Greetings. No, I have not returned - at least…not yet. I have placed this particular thread in Village Pump because it concerns an aspect of wikiHow that is particularly important - the very wikiHow Forums I’m posting this discussion in. First, I’d like to take a closer look into what exactly the forums are. Well, they’re practically an extension of wikiHow - one of the most important extensions, at that. They were designed as a place to obtain and display more information about the wikiHow mission, bring the community closer together, and collaborate on issues with the site (like bug reports, new categories, and projects). And, of course, there’s even a small spot to socialize about entirely non-related things. Well, that’s a lie on my part. There’s a lot more room to socialize than I believe was ever intended. We honestly should have been tipped off during the creation of numerous chat threads. The forum games were more than an indication of a need for another category. The influx of users that spend more time here than on the main site came for a reason we may not have accurately assessed. Many users have openly claim that the forums have fallen to immaturity, social networking, and even outright spam, but have been ignored or told to cease complaining. The forums gain a category called Forum Games. Later these wikiHowians are suggesting solutions instead of complaining, but often feel obligated not to rock the boat. Both General Chat and Forum Games become consumed by a lack of professionalism. Now these users are smarter - they leave, like I have, like many revered wikiHowians have, and like more popular forumgoers intend to do very soon. Now the General Chat is going the way of Forum Games - it is becoming void of rational thought, whether it is filled with childishness, spam, or the unexplained hatred of either of the former. I can explain, though; this is not the intended purpose of the forums. They aren’t supposed to be deserted and ignored; they’re supposed to help the mission. I’m not telling any of you what to do, though, but I do think you should take a side. You can either “admit” that wikiHow is, at least in some form, a social network (and, I mean, come on. It’s not that much of a stretch, considering the site has a Facebook and Twitter and all of that stuff I don’t understand very well) and allow the forums to be used as a chatting tool, or
be more stringent, convince others not to chat about One Direction and whatnot, and help others in understanding what purpose each category serves. And, if you don’t decide to do anything? Well, let’s just say that other editors are already packing their bags, and excited tweens whose parents won’t let them network are eager to fill their places. Also, sorry if I sound accusatory (that is, after all, not my intention), but I won’t apologize twice - I don’t intend to check up on the responses to this for a long time. I just wanted to create something for those of you who still possess some form of interest in the forums to think over.
system
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Just because wikiHow decides to become like any other company out there on the internet to reach out to the world by and with the communication of social networking sites is the complete opposite definition of what the kids have “turned” GC/Forum games into.
system
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It is extremely rare that I ever venture into the bottom two forum categories. I have yet to find anything useful in those sections. -shrugs- No law anywhere forcing me to read them if I don’t choose to. However! I _do_ see a very valuable service being performed by having General Chat and Forum Games. Those bottom two sections keep the upper sections clear of what I will term “Fluff”, allowing the rest of us to focus on wikiHow business. Something like a babysitter.
LOLIn the meantime,ISMKW, I would caution against threatening to leave if you don’t get your way on any particular issue. Attempting to influence the decisions of a group of people, especially an _all volunteer_ community, with the threat of absenting yourself from that group is a futile exercise at best. That sort of attempt at manipulation has the unfortunate side effect of making one look and sound remarkably like a young child threatening to pitch a fit or run away if mum doesn’t produce sweets immediately.
Caidoz
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This just appears to be a very long-winded way of telling us you don’t like the other forum users. Nothing we can do about it I’m afraid. If you don’t have anything in common with the other people here that’s your problem, not theirs.
http://forums.wikiHow.com/discussion/1987/p208
ISMKW certainly isn’t the only one. ShinigamiJon, Metsguy, IsabelleZita, and Jordan all agree.
YES! I UNBLOCKED MYSELF FROM WIKIHOW! (Don’t ask) I agree that there’s not a lot of mature stuff going on in the FG/GC. And, I’ve talked to IZ about missing the older wikiHowians too. However, like Caidoz said, there’s nothing we can do to stop it. The youth is a big part of wikiHow, and while I have a problem with what’s going ON in the threads, I don’t have a problem with the people. They’re just kids; just like we all once were. (; June Days
Can I just say, if anyone expects something mature in forum GAMES, then you’re expecting something that’s not gonna happen. I see your point on GC but not on FG.
I think the point of this Ned, was ISMKW doesn’t want a Forum Games category anymore. However, that’s where a lot of the teens hang out, and even if they don’t edit too much on the main site (which is the MAIN reason why everyone’s here…wikiHow), they still edit in bits. (; June Days
system
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The main reason why FG was created was to actually separate the “fun” that people wanted and desired out of GC, which was technically for everyone to discuss off-topic stuff/non-wikiHow conversations in. If FG is deleted, well then, it’s back to square one. So you either live with the fact that people want to have “fun”, or you go back and revert to their “fun” in the same forum categories that you don’t want them in.
I’m perfectly fine with fun. Wasn’t saying anything about it; was just pointing out what I *thought* ISMKW wanted. (; Kids will be kids. Whether they’re immature or not, they’re still allowed here. We can suck it up and ignore it (and maybe have some fun, too) or complain about it. June Days
I believe what we need is a balance. One “group” (for lack of a better word) is basically interferring with another’s ability to enjoy the FG/GC in their own way.
Ttrimm
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The forum games was created for them. I believe the reason they have taken over the other one is its proximity to FG. I just avoid them myself.
Uh, no. They were split almost a year ago (3 weeks off), but the oldest of them wikiHow-wise is 8 months, let alone when they discovered the forums.
system
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The forum games was created for them. Not sure how there’s more than one “group”, as the forums are for everyone. http://forums.wikihow.com/discussion/3294/separating-forum-games-from-general-chat/p1
Just look at this way. Even if it was “a year ago” since it was created/split off, you probably might be the “other group” people would think back then. Now, it’s “a different group”. You need to look at it from a different perceptive and acknowledge that this is how websites roll over time… as time goes on, new people come.
and the old people stay (that is, until they no longer feel welcome).
That kind of contradicts
And yes, the forums are for everyone, but what does that have to do with general age groups? In terms of
I suggest never letting someone else interpret a post for you, because I can guarantee that is not what ISMKW meant. That whole post was in response to Metsguy’s, IsabelleZita’s, ShinigamiJon’s, June’s, and Jordan’s posts in http://forums.wikiHow.com/discussion/1987/p208
system
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Funny, because the OP of this thread had full support of FG to begin with, http://forums.wikihow.com/discussion/comment/58325/#Comment_58325
. As far as the “no longer feel welcome”, that is why those two forums are pushed to the bottom, so that people can “concentrate” more on wikiHow stuff/issues/etc. Why would one shouldn’t feel welcome just because of two non-wikiHow forums that most editors don’t even wander into to begin with?
I just said what June interpreted was incorrect. This is issue is not FG, but the level of immaturity invading GC. I’m not making a hypothetical statement as
suggests, but rather I’m saying how things are.
system
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Which is why I mentioned this:
If this was a year ago, then put yourself in someone else’s shoes and realize that maybe you yourself (not putting any assumption or targeting anyone; just a pure example), was immature and childish. A year later, there’s another group of people that you yourself would consider to be immature and childish. When these people in “this” group grows up, they would then become the “old group reviewing the new”.
There was never an issue with teen drama and immaturity in the form of chatting before. The issue back then was the fact that GC was overrun with games, preventing people from enjoying GC in the way they’d have liked. So, a new category was created. We need a solution like that now. That rounds me back to
