GameAmp: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

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mriswith

Posts: 121
Joined: 03/09/2006
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Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Off-topic/ Test-forum guidelines

Recent events have shown that the off-topic section needs more strict guidelines in order to keep it within the forum rules. Lately the off-topic section is more and more being used as a flame section and a reason to seek trouble. A lot of topics have been locked lately due to people who cannot refrain themselves from flaming and seeking trouble.
Als the amount of nothing-related topics is starting to get alarming and quiet some people have expressed their concerns about it. Off topic is indeed meant to discuss things not GW-related; and also off topic is not meant to discuss personal issues which requier RL advice and such. Saying/sharing something you achieved in RL is nice; but sharing relationship troubles with your GF/BF is not. If you seek guidance in such matters you better ask friends, parents or coundellors in RL rather then asking people who sometimes feel they need to try to be 'funny' and intentionally or unintentionally start a flamewar.

After some debating we have descided to following:
- Testing of signatures and avatars; post them in this thread. You only need 1 post to test signatures and avatars. This way we can keep the top 5 clean. We have had 4 signature tests which got bumped for 2 days; people asking help about the game (which this site is meant for) just got overlooked because their post got bumped down in 5 minutes. Signature and avatar test outside this thread will be deleted.
- Movies: Post the links here.
It is allright to post them; but keep them together in this thread. Again; its not needed to have 100 threads for videos when we can keep them organised in one. Mind the restrictions written in the first post of that thread. We have had videos lately that violated the forum rules. Videos breaking those rules will be instantly deleted; as well as videos posted outside this thread.
- Personal problems and issues are better told or asked to people in RL. We have had people being flamed because they seeked guidance and people just felt making fun of them; hardly the community feeling i thought we had; and in order to prevent it from happening again it's better to state this rule. if you have or had personal problems seek guidance at a counsellor, friends or parents in RL.

We will also be monitoring the off-topic more then we used to due to the fact we have had too many flamewars starting there; which had no reason at all. There was a reason we removed the rant and rave topic; please dont make us do the same to Off-topic. Remember; post when you have something constructive to say or your opinion; but give thought to how you say it: it can't hurt to read it twice instead of posting your mind straight away.

Lastly; however we do have an off-topic section i would like to remind people we are a Game-Fansite about GuildWars. Posting off-topic is fine; but dont let Off-topic take it over from the thing this forum is for: A place to discuss GuildWars in all its aspects and to create a community of GuildWars addicts.

Mriswith
Site Manager

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

09/17/07 05:07

Tha Golden Warrior

Posts: 0
Joined: 11/19/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic

awesome!
+cred

09/17/07 05:56

Evil Geek

Posts: 15
Joined: 10/18/2005
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RE: Announcement: Off topic

Evil Geek does a happy dance! Nice one, more GW related topics and less flaming :)

• Guild Wars: Mutants [MU] • Age of Conan: Ampian Forerunners •

09/17/07 06:04

The Sister

Posts: 50
Joined: 03/09/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic

My trigger finger is itching already :)

09/17/07 06:22

wildjokerz

Posts: 4
Joined: 06/22/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic

/Bravo!

Now if we can only work on a seperate catagory for recruiting. I notice that they get a of good topics bumped from the top 5. Or is there a sight posibilty for a top 10?

Thank you again for making this website someplace I look foward to coming to at least 3 times a day.

<3

09/17/07 07:51

anan saman

Posts: 130
Joined: 01/10/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic

w00t, Awsome, thanks ^^ hope you dfont have to much probs from me

thanks to mimori for this nice signature!

if you find big grammar faults in my posts, please pm me to tell me what i did wrong.

09/17/07 08:09

mginn82

Posts: 0
Joined: 11/21/2005
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RE: Announcement: Off topic

Should this topic be pinned? Or better yet all of the various "guideline" topics could be combined into one thread and pinned/linked to off the main page?

I've been a member for almost 2 years and am still finding new things on the site. We can't reasonably expect a newcomer to join and then think to search for/be able to find all the various threads where guidelines are posted. Centralizing them and making them more obvious (or maybe even adding it to the account creation process?) would make it easier on new members?

Just my 2 cents.. Btw admins, great job on the quick and decisive action!

09/17/07 09:07

B J W E R T

Posts: 7
Joined: 12/11/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic

Great job admins! ;-) This should certainly help to make this site fulfill it's purpose more efficiently:
A place where GW players of all ages can come and ask for help, and discuss anything GW related.

09/17/07 10:03

mwpeck

GameAmp Staff
Posts: 26
Joined: 11/24/2005
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic

QUOTE

- Testing of signatures and avatars; post them in this thread. You only need 1 post to test signatures and avatars. This way we can keep the top 5 clean. We have had 4 signature tests which got bumped for 2 days; people asking help about the game (which this site is meant for) just got overlooked because their post got bumped down in 5 minutes. Signature and avatar test outside this thread will be deleted.

Just a reminder about signatures and avatars. You dont even need a new post to test them, looking up an older post (which is easy now that the higher ups have fixed it), you can see changes for your avatar/sig.

But, if you must show it off, do so in the new topic for em. :P

Update in whenever I dont feel lazy.

09/17/07 10:30

Wyat_hawke

Posts: 66
Joined: 06/16/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Honestly, this isn't such a big problem as people want it to be...

I think more and more people here on amp actually do enjoy the off-topic section. Isn't it a fair hint that it is one of the more popular subforum? Look at how fairly stale the last discussion threads about different GW aspects have been, to be honest I feel there are more interesting subjects to talk and debate around whenever an off-topic one pops up in the top 5. And if you are so bothered by it, you don't have to read it do you? I know it's a fairly silly argument, but if you are here only for the discussing GW or in the off-topic section, then just click your way into the right section. It's isn't as hard as it might sound ^_^

The Off-Topic section is popular, and in many cases it is even more popular than a number of other subforums. Gameamp is much more about socializing these days. Gone are the search for the hard facts (we have the wiki for that one), but we do still like to get an opinion on what dye we should get on our next armour, or what your favourite comedian is.

If we have seen an outbreak of flamewars the last week, isn't it better to re-notify people of the rules, or to make the (flaming) rules stricter?

I think gameamp is so diverse, that we can allow both the popular off-topic to mingle with the more Guild Wars related subjects.

I am totally okay with off-topic threads, they do not bother me. If you are really that bothered by it, just click your way into the subforum you like and you have your problem solved really...

09/17/07 12:03

Toa Hahli

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Joined: 02/14/2007
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RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

QUOTE

Off-Topic
Discuss whatever and whenever

Why is Off-Topic such a big deal? You guys put it on the site.
Get rid of it if you dont like it. or change the textunder 'Off-Topic' so you arent false advertising

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

09/17/07 12:59

mriswith

Posts: 121
Joined: 03/09/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

I am not going to defend our desicion nor am i gonna change it. This 'Off-topic'issue has lead to more damage then good and apparently it is needed in order to prevent the things that have happened in the recent past from occuring again.

You can agree or disagree on it; but the desicion has been made.

EDIT:
if people use the off-topic to break the forum rules; then apparently it does need rules like this. Off topic will stay off-topic; and i say so in there. We just give some guidelines in order to prevent forum rule breaking from happening again.

QUOTE

If we have seen an outbreak of flamewars the last week, isn't it better to re-notify people of the rules, or to make the (flaming) rules stricter?

And we have done so; but apparently that wasnt enough.

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

necromancer all the way

09/17/07 13:43

TheBeano

Posts: 9
Joined: 01/18/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Thought this could use a bump!

09/17/07 20:04

Albino Monktress

Posts: 239
Joined: 04/09/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

woo this looks nice
now if we can just get the recrutement treads like this ;)
WOOOO

Albino Monktress Mo/N*-----Julie Bowmaster R/W*-----Glissa Algon E/Me*-----Chunin Kunoichi A/R*-----Albino Minion Fiend N/Mo-----Not So Albino Mes Me/*-----Albino *** (PVP)

Check out my Fan Fic^ Sig made by me!
LEADER of [ToD]Togo Dies Always accepting new members :)
Disclamer My spelling SUXS

09/17/07 20:21

smokebam_07

Posts: 3
Joined: 03/22/2007
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

wait...does this mean we wont have to put up with random stuf that nobody likes but the same person keeps bumping it because he likes it but we dont and he wont shut-up about it? DUDE THAT WILL BE AWESOME!!!

09/17/07 20:23

Ganymede

Posts: 4
Joined: 07/02/2007
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Thank You Admins I have been kinda dissapointed in the number of posts that have been locked becuase of the high level of inmaturity. TY again

-Ganymede

09/17/07 20:40

mriswith

Posts: 121
Joined: 03/09/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

BUMP

necromancer all the way

09/18/07 01:25

RaiMysterio

Posts: 12
Joined: 09/18/2005
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

THANK YOU <3

09/18/07 01:29

Pickletron

Posts: 19
Joined: 08/25/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Woo, finally :D
Now do something about guild recruiting threads. (Bumps every 5 minutes gets annoying)

Join =SOG=
Australian clan for CoD4 and Crysis

09/18/07 01:48

Brock The Rock

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Joined: 09/15/2007
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RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

awesome rule

-BROCK THE ROCK

09/18/07 03:17

uwish

Posts: 12
Joined: 10/29/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Great work!

But why not make a section to the guild recruiting threads, were they don't gets into the top 5?, so people can go there and look?
Just a small idea

-Sig Made By: Bo Fairfield

09/18/07 03:23

Evil Geek

Posts: 15
Joined: 10/18/2005
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

QUOTE

Great work!

But why not make a section to the guild recruiting threads, were they don't gets into the top 5?, so people can go there and look?
Just a small idea

Being an ex-admin I know the devs are way too busy to take much time out to make any changes to the site, things like changing the front page or stopping certain sections getting in the top 5. I guess the admins here are listening about the guild recruiting threads and keeping an eye on it but they haven't been as much as a problem as the off-topic became, not many recruitment threads inspire flame fests :)

• Guild Wars: Mutants [MU] • Age of Conan: Ampian Forerunners •

09/18/07 03:41

uwish

Posts: 12
Joined: 10/29/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Agree on that, but some people or a lot are beging to complain about the threds, because as you might know the are pushing away the more importhen things, like this tropic.

-Sig Made By: Bo Fairfield

09/18/07 03:55

Pickletron

Posts: 19
Joined: 08/25/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

Wyat they aren't killing off-topic completely they're just stopping people making whole new threads to show a youtube vid or ask HOW 2 GET WIMMEN

Join =SOG=
Australian clan for CoD4 and Crysis

09/18/07 06:26

mriswith

Posts: 121
Joined: 03/09/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

B.U.M.P.

necromancer all the way

09/19/07 02:45

mriswith

Posts: 121
Joined: 03/09/2006
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

b.u.m.p.

necromancer all the way

09/20/07 09:06

Beadmiester General

Posts: 16
Joined: 02/24/2007
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

nice one. bout time some did this :)))

+cred :))))

09/20/07 10:01

Evil Geek

Posts: 15
Joined: 10/18/2005
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

i login to my fave fan site and 3 of the top 5 posts are nothing to do with gw, obviously alot of people haven't read this so..bump!

• Guild Wars: Mutants [MU] • Age of Conan: Ampian Forerunners •

10/06/07 05:01

GIDIOS

Posts: 0
Joined: 11/11/2006
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RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

this must be celebrated *opens beer can*

cheers!

Signature by ME!!! Disclaimer: Evil Evelyn is a [HUGS] Member! Rip Iris Hardbottle & dangerous evelyn

10/06/07 05:17

Belshazaarswrath

Posts: 6
Joined: 12/29/2005
Credibility: 0 pts

RE: Announcement: Off topic and test forum

meh i never cared either way. guess the forums will get a bit more stale now. *shrugs*

10/06/07 06:53

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