Forum Feedback and Suggestions

[LoomerA]

[YES]
If you have feedback or suggestions regarding forum moderation, please post it here. We want this to be a civil thread where users can give constructive feedback about how these forums are administrated. Additionally, if you have any questions or are confused about the way these forums work, please don't hesitate to ask.

[NO]
If you have a specific concern about an infraction or ban, please PM a moderator or contact Steam support. Do not ask about specific infractions or bans in this thread.

We encourage positive and negative feedback. All we ask is that you are constructive and follow the forum rules and guidelines.

[Polendino]

Relevant Content from Original Thread;

• If you believe another Forum User has been banned without good reason, please contact a Moderator as opposed to making a thread. They will be able to contact the Moderator/Admin responsible for the action. By the way, they'll be able to tell if you're a dupe account.
  
• Most Moderators and Admins read every PM they receive. They are busy, however, and may not respond initially or at all. Be patient! In some rare cases, Steam Support may be able to help with Forum issues.
  
• Complaints about Moderators are best directed to Valve Staff. BurtonJ is a good first port of call. However, take time to cool off before making a complaint. Think it over a couple of times. With so much work to do, it's rare that a Moderator would get a grudge on a single user, especially since they are intended to be impartial.
  
• The Moderators DO talk to eachother!
  
• While some Forum Users may mention being unbanned previously, it is a rare occurence, and is not to be relied upon in any circumstance.
  

• Originally Posted by BurtonJ

  Yes, some things slip by. It is a shame. This is an issue not just with the virtual world but with real life. However, just because you see someone do something does not make it ok for you to do it as well. We rely heavily on users to use the report post feature to bring problems to our attention. If something is reported, it will be investigated.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Polendino

Requesting that this OP be placed on the existing thread and it stickied instead.

No. This thread will ultimately replace that one. Feel free to copy over any content you think is relevant.

[Polendino]

Originally Posted by Matt

No. This thread will ultimately replace that one.

Oh, ok then.

Ah well. I would quote the rule against dupe threads. () But it seems that that rule is also missing from the official rules list. Another update?

[Mangr0v3]

Yep, can we get some clarity on the rules? There seem to be the unwritten rules, and then the unenforced rules.

[LoomerA]

Duplicate threads are covered by the rules:

* Post spam (i.e. +1, 10char, rickrolls) or Re-post Closed,
Modified, Deleted Content

They are a form of spam. If a user accidentally posts a duplicate thread, a warning is typical.

They are also a form of bumping depending on the circumstances.

[Odra]

The rules are generalized for the most part and appeal to common sense.

Overly specific rules tend to be counterproductive as some individuals use semantics (ie. "Well, it wasn't specifically stated in the rules"), feign ignorance and the usual rationalization when intentionally breaking them.

As Loomer pointed out, bumping is considered spam. Some users, instead of typing "bump", engage in consecutive posting in order to send their thread to the top of the forum. When the user is contacted so they stop that behavior they usually rationalize it with: "I wasn't bumping! I was participating in my own thread!!"

[nanosheep]

What's the policy on thread necromancy? I know some people re-post in old threads to contribute, but where do we draw the line?

[JokersFlame]

Originally Posted by Matt

No. This thread will ultimately replace that one. Feel free to copy over any content you think is relevant.

(Posted this in the other thread, just...ya know...postin' it again. I really do like this idea by the way! A Suggestion/Idea thread is very nice!)

Originally Posted by JokersFlame

Alrighty, I've been here for over a year now. And the one sure first way to start a flame war in both the TF2 and L4D1-2 forums is mention the word "Xbox" or "Controller".

As a Xbox/PC gamer let me tell you how hostile we look to a new Xbox player trying to join the forum with all the PC Elitism that plagues the forums. Now, this is to be expected, the majority of forum are PC gamers, console gamers are the minority. Unavoidable really.

Now especially in the L4D1-2 forums this is rampant, threads will go on for ten or more pages in gaming rig wars with little to no Moderator interaction, several times I have sent messages to Moderators who have locked these treads. But where was the reporting system? Where was the Moderators before I needed to send a message? That means any new player who sees a thread like that is blown halfway to hell in a flame war! And how does that make us look? Horrible. I have never seen such poor moderating ever when after L4D2 was released, fighting was all over, and Xbox hate was even worse. I remember one thread that went on for three days or more, before a Mod even considered locking it. What the heck did that mean? Were we being told that we were self moderating?

This is still an issue, flame wars between consoles have no purpose, yet Mods always seem to turn a blind eye or simply just not care. I can show you a screen cap of Burton himself saying how console bashing on any side should be dealt with swiftly, yet nothing is rarely done.

All I'm asking is for a Mod for the Xbox forum, and a Mod watching both the TF2 and L4D's forums more. To keep relations good and clean up the flame war filth. As a once Xbox exclusive gamer I know how hostile this whole forum can be, it turns off a lot of gamers, and arguing met with arguing should be nipped in the bud, not let blossom into flamewars that makes us seem like bigger nerds than we are.

I kinda made that post quickly due to the fact I could have swore that thread would have been locked soon at the time. I didn't think it would have evolved into an actual suggestion thread.

But my point stands, Console/PC Relations are borderline ♥♥♥♥. At the very least they are in the TF2 and L4D's forums. Could we possibly make a rule that console wars should be an off topic discussion? I'd be happy with just that! Nothing is worse then having your entire opinion called stupid/not valid because you're playing on a different gaming device as another person. This was especially an issue right after L4D1, and L4D2 was released, the fights were just horrible between gamers. And lets face it, Valve wont stop making games, so these useless discussions wont neither.

------------------

Another thing I thought maybe should be added is a way to fight all of the TF2 phishing sites lately. People post a misleading link in the forum, and you never now who might fall for it. These threads can go on for pages before action is taken also.

And er...I guess thats it.

Originally Posted by nanosheep

What's the policy on thread necromancy? I know some people re-post in old threads to contribute, but where do we draw the line?

This always bothered me too. Make a thread, and you're told you should have used the search engine, however if you use the search engine, you necro a thread.

[Mangr0v3]

Originally Posted by JokersFlame

But my point stands, Console/PC Relations are borderline ♥♥♥♥. At the very least they are in the TF2 and L4D's forums.

So are Mac/Windows relations. It's almost impossible for a Mac user to get any help outside of the Steam for Mac subforum.

[JokersFlame]

Originally Posted by Mangr0v3

So are Mac/Windows relations. It's almost impossible for a Mac user to get any help outside of the Steam for Mac subforum.

You're absolutely right, and that was selfish.

PC/MAC/360/PS3 Relations all around are horrible. I was mainly talking about PC/360 because those are my main two, but that was selfish to forget about the Mac.

I have seen much anti-Mac prejudice as well.

[0ddity]

So uh, search is down?

Keep getting internal server error 500.

[DarkLite123]

1) There doesn't seem to be proper info on what infractions do. I only found out yesterday that there are red and yellow ones, and I have no ides what the difference is. Perhaps we could have a thread detailing what infractions are given for, what the different types are, how long they last, how to appeal them, and what happens when you get a certain amount?

2) Often when I report posts, I'm not entirely sure whether it should be acted on, and my report turns into a "is this thing ok?"-style thing instead of "this guy's broken a rule, ban plox". Perhaps some sort of "mark report resolved / unhelpful" system that sends an automated PM to the reporter? This wouldn't add a great deal more time to report handling, merely ticking a box. It would enable us to learn which reports are considered useful and which aren't, so that we can get a feel for how the rules are interpreted by the staff.

[B33 ENN]

Originally Posted by DarkLite123

1) There doesn't seem to be proper info on what infractions do. I only found out yesterday that there are red and yellow ones, and I have no ides what the difference is. Perhaps we could have a thread detailing what infractions are given for, what the different types are, how long they last...

Some information on that here:

Helpful Forum Info & FAQ

And a thread on that here:

[UNOFFICIAL]Reputation and Infraction FAQ

[DarkLite123]

Originally Posted by B33 ENN

Some information on that here:

Helpful Forum Info & FAQ

And a thread on that here:

[UNOFFICIAL]Reputation and Infraction FAQ

Neither of those explain the difference between red/yellow adequately though. They also don't cover expiry dates and how those work: do yellow ones always expire in a set time period?