Open Discussion topics should be severely pruned by the moderators

[some seeing eye]

Some people, many people, start their view of ePlaya by Active Topics under Quick Links. The admins should be able to see those stats.

New readers viewing ePlaya by Active Topics will find content worse than Reddit's Burning Man sub. That is extremely sad.

We have enough Open Discussion topics that we don't need II, two of the same. Any new Open Discussion topic should require active mod approval or merge of new nonsense posts into existing nonsense. We could merge many Open Discussion topics.

I write many comments into existing Open Discussion topics as a branch of my social media world. But I also contribute new topics and content outside Open Discussion as can anyone.

Burning Man is restarting and ePlaya needs to be and can be better than other forums for new and returning burners.

[Canoe]

... Burning Man is restarting and ePlaya needs to be and can be better than other forums for new and returning burners.

this

Also,
Seeing the repeated posting of the same (and offensive, even "hate") material, and repeated "Personal attacks via username" (a la Community Guidelines "Personal attacks via username, topic or thread may result in the immediate deactivation of the account. User will be notified via email of the action."), is not conducive to providing information to new and returning Burners, nor in having them return again to seek the info they're after.

[trilobyte]

I agree. I'll be investigating and taking action as I get time in the next several days.

[trilobyte]

I've taken the pruning shears through what I believe were some of the most blatant cases, but will try and circle back for a more nuanced look later on. Please feel free to flag any particular post (or posts) that you think I missed or may warrant closer review. Thanks

[gaminwench]

Thank you, Trilo.

[some seeing eye]

Thanks Trilo.

From Open Discussion, was thinking keep the Bar, and Page 2, maybe EDM industry news. Then Rest in peace+Fuck merge, Past/present/future theme suggestions/random BORG talk merge, Politics+Trump+Can't believe+News to me+Conspiracy merge, What are you listening to+Reading merge+Dance party merge.

I'm minimally on faceboo, so I and maybe others use those as kind of a chat and a place to post interesting things we are reading and life happenings. That has value.

After thinking and discussion among the mods just do whatever you decide!

Maybe the board can lock new topic creation in Open Discussion, but then let the existing topics continue their random walk? Maybe there is a way to separate active topics excluding open discussion from active open discussion in the pulldown? Active topics already doesn't include the Greeters Station, which is fine. If Open Discussion is its own menu item on Quick Links and Active Topics excludes it, there is less need to merge topics in Open Discussion.

It just depends what the capability of the software is.

To make ePlaya useful, I dig up Burning Man news and post it usually in Philosophical Discussion or Culture to have news that farceboo / reddthat don't have, and the Journal doesn't have yet.

I think we could also get stories from the regionals and BWB. In Portland, the regional BWB made domes for a city-run homeless village.

[Canoe]

I don't agree with those proposed merges. While there sometimes is overlap (which one is best for this...), more often the difference is way more than a nuance. Like Rest In Peace vs. Fuck.

Instead of locking new topic creation in Open Discussion, have mods review a new topic. Mod merging of new topics has occurred in the past, so this is obviously already occurring to one degree or another. Although some of that seemed clear, some of that has left me confused some times, lol.

But if some filtering for Active Topics in the pull-down is possible, and perhaps slightly simpler than suggested above, I do believe a very good start there may be to exclude Open Discussion from the returns for Active Topics. That way members & guests selecting Active Topics get to see a more Burning Man focus of active topics, which is more likely to be their purpose of coming to eplaya and selecting Active topics in the first place. Although not including Open Discussion topics in Active Topics results would be a little less convenient for frequent/regular eplaya users, I don't think adding Open Discussion to Quick Links is an appropriate addition at that level, nor necessary. Anyone can always click on Open Discussion to see the latest there, and they can receive notifications on a specific topic. Although I don't want to lose that Active Topics one-stop convenience, if filtering out Open Discussion from Active Topic results is possible, I think it would make a very real enhancement to the usability and 'experience' of eplaya for the majority of Burners and wanna-be Burners.

[The Rod]

I also don't agree with the merges.

If we hide Open Discussion from Actie Topics, then we are shielding our new members and visitors from learning about one of Burning Man's greatest challenges and opportunities: Snark!

What if we could vote on problematic users? Everyone likes a good democracy, let's vote the SOB's off the island. Radical Inclusion be damned. But seriously, how do we, in a culture of participation, curate more positive optics? The Million Dollar question plaguing both lowly eplayans and BMORG Board Of Directors...

[ygmir]

Thanks Trilo.

From Open Discussion, was thinking keep the Bar, and Page 2, maybe EDM industry news. Then Rest in peace+Fuck merge, Past/present/future theme suggestions/random BORG talk merge, Politics+Trump+Can't believe+News to me+Conspiracy merge, What are you listening to+Reading merge+Dance party merge.

I'm minimally on faceboo, so I and maybe others use those as kind of a chat and a place to post interesting things we are reading and life happenings. That has value.

After thinking and discussion among the mods just do whatever you decide!

Maybe the board can lock new topic creation in Open Discussion, but then let the existing topics continue their random walk? Maybe there is a way to separate active topics excluding open discussion from active open discussion in the pulldown? Active topics already doesn't include the Greeters Station, which is fine. If Open Discussion is its own menu item on Quick Links and Active Topics excludes it, there is less need to merge topics in Open Discussion.

It just depends what the capability of the software is.

To make ePlaya useful, I dig up Burning Man news and post it usually in Philosophical Discussion or Culture to have news that farceboo / reddthat don't have, and the Journal doesn't have yet.

I think we could also get stories from the regionals and BWB. In Portland, the regional BWB made domes for a city-run homeless village.

nonsense and disagree.
most threads have a specific focus, and people like the variety. Merging would be like editing and censoring. Let them stand on their own merit. Don't like it? don't click on it.
I'd say that does not apply to spam or multiple idiotic, or repeating threads, if posted by a single user in a short period of time.
I am against these merges, on general principle.

[Popeye]

There is no reason the regionals and BWB as well as others cannot start their own thread. If you think it would be advantageous to Eplayans then invite BWB or whoever. Maybe Fly as well?
I like the idea of pruning of some threads, especially where the same individual posts repeatedly.
Merging should be limited as has worked in the past.

[Canoe]

... I like the idea of pruning of some threads, especially where the same individual posts repeatedly. ...

Would that be used where it's largely one or two individuals covering a topic, or where someone loses it and spews nonsence all over. Who decides?

[gaminwench]

When someone comes in and spews all over, it is pretty obvious.

Discussion, say, about bike repair, mostly between Elliot and questioning person is valuable.

Someone talking to themself in a thread they started and no one else is participating with them, not so much.

[some seeing eye]

Add, if we go the route of leaving out Open Topics from the Active Topics in Quick Links, the Quick Links are different between logged in and not.

[Token]

So the discussion here is between curated and totally-ass-random experience?

Feels a whole fuck-of-allot like temple guardians shushing me with their ever so threatening militant librarian routine.

Trimming the trolls once they reach a critical point should be sufficient.

Let the rest play out as the intended “experiment in culture”, or did the 10 principles kill that as well?

[Canoe]

So the discussion here is between curated and totally-ass-random experience?

Sorta.
I'm in favour of filtering Open Discusion topic results from the hand-holding Active Topics, so Active Topics hand-holding is more strongly BRC event related.
That, and cleaning up after "When someone comes in and spews all over, it is pretty obvious."

[ygmir]

So the discussion here is between curated and totally-ass-random experience?

Sorta.
I'm in favour of filtering Open Discusion topic results from the hand-holding Active Topics, so Active Topics hand-holding is more strongly BRC event related.
That, and cleaning up after "When someone comes in and spews all over, it is pretty obvious."

ah yes: "lets just censor this little one......and that little one, and that........."
"it's all ok, unless i don't like it".... seems to be the mantra of half our society who in the past, was all for freedom and expression...

[lucky420]

So the discussion here is between curated and totally-ass-random experience?

Sorta.
I'm in favour of filtering Open Discusion topic results from the hand-holding Active Topics, so Active Topics hand-holding is more strongly BRC event related.
That, and cleaning up after "When someone comes in and spews all over, it is pretty obvious."

ah yes: "lets just censor this little one......and that little one, and that........."
"it's all ok, unless i don't like it".... seems to be the mantra of half our society who in the past, was all for freedom and expression...

Agreed

[lucky420]

Maybe I’m not understanding the whole dynamics behind this request. I get that we want people to come here for the bm stuff. Do people who come for the bm stuff, look at the other threads much? Idk, I’m just pleasantly high, musing here. When I see a person posting multiples of things that are different but the same nonsensicals, I tend to just scroll past.

[FlyingMonkey]

So the discussion here is between curated and totally-ass-random experience?

Feels a whole fuck-of-allot like temple guardians shushing me with their ever so threatening militant librarian routine.

Trimming the trolls once they reach a critical point should be sufficient.

Let the rest play out as the intended “experiment in culture”, or did the 10 principles kill that as well?

(slapping Knee, bent over in laughter) Principals!

Hey Token, the 2000's called & they want their ideology back
- That ship sailed about the time I started Burning.

We seem to have a pandemic of censorship everywhere these days. Although I have to admit that certain threads (and people) have been in my opinion pretty annoying, I don't want someone else deciding what I should be able to read. I think I can do that pretty good on my own. (My foe list is filling up)

Not to mention that what's purposed probably won't fix the problem. If threads are removed then the people polluting them will just move on to the new threads. (unintended consequences of well meaning individuals)

If new Eplyan's can't filter the Snark & useless threads then I think they failed the first test of Playa resilience.

[ygmir]

Maybe I’m not understanding the whole dynamics behind this request. I get that we want people to come here for the bm stuff. Do people who come for the bm stuff, look at the other threads much? Idk, I’m just pleasantly high, musing here. When I see a person posting multiples of things that are different but the same nonsensicals, I tend to just scroll past.

this.
and you don't crybaby about stuff you don't like.