Is anyone concerned that the little distraction above has become the focus of this site? It seems that fewer people are commenting within threads now that they can simply chat and spam all day. It used to be that people valued their number of posts; now the coveted prize is to be one of the top 5 shouters. Having it on every page ensures that fewer people are reading threads in their entirety, less meaningful comments, and seemingly fewer contributions. It used to take the first page of threads in competitive maps little time to cycle. It took nearly two days to watch a few threads drop to page two; and nobody had commented on them. Maybe its just me, but I joined FH to interact with others by finding out their thoughts on maps not to join a chat room. Any thoughts on this?
Yes, I also noticed that and I completely agree. But I think you just need to give people time to adjust. Personally, I've been learning the new features and helping other people adjust to the changes. Also, I've been toying around with the blog feature. But I'm planning on diving back into the map threads very soon. After all, that's why we're here, right? I think everything will be back to normal soon, we just need to be patient.
Ugh i completely agree as well. I've been thinking that since they first changed it. Shoutboxes always turn into random people yelling and screaming.
'The new AOL' may be a bit harsh (god, I hate AOL), but the shoutbox is a little distracting. I find myself minimizing it pretty quickly and going back to it now and again. Furious brings up a good point in that everyone is still getting used to the new changes, so hopefully things will start to go back to 'normal' soon.
I rarely use it unless getting others attention. Spam is what irc is for, so I usually don't watch it =/ It feels really predominant up there
i've seen shoutboxes kill forums, but i dont think that will happen here. it is kinda overbearing on the top though. i say leave it the way it is and quit complaining about everything
I kinda like it, but if I use it, I have to keep it on every page. Regardless; I'm the most traffic that site ever gets, lol.
I'm not complaining about the site in general. I think the changes, for the most part, are for the best. I love some of the new features like thread ratings and feedback. These are absolutely essential; and we didn't even know it. I think for some, the focus of the site has shifted. Maybe it is for the best since many would likely be spamming threads instead of the box. Its kind of a double edged sword I suppose. Thanks for responding everyone. Its nice to have some mature discussion about things. That's why I started this thread rather than 'shout the box'. I think FH is doing a great job and I am not complaining or criticising. I know from running my own business that operating any type of site is demanding. You guys are doing great.