6Foot2 Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Haven't voted in this poll because there is no 'I REALLY Hope not' option.
LosOjos Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 General Chat - From what you think about Billy G to what you think about your favourite beer. That forum makes NO claim to be for professional discussion, so what's the problem? If you don't want social chat, stick to the technical forums, it's not difficult... 3
stratisphere Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 maybe update the front page to ignore general chat forums? Or have a separate box for the threads from those boards? 1
copson90 Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Surely its nice to learn a bit more about the other members though, i do come onto this site to look a technical issues because im a newcomer to IT jobs but its nice to have a general chat aswell. Then again ive only posted about 8 messages....
powdarrmonkey Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 me , I'm an old dog hun some say veteran Nah, I still say old dog. Then again ive only posted about 8 messages.... Actually your profile says 14. But, y'know.
Danielle Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 General Chat - From what you think about Billy G to what you think about your favourite beer. That forum makes NO claim to be for professional discussion, so what's the problem? If you don't want social chat, stick to the technical forums, it's not difficult... good comment 1
LosOjos Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 If it's really becoming that much of an issue for people and mods are starting to worry, couldn't the iSpy page (I presume that's what's annoying people as they wouldn't look at General Chat otherwise) be updated so that users can set preferences as to which forums they want to display updates from? It'd take a bit of work but it'd stop the whingeing...
copson90 Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 well you get the idea of what im saying but meh
Guest richard_s Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 General Chat - From what you think about Billy G to what you think about your favourite beer. That forum makes NO claim to be for professional discussion, so what's the problem? If you don't want social chat, stick to the technical forums, it's not difficult... Here Here
sparkeh Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 General Chat - From what you think about Billy G to what you think about your favourite beer. That forum makes NO claim to be for professional discussion, so what's the problem? If you don't want social chat, stick to the technical forums, it's not difficult... No it doesn't claim to be anything else. But what is this site supposed to do? I would say from the tag line "The IT professionals lifeline" that it helps IT professionals in their day to day business. Therefore shouldn't the focus be on the technical stuff? Also some of the off topic stuff going on recently has actively prevented the site from fulfilling its intended goal. Do we want the admins and mods tied up refereeing pointless arguments? I don't. I would rather they were getting on developing things that are actually going to help us. Go to most forums with a specific focus and the general chat is a small part of the forum. Ok, the fact that we have such busy off topic business means that we have a thriving community which is good, just don't have that to the detriment to what we are actually here to do. maybe update the front page to ignore general chat forums? Or have a separate box for the threads from those boards? Good idea. 1
ahuxham Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Here with DMcCoy on the matter. Alot of the new content is very cringe worthy, and there's lots of self loathing on the site. Lets take this afternoons header. I couldn't care less who's birthday it is. Microsoft doesn't update when its Steve Ballmers birthday, nor do many other websites online the same content. What do labour call it? Cronyism? (Sp) Professionalism should transfer to everything on the site. Unless you specify, well the technical forums are professional the rest isn't so we're half a professional site.
garethEds Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I dunno, i enjoy a bit of banter squeezed in between the serious stuff, makes me smile. But as said above as long as people dont start to take the and we end up with what we did the other day! lol Ohhh what did I miss?
AyatollahPies Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 As long as we don't go down the "Hugz n' Kissez" route that forums like Money Saving Expert do then I'll be happy. Though I do struggle to see the point of having a "thanks" function.
garethEds Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 It would be a shame to see members like DMcCoy put off the site as people like him make valuable contribution to the technical knowledge of the site. His posts have helped me on numerous occasions. Shame is too soft a word actually, it would be a real blow to the site. For my tastes, the site has become too socially slanted recently. It is frustrating to post a question about a technical issue you are having to see it quickly slide off the front page due to the "Have you seen this amusing website" and "Lets have a chinwag about some trivial issue" threads and thus not have a great chance of being answered. I am not saying that those threads don't have their place but shouldn't overwhelm the genunine technical questions that people need help with. My chinese post on Saturday night probably didn't help - but it was in the General Forum :-) GJE
LosOjos Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I do struggle to see the point of having a "thanks" function. I think this is valuable in identifying members who can be relied on for useful information, that's my opinion of the thanks function. My chinese post on Saturday night probably didn't help - but it was in the General Forum :-) Exactly, the General forum, for general chat, I see no problem with that. Unless the posts are discussing illegal activity or are filled with pron (just in case you have any sensitive filters out there!), I can't see the harm done. I know that I personally would feel more comfortable asking for help and advice from a community I feel I know and trust than a community full of people who post the facts, the facts and nothing but the facts. I have Wikipedia for that!
powdarrmonkey Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Though I do struggle to see the point of having a "thanks" function. It contributes to your reputation, shown on the left, to make it easy to identify members that have made the most useful posts in the past. The definition of 'thanks' is loose though, it also gets used for funny, witty, complimentary etc. posts.
sparkeh Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 My chinese post on Saturday night probably didn't help - but it was in the General Forum :-) GJE As I have said, I am not in any way advocating a ban on any chat that is not strictly technical.
AyatollahPies Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 It contributes to your reputation, shown on the left, to make it easy to identify members that have made the most useful posts in the past. The definition of 'thanks' is loose though, it also gets used for funny, witty, complimentary etc. posts. But there are certain cliques on this forum, that seem to thank certain folk no matter what they post. Thus making it a pointless addition. I have used it myself a few times though.
powdarrmonkey Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 But there are certain cliques on this forum, that seem to thank certain folk no matter what they post. Thus making it a pointless addition. I have used it myself a few times though. Quite, which is why it's only worth 5 rep points. When proper reputation is given, its value is based on the giver's own reputation.
SteveBentley Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I think the difference with here and Facebook is that with the latter you're communicating with people who (in the main) you already know offline or through some other medium. Here, you're communicating with total strangers, many of them using pseudonyms (nothing necessarily wrong with that) and some who appear to just be here to troll and "flame" people (see what I did there?) without making much of a contribution to the main business of the site. One site I know of changed its policy a number of years back and required all members to have an account in their own name, verified by using their work (etc) email address. Seemed to focus the minds of some of the more troublesome posters into taking more time to think before they posted. If this is a "professional" site, maybe it's something that could be considered here?
glennda Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 if it is like facebook do we get a dislike button :D:D:D:D:D:D
Tcsltd Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 if it is like facebook do we get a dislike button :D:D:D:D:D:D Only if 1 million people join the group!!
Danielle Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 hahaha!! general chat should be for general chat. and technical forums for technical issues - this is well stated on the toolbar at the top. why is there any confusion over that?
ahuxham Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 hahaha!! general chat should be for general chat. and technical forums for technical issues - this is well stated on the toolbar at the top. why is there any confusion over that? Because the site is proclaimed to be professional, when its grossly not. Even our general chats should be to the point without all the micky-mouse-ness. And "site" implies everything, and all content, even "General". I don't see how a discussion about being Frisky is warranted, or even professional. 1
Danielle Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 well as much as I apprecaite I cant please everyone - the majority did enjoy my Frisky Friday thread- it was light hearted and a bit of fun on a Friday. I'd like to think I put a smile on at least someones face
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