Topic: The way some forums treat newbies...

[Darcness]

 Hey all.

Today I signed up with another gaming forum. Almost immediately after my first post the flaming started. I got treated like a bloody kid who didn't belong there.

This is not the first time this has happened either. Various other forums I have joined over the years seem to have the mentality that all newbies are either idiots or little kids who have no clue what they're talking about.

I'm 27. I've been a forum junkie for almost 5 years now.

The worst is that most of the time I get treated like an idiot by people very much younger than me.

Luckily there are great forums where newbies are treated like people, like here in the AGS Forums and over at the AD forums.

Sorry for ranting, I just needed to get this off my chest.

Has anybody else ever experienced this?

[theyak]

STFU noob, RTFM.

Yeah, I've had the same bit.  Awhile ago, I figured that if I wasn't going to get up the ambition to made an AGS game, I should probably back off these forums and search for a merely conversational one.  Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck there so I'm still pestering you people after X number of years.  27, nearly 28 and being treated like one of the text-messaging, nearly illiterate, computer-novice kids is irritating as all hell.  My first PC was an 8086 that I put together myself (with spanking new CGA card) and I got dozens of newbie-flames after mentioning on a tech forum that AGP 8x still has the needed bandwidth for todays software.

[Neil Dnuma]

Sure. I'm 27, did programming back in the glorious days of Atari ST (it had a couple of glorious days), and has a lot of the "junkie experience" myself, so I guess I can relate to what you're saying  . It hasn't been a problem here though, in general I'm most impressed with the quality of the mods round these parts. Kudos to them.

But I think all that are related, the quality of the mods, the quality of the forum, the flaming and suchlike. If I encounter one of those, I don't bother spending time there anyways. Of course, flaming could happen anywhere, but in a quality forum those things would be handled quickly and in the best way.

[theyak]

It wouldn't hurt to have some informal list (not suggesting a sticky here or anything) of other forums/communities that are easy to get along with.  I've had good experiences with 3DGPU (tech/new games forums) with the majority being intelligent and respectful.  I only stopped posting there when the 2003 elections were forthcoming and the political discussions became intolerable.

[Darcness]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[Blackthorne]

I'm 26, and just because I'm 1337, everyone tells me to STFU.


Eh, a lot of forums are like stupid clubs and fraternity's.  Sometimes you take the lumps and move on.

Bt

[Haddas]

I'm not really an active AGS user, but I haven't found any other forum which treats it's users with respect than this, except for private ones moderated and hosted by friends...

[MillsJROSS]

One reason this forum is so easy to get accustomed to, and welcoming to newbies, is the fact that AGS is about preserving older games. To have an interest in perserving and making the type of games AGS is built for, for the most part, you're an older maturer person than one tends to get in forum about FPS games. And most of the younger members reflect a maturity beyond their years.

All of our moderators have proven themselves, one way or another, to be hard working. They weren't just selected because they've been here longer. There still is a distinction between a newbie and an older member, but there's no reason to punish a new member, when insulting them could mean they won't produce a game, which is what AGS is about.

And I agree, an informal list wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

-MillsJROSS

[HillBilly]

Anybody got an example? I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I just wonder how a simple post or two can turn into a flaming, unless someone said something really stupid. Also, a board flaming new members(or any flaming at all, actully), isn't really worth posting in, IMO.

[DGMacphee]

The way I see it, with entering new forums you have to expect that there might be some "hazing" but it's all just a matter of time. Just hang there and participate while giving  respect to the people that have been there for ages and soon they'll become accustomed to you. Just as long you're not doing anything that warrants a ban (ala our friend poop743) then you'll be fine. That's my experience with other forums.

[Radiant]

Anybody got an example? I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I just wonder how a simple post or two can turn into a flaming, unless someone said something really stupid. Also, a board flaming new members(or any flaming at all, actully), isn't really worth posting in, IMO.

I guess it's easy on some boards to say or ask something that isn't actually stupid, but would be considered stupid by members of said board because they've seen it before. I remember getting flamed once because I answered someone's question about a comic book, and it turned out that that question had been a long topic of violent debates half a year earlier. Of course I had no way of knowing that.

[Cluey]

Yeah, I recently joined up with a certain tribes forum (Tribalwar).  And even though I've been playing Tribes for ages, alot of people with "Veteran staus" treated me like shit just as I was a mere "member".  One  of them even had the cheek to steal a little stupid drawing of mine and put it in his sig without crediting me, I sent him a PM:

"Private Message: Re: Sig??
XXXX (left out name)
Veteran
Old

- 12-20-2004, 11:44 PM      
Forward Message Reply With Quote

Quote:
---------------------------------------------------------
Originally Posted by Cluey
Hmm, I recognise your sig!!:P
Dude, I'm happy that you wanna use it, but ASK please.

I know it's not exactly Picasso, but I loved my lil' here be snipers joke.

Just a lil' "pic by Cluey woulda been nice...
---------------------------------------------------------

Anything for you membar."


Bastards...

[Meowster]

The Penny Arcade forums are horrible.

[Andail]

I'm one of those people who believe that the atmosphere of a forum is created rather by a handful of strong individuals, than by the majority of the members or the very theme of the forum itself.
Call me cynical, but I think that if CJ and the top ten "important" members/moderators had all been jerks and n00b-haters, the rest of the community would have jumped on the bandwagon, and this forum would have been just as hostile, hierarchical and elitist as i-mockery or whatnot.

CJ to me is the ultimate diplomat, the very epithome of a good administrator. AGA and Eric are both hardworking and just, and they treat old veterans (friends or other moderators alike) the same way as they treat newbies. I can't speak for myself, but I do employ a lot of self examination after every moderating action I take, and I devote myself to certain dogmas.

If a forum is a "good" forum, it's no coincidence, it's the result of sometimes pretty hard labour.

[Nacho]

Well said... 

[Matchew]

I've had accusations, allegations, patronisation, emmm railway stations.

But seriously, it is probably like in Jay and Silent Bob strike back, the assholes are all twelve year olds wanking to pictures of bugs bunny, they're not worth it.

[DGMacphee]

hierarchical and elitist as i-mockery or whatnot.

I don't know if you could call i-mockery hierarchical or elitist. They're just a bunch of guys who like taking the piss out of things, including each other.

[auhsor]

Well I do love the atmoshpere of these forums, and I guess I owe alot of that to the moderators and to CJ. Sure we get the occasional troublesome member (or guest), but that happens, and it's usually delt with well. This is one of the best forums I am a member of... no actually I think it's the best. It's certainly the one I've been a member of the longest.

[TheYak]

I'm one of those people who believe that the atmosphere of a forum is created rather by a handful of strong individuals, than by the majority of the members or the very theme of the forum itself.

I disagree - well, somewhat.  I think it's a combination of factors.  The above-mentioned prerequisites for the AGS' appeal in combination with some damned good moderation.  Every moderator has their own style and sometimes it can be rather tactless.  However, even the perceived wrong decisions get backed up by the community.  I think we've got a wonderful conglomeration of a great administrator, good moderators and above-average users.  Myself, I wouldn't bother with the forums at all if the attitude were different but from my very first posts on EZBoard, each statement was taken on its own merit - not mine. 

Of course, if the forums were hostile, I'd probably have gotten a game out the door by now.   I maintain my disagreement because I've been very impressed by the maturity level of some of the younger members and have often been surprised to find out just how young some of our active participants are (despite the apparently overwhelming amount of 25-28 year-olds).

[Pumaman]

To have an interest in perserving and making the type of games AGS is built for, for the most part, you're an older maturer person than one tends to get in forum about FPS games. And most of the younger members reflect a maturity beyond their years.

I think this is certainly true. Generally, the older the average age of the forum, the more mature people there are likely to be. The most annoying forums tend to be those populated and run by immature kids on a power trip; and in their case, let's let them get on with it.

In contrast, as you say Mills, the younger people we've had on these forums have generally behaved in a very mature manner for their age, which is something I know I appreciate.

I didn't think I'd be able to say this 5 years on, but I've still never banned anyone from the AGS forums; and I really hope I'll be able to say the same 5 years from now.