Idea: remove offtopic from recent posts list.

from Sins Forums

now, i am posting from the sins of a solar empire forum, and around here, its preety dull, but i think there is a reason for that.  quite often I cant see if there are any recent posts or threads that need reading, because the entire "recent posts" page is filled with forum games and political discussions... things, that for the sins forum... i dont care about.

I want to suggust that posts in the offtopic section of the forums are placed on the recent posts area.

 

This way, I (and others) will be able to read and answer the post asking "how do i play diplomacy and entrencment at the same time", instead of that thread being lost and unread because it was pushed off the recent posts list by the tugowar thread.

I really think that being able to actually see the recent posts (they are uasually thrown off the list in about 30 min durring prime offtopic posting time) will really increase the livelyhood of the sins forums, and maybe give sins itself a bit of extra life, as people are like "ooo, i wanna try that"

off-topic
160,002 views 49 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Posting from the GalCiv forum, I see pretty much the same problem. I see no reason I'll ever participate in a forum game and wish they'd stop pushing the GalCiv-related posts off the page. I suggest that the Off-Topic forums be made into a completely separate forum from the various 'game forums'. Of course I know nothing about web design and how inconvenient this may be... but I do feel it's needed.

Although I have to ask the OP: isn't it a little ironic that you posted this in the Off-Topic section?

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Those formum games are nothing but useless spam

GET RID OF THEM PLEASE

lets start spam bumping real topics and push the useless ones off

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting myfist0, reply 2
Those formum games are nothing but useless spam

GET RID OF THEM PLEASE

Well, I wouldn't put it quite that strongly... judging from all the responses they get, they must be quite popular... but I want them to stop getting in the way of the stuff I care about!

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

go look how many people actually post there. Same 10 people over and over and over. I see 1 guy post in all them stupid threads making the hole recent replys page forum games crap.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting qrtxian, reply 1

Although I have to ask the OP: isn't it a little ironic that you posted this in the Off-Topic section?

meh, maybe. i posted it here because this was the forum it was concerned about. it makes the most sence too.  I mean, where else would you put it? not only that, but at least everyone else can see this post too, and most importantly, apparently, sins is not the only subforum with this issue.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Same 10 people over and over and over.

The same can be said about other non forum game topics. Don't judge the participants.

 

Those formum games are nothing but useless spam

Quite a few are no longer games per se, but a chat room environment. Which is all the better, fellowships with like mind people is always enjoyable. Besides, one could say any number of topics are spam, based on ones point of view.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

That fine but keep them in YOUR "My Replies" and out of MY "Recent Posts"

Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

yeah, a simple filter could solve all this. one simply checks what will be sorted out, and everybody could be fine.

that way you could even monitor a particular thread (via replies) while having the whole section blended out.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Their not YOUR 'Recent Posts'

 

Its the FORUMS 'Recent Posts'

 

 

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

For posting an off-topic like this I would have to say you're banned! However, the last person to post here might change my mind (unless it is a moderator). Maybe a 3 word story would help or I might make a wish. But come on... this is really just a tug of war. I would think about giving you karma pbhead, but I just blame you for the post. Really this calls for a second ban. Frankly I think it's just time we all pick a side. I'll pick ____ you pick ____! Maybe we all just need a laugh or you could tell us what you are listening too to take the edge off.

What if...? (oh nevermind!!! that was really just going to be a bad idea... or maybe it was a good idea)

 

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Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting -Ue_Carbon, reply 9
Its the FORUMS 'Recent Posts' 

More like recent spam

Zombie - funny as hell +1. All the spam on 1 horrible sandwich 

Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Zombie - funny as hell +1. All the spam on 1 horrible sandwich

I honestly can't tell if he was trying to insult the people on this thread or the 'spammers'.

Maiden666 has by far the best suggestion though. I really don't object to forum games per se - I just object to them (or any other off-topic thread) taking up all the space on the 'recent posts' page when all I care about is the GalCiv stuff. A filter would be great.

Quite a few are no longer games per se, but a chat room environment. Which is all the better, fellowships with like mind people is always enjoyable. Besides, one could say any number of topics are spam, based on ones point of view.

If I wanted online social interaction, I'd use a different site. I'm only on this site for GalCiv II stuff. I'm not trying to criticize anyone else's interests - I just want to be able to pursue my own interests easier.

I mean, where else would you put it?

Isn't there a "Forum Issues" sub-forum? Or is that more for "technical" issues?

Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Double post again... stupid "Forums Go Boom".

Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well, recent means those threads that have the latest activity.

If more people post to them, then they should be at the top.

You know, you could always simply go to the particular forum that you wish to see. It is only a single mouse click away. How hard is that?

 

You could even make a link to your favorite forum. That way, you could save all that time of clicking the mouse one extra time.

Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Yeah... but it'd be more convenient. I mean, you can tweak other aspects of the forums when logged on. A filter just seems like a natural idea. I can say with confidence that I will never post in the vast majority of off-topic (or for that matter, PC gaming) threads - so why can't I just filter them out somehow?

I doubt that anything will come of this - the Forums Go Boom problem is FAR more annoying and there's no sign Stardock will ever do anything about that - but it would be nice. I don't think Off-Topic threads should be removed from the recent posts completely (i.e. for all users) - but when logged in, I should have a way to get rid of them myself. I can just go to the forums I'm actually interested in - but I shouldn't have to.

Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

Sins of a Solar Empire  :yes:

Modding :yes:

Sins Diplomacy :yes:

Sins News :yes:

Strategy :yes:

Multiplayer :yes:

Technical :yes:

Personal Computing :yes:

PC Gaming :yes:

Off-topic a couple good posts but not enough to keep it due to spam

 

So I am supposed to click on all these links so I dont have to look at crap posts  x_x

I wouldn't hold your breath for a filter either  :puke:

Reply #17 from Demigod Forums Top



I really think that being able to actually see the recent posts (they are uasually thrown off the list in about 30 min durring prime offtopic posting time) will really increase the livelyhood of the sins forums, and maybe give sins itself a bit of extra life, as people are like "ooo, i wanna try that"

.. offtopic takes up 1/3 of 1 recent page list at MOST, even @ peek hours.  To actually be thrown off the recent post list entirely, that would be 3 pages worth of off topic threads bumped continuously, and that definitely is not the case.  No need to exaggerate your opinion, it only hurts your point.

Reply #18 from Sins Forums Top

There's just not a simple solution to this, but I'll accept whatever the mods come up with.

Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I used to say the same thing 2 years ago. Now if you eliminated the Off-topic forum there would hardly be anything left.

However now that Bara has implemented the "bubble up" feature you can sort of do this yourself.

If you go into "My Account" and click on the "Options" tab you'll see the "Flatten Forum Categories" 2nd from the top. Click this and then when you monitor a specific forum you will also see any threads from any subforums.

This is not a perfect solution however it is a solution. The problem I always had with simply monitoring the GalCiv II forum (https://forums.galciv2.com/forum/162) was that sure I could see only the activity in the GalCiv II forum however if I also wanted to see any of the activity in any of the 11 GalCiv II related subforums then I would have to monitor each and every one of them one at a time.

So in the case of GalCiv2 you could use the "Flatten Forum Categories" and then only have to monitor the following 3 forums and you would be guaranteed to see everything GalCiv2 related and never have to view another Off-Topic or Impulse thread again.

GalCiv II and 11 subforums (https://forums.galciv2.com/forum/162)

GalCiv Dev Journals (https://forums.galciv2.com/forum/164)

GalCiv II News (https://forums.galciv2.com/forum/161)

On the Sins site it's even easier. Just monitor the main Sins Forum which will also show all activity from the 12 different Sins subforums and the Sins Clans forum if that interests you as well.

Sins of a Solar Empire and 12 subforums (https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/forum/402)

Sins Clans and Recruitment subforum (https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/forum/410)

And voila, no more Off-topic threads to scroll by to push off the threads that you're actually interested in.

Of course the problem is that most people *say* they don't want to view the Off-topic threads but in reality are drawn to them like a train wreck. So if you *really* want to avoid them and just view the things that you're interested in then here's a way to do it. Just don't be too surprised when you still find yourself perusing the Recent Topics list for something to get pissed off about.

Reply #20 from Sins Forums Top

well, i tried that, and it turns the forums into a jumbled mess... and doenst change the fact that offtopic is still clogging the recent posts list. I posted a very long post... and by the time i clicked the button to go back tothe main forum page, it was already the third most recent post, displaced by tugowar... and an elemental dev post thread.

Reply #21 from Demigod Forums Top

I really dislike the Off-topic spam posts. It really does detract from my ability to quickly see if anything new has popped up. Flattening forums also fails to be good solution to the problem.

Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I agree with the OP and most people in this thread.  :congrat:

Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

well, i tried that, and it turns the forums into a jumbled mess... and doenst change the fact that offtopic is still clogging the recent posts list. I posted a very long post... and by the time i clicked the button to go back tothe main forum page, it was already the third most recent post, displaced by tugowar... and an elemental dev post thread.
As I said check "flatten forum categories" and then monitor only https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/forum/402 (or whatever main forum you wish to monitor).

It has been defined at the highest levels (i.e. Brad) that the Off-topic forum will be visible on pretty much all of Stardock's sites. Good luck changing that. The method I gave you is your only option, take it or leave it.

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Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Mumblefratz - very very useful! I honestly did not know I could do that. k1 karma. Seriously, that pretty much takes care of my problem. I don't object to the off-topic threads per se, just to them taking up seemingly all of the recent posts list.

Oh, and just to note, I think the real reason for the "off-topic spam" is

that the Off-topic forum will be visible on pretty much all of Stardock's sites.

and thus the posters are from all those sites, meaning there's more of them, whereas those posting on GalCiv threads are only from the GalCiv forum, those on Sins threads from the Sins forum (etc.)...

 

Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

9 of 10 in recent.

In More Recent there were:

15 of the first 20,

20 of the total 40.

 

 

And most of them I care nothing about.

I have nothing against Off-Topic being in the Recent list. But I do not like all the fluff garbage spam that comes with it. How about a little moderator help in deleting the truly stupid threads?