Once upon a time the off topic forum was teaming with interesting discussions and novel threads...

Today, there are 5 days worth of posts of the front page and they aren't very interesting or novel.  Infact it's more than a little stale around here with recycled debates about preferences over cats or burgers.

I don't blame any of you for trying to keep this going or am I even suggesting that it's your fault - I'm only asking where have all the good posters gone?

When the R&P was up and running this place was much more...

Overmoderation has driven off the core community.

i would blame the removal of R&P (and thus many who passed by this section) but i wouldn't be very unbiased.

It's mainly because of the removal of R&P.

I like it this way. Even some people who disappeared are starting to come back. They appeared to have left because of how nasty the "religion" and "politics" discussions had become. I don't miss those one bit.

I was glad they created the R&P section, got sick of the off-topic section teamed with R&P, but now it's gone seems it hasn't gotten back to the old days hmm.

Originally posted by Man1ac

I was glad they created the R&P section, got sick of the off-topic section teamed with R&P, but now it's gone seems it hasn't gotten back to the old days hmm.

Not yet. It'll get there.

hi everybody!

Originally posted by Xirik

hi everybody!

Keep it down!... you're ruining the mood...

Originally posted by Illius

Originally posted by Xirik

hi everybody!

Keep it down!... you're ruining the mood...

oh sorry everyone I was just wan*fart*

ill....be going now.

I left because i just wasn't "Enigma" anymore plus, the Religion and Politics threads were just out of control. I posted in there a lot so I am not bashing the idea of it. It's just when you realize 95% of your total posta are in a religion and political thread one starts asking "why am I on mmorpg.com?"

Im back now.

Yes, I see that the off topic section is dead. Well, kinda. It's nothing like it was during or before the R&P section. I just don't see any real thought provoking threads in this section anymore. When I do see one, it's enjoyable.

And topics like "which are better? Cats or dogs?"   Or "which do you like better? BurgerKing or McDonalds" ....those are just not worth clicking the thread and reading.

Originally posted by pyrofreak

Overmoderation has driven off the core community.

Probably. I know its kept me from wanting to post too much.

Originally posted by Annah_H

 It's just when you realize 95% of your total posta are in a religion and political thread one starts asking "why am I on mmorpg.com?"

I think for a few like C-B-M it actually was 100%.

There were people who posted in both OT and RP, a lot of those people began to post mostly in RP, they became pissed off, left and havent come back. I don't think you can blame the removal of RP, it had degenertated into little more than a spam forum, people either left because they were sick of the posts/posters there or they left because they couldn't troll any longer.

When I was moderating Religion and Politics were something of a "no-no". In a pro-active effort to stymie our user base from leaving in exodus fashion, R&P discussions were squashed from the start. The Off Topic forum was alive, flourishing, and the contents were arguably above par, from the topics now.

To blame over moderation, and to blame religion and politics both for exisiting and disappearing is really "six of one (and) half a dozen the other. " (i've always loved that idiom).

Religion and Politics was birthed to free up moderation. So they can focus on their many, fractioned forums. Considering the idealogy (vehement belief, or conviction) on such subjects, we begin to see how volatile the discussion was from the start; whether we all agree on this, that thread had an expiration date before the first post occured.

Now, i'm all for the discussion of Religion and Politics, particullary in the Off Topic forum, but to blame one or the other is like comparing burger king to pizza hut (or whatever the hell that latest, stupid thread is).

MMORPG's were first brought into life to experience a graphical version of DND, a very intelligent, sometimes...corky target-market (demographic). Now, with the games being "dumbed-down", we're inviting a new group of people into the foray. People with much to contribute sit back and wait for something worth-while to post on.

Originally posted by AkaJetson

Originally posted by Annah_H

 It's just when you realize 95% of your total posta are in a religion and political thread one starts asking "why am I on mmorpg.com?"

I think for a few like C-B-M it actually was 100%.

I'm relatively certain all of his posts on MMORPG.com were in R&P.

And as far as what happened to the off-topic forum, I dunno, because after R&P branched off from off-topic, I generally didn't post in off-topic since, as said before, I had very little interest in most of the discussions. If there were more sports or movie or TV topics, I might, but I don't see them very often. Granted, this is my first visit to MMORPG in several weeks.

I would like to retract my previous post: I spoke with Finwe today and was reminded of the many, MANY R&P topics that went on. Though many of them died, we still allowed them to continue until it was necessary to bring them down.

Plain and simple.

BORING

I mean, how gives a *&^% when you get posts like this?

Mc Donalds or Burger King?

What is your favorite color?

What is the biggest pimple you ever got?

I log in, check my favorite games and log out.

BORING

Exactly! If it bordered on religion or has a hint of politics, it is deleted

Originally posted by Annah_H

Yes, I see that the off topic section is dead. Well, kinda. It's nothing like it was during or before the R&P section. I just don't see any real thought provoking threads in this section anymore. When I do see one, it's enjoyable