Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

Free speech is a good thing.
However, distracting a forum from its original purpose is a bad thing.

Yes!
I was also part of the community which asked you to do so!
And I am one of the people who ask you to continue your good work!

Benny, you are right! I couldn't say it better myself!

Well, destroying them is a good idea.

Still, if some people would prefer not to, I would be happy if all the whining threads would be merged into one.

This is a good idea.

Well, one thing is clear:
When MeeGo is released and MeeGo devices appear, the trolls will go to meego.com instead.

When that time comes, this forum can continue its real purpose: to help people exchange ideas about devices and apps and development for them. Finally, without the junk, useless posts from trolls.

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

Written rules will, as pointed out, turn into games where people spend their time trying to use the rules to further themselves or their agendas.

My suggestion would be to implement a community vote. People can vote other people down, and in the end have them banned for a day, a week or whatever is fitting.

With enough negative votes a member loses the ability to create threads. With even more negative votes a member loses the ability to comment. A member that's just a day old gets kicked out with a minimal number of votes.

To be allowed to vote, you need to have an account that is old enough, has enough posts or some combination of these. You lose your right to vote if enough people vote you down.

With this in place, the community will be more self-sufficient and not all that dependant on moderators. Moderators can focus on their core activity: moderation.

Details as limit for votes, who gets to vote and the such are parameters for the site owner and moderators to decide on.

The basic assumption here is that there are many more wanted and appreciated contributors than there are trolls and "asshats". Another assumption is that it's possible to trust a community to actually regulate itself. If one, or both, of these are false, my suggested system decays into chaos.

Luckily, maemo.org seems like a place filled with intelligent and reasonable people that actually want to be constructive and this makes be believe that my assumptions are true.

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

Joorin, this reminds me of what StackOverflow is doing right now.
And it is very good for them.

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

I have been doing my best to stay on topic, but this complaint IMO is not well thought out or in good faith.

Yes, the thread may not have broken the rules specifically, but keeping in mind the below, I think it was the right decision.

The request there was made, in good faith, by prolific contributors, not only to this project, but to the very work you mention. In addition, MeeGo is not Maemo, regardless of the devices on which it is being put on.

This in mind, would you really be happy for the thread to be reopened, despite the people doing the actual work not participating? Seems a bit stubborn and pointless, IMHO.

(i am on my n900, responses might be slow)

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

That sure sounds reasonable in theory... but here's what I expect will play out:

1. MeeGo becomes more popular and activity here falls off

2. Trolls show up at MeeGo

3. Lower tolerance at MeeGo results in stricter moderation

4. Trolls return here en masse

Consider: the reason that trolling seems higher here lately is a result of increased activity from determined troublemakers (note that I exclude those with legitimate complaints!) combined with steadily decreasing activity from contributing members who (hello) are slowly migrating to MeeGo. Also, trolls are disproportionally loud and prolific.

So the percentages shift to the negative and thus the overall tone changes likewise.

My "solution": swift, sure, constant action on obvious trolls. IMO h3llraz0r fits that description. If someone can explain what he has contributed to the positive, I would reconsider that assessment. But to me he's one of those to be quickly and repeatedly banned outright until he finally tires of it and moves on. If that offends purists, oh well. I guess just be glad I'm only a minor moderator here with little power.

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

Whats meego? :D

I get it - I got it, I know it's good
The rhymes I write - you wish you would I'm never in training - my voice is not straining
People always biting and I'm sick of complaining
So I went into the locker room during classes
Went into your locker and I smashed your glasses

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

http://forum.meego.com/showthread.php?t=317

The thread was not "closed".. it was requested, by the OP, to be closed there as it belonged somewhere else.

So there it is. If you want to participate in it, by all means.

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

I have had bad experience a couple of time with "asshat"-type forums. I remember a couple of times I was attacked totally without justification in some long thread. And I really had done nothing to bring about the attack. Then, when I mildly tried to defend myself, we were immediately asked to go to the "pissing" or whatever forum. In other words, for defending myself I was branded as the exact equivalent of the person attacking me for no reason.

So I'm not looking forward to being thrown into an "asshat" area just because I have the wrong opinion.

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

Huh, this was a very good joke! :)

Well, since all the new devices will have MeeGo, the new trolls don't (and shouldn't) know about Maemo and maemo.org. So, by the time point 4 happens, no troll will know what maemo.org is.

The part "noone will know what maemo.org is" scares me as well, but we could advertise it as a welcoming community for application developers and power users.

Yes, this is true.

Agreed.
Please, consider PradaBrada too, please!
I think we can live without his "contributions" to this community.
(Although I'm sure he'll just register another account. But at least without that ridiculous-looking avatar of his.)

Re: Sick of all the closing threads
 

There has even been serious research done in this field on post graduate level.

I have my own years spent as an admin to draw from. To actually trust the community is one of the most effective ways to engage people in it. When you know that what you think counts, you tend to use your, albeit limited, power with care but not hesitate to actually act when you think you should.

Assuming that the people on the other side of the keyboards are mostly intelligent and constructive people goes a long way.