Ask Your Moderator

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

As many of you may be aware TheSmartMarks.com has undergone an ownership change. As part of this process, I am taking over moderating duties in the four wrestling folders. Everyone is appreciative of the work that Hunter's Torn Quad did here but ownership would like to try a few new things.

 

There are going to be changes made over the next 48-72 hours. This shouldn't affect your normal posting in any way. However, some things might look a little different and it might take some patience on your part while we get things worked out.

 

Please be advised that the WWE General Discussion Folder is closing tomorrow. We are going to try to open discussion and get activity in some new threads.

 

I will try to update the Forum Rules and Guidelines soon to reflect some of the new expectations and changes. In the interim, please feel free to use this thread for any questions, concerns, suggestions or comments.

 

Thanks.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The problem with the WWF Folder is that hardly anyone even watches the WWF around here anymore. Most people come here for stuff other than the wrestling folders. Id like to see how the New TSM fixes that issue.

 

 

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Nobody's watched the WWF since it stopped existing as a wrestling company...

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

While I agree that there is way too much discussion happening in the CTDWAT deal and re-opening the discussion borders will be good all around (there is also a problem in the VG folder where Mole apparently didn't like people talking about individual games in threads), it did originally have a point. Where are people supposed to make inane comments? Nowhere?

[hyperchord24 0]

So with every little bit of news, there will be a new thread? At least now the CWDWAT trolls (as some call them) will go away.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think a general rule of thumb is that if you have nothing to add to a news item, it doesn't merit posting. Not just a topic, posting.

[haws bah gawd 0]

I like the idea of closing the general discussion folders. I hated posting something only to find out it had already been posted on page 17 or a 40-page thread. Sorry, but I don't have the free time to go digging through page after page of a thread to see if something has already been posted. This should make it easier to avoid posting redundant information.

[Black Lushus 0]

How many threads will Enigma start? We shall soon find out!

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

He's already asked me my thoughts on the issue, probably because I usually start the general thread (not because I like it, but because it became the way things were operating). Would a "Minor News" thread work, or does that just continue the problem and not solve it?

[bob_barron 0]

I think the problem with comments/general discussion was that soon every bit of news got put in there, thus killing any type of discussion. I remember people wanting to discuss Sabu being released, yet for some reason, that became a comment that didn't warrant a thread

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Yes, definitely bob. Once upon a time there was a legitimate point to the thread but it was eventually decided "Let's have one big thread of conversation". WRESTLEMANIA conversation is now happening in there. Mania conversation! Though I get along with HTQ, the edict I remember that I didn't really like was we had to gauge who mattered and who didn't in terms of being released. Test wouldn't deserve a thread but Bobby Lashley (or someone in the upper midcard) would. It sounds reasonable on paper (who cares about Test?) but it gets people thinking they should report every release in General.

[NYU 0]

A minor news thread would create the same problem.

 

In my opinion, there should be a "Random Thoughts" thread in the WWE Folder where if you have a thought that doesn't require a thread whatsoever -- like "Wow, I just realized Randy Orton wears black wristtape now instead of white" or "That John Cena videogame shirt he wears now looks very homosexual" -- you could post there. This way, people could still feel free to post what they want to post while not cluttering the WWE Folder with nonsense. Meanwhile, news topics would get their own threads, as would structured discussions like the ones about the Elimination Chamber and WWE DVDs, while Raw, ECW, Smackdown, and PPV discussions would still continue in their respective OAO topics.

 

This matter is still open for discussion though.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

That's almost exactly what I was hoping for. Whether Al agrees or not, there really are some random comments people want to share that don't offer MUCH discussion, but let people say something briefly. That's true for all areas of the forum - me wanting to alert Disney that a local restaurant is calling themselves "Aladdin's" with use of the copyrighted Genie character certainly doesn't need a thread, but that's something I OBVIOUSLY need to share with TSM.

[Downhome 0]

I hated the idea of the single threads for comments in the first place, and I also hated the idea of the monthly general comments thread also. I complained and complained about it, but hardly anyone agreed with me back then. I thought it looked horrible only having that single thread, and then a couple of the OAO threads in the entire folder. The only really exception to that was when some sort of huge story broke, like Benoit or something along those lines.

 

As long as a moron doesn't start totally filling up the board by posting thread after thread just to have the most up, which is nothing but spam anyway and that one douche should be the one punished, I don't care what people start threads about. As long as they have to do with the folder and it can lead to active discussions, I say post away.

 

[King Kamala 0]

Excuse me moderators, I have a suggestion. I'm not sure how to articulate this but I think it'd be a smart idea to allow discussion of WWF/E from 2000 on. The "five year rule" for old school wrestling IMO is downright stupid. Does anybody think anything that happened in this decade is old school? And it allows for more topics like Dandy's TSM town hall about the Triple H/Kurt Angle/Stephanie angle.

[Exslade ZX 0]

The problem with the WWF Folder is that hardly anyone even watches the WWF around here anymore. Most people come here for stuff other than the wrestling folders. Id like to see how the New TSM fixes that issue.

Well the wrestling folders still seem to be the ones with the most topics/replies. And even if that's just because of past posts, there's still quite a bit posted every day. As noted by the fact the last post on the first page, was on the 21st, which at quick glance is more recently then majority of the other sections. so I wouldn't say no one's talking about it. (And yes, I'm aware that isn't what you said.)

[Downhome 0]

I think anything from the start of the "Attitude Era" and on should be allowed to be in this folder. If you really want to get exact, and come to a compromise, then perhaps have this folder just be for "WWE", ie, since the name change from WWF to WWE.

 

Back to the single threads for comments and general discussion for a second. Like I said, I hate that type of stuff so ditch all of that. However, a single thread for questions and answers wouldn't be a bad idea for little simple things that people just want to quickly ask about. I wouldn't have a problem with a pinned thread like that in here.

 

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

TSM shifting gears is a major discussion point right now anyway.

[NYU 0]

I think if we go as far back as the Attitude era, the folder is becoming too cluttered with threads about the past. That is one of the main reasons why the General Wrestling folder exists after all. I still think the Five Year Rule is a good standard to hold the WWE Folder to. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to take the HHH/Stephanie/Angle topic -- which did have good discussion but, if I'm being frank, the angle has no relevance anymore to where the WWE product is today -- a few folders down to General Wrestling.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

While I agree that there is way too much discussion happening in the CTDWAT deal and re-opening the discussion borders will be good all around (there is also a problem in the VG folder where Mole apparently didn't like people talking about individual games in threads), it did originally have a point. Where are people supposed to make inane comments? Nowhere?

 

 

Mega-threads are bad for discussion and they've been bad for this folder. Removing the General Discussion folder is being done to open up conversation. I realize there was a point that it was created in the first place, but it's not working in its current state.

 

Rule of thumb: If you come across a news item that you feel needs discussion, start a thread. If you have a comment that doesn't warrant a thread, and you can't find another one on the board where it fits, said comment probably doesn't need to be made.

 

I'm open to the idea of a "This Week in Wrestling" or "Random Thoughts" thread down the line. But for the first couple of weeks I'd like to get away from that mentality.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Excuse me moderators, I have a suggestion. I'm not sure how to articulate this but I think it'd be a smart idea to allow discussion of WWF/E from 2000 on. The "five year rule" for old school wrestling IMO is downright stupid. Does anybody think anything that happened in this decade is old school? And it allows for more topics like Dandy's TSM town hall about the Triple H/Kurt Angle/Stephanie angle.

 

I don't have a problem with older stuff being discussed as long as it's somewhat relevant to the modern product. The TSM Town Hall is a good idea and I'd like to see it continue. However, the HHH/Steph/Angle love triangle concluded more than 7 years ago. If you feel there is a way to tie that in with a modern twist (A HHHistory of Political Power, Failed Angles and Their Impact on Today's Audience, etc.) give it a whirl.

[Downhome 0]

Don't just limit it to news items though. I don't think you really mean it that way, but there ya go.

[cabbageboy 0]

I think people should be allowed to post whatever threads they want. If the thread is pointless or no one cares, then it will get no responses and drift away (or if it is too inflammatory it would be closed). I haven't even wanted to start threads lately since I don't know if whatever news I'd post would be considered a "comment that doesn't warrant a thread."

[NYU 0]

No. That's how folders get cluttered, topics get lost in the shuffle, and things just become an overall mess. Use your own discretion when it comes to starting new threads but use common sense.

[Black Lushus 0]

I'm going to give you an example of clutter:

 

Diamondust posted a thread about discussing the location, weather etc. for WM24...he also posted a thread about WM24 predictions. Shouldn't there just be ONE thread for ALL things WM24, or am I way off my rocker here?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I'm going to give you an example of clutter:

 

Diamondust posted a thread about discussing the location, weather etc. for WM24...he also posted a thread about WM24 predictions. Shouldn't there just be ONE thread for ALL things WM24, or am I way off my rocker here?

 

 

I broke out the venue posts from General Discussion because the last two pages were filled with people discussing the weather and set-up.

 

It may be unnecessary but I didn't want to lose all the posts and discussion just because General Discussion was closed. Ideally, we'd have one Wrestlemania thread. I'll work on that today.

[Celtic Guardian 0]

What about live event/house show reports from TSM posters? Where would they go in the new setup if anywhere?

[Downhome 0]

Threads about predictions are different to me. In those, I think it should just be people posting their predictions in order for all of us to go back after the show and check out who was right and wrong. With everything else in there, that would be a mess IMO. The stuff about the weather and everything, yeah, that could go in a general WM24 thread.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

What about live event/house show reports from TSM posters? Where would they go in the new setup if anywhere?

 

In the old days of anything goes thread making, I did an entire thread (with 24 replies!) about a house show. It's good stuff, actually.

 

Threads about predictions are different to me. In those, I think it should just be people posting their predictions in order for all of us to go back after the show and check out who was right and wrong. With everything else in there, that would be a mess IMO. The stuff about the weather and everything, yeah, that could go in a general WM24 thread.

 

I agree - I found with some PPVs in the past there was actual discussion going on in a prediction thread but since I didn't feel like making any predictions, I never read it. I think the two threads we have now - the Discussion Thread and the Predictions Thread - work fine, but to be honest people would be making predictions IN the discussion thread. I just don't like discussions in a prediction thread. Does that make sense or am I being OCD about that?

 

Plus I wanted to use my "40% chance of rain, 70% chance of fun" sub-title.

[bob_barron 0]

My MSG house show report got two pages. Beat that.

 

That was mostly because Hogan pulled down his pants though