Atalanta wrote:
Please tell me what's informative and sharing about personal things in off topic for those interested in joining the forum? They should be joining for the interest in Hunters and pets.
I posted this request with the safety of members in mind. As I already stated on the first page, every single forum I'm a part of (and it's way over 20) has their member and other discussions topics hidden from those not a part of the community. I can't really see why people don't mind it staying open. I know it's the internet and everyone is a stranger, but it kinda doesn't feel like we're Petopians. I feel extremely exposed when I post anything in off topic now, knowing that anyone can just be looking there. And it's not requesting to 'HIDE EVERYTHING!!!!' because of one small incident. It's considering a move which will avoid future screw ups like that one.
Having that opens gives a much better feel for the community than closing it off, as I said. The Hunter related aspects are very stiff and informative, you don't know who the community is. As for why I don't mind it open...Easy. If I don't want people to read certain things, I don't post them. Again, you're proposing that random strangers go for the Hunter aspect. They make an account and suddenly they can see the Off Topic stuff. Your posts? No longer as protected. I don't see it having an effect, just adds another step for people to see your stuff. And the Bots already have "accounts", so they can still see your info, can't they?
Nili wrote:Considering you have a colored name, most new members naturally look up to you and your comments on this forum. But here..damn girl I can literally see your sarcasm dripping. Reel it in and try to be a bit more respectful, yeah?
You might be right that I was a bit out of line, but I think you've crossed that line right with me. That wasn't called for. People said similar things while being far more respectful. Follow your own advice.
Zuilu wrote:On the 'safety' issue, nothing you post on the internet is going to be safe. If you're not comfortable with people possibly finding it, you shouldn't post it on such a large forum.
Exactly. As like I said above, hiding it from lurkers won't prevent them from just making an account and then peeking at what you write anyways. Tons of users join daily, and a fair chunk of them don't post even once, just lurking the forum. Even hiding it won't do much to protect privacy. What Zuilu is saying I agree with completely. If you don't want people reading it, don't post it, because lots of people have an account and are still complete strangers.
Xakaal wrote:If we hide these topics, guests who havent lurked here before wont know they exist. They wont join the forums to have small chat with the community but rather because they wish to become part of the community in a productive and -hopefully- fun way by either joining to speak about WoW or to join the RP threads or to share their artistic creativeness with us.
In my earlier posts i wasnt trying to say that we should only let WoW players or enthusiasts in (no ones spoken up about my responses in this thread but as this conversation grows i would like to address my lack of properly explained thoughts ^^ i feel i came on too strong amd making it sound to myself like im implying 'oh only fellow crazy hunter players can join' which isnt the case.) but rather, have the people join because we have common interests. If someone wants to join an RP, let them. Its not all WoW related, and its a great way to get to know members of the community. Same as the fan art, we dont always draw WoW related stuff but we praise eachothers work when someone posts some whether it be simple sketches or a masterpiece with digital editing and enhancing throughout the whole picture.
Just that.. the off topic stuff that isnt geared towards bringing the community together or having the community grow should be members only.. its not doing anything for the greater good and it wont harm anyone to have it hidden. Guests coming here for the first time, if the change was implimented, would have no idea that we have threads like our Happy/Rant thread, or Dragon Cave thread, or Magistream thread. :3 If they make an account just to see the off-topic threads (but they shouldnt be able to tell that such a board even exists.. i think you can hide boards entirely from guest view but i dont know, i never tried it on my forums), then so be it. We tried right? We cant stop it all together but stemming the flow is better then just sitting by and letting it flood.
Okay. Let's look at your first paragraph.
"If we hide these topics, guests who havent lurked here before wont know they exist. They wont join the forums to have small chat with the community but rather because they wish to become part of the community in a productive and -hopefully- fun way by either joining to speak about WoW or to join the RP threads or to share their artistic creativeness with us."
You're absolutely correct. People who have never been here won't know they're there. I don't see why people wanting to chat with the community is such a bad thing, honestly. Why are people so against it? That's all I do these days--participate in the game threads and talk. I have little real interest in WoW, and no one RPs anymore. I don't feel comfortable posting my art on the art threads. So I talk with people I've known for over a year. Had the forums been hidden, I never would've joined Petopia. Which, you know, may not matter at all to you, but since I've been with Petopia for over a year, it's odd to think how such a big part of the last year would have been different.
"In my earlier posts i wasnt trying to say that we should only let WoW players or enthusiasts in (no ones spoken up about my responses in this thread but as this conversation grows i would like to address my lack of properly explained thoughts ^^ i feel i came on too strong amd making it sound to myself like im implying 'oh only fellow crazy hunter players can join' which isnt the case.) but rather, have the people join because we have common interests. If someone wants to join an RP, let them. Its not all WoW related, and its a great way to get to know members of the community. Same as the fan art, we dont always draw WoW related stuff but we praise eachothers work when someone posts some whether it be simple sketches or a masterpiece with digital editing and enhancing throughout the whole picture."
Isn't talking to one another a common interest? What if I'm browsing the forums as a guest, I see the magistream thread, and am like, "Oh these guys like Magistream, I think I'll join so I can talk to them." Or maybe I see someone talking about teaching, which hypothetically I do. What if I want to add input there? Hide the forums and I would never know these people show interest in things I do or know about, and again, what if WoW is no longer as interesting and I can't draw? Again, it's not like the RP forum is doing much so in that aspect I wouldn't care.
"Just that.. the off topic stuff that isnt geared towards bringing the community together or having the community grow should be members only.. its not doing anything for the greater good and it wont harm anyone to have it hidden. Guests coming here for the first time, if the change was implimented, would have no idea that we have threads like our Happy/Rant thread, or Dragon Cave thread, or Magistream thread. :3 If they make an account just to see the off-topic threads (but they shouldnt be able to tell that such a board even exists.. i think you can hide boards entirely from guest view but i dont know, i never tried it on my forums), then so be it. We tried right? We cant stop it all together but stemming the flow is better then just sitting by and letting it flood."
Really? I don't know, the entirety of the off-topic threads seem like it brings the community together. See my above examples, what if someone was interested in joining a current discussion about something they know a lot about, so they join due to that.
Again, common interests show again in things like the DC thread or the MS thread. You'd hide those as well to prevent something that was an accident from happening again, yet if people share common interests in that, they're blocked off.
And you seem like these people coming and lurking is such a huge and horrible thing. I honestly don't see how. You had one mistake happen that yes, shut down a thread that reopened shortly after. Privacy issues has been covered extensively-If you don't want people to read it, don't post. Easy. The -only- logical reason I could see forums being hidden off is to prevent spam, but at that point you might as well hide everything which is even more counterproductive.
I already see that point.
