The demise of this forum

[davebreal]

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I think there should be a sticky topic related with old threads in which the haunting questions have already been answered.

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not a bad idea, i think we could sticky a few more threads, or just simply make a 2nd sticky under the FAQ that is a "best of thread" where we link directly to the most information LO8 and PLO8 threads including book reviews, game essentials, MTT/SNG basics, starting hand charts, etc.

Buzz - what do you think?

*edit - or we can simply append this under the current FAQ

[Buzz]

Hi Dave and Jay - A compliation of sticky threads is a good idea. I'm currently working on a similar project for the Omaha-high forum.

But it's harder than if might seem.

There are great posts within threads, and someones several great posts - but there's chaff too.

My current thinking is maybe it's better to just expand the FAQ.

I'd be happy to have a group of us work on it, if anyone is interested, or you can P.M. me suggestions.

Buzz

[davebreal]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Dave and Jay - A compliation of sticky threads is a good idea. I'm currently working on a similar project for the Omaha-high forum.

But it's harder than if might seem.

There are great posts within threads, and someones several great posts - but there's chaff too.

My current thinking is maybe it's better to just expand the FAQ.

I'd be happy to have a group of us work on it, if anyone is interested, or you can P.M. me suggestions.

Buzz

[/ QUOTE ]

A good process might be to make a new post of link suggestions so that we can start collaborating, and everyone can research and reply with their nominations. After we have a large pool of important posts, we can do some narrowing down.

[jay_jaywalk]

[ QUOTE ]
A good process might be to make a new post of link suggestions so that we can start collaborating, and everyone can research and reply with their nominations. After we have a large pool of important posts, we can do some narrowing down.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry Dave, I just read your post. This is what I'm talking about.

Jay

[Kuso]

dave for mod!!!

free wintermute!!!

[Truthiness24]

The demise of this forum is greatly exaggerated ... but I have noticed the dearth of content lately.

People seem to me to be more concerned here about trash talking than about self-improvement. There should be room for both, but not one (or the other) exclusively.

You folks do need to encourage new players to post and participate. People get put off in part because you talk about the game at such a high level, but also because you troll people who you think ask stupid questions.

Remember that you can teach a newbie all the tricks he wants to know, but it isn't going to make him your equal. He's still going to have to work hard to figure it out on his own. I feel like lately useful advice and information has been on a bit of a lockdown, except from 2 or 3 really great posters.

[RobNottsUk]

A sticky thread 'Resources for O8' would be good, then gergery's website, mention of books and sites where they're reviewed would be kept neatly in 1 place.

There could also be some links to good hand discussion threads or hand analysis on websites etc.

It's natural for players to gravitate to the specialist game area, rather than a general 'books' section of a forum, especially with Hold'em being so predominant. Pushing books off somewhere else, seems to be fighting the flow, and now I have all the 'right' books, whilst I would comment here, I'm not going to scan 'Books' just in case someones asking about O8.

A quick way to point someone towards the revelvant FAQ answer in a hopefully polite manner, rather than just RTFM ought to ease the work load on regular responders and encourage newcomers.

Something Veterans have to accept, is that the value of a forum is asymptopic, at first it's high value, see lots of new ideas and insights in thinking of others. With time, you've seen it all before and most of the stuff is going to bore you.

If those Veterans have cultivated Lieutenants, they'll naturally take on the burden until they have become gnarled and cynical Veterans fit for the wide open prairie forum pastures.

[Buzz]

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... I have noticed the dearth of content lately.

[/ QUOTE ]Truthiness - It seems to run in cycles.

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People seem to me to be more concerned here about trash talking than about self-improvement. There should be room for both, but not one (or the other) exclusively.

[/ QUOTE ]My view is there are plenty of places to go to trash talk. Even many other forums on 2+2 are mostly trash talk. This is not a chat forum (although some chat is tolerated and even welcomed).

This forum (and a few others on 2+2) is primarily a strategy and tactics forum.

I see the role of moderator more or less like the role of a committee chairperson.

A good committee chairperson keeps the committee members focused on the issues to be discussed without being autocratic about it. (Of course every time you control someone you think might be a bit out of line, you're being more or less autocratic).

A difference between this forum and a committee is the trash talk. There's very little trash talk in a committee. I can't imagine ejecting someone from a committee meeting. I never saw it happen in decades of chairing some committees and sitting on others.

But here, there are occasional individuals who seem to post mainly to trash talk or write what they think are humorous quips. (And I have to admit, sometimes they're very funny).

A very few posters are just downright mean and/or nasty and become disruptive.

I used to post on r.g.p. (Someone who was somehow chosen as chair of the FAQ committee asked me to answer a question that I think is still in the FAQ for that forum).

I liked r.g.p. - but I like this forum more. This forum is all about Omaha-8. Perfect for me! I'm happy that (unlike r.g.p.) there is a mechanism to get rid of disruptive posters, hecklers, and spammers. (I don't want to be the cop, but I'm willing to serve my time to keep this forum going).

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You folks do need to encourage new players to post and participate.

[/ QUOTE ]I agree 100%.

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People get put off in part because you talk about the game at such a high level,

[/ QUOTE ]Hopefully this is a place we can do that. I have learned, and continue to learn, from excellent posters here. I greatly appreciate high level posts.

[ QUOTE ]
but also because you troll people who you think ask stupid questions.

[/ QUOTE ]In my opinion, "Where can I make the most money?" - and "How much should I expect to earn playing Omaha-8?" coming from someone we don't even know would qualify as stupid questions. I get tired of those.

Some new posters are always going to ask elementary questions. And regular posters here gradually get tired of reading elementary questions. Some of us have less patience than others, but we all get tired of reading questions, for example, about which of two hands has the better low.

Maybe we can do something about cutting down on elementary questions by writing a more inclusive FAQ.

It's harder to do that than one might think. At least it's harder for me. I'm wide open for suggestions, especially as to what specific questions should be included in the sticky FAQ. (Once we decide what the questions are that should be included, then the next step will be to work on the answers). I'm happy to give everyone who contributes credit in the sticky.

I think there often is more than one answer to a question, and I think we should include different valid and helpful points of view, perhaps authored by different contributors.

The sticky thread collection is a good idea, but very tough. The problem is there are a lot of trash posts or simply wrong or misleading posts intermingled with the gems of wisdom in almost all worthwhile threads. I've made (and alas, continue to make) posting blunders myself. I try to correct errors when I become aware of them, but everybody doesn't do that, or perhaps some individuals have defense mechanisms to protect their egos such that they don't even realize they are in error or have written a very misleading post.

If you don't know the right answer, you often cannot tell who is giving the right answer and who may be wrong.

I'll try to keep the trolling under control. That's not as easy as you might think. Lots of tough calls. Lots of places to make judgment errors.

Buzz

[selurah]

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dave for mod!!!

free wintermute!!!

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I 2nd the free wintermute. He was great entertainment. Although I'm not sure he would come back even if he was freed. Hasn't he basically quit playing poker?

[davebreal]

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I 2nd the free wintermute. He was great entertainment. Although I'm not sure he would come back even if he was freed. Hasn't he basically quit playing poker?

[/ QUOTE ]

He does not play online poker right now. In his own words, he never intended to play poker for a living or permanently. I suppose he's finishing up his advanced engineering degree or whatever.