200,000th post Topic

[Spazzo]

Wow, are we already nearing 200k? That seems so...impossible. I remember being here for 100k:

As the 100,00th post approaches, this is a time to think about this community.

This arrival will soon mark a milestone in the SRB2 community. It shows that SRB2 has grown much over the years. We have more and more servers up, and fans coming in by the dozens. New members are coming in all the time. Daily, posts on top of posts are made. Topics are getting responses in record times. It really is a remarkable step.

Sadly, however, the 100,000th post mark comes with a price. And what a price. We've had the worst posts seen since the boards came up in the last year. We've had people breaking rules incessantly. We've had bumps, pointless posts, and Role-Playing/Chat servers by the dozens. People are being suspended day in and day out because they can't follow simple rules. It's truly sad that so many bad things have contributed to this mark.

So, what's so special about this 100,000th post? Besides the spam that inevitably follows, some people may genuinely appreciate this reach. And it is for those that I write this. Personally, I'd like to see the 100,00th post become a new beginning for these boards. A shining star in what has become a black night. I'd like to see users contribute their talents to SRB2. Not just make maps or characters to look cool. Not put minimal effort into their work just to release something. I'd like to see users work together, make things of quality. Even work together to make these things happen. Make an attempt to improve their post quality. Try to follow the rules.

Not only that, but I'd like to see users become genuinely helpful. Try to assist newbies, when they deserve it. Try to make an effort to help instruct those who don't understand. True, sometimes there are cases where a dressing-down is called for. But why ensure that every new person has to take it? Some people genuinely need help, and it is for these people who may have something to contribute that we must work for. I'd like to see an effort from oldbies and newbies alike to make this community what it once was.

Many can agree that the SRB2 boards have gone way down in the last year. But following the above recommendations, we CAN fix this problem in the community. So let's take this opportunity for a turnaround. Let's make this community great again. There are so many ways we can all contribute to make these boards right again. So, let's make the 100,000th post something to be proud of, not a symbol of what was wrong with the community. And when we reach the 200,00th post, we can look back and be proud of the accomplishments and steps we all took to improve these boards.

You know, when I really think about it, it's dammed scary how long we've been around.

When you really think about it, for the last few years, we've been three zones. Sure, we've had mods, and previews and all that, but when you consider that we've only had three zones in the single player department, and we've come this far, it's amazing.

It's also amazing when you think about our individual histories. Some of the oldbies here-not like me, I mean Digi, Mystic, and of course SSN and Arrow-the ones who've really been around the block-when you think about how long they've been here, it's scary, and it's a real testament that the game and community has held so many people for so long. And even some of the second generation oldbies (as I like to say), me, FF, Spazzo, Ritz, etc., when you think of how much time we've invested in this community and SRB2 itself, I don't think it's a miracle that the community is still alive, it's alive and well because of all of us wanting to continue.

Of course, all this from the guy who drops off the internet more than anyone, really.

So, yeah. I just thought I'd make a little post about it. Do you guys have anything to say before we reach the big 200k?

EDIT: Isn't it ironic how the 200k post falls coincidentally right around the time of the 10th anniversary?

EDIT2: lol

And when we reach the 200,00th post, we can look back and be proud of the accomplishments and steps we all took to improve these boards.

Are you suggesting that we actually will reach 200k? I still haven't gotten over 100k!

 

[Princess Plushima]

The posting rate has really accelerated here. It took all those years to hit 100k, then only a few more months to hit 200k. Kinda scary when you think about it. x.x

 

[Cyan Ryan]

It's all in the mikesword <_<

 

[Chaos Knux]

It's all in the n00b questions and mikesword221.

 

[iStepable]

It's all in the mikesword <_<

=/ I read mikesowrd was a post whore.

 

[Spazzo]

Yeah, since my last post was just a jumble of quotes, perhaps I should try saying something. OK!~


For those who were not here, the SRB2MB celebrated it's 100,000th post (also famous for when Bigboi was perm'd) on Fri Dec 8th 2006, just a bit over 2 years ago. It took around 4-5 years for it to reach that count, yet it's taken nearly half of that to double it. What does that mean? Exponential growth has taken over this place, and we all know it. This community has (over)grown during the past 2 years, and I think it's hurt it more than it's helped it.

Now, there is a good side to all of this. We've gained a few new demo versions, new MB administrators and moderators, new bot and n00b-banning techniques, and other miscellaneous stuff, all from the last few years. We've seen some familiar faces come and go, mapmaking contests fly by us, and new SRB2 mods over the past while.

What does this mean for the future? Well, not that much. Community life will still go on here as it always has, perhaps not in the most appreciated of ways, but it will still go on and grow. Who knows, perhaps by 300k things will be different. I guess we'll have to just gnaw on SRB2 for the next little bit, and see where it takes us.

EDIT: Heh, the last 3 or so posts in the topic are really proving my point, sadly.

 

[Princess Plushima]

It's all in the mikesword <_<

It's all in the n00b questions and mikesword221.

It's all in the mikesword <_<

=/ I read mikesowrd was a post whore.

Not entirely, the completely non contributive posts like this help alot.

With all the posting that goes on here on the forums, and the horribly exponential growth, I'm really quite worried that this place will become nearly impossible to control. Already I see that mods aren't even bothering to post explaining why they lock topics anymore.

A big issue held in the community is that when a particular user begins causing problems, other users cause even more problems in the process of complaining about it. As we all know, a large portion of the non contributive posting is backseat moderating, and complaining about the community's problems. Something that isn't easily solved.

While 100k was a symbol of how far we have come, 200k seems to represent that the community is growing out of control. We're constantly seeing little things that solve some problems, and soon after new problems occur. While we seem to be in control for now, the short period of time between 100k and 200k is an indication that the community is accelerating, making keeping up a major problem.

But I suppose this post is nothing but complaining. Blarg my hypocrisy x.x

 

[Sonic Shadow]

Lol Spazzo, everything is useless when you think about it.
So why complaining about usesless posts? =/
Srb2 itself is pointless fun \o/

 

[Flame]

The posting rate has really accelerated here.

I blame the amount of faggots that have joined this place as well as trying and make half decent posts, wads, and whatever else.

 

[Mystic]

I blame the amount of faggots that have joined this place as well as trying and make half decent posts, wads, and whatever else.

Personally, I also blame this general attitude that "the newbies are turning the forum to ****" without doing anything about it. We always had this percentage of garbage being released here. The issue is that the raw numbers have gone up. Don't believe me? Go try old contest maps and you'll notice that the ratio of quality to crap fluctuates slightly but remains mostly the same. The old posts were the same way. Go look at old topics, a lot of them were stupid. There are just more people here now making stupid topics.

If you'd like to discuss the post milestone and the exponential growth of the forums, that's fine. However, if you guys just want to make another "whine about how the newbies are ruining the forum" topic, I'll lock it.

 

[Liliam]

The newbies are ruining the forum! I propose we move to this forum.

 

[glaber]

A RAR file called Science? I was at least expecting a Rickroll.

 

[Chaos Knux]

or maybe a soulja-roll.

 

[Vash]

SRB2 messageboards now has 200k posts.

 

[light dasher]

you just made it, yayayaya,
now that's scary =P

 

[Kaysakado]

I laughed so hard at Vash's post; it's all dramatic and stuff like "We've come a long way, and we are nearing two hund-" "We now have 200 posts kthxbai!"

 

[RE4FAN]

Happy anniversary? :D
I've been here for two years and have been through both so, yay me?
Yay for the board I guess...

 

[tailsmastermind]

As the 100,000th post approaches, this is a time to think about this community.

There was a zero missing.
Also, yay that 200K falls right around the 10th aniversary of SRB2.

 

[Vash]

EDIT2: lol

And when we reach the 200,000th post, we can look back and be proud of the accomplishments and steps we all took to improve these boards.

Are you suggesting that we actually will reach 200k? I still haven't gotten over 100k!

Wow... another 0 missing. O_o

I laughed so hard at Vash's post; it's all dramatic and stuff like "We've come a long way, and we are nearing two hund-" "We now have 200 posts kthxbai!"

lol, I love your sudden cut off.

 

[tertu]

People really are overstating the n00b problem.

It's no bigger than it used to be. It's almost elitist, with people who now only sporadically post whining about how the newer people do exactly what they used to do. Think, there are some things that wouldn't be able to even happen in today's SRB2 forum, because of normal amounts of feature abuse that somehow, caused the admins to remove the features. People who used them right thought they were just fine. They were fine in the right hands, and those hands belonged to most everybody. But occasionally, someone would abuse them and get banned, without a big fuss. Also, the "CHECK THE WIKI" phrase is getting overused. The Wiki is becoming an excuse for established members to be nasty to new ones without cause. I never read the rules here when I joined. If I had joined now, the things I did would have had me banned in a week. But the forum was less defensive then. It knew that a member who came in n00b-ish would leave on their own within 1 or 2 posts, or become less n00b-like. The people who survive the banhammer usually turn out good or gone.

And that's the jumble of reasons that the forum was better then than it is now.