My Imperative
Now, I don't want this to sound harsh, but I'm afraid it's probably going to. Those who have followed my discussions here on the forums know that I take rather deep umbrage to posters who do not seem to put effort into their posts here. My statements on the matter have been known to come across as severe and this blog entry will likely be no different.
You see, I have this feeling that my nerves will soon be hammered upon by yet another deluge of dimwittedness originating largely from the Rumor Mill. As it happens every few months, the 'Mill swells to the gills with posters eager to leave their mark upon the latest rumor season, and yet the majority of these posters can't post smartly to save their lives. The forum is polluted with ignorance, laziness, repeated 'insights' from posters who didn't bother to check to see if they're repeating what's already been said, baseless speculation and illogical arguments. The past few rumor seasons, in fact, have been so bad as to spark several discussion threads in Speak Your Mind about this very issue.
As is my wont, I've been rather vocal with my concerns about how some are posting in the 'Mill, and it's not always gone over well. I've been accused in the past of being newb-unfriendly and that if I had my way, I'd chase off every new poster who joins up. And that is largely inaccurate. What I'm unfriendly to and strive to chase off is worthless posting. And let's face it newbs - a lot of what you're posting is worthless.
You don't bother to do a forum search before posting a thread that as it turns out has already been posted. You make a point in a thread that's been made several times already but you wouldn't know because you didn't bother to actually read the thread before posting in it. You speculate on something and come across as ignorant because previously-known facts don't support your spec. You form baseless opinions when facts and common sense contradict you. You feel that you're entitled to post your opinions.
And yes, you are.
You're not, however, entitled to make worthless posts and junk up the forums. Many of you do anyway, ignorant to what you're doing. And this has to stop. It will stop. The goal here is to have every member making worthwhile contributions to the forum. The capability is there in every poster to reach that goal but too many are not. You are not being chased off, but you are not being coddled any longer, either. Because you are not a special little snowflake, your opinions are not golden eggs of insight and you are not the great poster that you may think you are.
This website and these forums are the premier unofficial site for Magic. And this community is the single best on the 'net for Magic, bar none. It is time we all start posting to those high standards.
Rallying from the trenches,
{mikeyG}
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Posted Apr 9, 2009-
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Posted Apr 9, 2009<_<
You could always make an announcement in the 'Mill about this issue....
Right?
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Posted Apr 8, 2009Can't say I'd be sad if people rethink their posting habits because they think I was indirectly accusing them of poor posting. Even if I wasn't thinking of them, an improved poster is an improved poster.
I can only send so many PMs at once and I don't want to be there all day to the hundreds of users that could probably stand to improve.
I've never really been one to coddle or be overly sensitive. I don't go out of my way to be disrespectful or insulting, mind you, but nor do I put much effort into sensitivity or sugar-coating. I'm blunt, honest and really only here to make this community the best it can be. Some users' shame over being bad posters is not a large concern of mine.
Honestly, this is just far more efficient. There's no way to address every user that would need it, and then there's people who have yet to sign up or post. I don't even believe this rant will reach many who could use it. This was for me, not them.
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Posted Apr 8, 2009I guess what i'm trying to say is that by blogging your frustration, some people have felt insecure and sort of ashamed since they feel like you are indirectly accusing them after they posted in the mill. For instance, the reaction of Xanth.
Just a suggestion, why not try giving the people who you feel are posting junk in the forums a PM and tell them your frustration there. Firstly, it is a discreet way where in you could improve a person's way of posting without telling the whole MtGS community about it. Secondly, they could even consider your message as constructive criticism and grab the opportunity to better themselves. Trust me, I know.
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Posted Apr 7, 2009And the stuff that is worth reading usually is hard to get into if you're not there when it first started (at least for me). So I don't even bother to post much at all there.
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Posted Apr 5, 2009As a general rule, no. We do have the fine print in the rules that give us the leeway to ban anyone we feel is too far beyond changing to ever be a productive member here, but we err on the side of caution. We don't want people gone, really, we just want them to be better. It's only when it's starting to look like improvement won't happen that we resort to an outright ban.
No, I try my best not to get mad at any poster. For one, that's hardly productive and likely only introduces emotional biases into my work. Secondly, that would be getting far too emotionally wound up in these forums, something I swore off back in the day when I would get far too wound up over things said in Debate. And it's not good of me to be angry over what is essentially an honest mistake.
And that's what we're talking about here, hundreds of users and their thousands of honest mistakes. I don't think any of them intend to be worthless or idiotic, they just lack perspective on their behavior. They think they're great, that they're posting just fine. I don't think they see where they're going wrong.
When one posters makes a dumb mistake, that's nothing. When hundreds are making dumb mistakes, foolish statements and outright useless posts, it becomes essentially a big wall of stupid. Which is clearly a problem.
My rant isn't directed at any one member, I try my damnedest not to be that passive-aggressive. It was directed at the sorts of members who, during the last (miserable) rumor season, took great insult to the concerns raised about posting quality. The ones who argued that they were entitled to their opinions and their posts and that they didn't see the problem with what they were doing. The ones capable of doing better but don't.
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Posted Apr 5, 2009-
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Posted Apr 5, 2009Although I think we all (by that, I mean those who pay at least some attention to what they write) know how many of the people you address here will read these and furthermore take it into account...
If I were a mod, that's what I'd be expecting: mindless idiocy from stubborn dimwits... yes, even here at MTGS...
Is there a law saying that you cannot just ban people who post crap? Or would that mean even more work for Administrators having to keep banning the gimmicks of disgruntled spammers?
Just out of concerned curiosity...
In any case, your hard work here never goes unnoticed. Thanks for setting the bar high, Mikey. You're much appreciated!