Should EDF and The Lounge be merged?

[El Diablo]

Thought this might be a better place for mods to respond rather than in ATF.

Al's post:

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EDF and The Lounge have the exact same "charter" and purpose: mature, in-depth, deeper content posting. I understand The Lounge has its own "community" but it's what, and let's be honest here, 10 regular posters at most?

I think rolling these 2 forums up into 1 makes alot of sense. They are basically cannibalizing each other right now. The introduction and assimilation of the regular Lounge posters to EDF, or vice versa, would make for a more robust, entertaining single forum, imo.
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My response:

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I don't think that's all that unreasonable a suggestion, though currently I see at least two things that would have to be changed to make it work in a way that I think makes sense for a number of experienced 2+2 users:

a) Game/list type threads like "Post a picture of your favorite DVD" or "Post a funny picture of a dog" would have to be moved to POG or LoL or someplace.

b) There were no restrictions/editing of people simply for tone/aggressiveness in heated discussions, as long as they were staying on topic and not being personally insulting or over-the-top offensive/antagonistic.

As I see it right now, the forums are like this:

EDF is OOT for people who have been around a while and are not interested in wading through tons of stuff, but instead want to check out a relatively small number of high-quality threads/posts with pretty much no restrictions on content.

Lounge is OOT for people who want a kinder, gentler, friendlier place to post whatever and play fun games and stuff. A safe haven for people who feel intimidated or turned off by the discussion on OOT.

BBV4L is OOT for people who want to focus on topics that are generally more of interest to younger people, is generally more focused on fun rather than serious discussion, and is very receptive to somewhat raunchier content.

I think the nature of the forums might be a little more different than you realize. Since the tug regime was put in place, the Lounge consistently has more posts than EDF. On the other hand, EDF consistently has more viewers than the Lounge. I think that speaks to the difference in nature between the forums and their respective groups of users.
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[tuq]

I don't think so, no. They are two totally distinct communities.

It is good, however, that the stupid ForumWars™ seems to have subsided - even if there were understandable reasons for the vitriol at the outset. It was least paves the way for discussion on this matter.

I checked a bit earlier and there were like 22 readers in the Lounge and 29 in El D at the same time. If the combined forum would yield >51 unique readers then maybe it's a good idea. The problem is you don't know until you try, and it would be hard to undo.

Tone-wise there is also a big difference. Some folks in the Lounge seem really touchy and it has more of a "library" or "coffeehouse" feel to it, whereas my readings of the El D forum make it seem a little more prone to debate - like a bunch of guys sitting around a table a la the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs. Debate without people taking it personally. I may be a bit off on this though as I haven't been in awhile.

The biggest question though is WHY do this? Aren't things fine as they are?

[diebitter]

[ QUOTE ]
Thought this might be a better place for mods to respond rather than in ATF.


[/ QUOTE ]

You seem to be responding in there already, so why not other mods?

I suggest mods would be better encouraged to use their own judgement where to post.

[El Diablo]

tug,

"Tone-wise there is also a big difference. Some folks in the Lounge seem really touchy and it has more of a "library" or "coffeehouse" feel to it, whereas my readings of the El D forum make it seem a little more prone to debate - like a bunch of guys sitting around a table a la the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs. Debate without people taking it personally."

I pretty much agree w/ that. Take katy, for example. A lot of stuff most EDF posters would find hilarious and awesome would likely be considered mean and rude by her. Nothing wrong w/ that, just different styles.

"The biggest question though is WHY do this? Aren't things fine as they are?"

I don't think there's any reason that it NEEDS to be done, I think everything's fine. Frankly, I thought everything was fine w/ the Lounge even before this latest push for traffic. I'm not suggesting this, just putting it out there since Al posed the question.

As for why one might consider it:

tug: "If the combined forum would yield >51 unique readers then maybe it's a good idea."

Al: "The introduction and assimilation of the regular Lounge posters to EDF, or vice versa, would make for a more robust, entertaining single forum, imo."

[El Diablo]

db,

"You seem to be responding in there already, so why not other mods?

I suggest mods would be better encouraged to use their own judgement where to post."

Huh?

Seriously, man, this and your post in that thread come off like nothing but antagonistic and looking to create conflict. Which seems to be a common theme with you. Some of us are simply focused on creating the best experience at 2+2. Perhaps you should consider approaching things from that perspective?

I don't understand why it's so hard for you to grasp that there could be a different level of discussion regarding a topic like this in the mod forum than would go on in a public forum.

And of course mods can post wherever they want, they don't need you telling them that.

[diebitter]

The conflict is one you seem to be escalating, frankly.

You started this thread.

You are fostering the contention in ATF raised by 1 poster.


Looks like opportunistic stirring the pot to me.

If I have anything more to say on this, it will be in ATF. If you want to speak to me further, do it there.

[El Diablo]

db,

You are just plain stupid or perhaps f'ing delusional if all you can take from a constructive discussion between parties interested in creating the best forums for 2+2 is "escalating conflict" and "pot stirring."

And the reason I'm so antagonistic towards you in posts like this is because you constantly pull BS like slinging out a few insults/accusations and then following them up with crap like "I'm not getting into this nonsense here anyway."

That is pathetic and classless.

[diebitter]

Eldo

Here's my posts from ATF so far:

[ QUOTE ]

I think this debate is a little pointless, as there are 4 distinct communities, why even seek to eliminate one of them?

After all, all posters can choose which they prefer to use, so why close down their options? People use EDF because they like it, people use the Lounge because they like it, sounds cool and groovy to me.

Ther might be a point to this if there was no traffic in one or the other - but both have traffic of a similar magnitude.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

Al

no problem, we're cool. I really don't mind the question being raised, I was just adding my thoughts on the subject. I'm sure there are EDF posters who would rather have teeth pulled than use the Lounge, and vice versa, so let people have what they like, is my suggestion.


[/ QUOTE ]

You seriously think these are "nothing but antagonistic and looking to create conflict. "? So someone saying we should leave things as they are is "looking to create conflict"?

And you then call me stupid or maybe delusional for suggesting it's you and not me that's trying to create contention?

Eh, whatever, if that makes you angry, fine. You obv care a lot. If you think these minor disagreements with whatever you want from this is somehow 'pathetic and classless' you need to chill a little.

You really seem to have a problem with mild dissent, is how this appears to me.

[El Diablo]

db,

Hahaha, what a joke. Only a complete retard could read this thread or the ATF thread and think I'm angry about a suggestion to leave things as they are. Hell, that's basically my recommended suggestion in my replies to Al and tug.

It's perfectly clear what I'm angry at - your standard passive-aggressive BS that you're displaying loud and clear once again in your last post.

ed: BTW, nice work editing out "I'm not getting into this nonsense here anyway." from your post after I responded pointing out your standard BS.

[MrWookie]

xposted from ATF:

All,

The original Lounge charter was for a forum with lengthy, serious discussion 100% of the time, and for that standard to be strictly enforced. It's strayed from and returned to that standard a couple or so times. However, does that mean that's still the MO of the Lounge? No. Instead, the Lounge has evolved into a forum where the defining feature is less the length of posts and more on tone. The Lounge has opened itself up to some game threads and list threads like what may be found in POG, OOT, and even BBV4Life, and it continues to have in-depth threads like in EDF. Some of you guys seem to think that if there are both in-depth posts in EDF and the Lounge, or list threads in both POG and the Lounge, that the Lounge should be merged with another forum. Well, OOT and BBV4Life seem to both enjoy hot chick threads. Should they be merged? The fact that some of thread types in the Lounge overlap with thread types in other forums doesn't mean it's a useless forum, a forum sapping traffic from other forums, or a forum without an identity. Instead, the regulars in the Lounge gravitated there because they enjoyed both the breadth and the tone. It's the tone, which I'd describe as light-hearted and warm but mature, and the community of posters that maintain that tone, that Lounge regulars enjoy most. El D did an apt job of describing the difference between the attitudes, styles, and tones of each form. The way I see it, by keeping the four different community forums, it's more likely for new posters at 2+2 to find a niche they enjoy, and regular posters can continue to enjoy their favorite niche.

Now, if one of these niches was severely underpopulated, it could make sense for it to be herded into one of the others. However, as much as people like to joke about the Lounge being a ghost town, it gets more traffic than at least 2/3's of 2+2's forums. There's clearly a group of regular posters who enjoy the Lounge for what it is, just as there's clearly one for EDF, BBV4L, and OOT. As long as that's true, I don't think any of these forums should be axed.