one month in - opinions on the forum split

I can't help but think it was more active before the split; I find the Chamber in particular just lacks good threads of the type I like to post in, which is a shame.

 

Activity definitely has dropped since the split. But it was also on the decline before that. The split just made the situation worse. Posts are far down both in quantity and quality.

 

I am not sure if quantity is down.

Looking at the last tread of the day (British SummerTime) over the last fifteen days the length of threads may! be up.

But more posts in less threads could mean more posts by less people.

Added

Yes in the last 15 days 5 people have made the last post of the day (of threads that do not continue) at two or three times. Last year it was two but one was by a mod cloing threads.

 

This may be the real beginning of the long prophesied decline of the OT community

 

I'm even more against the split now than before. It just seems as if OT has become more slow paced.

 

Personally i think it is great, OT dies according to plan one can choose where to post, and as someone having a number of threads on both forums i am enjoying the slightly different atmosphere that can be imagined for the respective parts of the forum.
Also RD threads were a failure, an RD forum seems to be a lot less failed, and around 1/4 of all OT threads are now effectively RD (in the Chamber).

 

Yeah, the forums seem to be dying. We need the US to invade some random country. Or the Euro to finally crash and burn and Europe to become a mess. Then we'd have lots to argue about. Someone warn Obama and Merkel.

 

I seem to have the same observations but do you know of any actual figures. I like numbers...

 

I for one am willing to sacrifice the Euro for the sake of OT's revitalization.

 

I don't have access to stats. But I do recall that in the past every thread on the first page of OT would have new posts each time I logged on, and sometimes some posts on the second page as well.

 

Or someone nutjob with agenda on a killing spree in some peaceful country. That increased traffic last year a lot.

 

Same and I think I visit this site less than you.

 

I asked the mods in one of these threads a month or so ago what the stats were but they say they do not keep them. Apparently we can count.

Someone needs to write some code to to get the figures if that is possible.

 

Mobilize your typing fingers, 'cause election season is coming!

 

It's been too long already, and it's nowhere near over.

 

Don't worry, it should mostly be over (the election and the bickering) in about 6 months.

unfortunately, it is just 6 months until the next one starts.

 

Yup. And I used to be a political junkie, now I just burn out... before the conventions even start.

I was half-joking before when I said there should be a rule that no candidate could announce for the presidency (or collect campaign donations, hold 10 million debates, etc.) until April Fools' Day [same year as the election]. Now I am serious. Announce in April, primaries start in June and run through to the conventions in early August (with the order of the states randomized so Iowa and NH aren't always up front), then the general election runs mostly in September and October, then its over. Nice, compact, and effective.

 

And never going to happen. As much as I would like it to and am horrified that Canada is moving towards a continuous election cycle like the US, especially if we get more minority governments in the future.

The problem is there are far too many people that benefit from the continuous election cycle, from the politicians to the media and everyone else involved with various events. Further, the US has elections every two years so you are still talking about elections going on for over 25% of the time. On the bright side the US tends to align state and local elections to coincide with the Federal ones. Something that isn't really possible in Canada because an election can be forced at any time.

 

Oh, I know. It's a pipe dream now.

Doesn't mean I don't want to change the system.

 

The chamber is a complete joke. There is still absolutely no real moderation in it. It feels no different than the old off topic: ad-hominems, sly under the radar insults, strawmen and non-sequitors still rule the discussion.

I mean, seriously. What a let-down. I would love for there to be an off-topic section where all of these logical fallacies are ground for banning from the chamber. I am so sick off trying to have an honest discussion, only to have it hijacked by imbeciles quipping cliches or redefining what I have written into stupid strawmen, which then makes me waste my time having to admonish them for being so deceitful and in bad faith.

me: marijuana should be legal
doofus: So you want to be able to do what you want, and use marijuana to bribe young girls to have sex with you?
me: Go screw yourself.
moderator: NeOmega - tagged for trolling

When has there ever even been a good thread on these forums? I know there are smart people here, and even good adversaries that I respect, but it takes wading through tons of trolls and flamers to find a good discussion here. It is a complete and utter joke.