Custom Titles: Required Reading

[bluefeet]

I think the value of any title varies some depending on where one posts. The standard titles - and the achieved escalation of them, have more value for a purely strategy poster. I'm a 40 year old with way too many small blessings to get uber excited about a title change, but it WAS a personal accomplishment of sorts moving from stranger through addict, whatever.

In the strategy forums we see quite often the "pooh-bah" milestone post, etc. For someone that posts 99% strategy, the time/dedication/effort to advance through the titles IS something to celebrate.

For others, a few games of wolf or a couple weeks in OOT/BBV and viola...the pinnacle is reached.

I have no idea what point I'm trying to make [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ...other than supporting the value of the stock titles. While it's kind of fun and all I guess, I would also personally like to see less. As ambiguous as 'less' is, maybe at a minimum, require the user to have traversed the ranks of the stock titles first. That said, I would be MUCH more willing to "reward" a work-horse strategy grinder upon topping out at Carpal/'Tunnel, than a 3 month old OT poster having achieved the same.

[Mike Haven]

I agree with you, Dids.

One of the reasons this site has reached the heights it has is because people who join the site start to love the atmosphere of the one or two forums that they tend to pick to make their home, and they get to know their fellow posters in those particular forums by their words, avatars, and Titles.

When there is a new Title given out, it's usually because of something that is only relevant to that person - maybe it's for an achievement, but often it's because they have said or done something that others in their forums know about and perhaps admire or laugh along with. People want to know what the Titles mean, and if they have missed the relevant thread, then they spend time searching for the root source. I know I have, too.

Some posters are remarkably proud of their Title, as they see it as recognition by their peers, and acceptance into the immediate family of OOT, or the Zoo, or wherever, and also into the extended family of Twoplustwo. (For example, one poster called "____" lost his custom Title of "____" when he received a * and he was so upset that he actually left the site over it.)

It is the personal touches such as special Titles, and in-jokes, and unique coined words and phrases, and reader moderators, and "personal conversations" with people like David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth, that has made Twoplustwo great, over the years, and personally I think it would be ironic and a huge shame to veto the allocation of sensible and harmless Titles to the people that want and love them and who have formed a powerful allegiance with the site for the very reason that it isn't impersonal like many other forums around the internet.

Basically, in my opinion, there is absolutely no harm in giving appropriate and decent custom Titles to those that want them, and there is a massive amount to gain, in customer loyalty terms. Personally, I don't believe moderators give them out hand over fist - there is always a reasonable reason for them, and there is a natural braking effect as a moderator gives them out - he realises he may be giving "too many" and he slows down. With regard to mods not making Notes of their changes - this applies in every area. Some mods just don't make enough use of the Notes facility for anything. (In my case, I probably make too many and too detailed Notes, but I have always believed in letting the next man that comes along know the stuff I happen to have learned by being the first one by.) I hope these mods will change in this regard, but, if they don't, as long as the custom Title isn't abusive or unwanted, it's not really any big deal in the scheme of things.

Cliff notes: Allow custom Titles to a reasonable degree, with "reasonable" being self-defined by the donor mods.

[Nick B.]

Custom titles are lame and unnecessary. Mods are generally unfunny therefore so are the titles. I hope the reds make them go away like they did with the colored names. When I see a custom title, I think "wow, stupid" about 5x more often than I think "wow, funny". Avatars are enough to give a poster character, we don't need lame ass titles.

[Mike Haven]

I don't think it's about you and me thinking they're stupid and that we don't need them. I think it's about how the guys with these lame and unnecessary Titles see them as being something special to them.

I'm sure many of us think, "Wow, stupid", but I don't see any reason to take away something that these stupid people think is cool, or whatever such types' brains think of them.

[Dids]

[ QUOTE ]
Custom titles are lame and unnecessary. Mods are generally unfunny therefore so are the titles. I hope the reds make them go away like they did with the colored names. When I see a custom title, I think "wow, stupid" about 5x more often than I think "wow, funny". Avatars are enough to give a poster character, we don't need lame ass titles.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nick,

Would you agree this is more an issue of personal taste than anything 2p2 needs to manage?

[Ryan Beal]

[ QUOTE ]


I'm sure many of us think, "Wow, stupid", but I don't see any reason to take away something that these stupid people think is cool, or whatever such types' brains think of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't really like that we would have to take things away from people either. But that wouldn't be the case if mods hadn't been giving them out to so many members to begin with. To me, it's like you guys are saying, "Ok reds, I know you're saying we made mistakes with the titles, but now that we've made them it would be unfair for you to do anything about what we've already done." I just don't see it that way.

I would rather not get into resetting all titles on 2+2. And if this discussion helps the situation, that won't be needed. My personal main concern is the insulting titles, but Mat's older guideline really needs to be followed too.


[ QUOTE ]
there is a natural braking effect as a moderator gives them out - he realises he may be giving "too many" and he slows down.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wish this were true.

[MEbenhoe]

I really don't get why people give so many out I guess. I've only given two out ever and both were to people I knew. I think just getting rid of offensive titles and trying to severely limit giving titles out like crazy would work.

[StellarWind]

Good post.

[Mike Haven]

Thank you; but in fact I've just read a post by nath in ATF which says it all and better, (and in fewer words [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ):

[ QUOTE ]
Custom titles are great; Phil nailed it: "Custom titles are only dumb in as far as forums are dumb."
It's just another neat little thing to foster the community atmosphere and make people feel special in their own little way, or some such.
I mean, why have non-custom titles, for that matter? All those do is classify a user by number of posts, and... each user has his/her number of posts listed already as well.


[/ QUOTE ]

Many of us in this forum cherish our Carpal Tunnels and Pooh-Bahs, (even MM has had his "Grand Poobah" for years), so it shouldn't be a stretch of anyone's imagination to realise how selected people think it's something very special to receive a unique (decent) custom Title, whether it's lame or funny or stupid to others. (How many of us tell others that we are Pooh-Bahs?)

[Sniper]

[ QUOTE ]
(How many of us tell others that we are Pooh-Bahs?... outside of SSNL)

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FYP