MyGaming suggestion box

[James]

Oh goodness I completely forgot about the user reviews idea and it was actually a good idea. Thanks for the reminder. With these things it always has to be well thought through before implemented to avoid mistakes.

 

[JP'S]

Too much time, too little reward.

Ah yes never though about it

 

[Graal]

I prefer written reviews to video reviews myself. I can finish reading the review and buy the game on Steam in half the time it takes to watch a video review.

 

[StaggerLee]

I prefer written reviews to video reviews myself. I can finish reading the review and buy the game on Steam in half the time it takes to watch a video review.

+1 on that. I much prefer written reviews.

They also have the advantage that they aren't blocked by video filters

 

[Zoop]

So, Graal here. This is likely going to be deleted before anyone can really see it, but that doesn't matter much. It's intended for James anyway. So, I got banned with this message.

So, yeah. I got a warning in the Simcity thread after flaming Wyzak for his spam earlier today, my posts got deleted, then despite not flaming further, I get banned. It's probably because I neg-repped Dan saying he's doing a shit job after he didn't address the issue about pretty much everyone calling out Wyzak on his spam/trolling. I dunno. I'm not going to worry myself about it. Your forums are your castle. I'm not going to bother coming back after the ban is lifted, but I do want to leave you some feedback because I do believe you try your best to make this place worthwhile.

You need to revise the way you run your forums. Notice how in the last two years the activity has died down and only spikes up again once you have a competition? Two years ago when I first started here this place was bustling with activity, now we're lucky if we get as much activity when a competition comes around. I've spoken to a few longer-standing members who no longer really post here and there seems to be an idea that the MyGaming forums have become a forum where children are allowed free reign to do what they want. Essentially, MyBB for children. I mean, not even your moderators post here any longer. I'm not even sure who your moderators are, to be honest. Aside from Dan, I mean. And he only posts once in a blue moon.

I would say this is something you really need to look into. We can spend all day arguing whether it's because of no decent moderation being done, or TinMan doing a better job, or whatever. But that would all be speculation. Something, somewhere, is really wrong and you seriously need to look into what it is.

I will give you some advice. You need to update the functionality of your forums. The NAG forums, which doesn't receive half the activity yours does (even with your reduced activity) has had spoiler tags for as long as they've been on VB forum software (circa 2007). They've never had any issues. You guys, on the other hand, omit a feature that is almost a necessity for a gaming forum because you're scared it might get messed up in forum updates. And that's one feature. There are countless other features people have asked for that you stalwartly refuse to implement simply because of this nonsensical reason.

You also need to look at the content of your main site again. I don't know if you've realised this, but firing Tarryn was actually a major blow to MyGaming. I'm still a bit perplexed about how a company fires their best employee, but I'm not going to get into it right now. I've taken to getting my gaming news elsewhere for the last month or so, simply because the content on MyGaming is often not up to date or you simply don't cover enough. Look at your news page.

It's 12PM Tuesday. Since Monday morning you've had a grand total of 5 news posts. I really fail to believe news is so scarce. The worst part is it's regurgitated news. You don't do a bit of journalism yourselves, you simply grab your news from other sites and change the wording a bit. There's no input from your journalists at all.

Kotaku, a site that you often cite in your news snippits, has more than 40 articles for Monday. Obviously, you're not as big as Kotaku so expecting that much is a bit arbitrary, but 40 compared to your 2? Where do you think I'm going to go get my news?

Now I can't presume to know what your position over at the MyGaming offices are, but all I'm telling you is I got my news from you guys for almost two years, now I go elsewhere for gaming news and the above is why.

So, that's my take on the state of MyGaming. James, I sincerely hope you at least read through this before deleting it. Even though things have gone a bit sour, I really don't wish you any ill will.

 

[James]

I read your post and spoke to Dan about your ban. While I may have approached it differently, Dan made his decision. I can always be approached to discuss the issue, as I have previously made extensive efforts to help you when you joined the forum and protect your user name from a troll that had it out for you back then.

We do enforce the rules when necessary. However we also rely on users to report bad behaviour as we can't pro-actively monitor every single thread.

Your perception that the website and forum traffic are declining is incorrect, as both the news site and forum are seeing the most activity in the history of the site, both in terms of unique users and page views. I have the stats to back that up.

If you choose not to return after your ban, I can say I will personally miss your contributions to the forum.

 

[Dan]

So, yeah. I got a warning in the Simcity thread after flaming Wyzak for his spam earlier today, my posts got deleted, then despite not flaming further, I get banned.

Um, no. I issued you a one week ban because you called another forum member a knob, blasphemed, and even went to the trouble to create a comic strip personally attacking him. I've issued you with several warnings before about flaming and breaking board rules, and since you refuse to stop doing it you got the Temp BanHammer.

It's probably because I neg-repped Dan saying he's doing a shit job after he didn't address the issue about pretty much everyone calling out Wyzak on his spam/trolling.

You mean the rep you gave me because I deleted your insults to Wyvern in that SimCity thread? When a mod gets notified about a violation of board rules, we remove the offensive posts and steer the thread back on track, which I did. Why you seem to think that this counts as "doing a shit job" is beyond me.

I mean, not even your moderators post here any longer. I'm not even sure who your moderators are, to be honest. Aside from Dan, I mean. And he only posts once in a blue moon.

I do most of my work behind the scenes: moving posts, deleting spam, etc. Not posting often does not equate to poor moderating or forum management.

 

[Zoop]

In other words, it's true that Dan banned me because I gave him a negative reputation comment then? Because after he deleted my flame posts in that thread I didn't flame Wyzak again. Unless he counts me agreeing with Wenzdays' post as flaming. As I said, I'm not going to let it worry me further, but I will say, I've never made a secret of the fact that I strongly dislike Dan and he's never made a big secret of his dislike for me, but I expected a bit better from him.

Anyway, as I said. I can't presume to know what your position is over at MyGaming because I don't have the stats to back it up and I'm talking exclusively from my experience around here. Maybe you do get more page views than before, but page views do not constitute community. Page views are not really worth all that much when your community is slowly trickling away. I suspect that in a single day TK probably sees more posts than Gaming News, General Gaming and PC Gaming sees combined.

Anyway, I'm out then. I really wish you all the best for the future. Cheers.

 

[Zoop]

You mean the rep you gave me because I deleted your insults to Wyvern in that SimCity thread? When a mod gets notified about a violation of board rules, we remove the offensive posts and steer the thread back on track, which I did. Why you seem to think that this counts as "doing a shit job" is beyond me.

No, I meant the rep I gave you because you're not addressing Wyzak's spam and trolling, even though just about everyone else is getting annoyed by and calling him out on it.

I do most of my work behind the scenes: moving posts, deleting spam, etc. Not posting often does not equate to poor moderating or forum management.

Are you the sole moderator then? What about Quinton, or Chris, or Jes or any number of your other journalists hanging around here who never post?

 

[Jan]

Are you the sole moderator then? What about Quinton, or Chris, or Jes or any number of your other journalists hanging around here who never post?

There are a few of us with moderator powers to help out when we can, but we aren't as involved in MyGaming as James and Dan.

Quinton and I, for example, are full-time journalists for sister publications BusinessTech and MyBroadband respectively, and we often have our hands full on the other sites, so we don't post a lot on MyGaming.

We help weed out spam and the like, but I for one avoid forum drama because I don't always have the necessary context to make an educated call.

 

[shadowfox]

I'm just throwing it in here - and feel free to shoot me down, because I know myG/myBB is a business so this sort of thing probably wont be done, but anyways ...

Have you guys ever considered co-opting forum members to help out with moderation tasks in a manner similar to Syco's helping out with looking after the comps (on a volunteer basis, obviously)? Not by giving them full access, certainly, but maybe making a member a moderator for a specific forum section - so have one person for PC Gaming, another for General Gaming and so on.

I've seen this work on other forums with reasonable effect, although of course you always run the risk of someone flying off the handle, but it could possibly lighten the load a little bit.

 

[Dan]

In other words, it's true that Dan banned me because I gave him a negative reputation comment then? Because after he deleted my flame posts in that thread I didn't flame Wyzak again.

Where are you getting this from? As I said in my last post, I temp banned you because I've asked you repeatedly to stop flaming other forum members. I've even given you an official infraction before, and you still continue to attack people. Thus, you were temp banned as per board rules.

No, I meant the rep I gave you because you're not addressing Wyzak's spam and trolling, even though just about everyone else is getting annoyed by and calling him out on it.

Again, no idea where you're getting this from. I addressed the spam/trolling by deleting the off-topic comments (from both you and Wyvern) and putting the thread back on track.

 

[MetalSoup]

Again, no idea where you're getting this from. I addressed the spam/trolling by deleting the off-topic comments (from both you and Wyvern) and putting the thread back on track.

Poor Wyvern getting drawn into this. "whistling:

 

[James]

I'm just throwing it in here - and feel free to shoot me down, because I know myG/myBB is a business so this sort of thing probably wont be done, but anyways ...

Have you guys ever considered co-opting forum members to help out with moderation tasks in a manner similar to Syco's helping out with looking after the comps (on a volunteer basis, obviously)? Not by giving them full access, certainly, but maybe making a member a moderator for a specific forum section - so have one person for PC Gaming, another for General Gaming and so on.

I've seen this work on other forums with reasonable effect, although of course you always run the risk of someone flying off the handle, but it could possibly lighten the load a little bit.

The 'Report Post' button works just fine.

 

[Zoop]

Sorry, I updated my previous post so you must have missed it.

Um, no. I issued you a one week ban because you called another forum member a knob, blasphemed, and even went to the trouble to create a comic strip personally attacking him. I've issued you with several warnings before about flaming and breaking board rules, and since you refuse to stop doing it you got the Temp BanHammer.

Dan, you and me both know that post was not why I got banned. Isn't it odd that that I was banned more than an hour after you stepped in and told us to stop flaming. Why was I not banned immediately following, or shortly after, that post? Instead, you banned me an hour later, and only after I gave you a negative rep comment. So, yeah. I'm perfectly aware of why I got banned, as are you. And it wasn't for that post. It was for the negative rep comment.

Anyway. I'm not getting into a fight with you again. All I'm saying is I know what you did and why you did it. Deny that as you will, it makes no matter to me. Even though I expected better from you, I'm not unaware how hot-under-the-collar moderation work can make you and how hard it is to keep a cool head sometimes.

I just came to give a bit of feedback, but now I've been sucked back into discussion. I'll show myself the door.

 

[MetalSoup]

The 'Report Post' button works just fine.

Except for nukemdukem. He is immune to the report post button

 

[James]

Except for nukemdukem. He is immune to the report post button

He seems to be an American vlogger and I found his video posts quite informative. Having checked out a few of his created threads, they seem to have generated positive feedback from some users.

I don't ignore reported posts. If his actions become too spammy then I will reconsider.

To be blunt, I like the topic headlines he posted for SEO purposes. It contributes content to the forum that isn't merely spamming advertising to promote products.

From watching his videos, he seems to be genuine passionate gamer.

 

[MetalSoup]

He seems to be an American vlogger and I found his video posts quite informative. Having checked out a few of his created threads, they seem to have generated positive feedback from some users.

I don't ignore reported posts. If his actions become too spammy then I will reconsider.

To be blunt, I like the topic headlines he posted for SEO purposes. It contributes content to the forum that isn't merely spamming advertising to promote products.

From watching his videos, he seems to be genuine passionate gamer.

But what if more Youtuber's start doing this? Are you going to allow them all?

 

[Wyvern]

Where are you getting this from? As I said in my last post, I temp banned you because I've asked you repeatedly to stop flaming other forum members. I've even given you an official infraction before, and you still continue to attack people. Thus, you were temp banned as per board rules.



Again, no idea where you're getting this from. I addressed the spam/trolling by deleting the off-topic comments (from both you and Wyvern) and putting the thread back on track.

Umm Dan??? Can I maybe request an edit to Wyzak? I am innoceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeent!

 

[Saint_Dee]

He seems to be an American vlogger and I found his video posts quite informative. Having checked out a few of his created threads, they seem to have generated positive feedback from some users.

I don't ignore reported posts. If his actions become too spammy then I will reconsider.

To be blunt, I like the topic headlines he posted for SEO purposes. It contributes content to the forum that isn't merely spamming advertising to promote products.

From watching his videos, he seems to be genuine passionate gamer.

This. I agree, he may not be interacting much with the rest of the community, but he is positively contributing to the forum.

But what if more Youtuber's start doing this? Are you going to allow them all?

I think we need to be careful as to what we define as spam, we also need to be wary of how we treat newbies, since at times joining the forum and learning the ropes can be a bit daunting.