Originally Posted by Trollheart

It does amuse me the way you two keep complaining about my system. It's not like I suddenly changed things: you knew what you were -- literally --- signing up for. If you don't want to play, don't, but I'm not going to change the format just for you two. I do wonder though what you expected? If you had everyone just allowed to post whenever they felt like it, you know exactly what would happen: the thread would die pretty quickly. If there's no push, no kick, no reminder and no time limit then things don't get done, we all know that. This is like joining an amateur sports team and then saying "Aw I don't want to turn out for training every weekend! Can't I just come in when I feel like it?" How long do you think that would fly?

It is also interesting that the only two really complaining here are the ones who have done one (and a half) albums each. Others have just got on with it. If you spent half the time sorting out your albums as you do complaining you'd have had your reviews done long ago. But if you want to go, if you feel it's no longer fun or something you want to do, let me know and I'll delete your albums. I had really wanted to see Frownland suffer Bon Jovi though, and I really wanted to see Batty tortured with Marillion, but if it's not to be then so be it. Also, let's not forget I suffered through everything you ****s threw at me...

The thread will continue as it is, with the rules already laid down. Anyone who feels they can't or don't want to operate within those rules is free to retract their participation. Nobody's forcing you to remain here. But I will not be changing things just because two people have a problem with it.

And I've wasted enough time on this already; I have a lot of other work to do. So let that be an end to it. Play or don't play, it's all the same to me. But if you play, you play by my rules.

Originally Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is only one bright spot and that is the growing habit of disgruntled men of dynamiting factories and power-stations; I hope that, encouraged now as ‘patriotism’, may remain a habit! But it won’t do any good, if it is not universal.

Originally Posted by grindy

It's not so much about proof, it just makes the thread more fun and engaging. It also doesn't have to be a whole review, just a few lines and thoughts and hopefully amusing quips about the album.

Originally Posted by Terrapin_Station

Is it fun for people who don't like to write reviews, especially if they're required to, though?

What if we just let people write reviews if they like writing reviews, and not worry about it otherwise?

Originally Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is only one bright spot and that is the growing habit of disgruntled men of dynamiting factories and power-stations; I hope that, encouraged now as ‘patriotism’, may remain a habit! But it won’t do any good, if it is not universal.

Originally Posted by Terrapin_Station

Or we could just ignore you and do it our own way in the thread.

Originally Posted by grindy

It's not so much about proof, it just makes the thread more fun and engaging. It also doesn't have to be a whole review, just a few lines and thoughts and hopefully amusing quips about the album.

Originally Posted by The Batlord

It's already dying regardless of your "reminders", and the people who do post largely do so cause they feel like it, not because you badgered them.

Originally Posted by Terrapin_Station

Is it fun for people who don't like to write reviews, especially if they're required to, though?

What if we just let people write reviews if they like writing reviews, and not worry about it otherwise?

Originally Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is only one bright spot and that is the growing habit of disgruntled men of dynamiting factories and power-stations; I hope that, encouraged now as ‘patriotism’, may remain a habit! But it won’t do any good, if it is not universal.

Originally Posted by Trollheart

If I had just said I listened to Metal Machine Music, I would never have realised what a great album it is.

Originally Posted by Trollheart

And what would be your alternative, do tell me? How would that work?

Originally Posted by Terrapin_Station

??? At least as stated, that makes no sense to me. I always listen without preconceptions. I try to do the same for most things. For me, I don't like writing reviews unless I've listened to something at least, say, four or five times over a week or two. Even if I've known an album for a long time, I wouldn't be comfortable writing a review without listening to it a couple times over 2-3 days right before I write the review. Doing that regularly online, which I've done in the past with both music and films, it winds up feeling like a chore, like a job I'm not being paid for, rather than something enjoyable.

Originally Posted by Terrapin_Station

??? In what you quoted, I just said, "What if we just let people write reviews if they like writing reviews, and not worry about it otherwise?" That would be an alternative.

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I don't understand why that makes no sense to you. I'll break it down.

Frownland (I think) recced MMM to me. Now, under my system, I listen to it, realise I like it, write about it. In your proposed system, I DON'T listen to it (or pretend I have) and say I hate it. In your system, since I've never actually listened to it, just said I did, I never find out how great the album is, much to my surprise. So listening to the album makes more sense than not doing so.

And what would be the point of that? What would they have to say? Why would they even want to take part if they're not going to give their opinion, say what they thought of it?

Like I said, and you seem stuck on this, you don't have to do a full review. A few lines is all that's required. If you don't want to do that, then I don't know what to tell you, because the alternative makes no sense at all to me.