I've noticed an increasing usage of the off-topic forum over the past few months since when I originally joined the forums over a year ago. Unfortunately, this increase in usage is not necessarily the best. There's various issues which needs to be addressed in terms of what the off-topic forum to quote the Off-Topic Forum Guidelines:
The off topic forum is for postings that are probably of interest to the community, but not directly related to portable apps. As suggested, topics like CMS suggestions, Windows themes and things like that can be posted here. It's not a free for all for posting anything and everything.
Some of the postings I think we can limit on are listed below.
- The Corrupt A Wish games has created over 8 posts now with comments on it constantly. I feel this game should be taken elsewhere such as the server I believe David Dixon has kindly set up for it. This also includes other forum games that have started like the misquoting one.
- Religion, politics, etc are best kept out of forum-communities as they will naturally cause dispute. It saddens me somewhat to have to deny you the freedom to disccuss something in this way, but it really does help keep the forums more civil and friendly if these topics are kept out.
- Talks of warez/illegal software, videos, etc are not to be discussed in there forums at all. These activities are illegal and simple stated: Please do not discuss them here.
- Web-development questions and hosting services posts seem to have increased a good bit with some members getting interested in this stuff, which is great, as it is tech related also. Unfortunately, various posts were being made about hosting and issues with CMS, etc and I think it's best if questions on these topics are constrained to one of two threads.
- Polls are normally fun, it's interesting to see the poll results in your community, but try to keep polls to only one every few weeks (per all users) with a good and interesting subject.
- Linking videos, articles, and other material should be more tech related as PortableApps.com makes computer software, so it's best if the off-topic forum is kept on-topic of a few general themes.
Basically, what I'm saying is already said in the forum guidelines. This is not a free-for-all. Please do not try to stretch the definition of 'off-topic', and keep things within these general themes.
Thank you for reading and please post all your suggestions and concerns.
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very well put,quite simply this should have been done a long time ago...in a galaxy far away
Lead, Follow, or get out of the way.
A, the corrupt a wish game is better off here because most of us dont like IRC as well as the fact that almost no one is ever on any of the IRCs and in the forums we can see what the corruption is if we dont wish to stick around. And to the topics in off-topic, they are usually not really related at all to PApps but are of interest to the community, just like the Corrupt-A-Wish game, no relation to Portableapps.com but almost everyone partakes in it.
B, I agree, Religion and related topics posting is bad. i also propose that anyone starting a religious debate or such should be at least temp banned
C, No WAREZ!!!!!!!! (Agreed)
D, usually the threads used for that kind of posting get lost in the thousands that pile on top and no one goes searching for them. i agree that they should be in one or two threads tops but maybe they should be sticked to the top or something.
E, i agree fully on the polls thing
F, i cant remember the last video that linked to a non PApps related video.
Zoop
Thanks for the input Kyle. There was a couple videos, and they may have been interesting or funny, but I just don't want it to get any worse. As for the corrupt-a-wish game, I just think it's gone on too long. My personal opinion.
Here are my 2 cents:
So here are my advices for a better off-topic related to your off-topic threads.
Also, a cleanup on the off-topic forums leaving the content, but more organized, could be useful (this has obviously to be made by mods).
Blue is everything.
As for videos, I meant that one posted today by Mix Master whatever. A couple weeks ago Simeon posted one as well. Albeit was funny, I just don't want people to start free-for-all 'funny video' posting.
{joke}I think that's a good idea but.... You Can't make me! :){/joke}
But I'll do it.... for a little cost...
I agree with everything (especially about the forum games) wholeheartedly. The only thing I would add to this would be that we need to organize everything a bit better.
I think you've basically touched on everything, Patrick.
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rick Cook
ditto
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
Tritto
BTW: See here!
Just my 2 €-Cents.
Yes, i do believe that the corrupt a wish things have gotten out of hand. Digit, is about to lose his nick on my server. He has already lost him room because of not being in the room. (That is my ChanServ's fault.) alpha1 has already set up a Corrupt a wish on his forums so it can be moved there. (I mean, Season 8? That's a lot.) I think the Off Topic section was made for Off Topic Discussion. Not for games.
Talks of warez/illegal software, videos, etc are not to be discussed in there forums at all.
These things NEED to stay out of the forums. This will make people think that PortableApps.com is illegal when it isn't.
Thanks Patrick for creating this post.
Na na na, come on!
As mentioned by Dave, Mike (alpha1) made a forum for Corrupt a Wish, so have at it over there.
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rick Cook
Hey It's Mix Master Whatever here...
I fully agree, all religion topics should be banned...I mean, don't you just hate it when some fake rapper dude comes on the site and starts trying to convert people...
Seriously, it's just so annoying...
-Next time i'll try to read the guidelines...-
IT'S NOT A FREE FOR ALL, I'LL REMEMBER THAT,BUT I HAVE ALREADY POSTED SOMETHING...
"Are you threatening a government official!?"
because
"WE! print the money"
"WE! tell you how to spend it"
and
"We BREED! the super soilders"
...
"Um...Forget that last part about the super soilders"
...
Why are you taking this personally?
Vintage!
(Read the Title)
Allright everybody big annoucement...
As you all know around the world all schools are reopened... So I am going back to school to get 1 last year of edumacation(education) and who knows, maybe I'll learn how to use punctuation when i type,(also maybe i'll learn how to spell)
So, I will not be on the site till January 2009, That's when my album debuts... YEAH!!! I AM EXCITED!!!
But, don't worry, even though you'll miss me i will be with you all in spirit...and i will work on that website...Check Godtube,Youtube,Soundclick,CNET,Purevolume,Mixstreet,Audiostreet,and hopefully my website...which will be my real name not Mix Master Whatever (TRIXZ) so this is my last post for this year... I would like to say Peace Out for the last time, and thank all the moderators and the creator JT for not banning me with all the religion talk... don't worry when i come back there will not be all that religion stuff or anything... Hopefully you won't forget me...If you want to actually see The Tricksta then check for me @ Godtube and Youtube in my vids... I'll comeback and post January09 PEACE OUT AND THANKS FOR ALL THE PORTABLE ADVICE AS WELL AS THE ADVICE ABOUT LIFE...*Cries As He Walks Out The Portable Apps Building* ROFL
THANKS DUDES PEACE OUT!!! Call this number with any questions...
Dial In This Order 911-253-0394...
PEACE OUT AND STAY ALIVE TILL JANUARY...
"Are you threatening a government official!?"
because
"WE! print the money"
"WE! tell you how to spend it"
and
"We BREED! the super soilders"
...
"Um...Forget that last part about the super soilders"
...
Thank you for changing that sig before I needed to ask you.
Peace out
Tim
Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?
I think he is taking it personally because Patrick mentioned him by name.
As for videos, I meant that one posted today by Mix Master whatever...
Not that he should take it personally, Patrick mentioned Simeon by name too :-p, but of course Simeon knows Patrick loves him
Tim
Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?
I was planning to write some pastebin like PHP so that Corrupt a wish was its own software.
Insert original signature here with Greasemonkey Script.
I agree with your thoughts on much needed forum changes.
The only thing I can see that might be a problem are the web development threads. It will definitely be hard to contain the questions in one or two threads.
The warez threads definitely need to stay out for reputation reasons as stated above by David Dixon II.
The videos and such aren't very bad here as there aren't very many of them. It could definitely be a lot worse. Ever since YouTube started video posting has been somewhat of a nuisance on every board I've used/seen.
ditto. I think if the videos aren't too much,. its ok.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
As I've seen the off-topic forum go completely downhill in the last few months, I just don't want videos to make it worse so I'd like to make sure they're kinda more tech related when they are posted.
May the worst come, we could always have a secondary forum set-up with links with
nofollow, and a part for advertising that gets its contents deleted daily...Insert original signature here with Greasemonkey Script.
All forums in PortableApps.com already have the
nofollowattribute on links.And I don't fully understand the idea, explain it detailedly, please.
Blue is everything.
The
nofollowis on the Homepage link ;).That's why John bans signatures with URLs and the Links that comes with Spam!
(Wait, they use chain links to suspend Spam? :P)
Insert original signature here with Greasemonkey Script.
If you see the page's source, you'll see that all forum posts have the
nofollowattribute on links (don't know about sigs though).And for keeping signatures clean, one thing I did on my forums (now dead
) was to make a special formmating called "Signature Forums", that disallowed everything except some inline stuff (like 
<em>and<strong>), and I made it default to signatures, so no links were allowed (I disallowed<a>too). John should think of my ideaBlue is everything.