Spam - Benign Cyst or Malignant Tumor?

[ichi]

How do you feel about spam?

Personally I don't see much need for it, and if it causes trouble for the system (database oddities, slowness, or more work for the mods) then I think that the harm outwieghs the benefit. I have been known to post one-liners tho.

But it seems as though some folks really like to post one or two words, the One Word Story and other spam threads are proof of this.

Please

This is not a spam thread. I'd like to have a decent dialogue about this.

Wha d'ya think?

ichi

Note: the third option should read $u>< but apparently the poll reads the < as code so . . . and I cant edit that Gah!

[Lemur]

It wouldn't even be an issue if post count were not both public and a key for unlocking certain avatars. In the absence of any other currency, some folks feel that their post count becomes ... I don't know, a measurement of their Orgness or something.

Seems more than a little silly, but there you have it.

[Byzantine Prince]

There is only very short posts like the one I just made. Postcount +1

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I think spam is for the most part bad, I have only done it a couple of times and have not done it for quite a while and hopefully will not for quite some time. Every now and then it is ok if it has some meaning/value, but for the most part it is a tumor that we should cut out, not possible I just like to say that...

[Kaiser of Arabia]

i put in 1 vote for each

[Pausanias828]

I voted for, "can be fun when done properly, but it rarely is".

It wouldn't even be an issue if post count were not both public and a key for unlocking certain avatars. In the absence of any other currency, some folks feel that their post count becomes ... I don't know, a measurement of their Orgness or something.

I have to disagree with that to a certain extent, as, although some people obviously do what you have mentioned, not everyone who posts one liners, or takes part in threads like, the one word story thread do it just for a high post count. I can only speak for my self, but I haven't posted anything, ever, just to get my post count up, that goes for any Forum that I belong to. I can honestly say that, even if the post count is removed, I would still take part in those sort of threads.

Some of the things that people refer to as spam aren't really in my mind. One example, someone tells a funny story/joke or something similar, then half a dozen people post one liners like "very funny" or "roflmao". As the original poster has no idea if you laughed at it, without telling him, he may feel that nobody found it funny, and so may refrain from posting funny jokes,stories etc in the future.

Also, after a hard day at work, sometimes you just want a bit of fun, instead of being completely serious all the time. That's why, for my part anyway, I feel that there should be a few so called spam threads on every Forum, and as long as they don't get out of hand, people can have their fun in those, and then find the more serious threads to post in. Otherwise, you will get people posting "spam" in threads they probably otherwise wouldn't.


By the way, here is the definition of spam from the FAQ's on this site.

Posts containing "spam", such as advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations. Recommending a game you in your opinion like is not wrong, as long as you are not trying to sell it. User accounts created exclusively for the purpose of posting inconsequential advertisements will be unceremoniously banned.

And from the ToS at the TWC.

Spamming
Posts that clearly advertise a service or product are not allowed, unless the forum provides an "advertising" board. This includes, but is not limited to:
Unsolicited commercial or personal web site advertisements
For-Sale/For-Trade/For-Auction/Wanted notices
"Make Money Fast" scams, chain letters, and pyramid schemes
Advertising for another message board (even other Ogre's Network boards)
Users are allowed to include a web site address in a signature, request comments on their personal site in a social setting, or providing only once an interesting or relevant link to another site.

These are only my opinions though, and I can only speak, as I said before, for my self.

[Steppe Merc]

Malignant tumor.

[tibilicus]

Let people do what they like as long as it dsnt afect other people why not !

[Mikeus Caesar]

The majority of people have either gone for 'can be fun' or 'mmmm....spam'.

Doesn't require much to know what i picked.

[71-hour Ahmed]

depends if it is just silly posts or pure number increasing stuff, and if it is done in a particular and suitable thread or all over the place. I ended up making a spam thread not long after joining by making a thread titled "Don't read this thread" or similar... and it was a serious topic thread in my mind. But it ended up being spam like... two posts in...that was a bit annoying.

Frankenspam.

[JAG]

It can be fun and good if done properly, but it often isn't.