Muncher21, Gkardos, Xionico, Kira(retired), ygdrasil(forcibly retired) and myself are the Arbiters of Intelligence which will lead this forum back to an Utopian society where we can post freely without the board clogged by attention whores and misconceived ideas.
We are but five people (now), though our influence is well known. We need help, we cannot hold a war of intelligence alone. Gkardos and myself are the active members and we will swing our hammers until there is no one left to trample beneath our feet, but when the enemy is as China, we cannot beat as fast as they grow.
The concept is simple, critics, follow what's listed above, follow the "how to make a suggestion" that I've posted, and help me beat away the stupidity that has allowed Notch to catch flight from here.
Use this to act within the rules, and within the rules intent, to bring order, intelligence, and integrity back to the topics, or see them closed by moderators. As said, I cannot do this myself and the eye of moderators is more and more being set on this board. Let us do our job to make their job easier.
Muncher21, Gkardos, Xionico, Kira(retired), ygdrasil(forcibly retired) and myself are the Arbiters of Intelligence which will lead this forum back to an Utopian society where we can post freely without the board clogged by attention whores and misconceived ideas.
We are but five people (now), though our influence is well known. We need help, we cannot hold a war of intelligence alone. Gkardos and myself are the active members and we will swing our hammers until there is no one left to trample beneath our feet, but when the enemy is as China, we cannot beat as fast as they grow.
The concept is simple, critics, follow what's listed above, follow the "how to make a suggestion" that I've posted, and help me beat away the stupidity that has allowed Notch to catch flight from here.
Use this to act within the rules, and within the rules intent, to bring order, intelligence, and integrity back to the topics, or see them closed by moderators. As said, I cannot do this myself and the eye of moderators is more and more being set on this board. Let us do our job to make their job easier.
You need a pledge. Here's my idea for one:
"I, llama66613, swear my soul to the Arbiters of Intelligence.
I promise to make posts and threads only when needed,
to make those posts polite, organized, and intelligent,
to follow the rules at all times,
and to never resort to flamming, trolling, or swearing."
Muncher21, Gkardos, Xionico, Kira(retired), ygdrasil(forcibly retired) and myself are the Arbiters of Intelligence which will lead this forum back to an Utopian society where we can post freely without the board clogged by attention whores and misconceived ideas.
While calling yourself an "arbiter of intelligence" I do not like, I do understand what you mean. Something that will also help is if you find a duplicated bad thread, report it with the link to the original, or even another copy. It will help us do our job faster. Also, do not post in it, otherwise it will just be bumped to the top of the page, and not help. If it is just a bad idea, either make one post explaining everything you intend to say, and do not post again (letting it die off), or do not post at all. Bad ideas seem to get a lot of attention from people just telling the OP "No" in some format.
We are but five people (now), though our influence is well known. We need help, we cannot hold a war of intelligence alone. Gkardos and myself are the active members and we will swing our hammers until there is no one left to trample beneath our feet, but when the enemy is as China, we cannot beat as fast as they grow.
Again, I personally do not like you putting yourself above others, but I understand what and why you say it. As stated above, avoid the bad ones and try to post more in the good ones. It will help keep them on the bottom of the page.
The concept is simple, critics, follow what's listed above, follow the "how to make a suggestion" that I've posted, and help me beat away the stupidity that has allowed Notch to catch flight from here.
This shouldn't go just for people looking to be critics. This is a good thread for everyone.
Use this to act within the rules, and within the rules intent, to bring order, intelligence, and integrity back to the topics, or see them closed by moderators. As said, I cannot do this myself and the eye of moderators is more and more being set on this board. Let us do our job to make their job easier.
I personally believe it is not only possible, but fairly easy to remain within the rules. Most of them are about just being polite and not spamming. You don't have to like their idea, but you still have to respect the person.
If necessary, I will edit the OP to remove the profanity; though I personally believe it adds a bit of shock which gives humor and draws attention as well.
I am the bone of my sword
Steel is my body, and fire is my blood
I have created over a thousand blades
Unknown to death, Nor known to life
Have withstood pain to create many weapons
Yet, those hands will never hold anything
So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works
FOR THE CRITICS
----------------------------------------
A guide on how a poster can improve the forum
We have a guide to making suggestions, and I've taken an extensive amount of time explaining the contents there.
However, it is my personal belief that making a suggestion is only half the battle. This is a detailed guide on how to effectively critique a suggestion.
There are times where we all (I am far from an exception here) do not wish to take a great deal of time to critique a suggestion. We would all just like to stamp a suggestion with a "no" and be on our merry way.
To this end, I'd like to express the multitude of different ways where we can improve the forum, improve suggestions, and improve our chances to not get banned all to hell by simply doing our jobs (critiquing) without changing who we are.
A few points I'd like to cover are:
Already suggested
USE SEARCH
tl;dr
Effective criticising
Tools of the trade
AS!!!
Screaming "Already Suggested" at a common idea is tantamount to spam. Yes, you heard me right. Do not state "already suggested" unless you have another one to reference. The reason is simple; the game is 2+ years old, it has a fanbase where every (practically) member has posted a suggestion on the board. This game has over a MILLION players; and millions others which would LIKE to play the game. They all contribute to the trash heap.
What are the chances of ANY suggestion ANYONE has come up with would be original by now? "Already suggested" becomes a categoric insult at this point, and more statement of the obvious akin to typing "This is a collection of words on a bulletin board system". Thanks, jack-ass; we got that.
If you are to post "already suggested" at least do the footwork and find a link to a previous topic so a mod can use the reference and close the redundant topic; instead of leaving it open for the poor OP to be flamed to death. Seriously, don't sink down to the OP's level.
Seriously, there's a search bar!
If you are anything like me, you'll have fallen victim to a devious snare. "Use search!" is the universal cry of all whom have lost all hope.
When wishlists, completely oversuggested topics, a collective IQ less than maple syrup, and new content patches come, this is the first thing out of a critic's mouth. Are the critics wrong?
No. Of course not. However, saying "use search" is not enough, it goes back to the "already suggested" rule, if you're going to take the time to tell them to use search, take the time to provide 3 or 4 links. It takes... like... 30 seconds, and allows you to get the topic closed so older and better written topics can come to the forefront.
TL;DR
Ever see an epic length suggestion that you cannot find the time to read? Ever post TL;DR? Yeah?! Don't. Not only is this not helpful AT ALL, but it is complete spam while also completely insulting.
TL;DR is NOT a breakdown in communication, it is a refusal to do so. You are saying you intend to go onto a person's suggestion and do not wish to communicate at all. TL;DR means you haven't read the suggestion, so you HONESTLY have no ****ing idea what the hell the suggestion is talking about in the first place, so you are admitting that you don't understand the concept of the thread, won't bother to understand it, and are speaking out your ass about the limited scope of your personal opinion. This is a personal pet peeve, and one that a serious critic should stamp out as quickly as possible.
Save yourself the energy and do not post, it makes you look like less of an ass and saves you that credibility which a good critic needs.
You have a 4 letter contraction for me? Well, I have 2 for you, STFU and GTFO. They are just as insulting, but are actually on topic and are the global opinion of anyone whom sees a tl;dr.
NO!
Unfortunately, "no"-- while valid (a statement of dislike, which means that the suggestion is not perfect)-- is not a very helpful criticism. Where does the poster improve his suggestion? What hallmarks does he go by?
edit: Remember that one-word and two-word responses like "no" and "don't like" are against the rules. The reasoning is very simple; they do not help. Yes, they are your opinions and they are criticisms; but they help in the same way as the engine light coming on in a car. Yes, there is a problem... Now... Where?
To effectively criticize, it is important to have your personal views and beliefs take a back seat. Remember that this is a suggestion for inclusion into the game for ALL players. The OP may not have back-seated his bias, but a critic should. While cases of "I personally don't see myself using this." or "I do not prefer this mechanic" are definitely valid arguments, the OP CANNOT use this to strengthen his post. How can he improve it if you are fundamentally opposed to the basic premise? you can't? Exactly! Backseat your concerns.
What "actual" reasons do you have to say no? Difficulty? Mechanics? Cost? Fundamental problems?
Keep in mind that even if you say YES to a suggestion, it is desirable to post criticisms to further cement and improve the idea.
Finally, if you can't find a good thing to say about the suggestion; it takes less energy to press back and ignore it than it does to reply with "no". If you're going to be lazy, don't half-ass it.
My rubrick says...
You cannot please them all, you will find more than your fair share of bull-headed, ignorant, and downright skull-****ed stupid OPs which cannot accept criticism and pull the troll card far faster than they can make a legitimate string of letters. They will double and triple post their counter-arguments. Do NOT follow them down the road to Hell, though it is tempting to bat at their flailing limpid attempts. This will get you banned/warned along with them.
Occasionally, you'll have GOOD and DECENT posters which will engage in lively debate. As a critic, you should really only have 3 major criticisms. Any more and the suggestion is nearly irrecoverably bad without a massive overhaul. Any less, and the suggestion is not really detailed or the suggestion is well done. Keep these criticisms in mind as you reply.
If the OP has encountered your objections and successfully overcome them, offer counter-criticisms. If he overcomes them; then simply stop. If there isn't an issue, don't create one. Forcing issues creates senseless flame wars. Know when to stop, and STOP at that line. While it may seem like 3 issues isn't much; consider that there are likely several others with other issues.
Again remember to backseat your emotions and bias toward a suggestion while criticising. It is often a good idea to keep a personal rubrick or outline so you can plot all that is wrong with the suggestion.
Yes, spelling and grammar are important. This is a TEXT MESSAGE BOARD for crying out loud. If this was youtube or ventrilo, spelling can go fly a kite. But since TEXT is the MAIN method of communication, you want to make sure that you COMMUNICATE. You can't do this if your writing is incomprehensible. As such, critics need to nitpick at grammar and spelling mistakes. It's not them being nazi's and throwing you in Auschwitz, it's them helping IMPROVE the suggestion so you are actually understood.
I'll add more as time passes, in the mean time; I thank you for reading and hope to hear other helpful tips to help critics.
Please snip posts to what you specifically want to reply to, and do not quote at all if your reply isn't pertaining to any actual information in the quote.
On that note:
Yoshi, you should add etiquette for quoting posts in ways that are easy on the eyes and the forum's server. My thoughts:
Don't quote the OP if the thread is still on Page 1. The OP is still fresh in people's minds until at least page 2.
Do not quote the OP, or any post for that matter, in it's entirety unless what you have to say pertains to the whole thing, or if the post you are quoting is reasonably short.
If you absolutely MUST quote the OP on the first page, only quote the relevant part (see above)
If you are only quoting part of a post, "snip" the parts you are not quoting. "Snipping" a post is deleting the irrelevant information and replacing it with "snipped". This lets other readers know that this is not the entire post. See Snipping Etiquette.
Make sure you quoted properly. If you accidentally delete part of the quote tag you can accidentally quote your response or not quote anything. It is confusing and looks ugly.
Snipping Etiquette:
1. As said before, replace the information you deleted with "snipped". Make sure it is on it's own line, to properly separate the thoughts.
2. Snip images and videos. It is already on the thread once, no need to post it again. That is a waste of server space and a waste of everyone's internet speed.
OPTIONAL: I personally prefer to identify what I am snipping. If I remove a picture I say "Image Snipped" to help clarify what is missing.
Edit: @sonic bunny 718: Don't worry. I got this lol.
Want some advice on how to thrive in the Suggestions section? Check this handy list of guidelines and tips for posting your ideas and responding to the ideas of others!
I have been contacted through private message about an issue called pride and arrogance toward winning a battle. Since this is a private message, I'll be bare about the sender and the sender's personal feelings; but the sender has asked that I discuss the repercussions of having too much pride. I will add this in the future when I can compose it in my own words clearly and distinctly. Suffice to say that my personal view is "If you have a feeling of victory when criticizing, you are not criticizing; you are flaming and have won a flame war." Which is akin to Don't do it.
No can do, that belongs on "how to create a suggestion" not "how to be a critic".
In terms of a critic saying "no wishlists"; that's perfectly within the rules as long as there's more content besides that.
You'll see many of my posts which state "no wishlists because..." so that's actually one of the only legitimate 2 line posts that I've seen. Again, mods, if I'm wrong, please correct me.
No can do, that belongs on "how to create a suggestion" not "how to be a critic".
In terms of a critic saying "no wishlists"; that's perfectly within the rules as long as there's more content besides that.
You'll see many of my posts which state "no wishlists because..." so that's actually one of the only legitimate 2 line posts that I've seen. Again, mods, if I'm wrong, please correct me.
Correct. Also, if you do tell them no wishlists, report it. It needs to be locked. They can recreate threads afterwards focusing on specific ideas, provided they are thought out and complete ideas, not wishes.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
It's hard to follow your dreams when you run from your nightmares. --
Since you said it was OK to nitpick about grammar, I'm going to. You used "whom" incorrectly twice. If you don't know the difference between "who" and "whom", I'd advise that you just stick with "who" because no one else knows the difference either.
Muncher21, Gkardos, Xionico, Kira(retired), ygdrasil(forcibly retired) and myself are the Arbiters of Intelligence which will lead this forum back to an Utopian society where we can post freely without the board clogged by attention whores and misconceived ideas.
We are but five people (now), though our influence is well known. We need help, we cannot hold a war of intelligence alone. Gkardos and myself are the active members and we will swing our hammers until there is no one left to trample beneath our feet, but when the enemy is as China, we cannot beat as fast as they grow.
The concept is simple, critics, follow what's listed above, follow the "how to make a suggestion" that I've posted, and help me beat away the stupidity that has allowed Notch to catch flight from here.
Use this to act within the rules, and within the rules intent, to bring order, intelligence, and integrity back to the topics, or see them closed by moderators. As said, I cannot do this myself and the eye of moderators is more and more being set on this board. Let us do our job to make their job easier.
OFFICIAL POSTING/REPLYING GUIDELINES
UNOFFICIAL POSTING GUIDE (PRT)
UNOFFICIAL REPLYING GUIDE (FTC)
I think you should give it the subtitle "How to give constructive feedback without being a jerk", or something to that effect.
You need a pledge. Here's my idea for one:
"I, llama66613, swear my soul to the Arbiters of Intelligence.
I promise to make posts and threads only when needed,
to make those posts polite, organized, and intelligent,
to follow the rules at all times,
and to never resort to flamming, trolling, or swearing."
While calling yourself an "arbiter of intelligence" I do not like, I do understand what you mean. Something that will also help is if you find a duplicated bad thread, report it with the link to the original, or even another copy. It will help us do our job faster. Also, do not post in it, otherwise it will just be bumped to the top of the page, and not help. If it is just a bad idea, either make one post explaining everything you intend to say, and do not post again (letting it die off), or do not post at all. Bad ideas seem to get a lot of attention from people just telling the OP "No" in some format.
Again, I personally do not like you putting yourself above others, but I understand what and why you say it. As stated above, avoid the bad ones and try to post more in the good ones. It will help keep them on the bottom of the page.
This shouldn't go just for people looking to be critics. This is a good thread for everyone.
I personally believe it is not only possible, but fairly easy to remain within the rules. Most of them are about just being polite and not spamming. You don't have to like their idea, but you still have to respect the person.
It's hard to follow your dreams when you run from your nightmares. --
Whichever goes.
OFFICIAL POSTING/REPLYING GUIDELINES
UNOFFICIAL POSTING GUIDE (PRT)
UNOFFICIAL REPLYING GUIDE (FTC)
I am the bone of my sword
Steel is my body, and fire is my blood
I have created over a thousand blades
Unknown to death, Nor known to life
Have withstood pain to create many weapons
Yet, those hands will never hold anything
So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works
Another thing: You might want to do a section on insults, and why they are never useful and just aggravate the situation.
OFFICIAL POSTING/REPLYING GUIDELINES
UNOFFICIAL POSTING GUIDE (PRT)
UNOFFICIAL REPLYING GUIDE (FTC)
OFFICIAL POSTING/REPLYING GUIDELINES
UNOFFICIAL POSTING GUIDE (PRT)
UNOFFICIAL REPLYING GUIDE (FTC)
I love you, no homo
Really? You don't have to quote him, just press the reply button closer to the top.
Please snip posts to what you specifically want to reply to, and do not quote at all if your reply isn't pertaining to any actual information in the quote.
On that note:
Yoshi, you should add etiquette for quoting posts in ways that are easy on the eyes and the forum's server. My thoughts:
Snipping Etiquette:
1. As said before, replace the information you deleted with "snipped". Make sure it is on it's own line, to properly separate the thoughts.
2. Snip images and videos. It is already on the thread once, no need to post it again. That is a waste of server space and a waste of everyone's internet speed.
OPTIONAL: I personally prefer to identify what I am snipping. If I remove a picture I say "Image Snipped" to help clarify what is missing.
Edit: @sonic bunny 718: Don't worry. I got this lol.
Want some advice on how to thrive in the Suggestions section? Check this handy list of guidelines and tips for posting your ideas and responding to the ideas of others!
http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/minecraft-discussion/suggestions/2775557-guidelines-for-the-suggestions-forum
OFFICIAL POSTING/REPLYING GUIDELINES
UNOFFICIAL POSTING GUIDE (PRT)
UNOFFICIAL REPLYING GUIDE (FTC)
[quote=8bit]
By balance, do you mean make it totally worthless?
OFFICIAL POSTING/REPLYING GUIDELINES
UNOFFICIAL POSTING GUIDE (PRT)
UNOFFICIAL REPLYING GUIDE (FTC)
No can do, that belongs on "how to create a suggestion" not "how to be a critic".
In terms of a critic saying "no wishlists"; that's perfectly within the rules as long as there's more content besides that.
You'll see many of my posts which state "no wishlists because..." so that's actually one of the only legitimate 2 line posts that I've seen. Again, mods, if I'm wrong, please correct me.
OFFICIAL POSTING/REPLYING GUIDELINES
UNOFFICIAL POSTING GUIDE (PRT)
UNOFFICIAL REPLYING GUIDE (FTC)
Correct. Also, if you do tell them no wishlists, report it. It needs to be locked. They can recreate threads afterwards focusing on specific ideas, provided they are thought out and complete ideas, not wishes.
It's hard to follow your dreams when you run from your nightmares. --