Real Chat, Thread 1

[Gamesoul Master]

OK... we're gonna solve this right here. Since even Chat threads are apparently required to stay on topic, and apparently an OP's original intentions in posting a thread don't mean anything, I'm making this thread with very crystal clear, typed out intentions:

This is the chat thread. As you can see from the number, it will not be the only one. This thread is dedicated to talking about whatever you want. Anything at all. And if, at some point, a couple people don't like the content of this thread, I will start another Chat thread so that something else can be brought up without fear of disrupting the conversation(s) of the other chat thread(s).


THIS THREAD IS DEDICATED TO TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING DESIRED, AS LONG AS THERE ARE NO POSTS BREAKING THE RULES (SUCH AS FLAMING, SWEARING, ETC)

[Ultima]

hoshikuzu said:

and apparently an OP's original intentions in posting a thread don't mean anything

Wonderful how people misunderstand everything I say -- do I seriously have to explain my POV over? I'd thought we had this particular misinterpretation done and over with. Guess not. But hey, I'm rather tired of explaining and repeating myself ten times for every one thing said, so whatever.

[psicomaniaco]

Well Ultima. Everytime you post something, someone misunderstand. Maybe the problem lies with what you say? Or maybe... the way you say it?

[Ultima]

Sure, logically, I'd thought of that, but how is it that it happens only on this forum, and nowhere else?

It's not something I realized earlier, but perhaps that's also a source of possible "frustration" that Gamesoul Master saw in me.

[psicomaniaco]

Well, I don't know you from other forums, so I wouldn't know. Maybe people who knows you better than me could say it.

It should be noted tho than I have nothing against you personally. In fact, you are quite a nice guy (at least seems so), and I think you are NOT a bad admin at all. Believe me, I've seen bad admins on otyher forums.

The fact that you just showed us your POV on the other forum means nothing. Its not like you came and closed the topic saying "Uh, in my admin opinion, this forum is off-topic, and I'm closing it because thats the was admins have fun! HAHAHA".

[patrickp]

It's always the way, Ultima. When you join a forum and start contributing, you don't just want to make dry, informative posts, you want to have fun. So you make offtopic posts, have a laugh... it's all part of life.

However, when you become the bearer of the big nail-studded club that all admins wield, you start looking at things differently. You're bound to; otherwise you won't be any good as an admin. To do it well, you have to develop a certain degree of detachment. You have to be able to do what an admin has to do without getting too involved. Members will always bend the rules, and often it's the most contributive members who do a lot of bending. The ones who never bend the rules often don't contribute so much in the way of insightful posts etc.

That's a large part of why being an admin is so thankless - in fact, an admin who _expects_ thanks is doomed from the start. It needs confidence: you have to be able to know that you're doing a useful job and holding the forum together without members acknowledging it - in fact, nobody ever notices what the best admins do. The more you draw attention to your administration, the less successful you are.

Everybody wants to be a star nowadays. In large part, this has become a culture where those who make the most noise are the most applauded. The fact that a lot of things - most things, really - are done best if done unnoticed means that a lot of things just never get done properly - or even never get done at all.

I don't know what the answer is, but I do know one thing. When you set out to do something like this, you have to decide whether you're going to do it properly and well, and accept the lack of praise and that even people who do know you're doing it well will know that you'll carry on doing it best if they don't draw attention to it. Or you do it for the ego massage, do it terribly, tell everyone long and loud how well you're doing it (and have your 'friends' do that as well), and ignore the fact that you're wrecking a fine forum - need I point to examples?

I rest my case. In line with my reasoning, nor will I congratulate you effusively on what a fantastic job you're doing. Draw your own conclusions, develop a thick hide and a waterproof back.

[Ultima]

Indeed, if I were looking for praise, I wouldn't be doing half the things I do, as it'd end up being a game of "stop and wait for praise." I assure you, it's not the case, otherwise, I might as well have simply said in the other thread "I see off-topicness, but will let it go because I'm such a kind admin."

My point in pointing out what I did in my first reply was to say that there never was a problem to be solved to begin with -- respecting users and just letting the forums flow (within reason) comes with the turf, and I understand that very well, but to say that there's been a problem with that (heck, just creating this thread itself), one might as well just say that I believe in the opposite of my views on the matter. What I did say (or at the very least, implied) at the end of the other thread was that my softness was not the green light for random off-topic chatter to spring up all over, that it's fine as long as it's in moderation, but if I felt there was something wrong, I'd step in (only natural). I thought I had made it clear throughout the discussion that it wasn't relatively easy to bother me when it came to discussions in threads, so I'm not sure where the misinterpretation came from -- stifling discussions is not on my list of agendas.

Anyhow, I think I've derailed enough threads over this topic, and I'm pretty sure everyone's tired of it, myself included, but most definitely Gamesoul Master. Apologies for that.

[Gamesoul Master]

Ultima... I wasn't really aiming that comment at you at all... you are an admin and have a duty to uphold. And considering you weren't even the one who made the comment I was referencing... you're pretty safe on that. And it's impossible to derail this thread, I made sure of that... XD

This post is what irritated me. No, I don't truly claim ownership of the thread, but I thought I've made it clear here by now... when I start a thread in Chat, I *intend* that people chat about whatever they want, including the topic I raise. And so... the thread being started with that intention, and me being the one that started the thread... means I had a right to defend being off-topic in the thread since I *intended* that. And Ultima... I'm still not cutting on you here. I understand what you've said and what you allow to slide, and I appreciate that. I misinterpreted at first what you had a problem with, and that I apologize for.

And I'm not mad at Mika for that post either... he made it with the seeming intent of seeing what other people think, and I'm perfectly cool with that. It was simply that at the time, I was a little offended that he would go and say something like that when the whole point of my Chat threads are to go wherever they want, so *that* was my original intention and I had every right to make it. But... I've decided that he probably just didn't know that, that maybe he hadn't noticed me mention it or indicate it someplace, as I sometimes don't make my intentions clear enough, and that I apologize for too.

I suppose I should really apologize to everybody, for being too pissy about all this. I'm letting the outside world leak into my posts here, and that isn't right. I will strive to be clearer in the future, and to interpret better people's posts. Sorry again to everybody.

[Ultima]

ROFL looks like it's actually me who's having a bout of misunderstanding others on these forums...

With all of this aside, I think it's safe to say we can get back on track to taking other threads off track! XD

[TheCloudOfSmoke]

I feel bad because all of the off-topicness in those two threads originated from me. I didn't know that it would get that much out of hand though.

I personally don't mind off-topicness in the forums that are not support forums. Off-topicness keeps the forum going. ;D

[Deleted]

See, I was just curious as to the whole thing in general. It's not something I see very often, eventhough I admin/moderate two forums, but enough times to get curious about it.

It's mostly due to thing I once saw in one forum (neither of the ones I mod) where a user created a thread, and in the first post he set some rules that were partially againts the forum rules. Then when a moderator called him on it, he defended it because it was "his thread and he should have the final say". Which of course is ridicilous, and I'm not saying that anyone in here would do that, but it raised my curiosity of the whole thread specific rules thing. And so I asked.

And since we were already well off-topic in there anyway...

[Ultima]

You see, that kind of topic wouldn't get by me ;D

thecloudofsmoke said:

Off-topicness keeps the forum going

Couldn't agree more, which is why I don't really mind it much either You've no reason to feel bad, it was originally my fault for making it into a big deal anyway. lol feels like this thread is turning into an apology/clarification thread instead xD

[Melanogaster]

Great! My turn: I'd really like to apologize for... hum... damn! I ruined the game... sorry. Hey! I'm apologizing! Back on the game! Next one, now...