IBTL posts must die (and other common sense posting rules).

[Famine]

How can you tell if a thread is just about to be closed?

Not everyone sits and watches the progress of threads, sometimes you just happen apon a thread without knowing the background or recent direction of said thread. Perhaps threads been watched by mods for potential locking could come with a warning icon? - this would either stop participents from further 'comments' or warn people from even entering the thread in the first place.

just a thought.

It's largely irrelevant.

IBTL posts tend to appear in threads where an oft-asked question has been asked and answered:

Thread starter: How do I get the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R in GT4?
Somebody: zOMfG n00b search lolololol
Somebody more helpful: It's in the used car lots. Look in the used car lists (link). Also, please use the search function in future.
Somebody: In before the lock!


It's obvious the thread will be locked because it's both a repost AND the query has been answered.

 

[Sage]

Personally, I think that even posts stating "I reported you for such and such" or "Reported" serve no purpose, either.

I like it when people do that, because then we don’t get 30 reports about the same thread. When somebody openly states they’ve reported the thread, that’s an indication to everybody else that they don’t need to report it too.

 

[Pupik]

How can you tell if a thread is just about to be closed?

[edit: Famine beat me to it]

It's quite obvious in the GT4 forum. I'm guilty of answering questions that have been asked and answered 20 times before, if I'm in a good mood. Plus, I'm used to it in the GT2/GT1 forums, because sometimes mods aren't sure if the question's been done to death.

Postwhoring is the #2 reason for ITBL posts; Numero Uno is that some people have no life and/or no purpose.

 

[G.T]

Question. Shouldn't this thread be in the GT4 Forum too, as many people there don't look anywhere other than the GT4 forum. But then the people that do post like this do visit here too, so it might not matter.

 

[Dave A]

Yeah it'smainly new emmebers and such theat only use the GT4 forum that create the threads, it's more often people who've been members for longer that do IBTL posts, from what I've seen of it anyway.

 

[xcsti]

It shouldn't be an added reason in the first place. Post counts do not matter after you reach the ability to obtain a Custom User Title. Having more posts does not indicate that the user is one of better quality or behaviour. There's a red tick in the top right-hand corner of everyone's posts, and if you get enough of those, people will be able to see that you post quality posts, anyway. Racking up your post count with incompetent dribble and useless posts does not give you a positive image within the community.

Yes, but just because post count really doesn't matter doesn't mean that users aren't going to go after a high one. Again pupik brings up post whoring again. It still occurs regardless of whether or not there is a rep system, though the system does a good job of reducing it.

 

[Swift]

The GT4 main forum and Drift forum are plagued by this kind of thing. Good move Duke. 👍

 

[Roo]

The GT4 main forum and Drift forum are plagued by this kind of thing. Good move Duke. 👍

Might be worth making this a sticky there too, then.

 

[Swift]

Might be worth making this a sticky there too, then.

Good call! 👍

 

[Boundary Layer]

oh this is so rough...

I never used to do IBTL's - but I've seen 3 or 4 perfectly good opportunities come and go now in the drift forum. It's so much more tempting with this in place.... like forbidden fruit.

 

[Fonce Diablo]

Wow, this'll put some people out of a job... (again with the no-name mentioning)

Post count doesn't matter to me...because I know it'll take me...oh...45 years to get the 86 million posts to earn a custom user title.

 

[Jimmy Enslashay]

Yes, but just because post count really doesn't matter doesn't mean that users aren't going to go after a high one. Again pupik brings up post whoring again. It still occurs regardless of whether or not there is a rep system, though the system does a good job of reducing it.

Of course. I'm not stating that post-whoring has ceased or will cease. There's still no reason not to fight against it.

How can you tell if a thread is just about to be closed?

Not everyone sits and watches the progress of threads, sometimes you just happen apon a thread without knowing the background or recent direction of said thread. Perhaps threads been watched by mods for potential locking could come with a warning icon? - this would either stop participents from further 'comments' or warn people from even entering the thread in the first place.

just a thought.

That serves little-to-no purpose, either. If a thread is going to be closed, it will be closed. If a thread is in danger of being closed, low-quality participants will be warned to cease their behaviour and a post will be made by a Moderator in that thread. Threads in danger of being closed shouldn't just be cut out and discussion stopped just because of a few low-quality posters.

sometimes mods aren't sure if the question's been done to death.

Report the post, and state that you're not reporting the member, just need the thread closed. Better yet, contact a Moderator. Look in the "Online Users" list and find a Moderator. Then utilise the Private Message feature.

I'm also going to go ahead and sticky this in the GT4 and GT4 Drifting forums.

 

[Gil]

Duke,
In my browser, this thread comes up six different. Four are stickied, two are not.
And they only cover three different forums.

 

[ferrari_chris]

... It's so much more tempting with this in place.... like forbidden fruit.

See, now the trick is to post one AND get away with it...

 

[Jimmy Enslashay]

See, now the trick is to post one AND get away with it...

Try that and there's a magic trick I can show you.

 

[Der Alta]

See, now the trick is to post one AND get away with it...

Try it. Now that you've stated prior intent, the punishment will be harder.

 

[Ram-Rod]

Finnaly, I'm glad you posted this.

 

[TheCracker]

In the GT4 threads, i say leave them to it. Its a bit like GTP's 'kiddies corner' - you'll only encorage them to do it more by trying to stop it. Newbies come and go in there on a weekly basis, those who stick around soon get bored of the pointless comments, repeated threads and general immaturity and migrate to other 'areas' where you don't often see it happen.

 

[Dave A]

Duke,
In my browser, this thread comes up six different. Four are stickied, two are not.
And they only cover three different forums.

One of thems Master Yoda's, for some reason he's made an IBTL posts thread himself in the GT4 forum where theres one been stickied (though not sure if the proper one got put there before or after Yoda's), I'm sure that guy think's he's a moderator though .

 

[xcsti]

Of course. I'm not stating that post-whoring has ceased or will cease. There's still no reason not to fight against it.

Ahh ok. I kinda misunderstood what your response was getting at.

 

[Danoff]

When I first popped into this thread, I thought it had been stickied and locked. I thought Famine had jumped IBTL with a sarcastic first post about how annoying it was, expecting it to be locked any second.

Then I realized it was serious. This thread would be way way WAY funnier if it were locked.

 

[donbenni]

When I first popped into this thread, I thought it had been stickied and locked - and I thought Famine had jumped IBTL with a sarcastic first post about how annoying it was expecting it to be locked any second.

Then I realized it was serious. This thread would be way way WAY funnier if it were locked.

Indeed it would.

I always thought the IBTL posts were pretty dumb, just like the message board equivelant of "First post!!!1"

 

[Jimmy Enslashay]

In the GT4 threads, i say leave them to it. Its a bit like GTP's 'kiddies corner' - you'll only encorage them to do it more by trying to stop it. Newbies come and go in there on a weekly basis, those who stick around soon get bored of the pointless comments, repeated threads and general immaturity and migrate to other 'areas' where you don't often see it happen.

Good. If trying to stop it encourages them to do it more, then that will just get weed out the vermin.

 

[Anderton Prime]

Okay, not to be pompous, but why the hell are we still talking about this? It's kind of ironic...the point has been made, so why not lock the thread?

 

[xcsti]

This thread will eventually die or be killed (probably killed as it is a sticky) but for the moment we are dicussing the implications and making suggestions for the application of this new policy. Don't worry just chillax.

 

[road kill]

I'm not following you, how are IBTL posts a way of keeping track of threads? They're just stupid attempts to boost someones post count, why they bother when you can do a brief, but to the point and on topic post in anyone of the thousands of threads just as easilly is beyond me.

true but whats the point of having a high post count if you didnt really help the thread in any way? ive never once posted lol or something if i dont have something relativley helpful to say then i wont post

 

[X-Othermic]

Thanks god. I haven't done it, but some of the newer members would see others doing it and perhaps follow suit.

 

[Swift]

Closed....

You all know what the situation is now. Thank you.

 

[AMG.]

Bringing this thread back as we seem to be getting a fair number of IBTL posts.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

First post updated to reflect trends that have emerged of late. Please make sure you read them - "I didn't know it was a rule" is not a valid defence.