Mapping guidelines and other info

[RyokoTK]

Post deletion rush gogogogogo

Doing some clean-up... deleted all topics that died before September.

This topic is about guidelines for the Mapping board. What's it for, how do you use it, topicality, etc.

Topicality
This board is for topics that pertain to the creation of maps. Duh. But what does that entail? Why, I've got a numbered list right here that tells you!
1. Asking for or providing help on anything related to the production of maps. This includes how to use Forge/Anvil, tips on how to make good maps, advice on a map in progress, etc.
2. Advertising completed maps. I know that this is what The Testing Ground was for in the past, but the TG is dead, and it may be deleted soon. If you've finished a netmap/solo map and want to brag about it, do it here. Don't do it in Projects.

This board is not for:
1. Questions about currently existing maps, i.e. "Where is the exit on such-and-such map?" or "Where is the rocket launcher on this netmap?" These questions can go to General for the moment, but eventually there may be a board specifically devoted to game help.
2. Physics models. It sounds kind of weird, but I'd rather that topics about physics models in progress go to Projects. Topics about finished physics models can go to General.
3. Anything not related to the process of making a map.
4. Any flaming/trolling topics (i.e. "this map suxorz"); the topic will be deleted and the instigator warned.

Topics are allowed to go off-topic as long as they stay relatively civil. Flame wars will be deleted and the instigators may be warned. There's a place for flaming; Mapping is not it.

Uploads
I'm pretty sure uploading onto the server still doesn't work. If you have any ideas for a good temporary fallback, please post it. Don't make topics saying you can't upload.

A final note...
I deleted a lot of topics. If you feel that a topic of yours about a map you made deserves to be reinstated, please PM me or post in this topic. I think I can unbury it from the trash bin.

Thanks!

Postscript: The Testing Grounds
The TG was deleted. Many people asked for access, and then once they had it, never used it more than once. If you want your maps to be reviewed, do it on this board.

[Bobwithkeycard]

Post deletion rush gogogogogo

I'm sorry, but what's this?

I understand that you deleted all posts that had no updates prior to last month and this in the content creation forums a.k.a. the part of the pfhorums that contains actual ideas/concepts about editing the data files, written by people that came and go over the course of the pfhorum.
To make matters worse, this deletion spree of yours only affected the content cretion section, while the other subsection like the chat forum & the S.O.S. Brigade remain completely intact, which means that they are still an archive of months/years of posts of low relevance, that the user can browse through, instead of going through the archive of the content creation section to see if previous posts can supply information for his current problem, problems that he might have to face or to read other ppl's ideas.
What is this desire to have everything tidied up to the max? None of the big sites, none of those forums suddenly go ahead and delete their own history. Do you think the libraries throw away the books that haven't been lent out for 2 months? ...perhaps we should approach treellama, so he'd delete the Marathon Inio branch from cvs because it hasn't been updated in months?
What is this you do now? Do I dare call it moderating? because you didn't delete posts by their value, but by their date, resulting in wiping out around 70% of the content of projects and mapping.
The old version of the pfhorums had a funtion to only display the topics not older than a month by default. Then you wouldn't even find a reason to go to town with your delete button to satisfy an idea about an orderly place.
This thing seems very short sighted to me.

[John Drake]

Ryoko I must agree. If you delete posts then you will have to deal with noobs like me asking questions answered long ago and I can tell that you get annoyed with their stupid questions (ie sniper rifle). Deleting old posts opens the door to these questions all over again and you can't blame them for not using the search engine because the posts are deleted.

[RyokoTK]

I'm sorry, but what's this?

I understand that you deleted all posts that had no updates prior to last month and this in the content creation forums a.k.a. the part of the pfhorums that contains actual ideas/concepts about editing the data files, written by people that came and go over the course of the pfhorum.

I can imagine that, if there isn't a post in a certain topic for two months, you can generally assume that the topic is over. Done. Interest has waned. Plus, maybe you didn't notice, but last I checked, uploads were still broken. Most of the topics that had content (as you say) had attachments, which wouldn't work, thus nullifying most of the topics anyway.

To make matters worse, this deletion spree of yours only affected the content cretion section, while the other subsection like the chat forum & the S.O.S. Brigade remain completely intact,

Go look at these boards and then re-think this statement.

which means that they are still an archive of months/years of posts of low relevance, that the user can browse through, instead of going through the archive of the content creation section to see if previous posts can supply information for his current problem, problems that he might have to face or to read other ppl's ideas.

News flash: people didn't do it anyway. Questions are repeated frequently.

What is this desire to have everything tidied up to the max? None of the big sites, none of those forums suddenly go ahead and delete their own history. Do you think the libraries throw away the books that haven't been lent out for 2 months? ...perhaps we should approach treellama, so he'd delete the Marathon Inio branch from cvs because it hasn't been updated in months?

Here's the sections that I purged, or have on a current automatic purging system:

1. Projects. Most of the purged topics in Projects were of project announcements that fell through without any tangible gain. The rest of them have some tangible gain -- but they're already posted someplace else, like Fileball.

2. Mapping. The large majority of topics purged from Mapping had no value at all. Believe me, I checked. The others had attachments that didn't work. Most non-specific help topics were made by me, and thus can be found elsewhere. Other questions are questions that aren't likely to be replicated, or have properly addressed the needs of some future viewer. And, furthermore, mapping is kind of my forte. I'm perfectly happy to field any questions about mapping.

3. Chat and SOS. Yes, they are on an automatic purge.

4. The Testing Grounds I deleted completely. Nobody used it, and it really didn't warrant its own board in the first place.

I did not touch any other boards -- certainly any of the boards where questions that you pose are likely to be repeated all of the time.

What is this you do now? Do I dare call it moderating? because you didn't delete posts by their value, but by their date, resulting in wiping out around 70% of the content of projects and mapping.

Not going to repeat myself here, but I further deleted more recent posts by their value. At least 20% of the remaining posts were pruned due to topicality or other silly reasons.

This thing seems very short sighted to me.

Thankfully, I don't see any reason to fully divulge my reasoning to you before I act.

Ryoko I must agree. If you delete posts then you will have to deal with noobs like me asking questions answered long ago and I can tell that you get annoyed with their stupid questions (ie sniper rifle). Deleting old posts opens the door to these questions all over again and you can't blame them for not using the search engine because the posts are deleted.

You didn't search in the first place! The topic is bound to be made again regardless!

[LegacyTyphoon]

Drake...read the damn FAQ I made in the Questions section...if there isn't something there that should be, tell me and I'll add it.

[Bobwithkeycard]

RyokoTK, this isn't a pinboard, where you have a field of view that can only be filled with a very limited amount of topics. What you do is the same as the last pfhorums setup did visually, with the difference that now the possibility of reading old posts/using the search engine is gone because you wiped out everything entirely.

By your actions and what you say basically 70-80 % of posts done by other ppl than you are worthless. Seeing this it perhaps you'd be better off on top of a new empty forum, that you can keep empty/filled with ten topics.
Or move everything else to a subforum called 'things Ryoko doesn't approve anymore'.

I am closing by remarking that those are text files you are dealing with here, not half a gig of outdated multimedia stuff, that needs to be removed to save space. Also it is about content creation, which means that it doesn't have to have the content attached to it in file form.

Bottom line is that nobody benefits from your wiping activities, only all information disappears.

[RyokoTK]

By your actions and what you say basically 70-80 % of posts done by other ppl than you are worthless. Seeing this it perhaps you'd be better off on top of a new empty forum, that you can keep empty/filled with ten topics.
Or move everything else to a subforum called 'things Ryoko doesn't approve anymore'.

I did, it's called Trashcan. That's where deleted topics go. If for some reason, outside of your persistent whining, I feel that I should start restoring topics, then I'll take care of it. But alas, there's no reason to. Especially not on this board. You seem to be forgetting that this isn't Questions or General; things are not searched for here as they are on Questions -- and most questions/help requests are posted there! I didn't set up a purge there and I'm not going to.

I am closing by remarking that those are text files you are dealing with here, not half a gig of outdated multimedia stuff, that needs to be removed to save space. Also it is about content creation, which means that it doesn't have to have the content attached to it in file form.

...you're kidding, right? This board is rarely about the concept of content creation in general -- rarely, if ever. It's far more likely that people are going to post about a specific file, in which case, the file uploaded is absolutely necessary to the purpose of the topic.

Between the TG and the fact that uploads died, you see a lot less of those here. What remains are primarily help topics. What existed before the purge did not consist largely of help topics.

I am closing by remarking that, believe it or not, I know what I'm doing. When I was the moderator of the TG, I did the same thing that I did now: set up a purge so that old topics died. Clearly, it's not as wholly detrimental as your drama suggests. Frankly, you're once again busting my chops over something thoroughly insignificant. Oh lord, I'm deleting old topics?

I'm convinced you have some kind of vendetta against me. While you're busy busting my chops over stupid things, you should really give me a stern talking-to about how I tamper with posts on SOS Brigade. It's only a benefit to me, therefore I shouldn't do it!!

[Bobwithkeycard]

what you do is non standard behavior for a moderator and that you accuse me of constant whining because I question your moderator work in one area, is more a result of your lack of dealing with criticism and/or the public.
Furthermore your tendency to bring everything down to a vendetta that ppl have against you might have its origin more in the area of self-centeredness.

Also I will not give you ideas about how to delete more older posts. To delete anything that hasn't been spam/ was offensive from the start requires no deletion.
The main topic here isn't what you feel, as you put it, but it's about what's in the interest of the board's founder and the users. Deletion of 70% of the board's content, as you displayed it just now, serves no use. If you do not like older posts, then simply stay on the first page of the respective subforums.

[screamingfool]

bob keep it up, i got some popcorn now

[treellama]

Ryoko always has to have the last word, and I'm hoping bobwithkeycard is the same way, we could be in for quite a show!

[Bobwithkeycard]

heh, didn't know there was an audience.
Hey treellama, any chance you're willing to pay for that kinda entertainment in coding?

[RyokoTK]

what you do is non standard behavior for a moderator and that you accuse me of constant whining because I question your moderator work in one area, is more a result of your lack of dealing with criticism and/or the public.

You're right! That's exactly it! Seeing as you know me so well, you have all the proper ground to automatically assume that I have no ability to deal with criticism. How could I have been so blind?!

I browse several forums of different scope and theme. What I'm doing is not at all beyond the scope of reasonability.

Furthermore your tendency to bring everything down to a vendetta that ppl have against you might have its origin more in the area of self-centeredness.

Again with you knowing me so well! All I do is assume that people always are after me! I only wish I knew myself so well.

I'm not saying anyone has anything against me -- except you. Do you really absolutely need to get all up in arms about deleting old topics? Certainly not to this extent. Wait for me to do something that actually matters.

The main topic here isn't what you feel, as you put it, but it's about what's in the interest of the board's founder and the users. Deletion of 70% of the board's content, as you displayed it just now, serves no use. If you do not like older posts, then simply stay on the first page of the respective subforums.

You know, if you really don't like how I'm administrating the site, why are you talking to me about it? I'm not going to yield to you. Talk to Switch -- but he's not going to do anything about it, because he doesn't disagree with my actions. As far as I'm concerned, that settles it.

I know you don't think so, but I have my head screwed on fairly tightly. I'm not out to damage the board or the user base. What I'm doing, I'm doing for a reason that goes beyond "LOL POWER GYAHRHHRHR."

This topic is over. You will not address this issue here any longer. If you really see fit to continue bothering me over something as trivial as deleting old topics, then PM me. But I'm asking you not to, because it's so stupid.