Metropol

Hmm, I have to say I agree with everyone's comments so far. I know some people will probably say that it's an unfair judgement, but it is getting worse and worse. Rotas are still a massive issue, and the generic threads, although, surprisingly, there was a dedicated thread for the recent BBC Northern Ireland stuff.

Something seriously needs to be done about it. I think I have a solution:

Im gonna mke a brnd new forum, like tvf, but itll be sooooo much better!!!!! I won't let rota threds in, but evry1 iz welcome!

[/raheemphil94daybreak]

Oh, and Pete, I thought is was Stayeid? (Stayt and Reid)?

itsrobert wrote:(naming no names, but you know who you are)

Who on earth could that have been?

itsrobert wrote: I agree, Pete. It is depressingly bad now. I posted some videos of 10-year old BBC News presentation in the hope that it might stimulate some discussion and debate - especially from younger members who might not remember that far back - but it's all been quickly buried under a mountain of shite again.

I've tried to re-spark that discussion itsrobert - anything is better than bloody presenter name combinations.

• Ban all rota discussion
  Limit discussion on actual TV shows or move to new forum
  Refocus main forum on TV pres with less vague and obsolete name
  Encourage more specific threads and less generic threads

You may thank me later.

Philip wrote: Limit discussion on actual TV shows or move to new forum
Refocus main forum on TV pres with less vague and obsolete name

Not a bad idea, might be worth splitting programme and presentation discussion.

Philip wrote:

• Ban all rota discussion
  Limit discussion on actual TV shows or move to new forum
  Refocus main forum on TV pres with less vague and obsolete name
  Encourage more specific threads and less generic threads

You may thank me later.

Sounds sensible.

Pete wrote:God the site is so depressing of late. There is so much interesting stuff occurring in tellyland and yet it is buried under endless piles of shite.

I don't know even what the point of complaining about it is. Clearly the TVF staff are quite content to have a shit forum. So given that years of badgering them hasn't got us anywhere maybe the only alternative is to buy them out.

And yes, I *am* being serious. There's only so much banging your head against a bucket of Charsannah (It's Charlie and Susannah, LOLZ) someone can take,

What is it with the takeover attempts?

Pretty much all the decent members are on here, why not just splinter off and create a TV presentation forum? Convince David Lees to follow and you'd have a revolution on your hands.

The fact TumbleTower would be banned could only be a positive.

WillPS wrote:Pretty much all the decent members are on here, why not just splinter off and create a TV presentation forum? Convince David Lees to follow and you'd have a revolution on your hands.

The fact TumbleTower would be banned could only be a positive.

Well I'll tell you why I'd prefer an amicable merger (not a coup) rather than attempting to set up a rival.

For a start there is traction. I think its better to start with a running start rather than attempt to start from scratch.

Secondly, there is the fact if we set up a rival TVF would still be there. Why - aside from the more determined Metropollers - would anyone use it? It would end up like a tomd netowork site and just embarrass me.

Thirdly, I shall not be embarrassed.

Fourthly, bad blood. I don't see the point in souring the relationship with the TVF people and those who have more of a loyalty to TVF than to Metropol. I mean as much as I disagree with the way they run the site I get on with the three of them and would prefer to do things nicely.

Fifthly, although you say "all" the good members are here, thats not strictly true. noggin for example isn't. A fair few people have accounts but don't really use the forum. I mean there are many quality members of TVF who really add to the discussion and are fascinating. It's the sort of stuff I have stuck around for. I'd hate to lose their knowledge.

So yes, if anything, I'd far prefer to take over the site and give it a cleanout (and by cleanout I do not mean banning half the membership, I have visions of a four month plan of gradual steps) than set up some sort of rival that is doomed to fail.

And if you don't believe it'll fail, rest your eyes upon The TX Suite.


Still, I very much doubt Asa would sell it. I don't talk to him that much but it seems to be a (software, if not community centric) hobby of his and as such I suspect this is pie in the sky talk.

Still, no harm in a bit of fantasy is there? Unless it is about Rotas. Then you're just a cretin.

Jake wrote:

Philip wrote: Limit discussion on actual TV shows or move to new forum
Refocus main forum on TV pres with less vague and obsolete name

Not a bad idea, might be worth splitting programme and presentation discussion.

Yes, because splitting rota threads has worked so well hasn't it?

Pete wrote:

WillPS wrote:Pretty much all the decent members are on here, why not just splinter off and create a TV presentation forum? Convince David Lees to follow and you'd have a revolution on your hands.

The fact TumbleTower would be banned could only be a positive.

Well I'll tell you why I'd prefer an amicable merger (not a coup) rather than attempting to set up a rival.

For a start there is traction. I think its better to start with a running start rather than attempt to start from scratch.

Secondly, there is the fact if we set up a rival TVF would still be there. Why - aside from the more determined Metropollers - would anyone use it? It would end up like a tomd netowork site and just embarrass me.

Thirdly, I shall not be embarrassed.

Fourthly, bad blood. I don't see the point in souring the relationship with the TVF people and those who have more of a loyalty to TVF than to Metropol. I mean as much as I disagree with the way they run the site I get on with the three of them and would prefer to do things nicely.

Fifthly, although you say "all" the good members are here, thats not strictly true. noggin for example isn't. A fair few people have accounts but don't really use the forum. I mean there are many quality members of TVF who really add to the discussion and are fascinating. It's the sort of stuff I have stuck around for. I'd hate to lose their knowledge.

So yes, if anything, I'd far prefer to take over the site and give it a cleanout (and by cleanout I do not mean banning half the membership, I have visions of a four month plan of gradual steps) than set up some sort of rival that is doomed to fail.

And if you don't believe it'll fail, rest your eyes upon The TX Suite.


Still, I very much doubt Asa would sell it. I don't talk to him that much but it seems to be a (software, if not community centric) hobby of his and as such I suspect this is pie in the sky talk.

Still, no harm in a bit of fantasy is there? Unless it is about Rotas. Then you're just a cretin.

Well put.

As you say I'd be surprised to see a takeover take place, but one way or another a shake-up is needed. There is pretty much zero in the way of active management.

Pete wrote:

Jake wrote:

Philip wrote: Limit discussion on actual TV shows or move to new forum
Refocus main forum on TV pres with less vague and obsolete name

Not a bad idea, might be worth splitting programme and presentation discussion.

Yes, because splitting rota threads has worked so well hasn't it?

Physically splitting them into two sections of the site, rather than just splitting threads might work.
I don't know, to be honest I rarely venture into the newsroom due to the obsessive nature of the posts by some. I suppose splitting the site up too much wouldn't really solve the core problems.

I'd be genuinely interested to know what changes you'd make given the opportunity.

Jake wrote:I'd be genuinely interested to know what changes you'd make given the opportunity.

All of them or just the basics?

I think the key problem with the site is - to put it into a tortured metaphor - there is only the concept of a crime, not of anti-social behaviour.

It is very rare that someone actually "breaks the proper actual rules" of the forum and for the most part these issues are dealt with (spam, vicious attacks etc).

However what happens when people are irritating (for example this portmanteaux nonsense)? Currently what happens is nothing. As such the people who engage in this sort of behaviour (who are often - I suspect, younger members of the forum and indeed of the more aspies style of member) are not given any reason to stop. The irritating behaviour escalates and at one point someone - usually a Metropoller - who is trying to find actual info in a sea of tripe snaps.

Then they get in trouble for being nasty on the forum.

And then a load of posts vanish into thin air (leaving no trail of what constitutes bad behaviour).


I think I said it before but I don't agree with this style of moderation. I think it sometimes needs to be said "actually, shut up, you're being really annoying" and if it keeps going, then warn / ban the member(s) who keep doing it.

I'm loathe to say "I'd ban rota chat" as it has its place, however I think its reached the point where I suspect a ban of mundane reporting / stalkerish nonsense needs to be done. I'm not suggesting actual news on presents be banned - if Kaplinski signs a £20b deal with C4 News that is newsworthy. If Moira Stewart returns to telly, or if Huw goes to Breakfast, that is newsworthy.

If Bill Turnbull has a holiday, that is not interesting. If Bill Turnbull has a Wednesday off. That is REALLY uninteresting. That sort of mundanity is where the line should be drawn.


As I've said however, I'd be of the view that such things need to be gradual. If you just march in and ban everyone I don't think it works. I think you need to tweak, watch the reaction, and tweak again.

Generic Threads would be for the chop too. The regional variants of these were imo the root cause of rota cretinism. I only know about the Titanic idents because they were mentioned in a SEPARATE THREAD. I've made so many posts in generic threads - out of habit - that simply get ignored because the banal tripe carries it over onto a new page. It needs to be stopped and splitting of threads needs to be more aggressive.

Another issue, and I seem to recall posting a little chart a while ago, is visibility. I don't doubt the mods actually do work. However there is scant evidence of this because they post so infrequently. As such I suspect there is somewhat of - not an aloof - but a "stranger" nature to them. I think if you're modding a forum you do have to post on it more. I'm not even technically a mod on here yet - through habit - I do say "omg this is boring" to people.

Does that = Beth Hart draconian moderation? Of course not. When was the last time we actually *banned* someone on here who wasn't a spambot? Probably *Plymouth and he was - as people are - given chance after chance after chance until we snapped.

But yes, much as I'd like to do some sort of Stalinist style fix everything in a day, I think tweaks are needed to purge the tripe and yet the quality (that is there) shine through.