Thursday, July 28, 2011

Forum Ranking, Ratings & Reviews

I'd love to see a ranking, ratings and reviews summary of the official and unofficial/third-party Second Life and virtual world forums, including input from Wasted.

How would you rank, rate and review them?





    I continue to be interested, out of both idle curiosity, sparked (again) by Wasted's comments and ongoing practical application interest, in a group-produced forum summary.  People often ask me for forum referrals.  "I'm interested in a forum where the posters actually go inworld and talk about the world and help each other out, not politics, current events and flamewars."  "I want an adult forum where I can virtually brawl and talk about anything."  Stuff like that and more.  I make referrals based on my observations, of course, but it would be, I think, both entertaining and helpful to have a summary, ranking, rating, review kind of thing too.  Does such a thing exist?  Can we create one without burning down the internet?  What do you think?



    "Because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."* 


    *Fine print:  No, the movie quote does not mean I am "some men" trying to burn down the internet. 
    Posted by at

    27 comments:

    1. LeeHere AbsentJuly 28, 2011 at 2:51 PM

      "Hell, if they aren't going to let me have the Forum ***I*** want, then no-one else is going to enjoy themselves either!"

      http://leeherevw.blogspot.com/2011/06/today-in-blogs-and-forums-june-16-2011.html

      ReplyDelete
    2. LeeHere AbsentJuly 28, 2011 at 2:52 PM

      I'm popcorning, or Pepcorning, at the moment, but I am genuinely interested in comments with input that could be collated into a useful and interesting summary of the forums.

      ReplyDelete
    3. stormJuly 28, 2011 at 4:00 PM

      I didn't realize there were so many .
      I've previously written on your blog as to where my allegiance lies. Anything I post will have bias toward the SL sanctioned forums (I seem to catch a lot of heat from former participants for my loyalties, but I don't care.)
      SL Answers is a great place for new people, and it takes a great weight off Linden Lab by having the residents act as a hot line. And, many residents enjoy that aspect of the forum; I do.

      I even like the new 'lay out' of SLF - it makes it very easy to manage my experience. I think SLF has more topics and threads to 'hold' many different interests ergo promotes more participation. The moderation is a little heavy handed, but it's all the same everywhere. I don't need to 'say' fuck in everything I write, nor do I always wish to read the same.

      All forums are a sum of its participants. With many new blogs and forums available, such as your blog, I can participate outside of the 'SL' domain, and with people I enjoy reading and posting. If I want the drama; I know where to find it. :)

      gV and SC2 are what they are -- breakaways from the old RA and SLU? These forum just have different participants doing the same thing they always did: flaming, posting lolcats, bitching about moderation; wishing they were back posting on SLF.

      ReplyDelete
    4. ImaJuly 28, 2011 at 4:45 PM

      Haha-SLUnleashed.com ranks as dead. A great place to go if you love peace and don't want to be bothered with those pesky things called participants :))))

      ReplyDelete
    5. Venus PetrovJuly 28, 2011 at 6:20 PM

      I do not know why I cannot read most of the links you have listed without hovering my mouse over them. Over 1/2 are obscured by some blue stuff.

      Anyway, I had never heard of several of these. The only forums I have posted on, really, are the former SL GDF, the current SLF, Offworld (in March during the hiatus), and gV. I might have posted once or twice on 1-2 others but nothing memorable. I consider SLF my home. It is the civil alternative (some might say 'bland') to so many others. I like hearing new voices and I am more likely to do that on SLF.

      In terms of blogs, I enjoy Pep, I read Griffin's when he's got something new, and, more recently, a couple of yours that have been linked on the (coughs) Forum Confidential. I enjoy Cait's blog, too. I know you did not ask about blogs so perhaps I am anticipating.

      There are other blogs I dip in and out of but none that I post to regularly.

      I actually like to be inworld!

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    6. PepJuly 28, 2011 at 10:56 PM

      Rank? All forums are rank.

      Pep (makes forums into what he wants them to be, then leaves.)

      ReplyDelete
    7. PepJuly 28, 2011 at 11:01 PM

      Popcorning? Did you just make up yet another meaning? Isn't Polly Semmy a wonderful girl?

      http://hubpages.com/hub/Popcorning_In_Guinea_Pigs

      Pep (is thinking of running another competition asking people for definitions of "Pepcorning" - since you have brought it up - the prize for which will be to have your definition published in the Urban Dictionary.)

      PS Did I mention that I have just had one of my neologisms accepted by the UD?

      ReplyDelete
    8. CaitlinJuly 28, 2011 at 11:18 PM

      @Venus, I have the same as you with the links in this blog, it's like the text is barbwired with some blue ..um..dunno!

      As for the fora, I am not really participating in any of them lately. Maybe I will again in winter!

      ReplyDelete
    9. LeeHere AbsentJuly 28, 2011 at 11:27 PM

      I can't see the blue barbed wire on the links, but I'd obviously like to get rid of it for those of you who do. Does anyone know what it is and how to fix it?

      ReplyDelete
    10. LeeHere AbsentJuly 28, 2011 at 11:27 PM

      Is it that way in this post only or in all of the posts with links?

      ReplyDelete
    11. PepJuly 29, 2011 at 3:26 AM

      It's just the links that have a TITLE attribute (in this post) in the raw HTML that are obscured.

      Pep (If that helps?)

      ReplyDelete
    12. LJuly 29, 2011 at 12:11 PM

      I'm at a loss as to how you would rate any kind of forum, as from what I've seen they all are basically the same song just different verses. You get a handful of regular people, sometimes the same throughout a few forums (like a couple of folks who currently seem to be trawling/trolling for dirt for their own flagging blog). Sprinkle in noobs. Some cover RL things, some focus on SL, some more focus on RP in SL but it'll be interesting to see if you can get a rating system — biased or otherwise.

      ReplyDelete
    13. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 12:18 PM

      Thank you to Orfeu who sent me a screen shot of what y'all are seeing with the blue barbed wire on the links.

      ReplyDelete
    14. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 12:23 PM

      @ Storm: Thanks for your input. Much appreciated. There are more actually, if you consider how broad the category of "official and unofficial/third-party Second Life and virtual world forums" is. "Allegiance" and "bias." Seems like strong words. I guess it indicates the passion you feel on this subject. Seems like I've seen you get into some virtual kerfuffles over your allegiance to the SL official forums, yes? You said you catch a lot of heat for that. But you also proactively comment when others criticize the SL official forums, yes? And your comment "wishing they were back posting on SLF," is a pretty loaded one, no?

      ReplyDelete
    15. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 12:25 PM

      @ Venus: Thanks for reading and for commenting. ;-)

      ReplyDelete
    16. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 12:26 PM

      @ Pep regarding the Pepcorning competition: DEWIT!

      http://pserendipitydaniels.blogspot.com/

      ReplyDelete
    17. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 12:27 PM

      @ Pep regarding the blue barbed wire: Yes, that did help, thank you.

      ReplyDelete
    18. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 12:28 PM

      Maybe this part of the conversation is premature. Maybe the conversation we should be having first is how one would rank and review a forum, what criteria would be used.

      ReplyDelete
    19. LJuly 29, 2011 at 12:49 PM

      @ Lee
      Reviewing is easier to do than rating, but I think the reviewing would come first. That and a few basic categories. Rating a free-for-all, anything goes, no moderation forum with a heavily moderated RP only forum wouldn't be fair or easy or even all that useful. As I don't "forum" other than quick glances from posted links on blogs, I'm not the best one to set categories, but I would think moderated/unmoderated might be one way to go and SL only versus General Topic might be another, genre specific (RP, shopping...).

      Or... I dunno.

      Once you get them grouped then a simple rating about how well they perform whatever their intended purpose. Information? Gossip? Social? etc.

      Or... I dunno.

      ReplyDelete
    20. LJuly 29, 2011 at 1:24 PM

      PS By the looks of things, checking a few of the links above...two categories might be "active" and "dead" :)

      ReplyDelete
    21. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 1:37 PM

      @ L: Yeah, right off the bat, "live, dead and dying" look to be the first category.

      ReplyDelete
    22. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 1:39 PM

      @ L: Now to choose the few basic categories. I listed a whole bunch in the next blog post with the idea that we could brainstorm (if there are any left) and then select those key, meaningful basic few. And yes, moderation would clearly have to make the cut. I think category or type (SL, SL speciality, general virtual world) is a good one too.

      ReplyDelete
    23. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 1:39 PM

      Intended purpose is an interesting one to consider. ;-)

      ReplyDelete
    24. LeeHere AbsentJuly 29, 2011 at 4:26 PM

      And yes, we should go after, I mean review, blogs next.

      I'm totally kidding! Sheesh. Lighten up, people.

      (about the "go after" part, not the blog bit.)

      ReplyDelete
    25. LJuly 29, 2011 at 4:50 PM

      I'm more familiar with the blogs but...won't go there with you! There's also a kajillion blogs out there!

      I did :::eh hem::: under the pen of SR, review music in SL and took the forum of a written review and an over all rating (1-5 "stars"). It had its shortcomings but it did work pretty well on the whole.

      I could see a short 1-2 paragraph review & description and then depending on the type of forum it is, have a handful of rating categories with 1-5 stars. For example, if you were reviewing the old GDF you'd have "descriptive blurb" and then things like "Moderated" and "Moderation" (based on consistency & transparency) (for example) -1 star.
      :)
      Kid friendly (old GDF): 1 star
      Trolls: 5 stars

      ReplyDelete
    26. LJuly 29, 2011 at 4:51 PM

      **review music in SL and took the FORM of...

      ReplyDelete
    27. LeeHere AbsentAugust 23, 2011 at 1:12 PM

      Willow Danube said...

      "If I want to reduce myself to a complete sickening hateful excrement, I will go to SLC. If I feel like posting a RL naked pic of myself, I will go to gV. If I have invented something awesome and I feel like showing off, I'll go for a nose job and get myself a throne at SLU. Please don't use this place as a common dumping ground off all those rubbish."

      http://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/What-s-going-on-in-here/td-p/1044929/page/19

      ReplyDelete

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