41 replies to this topic

[Undead Han]

Closing the off topic forum was one of the bigger mistakes made with the management of these forums, and has only resulted in more off topic threads or posts in the main forums.

[voteDC]

They don't want a general purpose site because they don't want a forum at all.

You can see it at every big corporation. The push to Twitter, Facebook, Reddit etc. Why bother maintaining your own forum when you can go off and use the resources of other companies at no cost.

EA would just like us all to trot off to the other social media sites so they can finally stop pretending to care about the Bioware forum.

[Undead Han]

They don't want a general purpose site because they don't want a forum at all.
You can see it at every big corporation. The push to Twitter, Facebook, Reddit etc. Why bother maintaining your own forum when you can go off and use the resources of other companies at no cost.
EA would just like us all to trot off to the other social media sites so they can finally stop pretending to care about the Bioware forum.

Sadly, all of this is spot on.

[Jeremiah12LGeek]

We asked about that once. I believe it was explained to us that we are meanies.*

 

 

 

 

 

*I'm not sure if "meanies" is automatically censored by the software. If not, I apologize to those disturbed by the harsh language.

[voteDC]

We asked about that once. I believe it was explained to us that we are meanies.*

 

 

 

 

 

*I'm not sure if "meanies" is automatically censored by the software. If not, I apologize to those disturbed by the harsh language.

Ah yes, the toxic community reasoning.

Apparently it is easier to control a toxic community on other people's sites than your own. If that were actually true then they need to fire their web developers and get in people who know what they are doing.

[PresidentVorchaMasterBaits]

GRRRAAAAAAAGH!! AGREED!! BRING BACK OFF TOPIC! PEOPLE CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT MATH INSECT AND DARGON CAGE FOR SO LONG AND SO MUCH!!! VORCHA CAN'T EVEN BURN ON TOPIC NOWADAYS!!! COMMUNITY SAD NOW!!! VORCHA SAD!!

[Cribbian]

But now we have discussions that can't be found anywhere else instead. Yay.

[Deathangel008]

it is naive to hope that the offtopic will return, when they shut it down bioware made clear that they dont give a **** on their community.
 
well, at least they´ve finally managed to remove the reference to the offtopic-subforum in the site-rules within the last few months. took them long enough...

Spoiler

also, this autocensorship always amuses me. i´m pretty sure worse things than what just got censored in my post have been said by characters in your games, bioware. you ridicule yourself with this.

[Draining Dragon]

Nope, sorry. No fun allowed.

[Seboist]

Closing the off topic forum was one of the bigger mistakes made with the management of these forums, and has only resulted in more off topic threads or posts in the main forums.

I still blame that on negligible and lax moderation, not the lack of an OT. If people see that they can clown around with little to no consequence, then they'll continue to do it.

[dreamgazer]

I still blame that on negligible and lax moderation, not the lack of an OT. If people see that they can clown around with little to no consequence, then they'll continue to do it.

 

Yeah, but when they tried to implement some actual moderation at one point, people whined about being censored and mistreated and banned for insufficient reasons.

[Undead Han]

GRRRAAAAAAAGH!! AGREED!! BRING BACK OFF TOPIC! PEOPLE CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT MATH INSECT AND DARGON CAGE FOR SO LONG AND SO MUCH!!! VORCHA CAN'T EVEN BURN ON TOPIC NOWADAYS!!! COMMUNITY SAD NOW!!! VORCHA SAD!!

If Off Topic isn't brought back I say we round up some more Vorcha and burn this mutha down!

[PresidentVorchaMasterBaits]

If Off Topic isn't brought back I say we round up some more Vorcha and burn this mutha down!

 

ALREADY ON IT!!

 

[Kroitz]

But now we have discussions that can't be found anywhere else instead. Yay.

 

Spoiler

[Seboist]

Yeah, but when they tried to implement some actual moderation at one point, people whined about being censored and mistreated and banned for insufficient reasons.

Well, nobody likes it when the cops knock on the door during a party and tell 'em to turn the music down a notch.

[Jehuty]

BioWare closing off topic was about as smart as a child biting an electrical cord on purpose. You are expecting too much out of them. 

 

The bio-bots will be inbound to lock the thread soon enough and to hand you warning points. 

[themikefest]

I wouldn't mind having the off-topic section back. I enjoyed talking about the NFL

 

Oh yeah. 101 days until the regular season starts. Excellent. Go Panthers.

[DeathScepter]

GRRRAAAAAAAGH!! AGREED!! BRING BACK OFF TOPIC! PEOPLE CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT MATH INSECT AND DARGON CAGE FOR SO LONG AND SO MUCH!!! VORCHA CAN'T EVEN BURN ON TOPIC NOWADAYS!!! COMMUNITY SAD NOW!!! VORCHA SAD!!

 

When our favorite pyromanic is happy, i do think we all are happy. 

 

is the song is playing thru my head when I am using the Pyro theme kits like Vorcha and Geth Trooper

[Cribbian]

Nope, sorry. No fun allowed.

 
J.E Sawyer in charge of the forums?
 

[voteDC]

Moderation is a tough one. As noted you can either come across as too harsh or too lenient.

I actually think this problem caused in part by how moderators hide away from the community. They don't have to post all the time, just look at staff member Jesse Reid. This guy doesn't get flack when he posts, even when it isn't what the people want to hear.

It is because he is about, he seems available. I can't even remember the last time I saw any employee but Jesse post. The mods are now faceless numbers who appear in and out like a Ringwraith.

There is a massive division between the staff/mods and the community here, there's no interaction. You can't exactly call the Xbox forum as a paragon of goodness but you'll find the mods do interact with the community on their forum. Why can't that be done here?

Bioware needs to rethink how they operate the forum, if they intend to keep it open that is?

[Jeremiah12LGeek]

Sadly, all of this is spot on.

 

I just noticed that we have exactly the same badges, and almost exactly the same number of posts.

 

Clearly, you are my alt. I see you asking yourself how it is that you are my alt, when I could just as easily be your alt. And to that, I answer, "Stop asking yourself questions when you cannot do so because you are my alt."

 

 

 

 

Yes, I have had coffee. No, I can't explain it, either.

[CrimsonN7]

GRRRAAAAAAAGH!! AGREED!! BRING BACK OFF TOPIC! PEOPLE CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT MATH INSECT AND DARGON CAGE FOR SO LONG AND SO MUCH!!! VORCHA CAN'T EVEN BURN ON TOPIC NOWADAYS!!! COMMUNITY SAD NOW!!! VORCHA SAD!!

 

Oh hey, you're back!

 

 

Good.

[LPPrince]

I miss OT. When it was removed I got the feeling that Bioware/EA doesn't care about this place. It really was more of a straw that broke the camel's back. I've barely posted here after that as a result.

[The Real Pearl #2]

I never got to see off topic. 

[Cunning Villain]

I miss OT. When it was removed I got the feeling that Bioware/EA doesn't care about this place. It really was more of a straw that broke the camel's back. I've barely posted here after that as a result.

 

 

This forum became about as fun to visit as a funeral after they archived Off-Topic, but it had been deteriorating well before that. The only reason I come here any more is to discuss certain games and shows with my friends, and I don't even do that like I used to. It really is a shame, because I loved visiting BSN.