Forum proposals and questions

[The Dog Whisperer]

Like noted by others, you already have a variety of ways to get / show your own title

Exactly, and one of the arguments against them is preventing "elitist groups/destructive clans", but it's moot because we already have other options.
So the question is, what reason is there to not have them if people want them?
You've already pointed out most members aren't spamming for post count, so you can assume most don't care about the rank or coins.
And if they were going to spam, I think their main target would be the post count, the change in rank and coins are just a by-product of their efforts to increase post count.*
Makes them useless when you consider there's already a visible post count.

In the end, you could always keep the coins but have the titles customisable.
But as you've said, they're a reward for posting, and when there's so many new users who want to 'catch up' with other, older, members, they'll 'fish.' (Speaking from experience )
So I wouldn't be against completely removing the whole system.
I'm not for it either, I just don't mind. And I'm sure some people would care, so implementing it without upsetting people would be hard.

Personally, what I'd find ideal is the present system of post count, with no ranks/coins. (The mods can have green names)
But, if people want them I can't think of a reason to say no to customisable titles in place of what's here.


*This is why I think counting all posts and making ranks moderator controlled isn't the best idea.
If you are going to make the ranks moderator controlled, disable all post counts, but otherwise people will still 'post fish' since they have a post count and deciding/changing the ranks will just be effort for mods to keep up with.

[Dean]

I personally think the whole coins/ranks should stay the same. Maybe just change the damn titles to something other then the boring fighters guild ones, something like the Mages guild or Arena (not the Dark brotherhood, especially since all the new members will have the title "MURDERER!")

The amount of posts it takes for each consecutive rise in rank seems fair enough, and although a few people say 'I don't care about post count' a lot of people actually do. To tell the truth I still do like it. When I first joined I liked being rewarded for my efforts, as most people do. I mean you got to have something before you find you find your place here right? It's not as if anyone is getting paid 100 quid for every rank up is it? no, so why the sudden need to change things that work fine the way they are?

We are an ES site, not everyone comes here for the General Banter side of things, and most of the people who are against it are most active in there.

I think it is for the best if it stays the way it is. The only thing that changing it all will do is stir up one side of the nest, while keeping it as it will not. Unless there is some kind of anti-post movement I'm not aware of here?

As much as I love change, sometimes the old works best.

[Cactus]

I don't think I'd mind new titles for the current ranks. I don't feel the need for custom titles in the least. Otherwise, I too say leave it the same. Actually, haven't I said that like twice? Anyway, as Jeff suggested, perhaps a contest or something? Although, it might be interesting to simply wait until Skyrim comes out and rename the ranks based on the one of the guilds in that game. I know that's a while away, but people can be patient.

[evenratman]

What would be cool for the rank titles would be if you had the choice of which faction you wanted to have the titles associated with. It could work as an option accessible in every member's user control panel, which could be changed at any time. A person would have the choice of either fighters guild ranks, mages guild ranks, arena ranks, or dark brotherhood ranks (and any additional possibilities that would come with Skyrim).

If this is technically feasible, it could be seen as a compromise between the current system of fixed ranks and a customized rank system. There would be diversity, but everything would still be automated.

[The Tourist]

I've just come here via the poll, so I've not been keeping up with the whole thread. But...

Re post count. For me it's entirely pointless, as I just found out General posts don't count (as well as at least another board). I'm not saying 'bring down the whole system for me' - I'm saying; why post count at all, if it isn't universal? Am I and other General posters lesser members because of where we post?

As far as I understand it (someone correct me if I'm being a mug), I won't rank up, and I won't count up outside the Generals. I'm not the first person in history to say this, but... : the system is flawed.

Not sure how it'd work, but if every members input isn't going to be treated equally, I'd say ditch the counts but somehow retain a system that universally tracks ranking.

[KalleFlaxx]

Am I and other General posters lesser members because of where we post?

No, but it is an Elder Scrolls wiki forum, after all. Seems pretty logical to me if you only count the posts made about the Elder Scrolls games.

[HatofMadness]

i havent read through this entire thread, but i hope there arent major changes, im quite content on how the forums are now

[The Tourist]

KalleFlaxx: absolutely, but a board is a board, and the Generals have been around for An Age - it just seems strange to treat any post or members actions/choices differently. This isn't a big issue for me, as I couldn't care less about posts, ranks, or anything else. Consistency, however, is a fairly valid goal.

[HatofMadness]

i noticed that members are usually put down by "older members" who think the board has changed cuz their friends arent here anymore.
Ive not sure ive seen members put down for their post count.

Besides, with all the general banter posts, your post count shown to the left is, rather, curved.

[tobascodagama]

I'm a new guy, so who cares what I think, but do post counts actually control anything material? If so, then why? If not, then why display them?

Knowing the number of posts someone has doesn't tell me anything about how helpful they are as a poster, reading their posts does that.

Edit: Noticed that I had initially referred without quoting to a post two pages and a couple of weeks ago, so I reworded my post.

[Arch-Mage Matt]

I'm a new guy, so who cares what I think, but do post counts actually control anything material? If so, then why? If not, then why display them?

Knowing the number of posts someone has doesn't tell me anything about how helpful they are as a poster, reading their posts does that.

Edit: Noticed that I had initially referred without quoting to a post two pages and a couple of weeks ago, so I reworded my post.

To me it's to see who knows the site and it's rules and requirements are. New users can be just as good as the 'old' ones, but if you see a three coin or four coiner then you know they've been here a long time and that they know how the site works.

[Spiney]

How about a way to measure how active a user is. I mean, you can keep the post count, but also, for the regulars in the General section (or in any section for that matter), have some way to let others know how much another user frequent the forum.

I'm short of ideas of how to actually represent this, perhaps an average posts per day statistic. Any ideas?

[Cactus]

Most of that information can be found already. Want your total post count including General? Go to your profile (or anyone's) and click on Search User's Posts. Posts per day is also listed on your profile. I don't think it includes General, but it'd be pretty easy to convert. My profile says I have 1576 posts at 1.3/day. My total posts is about 5000, so one could estimate I make about 4-5 posts per day overall. A complete overhaul of the forum to save you a couple clicks seems excessive to me. As one of the people who pushed the current system through, I'm obviously of the mind that General shouldn't count. One could argue that General has been here a while, but the forum's original intent by its owner is one of discussion of the games, and an extension of the wiki to help people with said games. It's not that I think posts in General make you less important, but as this is an Elder Scrolls forum, the post counts shows your posts in the Elder Scrolls sections. Two mouse clicks will give you your total posts. I say this as a heavy general poster myself as I'm "missing" about 3500 posts from my total.

[Jeff]

Do a Search, type in Cactus, and Bingo...: Search found 4947 matches

[The Tourist]

A courteous mod pointed this out and another case for retaining The System to me - so my qualms are officially quashed.

The number of 1227 also sates my curiosity.

[Spiney]

Okay something that has just arisen to me.

Sending files via PM, you can't. You have to do it via E-mail.

A few recent Forums I've been on allow you to send small files attached to a PM, small ones though.

Would it be possible to incorporate this into our forum? It'd be something useful for modders, sending .esp and .esm files.

Thoughts?

[Kestral]

Okay something that has just arisen to me.

Sending files via PM, you can't. You have to do it via E-mail.

A few recent Forums I've been on allow you to send small files attached to a PM, small ones though.

Would it be possible to incorporate this into our forum? It'd be something useful for modders, sending .esp and .esm files.

Thoughts?

I believe you can use attachments in the base PhpBB3 system, but they seem to have been disabled in this forum.

[evenratman]

Do mods really see deleted posts, or did Tom pull a fast one on me?

[Cactus]

If I remember correctly, they just see that you deleted one. Every action is recorded, and deleting shows up. I don't think the actual post is saved or anything though.

[Leilah]

What Cactus says is correct. We're just left to wonder exactly what it was that you deleted...

[Leilah]

Whoops, Spiney, just realised that a mod hasn't responded to your question yet

Scozzar is right, though. Even though we now only allow confirmed users to PM, there's always, always a risk of illegal files/files that breach the forum rules getting sent around. Which is unfortunate for the majority of us (I send around a lot of recipes and writing samples, and always have to ask email addresses first), but as we know, trolls and other generally unpleasant people will always be around, not necessarily using the function as intended.

[Spiney]

On my phone here so this'll be brief. File restrictions. Only allow the transfer of necessary files such as .esp and .esm. .txt files as well. Many of the other forums have restrictions on the type of files to be transfered. Plus people can easily bypass this by using file hosters. So you may as well let users transfer what they need anyway.

[Veck]

Or just allow any files to be transferred. I honestly don't see the point of restricting this because of fear of illegal files. If this site has a disclaimer (and it should) then it will clearly say that it is not responsible for the actions of individuals. Therefore, if a couple of people are juggling torrents around, then it's their fault, and the site can't be held responsible. And isn't it Private Messaging, as in not even the admins can see it? People can easily link to illegal URLs in PMs anyway, so restricting this is just being overbearing and making things difficult for members, especially when you consider that there are other ways to easily send illegal files to other members.

[Dean]

It's not all to do with illegal stuff. Like Lei said there is also the thing to do with trolls/paedophiles using it to send 'dodgy' files and the like, it makes the forum a target for people who do that sort of thing. It's not exactly unheard of on the internet. I would prefer to keep 'that' and illegal content sharing to a minimum, and I'm sure the admins would prefer it that way to.

What stops you sending files through your email anyway? if your getting files and crap from someone, then you would normally have there hotmail etc. ...and if you don't, I would be wondering why two complete strangers are sharing files randomly.

Call me paranoid, but there is no need for it in my eyes. Perhaps allowing .esp/.esm files...but what else would people really be sending across this forum?

[Spiney]

Well I suggested this mainly for a convenience for modders. Then when the affair of illegal files was brought up I suggested file restrictions. But for what would actually be sent? Well I've sent drafts of story chapters, avatar requests, and on one occasion a personal torrent file. That's just me, Im sure other users would have other uses in mind.