Every couple months or so there is one (or more) outrage thread in CC, complaining of the sudden declining standards of forum postings. A usual recycle of twothreefour-centers follows, with a chorus of impending disaster in SCN.
It is funny (for lack of a more apt word) but the novelty has long worn off (for me that is).
It is funny because this sudden decrease in quality of forums has been noticed, with same surprise, by same(or similar) set of observers, every few months since I started visiting SCN (which has been a while).
It is funny that almost same peeve points and redressal mechanisms are dusted up and paraded as new in these periodic awakenings here.
It is not funny that not much is heard from the point of view of that much maligned 'newbie' who is supposedly running amok with his/her questions - without paying his/her dues first - by using search effectively, by observing the 'seniors' and essentially refraining from posting.
Could there be some poor soul really looking for answers, who dared to post without sticking to established protocols here?
If there are so many abusing the forums, how come no one has one post defending themselves in these threads? And my hypothesis on that is it is a miniscule number - I would like someone to prove me wrong on that.
I find SAPFANS useful, but find it highly ironic if that is cited as an example of forum moderation here; a number of the general discussions on that forum are borderline offensive, not to mention trivial chat among a backpatting club of few (not that I find it wrong per se). Actually let me take that back. I don't find it ironic, I find it bordering on pathetic.
In this echo chamber, there may come a day when for every inappropriate post in any other forum there would be one or more decrying it in cc, many times doing the same 'cut and paste' (of old peeves) that they deem unacceptable of others.
I understand community discussing and finding ways to improve itself. My point is there is hardly any opposing point of view presented or entertained.
- Does everyone you know always go online and search for every info before asking for anything? If not, is it too much to have some tolerance for people who might do the same on SCN?
- Has it happened to you that you know of some info to be in the forums, but no matter how you search you don't find it? Would repeating a question be allowed or tolerated with this in mind?
- in context of a community, do you think a newbie question, if answered, may be of same value (to its recipient) as an 'expert level' question?
I can go on, my point being that there is no opposing viewpoint to all these forums-are-doomed-these-days-because-I-see-thirty-newbie-questions-in-a-day-when-I-am-entitled-to-seeing-no-more-than-five posts.
For people saddened by the imminent demise of forums, allow me to gently remind them of earlier similar episodes and a quote - 'Nostalgia isn't what it used to be'.