ADMIN: Too Many Threads?

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Responding to the Pinefox's concerns, I've changed the format of the front page to a list of new questions and then a category list. What does anyone think of this?

Meanwhile to handle the thread xplosion a bit better, one good idea would be for people to be clear in their thread titles. It's a bit boring I know and I like making up cool-sounding thread titles as much as the rest of you but it'll help people sort things out.

And yes this is addressing the threads question by starting a new thread. Ha!

― Tom, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One idea that someone - Ally? Ethan? - put forward on IM is a one question-per-poster-per-day limit, so hogs like my good self can't fill the forum with any old mental iron.

― Tom, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Being clear in thread titles: why not? But the category list is not exactly crystal, is it?

["e. just broke the water pitcher. f. dead. g. from a distance look like flies": if you know what I mean — intrusion of the unacceptable pomo in-gag]

Of course this may not be a bad thing: it offput me from posting a new thread (first step of the 12-step).

Second step: a week in a land w/o computers, only dead cows (Shropshire). I'm sorry, even if you're not.

― mark s, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, sadly we cant change the cat. names. Gang of 4 and M references seemed like a cool idea when there were only 5 people posting here.

Maybe - gasp! *choke* - a FAQ?

― Tom, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What do we need a FAQ for?

Anyhow, I think Pinefox brought up a better concern, which is the tendency for people to say, "Oh, we did something similar to this already, it's in such-and-such month (which was inevitably at least 3 months ago if not longer)". I mean, is it that hard to not reply to a thread that you feel is a repeat? You're not going to get the same replies twice and it's asinine to expect "newcomers" to go through every single thread and category to make sure their question wasn't already asked, a year ago, and answered by the whole of 4 people who were here at the time.

Sure, some questions might be similar (and there is no excuse for people to do the same classic or dud? more than once, that's one where I understand the putting the foot down), but the answers are going to be different depending on the way the replies are handled, so I don't understand the tendency.

And yes, there are a lot of threads, the problem is some of us start them up as jokes (ie Music to listen to while drunk, Hanoi Rocks: Classic or Dud?, Soup Dragons: Classic or Dud? - I'm naming te ones I'm personally responsible for), so maybe there should be a limit just in case. It wasn't me who suggested it originally, alas.

All of THAT being said I'd rather see a million threads about music on a music board than a million threads about soccer on a "music" mailing list. And yes, that is a dig to the people who know what I'm talking about ;P

― Ally, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've never sent an email about soccer in my life. Football's a different matter.

― Greg, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So what's your take on Jason Sehorn then?

― Ally, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ally, I'm hurt. You almost make it sound like you weren't happy about the Giants nearly going all the way earlier this year or something. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One thing... shouldn't 'answer this first' be the very first thread always?

― Guy, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No: if he can make us feel guilty, he retains power over us.

― mark s, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes there are too fucking many threads.

― ILM Moderator, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

shit - I was all wiredup for my GUMMO FANS VS HAPPY,TEXAS FANS thread

― Grdrcr, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'll remember this, Ned and Greg, and will remember to email incessant updates on baseball and American football from now on, just because I'm certain that someone on the list cares.

In fact, I *know* there are at least two people on the list I can get to talk about Roger Clemens with me. EXCITEMENT FOR ALL.

Oh my god, this is just pointless. I have no desire to email this to the proper people though ;)

― Ally, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Three if you count Jeff Wright. Unless you already did. ;-) Okay, I'll stop here on the subject...

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tom's question was, what do we think of the new format?

I think it's great and sensible. I'm amazed that he seemed to do it 'overnight'.

But I would say that, wouldn't I?

― the pinefox, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Erm, Mark, what the fuck are you talking about?

Are you trying to say that those of us who live outside metropolitan centres don't know how to use computers?

If so, then either I fuck off or you fuck off. It's that simple.

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No, Mr Ridiculously Defensive Jump-to-Wild-Conclusions: I'm saying * I'm* going offline for a week cuz I'l be visiting my mam and da in the deep country, where I was born and raised, where *I* have no access to computers (and they have no yen for it), and where the general understandable self-absorption of grief and worry over the future of livestock cultivation in the UK may cause me to forget you guys for a while. Apologies to who pleases...

― mark s, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh I see. But why didn't you say that the first time? Your phraseology was, to say the least, ambivalent and easy to take the wrong way.

And surely they have internet cafes there if you want to use them?

Off to my weekly ritual burning of photographs, newspaper articles, videos and books concerning Robin Page.

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Internet Cafes. Are you *sure* you live in the country, Robin — and not just Camberwell?

― mark s, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You never see Mark Sinker and Tim Hopkins together, do you?

I apologise profusely for not wearing a smock.

I'm very sorry for having opinions.

Now let's talk about music again.

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Robin seems to be making a somewhat snarky joke, but truthfully for a while I would continually confuse mark and tim. Must be because Tim runs "sink".

― Tim, Sunday, 22 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It occurs to me that ILM is becoming more like Pop. So much good stuff, you can never hope to catch it all. And since threads come and go so quickly now, there is a certain quasi-disposable quality that people associate with pop radio. But in the best possible way.

― Mark, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

I think there are too many threads again.

― Tom, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

[it wasn't me]

― a-33, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Who's Mr Grumpy today, then? ;-)

You're right, but I've been saying this for months (like, ever since I first came here). I guess you really mean, there are too few threads with good discussions on them. For the record, I've started just over 20 threads this year, but only 3 in June/July. I think I've suggested before a "rule" that you cannot start a new thread ubtil you've successfully revived an old one (successfully = got 10 other people to post on it).

― Jeff W, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think a lot of the old formats have run out of steam a bit - Dave Q can work miracles with a Taking Sides thread when he wants to but there are millions of the buggers around at the moment. I just like the more abstract threads I suppose. The joy and horror of ILM is that any rules are unenforceable anyway.

― Tom, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

tom- can you delete the 'julio signed me to porn' thread please, since it wasn't me. There's quite a few repeat threads on wilco, flaming lips, sy and, er..Sohpie eills bextor (which is my fault kinda of even though graham actually put those up). Do you delete those, or what?

― JUlio Desouza, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

No, I don't delete duplicate threads. I will delete the signed to porn one if I can find it in the archives. The problem isn't really duplicate threads though - like Jeff says it's lots of threads which don't seem to be designed to lead to any very interesting talk. I think ILM's best when there's a balance between big long vague threads and tiny micro-interest threads - there's no way to 'enforce' this of course...

― Tom, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

since there's nowhere to PUT THE RULES which can't just be ignored as things stand, inventing new ones is a bit pointless => policing that works (a bit) better is when ppl are redirected to old threads

i don't think the julio-porn shd be deleted, as it contains an explanation where the porn actually comes from (viz robo- spamming)

― mark s, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the way to make threads lead to interesting talk is to hijack them

― mark s, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

nowhere to PUT THE RULES

Are Mr Greenspun's templates so completely inflexible then that moderators cannot add to or adapt them? The first sentence of the question that begins this thread suggests otherwise.

― Jeff W, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

there's ALREADY "rules" on the post-a-new-thread page jeff, but no one takes any notice of them, or even reads em far as i can tell

we have a set of categories, but how well they are understood i do not know: the FAQ has never emerged

probably the template *is* hackable but as we are imminently to "move" who can be bothered?

besides what is the injunction you suggest? "DON'T BE BORING"?

― mark s, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think there are too many threads again.

Dig this, Tom: two months ago, to the day, I archived 6,668 ILE threads. Today I've got approximately 7,775 and that might a low-ball estimate. (I haven't finished my re-archiving of ILM, so no numbers for that yet.)

― Michael Daddino, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

actually the rules have vanished from the ask-a-question page, so ignore that

the archive-it-yrself feature has nicely fucked up my brilliant categories i notice

― mark s, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm impressed by the extent to which new folks turn up and do actually pay attention to what has happened before, what's already been said, etc. There was a rash of the POO / OPO threads a while back, but that seems to have died down. I guess there will always be people who like to enthuse about trivia / fan-type face-offs and add one liners to threads on specific bands / albums / tracks / notes and those who prefer the big discussions.

(Actually that gives me an idea....)

― alext, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

besides what is the injunction you suggest?
I already said upthread, mark. You can't stop people deliberately ignoring the rules, true, but you can make them harder to overlook. You can also make the "hurdles" to jump before you can ask a question higher.
"DON'T BE BORING"?
It wasn't me who claimed to be bored.
― Jeff W, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

''i don't think the julio-porn shd be deleted, as it contains an explanation where the porn actually comes from (viz robo- spamming)''
I don't know what the fuck you're talking abt. That thread is not discussing music. I mean, if you don't delete it, it's not a big deal. But i'd prefer it.
''the way to make threads lead to interesting talk is to hijack them''
That can go both ways. I think I've hijacked or changed direction of a few threads. Most of the time (as I seem to recall it just lead to a discussion of a completely different artist that I somehow related to them) but at others it just leads to insults as in the Fritz's thread yeaterday (though i still think it was 'funny', maybe it's in my sense of humour and the sunshine).
There was a duplicate thread on Fushitsusha. I told the person who started that i started the first one and that he should go there for info. I was gonna start a band of Susans' thread after hearing their great alb 'the word and the flesh' but i first searched, and indeed, there was a thread abt the band so i reactivated it instead.
But if there are newcomers then won't know all the tricks. They may also just have started on the internet so reading FAQ's will not be something thay areaccustome to.
― Julio Desouza, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry
― Jeff W, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

stop?

― Jeff W, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Stop altogether? R U KRAZEE!?! ;-)
Rules obv don't work. I'd suggest: just go with the flow even if it creates a cesspool. hahah

― nath @ work, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, let us wallow in our own filth.

― Andrew L, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

There was a rash of the POO / OPO threads a while back, but that seems to have died down.

I was very turned on by all those threds, and then unaccountably, in a moment of weakness, I started one myself (about Pigface no less?).

― DeRayMi, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry jeff i am very ratty and jaded today

julio, if i recall two or three ppl say later down the julio-porn thread that it is NOT you doing it but robo-spam (which i assume it is): so it becomes a corrective information service to anyone who happens to find it revive it

yes obviously hijacking can make threads worse as well as better

― mark s, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, OK then.

''yes obviously hijacking can make threads worse as well as better''

It can go both but I do enjoy it whichever way they go. Just thought i'd add that.

― Julio Desouza, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Do those 5 new Oasis questions support my case for rules or refute it? (I am not going to read any of them).

― Jeff W, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Marcello: the moderator's friend.

― Tom, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom read my mind.

― alext, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

silence is indeed the best policy when dealing with those threads the tom can delete them due to lack of replies, no?

― Julio Desouza, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think I prefer my last post as an Order: Tom -- READ MY MIND! (Would this be mentalism, or just telepathy?)

― alext, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Do mine next!

― felicity, Sunday, 7 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

mark, I tried archiving my own threads but it's too hard!

― Josh, Sunday, 7 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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