Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 21 to 24 of 24

Thread: Silent Guardian Or Topic Of Conversation?

  1. #21
    Intmon, any update on the status of this?

    I agree wholeheartedly with JP and most of the other posters here. Let me add another thought --

    I suspect perhaps things are a bit overcomplicated in that we have two levels of ranking and rewards. Each poster has two unrelated ranks: 1) AP level, and 2) post count. I believe someone here suggested removing the post count, and that's what got me thinking about this. Why don't we do that? If we had no post count taking place, then there would be little point in post whoring, and then all rewards could be strictly AP-based (such as accessing Addicts once you reach a certain AP level).

    I also agree that anonymous APs are a good idea. Mnstrgirl -- granted, there is accountability and a discouragement against alliances, but there is still nonetheless abuse, just in another form now. Now that you can sign your name to a neg, some users abuse the system by using negs for personal vendettas and NOT forum moderation. Case in point, I get many "you're stupid" negs from PM in his countless incarnations, just because I cheesed him off a while back. This form of "AP trolling" seems just as much an abuse as the alliances. However, I presume the alliances could be snuffed by the moderators, could they not?

    I think I see the point JP is trying to make with his various suggestions as of late. We need to change our management mindset from pleasing users to simply streamlining and improving the effectiveness of the site and its content.

  2. #22
    AO French Antique News Whore
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    2,126
    Originally posted here by AngelicKnight

    I also agree that anonymous APs are a good idea. Mnstrgirl -- granted, there is accountability and a discouragement against alliances, but there is still nonetheless abuse, just in another form now. Now that you can sign your name to a neg, some users abuse the system by using negs for personal vendettas and NOT forum moderation. Case in point, I get many "you're stupid" negs from PM in his countless incarnations, just because I cheesed him off a while back. This form of "AP trolling" seems just as much an abuse as the alliances. However, I presume the alliances could be snuffed by the moderators, could they not?
    This is a problem...

    How does knowing from where came the AP stop alliances from happening? Nobody know that I got AP from ***** for a post except me.
    -Simon \"SDK\"

  3. #23
    AO Ancient: Team Leader
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    5,197
    I think it's about time to realize that the site isn't going back to where it was and that it isn't going to be changed much.

    For the last month or so I turned on almost all forums in my "frontpage view"..... About a week ago I turned off Cosmos and Addicts..... I kept OS and a couple of other _computer related_ forums to see the difference.... Sadly I have to report that without Cosmos and Addicts the traffic has dropped to BS levels..... even with OS etc.... Many of those questions that come in _security_ related forums are more suited to computer support type questions.....

    It's not a security site any more folks..... Not even close.....

    AO died when JP left and sent it to the tender loving care of a corporate entity who didn't understand it properly when they bought it....... and still don't.....

    It's a cute little chat room that, from time to time, someone actually brings up a security issue...
    Don\'t SYN us.... We\'ll SYN you.....
    \"A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools.\" - Thucydides

  4. #24
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    18

    AO Issues

    As a user who has returned after initially registering (as Riotgirl) then spent several months away from the board **, I am not conversant with the issues that AO has experienced - however, I have many, many years experience of using web-based forums (much like this one) and the issues being discussed are not uncommon.

    1. Personal vendetta's:
    Deal with it. People have ego's, more often than not, these are puffed out and inflated more than the indivduals sense of self-worth (compensation, if you like). No matter what system you install, there will always be flames, bitching and disagreements.

    Deal with it.

    2. Karma system:
    The system isn't perfect but I think it's a decent solution precisely because it's open and non-anonymous. Having an anonymous system provides no accountability and absolutely no consequence for one's actions. If someone has a grudge against another user and is constantly negging them, then it's blatantly obvious that they're abusing the system. Either desist or face a ban -- irrespective of how many greenies you have. Simple.

    See point 1. No karma system will completely eradicate vendetta's but it keeps people honest. Also, it's so easy to spot post whores (providing they post on-topic, I don't see it as a problem), trolls, lamers amidst the users who post golden nuggets. It's not the post count that matters but the quality and content of the posts -- one or two cursory glances at what users have written tends to either disqualify or justify their greenie/post count rating pretty quickly. Give users some credit and intellect to be able to distinguish between post quality.

    3. Lack of content:
    If you are referring to a lack of users posting real challenges, or questions/discussions that haven't been asked before then you have to accept that over a period of time, all systems return to mean. Dip in an out of threads, skim read, learn a language or learn to play an instrument, develop a hobby -- in other words, live your life and soon enough there will be a topic that will interest you.

    Remember, that the users who know their shitniz and provide answers are probably a minority compared to the one shot posters looking for an easy solution to their problem. As the site grows, and the community grows, for sure the security focus may be a tad diluted but the principle reason for this community is for discussion and knowledge of security issues, as well as sharing that knowledge in an educational and constructive manner.

    This forum has been such an excellent resource and my knowledge and desire to learn (pity about my current lack of desire to learn my accountancy topics, eh :P) has increased in such a short amount of time. Two threads by way of example, both challenging orthodoxy and containing educational (if advanced) information:

    Firewalls
    OS Security


    That's my 0.02c and some chump change -- which, by today's exchange rate is pretty damn cheap for me ;)

    Regards,
    Riotgirl

    [edited] P.s. Having mulled this thread over whilst making a cup of tea (how very English and very quaint of me), to emphasize the focus on security (back to the original principles of the site) as someone else has suggested, remove all AP assignments - both personal and thread - for all non-security forums. Besides, users should be able to discuss and debate issues in General Chat without fear of having their opinion shot down in flames just because someone else disagrees and lacks the ability to engage in a constructive debate. The site AUP (as well as mods) will keep users honest.

    I'm a big fan in allowing the community to moderate itself.

    [edited] ** Paragraph amended for the sake of precision and clarity - oh, and also because I've just read "How To Ask Smart Questions".
    \"Don\'t worry. I don\'t have low self-esteem. It\'s a mistake. I have low esteem for everyone else\".



Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •