Recommend better forums than Eurobricks...?

[Peppermint_M]

Well, here is a perfect plan: Leave EB and use our good friend Google to find somewhere that fits your decidedly narrow taste. Or, Leave EB plain and simple. Or, put up with the whiners, I know it gets old but you are adding to the issue here and it all sounds a little whaa whaa baby's wattle isn't wattly enowff.

Also, this isn't an appropriate place for this thread. I'm moving it to community.

[DarkShadow73]

Well I think this place is great. I have learned a lot from the people here. It is great when you hear about the up and coming sets, because you can plan for them well in advance. There are a lot of good people here who put in alot of time and effort in assisting others. That is what it is all about. I have been to other forums and felt very dissappointed that people don't reply to postings. At least here there is a readership and that you are very much aware that you are online with others.

Whilst we have only a very small influence in what a toy company produces, when we look back over the past ten years or so, we have received many of the wishes sent to our "Fairy Godmother".

To all who are responsible, keep up the great work!

I agree trekman - I signed up to the forum on Brickset.com a while ago before finding Eurobricks through a Technic AFOL friend of mine in Texas, USA, and it is kind of dead and you don't get many if any replies to questions and such...Brickset I mean, not EB, this is the place to go...I tend to look at the forum a couple of times a day, sometimes lurk, sometimes reply, sometimes post my own topics for other talented members to help me out...

Edited December 31, 2012 by TechnicFreak

[Brickend]

I think the main problem is just a few people on here who hold strong opposing views and feel the need to raise their agendas given any opportunity, relevant or not to the discussion. Within the first few lines of their posts you can tell where it's going so I skip them; it does break up the discussion somewhat.

[DarkShadow73]

Just as I was adding another reply, a moderator must have bumped it off the Technic/Mindstorms group...the moderators here are fair and just, and they will move or lock topics fast. Probably the best moderators of any website I've seen...

[Speedboat]

I don't frequent the Technic subforum very often, but in regards to the forums in general I cannot agree with you at all. First of all, why the arrogance? Your mentioning of the "Eternal September"-phenomenon and comments like "Does anyone still remember *insert very early internet thingy*?" do not help this discussion at all, because they imply younger users or people "new" to internet forums don't have anything useful to add to discussions, do not behave correctly, etc. Generalisations like these are just awful and stupid. And looking at your profile information, you are a member of Eurobricks since mid-2010, so hardly one of the founding fathers of these forums. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you seem to lament a decline in quality since "the good old days" that apparently you never witnessed yourself, at least on these boards.

Eurobricks has, compared to other messageboards, excellent discussions, dedicated and friendly users and relatively few threads that I'd consider "whiny". One of my other hobbies is tabletop gaming and if you visited some of the forums dedicated to games like Warhammer you would be amazed how the players are constantly bashing the companies whose games the yhave been playing and enjoying sometimes for decades! I have never seen anyone have this kind of love/hate-relationship with TLG. Most AFOLs seem to realize LEGO ist a business and that they are not the main target group for their products. Pointing out dislikes about new sets, themes, etc. ist still legitimate and it's not like everything LEGO touches turns into gold, there have beeen enough themes over the years that didn't seem to be doing particularly well from a financial standpoint.

Pointless topics seem to get deleted pretty fast on Eurobricks, and honestly I expected this one to maybe get the same treatment when I first read it this morning. If the discussions here are not what you expected, that's fine. But the way in which you ask for recommendations of other websites here just seems rude to me.

Edited December 31, 2012 by Speedboat

[Meatman]

Uh, isn't the whole point of a forum to express your opinions? Much like you just did in the opening post to this thread? I highly doubt that you'll find any Technic forum out there that compares with this one. Look how many great builders post here and share information. Seriously, where else can you find this?

[me00rjb]

If you wish more moderation a little more insight in your thoughts would be of help: What are the topics/the nonsense exactly you read about?

Please give us examples.

Btw.: You know that there is the small "report" button?

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Firstly, to put things into perspective, I think my frustration mainly stems from the fact that Eurobricks is a great forum – certainly the best out there. Lugnet died a death a few years back, and it took me a little while to find this one. I’m a Technic builder, so that’s the forum my observations / comments relate to. I think I also understand Andy's frustration, but I can't speak for him.

The fact that Eurobricks is so good, is the problem. In my opinion, it could be pretty close to prefect with very little change. Other forums are far worse, therefore they don't generate the same degree of passion, and ‘fixing’ (to my ‘ideals’) would not be possible. It's a double-edged sword. People only get worked up about things they care about.

In terms of what I want from my ‘ideal’ forum, I like to see what people have made, I like to see how things work. I like to see their work appreciated. I like to see positive, constructive, professional posts. I feel bad when people just post to say they dislike something (but I don't post for fear of starting an argument). I like to see the previews of new products. I don’t like to read how people have been let down by Lego yet again. Of course this is only my opinion – I like things neat and orderly. I don’t like having to scan through waffle to find the useful / important stuff. And of course what I think useful and important, others won’t give a second glance.

As the forum gets busier and more popular, so the number of posts I consider inappropriate rise. I understand this is both inevitable and subjective. Moderation is always difficult, and I don't think it appropriate for me to give examples publicly. I appreciate not everyone will agree with me, as I don't always agree with others. I tend not to post much, as often all that needs to be said, has been said. But I read almost everyday. And more frequently, posts seem to be heading off at tangents, or with pointless discussion that just regurgitates old points time and again. This is what I find frustrating. I don't like reading posts where the only point of the post is to state a dislike for something. I would never view a MOC and just post to say I don’t like it. Constructive criticism, yes, that has a purpose. But the publication of one's personal preference seems redundant (I appreciate the irony of this post also!).

Of course I may be in the minority, but how many people read, and digest, for every person that does post?

I hadn't really considered the 'Report' button. I'll consider using it where appropriate in future.

Richard.

[Ricecracker]

I hadn't really considered the 'Report' button. I'll consider using it where appropriate in future.

Richard.

Please do. We try to deal with reports as soon as possible, and, as there isn't a Technic moderator or regulator at the moment, it helps us see what's going on in Technic.

[rriggs]

You will struggle to find a forum which does not contain people who are moaning about something. On car forums people moan about the car manufacturers, on software forums people moan about Microsoft, on job related forums people moan about employers, on DIY forums people moan about tradesmen and on LEGO forums people moan about TLG. It's human nature to complain and criticise and forums are a hub for this. Human nature also means that those people that are perfectly happy with things don't tend to pipe up or certainly aren't as vocal as those who are unhappy. That's just the way it is.

Turning to EB specifically, sure there are other forums out there where the moans about TLG are less but then EB is specifically targetted at AFOLs and as a result the TLG model range and individual models are critiqued from an AFOL point of view. EB is a tightly run ship which means that the frivilous, happy-for-the-sake-of-being-happy and other generic threads you might find on other forums and which may give a less-moany view of the world. EB is an adult forum for adult fans and the result is adult views and opinions which, like it or not, tend to be more "moany" and critical than those of younger minds.

If EB isn't what you like then feel free to nip off and find something else. Plenty of search engines out there to help you do this. Asking for alternative forums in the very place you don't like seems a bit backwards to me and a thinly veiled way of having a pop at EB from within.

Cheers

Rog

Edited December 31, 2012 by rriggs

[bricky300]

The day starts for me having a cup of coffe and starting the computer to look at Eurobricks. I only take photos of my mocs to show them here and get the people to discuss about these. I don't think here are many "whiners". It is great to have a nice comunity like EB where everybody is respected.

[Lipko]

I don't see the "people just post to dislike" thing here, maybe I'm the only one who says it sometimes?

Seriously, I do feel that sometimes (at least in the Technic subgroup) there is a bit too much back-tapping there, I'd be happy to see more negative but constructive feedback. But apart from that, it's a good forum, compared to others of other topics. I'm a forum addict. so I know a bit about forums

[Aanchir]

Well, I can understand your plight a bit even if I almost never venture into the Technic subforums here. Truth be told, even if Eurobricks is a great forum, it's not the best for all things by any means.

My advice? Join a bunch of forums. Try them out for size. Find ones where you can get things you can't get as easily on Eurobricks. Personally, I have loved splitting my time between Eurobricks and BZPower forums (a former BIONICLE site, now covering general LEGO with a focus on action figure sets and story themes). There are definite differences between the communities there. I'm also a member of the Brickset forums, which are similarly a much different community than here on Eurobricks (and I was so worried about the differences in the community there that it took me a long time to break down and join).

Just know that no matter how many sites you join, you'll never find one that offers everything, and you'll never find one without whining. BZPower in particular has kinds of whining that some AFOLs would never dream of. Speaking of which, despite its heritage as a BIONICLE site and BIONICLE's heritage as a Technic fan site, I wouldn't recommend that one for Technic discussion. Rarely do I see much interest in general Technic there.

I don't think you'll ever find a LEGO site without overblown nostalgia. Similarly, I don't think you'll ever find a LEGO site without die-hard LEGO fans who believe LEGO has done nothing but improve over the years. And you won't find a site ANYWHERE on the Internet without arguments. That's the nature of a community. But certainly you'll be doing Eurobricks no service if you leave just because you're finding that consensus seems to be against your own feelings. All you're doing then is leaving a bunch of people to feed each other's consensus and eliminating a voice that could be reminding them that there are other viewpoints out there worth considering, if not worth agreeing with.

[allanp]

I'm sorry, but isn't this all just a bit childish? Yeah, some people may not like everything TLG does, so what? Is that really enough grounds to report them for fear of upsetting mommy and daddy? There is nothing wrong with constructive critisisms. In fact they can be valuble to TLG because as it says below all my posts, "even the best can be made better". Technic is the best, but to stay ahead it must constantly aim for better. Opinions on how to do that may vary and we post them here for TLG to decide what they think is best, not for people to report those who disagree with them. I really don't get the point of this whole topic, maybe I should report whoever started it

[Ricecracker]

I'm sorry, but isn't this all just a bit childish? Yeah, some people may not like everything TLG does, so what? Is that really enough grounds to report them for fear of upsetting mommy and daddy? There is nothing wrong with constructive critisisms. In fact they can be valuble to TLG because as it says below all my posts, "even the best can be made better". Technic is the best, but to stay ahead it must constantly aim for better. Opinions on how to do that may vary and we post them here for TLG to decide what they think is best, not for people to report those who disagree with them. I really don't get the point of this whole topic, maybe I should report whoever started it

That's not what we're suggesting be reported. The report button is to be used when another member breaches the site guidelines, not when you disagree with someone.

[Vindicare]

That's not what we're suggesting be reported. The report button is to be used when another member breaches the site guidelines, not when you disagree with someone.

That's kind of what I'm getting out of this thread, though. I know that's not the reason for the report button, but that sounds like what is being told here.

I don't know what kind of fantasy world you live in, but nobody what topic you discuss you're never going to get everyone to agree. Thats the beauty of being an individual, you like something someone doesn't. I don't visit the Technic part, so I can't say in that regard, but take a look at the 10232 Palace Cinema topic. There's opinions coming in from every direction in there.

Nobody is forcing you to read every post and topic. When you start reading a post and it disagrees with your opinion, skip ot or hit the back button. Simple. The problem isn't EB, it's your weird view of this place.

[Hinckley]

Best of luck, dude. Let us know when you find a better place. We'll all follow you there, I'm sure.

[allanp]

That's not what we're suggesting be reported. The report button is to be used when another member breaches the site guidelines, not when you disagree with someone.

According to this topic that's exactly what is suggested being reported.

The first post of this topic is whining about people who whine! However the whining that is being whined about is not actually whining, it's constructive critisisms. Not everyone will be 100% happy with what TLG does so some constructive critisisms is really about the best TLG could hope for. Further down we see posts about reporting such people who offer such critisisms despite such critisisms not being against site guidlines. It appears to me at least the the only reason anyone would report such critisisms is because that one person happens to not agree with them. Yours is the first post that mentions anything at all about breaching site guidlines.

Edited January 1, 2013 by allanp

[Hey Joe]

Your post mentions several different types of users and situations which aren't really related to each other, doesn't it?

I mean the 'eternal September' thing is talking about new people to the forum and hobby, right? Regarding that; as a person in that category myself I hope that the others realize that it's important to have new people coming in which helps keep it going for everyone. I had no idea of the proper etiquette of the board when I first jumped in but I always try to be positive, friendly and encouraging. The only reason I joined is because the functionality is limited if you don't have a user name and if you've got a user name you might as well start posting!

I hear you about the whining. Yesterday I read about five pages of it regarding some low-res photos of Castle 2013. It was pretty much a waste of time.

However, I think it is important for people to post their opinions. Lego certainly has some poor souls who have to read all this stuff we're generating so hopefully our messages are getting through to some extent. A lot of the posters here probably have more experience with the Lego catalog of products than some of the designers at Lego! Anyway, I value the opinions here mostly (just so long as it's not endless speculation about some photos that you can't really make anything out of).

Sorry I can't help you with a better Technic board, my son is only three so we're not up to that speed yet! Cheers, Joe

[Big Cam]

According to this topic that's exactly what is suggested being reported.

The first post of this topic is whining about people who whine! However the whining that is being whined about is not actually whining, it's constructive critisisms. Not everyone will be 100% happy with what TLG does so some constructive critisisms is really about the best TLG could hope for. Further down we see posts about reporting such people who offer such critisisms despite such critisisms not being against site guidlines. It appears to me at least the the only reason anyone would report such critisisms is because that one person happens to not agree with them. Yours is the first post that mentions anything at all about breaching site guidlines.

This is probably because he is the first moderator to post in the thread explaining how the report button is ACTUALLY meant to be used. Just because a bunch of members said to do something doesn't mean it's right. If you ask me I'd trust the moderators word over a bunch of members who don't know the rules. Also let me be the second moderator to say that the report button should be used to report members who have breached the site guidelines, NOT when you disagree with someone.

[Brickington]

This is probably because he is the first moderator to post in the thread explaining how the report button is ACTUALLY meant to be used. Just because a bunch of members said to do something doesn't mean it's right. If you ask me I'd trust the moderators word over a bunch of members who don't know the rules. Also let me be the second moderator to say that the report button should be used to report members who have breached the site guidelines, NOT when you disagree with someone.

And I'll be the first member to agree with you!

[Grimmbeard]

Well I personally think Eurobricks is the best forum for LEGO on the internet, and that it is a bit immature to complain about new members (we all were one once), but if you want to leave there's no problem in that.

I don't know any Technic forums but I'm sure there are some. Of the forums I do know about, there is Classic-Castle.com, Forbiddencove.com, and Classic-Space.com. Forbiddencove and classic-space are kinda dying, though.

[SNIPE]

What was wrong with technicbricks, lugnet or brickset?.

A lot of the time it is disgussing with others openly what you like/don't like, there will never be a perfect lego set and lego do actually listen and probably read these forums to see what people would like, if its a thing that a few peple want they usually do it.

Most complaints are in a relevant thread do that they are not disruptive to the topic of the thread posted in.

So complaining can be good or bad, it depends on a whole load of things though that we just pick up by interpretation.

This may help after some thinking:

A complaint is usually bad when:

Somebody is complaining but nobody who reads can help.

Somebody wont listen to help about their complaint maybe even from a user with a higher forum. rank.

Somebody is using strong or

language

There is no 'lazy,celf centred, or whatever people here' because that sort of notion is not used much or allowed, were all equal in a way as members.

Those sites are more for reading than disgussing please note, peeron.com can be good too.

Edited January 3, 2013 by SNIPE

[LEGO Guy Bri]

I look at it like this:

A complaint followed with a plausible solution = constructive criticism

A complaint followed by nothing = whining

Simple... I have responded to threads that start with "I don't like, think, etc" when I read one that I can relate to. Whether I agree, or disagree, I try to always leave my opinion on how it could be made better or some alternative. Whether it is taken or left alone, it is still read and given an opinion. These types of threads always seem to get a rise out of people, either viewing them as "yea, I can see where you coming from and either agree or disagree" or "this is just pointless whining". It doesn't bother me either way. I can't say I've been agitated over any one topic or post. I suppose if I did find one, I'd leave it alone and move to the next one.

[richthelegodude]

I notice some people are even putting their spin on certain arguments in a thread that is whinging about whinging .

Egads, everyone is entitled to their opinion although I think such things such be vented in the correct place. Also arguments should never be carried out in an ad hominem manner.

[Holodoc]

... It's a double-edged sword. ...

Thank you for a deeper insight in what you think the problem is.

I understand some of the problems you have mentioned: The bigger the forum, the worse to follow all of it. The more people, the more idiots. But this is the price of popularity and I have learnt to deal with it.

I'm not following everything and if a topic tends to switch to a negative vibe, I rarely read it any more. One good example is the topic about the new CC-style building. One picture, but 8 pages or so of bla-bla, a lot of them being negative.

No, I don't comment in this topic.

It's also a question of behaviour and I get the impression with the anonymity of the web, some people just don't care what traces they leave here.

But here the moderators/admins ARE doing a good job. See:

Please do. We try to deal with reports as soon as possible, and, as there isn't a Technic moderator or regulator at the moment, it helps us see what's going on in Technic.

And this is where the "report" button comes in to help them.

Just because a bunch of members said to do something doesn't mean it's right. If you ask me I'd trust the moderators word over a bunch of members who don't know the rules.

To make one thing clear: I didn't want to suggest to use the report button to report negative atmosphere! Maybe it just came down the wrong way.

That's not what we're suggesting be reported. The report button is to be used when another member breaches the site guidelines, not when you disagree with someone.

This is what I wanted to suggest. Nothing else! Sorry for the confusion.