Jadzia

Please take a minute to read. I thought it would be a good idea to post this as a sticky in order to clarify a few isues that have recently come up in TV Talk.

This area thrives on episode-specific threads for TV shows. Thank you to all who contribute here by starting threads for episodes. In order to keep these threads readable and user-friendly, please try to hold-off on starting an episode thread until the morning the show airs. The reason for this is so we can make sure that the thread does not get bogged down in speculation and anticipation-type posts before the actual discussion of the show gets going. (Many people do not read the threads until after the episode has aired and it can be a pain slogging through two pages or more of "Can't wait!" type posts.)

Also, this way all the shows that are airing that night are right on the first page and can serve as an excellent reminder to everyone to watch. Starting threads too early can also mean your thread gets bounced to the second page and then someone else doesn't see it and starts a duplicate thread. (This seems to happen several times a week).

One last request: please try and limit the number of threads you start at one time. There is no actual number limit, but there is an effort at DVD Talk as a whole to make sure that the first page is not dominated by threads from any one member. So please feel free to start a handful of threads for shows you are watching that night, but if you're watching many, many shows you might want to hold off for a few hours and see if someone else starts a thread for that show. If not, please feel free to start one. We just want to make sure that not too many threads are posted at once by once person.

Thank you for your attention to this and for keeping this such a wonderful forum for TV!

das Monkey

Thanks for taking the time to start this thread, Jadzia. I know we all appreciate your efforts on the forum.

Starting episode threads the morning they air is a clear and well reasoned guideline, and I am all for it. Thanks.

One thing I don't understand, though, is the "effort at DVD Talk as a whole to make sure that the first page is not dominated by threads from any one member." It simply does not make sense in this instance. Who cares? Is it an ego thing? Starting these threads is a hassle. Any one of us could do it, but certain forum members not only take the time to start the threads but also go the extra mile to put relevant info in the opening post. I have yet to hear a single relevant or meaningful reason for this vague "limit". In no way am I hiding from one either. If someone would explain to us why this is necessary for episode threads in TV Talk, I'm more than open to reading it, but all we get is circular "it's something we want to do" responses. Why? How does this help us? More importantly, how does it not hurt us? With the guideline on starting episodic threads the morning of the day they air, this arbitrary "limit" holds no value. If people are flooding the forum with random topic threads, that's one thing, but episodic threads during the Fall season? I just don't get it. Does it somehow cause more server load? Does it help the terrorists win? Is it *gasp* a secret?

I'm not trying to cause trouble or create needless argument, but this issue continues to not make sense.

Thanks for your hard work.

das

das Monkey

Oh, and on a separate issue ... (this is as good a place as any to post this). When creating episode threads, please try not to use quotes around the show's title (the individual episode title is fine). The search doesn't handle wildcards properly, so it can find Prison Break just fine, but (unless I'm mistaken) it hiccups on "Prison Break".

Thanks,

das

Jimmy James

I can think of two basic policy reasons that might favor the policy in place about starting threads:

- It fosters creativity and therefore improvement of the opening posts because everyone makes them a little bit differently

- It encourages participation. If I see the page full of threads started by "TVMAN1884", and my show isn't one of the ones listed, I might not be inclined to make a thread about it.

As I said in the place where this topic originated, I'm glad to see that the people in charge here care enough to give quasi-noobs like me some guidance about these things. Thanks, Jadzia.

das Monkey

What do you have against TVMAN1884?!?!

Thanks for posting some reasoning. I'm not sure I agree with it, but it's at least something to consider.

I can see your point on the first reason, although I'd argue that this tends to sort itself out. Perhaps we've just been fortunate in that capacity, because if I were starting these threads, they'd be the absolute bare minimum. I find that those who have done it for us over the years have provided a great service. Again, maybe we've just been lucky.

On the second reason, do people really think that way? If so, it's something I hadn't really considered. Although, I wonder how much a difference it would make between 10 threads on the front page by the same poster vs. 5 a piece from 2 posters?

das

Jadzia

Good points, das.

I tend to agree with you about the thread limit thing-- I can see where it applies in other forums but not as much here. But I do know that us mods do occasionally get complaints from other members when they see too many threads started by one person. I have never been given any rules about this, but it is something that gets reported occasionally and then needs to be addressed.

I think it would be more of an issue in this area if you had one person posting a bunch of pointless threads about "what's your favorite show?" rather than episode specific threads that are very useful here and wold be started anyway. This area does have more leeway than others; you can often see 5 threads or so started by one person which I don't think you would see in Other or elsewhere. But when it gets to be much more than that, people start to hit that so then we try our best to clean it up.

Josh H

The number of threads on front page issue isn't really relevant for episode threads.

It makes perfect sense in every other forum as you don't want ten poll threads about movies by one poster on the front page in movie talk, or 10 different political news articles postes for discussion in seperate threads on the front page in politics talk. A good example would be all of the now banned Cottingtons worthless pop music threads he'd start in music talk and take up half the front page.

However, the episode threads have to be started by someone, and as long as they're on the morning of the airing as per the new rule, I don't see why it matters who starts them.

Only reason I can see is to keep the rule consistent across forums, but I still think the episode threads are a notable exception to this rule.

das Monkey

Jadzia, I agree completely. Like I said, if it's random topic threads, that's one thing, but episodic threads are unique to TV Talk and require a separate standard.

As for people complaining, I would suggest that you'll only hear the complaints. Imagine your inbox if every time someone started an episodic thread, I shot you a to tell you that everything was fine. I won't guess at the numbers, but I'd wager for every complaint, there are countless people who not only don't have a problem with it but also appreciate it. Perhaps I'm wrong, and this is a bigger issue than I realize, but it sure seems like a very, very small minority are effecting negative change to the forum.

Still, I understand you're the one who has to deal with it, and you have to do what you have to do. It's just unfortunate.

das

Jimmy James

It's after midnight Eastern. Can I start my Top Model thread?

Just kidding, Jadzia.

Jadzia

Go for it.

At least this is not TWOP where they make you wait until the episode has aired on the East Coast.

Jadzia

And always mention the name Bauer in 24 threads because that is the only way to search for them.

das Monkey

I just search for "there and time or trust".

das

garmonbozia

off topic, but does anyone know why the episode threads for LOST do not show up via search after about midway through season 1 (when searching for "lost" in the titles)??
it seems very strange to me. the ones that do show up vs. the ones that do not have different OPs, but i can't see what is making them not show up.

garmonbozia

I think that's a great idea.

However, I think that restricting the number of episode specific threads that can be started by anyone user is a terrible idea.

LorenzoL

I'll chime in since it was my actions that started this discussion in regards to the number of episode threads allowed by any particular member on the TV Forum. Just want to explain.

My understanding was that we were allowed to create a "handful" (as you said no exact number is given but it is understood that is roughly 3-5) of new threads for each day. Therefore I created new episode threads from shows I'm interested in on the day that it aired.

What I wasn't aware of nor was it is indicated anywhere is that moderators also took into consideration the number of threads that you have on the first page from previous days. Thus if I create 5 new threads today and have threads from previous days, it looks like I'm hogging the first page. That wasn't my intention but I could see how other members might view it as an ego thing.

auto

LorenzoL is right. Maybe the rule rule should deal with number of threads posted per day rather than number of threads on the first page. God forbid you start an Arrested Development or Lost thread!

Love the idea of only being able to post threads day of the show. Will this be enforced?

Groucho

I'm glad that TVMAN1884 has finally been put in his place, that's all I have to say.

das Monkey

I could see how complaining about it is an ego thing, but not so much the starting of the threads. However, even if you derived some perverse pleasure from starting these threads, who cares? If the threads are structured correctly and provide valuable information, what does it matter? I can't believe people read the forum and think, "Oh, man, that das Monkey's such a badass. You see how he started the Prison Break thread all by himself? That's hot!" Well, other than Groucho.

das

Red Dog

Do people even look at who starts the episode threads? I couldn't care less.

The same-morning rule is a good idea though. Never could understand why people felt the need to start episode threads days in advance.

auto

Well, to be fair, that Prison Break thread is pretty hot.

ChrisHicks

you mean people actually complain that someone created too many threads about tv shows? to be honest, I never even look at who posts the thread half the time. I see a thread about a show I watch and I click to read/post about it.

Jadzia

Just to clarify, I don't think it really matters how many threads you have on the first page at once, since anyone could just bump every thread you ever made and it would not be your fault.

Just try to not make too many threads all at one time. Kind of like how you would avoid posting in the same thread 10 times in a row. So feel free to make a handful of episode threads, but sit back and wait a bit before creating more. I think that is reasonable and should hopefully alleviate any complaints we might receive.

MrX

I search for "dumb" or "stupid" and it usually finds your post in the thread

Rogue588

Wow. I'm sentenced to four days in HELL [otherwise known as NJ] without no Internet access, no HD, and no YES network, and ya'll are bitching like a bunch of bitches bitchin'. For a second there, I thought Cottington found a way to circumvent being BANNED and started flooding TV Talk with his "unique" brand of threads.

Since I came to the party late, lemme add my three cents..

As the others have stated in this thread, I couldn't understand what the problem about starting threads would be. The only reason I start some of the threads that I do - besides being a fan of the show- is to cover up my own inadequacies. I'm EXTREMELY bad with dates. And in the past, thread starters would only list the show and the date [though, Lorenzo & Daniel have started listing the show title too thanks guys -- Heck, I see that Chew added a nice banner to tonight's Alias thread making that a pretty Hot thread ]. I tried in the past to "discuss" with other members and cover my shortcoming by using the "Search won't find it" excuse, but not too many other people agreed with me [though, in some cases it IS true - thanks for the "24" tips das! typing "mountain lion" wasn't working the way it used to].

So I figured if I wanted it done right [read: "my way"], then i'd just start the thread my damn self and stop whining [or learn how to use a calendar]. If there's this much bitchin' about starting weekly TV threads, perhaps we should assign shows to interested members?

I call Ghost Whisperer, the War At Home and Head Cases..

Phil L.

It really wasn't necessary to bring your social life into the discussion, but now that you did we just want ya to know we are here for ya man.
If you find yourself sitting alone on your couch at home on a Friday night with a big bowl of popcorn pining away for Joan of Arcadia, it's cool. We understand and we love ya.