-nods- Totally understandable.
[Sorry this took so long and is so long >_<]
But if the RP is to be moved else where for chatter, then no chatter should be allowed in the Q&F at all. Which would be retarded. Yeah, as most of you know I'm rather anti-chat here.
One, normally because threads where conversations are continued on, the topic of conversation has nothing to do with the question or thread title. That's just useless confusion.
Then of course it leaves the door open for lazy people who never read first to continue to answer the question over and over again. Not only is that pointless, but it's annoying to me lol.
Some people give the excuse that it's like with the RP, and it's keeping the question up there to help out other people. Well, we all know how rare people look at already made posts. The information is usually already avalible in a stickie and if not, is added once asked about enough. Another thread explaining it is useless.
I'm not going to go into the sides of feedback here. But yes, 'feeback' and discussion to cross lines and that can make some things hard to tell.
In my mind it makes perfect sense that chatter would be kept out of the Q&F just from reading the description. Threads made here are only to be made to ask a gaia/tech/problem related question, bug report, or sugguestion. The only response necessary then is an answer. I can understand a little conversing afterwards. The thank you, pointing out soemthing else, commenting on a signature, etc, but it should never continue on. Once the question is answered it's done and over with.
The RP differs in that it's constantly suppling new information that isn't avalible in a stickie [and hopefully would never be stickied considering the ratio of people who even read them]. All the information is in the first post and it serves as something to direct people to. Considering the content of the rumors, the Q&F is the appropriate place.
Yes, chattering here is usually off topic, but the topic and information on the first post aren't left open unless people have something they want to add. Then you have people here to either explain why it isn't there/shouldn't be/isn't a rumor, or to pass the information on to PC so it's handled quicker [sure, if there was no chatter he could check the post and just update that way. This would make sense if the purpose of chatter here was only for this reason].
The RP stands as another place for people to ask questions.
We mostly do just gossip and chat here, but when soemthing new comes up that pertains to either rumors, bug, or other Q&F related topic, people here dicuss it through, sometimes do research into it if necessary, and instead of having people out there jsut saying 'I don't know' or 'Maybe', you have a group of active Q&Fers with an idea of what's really going on.
Are chattering here also helps to create and maintain bonds among regular Q&Fers. This being rather important since gaia is a community, we should function as one. I guess we could always track each other down outside of the Q&F and get to know one another, but the environment would still be different then that of the one here. There's also the option of PMs, but PMs are only between two people. Some, like myself, enjoy seeing how others interact with on another and not just with them. You can get a better idea about people that way. That, and then they dont' have to repeat things over and over to everyone.
Yes, chatting here works as content bumping. In order for something to be content bumping is needs to actually have a purpose. Someone coming in a say some random thing, or waiting till the thread is almost of the page to respond to someone, is plain retarded. So we talk more then necessary to keep the RP on the first page. We're also keeping it active.
The RP also serves as something to do. You can always just have another window open and be active in threads outside of the Q&F while watching it in the first window. But it's a lot easier to have them in the same place. threads of interest outside of the Q&F can also be distracting, and it might be awhile before someone checks back here, when and if they remember. While on the otherhand, you can keep a decent conversation going here, take 30 seconds to a minute to respond and then click back to the main Q&F page and be able to see when there's either something to answer or when someone responds to you.
I guess all that was really to explain that the RP chatter is different and serves a purpose. Before they lock and move it other things would have to be changed/strictly enforced around the Q&F. Unless we start having emoticon wars or competitions to see who the stretch the page the farthest, there's really nothing to worry about. The RP is here, it has it's purpose, with are chatter it stays active and is able to reach people better. The only time I could see this coming to an end is if Lanzer does add a bump button you can press to bump a thread that doesn't require posting. Then there'd be no pointless bumps, and the chatter would no longer be needed. But until then it's fine.
