Be Excellent To Each Other

Bits and Bobs is out of hand. Everything goes in there and it's really tough to keep up with. If new threads were created, it'd be much easier to realise that people were discussing stuff on any given subject. Instead, people post stuff in there and have whole conversations on a topic amongst all of Zardoz's filth-talk. I think it should be ABOLISHED.

Or, at least, it should be pared back and used purely for silly throwaway stuff - everything else should be given proper threads.

What does everyone else think? Eh?

edit: I should also add, on a more serious note, Bits and Bobs is totally counter-productive SEO-wise. If you create proper threads on subjects, you're far more likely to get a decent index in Google, and therefore bring more outsiders in (people who might be Googling any given subject). This will help the forum to grow and gain members. Something we most definitely need.

Careful now

I think it's entirely poster-driven. If people want to start a topic for something, they will. If they don't, they won't.

Unless you want us to start handing out bans for people posting in B&B when they 'shouldn't', I'm not sure what you'd change.

Also, we started this forum because Stu wouldn't let us have a B&B (subs please check).

I like it.

It's fun to read about what's on people's minds, and the eclectic mix adds to its charms.
And one day I'll 'win' the privilege of opening a new thread.

I know the forum is generally against rules and restrictions and stuff, but life would be a whole lot easier if things had their own thread. They're not exactly a finite resource. The front page displays a load of threads at once, but Bits and Bobs is consistently bumped to the top alongside maybe five other threads-de-jour in any given day. I'd rather have 20 active threads so I can keep an eye on stuff I'm interested in, rather than wading through Mum jokes and five different conversations at the same time in one thread.

Fuck off piss face.

I'm not suggesting bans at all. Also, case in point: Ian Fairies just an hour ago posted a video of the new Mortal Kombat game and said:


Except, it totally does deserve a thread of its own. It's a new game and people might want to discuss it. It's almost like Bits and Bobs' presence is actually scaring people away from making new threads.

I must also give props to the Gaywood, because he starts new threads frequently. Good man!

I reckon option 2 is probably the most likely solution, being honest. We obviously still need a crap dump for Zardoz, but I also think people should be encouraged to start new threads as opposed to "conversations" in B&B. Had a problem with a waiter? Delivery man not here yet? Make a new thread!

Your face is a mum joke.

I agree with Jonny. For real this time. New threads make finding stuff much easier. As long as they're named properly

And have a topic icon

Important stuff and interesting / topical debates gets split out (like your mums fanny).

I hardly ever read it and I very rarely feel that I need to read it. I think that, usually, if something important comes up it's split out into a separate topic. I'd rather all the random wibble was in one thread that I can dip into when I want to, instead of being spread all over the first page of the forum.

So, erm, keep it as it is, is what I'm saying.

This was the best one. It's a good job somebody started a thread to tell us about that.

Oof! Don't bring that one up again! I'm not for enforcing Nazi levels of checks and balances, I'd just like to see more threads being created so I can quickly skim the forum front page and see what's what, instead of having to scroll through the last 10 pages of one massive thread every morning to catch up.

First of all its for the overlords mods to decide to open such a debate. Then it would go to a proper vote. So you need to ask them first.

The only problem I have with B&B was a certain PC loving member treating it as some sort of Twitter feed. Fine if you lead an exciting jet setting life, not so fine if your day consists of blowing things up and waiting at the window for the next courier van. But he's gone now.

Also having B&B is a defiant two fingers up at "the man" as we weren't allowed it in the other place. Although I note that they have now copied it due to its success. Like the 8 bit covertape wars this will probably end badly.

Isn't it time for a mod election. If someone feels strongly enough they should stand on a abolish Mr Chris Bits and Bobs platform.

Well yeah, but often things don't get split out (for example the return of Christ the other day), presumably because they're not deemed significant by the mods. This isn't anybody's fault, but I'd rather be the judge of what's "significant" (by skimming thread titles and ignoring the ones that don't interest me) than a mod who, frankly, can't possibly be expected to keep up with everything and split every single "significant" bit out every day.

We totally need an election to oust the filthy unelected Welshman legitamise Gaywood's mod status

I'm all for sticking it to the man, but not when it flies so flagrantly in the face of basic usability. Man.

Also, the mods are fine!

That was a fart in a Thunderstorm. No one really gives a fuck about him, so it went nowhere.

Horses for courses, whatever floats your boat, etc.

Furry muff - it was an easy recent example though!

I probably should have posted my bacon troubles in the food thread.

I'm sorry.

There's a food thread?

I think everyone is able to start new threads if they wish. Bits and Bobs is mainly just idle chatter. Naturally it will occasionally develop into something more. If something needs to be split just alert a mod.

This man speaks the truth

Exactly.

Chinny makes a good point. Hit the report button and a mod is much more like to be able to swoop in and split it. For the sake of our sanity though, try and do so before it's 30 posts spread across ten pages.

Mods, can we please merge this into the Bits & Bobs thread? Thanks.

I've never once read the B&B thread.


It's bizzare when a 28 page thread suddenly appears on the forums, having been spawned from B&B. DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING.

Just read b&b you weird deviants

Yep. The current solution of mods splitting interesting stuff out just isn't good enough. The people who didn't notice it going down as it happened only get to comment when the thread is already 50 posts deep. Make new threads!

This is a fully featured forum and we're using it like IRC.

That's because I agree with you; I'd prefer to see at least half of what currently goes into BnB go into standalone topics. I am attempting to lead by (quiet) example.

As we've said before, it doesn't, because splitting is really awkward to do once it gets past half a dozen posts -- and not just for UI issues (although PHPBB doesn't make it easy once there's more than two or three posts to split, and until there are that many posts why would be split something?), but because of how BnB is often several conversations overlaid. How do you split a post that replies to more than one of those conversations in the same text? I can't speak for the other mods, but unless I have a lot of time on my hands, my usual reaction is not to bother.

I'd certainly join in an appeal to people to consider making threads more often, but I also am opposed to any sorts of rules or strictures to somehow compel them to use BnB less. Carrot, not stick.

It's huge, unwieldy and crammed with stuff I'm not interested in, though. Stuff that I could happily let alone were it in its own thread!

But a mum jokes only thread will just be shit...

Most of the time people aren't missing anything by not reading B&B. It's the background noise of the forum: a chance for people to sound off about what's on their minds, what they're doing, what stuff they might have read in the papers, or just make lame jokes. If people want replies, they'll start a thread. A forum full of one-post threads called 'Kern goes to a letting agent' or 'Here's something funny in the news' would get tedious very quickly.

I'm certainly in favour of folks starting more threads, but I've been equally left thinking WTF when people start a thread that could easily have been thrown into B&B.

I like the conversational nature of BnB, as a noob I found it an excellent way of working out the lie of the land, who I could insult freely, who was the whipping boy, which mods everyone hated and loved etc...

BnB makes this feel like a community to me, more so than other forums I frequent.

Kern: you're taking it to the extreme there, mate. Nobody is suggesting threads ought to be created for every little thing. A middle ground is required. Bits and Bobs for the stupid miscellany, everything else: new thread.

I agree with WTB. People shouldn't be afraid of starting new threads even if they only get a handful of replies. If its interesting to you, it may well be of interest to other people.

I do read BnB every day though.... so maybe I'm part of the problem?

I've voted for the comedy option to keep it as it is , and i think we should , however people should be encouraged more to create new topics.

I know i have done the same as Ian in the past and posted things in B&B because I dont think they would get the attention (i've also posted new threads and got no replies and they quickly drop off the front page into the ether).

For those asking for things like Stu's return to be split - what the **** would you split it into , there was a single post about podgamer going , a single reply about 2 pages later saying it really was gone then a single long post reply by Stuart which from what I understand he pasted to a number of forums (including his own) - I saw it as very much a non-event.

I realise that B&B can be very childish at times , however its one of the things I like about it , really if you want to post something more serious then post it in a full thread (which no one can notice , and then try not to be annoyed when about 3 weeks later someone posts the exact same thread viewtopic.php?t=6934 )

(note: I do read every post in B&B and often every post on the forum , because although some of the topic titles dont interest me the *people* here do)

That's rather at odds with your thread title.

Bits and Bobs: for the workshy spammers

Tongue in cheek Vs. sincerity.

Did you only read the title?

What you call tongue-in-cheek I call hyperbole. HYPERBOLE, SIR.

Today hyperbole, later today, tongue-in-cheek.

I think it boils down to the fact that people should be encouraged to start new threads. Someone (possibly Grim...?) encouraged me a while ago and I start them when I think something is interesting.

Stop being reasonable, start your own thread if you want to be all reasonable in it.

Without wanting to come across as even more unreasonable, I did basically say that in the OP:

Put that as an option in the poll and I'll vote for it

I did - it's the middle option. Does anyone read? Maybe hyperbolic (- Ed) thread titles are a bad idea.

Middle option was about rules, wasn't it? A subtle but distinct difference