Mods are not maintaining the forums well.

[PlatinumZealot]

This is a complaint about the housekeeping by the mods.

2020 is first year on here that I see old, expired, non-relevant car and team sticky threads hanging around at the top of forum pages well past their sell by dates! We are in januarary 2021 in they still there.

Normally, we start a new year, and the forums are cleaned for winter. Old sticky threads unstickied so that new fresh threads for the take the stage.

The problem of not doing this is that the engagement on the forum is greatly reduced because the topics are stale. When this happens there is less converation and less traffic. The final result is that it takes away from the objectives of the website (I assume).

The website is getting more boring with the same old discussions. The tech threads are basically dead but for a couple engine threads. This is harbinger for exodus if we don't the exfitement back again.

My second complaint is the amount of posters without avatars. This adds to the unexcited feel. Users should be forced to take on an avatar i feel.

Moderators, your forum housekeeping activities are important. Please. Let's take it back to how it was before. We need to clean up the old stickie thread so that new, fresh threads and fresh discussions can begin for 2021.

[hUirEYExbN]

Forcing an avatar is just silly. I (and I'm sure many) don't even have them turned on when viewing the forum.

Regarding moderation, I'm more bothered about the number of off topic and frankly valueless posts that hang around. We have something like three threads of people discussing Hamilton's contract negotiation, with no concrete evidence, just bickering. We also have too many this driver vs. that driver threads as well.

I report when I remember but I rarely remember.

[Steven]

To be entirely correct, the team threads were sorted more than a week ago.

I've now unstuck the 2020 car threads as well, as there is no need to put additional focus on them. I'm also not sticking the speculation threads, but once we have the 2021 car threads created and opened up, we'll stick them as well of course.

If you still find topics that need unsticking in your opinion, you may report them, as other people do.

As for avatars, I admit I do find it really handy. I have a very visual memory and it's just more recognizable for me when someone has a custom avatar (that doesn't change every week). But, more than a warm request to people to get a nice avatar we cannot do. Forcing never led to anything good.

As for your avatar btw, it's blurry and not square, so you should find yourself a better one imho

[Steven]

Forcing an avatar is just silly. I (and I'm sure many) don't even have them turned on when viewing the forum.

Regarding moderation, I'm more bothered about the number of off topic and frankly valueless posts that hang around. We have something like three threads of people discussing Hamilton's contract negotiation, with no concrete evidence, just bickering. We also have too many this driver vs. that driver threads as well.

I report when I remember but I rarely remember.

There isn't too much else going on anyway, is there? It's the natural result of what gets published.
I can say for one that I did some moderation actions on these, especially for the cases where it became a personal slapping fight.

[nzjrs]

I added an avatar for you PZ.

[notsofast]

Kudos to Steven and the mods for keeping this forum running. I don't have much to contribute, but I learn a lot here.

One recommendation would be to be more forceful with posters who attack other posters. I can tolerate debates, weird opinions, and foul language, but I don't think it is ever acceptable to attack someone for having an opinion that someone else doesn't like. Discuss the topic. Don't attack or belittle a poster. Think twice before using the word "you" in a post. Mods don't need to give warnings for these kinds of violations. Delete the post. If it happens again, issue a ban. No discussion necessary.

[PlatinumZealot]

To be entirely correct, the team threads were sorted more than a week ago.

I've now unstuck the 2020 car threads as well, as there is no need to put additional focus on them. I'm also not sticking the speculation threads, but once we have the 2021 car threads created and opened up, we'll stick them as well of course.

If you still find topics that need unsticking in your opinion, you may report them, as other people do.

As for avatars, I admit I do find it really handy. I have a very visual memory and it's just more recognizable for me when someone has a custom avatar (that doesn't change every week). But, more than a warm request to people to get a nice avatar we cannot do. Forcing never led to anything good.

As for your avatar btw, it's blurry and not square, so you should find yourself a better one imho

Thanks for that. And keeping this great website.

Yup. I too am a visual person and finding myself squinting at usernames before each reply. It gets tedious. Maybe "forced" is not the right word as you say, bout encouraged.

Forcing an avatar is just silly. I (and I'm sure many) don't even have them turned on when viewing the forum.

Regarding moderation, I'm more bothered about the number of off topic and frankly valueless posts that hang around. We have something like three threads of people discussing Hamilton's contract negotiation, with no concrete evidence, just bickering. We also have too many this driver vs. that driver threads as well.

I report when I remember but I rarely remember.

Maybe it is just me, but the avatar is like a face and the username is like a name tag. Imagine having a conversation and having to check someone's name tag everytime you speak to them. That how it feels for me. I'm very visually minded, mind you.

[J.A.W.]

Forcing an avatar is just silly. I (and I'm sure many) don't even have them turned on when viewing the forum.

Regarding moderation, I'm more bothered about the number of off topic and frankly valueless posts that hang around. We have something like three threads of people discussing Hamilton's contract negotiation, with no concrete evidence, just bickering. We also have too many this driver vs. that driver threads as well.

I report when I remember but I rarely remember.

There isn't too much else going on anyway, is there? It's the natural result of what gets published.
I can say for one that I did some moderation actions on these, especially for the cases where it became a personal slapping fight.

Hi Steven, seems that that "...there isn't too much going on" - as far as prompt checking of those
of us on 'moderator approval', lately? Could it be time - for a review of my own contributions here,
perhaps with the potential for being freed from the bonds - of the dreaded waiting period & thus
be returned to a regular/normal posting protocol - once again? ('At your pleasure', of course).

Though to be fair, I certainly do appreciate the considerate approvals of recent moderation decisions
& its only the disruptive effect of a couple of days delay in my reply-posts appearing, that is a bugger.