We have too many "Generic X Threads"

[Newt]

I feel like it stifles conversation amongst the board members, making posts less frequent. A sort of... Post Recession.

Examples:
"Debate of the week"
"World News"
"General Anime Thread"

The problem, I believe, with these kinds of threads is it's very easy for them to become "Post-and-leave" threads. Like, for World News, it's very easy for someone to Google an article, post it, and not say anything about anyone else's article. So then we get four pages of people posting articles. Or for general anime, I can totally see someone just posting "I like Bleach" and leaving. Not ever coming back. Maybe I'm looking at it in the wrong light. Maybe if there was a "Bleach Discussion Thread" that same guy would be like "I love this show." and not actually discuss what anyone's talking about.

Am I making sense?

[Combat Lobster]

Or for general anime, I can totally see someone just posting "I like Bleach" and leaving. Not ever coming back. Maybe I'm looking at it in the wrong light.

You are. Someone wouldn't normally do that. You don't come into a conversation say something and not continue to read the thread, because then why are you posting in that thread in the first place if you're not reading it?

I think the problem with low posts is due to fact most threads that get updated per day are just a bunch of "Repost crap you find on the internet" threads; that and we don't have anything interesting to discuss because we're very boring people. :V

[Psychospacecow]

That, and school's been going, people have jobs, etc.

[Petie]

While I'd like to believe that this would never happen here, there is one concern I have with these general threads - large threads become very difficult to follow regularly. Just look at the Chit Chat thread for a perfect example. So, while maybe not strictly necessary, I would not be against diversifying things a bit.

[CosmykTheDolfyn]

Forums always spawn like this.



Without generic threads I would believe this entire operation would be on life support.

[Newt]

While I'd like to believe that this would never happen here, there is one concern I have with these general threads - large threads become very difficult to follow regularly. Just look at the Chit Chat thread for a perfect example. So, while maybe not strictly necessary, I would not be against diversifying things a bit.

This is what I'm talking about. I feel that diversifying threads will increase banter amongst us because it's easier to keep track.

Someone wouldn't normally do that. You don't come into a conversation say something and not continue to read the thread, because then why are you posting in that thread in the first place if you're not reading it?

You don't think people would do that because you don't think that way. I see it all the time. I can even point out some posts that're like that, but I don't like pointing fingers. Not my jam. But I can point out there are sometimes posters who like, want to contribute by posting, but don't really say anything. They just post a generic answer to be a part of the conversation without reading that the conversation in the thread has changed. Have you not seen that?

[Combat Lobster]

You don't think people would do that because you don't think that way. I see it all the time. I can even point out some posts that're like that, but I don't like pointing fingers. Not my jam. But I can point out there are sometimes posters who like, want to contribute by posting, but don't really say anything. They just post a generic answer to be a part of the conversation without reading that the conversation in the thread has changed. Have you not seen that?

Yeah, I've read some posts like that but I all I think is. "Welp, whatever...that's nice I guess." Nothing is stopping anybody from breaking off from the megathreads and starting specific threads. It's just that no one wants to, and when they do the OPs are pretty sparse on information that unless you know anything about it, and have an opinion on the subject you won't be able to take part in that thread; or it's a thread where you state your opinion and leave it at that. Hell there are a number of threads in gaming discussion, but they dropped dead because no one has anything interesting to add to the discussion or they just slap it in a megathread like, "I saw this thing. It's pretty cool. BTW 1000th post XOXOXO" when they know there are threads where this would get more attention. Come to think of it if folks would take the time to think about what they're posting and look to see if there's a thread where it belongs then the threads wouldn't die nearly as often.

At the very least If folks want to diversify threads, I suggest that new threads should put a bit more effort into their OPs. Threads like, The X discussion thread with an OP of a line or two like, "I think X is pretty cool. What do you guys think?" isn't much to open a conversation especially to posters who don't know anything about X and can form an opinion about it. Now I'm not saying the OP should be the size of a wiki, but some general information presented in a readable format would help spark more discussion. This example is a bit excessive, but something like this.

[Lazlo Falconi]

From my experience with forums, when a "general chat" thread is started, the forum is already on life-support. Now, it could last for years (I know one that's been chugging along with only about six or seven active posters and a few straglers here and there for almost eight years now) but generally, once that thread's posted--or a majority of the active posters start talking outside of the forum, it's donzo.