Better forum

[Vladimir Panteleev]

On Thursday, 6 December 2012 at 01:33:33 UTC, js.mdnq wrote:
> Possibly but as you see, those that hate web based browsing 
> simply hate it. I like both, hence I would think I have a 
> better perspective. I think those that simply "hate" BB's 
> because of some insignificant thing over all the benefit are 
> the ones that are closed minded.

I don't hate BBs, but I do think the implementations are lacking 
in many areas. They are indeed designed to be used for casual 
discussion, as opposed to being optimized for prolonged use 
(keyboard navigation) and to support structured, constructive 
discussions (tree threading).

> If spam is an issue then I'm sure there are way around it 
> besides man-hours. Most spam is pretty predictable. I have a 
> nntp filter that gets rid of 99% of the spam on newsgroups by 
> simply using keywords(about 1000).

This is another example of a draconian solution that is easily 
avoided by a spammer.

> I believe I'm an honest user and I wouldn't mind waiting a week 
> to make a post for my initial post. If one could limit 
> registrations by spammers(block ip's) then this along would 
> severely cut down the spam.

I think many users won't share that opinion. If there is a topic 
that you want to contribute to, but will not be relevant one week 
from now, being denied from joining the discussion out of spam 
fear is absurd.

> The fact remains though, nntp is dead(or dying), and it is also 
> limiting in many ways. nntp is not the panacea that so many 
> here are claiming. The only thing most seem to like about it is 
> its interface. But that has nothing to do with the nntp 
> protocol but the software. The nntp is decrepit. I'm not saying 
> BB's are the best but they definitely have many many advantages 
> over nntp.
>
> Also, it's obvious that many users have been using nntp for a 
> long time. This is another reason why many do not want to 
> switch. Many younger users are used to the modern forum 
> interfaces and will expect it. If you want to attract those 
> users then maybe it is best to bite the bullet and switch.

The backend doesn't matter. Let's consider the individual 
advantages.

For example, I believe editing posts was mentioned. This is 
debatable. Some mediums which would allow implementing post 
editing explicitly chose to not allow it. One example is Slashdot 
comments: once you posted it, you can't take it back. One could 
say that having the option to edit posts facilitates sloppy 
posting (posting something without proofreading it, and then 
patching up any mistakes). However, different people will see 
different versions of the post (e.g. some BB software email a 
copy of the post - as it was posted - to those subscribed to the 
thread).

If you have a meaningful addition to an earlier post of yours, 
simply reply to it. With tree-like threading, it will not disrupt 
the conversation, even if it has by then reached other topics.

Suggestions for smaller improvements are welcome (preferably, in 
the form of pull requests) ;)

> (It's not like you need one hand free to use a forum, or do 
> you?)

???