Spam - Benign Cyst or Malignant Tumor?

[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.

[Fragony]

I feel no need to participate in the spam-threads, but I don't see the problem either. Why not have some fun. If it stays in the frontroom that is, isn't that what the frontroom is made for?

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I don't have a problem with spam, so long as it stays in designated threads, and there aren't too many of those threads.