[HPFGU-Feedback] 5 Posts per day limit

[Saitaina]

Shorty Elf wrote:

<The 5-post limit is *in* the posting rules; it's *in* the Humongous 
BigFile.  Those members who've been at HPfGU for more than a few months know 
that we moved from 3 to 5.  I do not understand what this evidence is that 
the limit is "unfamiliar.>

I didn't know this was changed and I've been a member since 2001.  When did 
this happen?

Maybe it's just been that damn long since I was an active list member and 
and elf, but I always thought so long as the posts did something for the 
discusscion, were had substance and were far more then a one liner, that 
rule was ignored.  In fact, way back when, when I had an active role, I 
barley remembered the rule in the first place.

...then again, I've forgotten most of the rules, because we still have too 
many but that's a diffrent topic *grins*.

Jen wrote:

<To me it
seems almost impossible to write 6-7 truly substantive posts a day >

I doubt that.  I know our members.  They could write substantive posts until 
their brains explode and then do it again tomorrow.

<People just get tired of seeing your name in my opinion. >

...I'm trying to figure out how this is a problem?  It's the same issue as 
getting sick to death of a topic.  You can just skip messages.  People have 
the right on this list to support their theories, topics, opinions all they 
want so long as it's within the rules.  Just because someone is vocal 
doesn't mean that they can't post if they can back it up and make it worth 
posting.

If the five a day rule was to change (which it won't...in my opinion as a 
non elf), those members would have just as much a right to post to their 
hearts content as they would at any other time.

< I'm just
saying when you've been here day after day, year after year, and
seen what causes some of these rules to be put in place, it will
definitely help in the understanding deparment. >

Time does not equate understanding.  Most newbies understand the reasons for 
the rules just fine.  Nor does time stop one from questioning the rules, and 
asking for a review.  I joined before the Humongous Big File (or whatever 
it's called these days) was implimented and am still a member after it and I 
question some of the rules...just not publically because I have no urge to 
ask for a review (or a debate with the elves).

<Many of the rules
are long before my time, but I'll bet they all came because multiple
members were tearing their hair out over some annoying problem
rather than the whim of elves or whatever you many think (not sure). >

I vote whim (kidding elves!).

Honestly I don't remember how the rules came about (probably because I was 
an elf just after their creation), but most of them were for the ease of the 
elves jobs and cleaning up the list if I recall correctly (and I bet 
anything an older elf is going to correct me).  They serve the same function 
as multiple sister lists, order to chaos.

While members always have input, in the end any decision IS left to the whim 
of the elves (and back in the day, the Mod Tower).   Well, not whim so much 
as what the elves can do for the better of the list and saving their sanity.

And on the actual subject of five posts a day, while I understand SOME of 
the reasoning behind it (chaos control, keeping the list on topic and worth 
reading, keeping elf sanity (always important!), and so forth), I'm not sure 
if the rule is really something that should be in place , or is in the best 
format.

It doesn't effect me, let's get that out of the way right away.  I don't 
post and hardley read the main list anymore, but for those that ARE active 
posters, that post substantial, worth wild topics and read the list, I think 
that the rule might be a bit...antiquated.

We have a lot of members, we have a lot of opinions and topics, five posts a 
day stiffles those and creates harder discussions because you're bouncing 
all over to catch up with the conversation.  Threads of discussion are lost 
as replies are combined into topics that one might accidently skip over. 
While this would not be a problem if all the replies were to the same thread 
of discussion, it does get a bit annoying when the replies are to SEVERAL 
topics of discussion, as some members post.  You have to play a guessing 
game to figure out which messages are replies to your topic and which 
aren't, unless its' explicitly spelled out in the subject line.

In fact, confusing conversation flows was one of the reasons I stopped 
participating.  I couldn't keep track of what went where and just gave up. 
And after time, I just had nothing to say because I couldn't find anything 
unless it was a direct conversation.

And while I doubt it weights much, that's just my opinion on the subject.  I 
know the rule has been reviewed recently enough to be changed and yay for 
that, I just have issues with the rule itself and those are my issues.  I 
fully understand that and in the end I side with the elves doing what they 
think is best for the list when it all comes down to it.

-----
Saitaina

It was a dead head. He hadn't expected this when he'd left Japan. Shot 
maybe. Stabbed possibly. Hung or strangled. Poisoned. But not heads rolling 
merrily down the street like a deranged bowling ball ready to gnaw off their 
ankles.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/saitaina

If life hands you lemons, you should make lemonaide...and then try to find 
someone whose life has handed them vodka.