Topic Locking

[Mez]

I would like to know how long (if at all) you think mods should wait until we lock old topics.

Also If you think any sections should be treated differently (e.g. Programming/coding forum)
  By differently I mean be subject to not being locked at all, or have a longer time limit

Genesis ideas forum as well.
  I keep that one fairly short, for ease of idea development and viewing by Genesis team

Note. This doesn't count for topics that mods feel are abusive, getting too off topic, or being asked to close the topic for a specified reason.

[dm-horus]

I think any dev sections should have a shorter time since once you reach the end of the discussion theres really nothing to add and it serves better as a reference. Programming, coding sections would benefit from this I think.

Genesis on the other hand deserves its own special attention and treatment. Im really of the mind that the genesis team should be taking care of their own mess. If it gets too out of order, we simply issue an ultimatum to take care of it lose it. If we dont go that route and continue to mod their topics, I think they should be archived sooner rather than later so that Genesis can make use of whats there and move ahead smoother.

But in general I think archiving once every 2-3 months is a very reasonable amount of time. If you wanted to keep the topic active you had ample opportunity to do so.

Again, thanks for the great work Mez.

[Mez]

Talking to Hooman, it seems that the programming section doesn't get spammed in, and replys do happen when people go away and then come back to improving code, so perhaps making the time limit a bit longer, say 6 months for that forum

[White Claw]

I also think coding should be a little longer. For the same reasons as stated. That sort of topic lends itself to having a continuous thread (as long as it doesn't get out of hand).

[Hooman]

Yeah, the programming section could easily stand to keep threads open for at least 6 months to a year (maybe indefinately for some topics). Some of those topics take a long time to work on. Plus programmers sometimes get busy with life (or other programming projects) and have to put things aside. It's sometimes nice to go back and try and finish something off after a while once you finally have the free time.

Plus, you can also get stuck on some problems. It could very well be that information from another area that doesn't appear to be too related allows you to figure out something new in an area that was previously worked on. I've ran into this many times when reading OP2 code. Like how reading graphics code might let let you find internal flags and timers for EMP, ESG, and Stickyfoam, since the drawing code must access these to draw the right graphics if needed. Those values might then allow you to figure out a lot more about the internal unit structure, and perhaps what some more of the virtual functions on those classes do.

I guess this differs from above because it's more reverse engineering than it is development.


Or it could just be that content is sometimes much more important than age. Some topics get obsolete faster than others. But then, it's a lot more work to read through old topics than to read the date on the topic.
 

[Highlander]

I voted 6+ months.

I pretty much only read/post in the OP2 section here, so that is where my belief comes from.

I just think it's nice to have some time for alot of players to post their opinions about things. New angles may come as new players(or old) players join the discussion, even though it has been dead for some time.

[Freeza-CII]

The problem that most threads have is peope start running there ideas on the end of the old thread instead of making a new thread.

[omagaalpha]

Then there lost for create new topic and if it good one then at least in Gensis they get thread that has idea on. So in way it just adds quality control for bad are not put out as threads.
 

[dm-horus]

I think the admin argument is that a thread has its own line of thought depending on how it is written, followed up on and who contributed to it. As it ages and is active, the idea matures and it naturally reaches a point where no further information can be added, only taken away as a reference. At that point a thread should be locked and archived. It is not bad or killing a topic, it is simply being filed away since nothing more useful can be added.

Creating a new topic makes the idea fresh again and if the topic starter reads the archived topic, their new thread will be more concise and generally better all around. If we do not lock and archive old topics then what we get are people repeatedly replying to only the LAST reply posted. If someone posts an idea and it is flamed, the only replies after the flaming will be things like "this guy is a jerk for flaming" or "you shouldnt say that for _____ reason" nobody is replying to the TOPIC, just the subsequent replies (which usually wander off topic as the number of replies increase).

The solution is to lock and archive topics to keep them from running into the ground. If you leave a topic (any topic) up long enough, eventually all replies will be off topic and useless, making the thread more of a burden than a benefit. If we use archived topics as a reference and create new topics based on them, the topics you see on the forum will always be fresh, active and people will be eager to see activity. Many people do not look into threads that are receiving replies if they are beyond a certain age. This gives the forum the feel of a junkyard as there will be many threads on the forum that serve no purpose but still receive off topic replies. This is what was happening before Mez started the archiving process.

I appreciate your input on this subject, omagaalpha.

Any final thoughts?

[TH300]

The Gensis forum has been mentioned a few times and I thought that I'd comment on that.

This is my opinion, not the opinion of the whole Genesis team:

Our forums are a bit messy, thats true. We had plans already, to reorganize things, but we forgot about those plans. I think we should make this step now.

And I see nothing wrong with closing old idea's threads. - a year ago, I'd have said its best to leave them all open, so that an idea can be refined till its perfect. But I didn't see this refinement happen. Instead I saw offtopicness. Closing old threads can really help us. And if an idea needs more refinement, people can make a new thread for it. We could change the rules to allow that.

One thing though: don't archive threads in the Genesis forum. they should stay there for everyone to see, to be referenced or to be re-opened if adequate.

It would be good to get some structure in the ideas that are already posted, but it appears to me that it won't happen soon. I, for my part, decided to code op3 rather than managing ideas. Ideas are important, but the actual game is more important. And I don't have enough time to care enough about both. Now, its not just me in the team. So I will encourage the others to help out.

I want to thank all the moderators who help out in the Genesis section. You really help us by keeping it tidy.
And the creative minds who's ideas are closed too quickly, shall not feel offended. Some ideas are really not suitable for the game that we're making. We don't have much resources and we have to focus those resources on the stuff that's most promissing.

If I wanted to cover anything else, I forgot.

[omagaalpha]

I like not against lock if after fact topic got useless post on too much just against strategy of prevent it from concurrences.  Cough who ever vote never need be hit head for then get 100 pages thread which get annoying.

Just against 3 months too little time to do cleaning at but as heard different part forums it need be different time frame for them.
If going have different forums to forum time for locking then someone create java script automatically at cut off for each forum lock those topic.

Maybe problem more just say cut off for all forums. It should different each forums different task.

Suggest maybe for geniuses team is they get some one on team is to manage forum not there to help graphic and code for the game.
And if such person on forums then he train to be able to post idea to say this idea would not all work for game and lock it. Then that person can compile list idea that what so far been reject or accept or another master list all the ideas cover in geniuses forum.

For as forums grow get point need forum specific mods but you already knew that lol.




My opinion what current voting is
7 for 3 months or less are most like staff of forums
those for 6 months or more are other people which 5.
Never - that tell me they don't know lot about how forums work
7 global mod and 4 geniuses ones and then lev as admin person lol.


Like mod and rest staff thank you for doing this poll for it let community decided what they think. Sometime got realize a decision should left open community then to just make internally decision. Plus bonus do little bit it make people in feel they have say in it.

Yes kind of went free write when did this post.

[Quantum]

Why are locked topics still there?  

[Freeza-CII]

so people can read them.  Not all locked topics are bad.

[Leviathan]

I think the archive of old topics should be viewable to all members.

[Freeza-CII]

isnt it already

[zhukant]

I think the admin argument is that a thread has its own line of thought depending on how it is written, followed up on and who contributed to it… etc.

I most agree with this of all the replies. I'm the kind of person that likes to know what's going on in a thread before posting it, and occasionally when there's a five page thread I'll actually read it, and watch the topic meander further and further away from the beginning. I think that three months is ample time for an idea to brew. If someone is able to add more insight to an older idea, then they would serve a very great deed to the community by summarising the pages of thought from the old thread into a paragraph or two, and then adding their own commentary afterwards so they may save the rest of the people like myself who take the time to familiarise themselves with the thread a great deal of reading extræneous information.

——

[Quantum]

even though I said a year I agree with you

you don't want to have peoples topics up forever or else the forum would be a mess  

[White Claw]

True, but access to them and being able to search won't mess things up too much. They're already in an "Archive" subforum.

[Derekristow]

I'm glad this thread didn't get locked.  I think that there should always be at least one thread open in every forum/subforum.  If they all get locked down, then it basically closes off the area.  No one starts new threads because they feel it was shut down for a reason (at least, thats how I saw it).  Just leave open a general  thread so that if interest picks back up people have a place to voice their opinion.

P.S.  Sorry if someone has already suggested this.  I may have missed it.

[CK9]

I've always taken the stance that it isn't fair to lock a topic until it has been inactive for 6 months.

[Freeza-CII]

Knowing that they will just necro the thread and it will never end.

[CK9]

That's why you set up guidelines, such as: if it does not pretain to the original topic, then the topic gets locked.

[Freeza-CII]

true true.  But even then your going to have topics that are locked because they have ended or like the idea thread the idea was ultimately accepted or rejected.

[CK9]

hmm, to put a universal locking policy doesn't seem that good.  Perhaps it would be best to go over each section and decide on the policies, then post them in a pinned (an locked) topic.

[Freeza-CII]

6 months sounds a bit much 3 sounds better to me.