Light Guns: Which and Why?

[dsheinem]

For those of you who get sick of reading about this, skip by. Sorry to have ruined your thread, OP.


I really don't want to drag this on and out, but I feel that I am being attacked for making some kind of baseless complaint, which I am not.

CRTGAMER constantly promotes his own posts, seeks their promotion on the site as a whole, and shoehorns mention of them into threads where they only tangentially belong. When I was a mod, he frequently made suggestions about how to change the code on the front page so that the list of forum topics featured there might better reflect the most "helpful" or "frequently updated" posts (especially his own), suggested that we merge multiple topics into his existing threads, and otherwise tried to mini-mod in such a way as to boost the view count on his own threads. As with every other interaction with the mods, when he didn't get an answer he liked from one mod he would go round and round to each moderator until he finally figured out that the team had communicated with one another and that we were all of the same mind. As I understand it, he still does this.

Many of the team suggested that he create a blog of his own as a place to store a lot of this information and bump a thread about his blog when needed (especially since the formatting of his posts is blog-like), and he certainly could contact Racket about contributing needed articles if he is looking for front page exposure. I for one would be happy to regularly visit a blog he might make (perhaps at RFGen, for example) but It isn't his job or that of the mod team to promote "the best" forum threads and choose one over the other.

His threads are valuable, and while I have minor quibbles about their formatting, that isn't my chief complaint. It is the constant self-promotion (the thread I linked to above shows that he has directed people to his signature links almost every other day for two years) and the fact that he has ignored more formal suggestions to tone it down in the past that irritates me above all.

So no, I am not belittling him, I do not hate him or his posts, but I do have a long history with him on this particular issue, as do many of the former and current mods.

tldr: I am not just being mean.

[dunpeal2064]

For those of you who get sick of reading about this, skip by.

I understand there is more going on with this situation than most people realize, but it is not really fair to these OP's to drag them into the drama.

[CRTGAMER]

When I was a mod, he frequently made suggestions about how to change the code on the front page so that the list of forum topics featured there might better reflect the most "helpful" or "frequently updated" posts (especially his own), suggested that we merge multiple topics into his existing threads, and otherwise tried to mini-mod in such a way as to boost the view count on his own threads.

My suggestion was to include the newest ACTIVE Posts in the Front Page, this has been implemented. Originally the Front page would list just brand new Threads. The idea of my suggestion was to cut down New Threads being created when there is already a a running post on a given topic.

[dsheinem]

The idea of my suggestion was to cut down New Threads being created when there is already a a running post on a given topic.

I get that, but you raised this point almost exclusively when the "running post" or "active post" was something that you had created. The self-promotion charge still applies.

[Hobie-wan]

So we should skip over your posts if we are tired of them, but you refuse to do the same with CRT, and instead make it public every time you disagree with him?

The point is that Dave doesn't want to skip the good stuff that CRT posts. Those of us that are mods don't want to either, although mods can't ignore anyone as they can't moderate properly then anyway. The objection is to posting or linking the same thing over and over again. Especially giving information and saying to follow a sig link both, which happens every day or two and has been for quite some time.

It's the repetition that gets to people. Other examples would be things like 'Saturn burns not working' threads, MLP getting under some people's skin, or maybe when I freak every time someone talks about using windex to improperly clean carts. Pointing out how often certain things are repeated with a search of the forum would hopefully make CRT notice and think about just how often he repeats things and tone it down a bit. It is like knowing someone you get along or are friends with, but they have a catch phrase that they say constantly. If you're around that person a lot it can grate on one's nerves.

[dunpeal2064]

I understand the situation, at least partially, but it does not need to happen in other people's threads.

As a non-moderator, it looks childish to bring up qualms that are already being delt with in the mod forum (I'd assume?) and PMs in a thread that was supposed to be about, you know, video games.

Those last 2 posts by both Dsh and CRT could have been done via PM, as they were not directed at anyone but each other.

Imagine what Jaundice, who has only been here 3 months, thinks of this forum now?

[dsheinem]

I understand the situation, at least partially, but it does not need to happen in other people's threads.

As a non-moderator, it looks childish to bring up qualms that are already being delt with in the mod forum (I'd assume?) and PMs in a thread that was supposed to be about, you know, video games.

Those last 2 posts by both Dsh and CRT could have been done via PM, as they were not directed at anyone but each other.

Imagine what Jaundice, who has only been here 3 months, thinks of this forum now?

I get your point, but I (and others) have been down the PM road with CRT on this issue many times to no avail. I thought maybe some public attention for the issue might get him to reconsider his habits, and there have been some recent threads where that seemed warranted.

Again, my apologies to Jaundice. I hope he found my advice about light guns helpful (seriously, get the Panther - it is awesome!), and I'll try my best to shut up about the other stuff for now.

[mjmjr25]

Since this thread is dead, i'll pm the OP to start a new one, and apologize on behalf of all of us, as we all are guilty of going off-topic here, though it was bound to happen.

I think what some folks do not always see, is private communications about people getting a bit frustrated with certain styles.

an exampil is somewun who doesnt spell very well and dusnt use capitalizationss or punctionation or other forms of vernaculare and verbage and maybe they use the word maybe and and too mcuh so while we r not comfertable admonishing this persin in public we will pm a moderater that mjmj cant spell and his sentenses are hrd to reed

But rather than go public and say, "Hey! Learn how to spell!" (because that is rude and mean-spirited) they will instead PM a mod and let them know, hey, could you maybe drop a line to mjmj and let him know his posts are tough to read and I don't want to post something publicly about it?

We saw this with another member recently, many many people came forward to say, "Hey, that guy was a bit off sometimes, but I didn't find him offensive." And then another post, "Yeah, me neither, what gives?" Meanwhile, there are dozens of folks behinds the scenes who have privately voiced concerns, asking if we can have the person tone it down. It is the idea that private communications are private and we don't air everyone's dirty laundry (or PM's) as that means they are no longer private communications. However, private communication or a public post, every concern should be treated equal and looked at.

At one time or another, most members have reported a post as offensive, or as spamming, or as attacking. And the truth is it is a bit like an iceberg, only 10% of the issue is above the surface and visible to all. It is a tough thing to see EVERY post made, or to be privy to private communications.

I personally like CRT's posts. I think he has a ton of information, like, a ton. However, I do think it is in poor taste to constantly link people to other guides you have done. Many of us have made great guides. I just saw Drakon make a post in a 2-months quiet, Arcade stick thread (a great guide, risen back up naturally, via search). Now, if DinnerX was posting, "Click here" everytime someone was selling an arcade stick, we would be getting concerns and comments about that, because like everything, there is a time and a place. It has been suggested to all of our contributing members who do guides, to create a running guide thread, or a gameroom thread, or a collection thread, and from there, any other information you have to offer can be accessed.

[jaundice]

I did get some answers in between those in-depth explanations about micro-moderating and what I'll write off as a mini flame-war, although more polite than I'd expect anywhere else But thank you everyone for answering my original question. And not to be cliche, but all I had to do was read between the lines. See what I did there? Thanks guys!