Recent Debates/Problems/Etc on Forum

[shiekra38]

4. Letting the inmates run the asylum has happened - and we get messages that it's too toxic. Having the mods rein in discussion tighter is also apparently causing issues. Like I said - I don't mind if a thread goes on a sidetrack because it's natural in the sake of discussion, but there is also a need to bring it back on topic when it's getting way of course.

I think it's important that I mention, I feel it is important for all of us to "self moderate" a bit

1) Is it helpful
2) Is it hurtful

Ask these questions before you post

 

[Tobias]

Epcyclopedia is banned...Like, these are the guys you want to make sure are adding content to your forum, and you're prohibiting it.

Considering what got him banned, I feel his ban was absolutely justified. It doesn't matter what kind of content he added, there are lines you just don't cross (Be it any forum or anywhere) and he crossed it. Also, this wasn't the first time he was in hot water, so I think he's out of any second or third chances.

 

[Ashhanbre]

nevermind.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

What I'm seeing is not so much a problem with moderating. What I'm seeing is one particular MOD being down right rude and insulting and even laughing at other people's posts.

Then I think that'd be a case where you DM Brian personally to address the issue, to ensure that we don't start a witch Hunt.

__

To me, I think the best thing going forward is to have the community be more kind and supportive of each other's opinions. To automatically downgrade someone's contributions or thoughts, when they may have something to say, would be a step back. I think the last thing we need is to see people from OU or IUs USHForums drop off due to issues like that.

 

[foodstampsFTW]

Can’t we all agree this place would be a whole lot better if we could swear.

 

[Miketheboss]

According to ABC, the new American Idol isn’t going to have the bad auditions and harsh criticisms. That was half of the fun. A forum without drama/slight conflict is boring imo. A strong community will be able to MOD itself.

I highkey get annoyed about seeing HHN forums in Recent Posts in January. Especially if it’s in Hollywood. But that can be a separate discussion.

I still type Orlando United in the search bar. I can’t be the only one.

 

[fryoj]

Considering what got him banned, I feel his ban was absolutely justified. It doesn't matter what kind of content he added, there are lines you just don't cross (Be it any forum or anywhere) and he crossed it. Also, this wasn't the first time he was in hot water, so I think he's out of any second or third chances.

He specifically asked to be banned. There has to be rules or the board gets toxic and a constant bash session. He felt he was above those rules. It is what it is. He had valuable and unique input, but no user is above the good of a board.

 

[Mad Dog]

He specifically asked to be banned. There has to be rules or the board gets toxic and a constant bash session. He felt he was above those rules. It is what it is. He had valuable and unique input, but no user is above the good of a board.

Yes, sometimes things get out of hand. There was a two or three month period around Kong's opening when some posters (I won't mention names. Some have since been banned) when the discussions got very mean spirited. That was bad. But it did get resolved as things were tightened up a bit. But I think that recently the moderation went in the other direction and got too tight, discouraged healthy discussion, and in some cases became too rude. The site probably needs to find a middle ground between being too loose or too restrictive. Hopefully this present dialogue will help to alleviate the issue(s).....IU is still the best theme park Forum on the net. It just needs to find it's balance again. I'm sure it will. Most everyone on the site is fairly civil.....and as an extra note: Hopefully Teebin's concerns get resolved and he returns to the site. It's tough to see his handle posting on Magic but not here.

 

[jtsalien]

I know the bread and butter of the site is in-depth knowledge and quality content/insight, but I think some fences could be mended between the "mods" and some of the community by sharing some of the knowledge that we have here that's outside of insider info. It's great to know everything, and that's why we love it here. But we have so very much experience about how to tour the parks, what to do, what to eat/drink, etc....but sometimes things are so focused on what's coming and why that we forget this is supposed to be fun.

I know there's a whole market for trip planning and reporting and I don't want to change IUs brand identity. But I think if some of the mods (and veteran members) took the angle of offering tips and tricks for folks in addition to the best insider info around, that might make things a little less adversarial. So a little less is focus on selective knowledge, controversy over future projects, etc. and a little more on how awesome Orlando is and how we can all enjoy it just a little bit better.

Could be totally off base. Just my two cents and recommendation.

 

[WAJAS]

Oh, I think a post somewhere detailing the IU official policies and such would help new members, which may balance the playing field. For instance, the policy on when a speculation thread will get locked and a new official thread opened. A new member that signs on could also be directed to the post when they first sign on as an option to introduce them to the community.

 

[Brian G.]

Oh, I think a post somewhere detailing the IU official policies and such would help new members, which may balance the playing field. For instance, the policy on when a speculation thread will get locked and a new official thread opened. A new member that signs on could also be directed to the post when they first sign on as an option to introduce them to the community.

All new users are asked to check the Guidelines thread and check a box acknowledging they understand it. Granted, it's more of the rules outline than board preferences (i.e. official threads/spec threads) - but that does exist. They also are informed about our Welcome area and recommend they make a post to introduce themselves. So a lot of that is covered.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I've learned to let everything go.

It's happened before my post go deleted by mods or 'changed' when I'll see someone else post something and it gets to stay.
So I stopped posting as much. Either I'm too late to a situation or my posts get bundled in with a situation when I simply want to know WTF is going on since I haven't posted in a few days lol !

Also, there is much more content from 'Today's Universal' vs years ago.
So being a member and being able to contribute and asks questions vs a lurker is exciting. It's often met with unpleasant 'Troll' remarks or other things of the same kind being said and it's uncalled for.
Many users have different experiences, knowledge, and opinions about the parks and it's awesome to be in a place where we have so many people of the sort. But met with resistance from some of the frequent or more important posters because the ideas aren't common or the same as theirs. I know first hand what it's like to be new and have tons of questions because you are trying to catch up or like I said Universal/Disney has a TON of new content, projects, and an overall vision that not everyone can keep up with.

I just think there should be an unwritten open invitation to questions and uncommon ideas as long as they stick to the topic of the thread. I've learned much by people asking questions and asking questions myself. I enjoy the shared minds on this site which is why it is in my favorites.

Here is to hoping we all can continue to contribute and keeep IU great.

 

[Nick]

I have been a part of Universal forums such as IOA Central, Universal-Excitement (pre-tazing incident), Universal Ignited, WDW Magic, and HHN Vault


The reason I say that it because I see some similarities and some differences between those experiences.


First of all, the amount of insider knowledge and general ability of knowing things first on this site are amazing. It is one of the great identities of this community. Being able to know things first and sift through the drudgery of theme park rumors. I am thankful for this aspect of the site and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest that some folks give a wink or a nudge or say “You will be impressed, that’s all I can say”. The reason why this doesn’t bother me is because of the trust I have in the insiders that are here. That is a major component of the site that I would like to see continue moving forward.


However. I have noticed an increase of people joining the site recently. This is a great opportunity to build our fan community and should be seen as such. Those that are new need to be treated with the respect that we expect when we post - even if the question they ask is ridiculous. I am guilty of often poking a bit too much as questions I deem as silly - I will stop doing that.


Second, discussions get off track. They do. But we can’t make the same mistake as some of the older forums and lock down every thread so tightly that even the slightest off topic banter is deleted or yelled at. We will get back on topic eventually, normally when we are off topic it means there is no concrete information coming from the rumor mill at the moment. In my opinion (open for disagreement) it is ok for us to joke around and make jokes with one another. One may say that it’s “OK” if we don’t have anything to talk about. I would say that that goes against the very grain of what a discussion board is all about.


Moving forward, I would like to see us be all around nicer to each other (mods included). This is a great fan community. I feel we all just need to take a breather for a bit and realize, it’s all for fun at the end of the day.

I pretty much completely agree, great post.

Can’t we all agree this place would be a whole lot better if we could swear.

Swearing is fun, sure, but what does it really add to a conversation? I think compared to other theme park forums, we actually let you guys speak a lot more freely when it comes to what you're talking about.

I know the bread and butter of the site is in-depth knowledge and quality content/insight, but I think some fences could be mended between the "mods" and some of the community by sharing some of the knowledge that we have here that's outside of insider info. It's great to know everything, and that's why we love it here. But we have so very much experience about how to tour the parks, what to do, what to eat/drink, etc....but sometimes things are so focused on what's coming and why that we forget this is supposed to be fun.

I know there's a whole market for trip planning and reporting and I don't want to change IUs brand identity. But I think if some of the mods (and veteran members) took the angle of offering tips and tricks for folks in addition to the best insider info around, that might make things a little less adversarial. So a little less is focus on selective knowledge, controversy over future projects, etc. and a little more on how awesome Orlando is and how we can all enjoy it just a little bit better.

Could be totally off base. Just my two cents and recommendation.

I know "Trip Planning" has never really been a big part of our DNA, but I do feel like with newer members joining recently, there has certainly been a spike in the amount of threads asking about certain places to eat in the Orlando area or simple things like what the best trip plan is for spending a few days at UOR.

Maybe it would be possible that we could start a series of Trip Planning/Tips & Tricks articles that could be released every once in awhile to provide more in-depth information on both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood (and maybe even Universal Studios Japan)?

 

[graspthesun]

Can’t we all agree this place would be a whole lot better if we could swear.

Eh... let's keep the "7 words" out to keep it teen and kid friendly around here, but I'm not upset by the "lesser" swears.

 

[Kraken&Manta]

I think this likely goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway just to be certain. I don't particularly have a strong opinion about the moderation in most threads, I suppose as long as we don't go on ridiculous tangents most conversations are fine, but please keep a tight leash in politically charged threads like Hall of Presidents.

I think it's excellent that you guys are willing to have a open conversation on these policies :thumbsup:

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Yes, sometimes things get out of hand. There was a two or three month period around Kong's opening when some posters (I won't mention names. Some have since been banned) when the discussions got very mean spirited. That was bad. But it did get resolved as things were tightened up a bit. But I think that recently the moderation went in the other direction and got too tight, discouraged healthy discussion, and in some cases became too rude. The site probably needs to find a middle ground between being too loose or too restrictive. Hopefully this present dialogue will help to alleviate the issue(s).....IU is still the best theme park Forum on the net. It just needs to find it's balance again. I'm sure it will. Most everyone on the site is fairly civil.....and as an extra note: Hopefully Teebin's concerns get resolved and he returns to the site. It's tough to see his handle posting on Magic but not here.

It would be most fatal to bring those people up.......

He specifically asked to be banned. There has to be rules or the board gets toxic and a constant bash session. He felt he was above those rules. It is what it is. He had valuable and unique input, but no user is above the good of a board.

Pretty much this. I liked having Epcyclopedia around. He's a very knowledgeable guy despite some arrogance. IDK what Epcyclopedia did to get perma-banned (didn't check the forum at the right time of day), but he has a looooooooong history of being a meanie. Back before I deleted my Twitter account, he was always flaming other people and saying really insensitive things that I won't mention. Users like him absolutely make the forum a more hostile place, but I'm hard pressed to find an active user anywhere close to his levels; he was in a different stratosphere

I think the mods have done a good job over the past few months, even if the leash gets somewhat tight at times. Generally speaking, this is one of the friendlier theme park forums on the web, and I really only notice hostility every now and again. Granted, "every now and again" in this case is once every week or two, but it's sure as hell better than having all-out fights and bans handed out for minor incidences just to stop a flame war.

 

[Andysol]

Oh, I think a post somewhere detailing the IU official policies and such would help new members, which may balance the playing field. For instance, the policy on when a speculation thread will get locked and a new official thread opened. A new member that signs on could also be directed to the post when they first sign on as an option to introduce them to the community.

All new users are asked to check the Guidelines thread and check a box acknowledging they understand it. Granted, it's more of the rules outline than board preferences (i.e. official threads/spec threads) - but that does exist. They also are informed about our Welcome area and recommend they make a post to introduce themselves. So a lot of that is covered.

Great ideas, but we all know everyone just clicks on accept and goes about their day.
It’d cause more frustration than anything “didn’t you read the intro?”

Again- I can’t fathom the amount of annoyance Brian has to deal with on a weekly basis. Glad he does though.

 

[Brian G.]

Talking with a few mods - the following pretty much sums up the feelings regarding the topic detours:

We need to balance input from those who visit multiple times a day and view this as a community versus those who visit once a week, once a month, or once who are looking for information. IU is referenced in the Unofficial Guide to WDW and UOR, and other guidebooks or sites, as a location to post questions and find information. We've had push back from posters in the past when we spun out "screen" discussion to another thread but also received praise from those who only wanted updates on construction, rumors, and news.

There is going to be a group that is not going to be happy no matter what we do, and we understand that; and as a community, you guys are going to have to understand that too. We cannot cater to every single demographic as much as we'd like to, because it is impossible. As much as we appreciate Teebin, let's not forget there is group of people that cannot stand how he shares his insider bits. I don't mean that as a way to discredit him or knock him down... but to point out how different everyone approaches this forum.

There is also a worry that some posters like to post just to read/hear their own voice - or peacock, if you will. This sends topics off course, aggravates some users, and doesn't add any value to the discussion. Every time someone complains about asking to keep things on topic or that talking just to talk isn't bad I think of the posters and guests we lose because of it.

We don't know what the middle ground is yet but are discussing it now, along with other issues - but this was the most relevant due to the recent pushback. The way we see it: Is the off topic discussion of filming your life vs living it worth having in the New Harry Potter Coaster Experience thread? At what point is discussing the election map in HoP stupid and inflammatory vs worthwhile?

We do know that off-topic sidetracks can be a healthy detour for community growth, but also have to acknowledge that we cannot deviate too far off course for the betterment of the board as a whole, especially when it's something wayyyyy off-topic.

I have spoken with the moderators however about being too strict, and agreed obviously is the right answer to loosen those reins up, but we still have to keep a firm grasp on it.

I'll be posting more when it comes to some other topics that were brought up when the team and I discuss it more.

I highkey get annoyed about seeing HHN forums in Recent Posts in January. Especially if it’s in Hollywood. But that can be a separate discussion.

I still type Orlando United in the search bar. I can’t be the only one.

I don't know if this is still an issue with anyone else - but this Orlando vs. Hollywood/IU vs OU stuff needs to be a dead issue.

 

[Scott W.]

I pretty much completely agree, great post.


Swearing is fun, sure, but what does it really add to a conversation? I think compared to other theme park forums, we actually let you guys speak a lot more freely when it comes to what you're talking about.


I know "Trip Planning" has never really been a big part of our DNA, but I do feel like with newer members joining recently, there has certainly been a spike in the amount of threads asking about certain places to eat in the Orlando area or simple things like what the best trip plan is for spending a few days at UOR.

Maybe it would be possible that we could start a series of Trip Planning/Tips & Tricks articles that could be released every once in awhile to provide more in-depth information on both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood (and maybe even Universal Studios Japan)?

Trip planning is something that’s not advertised here but it’s defintely a great source of info provided by all the members and should be something to look into. Even something as small as starting a new thread every week with tips or suggestions for each hotel, best restaurants, what order to move about the parks, when to visit etc.

 

[Mad Dog]

Good news for IU. Teebin is returning to the forums. :thumbsup: