Why so little activity in the Coffee Lounge?

[redbeard]

When I first joined this forum, the Coffee Lounge was a pretty popular spot with quite a bit of conversation. This was my idea of a thriving community, and I really liked being able to come over to the lounge when I'd had my fill of trying to learn linux. However, over time interest in the coffee lounge seems to have declined steadily to the point where this is a Sunday night and there are threads on the first page of the coffee lounge with a last post from Wednesday morning.

Has there been a massive membership decline? Or is there some other reason? Two possible answers come to mind:

1) The change in rules so that posts in the coffee lounge don't count for the forum.
2) Stricter policies about what can and can't be discussed in a thread, with any questionable threads immediately locked by the moderators.

I totally understand the policy change made to stop counting posts in the coffee lounge. Many posts were blatantly done to increment the hit count (an open joke). I also understand how important it is to have civility in a forum. However, I do sometimes wonder if the rules here aren't a bit over zealous.

Does anyone have any other ideas as to why the coffee lounge seems to have falen out of favor? Could it be one of the reasons I stated above, or perhaps something I haven't even thought of?

[Vergil83]

I think it is the news rules of what can be discussed. Some of our funniest threads IMHO where the ones about politics. Sure a few got out of hand, but most where quite civil.

[apoorv_khurasia]

I support the mods' decision to not count the posts made here as many times they aren't even remotely related to linux (or coffee for that matter).

The decline in the number of posts might be due to excessive activities outside the forum (read soccer) which leaves little time for work and absolutely no time for coffee. Relax, after 9th (or project deadlines which ever are later ) activity will be seen.

[ImNeat]

I too have noticed a decline in activity here. Maybe people are like me and are afraid they'll get locked. For example I wanted to post on DRM but was afraid of where it'd go
Just look at how many threads are locked... on this one page... eek!

[bigtomrodney]

Any civil discussion will not be locked. If you would like to discuss DRM by all means open a thread on it. The only thing being watched is threads started specifically with flamebait or unduly sensationalist titles like "Vista and Microsoft Suck!". What's also not really favoured by anyone is overly negative threads. Everyone likes a rant but nonconstructive (or rather destructive) comments aren't in anyone's interest including the original poster.

The recent rise in monitoring of threads is in response to user complaints about inappropriate content, at least on my part this is the case. I would like to think that all things are fair game until either posted purely for trolling/flamebait or just plain inappropriate. There was certainly a time when things got out of hand (I'm thinking of when the coffee lounge posts counted) although funnily enough people don't seem to be as focussed on post count since the penguins were removed.

Please don't be afraid to post on any topic in the coffee lounge, and on any relevent topics in the other forums. Just remember us mods are posters too

[fingal]

I also noticed a decline in Coffee Lounge fun! Maybe because I post here more than anywhere else ... It gets quite hard to think of new topics after a while, but I can appreciate that sometimes things get out of hand.

Some other forums are more tolerant of flames (rather than full on flame wars) but I stick with this one because it's easier to get a feel for individual personalities.

IMHO some people don't always get the idea that coffee lounge posts are mostly about fun topics (for me at least) so you can post a question which is intended to be funny, and get a one line reply, like 'No I don't' or 'Not very often' etc ... That tends to kill things a bit.

On a more serious note
To be truthful, I'm concerned that sometimes 'moderation' can turn into out-and-out censorship. Who decides what is 'negative' or 'positive'? Sometimes drawing attention to 'negative issues' can be very positive - especially where there is apathy or limited awareness. Based on the 'negative posting' criteria, Shakespeare would never have been published (too violent and bawdy) Dickens wouldn't have got anything into print (political - draws attention to urban poverty and social hypocrisy) and Galileo would have been squashed ... Well, he was: he challenged religious short-sightedness in favour of scientific enquiry.

If I thought that posts were being locked based on questionable criteria like those I might want to review my membership and go elsewhere. I also understand trolling and the need to avoid that. I also recognise that 'negative posts' might attract complaints, but it begs a few questions.

I also understand the need to avoid political rants (up to a point) but there's a contradiction here. Censorship - if you accept that it's happening - is political. So again I would ask, 'At what point does moderation become censorship?' Everyone has little pet hates and prejudices. I hope they aren't used as a starting point for thread locking.

[techieMoe]

On a more serious note
To be truthful, I'm concerned that sometimes 'moderation' can turn into out-and-out censorship. Who decides what is 'negative' or 'positive'?

The mods determine it, plain and simple. If you don't agree with our decisions, you're welcome to let us know or leave. You're a long-standing member of the forum and I don't mean to sound curt here, but I've seen too many troll threads start with "censorship this... censorship that...."

As for the decline in threads in the Coffee Lounge, I could really care less. The purpose of these forums as far as I'm concerned is to help people who are having trouble with Linux, nothing more. If the Coffee Lounge were gone I'd not feel any great loss. I've seen plenty of "social" forums online and none of them have anything compelling me to join them.

I also find it necessary to mention that my opinion is just that. I don't own the forum and therefore don't take anything I say as the gospel. Anyone who's ever disagreed with one of my reviews can attest to that.

[fingal]

The mods determine it, plain and simple. If you don't agree with our decisions, you're welcome to let us know or leave. You're a long-standing member of the forum and I don't mean to sound curt here, but I've seen too many troll threads start with "censorship this... censorship that...."

I know about trolls and their love of talking about censorship, and I anticipated that you would mention that. I don't always agree with your decisions, no ... but I will stay on these forums for now. You do a pretty good job on the whole, and if you want to sound curt, that's okay. I'm a grown man and I can take it. That and a lot more.

As for the decline in threads in the Coffee Lounge, I could really care less. The purpose of these forums as far as I'm concerned is to help people who are having trouble with Linux, nothing more. If the Coffee Lounge were gone I'd not feel any great loss. I've seen plenty of "social" forums online and none of them have anything compelling me to join them.

I understand, but you're not a socially orientated person. I am ... If the coffee lounge disappeared so would I. The way I work is to answer some questions (or a question) and then go to the CF and post. I enjoy it, and the day I stop enjoying something is the day I pack it in.

I also find it necessary to mention that my opinion is just that. I don't own the forum and therefore don't take anything I say as the gospel. Anyone who's ever disagreed with one of my reviews can attest to that.

The fact that I know you think this way is something that enables me to stay around. If you were any less than this, I would go NOW! I really don't expect people to think like me either, but sometimes ... Yeah ... I really wish someone would.

[techieMoe]

I understand, but you're not a socially orientated person.

Haha. You've been talking to my exes, haven't you? It's true though.

I enjoy it, and the day I stop enjoying something is the day I pack it in.

Glad to hear it. That's much like my motivation for my reviews and comics.

I really don't expect people to think like me either, but sometimes ... Yeah ... I really wish someone would.

Preaching to the choir there...

[carlosponti]

well another reason is some of us have become more social and not the closet porn viewing geeks of the old days

honestly the biggest killer of posts in the coffee lounge started when they stopped counting towards your post counter simple as that. I dont disagree with that policy either its rediculous that people would try to get post counts by BSing in here however i am guilty of it too.