Still dont know why people get so upset about the Chit Chat section though. If it was called 'Chit Chat - Computer related only' then fair enough.
Seems like theres a fair bit of rudeness to newbies in the Emulators/techy bit which surprised me as i thought it was mostly us here in Chit Chat but obviously not !
One of the many other forums I visit (yes, I do have a life, erm, no I don't) has a "PlayPen" section. This is like Chit Chat here, but is a place where you can really mouth off and flame! But, over time, has become self moderating, and people are really quite cute and nice and hugs and all that.
There is another forum member here that goes there too!
As a complete WoS newbie, I've not noticed any problems at all.
I've not noticed any cliques, and the so-called techy forums seem plenty friendly to me -- no negativity towards this newbie that I've noticed.
Not all the 'Chit Chat' threads interest me, but I'm happy to pick the ones that look like they will (time permitting), and skip the ones that don't.
So I don't really see any problem, although, admittedly, I have never known WoS from 'the good old days'.
Nice post, was going to say be interesting to hear from a newcomer to WOS.
I personally reckon this is all a bit overblown and its making a mountain out of a molehill.
Threads about religion, politics, facebook, threads about 'i have some rare games how much would you pay for them - actually i wont sell them anymore,' mobile phone ringtones and the C64 should all be banned though ;)
I personally reckon this is all a bit overblown and its making a mountain out of a molehill.
Aye - any long-timer will tell you that the scene will not stop just because one person pulls out. If his contributions were valuable, then it's likely that someone else will build upon them - either from scratch or from the work that's already been done. Dunny wasn't the first emulator author, and he won't be the last.
Oh here matey, have a bottle of this Icehouse crap :D
It's the closest thing to decent beer I can offer you, American beer is pish.....and the Brown Ale comes in half-pint bottles, but costs as much as pint bottles? Figure that one out?
cheers mate, but i have stella :D
Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
Today if you want to ask on this forums something technical about C++ programming, digital electronics or hardware sprites on Amiga it will land on chitchat between Big Brother and Britney Spears.
That's the whole point of chit-chat isn't it? One mans Britney is another man's Amiga? (Well, she's probably several men's Amigas, all at the same time,) and this is where it all belongs - Chit chat. It's good to have a rummage to see what you can find. It's the opinion of the other Wossers that I value. What's wrong with that? If someone doesn't want their particular thread to be buried by others, then they can quite easily go to a different forum to ask the question. But here, all must be given equal status, even the beer-drinking and I'm a Celebrity ones!
Yup, I'll talk 'Who' with the rest of ya, but I won't join a Who forum. No siree. If I need tech help, I'll stay well away from any PC sites, as all I need do is pop another thread up on chit-chat, and if they're in the mood, then I can trust that the Wossers help me out. That's what makes the Speccy community so great. Your thread won't be buried if someone sees fit to answer it, and most of the time they do.
I've been to other forums where chat has been regulated so strongly, with every conceivable question having its own heading, and woe betide anyone who strays from the paths laid out. They are not happy places and spawn many more arguments than here.
Chit chat is perfect as it is, and any change would only spoil what we have here.
Today if you want to ask on this forums something technical about C++ programming, digital electronics or hardware sprites on Amiga it will land on chitchat between Big Brother and Britney Spears.
So it may be hard to find and people interested only in technology may avoid such forums.
Maybe a purely technical, unreleted to Spectrum forum would be a good idea. "Other computers", "Technology" or something like that. Let the interested people choose the name.
Woudl be nice to have a computer section (Non-sinclair) for chats about retro machines, consoles etc.
Totally agree with a 'Other computers' section, would be good. I love the Speccy but i love retro computers/consoles as well
but wouldnt that be............retro gamer??
if WE want to talk about other retro machines they go into chit chat as its a speccy forum??
thats how i see it anyway
Yeah get your point, i'm only on 3 forums, i know some people who are registered to 8 or them !
Think it'll be good to chat to WOSsers about other systems/machines etc but get your point. Saying that then it brings up the 'if you want to talk about Big Brother/Dr Who/what you listen to or read' then there must be forums for those as well ?!
Yeah get your point, i'm only on 3 forums, i know some people who are registered to 8 or them !
Think it'll be good to chat to WOSsers about other systems/machines etc but get your point. Saying that then it brings up the 'if you want to talk about Big Brother/Dr Who/what you listen to or read' then there must be forums for those as well ?!
yeah thats it, theres forums out there for everything, so in reality we shouldnt need the chit chat forum BUT even tho its a speccy forum, as you pointed out before we do enjoy talking about such things between ourselves aswell, thats what the chit chats for, im sorry but i dont really believe it should be made bigger / more catagorys added cos where will it end?
Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
yeah thats it, theres forums out there for everything, so in reality we shouldnt need the chit chat forum BUT even tho its a speccy forum, as you pointed out before we do enjoy talking about such things between ourselves aswell, thats what the chit chats for, im sorry but i dont really believe it should be made bigger / more catagorys added cos where will it end?
It's always going to be a bit of "can't keep all the punters happy all of the time"....
I can see the points people are making about sifting through threads, but I personally don't have a problem with it...but then I've got a lot of time on my hands! :)
And yeah, if we did start splitting Chit Chat into more sections, where would we draw the line? I dunno...I'm perfectly happy with the way things are right now, and like all the stuff in chit chat being random...I probably see some threads I probably wouldn't notice on other forums split chit chat.....
I actually think the Chit Chat section really helps brings people together (but granted it can cause a fair few barnies as thats where most of the banned threads are !) but its a good place to chat to other speccy users about a whole variety of things.
Just dont think WOS is going through that bad a time at all, a few people have left but it happens in any forum over the years.
I must admit my posts on WoS have become increasingly sparse, though I do frequently lurk in case something interesting comes up. This is one of the friendlier forums for retro computing.
I happen to be one of those for whom the techie and games areas are (were?) the more interesting, but I do now find it intimidating/pointless to post there. There seems to be an unofficial control committee in the Speccy community. I'm quite sure they don't see themselves as that and it's completely unintentional, but talk that doesn't address the latest features of the latest emulators or agree with the party line is generally quietly snubbed. I'll even go so far as to say one or two revered members of the community are in need of boots several sizes larger.
I think the chit-chat section of the forums is a great solution to allowing people to be silly and social, without requiring heavy-handed moderation of the "primary" topics. I admit I rarely post here either, as it's a bit too err, surreal, sometimes. But it's just what it is, and it does offer some great laughs at times.
Although I understand the urge to split the chit-chat into sub-groups, I'd be wary of creating friction about where a given topic should have been posted. Having the one chaotic section perhaps emphasises that this is all off-topic and not the place to come if you actually want to seriously discuss non-Sinclair things. There are, God knows, forums for pretty much everything on the interwebs these days.
I happen to be one of those for whom the techie and games areas are (were?) the more interesting, but I do now find it intimidating/pointless to post there. There seems to be an unofficial control committee in the Speccy community.
Would you be able to give an example of this, please?
We keep hearing about it, but I'd like to find out what people mean by it, perhaps allowing to change it.
Would you be able to give an example of this, please?
We keep hearing about it, but I'd like to find out what people mean by it, perhaps allowing to change it.
i find the following scarier
but talk that doesn't address the latest features of the latest emulators or agree with the party line is generally quietly snubbed. I'll even go so far as to say one or two revered members of the community are in need of boots several sizes larger.
Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
but talk that doesn't address the latest features of the latest emulators or agree with the party line is generally quietly snubbed. I'll even go so far as to say one or two revered members of the community are in need of boots several sizes larger.
Alright, so let me repeat my question: could you please provide me with an example, allowing me to understand the true meaning of what you say?
Alright, so let me repeat my question: could you please provide me with an example, allowing me to understand the true meaning of what you say?
But please ... maybe this is something that should be discussed between the the two of you in private ...
It may be a genuine concern or perhaps misunderstanding (what laser, MtB and others are thinking/feeling) but in either case this is a conversation that should start in private (imho) with Martijn.
But please ... maybe this is something that should be discussed between the the two of you in private ...
It may be a genuine concern or perhaps misunderstanding (what laser, MtB and others are thinking/feeling) but in either case this is a conversation that should start in private (imho) with Martijn.
talk that doesn't ... agree with the party line is ... snubbed.
Well you don't have to name names to say what you think the party line is. I often get the feeling that the party line is: "discussion of anything other than Sinclair branded Spectrums and Russian clones is frowned upon." But I think the party is the majority of the loudest.
well i think mini groups will form, well not mini clubs, but there are a lot of members on here so you are going to have banter with people you know. and its not just on here, people will meet each other in real life, or in online games etc. and will get to know each other outside of the forum.
when i got here i noticed the mega posters first, simply because i saw their names all the time. not that i have anything against new people. but if you start a thread you can only reply to so many people and you'll tend to respond to the people you know. thats why you'll see a clique if your new.
i haven't been posting much this week and i know i will have missed a lot, and wont be able to join in on some of the new in-jokes that have been created. bit like turning up to the pub late.
from experienc i presume there will be:
a celeb big brother thread started by mick
a banning for rubberkeys
etc
Soon as I open my mouth the Boss walks past! Typical. :p
I've PM'd Martijn with a more detailed (but I fear ultimately directionless) expression of my views. Please, before everyone gets into a tiz over anything I say, bear in mind my opinions are just that, and worth no more than anyone else's. We don't need another topic of argument.
When I first got here I came for the spectrum, but I stay for the company
I'm not always logged on when I'm here but I look at all the sections and if I see a thread that piques my interest I may post if I have a view or a question.
I'm not a tech head, but I love some of the stuff that is/has been done in developing new hardware or software. I get to a certain extent but not everyone will and may only wish to relive memories from the past.
Most freindships I have found develop from a common interest and then mature to include other aspects as time goes on, for me that's the chit chat it's like popping down the pub - who's round is it anyway?
I tend to sit on the sidelines and watch as things unfold in all of the sections of the forums.I do like the chat/games side of life more than the others and as im very very limited in my tech side of the speccy and feel that if i kept my gob shut won`t look a complete berk so i tend not to post a whole lot but i do log in every day and love the site also i sometimes feel like the new kid at school,even though ive been a member for years and i`m trying to get in with the popular kids so i don`t post just to avoid making myself looking like a complete nob.
It takes me hours to post as i read my comments back and then sometimes delete them as i think they offer nothing to the post!
A few people come to mind now. The gentleman who developed a colour-clash-free Spectrum but got a very negative reception,
He didn't though, he just claimed he did. It's a subtle but important difference. I could claim to have the solution to world peace, it would be just as much of a pipe dream. It's not overly surprising when people who do actually understand the technical limitations get frustrated by someone spouting utter nonsense. Quite what motivates such people, whether theyre expecting some sort of adoration or perhaps expecting everyone to fall for it as part of some big joke, I don't really know. It's a simple fact of life that you might get away with blagging something in front of people who don't know the ins and outs of something, but sat in front of experts you'll soon be shown up as a fraud.
As to the WoS clique situation, I'd say there are two clique-esque groups around here. Those who are very technical, probably came along here early when the WoS forums were largely seen as a strictly on-topic version of CSS and consider the chit-chat aspect to be a sign of the decline of things. And then those who were mostly gamers, have fond memories of the Speccy but for whom the social aspect is probably more important than the actual Spectrum side of things and so mostly tend to post in chit-chat and have a tendency to very rapidly derail threads in much the same way that CSS once did. There is obviously going to be some degree of natural friction between such views about what WoS is and, at times, both can appear rather pushy and exclusive even if that's not the intention.
Of course there are also plenty of people who fall into neither (or, I guess, both) of those circles and whilst they may not always be the biggest posters or the most recognisable names, they probably do more to keep the community together than they often get credit for.
Of course, most of that is probably true about most online communities that build up around a single topic, or at least all the moderately successful ones. I don't really think it's something you can avoid, other than by being reasonably swift to moderate topics that stray into the areas like religon and politics which are inevitably going to go bad.
Must admit I stayed away a bit over the holidays, was fed up with the whole '.....mas' episode we had a while back ! Just ridiculous.
Thing is people should go to these retro shows, 'brings everyone together' kinda thing, you get to know others and realise that someone posting something isn't always in the tone you think it was posted in. After meeting Mr Cheese, Miles, A.Rollings, Binman, Gasman, Winston, Foggie and many others i know theyre top blokes so read their posts in a different way (if you know what i mean).
As for Dr Who not a fan at all, tempted to wade in and say how rubbish it is but i thought i'll stay out of that thread ! On the other hand if someone doesnt like stuff like 'celebrity jungle' they often post in to moan about it
Theres a ton of different characters in the retro scene, very difficult to keep everyone happy. Hope a fair few new WOSsers go to the show in Sheffield in April
I missed Foggy, was he the one with the "Ban Hammer" t-shirt?
Comments
One of the many other forums I visit (yes, I do have a life, erm, no I don't) has a "PlayPen" section. This is like Chit Chat here, but is a place where you can really mouth off and flame! But, over time, has become self moderating, and people are really quite cute and nice and hugs and all that.
There is another forum member here that goes there too!
Nice post, was going to say be interesting to hear from a newcomer to WOS.
I personally reckon this is all a bit overblown and its making a mountain out of a molehill.
Threads about religion, politics, facebook, threads about 'i have some rare games how much would you pay for them - actually i wont sell them anymore,' mobile phone ringtones and the C64 should all be banned though ;)
Aye - any long-timer will tell you that the scene will not stop just because one person pulls out. If his contributions were valuable, then it's likely that someone else will build upon them - either from scratch or from the work that's already been done. Dunny wasn't the first emulator author, and he won't be the last.
cheers mate, but i have stella :D
more importantly what we gonna do now.........no spud :(
I can`t tell a lie, but I will read the rules one day..........
READ THE FUCKING FAQ
That's the whole point of chit-chat isn't it? One mans Britney is another man's Amiga? (Well, she's probably several men's Amigas, all at the same time,) and this is where it all belongs - Chit chat. It's good to have a rummage to see what you can find. It's the opinion of the other Wossers that I value. What's wrong with that? If someone doesn't want their particular thread to be buried by others, then they can quite easily go to a different forum to ask the question. But here, all must be given equal status, even the beer-drinking and I'm a Celebrity ones!
Yup, I'll talk 'Who' with the rest of ya, but I won't join a Who forum. No siree. If I need tech help, I'll stay well away from any PC sites, as all I need do is pop another thread up on chit-chat, and if they're in the mood, then I can trust that the Wossers help me out. That's what makes the Speccy community so great. Your thread won't be buried if someone sees fit to answer it, and most of the time they do.
I've been to other forums where chat has been regulated so strongly, with every conceivable question having its own heading, and woe betide anyone who strays from the paths laid out. They are not happy places and spawn many more arguments than here.
Chit chat is perfect as it is, and any change would only spoil what we have here.
Woudl be nice to have a computer section (Non-sinclair) for chats about retro machines, consoles etc.
Totally agree with a 'Other computers' section, would be good. I love the Speccy but i love retro computers/consoles as well
but wouldnt that be............retro gamer??
if WE want to talk about other retro machines they go into chit chat as its a speccy forum??
thats how i see it anyway
My point exat-i-mo.
Yeah get your point, i'm only on 3 forums, i know some people who are registered to 8 or them !
Think it'll be good to chat to WOSsers about other systems/machines etc but get your point. Saying that then it brings up the 'if you want to talk about Big Brother/Dr Who/what you listen to or read' then there must be forums for those as well ?!
It's always going to be a bit of "can't keep all the punters happy all of the time"....
I can see the points people are making about sifting through threads, but I personally don't have a problem with it...but then I've got a lot of time on my hands! :)
And yeah, if we did start splitting Chit Chat into more sections, where would we draw the line? I dunno...I'm perfectly happy with the way things are right now, and like all the stuff in chit chat being random...I probably see some threads I probably wouldn't notice on other forums split chit chat.....
Just dont think WOS is going through that bad a time at all, a few people have left but it happens in any forum over the years.
Its more active than any C64 or Amstrad site
I happen to be one of those for whom the techie and games areas are (were?) the more interesting, but I do now find it intimidating/pointless to post there. There seems to be an unofficial control committee in the Speccy community. I'm quite sure they don't see themselves as that and it's completely unintentional, but talk that doesn't address the latest features of the latest emulators or agree with the party line is generally quietly snubbed. I'll even go so far as to say one or two revered members of the community are in need of boots several sizes larger.
I think the chit-chat section of the forums is a great solution to allowing people to be silly and social, without requiring heavy-handed moderation of the "primary" topics. I admit I rarely post here either, as it's a bit too err, surreal, sometimes. But it's just what it is, and it does offer some great laughs at times.
Although I understand the urge to split the chit-chat into sub-groups, I'd be wary of creating friction about where a given topic should have been posted. Having the one chaotic section perhaps emphasises that this is all off-topic and not the place to come if you actually want to seriously discuss non-Sinclair things. There are, God knows, forums for pretty much everything on the interwebs these days.
Would you be able to give an example of this, please?
We keep hearing about it, but I'd like to find out what people mean by it, perhaps allowing to change it.
i find the following scarier
but talk that doesn't address the latest features of the latest emulators or agree with the party line is generally quietly snubbed. I'll even go so far as to say one or two revered members of the community are in need of boots several sizes larger.
Alright, so let me repeat my question: could you please provide me with an example, allowing me to understand the true meaning of what you say?
But please ... maybe this is something that should be discussed between the the two of you in private ...
It may be a genuine concern or perhaps misunderstanding (what laser, MtB and others are thinking/feeling) but in either case this is a conversation that should start in private (imho) with Martijn.
Just what I was going to say...
Well you don't have to name names to say what you think the party line is. I often get the feeling that the party line is: "discussion of anything other than Sinclair branded Spectrums and Russian clones is frowned upon." But I think the party is the majority of the loudest.
well i think mini groups will form, well not mini clubs, but there are a lot of members on here so you are going to have banter with people you know. and its not just on here, people will meet each other in real life, or in online games etc. and will get to know each other outside of the forum.
when i got here i noticed the mega posters first, simply because i saw their names all the time. not that i have anything against new people. but if you start a thread you can only reply to so many people and you'll tend to respond to the people you know. thats why you'll see a clique if your new.
i haven't been posting much this week and i know i will have missed a lot, and wont be able to join in on some of the new in-jokes that have been created. bit like turning up to the pub late.
from experienc i presume there will be:
a celeb big brother thread started by mick
a banning for rubberkeys
etc
Soon as I open my mouth the Boss walks past! Typical. :p
I've PM'd Martijn with a more detailed (but I fear ultimately directionless) expression of my views. Please, before everyone gets into a tiz over anything I say, bear in mind my opinions are just that, and worth no more than anyone else's. We don't need another topic of argument.
I'm not always logged on when I'm here but I look at all the sections and if I see a thread that piques my interest I may post if I have a view or a question.
I'm not a tech head, but I love some of the stuff that is/has been done in developing new hardware or software. I get to a certain extent but not everyone will and may only wish to relive memories from the past.
Most freindships I have found develop from a common interest and then mature to include other aspects as time goes on, for me that's the chit chat it's like popping down the pub - who's round is it anyway?
It takes me hours to post as i read my comments back and then sometimes delete them as i think they offer nothing to the post!
I edited this 4 time before posting!!
Bruce Springsteen is a Speccy user?
He didn't though, he just claimed he did. It's a subtle but important difference. I could claim to have the solution to world peace, it would be just as much of a pipe dream. It's not overly surprising when people who do actually understand the technical limitations get frustrated by someone spouting utter nonsense. Quite what motivates such people, whether theyre expecting some sort of adoration or perhaps expecting everyone to fall for it as part of some big joke, I don't really know. It's a simple fact of life that you might get away with blagging something in front of people who don't know the ins and outs of something, but sat in front of experts you'll soon be shown up as a fraud.
As to the WoS clique situation, I'd say there are two clique-esque groups around here. Those who are very technical, probably came along here early when the WoS forums were largely seen as a strictly on-topic version of CSS and consider the chit-chat aspect to be a sign of the decline of things. And then those who were mostly gamers, have fond memories of the Speccy but for whom the social aspect is probably more important than the actual Spectrum side of things and so mostly tend to post in chit-chat and have a tendency to very rapidly derail threads in much the same way that CSS once did. There is obviously going to be some degree of natural friction between such views about what WoS is and, at times, both can appear rather pushy and exclusive even if that's not the intention.
Of course there are also plenty of people who fall into neither (or, I guess, both) of those circles and whilst they may not always be the biggest posters or the most recognisable names, they probably do more to keep the community together than they often get credit for.
Of course, most of that is probably true about most online communities that build up around a single topic, or at least all the moderately successful ones. I don't really think it's something you can avoid, other than by being reasonably swift to moderate topics that stray into the areas like religon and politics which are inevitably going to go bad.
I missed Foggy, was he the one with the "Ban Hammer" t-shirt?