Move birthday and post count threads out of TWPR

[Rayquaza]

I think that all post count threads and birthdays should be moved to the VT arcade or another place from The White Padded Room. The reason I say this is because it can get annoying seeing loads of "500+ posts" and "Name's birthday!" in there. The White Padded Room is a place to let off steam or ask general questions really, or anything else off topic. When we say we've reached a post milestone (which yes, I have done so in the past), we are celebrating we have made 500/1000/2500 good quality posts. Saying "congra+s" isn't really a 'good quality' post. We are comparing "congra+s" to a post made of a paragraph of advice, that took a lot more effort to type. It just leads to spam. We say many times that this is a Help & Advice forum, so making a pointless thread does the opposite. I'm not being a complete fun-sucker here, I'm just saying it's in a place where it does nothing.
Birthdays too. If someone has a birthday, it says so at the bottom of their screen (should they choose to disclose it), if they haven't disclosed it, it means they probably don't want people to know when their birthday is. And if they have, what's stopping you from writing "happy birthday" on their visitor profile? We don't need to make a whole thread about it, that'll soon die in a week. And if we really would make one, they would be much better off in a member forum.

It makes a lot of sense to me, I hope you'll consider everything I've said here too. What are your opinions?

[project_icarus]

Although I support this, I don't particularly think that it should be restricted. I think that it is ridiculous, people 'celebrating' every hundred posts. I think that it's absolutely fine to create a post-count thread for a thousand, or every couple of thousand... And birthdays, I think that it's fine as well, it's harmless.
However, the replies to those threads. There isn't much of a point to a simple, spammy 'congra+s' or whatever, as Sandeep has said.
Also, if the shoutbox were still here (and I completely understand why it's not anymore), I think that these sorts of things could be taken there. It's not like these threads start conversations, or get many (if any) replies other than 'congrats' or 'happy birthday!'

[Lost in the Echo]

Well, I certainly see where you're coming from, but the VT arcade is for games only, not celebrating milestones or birthdays, so it really wouldn't make sense to move those threads there.

Also, like you said the white padded room is for off-topic threads, and that's what milestone threads and birthday threads are.
And for the person creating the thread, i'm sure they would appeciate a congrats on reaching a milestone, so it's not really a meaningless +1, because i'm sure that the person who reaches a milestone would like to see congrats, and shit like that.
Same as whoever has a birthday, they appreciate people telling him/her happy birthday.

So, those threads aren't completely meaningless.
The White Padded room is basically for anything that wouldn't belong in any other forum, so that's why birthday threads, and milestone threads are placed there.
I don't think post count should be turned off in the white padded room, because if a thread is meaningless, or leads to a spam fest, then the mods will take care of it.
In my opinion, birthday or milestone threads aren't meaningless, just my opinion though.

[StoppingTime]

I can somewhat relate to what you say with the "post count" threads. But honestly, I'm not entirely sure it would need to be posted in the Arcade instead. It's not as if members are really "racking up" post after post in those congra+s threads. And if they are, then other members will know that, and therefore think, "hmm, maybe this member isn't really a 'quality poster'" or, "This is just spam, I guess I'll ignore it."

As for birthdays, I see no reason to restrict those.

[DerBear]

I disagree with this idea completely. People get excited when they make a milestone. They want to share it with fellow VT users. Having it in the VT arcade is silly. I mean lets face it. you make a quick one post. There are plenty of places of this forum where you can a quick post. Take most of the diaries "ask me" threads, you can type 1 line and you get 1 post added.

The whole point of making a thread to celebrate a milestone isn't to raise post count, yes you get people who do say "right I have 100 posts...yay me" but you also get people who share there life stories or times spent on VT when a milestone happens. I know for my 2 years on April I'll make my first ever thread about my time on Virtual Teen. I haven't made threads about my post count before and I don't think I'll start now. But I will say something about my time on VT when two year mark comes along.

Overall making them be in the VT arcade so people don't get the ability to make a quick post, isn't needed. 80%+ of the diaries have short answer threads where you need to make two word to one line answers. How can we protest about milestone threads when we have a ton of threads that don't take much to answer.

The fact is TWPR is a misc forum overall, it doesn't serve just one purpose. You can have any type of thread in the white padded room because it is hidden to guests. I could create a H&A thread in TWPR or I could create something random in the white padded room. Overall it doesn't serve 1 purpose. Anything can go in the white padded room.

[Mortal Coil]

Honestly, what you are saying leaves us with two options:
Either we post the threads in a different forum, despite the fact that TWPR is arguably the most appropriate forum, being the miscellaneous one, or...
We don't celebrate milestones, anniversaries and birthdays at all. Which would be a tragedy. The fact is that TWPR, like every other forum on here, can be and sometimes is abused, and it is annoying when certain people make a new thread every 100 posts, but at the same time those threads are a part of it. TWPR is where members can just relax as a community, much more than any of the other ones which all have specific purposes. And in communities people celebrate things like milestones, anniversaries and birthdays. So I see no reason why we shouldn't as well.

[project_icarus]

I disagree with this idea completely. People get excited when they make a milestone. They want to share it with fellow VT users.

I'm sorry, but I don't really call two, three, or four hundred posts a milestone. This is just me, but I reckon that the post-count celebration threads have lost their meaning with the people who celebrate every hundred-or-so posts.

[DerBear]

I'm sorry, but I don't really call two, three, or four hundred posts a milestone. This is just me, but I reckon that the post-count celebration threads have lost their meaning with the people who celebrate every hundred-or-so posts.

Well not everyone makes a post for every 200 posts. Some do, some don't.

Everyone makes milestone posts. I do think when people make milestone for say "I have 200 posts, only need 50 more" (I am using this as an example) is a little too much but it isn't hurting anyone. I say when you reach a 100 then 250, 500, 1000. 2500, 5000, 10000, these are all very valid milestones and people want a little praise and to sometimes talk about there achievements, goals or why they came to VT.

Even when people do make one for every thousand or one for every hundred, they are still wanting a little praise and the words "good job" and "congrats". I do think they should do the milestones according to the VT faces or do it every 2500 posts (once they reach that number) but overall its up to them. They just want a little praise and I don't think its a bad thing.

Overall who are they hurting?

[ImCoolBeans]

Honestly, what you are saying leaves us with two options:
Either we post the threads in a different forum, despite the fact that TWPR is arguably the most appropriate forum, being the miscellaneous one, or...
We don't celebrate milestones, anniversaries and birthdays at all. Which would be a tragedy. The fact is that TWPR, like every other forum on here, can be and sometimes is abused, and it is annoying when certain people make a new thread every 100 posts, but at the same time those threads are a part of it. TWPR is where members can just relax as a community, much more than any of the other ones which all have specific purposes. And in communities people celebrate things like milestones, anniversaries and birthdays. So I see no reason why we shouldn't as well.

I completely agree with you, Alex.

I don't believe that we need to make a new forum for post count milestones, anniversaries or birthday threads and I never have supported the idea. I think it's not only pointless; but TWPR is meant to be somewhere where you can post miscellaneous threads and not have to worry about them for anything.

These threads are a part of The White Padded Room and it's intended purpose -- I don't see any reason why they should be taken out.

[project_icarus]

I say when you reach a 100 then 250, 500, 1000. 2500, 5000, 10000, these are all very valid milestones and people want a little praise and to sometimes talk about there achievements, goals or why they came to VT.

I do think they should do the milestones according to the VT faces or do it every 2500 posts (once they reach that number) but overall its up to them.

Overall who are they hurting?

This is my point.

Who are they hurting? Nobody, really. It's pointless, but this is just my input to this argument.

[ImCoolBeans]

This is my point.

Who are they hurting? Nobody, really. It's pointless, but this is just my input to this argument.

I'll quote myself:

These threads are a part of The White Padded Room and it's intended purpose -- I don't see any reason why they should be taken out.
I think this is unnecessary for the fact that TWPR is intended for these threads in the first place and based on the description of the forum and the forum's announcement it is the appropriate forum to post these threads in.

[Jess]

Honestly, what you are saying leaves us with two options:
Either we post the threads in a different forum, despite the fact that TWPR is arguably the most appropriate forum, being the miscellaneous one, or...
We don't celebrate milestones, anniversaries and birthdays at all. Which would be a tragedy. The fact is that TWPR, like every other forum on here, can be and sometimes is abused, and it is annoying when certain people make a new thread every 100 posts, but at the same time those threads are a part of it. TWPR is where members can just relax as a community, much more than any of the other ones which all have specific purposes. And in communities people celebrate things like milestones, anniversaries and birthdays. So I see no reason why we shouldn't as well.

Yeah this. There's nothing wrong with celebrating a birthday or a milestone by making a thread....

[PrimedPenguin]

When ever I hit a milestone I decided to post it in my blog instead of on the main forum. Now when I hit 1000 post I may post on the forum but for small goals like getting to 100 to me those are not worthy of the main forum.