My proposal for the ATA forum: GET RID OF IT!

[Blue-Jay]

Although, I love reading it for a good laugh, I think chucking it might make the Admin Gang a little more sane. Keep a forum for tech questions only, such as "How do I post a pic?", etc.

Got a question? PM it to a generic admin address
Got something to bitch about? Hit alert
Wanna propose a group? Elad can create a dedicated link or an icon or something.
Want to agree with someone? Send THEM a PM. They'll love you for it.
Want to advertise? Send an email or a PM.
Want your own thread locked? Alert on it.
"What does EOM mean?" STFU, n00b! (kidding, of course)

In other words, get rid of the forum. I'll miss it, certainly, but consider this: In addition to being humorous and informative, it's also quite frequently embarassing. For the admins, for DU, but mostly for the very few in there who do nothing but bitch and moan.

My $0.02

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. They haven't asnwered anything since Monday

so perhaps Admin agrees with you.

[MidwestMomma]

2. That might be a good idea

Sometimes it seems that some people post for the attention or something.

Maybe the original idea was to make people's questions/concerns public so that people wouldn't be asking the same thing over and over and over again but that happens anyway.

You should PM Skinner.

Or post this in ATA :evilgrin:

[asthmaticeog]

3. But if ATA were gone,

we'd lose out on the not-infrequent spectacle of newbs starting threads to ask how to start threads.

There's at least one of those every couple weeks. I fuckin' LOVE that shit!

[Blue-Jay]

4. Like this one?

Note: This poster was tombed, so I don't feel bad about posting this.

[asthmaticeog]

7. Screencap and everything!

Yeah, I've screencapped certain memorable posts, too. And yes, EXACTLY like that one. Fuckin' flattens me every time - "How do I do what I'm doing right now?"

[Orangepeel]

5. I love to read ATA

but you are probably right that the entertainment value for readers is outweighed by the pain and aggravation it causes admin.

But what would happen to all the "DU should be run MY way!" posts?

You know, I love DU. It saved my sanity in 2001, and literally changed my life by inspiring me to get more involved in politics. But it's just a message board. People who feel slighted and abused because their threads were locked, or their posts were deleted, or someone else got away with something, or whatever, need to chill.

[enigmatic]

8. Yep.

I agree w/ you. Perspective is a wonderful thing; I wish more had it, or even knew what is was.

It's possible if they pared-down ATA to tech-only questions their inbox would suddenly balloon from emails from the easily outraged...

[Blue-Jay]

11. Emails are like prayers to God.

"My email/prayer wasn't answered."

Yes it was. The answer was "No!"

[enigmatic]

13. Yes!

Somebody needs to make a gif w/ those words...

[Longgrain]

6. Shouldn't you be posting this in the ATA forum?

All questions regarding DU policy belong in the ATA forum. THAT'S WHAT'S IT'S THERE FOR.

:P

[bigwillq]

9. Congrats on being named a MOD...

Oh wait...:P

[Longgrain]

14. Thank you Will, now that I'm a Mod, I'll be watching you very closely

*giving the evil eye* }(

[bigwillq]

17. You like to watch, don't you?!

:evilgrin:

[Longgrain]

18. Which is why I hope the ATA forum never goes away...

:popcorn:

(Note: first time I ever got to use the 'popcorn' smilie)

[Lars39]

10. The downside

is that we'd be in the dark about who's trying to kiss up to the
admin and mods.

[Blue-Jay]

12. You can still kiss some ass in the Lounge.

You might not get any swedish fish, however.

[Lars39]

15. I missed that whole craze; are they like gummy bears?

[Blue-Jay]

16. Somewhat like gummy bears.

I don't eat a lot of sweets, so I'm not a good person to ask.

/prefers nachos