it's self-contained. what's it doing in this forum in the first place. i would close it, delete it or move it. but that's me.

 

then this:

Being single?

 

it derails fast and just becomes a chat thread.

 

maybe this is a better example:

 

what's happened to wub_wub?

 

i asked a question. got the answer then the thread just heads off into the wilderness of random comments and way too much quoting. somebody gets an answer, in a clear cut case like this close the thread in my opinion.

 

anyway, these are my thoughts.

 

alasdair

[Signum]

is this what I think it is?

[alasdairm]

James said:

Taking some time out to think about all this ...

 

james, i know i harp on about this but you should check out a few of the forums on http://www.bluelight.nu

 

the standard of moderation there is extremely high - firm but fair. i guess i would say this as i'm a bluelight moderator

 

also, all forums have well-considered guidelines which are enforced firmly. it may seem a bit officious at first but it works really well in practice. here are the guidelines i wrote for one of my forums:

 

http://www.bluelight.nu/vb/showthread.php?postid=718419#post718419

 

just to give you an idea.

 

i'm pleased to say that bluelight has a new member: fintbeast

 

alasdair

[alasdairm]

Capn_Jack said:

I think a rigorous policy involving the removal of topics that have created a slanging match between members should be in place. If people really want to fight each other, take it elsewhere.

 

word.

 

alasdair

[Mr_Happy]

Capn_Jack said:

I think a rigorous policy involving the removal of topics that have created a slanging match between members should be in place. If people really want to fight each other, take it elsewhere.

 

that would remove 90% of creamyc's posts tho