Is General Chat going to return?

[#1]

Close GC down, it's working for Tesco !! (or not!)

As above.... there are alternatives.

[#2]

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@7up wrote:
However I note that you as moderator thanked Laegens post...

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Have I missed something? Since when did @PowerLee  become a moderator?

Reviewing this thread I am still not seeing any reason for the return of General Chat yet - if at all.

[#3]

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@Mav wrote:

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@7up wrote:
However I note that you as moderator thanked Laegens post...

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Have I missed something? Since when did @PowerLee  become a moderator?

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I wouldn't want the job seeing what you have to put up with on here.

[#4]

Well I hope it does, and why should the actions of a few spoil it for everyone else? Yes, I accept what a significant amount of work the moderators do and it is appreciated (well at least by me anyway), but why take the short sighted approach of penalising everyone rather than just the people causing the trouble? That's the easy and the Sun reader approach.

It is like running a pub, and people cause trouble. You then take the short sighted approach of closing the whole pub down, and spoiling it for everyone else who aren't - rather than dealing with the actual trouble.

I would say I suppose it is a bit different, in that the pubs are there to make money. However I would say the forums are the same in effect. Good forums and it being a pleasant place will probably make PlusNet more money. As long as they are pleasant then I don't see any problem. I treat these forums as if I was actually face to face with that person, some people wouldn't dare speak to others in some of the manner I have seen.

If it is becoming too much of a problem, then maybe more moderators would ease it a bit?

I don't know if that is a feasible answer, but I think having a pleasant GC would help PlusNet, so I would try and work towards that. Not knowing what happens behind the scenes, I can't really comment on how feasible that would be.

I ran a forum once, and that only had a dozen members. Two of the members were in a relationship (in real life), and one found out the person was cheating on them with someone else from the forums! 🙄

Fun and games that wasn't. It did kick off a bit (well quite a lot) and I had to remember taking action such as removing posts and telling people off.

Yes I was a bit naughty and read their PM's too, not too hard if you have a basic bit of SQL knowledge and access to the underlying database. I do and I I did.

So I appreciate what work it can be, and I had that even on a small forum.

I hope it does and people can behave themselves, making it a pleasant place for everyone else. 

[#5]

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@JonoH wrote:

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@7up wrote:
You publicly thank someone like that but deny any such plot to close it down.

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We have no reason to plot. If we wanted to close it, forever. We would.

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Which is exactly what you HAVE done.

You HAVE closed it.

What did I do to deserve that? - I wasn't even active on it at the time that someone posted something to annoy someone somewhere.

Now we have Laegen and Powerlee celebrating that it should remain like that. Why? Laegen couldn't stop posting in there and PowerLee barely uses the place anyway so why should these two peoples opinions of keeping it closed take priority?

Of course Laegen could be trying reverse psychology on you hoping to make you reverse your decision.. he does like games however most of us are straight talking. Yes we moan, yes we let off steam sometimes, yes we're a tad cynical about world affairs etc..

But with only around 15 regulars using it are we really THAT MUCH TROUBLE?

[#6]

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@JonoH wrote:

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@7up wrote:

Oddly however you seem to have that very familiar attitude towards GC as the regular trolls that were frequenting it. It's almost as if you wanted it gone - just like Laegen - even though we'd rarely see you take part in it.

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One of the reasons I dislike chat is because people get so hostile and accusatory. Posts like this don't make me rush to turn it back on.

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Okay I CAN understand your POV however so please don't see me as not understanding you but you have just said it right there - that you dislike General Chat. With respect, that does make you biased in the first place.

I've been a GC user since 2007 - way before you even had the on / off controls for it.

Thats over 13 years. Now you've come along and turned it off openly admitting you don't even like it.

I can assure you that in years gone by there has been FAR MORE hostility seen on that board than there is these days - where we barely have a fraction of the user base that we once did in GC. I'll agree that in the past it has been a rotten place but these last few years it has (though you won't believe it) actually been far mmore pleasant.

[#7]

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@PowerLee wrote:

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@7up wrote:

To you yes.

But there are a few of us here who still enjoy it.

Oddly however you seem to have that very familiar attitude towards GC as the regular trolls that were frequenting it. It's almost as if you wanted it gone - just like Laegen - even though we'd rarely see you take part in it.

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Dropped in & out the General Chat section in the past, read a few posts, see its a uninviting & bitchy place with people sniping at each other, so pretty pointless posting there.

Digital Spy got rid of General Chat due to all the trouble caused, AV forums is now heavily policing there's - does an internet service provider really need the hassle or possible damage to its corporate image by having a General Chat section on its own forum?

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Here's the thing. I take part in GC and yes there is a bit of user politics that goes on there but it's nothing like it once was many moons ago. Oddly the ones that do the most sniping are the members who drop by moaning about their service / not got their refund / account queries / ticket not updated etc.

They drop by, blast us with their frustrations and then we never hear from them again.

However while you say it's an uninviting and bitchy place, are you sure that understand it correctly? - With that question you could say the same of me however I am asking a logical question. Members of GC also post things in a factual context which does often for reasons unknown, annoy others. That is unfortunately usually down to the lack of being able to determine someones mood via text on a screen.

[#8]

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@Mav wrote:

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@7up wrote:
However I note that you as moderator thanked Laegens post...

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Have I missed something? Since when did @PowerLee  become a moderator?

Reviewing this thread I am still not seeing any reason for the return of General Chat yet - if at all.

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@Mav @PowerLee 

I got confused. For some reason I had it in my head that Powerlee was a 4th mod of this forum - i'm sure i must have seen a reply of his above or below one of a mod and misread the mod bit under one of your names and got it muddled with his.

This error has since been pointed out to me by a couple of people.

For years I always thought there were just two mods - OldJim and Strat. It came as a big surprise to me that there was a 3rd - dvorak and so when i mistakenly got the impression that PL was also a mod I just accepted that there had also been a 4th one lurking that i'd never realised however I do apologise, it was a blunder on my part.

[#9]

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@7up wrote:

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I can assure you that in years gone by there has been FAR MORE hostility seen on that board than there is these days - where we barely have a fraction of the user base that we once did in GC. I'll agree that in the past it has been a rotten place but these last few years it has (though you won't believe it) actually been far mmore pleasant.

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Just because something has been worse previously, being better doesn't give it a free pass today. Regardless of how you use it, and what it may mean to you, it's primary function is to help foster a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I used to really like GC the more time I spend there and the more comments I read the less I think it's fit for purpose. I have though committed to giving it one more chance. 

@7up wrote:

@JonoH wrote:

@7up wrote:
You publicly thank someone like that but deny any such plot to close it down.

We have no reason to plot. If we wanted to close it, forever. We would.

Which is exactly what you HAVE done.

You HAVE closed it.

What did I do to deserve that? - I wasn't even active on it at the time that someone posted something to annoy someone somewhere.

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I have closed it, but not yet forever. It's not personal to you, we as a company have the right to offer general chat, or not as we wish. It forms no part of our contracted or regulatory obligations.

I'm going to ask for this to be locked now. I was asked if it was going to return. I said it would. This thread has now morphed away from what was being discussed. 

[#10]

Moderator's note(s):

Thread locked as per the above request.