Is the Quality of MusicBanter Decreasing?

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 10-26-2009, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schizotypic

Thank you so much! I've been wondering lately how many members feel this way... is there some division of class here?

Yeah, I'm V-class.

Ok why don't we all stop discussing the lack of music conversations and START some? Seriously? Everyone could go right now and pick a thread in general that relates to their music taste (or make one) and we can get this party train moving!

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 10-26-2009, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schizotypic

Here's my question: Is this really a forum for those who love music to talk about it? Because album reviews feel to me something akin to a book report. For those members who have outside contact, when you talk to others about music, do you give speeches about your favorite albums? Do you tell your friend about all the stuff you looked-up on Wikipedia? I don't, I simply say I like this band, it's rad, I love how they do this or that. I could use countless remarks I've come across but Big3 will make a good example for the point I'm trying to make, sorry Big3- I still think you're rad. Big3, I get the idea that your definition of troll is members not posting research projects. Here you are claiming that MB's best quality is in the member journals and album reviews, I disagree. Look-up the word quality, it basically means of superior grade. What you're stating is that research paper album reviews are superior to regular posts about music. Then you even go as far to claim superiority over those who post average posts by calling them trolls. In doing so, you also imply that only the most articulate and intellectually sound posts are worthy of MB, as everything else is not just there but actually spamming the forum. Has anyone else ever considered that the arrogant politics of MB is taking from the site? That these unwritten rules to be as dysfunctionally perfectionist as possible aren't fun? All I'm saying friends is that maybe MB is just lightening-up a bit. I think as more people joined, the forum conscious started to change from wanting to write long paragraphs about music to just wanting to explore it, which MB is great for! The Albums You're Digging 2 thread is constantly giving me music, the new Member Journals popping-up are more honest and laid back then eight months ago, and mood is starting to feel the more and more like a human community then like a study session. Big3, earlier I said that I disagreed that the quality of MB is decreasing. My point is that the quality of MB isn't in the book reports, it's in the feeling of community. Actually I think the quality of MB is increasing. Guys, vote classless society for MB!

This is a great post. You said pretty much everything I wanted to.

storymilo · 10-26-2009, 04:41 PM

I'll agree Schizo that was a well-written post

Although I'm far from a veteran here I think I would know if the place was bad. I've looked at some older threads/posts and the environment doesn't seem any friendlier or better at all. So I definitely agree that I like the community aspect here just as much as the discussions about music.

Guybrush · 10-26-2009, 04:42 PM

I don't need every post to be a study, that's not what I think of as "quality". However, I do think that a quality post is on topic and communicates something which is of interest to other people.

The journal and many of the album reviews have a generally higher quality because communicating it right is more important so people generally try harder. I think if you want to share a thought or idea, you should always try to communicate it really well, even if it's just a regular post. Some people seem to just regurgitate whatever's on their mind without processing those thoughts into a proper presentable shape first (again the damned lists come to mind).

To Erica, a classical journal sounds like an interesting idea. It would also be the first of it's kind around here.

kouki · 10-26-2009, 04:51 PM

Wow,this thread blew up.I think the main reason people dont post on music threads is because theyre to busy posting on why people dont post on music threads.

mr dave · 10-26-2009, 04:55 PM

is the quality decreasing? that's up to the individual, it's most definitely changing.

schizo totally nails it with his rant about trolls vs. keeners. the idea of having to follow a book report style format for an album review is lame in my eyes (NO i will not EVER attach an arbitrary number rating to an album review). talking about bands basically becomes an effort in futility when the only thing posted is a regurgitation of the wikipedia article and everyone understands how to respect other people's tastes.

having lived through a site very similar to this one i feel that i can safely say this is normal for a forum. the older regulars get bored of the same type of discussions, the arbitrary band A vs. band B shenanigans, the genre 'debates', it's about as exciting as discussing religion or politics after about a month. that's why the lounge is so important, it's where the older members can chill out and shoot the breeze amongst each other after they've gotten to know each other a bit knowing that they all share a common bond with their appreciation of music.

but that's also where the double edged sword cuts into you though. when the lounge gets more popular than the rest of the site is when you start getting more and more noobs who only have a very passing interest in music and are far more interested in treating the site like a quasi-chat room. while they do have a passive taste for music, i've never EVER met anyone who didn't, and that's what causes the conflict with the active listeners that initially established the site.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 10-26-2009, 05:00 PM

But I think all of the moderators are doing a great job of keeping that in check. People who treat this site like a chatroom are usually corrected and if not complient banned quickly aren't they?

Isn't that why the moderation staff is present? To maintain the site, fight internet spam and keep in check people's post and make sure they don't deverge into coryallen (yes, I'm bringing him up) chat room esc stuff?

Sneer · 10-26-2009, 05:14 PM

He made an attempt to discuss music, its just that everthing he said bordered on ridiculous

pourmeanother · 10-26-2009, 05:13 PM

I've been on a few forums for a long time- long enough to see that every forum goes through a cycle. Early stages- few quality members, all tight knit. Then slow expansion with lot's of idea generation, new topics, and a good mix of quality members and increase in quality. Then there's saturation, all of the quality members have already joined- more "annoying" (in the eyes of the originators) posters join, The tight knit core of members who have been around sh!t all over the noobs. The originators slowly leave, stating that "the site has really gone downhill" or "it's not like the good old days of (insert year)". Every now and again one of the originators comes back making a big charade out of their return, and then disappears again. What's left is a bunch of new posters, of lower quality, with no new topics to discuss as everything has been talked about. There's a mass exodus and then all that's left is a very select few who only come around for nostalgia's sake (when you've been with a forum for 7 years, it's hard to say goodbye), and then a few stragglers who sit around wondering why nobody is responding to their threads.

It looks like I joined up right around saturation.

FaSho · 10-26-2009, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pourmeanother

I've been on a few forums for a long time- long enough to see that every forum goes through a cycle. Early stages- few quality members, all tight knit. Then slow expansion with lot's of idea generation, new topics, and a good mix of quality members and increase in quality. Then there's saturation, all of the quality members have already joined- more "annoying" (in the eyes of the originators) posters join, The tight knit core of members who have been around sh!t all over the noobs. The originators slowly leave, stating that "the site has really gone downhill" or "it's not like the good old days of (insert year)". Every now and again one of the originators comes back making a big charade out of their return, and then disappears again. What's left is a bunch of new posters, of lower quality, with no new topics to discuss as everything has been talked about. There's a mass exodus and then all that's left is a very select few who only come around for nostalgia's sake (when you've been with a forum for 7 years, it's hard to say goodbye), and then a few stragglers who sit around wondering why nobody is responding to their threads.

It looks like I joined up right around saturation.

So what you're saying is...it's all downhill from here?

10-26-2009, 04:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I don't need every post to be a study, that's not what I think of as "quality". However, I do think that a quality post is on topic and communicates something which is of interest to other people. The journal and many of the album reviews have a generally higher quality because communicating it right is more important so people generally try harder. I think if you want to share a thought or idea, you should always try to communicate it really well, even if it's just a regular post. Some people seem to just regurgitate whatever's on their mind without processing those thoughts into a proper presentable shape first (again the damned lists come to mind). To Erica, a classical journal sounds like an interesting idea. It would also be the first of it's kind around here. __________________ Something Completely Different

10-26-2009, 04:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
kouki Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Devils armpit (aka Phx,AZ) Posts: 126	Wow,this thread blew up.I think the main reason people dont post on music threads is because theyre to busy posting on why people dont post on music threads. __________________ It jiggles when he wiggles-Fez

10-26-2009, 05:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,397	He made an attempt to discuss music, its just that everthing he said bordered on ridiculous __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show

10-26-2009, 05:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
pourmeanother Saaaad Panda Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 852	I've been on a few forums for a long time- long enough to see that every forum goes through a cycle. Early stages- few quality members, all tight knit. Then slow expansion with lot's of idea generation, new topics, and a good mix of quality members and increase in quality. Then there's saturation, all of the quality members have already joined- more "annoying" (in the eyes of the originators) posters join, The tight knit core of members who have been around sh!t all over the noobs. The originators slowly leave, stating that "the site has really gone downhill" or "it's not like the good old days of (insert year)". Every now and again one of the originators comes back making a big charade out of their return, and then disappears again. What's left is a bunch of new posters, of lower quality, with no new topics to discuss as everything has been talked about. There's a mass exodus and then all that's left is a very select few who only come around for nostalgia's sake (when you've been with a forum for 7 years, it's hard to say goodbye), and then a few stragglers who sit around wondering why nobody is responding to their threads. It looks like I joined up right around saturation. __________________ Life is just blah, blah, blah You hope for blah And sometimes you find it, but mostly it's blah And waiting for blah And hoping you were right about the blahs you made And then, just when you think you've got the whole blah'd damn thing figured out And you're surrounded by the ones you blah Death shows up... anddd blah, blah, blah.

10-26-2009, 04:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
storymilo Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,845	I'll agree Schizo that was a well-written post Although I'm far from a veteran here I think I would know if the place was bad. I've looked at some older threads/posts and the environment doesn't seem any friendlier or better at all. So I definitely agree that I like the community aspect here just as much as the discussions about music.

10-26-2009, 05:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	But I think all of the moderators are doing a great job of keeping that in check. People who treat this site like a chatroom are usually corrected and if not complient banned quickly aren't they? Isn't that why the moderation staff is present? To maintain the site, fight internet spam and keep in check people's post and make sure they don't deverge into coryallen (yes, I'm bringing him up) chat room esc stuff?