Ok, this post will be very long, so dont read it if you have a very short attention span. just some general typing on what I think of the board.
Here we go!
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When I first arrived here, I was pretty exited(Sp?), But as you may know I went in over my head. First impressions was like: 'wow, look at this board, nice colour scheme, nice layout, good people, very well done. At this moment I was rather... lets say, hyperactive? Not as in the real sense, I was just over anxious for a good start, and thus I was immature. and no, I will not put a link to those posts, I cant bear to look at them. Well, as you may have guessed, I got a whole load of flaming and blaming and did not post for quite a long time (I was suprised I wasnt banned :D). Well, sooner or later I had to come back, and I had fortunatley learnt my lesson. But still, you may still see that I do stupid things now, But I still have a while to go to get extremsist-like popularity (which I doubt I will :D). Next on the admins, Friendly, humorous but strict. And boy do they do thier job well (and I'm not sucking up here). They actually keep a close eye on people that insist on bending the rules sometimes (I.e me when I first came :)), and actually go to certain lengths to cope. It may be a stern warning, post depeletion (taking you down ranks), post closure (That happened to me a lot). I have seen other message boards that have about 10 odd admins that don't even do anything to stop anyone. A message-board like that would look somewhat like this:
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Topic: Last poster: status
General discussion on life Bob closed
hufehui Spam man
hufehui Spam man
hufehui Spam man
hufehui Spam man
How do I get past 'Boss' Henry
I like fish Spam man
I like fish Spam man
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And so on.
I have seen boards like that everywhere. Look at how bob posted a message on life. that has been closed, but it may have been Spam Man's fault, and look how the admins have not done a single thing to close or change his messages.
Next on the measures and a description and effect to stop people like these on boards of magik. (The stupidity meter is not how stupid the admins have to be, but how stupid the person in question has to be to get it, so dont get the wrong ideas.)
Post closure: full stop, no more on this topic. It may have been done because of spamming, chatting, off topic posts, or just plain stupidness. stupidity needed to get to this measure: 4 out of ten
Post depletion: Taking away rankings on a avatar (I.e: goblin becomes watcher). Think of it like a army. if you are a pilot, you may get a badge or a medal showing that. A ranking. In boards of magik, this is shown by a avatar. If done in a war, I.e the pilot runs over people on his side delibartley, his ranking may go down to grunt again if he was nudging people slightly with his jeep. any harder then he is arrested by his m.p's. stupidity rating: 6 out of ten. The M.p aressting is simarlar to the boards in...
Banning: Throwing someone of the boards completley for doing everything wrong. Nothing else much to say on that, its straightforwards. Stupidity rating: 10 out of ten.
Idiot of the week: Very rare, but this is the 'dunce' of the board and so shall have his/her avatar changed instantly to this, and open to ridicule. Stupidity rating: 9 out of ten.
Next up (away from the topic of admins), is common mistakes.
Here are some.
Not reading the FAQ. Lots of newbies do not read the faq. I was one of them, and the curcumstancies are dire. they ask 'what the character is at the side' (avatar or ranking), spam and act stupid.
Asking stupid questions, Like 'how do I move?' these are EXTREMLY rare, but if they can install a game, then of course they know. they can read, so why not read the manual? sure its the sized like 2 housebricks, but its incredibly interesting to read. Or so I think.
Not using the search feature. This leads to repitition of questions, like 'how do I kill kangaxx?', which can lead to spamming.
I am very bored today, so if anyone wants to add anything, you are welcome.
Ripper out.
(Oops, just realised that the forum example is screwey. well, just try to ignore it, Ok?)

[This message has been edited by The Grim Ripper (edited November 18, 2001).]

I've been to so many bad boards it isn't even funny. The ones I used to go to at FFnet.net, for example, or the ones I now visit every other day at Bioware (but that's my job, so what can you do). I must admit that when I first came to SP, I was pretty shocked that, despite the popularity of these boards, they were WELL RUN *gasp*. The mods can be strict, but if they weren't.... Well, chaos would ensue. So on the whole I can say that I *am* glad. Furthermore, SP is the kind of community that makes you not only want to visit often, it makes you want to contribute, either by thoughtful posts here in the Forums or by helping to run the site (like what I'm doing with the NWN Forum Updates, shameless plug). It's the kind of community that requires a very fine line between discretion and rigidity to be run, and I must say it succeeds amazingly well. So, I guess what I want to say is, thumbs up to SP.

i visit sp at least 5 times a day(its true)
and i think the boards are very well run:D
i like all the people here,and the MOD's does a great job.
whenever you come to sp theres a new interesting topic(well most of the time:D)


Keep up the good work with Sorcerer's Place guys, your the best website out there (im sure most people agree)

It's like a party at your house -- you could buy a couple kegs and tell everyone you know to tell everyone they know, and early in the evening, as your house fills with strangers, you could disappear to a quiet place with the young man of your choice, not to emerge until the next day, when you have to clean up all the mess. Now that is your typical message board.
Or you could have your party as the mods here do, where you stay involved and make sure, by constant vigilence and an hors d'oeuvre tray, that everyone is having a good time. Everyone, of course, except the a**holes, who are asked to leave. The socially inept and the stupid, you would gently steer toward competence. These latter cases, really, are the test of a party or a message board -- and here, a mod will suggest a better forum for a given topic or folks will paste links to topics that have already exhausted the current question. Or they will change a topic -- How I laughed at the "Peanut butter" topic.

It's good. I like this place. It boggles my mind to think of the mods reading every freakin topic -- the godlike power to ban someone or the $0.35 from Amazon cannot be worth all this.

And that's just me that's getting this small bit of cash back you know. The rest of the people (mods, news posters etc.) are doing it for nothing. Well not for nothing, for glory and recognition, but there's no monetary gain. ;)

Of course most of what I actually earn through SP (and this has only been the last few months that I've expanded the books & games sections, it was a grand total of zero cash the whole 3 years before) goes straight back into the site one way or another. Anyway, if it was for the money that we did it, none of us would be here for so long. We're here because we actually have fun with it as well. And for fame, of course. ;)

Of course there's also this thing that I promised myself when I created these boards... That they would never deteriorate into a spamming joint full of idiots & l33t f0lkz like 99% of other boards out there are, and I try to keep this promise. So far with the help of BTA especially, we've been doing quite well I think. :cool:

I can note only one thing: there are no such kickass forums like these!
Too bad they are only d&d... Ahh, you can't get everything I suppose...

BTW Grim, "extremsist-like popularity"??? What's that?

Extremist-like popularity is when people want to kill you, but they'll smile while they're doing it.

Not being a bum or anything, but what other types of popularity are there if there are any types of other popularites and which one would i fall into? (I wish to feel powerful :D :D )

...They actually keep a close eye on people that insist on bending the rules sometimes...

Thanks for warning me. I've just removed the monitoring trojans on my computer, the bugs in all the phones, the cam hidden by the smoke detector and the transmitter in my left shoe. ;)

Well, we're not going to get 'Grim ripper' style popularity, or 'Inappropriate Synonim' popularity are we? :D. ok, BTA popularity then :D
Ok, types of popularity:
Newbie popularity: Usually seen as warm welcomes and hellos.
Newbie Popularity (2): Dumb newbies known for thier stupidity, see earlier grim ripper posts.
Powerful people popularity (P.P.P): see admins, ect. Mostly used in grovelling sentences*, and known for thier greater powers of keeping in lineness.
Veteran popularity: extremist, headbanger (and possibly sniper :D) fall into this.
Idiotic People popularity: People commonly spammers or 'Idiot of the week' pepole fall into this. The 'lilarcor' of the boards, known for thier stupidness. See 'Newbie (2)
Creative people popularity: Known for poems or storywriting on the boards, find these in the 'creativity surge boards'
hope that helps clarify things :)
*I'd like to add that BTA and the other admins are wonderful people and would maybe... give me another level please? just kidding :D


[This message has been edited by The Grim Ripper (edited November 19, 2001).]

There are several other sorts of popularity:

Herf popularity: People like you and remember to call you only by your chosen nickname.

Kitiara popularity: People constantly ask you to send them pictures.

Arwen popularity: Everyone wants to talk to you after Kitiara posts a picture of you.

Lokken popularity: All married women pat your rear.

Kevlar popularity: You are loved so much that you are banned, so that the rest of the world may enjoy the warmth of your personality.

ClubMonkee popularity: Same as above, plus you're bisexual.

Wildfire popularity: People love your personality so much they suspect you're not really a person.

Darien popularity: People love you so much that they private message each other "What kind of mood is she in?" as soon as they enter the chatroom that you're in.

Shadow_Goddess popularity: People ask you lots of questions about your life and then try to tell you that you're too young for everything.

Sir_Dargorn/Poodle popularity: People insult you randomly and then tell you they love you. Also, Tony Blair hates you.

Xenecor popularity: People think you're male.

Shralp popularity: People think you're a gay male.

ArtEChoke popularity: You are a gay male.

People don't ask about my life and then tell me I'm too young to understand. They're more likely to tell me that I'm 12 and to shut up and listen to my elders. ;) :grin: *sigh*...

Hey look Sharlp really is good for something. Those last three I will definately have quote in #sorcerers_nwn next time we have a session. *stifles his laughter* Ok, why the heck am I not on any veteran popularity lists;) (/me makes a note to spam all his opinions so everyone will remember his name like the rest of the veterans on the list ;))

Then there's Capstone popularity: everyone adds "Oh yeah, and Capstone" five minutes after the topic is discussed.

Sniper was really popular during the days of the "One Word Story" *giggles* anyone remember?

LOL i remember those days ... thats it i got my popularity thingy now!

Sniper popularity: People who talk about masturbating like it was a second hobby.

Does that count as a type of popularity?
Hmm as for veteren popularity... i've been here over a year so yeah, i guess i am one :D :D

Heh... Yeah I remember... Dudette showed me the topic and every other post was Sniper posting something about sexual parts, masturbating or sex. Sheez

Dudette popularity: Hey! Aren't that girl who used to post in SP?! Cool! You're like an ancient relic! ;)

[This message has been edited by Shadow_Goddess (edited November 20, 2001).]

Anything wrong with having masturbation as a second hobby? :p

Nah, its only a bit wierd if you have a girlfriend (from a male hetro point of view) and you still do it :p

Big B- popularity: Always helpfull and polite. (and it helps he is a SW fan *snicker*)

[This message has been edited by ArchAngel (edited November 21, 2001).]

Hey why are we snickering at me being a Star Wars fan, Yoda's Drinking Buddy??? ;)

Nobleman/Archangel popularity: A voice of reason in the midst of mayhem. (And really mind-boggling questions every 100 posts ;))

[This message has been edited by Big B (edited November 21, 2001).]

It was a friendly *Snicker*. My life would have been pointless without Star wars. It is nice with an ally now that Slappy "The Master" has left :( :D

Tal/Azirath-popularity: Genius. Try to encourage people to do the best within their human capability; using themselves as examples.

Zaragoth-popularity: Maturing teenager style.

Dargorn-popularity: Cool Story-telling type. Pretty passionately.

Baldak-Popularity: Precise and thorough.

EDIT, Just for you Azirath :p

Another Azirath-popularity: cocky and eager. Sometimes gets hurt badly from it. Basicly just unlucky.

[This message has been edited by ArchAngel (edited November 21, 2001).]

Why am I under genius popularity? Certainly I'm flattered, but whoa ;) I can understand Tal, but me? Nah.

Read your profile again. Do I need glasses? :D

:cool: Is that better?

Spamming is for some people here just the solution to forget their real-life-problems :D

Without te ability to spam here, I would never be able to work almost 2 years in a helpdesk.

I do believe we've hit rock bottom with this 'EXTREMELY heavy reading' thing. Wow.