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Maybe the problem with these iPhone forums is the lack of Moderation

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Original poster
Aug 25, 2008
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Here's a perfect example of what I believe these forums should be like ( well and how most proper forums are)


1) User posts stupid question, with poor information, references, etc

2 ) Regular members try to help member ask the question in a better way so that a proper "thread " can be started

3) Original Poster continues to act idiotic, uses false information, impossible ideas, etc

4) Flame noob

5) Face Palm

6) Thread lock

http://v6performance.net/forums/showthread.php?t=162500
 
There's always room for improvement in every forum, it's never going to be perfect. Or at least what you think a perfect forum is.

snverhallen
 
lol well there are no perfect forums but I thought the moderators handled that situation in the most proper way I've seen them

I'm not saying the moderators should control what questions are asked, but instead of having thread after thread of repeated questions, there needs to be some kind of moderation/thread locking..

heres an example

1) User posts question that has already been answered ( recently answered)

2) Moderator should inform user that the question has been asked, put a hyperlink to the correct thread , and then lock thread

this way people will learn from an example ( properly research a question/ask original question, or the consequence is not getting a response)
 
shenaniganz08 said:
heres an example

1) User posts question that has already been answered ( recently answered)

2) Moderator should inform user that the question has been asked, put a hyperlink to the correct thread , and then lock thread
Click to expand...

That's what usually happens here too. I think that with the massive influx of new people since the 3G/MobileMe launches they're a bit overstretched....
 
If you see a post that should be merged with an existing thread report it (with a link to the thread for merge).

If the poster starts acting like an idiot and breaches the rules (direct attacks on people, swearing etc) report it.

If people start flaming report it.

Basically the mods cannot possibly read every thread. There are only a few of them and thousands of posts a day (probably 10s of thousands). Help them out, tell them where the problems are.
 
alFR said:
That's what usually happens here too. I think that with the massive influx of new people since the 3G/MobileMe launches they're a bit overstretched....
Click to expand...

I agree their have been an awful lot of newcomers! So as you say the mods are probably super busy (well I would so :p)

snverhallen
 
I have never understood why other members of a forum become angry when someone new ask a question that has already been answered.
It really does not take that much energy to answer a question that someone that has a question. Truthfully you could probablly tell each person that ask a question to visit the support site on apple.com. So by telling someone to search the forum on info for the Zagg Invisible Shield protector or search for info on the Best Video Format for iPhone is rude. Basically your asking moderators to erase everyones duplicate questions? Again, that is not moderation, its rude. Help a member out and move on, its really that easy.
 
The more time I spend here, the more it becomes apparent that a decent percentage of the forum users have no idea how to keep a forum USEFUL and clutter-free (no offense to those who aren't guilty of this).

How many different threads do we really need talking about new firmware that will eventually be released so that we can speculate what will/won't be included? How is starting a thread about what you did with your apple stickers beneficial to anyone? Who cares if Steve Jobs uses a case on his iPhone?!

Seriously...most forums get their share of junk threads, but this one seems ridiculous sometimes. It makes it more difficult for everyone when you have to sort through all the crap every day.
 
Far more energy is spent trashing someone for asking a previous question than would have been spent if someone had just answered it to begin with.
 
robbieduncan said:
Many people would feel that not using the search function is also rude.
Click to expand...

Agreed! People who just march in with keyboards flying and post their URGENT!!!! HELLLLP!!!! WTF???? questions are pushing more unique and interesting questions/comments/discussions right off of page one at an ever increasing rate, without ever lifting a finger to look around and see if the discussion already exists. Tell me that's not rude.
 
jkozlow3 said:
The more time I spend here, the more it becomes apparent that a decent percentage of the forum users have no idea how to keep a forum USEFUL and clutter-free (no offense to those who aren't guilty of this).

How many different threads do we really need talking about new firmware that will eventually be released so that we can speculate what will/won't be included? How is starting a thread about what you did with your apple stickers beneficial to anyone? Who cares if Steve Jobs uses a case on his iPhone?!

Seriously...most forums get their share of junk threads, but this one seems ridiculous sometimes. It makes it more difficult for everyone when you have to sort through all the crap every day.
Click to expand...

But it doesn't have to be all work and no play. I believe their has to be some room room for joke/speculation/funny threads. But to some extent, I agree with you that sometimes it is a bit overboard.

snverhallen
 
Sorry...

I think the problem with this forum is that there are too many people whining about what's wrong with this forum. Negative attitudes spread like cancer.
 
valdore said:
It's been my experience that Macrumors is OVER moderated , as evidenced by "infraction notices" about bull**** like spaces in siglines.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Until the moderators and monitored or moderated themselves, the nonsense and lack of temper will continue.
 
I like this topic and one thing I noticed that has not been mentioned yet is when someone creates a thread (any topic) then it's highjacked and gets way off topic and ends up being a run-a-way thread that has nothing to do with the original question.

Anyone who flames should have their post deleted. If you can't contribute click on to another topic.
 
In my opinion these forums very closely mirror society, and it'd depressing. People are too lazy to search, and feel that their issues are so special and important that they need to make a new thread about it. A lot of people, sadly, come to message boards as their only opportunity to voice an opinion because they can't do it at other points in their life or day.

There is a troubleshooting sub-forum, but everyone asks questions in this one because it has a higher response rate.

The moderators are doing a good job, but they can't control what people do, only react.

I also think that when a thread is locked it should be deleted so that it's less threads to look through, and doesn't 'inspire' someone to start a similar thread.
 
robbieduncan said:
If you see a post that should be merged with an existing thread report it (with a link to the thread for merge).

If the poster starts acting like an idiot and breaches the rules (direct attacks on people, swearing etc) report it.

If people start flaming report it.
Click to expand...
<3 robbieduncan :D

That said, the bolded text above is really really helpful, at least to me.

And just in case somebody doesn't know what the "report" post icon looks like, it's over towards the left-hand side of every post and looks like this:
report.gif
.
 
OK I think we are up to #4 on the list. Who wants to flame the OP:D

J.K> (before I get flamed)
 
Here's the result I personally most like to see when someone starts a thread asking a question that has been asked before:
  1. Somebody replies with a link to a previous thread where the question was answered, explaining that they used the forum search feature to find it.
  2. Somebody (often the same person) reports the 1st or 2nd post to the moderators, suggesting that the thread be closed.
  3. Nobody else posts in the thread.
  4. A moderator closes the thread.
  5. The thread soon falls off the first page of its forum and was nothing more than a 2-post blip in Forum Spy.
  6. The original poster is happy to have gotten the answer and a tip about searching.
  7. The 2nd poster is happy to have helped.
  8. Nobody complains about the thread, the question, the original poster, the reply, the 2nd poster, the closing of the thread, or that the thread was closed too quickly or too slowly.
 
Or like the golden shellback thing, which has been posted 5-6 over the past few weeks.

You simply ask if the searched before they posted.

They respond, how do you think I found it on Google. :p
 
PlaceofDis said:
yes thats the ideal. and i think too few people here realize this: reporting posts work.

if you think the community is under-moderated then help out by reporting the bad posts.
Click to expand...

Amen to this. If you want to use energy to change the sort of thing being brought up in this thread, this is the way to do it. It works. And I have the impression that the mods are very happy for the help.

I don't use my energy to complain about moderation. If I ever should have an issue with a specific moderator or moderation in general, I'd PM the mod or use the feedback form.

And to valdore, who doesn't like the rules about signatures, I can mention that this is not a democracy. It's Arn's sandbox, and we you want to play here, we have to read and respect his rules. If you want to suggest a change, do it in a respectfully-worded post in this subforum. ;)
 
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