Banter/discussion ratio and site rules

dazz

dazz

Downhill Dazz
This is an opinion/ suggestion post, which I'm not super comfortable about, but lets have at it anyways.

Firstly, I enjoy a bit of banter mixed in with the actual discussion as much as anyone, it helps keep the forum ticking over with a certain level of entertainment, and I like that. Sometimes the balance tips a bit too far towards the banter side of things for me is all. Dale and Craig's kindergarten exchange in new bikes is what's triggered me, I'm not leaving the forum or anything, but it was enough for me to want to offer some feedback here.

Secondly, the site rules aren't actually super easy to find without going searching for them. The link from "Forums -> Announcements -> Newbie Central ->READ FIRST: Welcome to Rotorburn" is dead:
Forum tip #2: Rules
For a full listing of the rules go -> HERE <- clicky. Everyone is required to read these, especially before making a new thread or replying to a post.
After a bit of searching I found the rules thread in a hidden sub forum "Announcements / Important Notices". Guessing it accidentally dropped off the forum menu at some point? So maybe we can get that back?
Also:
Forum tip #5: Please read stickies and announcements
Especially before posting, please read both the stickies and announcements at the top of the forum. They are there for a reason, taking 10 seconds to skim over them will save you some pain.
Stickies and announcements at top? There's only "Newbie Central" under Announcements, which doesn't seem like the right place for that sub forum either.


Anyways, there it is, take it or leave it.
Wonder what the banter/discussion ratio of this thread will be, lol.
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moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Anything I post is automatically derailed.
I expect it.
I deserve it.
If it gets too much, I just tune out.

I came for the bike advice, I stayed for the banter. I occasionally put people on ‘ignore’. I know I’m the biggest culprit. Feel free to hit that button
 
beeb

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
With most of the eastern states currently in lockdown, many people are stuck at home in lockdown and can't travel to go ride, which leads to a lot of "shit-posting" (I'm guilty too) to kill time. It's also a damn hard time to buy/build anything new, and "off-season" riding for the cooler-climate states, so not a lot of riding activity or shiny new (or used) things being posted.

Sometimes it's frustrating when threads wander off-topic, but sometimes (surprisingly often in fact) it accidentally offers really useful information that wouldn't get posted otherwise even though the topic has shifted. I've been a member of several other forums where there is a strict adherence to 'on-topic' responses and they've died off (in some cases closed completely), as there's no active discussions so people tend not to check in regularly.
 
leitch

leitch

Feelin' a bit rrranty
CHEWY said:
Its probably the only thing keeping this forum alive.
Most other forums I've been on are dead now, be like Gladys and just let it rip.
Click to expand...
Agreed. RB is full of shit talk and nonsense, but without it it'd be full of nothing.

It was high risk back in the pre-FB heyday when there were thousands of active users and a thread would go off track with 6 pages of shitposting within 20 minutes, now it's all the same ~30 people and most of it's in-jokes and trying to bait @Dales Cannon into hitting the delete button, so no harm no foul by my measure.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
beeb said:
I can't put you on ignore, there's just too much more fun to be had teasing you.

PS: The 'lady members' will love your advice above. ;)
Click to expand...
Lady members? W pushed them out years ago! I miss @hachbee, but @Norco Maniac is no lady. @Labcanary is a whole other matter. Being @Plankosaurus sister, all bets are off as to what's going on there. Other than that, I think @HamboCairns is the only true regular.
 
dazz

dazz

Downhill Dazz
moorey said:
Anything I post is automatically derailed.
I expect it.
I deserve it.
If it gets too much, I just tune out.

I came for the bike advice, I stayed for the banter. I occasionally put people on ‘ignore’. I know I’m the biggest culprit. Feel free to hit that button
Click to expand...
Yeah mate, all good. Like I said, I like the entertainment value (most of the time). :D
Not aimed at you, you just provided the little kick I needed to throw my opinion out there.

I figure it's as valid/invalid as anyone else so I chucked it in the suggestions box.

I think it would benefit RB if we all take on a little bit of responsibility and try to make the place as entertaining, inclusive and informative as possible. Banter is possibly the most important part of it, take banter out and RB would likely suffer like Chewy has observed.
 
Asininedrivel

Asininedrivel

caviar connoisseur
Yeah, I like the stupidity. Like 2 days ago when I posted a frame for sale and within 30 minutes there were pictures of dinosaurs in it and I was like "ok"

As @CHEWY said, most of the big MTB Forums are not healthy looking places currently, and Facebook groups are near 100% myopic stupid **** but not in a good way.

Also, there is a level of self-policing of the stupid here too (AFAIK) - you don't see much dickhead in the Black Dog thread for example.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Asininedrivel said:
, and Facebook groups are near 100% myopic stupid **** but not in a good way.
Click to expand...
At the risk of going off topic....I swear the FB home bike mechanic advice pages are satire...excellent satire....that no one told me about.
Every question is guaranteed to get 10 completely differing opinions, every one 100% wrong, and if you try to correct them, you get inboxed death threats. True story.
 
Tubbsy

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
Some good responses here, and @dazz raises a fair point. I'm as guilty as everyone for the more-than-occasional shitpost, and in the off-topic area I think it's mostly fair enough. A general bikes thread, or the quick questions thread is probably ok for an occasional level of nonsense.

Where it does get irritating is when someone starts a topic to ask a specific question, or about their bike etc. That ute thread is a prime example where someone was after some real-world advice and it immediately turned into a big barney.

So maybe take a moment before replying, and contemplate whether you really are as funny as yore Mum told you when you were five.

@Asininedrivel do you want me to clean up your sale thread? Trying not to spend too much time in temptation there...
 
PJO

PJO

in me vL comy
I don't see it as a big problem, it is easy enough to skim over the posts that are banter if you don't want to read them. Like it has already been said the banter makes this forum.
The forum still provides a good level of mtb advice amongst the banter.

My only gripe is that sometimes there is little bits of golden advice provided in threads that are not at all related the thread topic and so when you go looking for it again it is hard to find, but nothings perfect.
 
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