@RM
Tbh, I don’t really get why they don’t, it’s like they’re intentionally ignoring the existance of the forum.
The forum isn't important right now. Actually, it probably hasn't ever been important. So they're not necessarily intentionally ignoring it so much as they're giving it the attention it needs…which is little. It self-regulates and moderates, and most anything that can be done here can be done elsewhere, is done elsewhere, or will have to be brought behind scenes anyway making the forum just a "starting point."
Worst that can really happen is a sudden influx of forum users who don’t necessarily get our forum culture, which may create chaos.
Moderation will fix that. And I think someone said it later on or prior to now, but even if users were "forced" from comments (like me and various others were back when FiM was more popular,) they might stick to one General thread or just simply go back to the comments.
Riff-Raff might not even work, because mods suspend there for kicks. If you have users who have to comment every 10 minutes on something, then they're not going to want to get suspended for, what's it, 3 hours or so? They'll just stick to the comments or possibly even leave the site outright.
With regards to karma, yeah, unlike the comments, forum karma sticks. I believe most people currently active in the forums distribute negakarma for being off-topic, being too antagonistic, or otherwise being a bother. I don't mind, but it's easy for me to say. Older users could get -500 karma and still have a 90/10 Positive/Negative ratio.
@lisa
It doesn’t have to be a definite no, but at the very least mods are gonna have to babysit for a couple weeks while the migrants integrate.
Among Forum, many Senior, and Database mods, we have manpower in spades. I lurk the forums a lot, but I don't actually do much outside of a few choice topics. But if I see something that needs a mediating post, then I'll make it. There are several others, perhaps a couple dozen, who could and will do the same thing if they think they need to.
@RM
Riff-Raff baloney and in-joke threads are frequently found there. Any unsuspecting individual would find himself confused and in the case of Riff-Raff mock threads might start a shitstorm. Nobody is up for explaining the joke or Riff-Raff 500 times, and the risk will do more damage than good.
This wouldn't be an issue if we didn't have Riff-Raff in the first place I TOLD YOU WAY BACK WHEN THIS KIND OF THING WOULD HAPPEN BUT NO.
Given that we have it, yes, that's going to be a big problem. But if the aim is to get consistent traffic to the forums, then the end goal is to get new users and current, comment-specific users here on a regular basis.
Just like the stray new users who happen upon the forums, they can learn how to use the forums. We'll informally and formally warn about what and what can't happen in what boards, and they'll get the idea soon enough. It basically just means we'll have to do more moderating, but it's not like we don't have the hands for it.
Some people will have a hard time getting used to the forums but it’s going to be more of a “cultural” shock than anything. I’m quite positive on this actually, doesn’t mean that shit won’t happen but I’m sure we can handle it.
This, more or less. I see it as an initial problem for new users, but as they get more experienced with the forums, they'll adjust (or they won't, and we'll go a step or two further in moderating.)
tl;dr on the issue of newer users not getting the differences among the boards:
- They'll pick up on it. It's up to the mods to help them pick up on it. We're not ban-happy anyway, so I think what's more likely to happen is that people just decide to float back to the comments (which is where we began,) or learn and stick around (which is what we want.)