Whew .. to be honest, i don't remember if i've ever registered my self here. Well, forget it .. If this is my blog .. then this is my blog ..
But I'm sorry, thought that i don't know what to post here .. if you want to know more about me .. Please visit my main blog at i.do.blog ..
Cheers ..
They sure can. It's a shame your in the few that can recognise that fact.
Well thank you, I appreciate the thought.
That's fair enough... besides, sometimes it is good to step back so that you're better able to focus on things of importance/etc to you. Irrespective of whatever else has been said here however, whether or not we pursue different hobbies, yours is as valid as mine and I've enjoyed conversing with you.
Furthermore, we held an intelligent discussion where neither of us bored the other with the intricate details, whys or wherefores of our particular interests (one of the reasons given against cross-posting). Rather, we spoke purely on a human interest level and, despite whatever difference we each may have, we were still able to find agreeable common ground and show one another respect.
Hopefully, this is an example others of the wider community can/will follow... that mutual respect for one another's differences cost nothing and make for a happier environment for all.
No doubt that we'll meet again, Mumbles, so until next time...
And it still is the "official" site and forums for GC. The overwhelming majority of posts on there are about GC and gaming. Personal Computing is quite relevant especially when dealing with PC gaming specfiically. Lets remember, nobody has to view or participate in the forums that don't interest a specific topic.
I think we have a better community that we are integrated.
I am certainly on record as preferring less cross posting rather than more or at least of having a more obvious line of demarcation between what is cross-posted versus what is limited to a single site.
However one thing to point out is the GalCiv1 site. The GalCiv1 site is currently the only site that I've found that is totally independent (other than neowin which is another special case). However being independent is another way of saying isolated and while more isolation is actually something that I desire, there is a downside to it.
The downside of being isolated is that the site essentially has been left to wither and die. I'm not making a judgement here, merely an observation, and for all I know there are plans to revamp the GalCiv1 site and incorporate it into Stardock's "family" of forums. However failing that the GalCiv1 site seems to me to be a relic of the 1980's where you don't have to go very far down the "recent" post list to find posts over a year old. The surprising thing is that there is any traffic there at all.
While I would certainly prefer to see more organization and control in how (and which) forums are shared, I feel confident that as long as the GalCiv2 site is "part of the family" that at least it will not have the same fate as GalCiv1. For me this is a mitigating factor that certainly needs to be considered.
PC Gaming, yes i agree with you. Not sure what you are pointing to with that pic but if you recall i mentioned the recent posts list. The recent posts list as i look at it now, does not do much for my point, ATM, but it is very easy for all 10 links to have nothing to do with GC2. More oftne than not GC2 related topics are overwhelmed here and go unnoticed.
I think i have made my point and we seem to be hashing the same topic over and over.
Thats your opinion, and that is fine. I simply disagree as the intergration makes my GC2 community experiance worse off than without it.
I will except that SD community on the whole may be enhanced by the intergration, but the GC2 experiance suffers from the numbers of posts from other sites. Again that's my opinion and nothing else.
Neowin is not really a stardock site. We just host it and (IIRC) own a part-share.
Looking at the full recent posts list, taking the first two pages into account (latest 100 threads) it's currently holding steady at about a 50/50 mix of GC2 and not-GC2. Not quite entirely overwhelmed, but yeah, it's pretty thoroughly mixed. I don't think that causes the GC2 topics to be ignored by those who might be interested in them, though. You'd be surprised how many people do use the direct category pages rather than the recent posts list.
Most of the non-GC2 stuff is from Impulse, which can be relevant to GC2 users who may have issues in need of support in that category. It also sees some non-issue threads discussing games and DRM in general, which are of interest to a fair number of users, even if they're unrelated to GC2 directly (I understand that may not be the case for you guys, but most are not GC2-exclusive gamers). Same goes for the PC categories. The only one that I'd really argue is *completey* irrelevant to GC2 would be the OTF, but there's got to be somewhere for that stuff to go, and at present there's only one OTF thread in the last 100 anyway.
More to the point, I don't think the sharing itself is so much an issue (or at least, as has been said, it's Brad's choice and it won't be changing), so much as the attitudes of the posters. As Starkers said, even if the extra threads (on either side) aren't something of direct interest to any given person, they can serve to expand one's horizons. And if they're not your cup of tea altogether, is it too much to ask to leave them in peace? Yes, this is the internet, but if you're in a public space and some people nearby were discussing something of disinterest to you, or even something you actively dislike, would you jump in and berate them, or just tune them out?
Those reading from the GC2 side may not be aware of it, but yeah, WC has had issues in the past with the community being "unfriendly" at times, to put it simply. Zoomba and ID have both posted on that subject before over there. As the WC forums are much more wide-ranging, things are not moderated the same way as here at GC2, where we actively try to keep things friendly. Maybe that has contributed to letting it get that way; I don't spend much time over there though, so it's not really my place to make that judgement.
At the end of the day though, a bit more respect all around is definitely in order. If people can learn to not jump to assume the worst about someone else's comments (or to just let it slide or alert a moderator if there is no positive interpretation possible), and stop sending things into a downward spiral as often as not, we'll be well on our way to making the whole network a better, more friendly community which everyone will benefit from.
So... How long has this kind of thing gone on?
*Points and laughs at Mumblefratz's default desktop* hahaha.
So is your question how long forums have been shared or how long people have wanted them seperated?
Score one for my thick-headedness. Both, I guess.
Sorry to have to say this, but this type of comment serves no purpose in reconciling the cross threads issue... nor does it help towards the image of WC or its users. Mumbles has clearly stated that desktop customisation is not on his list of priorities or interests, so if he is happy to run with the default Windows look, it is a matter of personal choice and not something to poke fun at or ridicule, whether it be tongue in cheek or otherwise, given the current 'anti-cross thread' climate.
Whether or not we customisers share the same interests as the gamer fraternity is irrelevant, and visa versa... what is, however, is that we each respect the others choices and give no reason for either side to be anti-cross thread. The amalgamation of threads is not going to go away, so how about we all make the best of it and not say antagonistic things that could upset the apple cart.
Also, while I may have quoted pjdark to make a point, my comments here are directed at nobody in particular and are a generalised 'this is what I'd like to see/not like to see happening in the forums'.
Actually I'm quite proud of the "look and feel" of my windows setup. I can't stand cartoonish stuff and I've basically configured XP to look the same as Win 95. Also the "My" stuff really annoys me and it did take Windows quite some convincing that "My Documents", etc should simply be Documents.
Anyway there's really not much to see but here's a couple of screenshots for any that are interested.
And here's one of my second monitor. Nice and clean just the way I like it.
I'm glad you posted before i saw this. Saves me from having a brain explosion and making the gamers out to be utter asses.
However certainly if I'm at a resturant and a couple at the next table are talking at a reasonable level then I have no issue.
It's a matter of degree as in all things. It's not a black and white issue. It depends on your subjective opinion.
Just to bring neilos point across:
I usually check the newest posts on GC2.com from the long 'recent posts' list. Today, to find the first post in a GC2 forum, I had to scroll past 1 1/2 screens worth of Impulse complaints and cross-site threads. I'm sure if you had to do the same on WinCustomize, you'd complain as well.
I'm glad you see it that way. So long as you are happy with how your desktop looks, that's all that really matters. I mean, it wouldn't be for me, just as how I set up my desktop isn't for you, but then it would be a pretty boring old world if we all thought and did the same things.
The point of my previous comment, however, was directed more towards forum users in general refraining from saying things which may upset others. In doing so, I believe we would all benifit because the forums are then happier, more respectful places to be. Hopefully that is not too much to ask and the different factions of Stardockia can co-exist peacefully.
Well I am also glad that you saw my post before having a brain explosion... we are all better off for its prevention, yourself included. A brain snap may have resulted in a stern dressing down from the moderators or worse, given the current climate and 3 of them already issuing recent warnings, etc. I'm sure the cross threading issue will work itself out over time, but in the meantime we need to show some patience and take the good with the (in our humble opinions)'not so good'
OK, maybe I've not had to scroll that much to find a thread of interest, but WC has had its fair share of inconveniences of late as well (I am repeatedly double posted when commenting on skins), but no, I have not complained... well not seriously. I did put up a tongue in cheek thread about it for fun when things were a bit quiet, but it's not that big of a deal and I can wait 'til it gets fixed.
Besides, what's so urgent that a few seconds of scrolling is gonna hurt... like it's not worth busting a valve over.
Again, I want to stress that I say this with all due respect, in the interests of clearing the air and trying to rationally discuss something that has been discussed by many GalCiv2 forum goers "behind the scenes" in other contexts such as "off site" individual empire forums.
There is an "apparent" (i.e. subjective) feeling that the level of moderation has become somewhat heavier handed than what most GalCiv2 forum goers have been used to. In all likelihood it's probably due more to the fact that there are simply more contentious threads than there used to be, but there is no doubt that there have been a lot more warnings going around than there used to be.
That's not to say that everyone had been allowed to act however they like on the GalCiv2 site, it was mostly that the need for it arose far less than it apparently does now.
As with anything it's probably a combination of a lot of things, but still I think that there are quite a number of GalCiv2 forum goers that are chafing at the yoke that they previously did not have to wear.
Simply a result of the shared categories--you likely only see Zubaz, ID, and Jafo in the Impulse and PC categories, as these also appear on the sites they're responsible for. GC2 itself is still just me and the devs.
From my experience of the forum mods, it's not that heavy a yoke to carry. For the most part (not counting topic related comments), they pretty much stay out of things until there is a reason to intervene, such as flaming, bullying and flagrant disregard of site rules, etc.
In fact the co-existence between mods and forum users on Stardock is quite a happy and productive one, and I do not say this purely from my own observations. Quite a few people have commented on how much more user friendly the Stardock based forums are, as compared to others they have visited. So Mumbles, apart from the Stardock logo beneath their names and responding to technical inquiries, etc, it's probable that you and other Galciv forum goers will hardly notice their presence after a while.
Thanks starkers.
We mods try to stay out of the way as much as we think is responsible. We try to help folks that have difficulties more than we "shut down toublemakers". If we can nudge in a forum post or a PM we try to. Post are rarely if ever locked or edited.
With the introduction of Impulse there seems to be more bleeding over from site to site but that's a good thing even if it takes some adjustment from us all.
No one here wants to limit anyones speech or opinion or what-have-you. We do, however, want to make everyone's visit to the stardock family of sites plaeasant. You, the communities, help is always needed and appreciated and welcomed.
We really are a better palce with all of us involved.
Thanks are not necessary, Zubs/mods... I spoke the truth as I see/know it and felt it important to inform those who have had less experience/contact with moderators... that forum life will not noticeably change because of a more noticeable mod presence.
Here, here! Of course it's a good thing....
Here's another slant on it! I live in Australia and therefore am mostly interested in Australian issues and current affairs, etc... so my FF home page is set to Yahoo 7, which is our local version. However, while it is primarily local, we get quite a bit of news on US politics and current affairs as well, which is a good thing because it helps me (we Aussies) to look outside of ourselves to see how others in the World live and think, etc. Now I may not necessarily agree with US some politics or differeing social values to our own, but in being better informed of what, why and when, I am better able to understand the thinking/reasoning hehind it, whether I still disagree or not. In essence, I am educating myself...expanding my view of the World.
The same applies here with the cross-threading since the introduction of Impulse. While I am not an avid gamer and possess little knowledge of gaming structures and strategies, etc, I am now better able to acquire that knowledge and understanding from real users, rather than advertising/manufacturers hype, so that when the wife and I eventually purchase Galciv and other games, we will have a bit of a head start.
The same would be true in reverse, where a gamer who wanted to begin customising their desktop need only click on the appropriate forums and links in Impulse to get the all information they require... it's greater convenience with just a few mouse clicks. Now what's wrong with that??
Furthermore, and I'll use the US as an example here, rather than get them through the eyes of Hollywood or media sources that tell you only what they want you to know, I can get ground level views and opinions from real people here - whether they be gamers, customisers or average joe users - and that, to me, is grass roots level information that's more informative and reliable when it comes to real people. The same applies to the UK and other members countries, it's real people connecting and communicating on their own terms, rather than through uncontrollable media or political sources that so rarely reflect the will, thoughts and ideas of the common people.
Well that's my take cross-threading... it's something to embrace, not reject.
I mean I think I have as good a handle on the pulse of the GalCiv2 site as anyone could have, but in the end I'm just one guy and can only tell you my own personal opinion. I'll be frank and honest while at the same time being as respectful as possible when mentioning what is obviously a delicate matter. I'll then drop it from further discussion.
Anyway here goes. Basically Kryo is both beloved and respected by pretty much everyone without exception on the GalCiv2 site. However if I were to similarly characterize how I feel about Jafo, Island Dog and Zoomba I would have to say that my predominate feelings would be fear and respect. I doubt that's what anyone intends. And perhaps fear is an overly strong word, maybe trepidation is a better one but still that's not a feeling one can legislate away.
That's the last I'll say about that. Hopefully this is something that simply corrects itself with time.
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