TalkGraphics - Getting back to basics

[gwpriester]

A Brief History

The TalkGraphics forums started out as the i/us.com forums. i/us.com was created in the mid 90s by Chris Dickman (who founded Graphics.com), and Arlan Bartch (the former International Marketing Director for Corel Corp.). When i/us.com (the birthplace of The Xara Xone), was acquired by another company, the forums were left without a host.

Xara Group Ltd., acquired the forums and changed the name to TalkGraphics.

TalkGraphics was conceived as an online community where members could visit to ask questions about Xara and other graphics products, provide answers to these questions, and the more senior members could share their knowledge and skill with new users.

TalkGraphics Today

The original TalkGraphics mission is alive and well, and we have more members than ever (just look at the number of views for some of the posts). And while most members continue to contribute ideas and images and offer support, there are some members who contribute little of value to the community. These people are more interested in hanging out and making snarky comments. This behavior is disruptive, and as far as I am concerned, is not welcome at TalkGraphics.

What You Can Do

I don't propose to make this a rule, because I don't want to rouse the rebels, but here is my suggestion. If you feel the need to bicker, or complain, or make snide remarks, do it in the Off Topic Chat forum. Or go to one of the thousands of other Internet forums where this kind of banal banter is encouraged. But if you plan to participate in the TalkGraphics forums, and specifically those related to Xara products, and more specifically, the forums that I moderate, keep your comments on topic. Ask questions. Provide answers. Offer help. Share your work and share your expertise. Offer your compliments and constructive criticism.

But if you have nothing positive to contribute, then don't post. Do not hijack another person's thread by interjecting your comments that do not relate to the topic being discussed. If you wish to say something that does not relate to the current thread, start a new thread to make your point.

Lastly. Show respect the all the members of this community. We all come from different backgrounds and we come from every corner of the globe, but we all have one thing in common. We like to Talk Graphics.

Let's get TalkGraphics back on track.

[BONES]

Whilst I agree in principle to your suggestion, I don't necessarily believe that "if you have nothing positive to contribute, then don't post. Negative points are often far more useful to a discusion than mindless fanboyism or eternal optimism. I do agree though, that it must be on-topic and not just a rant on some unrelated issue.

[Big Frank]

Oh dear, what's happened to spark this off?

[JokeArtist]

Surely, by your rationale, this post should go in Off Topic as well.

Or am I missing something here?

[handrawn]

if the 'off topic forum' continues to have the same 'stay on thread topic' rule as the other forums, then this doesn't have a cat's chance of working Gary, sorry...

it is in the nature of 'bicker, complain, gripe and snide' to wander off topic in persuit of their goals...

[Drwyd]

Maybe we could do with something like this ?

[Big Frank]

I think, Gary, you may have done better to post this notice and then just close it, so preventing a continuation of the very type of objectionable behaviour (i.e. disagreement) that you wish to prevent.

(words in italics quoted from your post)

Having read and hopefully digested your notice, I find myself objecting (there he goes again) quite specifically to the suggestion that the rebels of which you speak do not contribute ideas and images and offer support.

You also said that most members continue to contribute ideas and images and offer support. I disagree. It is a solid and tiny hardcore of members who continue to contribute ideas and images and offer support. The vast majority of members contribute very little. That's not a criticism by any means. It's simply a fact and applies to just about any Internet forum. It is also a fact that the solid and hardcore minority of members who contribute positively comprises "fanboys" and rebels alike (as well as, of course, people who are neither). And some "fanboys" can be rebels at times, and vice versa.

Your suggestion that these so-called rebels like nothing more than hanging out and making snarky comments is, in my opinion, an unfair misrepresentation of the contribution that some of these people make to this forum. As an aside, I've seen plenty of snarky comments from certain senior members over the years. I hope this thread is addressed to them as well.

You're right, indeed there are some members who contribute little of value to the community, they are the silent majority who lurk in search of answers, maybe pose a question and then disappear. It could be argued that merely posing a question is a valuable contribution because it generates feedback that benefits us all. I happen to agree with that position, but let's not get into the fine print.

Disruptive behaviour on the forum is unwanted anywhere, it does nothing but spoil the enjoyment that all of us have a right to (putting aside for the moment the fact that we are all here at Xara's pleasure). But all too often I get the impression that disruption is a synonym for disagreement, something that doesn't sit well with me.

However, I want to end this on a positive note. You said Show respect for all the members of this community. All the members of this community. Hear, hear. And let's hear no more of this (well, you won't from me in this thread anyway).

[Rik]

Hi Gary.

A very interesting history lesson. Thanks for that.

Talk Graphics is a fantastic forum. The most professional forum I have seen and taken part in.
So much idea sharing and comments on how something can be improved and all this is completely free.

Yes, I've seen things go off topic and have been a little guilty myself. But, this is almost unavoidable but thankfully does not happen too much.
It doesn't take much imagination to work out how annoying it can be to the original 'poster' of the thread when things have gone off-topic. In this case, I have seen the moderators gently reminding us to get back on track again!
Nothing wrong with that.

In general, 99% of what I have seen is constructive criticism, praise and ideas on how a drawing can be improved.

You will always get those who express things in a manner that can appear rude. And you will always get those who want to make their point in the strongest manner possible.
If English is not your first language then the choice of the wrong work (word!) can appear to be rude - though the person writing is trying his/her best.
English is not my first language and I have been guilty of this myself!

I think your post is a good reminder to us all and I have not really experienced anything that would stop me from visiting and posting on TG.

[MarkMyWords]

Although this a helpful place with some nice and talented folks, I have always found the forums to be somewhat "over-regulated", for my taste. No doubt it can be irksome for the developers to get, what they regard as, repeated silly and unrealistic criticism or requests, but many good ideas and even innovations come from just such "silliness". Boundaries should be pushed and some will feel uncomfortable with that, but forum moderation for anything less than direct abuse, spamming and repeated hi-jacking is, in my opinion, repressive of creative interchange, yes, even though that sometimes gets silly.

I have seen other software forums that make this look like a kindergarten. While I applaud good manners and the stamping on trolls, it seems growing thicker skins and not treating online comments as if they had a serious influence in the "real world", might improve things more than trying to force posters into only stating particular, "approved", views.

This post is not any kind of "call for rebellion", merely a caution not to take the fun out of visiting and contributing here.

[pauland]

Toe the line or else, ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvs4bOMv5Xw