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Today, 8 May 2006, a part of QCDN was taken away from the users.
This part has been a topic of both admiration and hatred since the beginning of QCDN. It has turned squabbles into full-scale wars, turned users into heroes and villains simultaneously, and shown the Internet both the best and the worst of our server.
As of today, Sculli would like to continue on with QCDN as though the Flameboard never existed. Lock it, delete it, pretend a 'kinder, gentler' QCDN will bring an age of enlightenment to this board. Over 2400 threads and nearly 110,000 posts stored away like the Ark in Raiders. Many feel this will be a new era for this board.
I agree with this as well - but not in a positive sense. For better or worse, the Flameboard showed us the pulse of our server and gave QCDN the majority of its content. Not only content, but unique, focused content where you never knew what would be posted the next time you hit F5. Careers were both made and destroyed on that board, and that was part of its eternal charm.
With the Flameboard gone, what does QCDN offer the general member? Going forum-by-forum, aside from the circle of posters being smaller than any 'general' FFXI board, the boards are, to put it simply, nothing that can't be found elsewhere. I'll leave out the new forums for now, give them a chance.
General Discussion? Alla's main forum with just QCDN members responding, scattered with random "Should I quit" threads.
Event Scheduling? Perhaps the only real server-based thread left, with (in my experience using the board) poor results compared to simply using the /shout feature in Jeuno.
Good Times? With the "Thanks" feature added, we may as well obliterate this forum as well. Countless ego-stroking posts with no real content aside from fishing for 'congrats!' and 'gj d00d!' And yes, I'm guilty of using the forum for that myself - but that doesn't mean its content is at all worthwhile or necessary.
Auctionhouse? Again, some decent server-based postings, but discussion-free for the most part, mentioning that a price is too high/low is frowned upon, and countless threads disappear without as much as a reply, defeating the purpose of the person posting in the first place OR PC+1ing their thread to keep it up at the top of the board.
Crafter's Corner? Aside from perhaps 10 or so members of this forum with some pretty experienced and unique views on crafting, there's nothing on that board that isn't found better/more in-depth on multiple other forums.
Traveller's Tavern? 73 threads in two+ years kind of speaks for itself. (I actually went back and edited this thread in, as I had honestly forgotten it existed.)
LS Recruiting? See Auctionhouse, but with linkpearls instead of items.
Quests/Missions/Guides? Once again, less information than the general boards.
Fan Works? I'll talk about this forum once I actually have interest in viewing it - give me a day or 2.
Off-Topic/RSI? Only really good if you want your views on the world to come from the people who Refresh you, I guess.
It doesn't really take too much thought to realize that the Flameboard, love it or hate it, was the goldmine of content that drew people to the site. General Discussion has around 30,000 posts to go to catch up to the now-dead forum. Some may say "Yeah, that's only because everyone post-spammed the Flameboard!" and you have some merit there.
Let me draw some parallels to another forum I love - the Something Awful forums. While there are a lot of differences (the most glaring being the $10 barrier of entry to SA) people flock to both here and the Awful Forums for one main reason:
Content.
Content you're not going to find anywhere else. And while each forum has its general boards that have the same threads you'll find at every other board out there, and the same (if not stricter) level of moderation, they each had a hook. Something that people would both love and hate, and would drive people to the site.
SA has FYAD. To ensure this post doesn't get locked for 'community standards' guidelines, I have no intention of spelling out what FYAD stands for (though you can likely figure it out given enough time.) To me, the Flameboard reminded me a lot of FYAD. A lot of 'worthless' posts, its own brand of fun and humor, and occasionally something that just clicks.
And like FYAD, the Flameboard was never for the faint of heart. Going in there without lurking and understanding the board is a fast track to getting mocked and humiliated. For a long time, I felt this was understood among the posters of QCDN, and (like FYAD) the simplest way to avoid having issues with the Flameboard was to simply not read it.
This has obviously proven impossible, and the solution that presented itself was to cater to those who feel the Flameboard is an affront to the server.
In its place has popped up a 'watch list' where posting outside opinions are very likely going to be impossible. The forum's 'charm,' again, for better or worse, has been destroyed. Instead, we enter an era where feelings are not to be hurt, players are not to be harassed (and according to the guidelines, criticized) and an overall feeling of sterility has washed over the board.
The failings of users who prefer their forum experience to be as inoffensive and PC as possible have influenced the forum to a degree where those who have the ability to moderate themselves and enjoy the atmosphere of the Flameboard have that which they have grown to love on this board taken away without so much as a vote. I understand that we as a QCDN community (some as former mods, though if my services are needed again I feel I can be of use to the board) have no say in how Sculli runs this forum. We lose those rights the moment we agree to have user accounts.
However.
Even in Sculli's PM to all mods revoking their status said the forum would experience a downturn in traffic. Perhaps this was the idea behind removing the board. I personally disagree with the reasons put behind the Flameboard's departure and I know no number of postings will change Sculli's mind on this. He, and those he has listened to, have spoken, and we must all accept that decision and move on.
But don't forget. The Flameboard was what brought me to this forum (and was, if I remember right, my second post here.) I'm sure many of you came due to the FB. Maybe you stayed for another board. Maybe you're leaving because it's gone. Maybe you'll skate the thin line between flame and discussion and keep posting in GD. Maybe you won't, and you'll be banned.
In the end, the Flameboard was a roaring success. It was what it was supposed to be, and never really tried to be anything more. It may have taken on a life of its own at times, and it gave me and countless others hours of entertainment on an otherwise dull board.
Will QCDN ever be the same? We'll see.
(Note: Those disagreeing with this post will be promptly reported to the admin under the "Harassment" guidelines posted in the QCDN Community Standards.)
This part has been a topic of both admiration and hatred since the beginning of QCDN. It has turned squabbles into full-scale wars, turned users into heroes and villains simultaneously, and shown the Internet both the best and the worst of our server.
As of today, Sculli would like to continue on with QCDN as though the Flameboard never existed. Lock it, delete it, pretend a 'kinder, gentler' QCDN will bring an age of enlightenment to this board. Over 2400 threads and nearly 110,000 posts stored away like the Ark in Raiders. Many feel this will be a new era for this board.
I agree with this as well - but not in a positive sense. For better or worse, the Flameboard showed us the pulse of our server and gave QCDN the majority of its content. Not only content, but unique, focused content where you never knew what would be posted the next time you hit F5. Careers were both made and destroyed on that board, and that was part of its eternal charm.
With the Flameboard gone, what does QCDN offer the general member? Going forum-by-forum, aside from the circle of posters being smaller than any 'general' FFXI board, the boards are, to put it simply, nothing that can't be found elsewhere. I'll leave out the new forums for now, give them a chance.
General Discussion? Alla's main forum with just QCDN members responding, scattered with random "Should I quit" threads.
Event Scheduling? Perhaps the only real server-based thread left, with (in my experience using the board) poor results compared to simply using the /shout feature in Jeuno.
Good Times? With the "Thanks" feature added, we may as well obliterate this forum as well. Countless ego-stroking posts with no real content aside from fishing for 'congrats!' and 'gj d00d!' And yes, I'm guilty of using the forum for that myself - but that doesn't mean its content is at all worthwhile or necessary.
Auctionhouse? Again, some decent server-based postings, but discussion-free for the most part, mentioning that a price is too high/low is frowned upon, and countless threads disappear without as much as a reply, defeating the purpose of the person posting in the first place OR PC+1ing their thread to keep it up at the top of the board.
Crafter's Corner? Aside from perhaps 10 or so members of this forum with some pretty experienced and unique views on crafting, there's nothing on that board that isn't found better/more in-depth on multiple other forums.
Traveller's Tavern? 73 threads in two+ years kind of speaks for itself. (I actually went back and edited this thread in, as I had honestly forgotten it existed.)
LS Recruiting? See Auctionhouse, but with linkpearls instead of items.
Quests/Missions/Guides? Once again, less information than the general boards.
Fan Works? I'll talk about this forum once I actually have interest in viewing it - give me a day or 2.
Off-Topic/RSI? Only really good if you want your views on the world to come from the people who Refresh you, I guess.
It doesn't really take too much thought to realize that the Flameboard, love it or hate it, was the goldmine of content that drew people to the site. General Discussion has around 30,000 posts to go to catch up to the now-dead forum. Some may say "Yeah, that's only because everyone post-spammed the Flameboard!" and you have some merit there.
Let me draw some parallels to another forum I love - the Something Awful forums. While there are a lot of differences (the most glaring being the $10 barrier of entry to SA) people flock to both here and the Awful Forums for one main reason:
Content.
Content you're not going to find anywhere else. And while each forum has its general boards that have the same threads you'll find at every other board out there, and the same (if not stricter) level of moderation, they each had a hook. Something that people would both love and hate, and would drive people to the site.
SA has FYAD. To ensure this post doesn't get locked for 'community standards' guidelines, I have no intention of spelling out what FYAD stands for (though you can likely figure it out given enough time.) To me, the Flameboard reminded me a lot of FYAD. A lot of 'worthless' posts, its own brand of fun and humor, and occasionally something that just clicks.
And like FYAD, the Flameboard was never for the faint of heart. Going in there without lurking and understanding the board is a fast track to getting mocked and humiliated. For a long time, I felt this was understood among the posters of QCDN, and (like FYAD) the simplest way to avoid having issues with the Flameboard was to simply not read it.
This has obviously proven impossible, and the solution that presented itself was to cater to those who feel the Flameboard is an affront to the server.
In its place has popped up a 'watch list' where posting outside opinions are very likely going to be impossible. The forum's 'charm,' again, for better or worse, has been destroyed. Instead, we enter an era where feelings are not to be hurt, players are not to be harassed (and according to the guidelines, criticized) and an overall feeling of sterility has washed over the board.
The failings of users who prefer their forum experience to be as inoffensive and PC as possible have influenced the forum to a degree where those who have the ability to moderate themselves and enjoy the atmosphere of the Flameboard have that which they have grown to love on this board taken away without so much as a vote. I understand that we as a QCDN community (some as former mods, though if my services are needed again I feel I can be of use to the board) have no say in how Sculli runs this forum. We lose those rights the moment we agree to have user accounts.
However.
Even in Sculli's PM to all mods revoking their status said the forum would experience a downturn in traffic. Perhaps this was the idea behind removing the board. I personally disagree with the reasons put behind the Flameboard's departure and I know no number of postings will change Sculli's mind on this. He, and those he has listened to, have spoken, and we must all accept that decision and move on.
But don't forget. The Flameboard was what brought me to this forum (and was, if I remember right, my second post here.) I'm sure many of you came due to the FB. Maybe you stayed for another board. Maybe you're leaving because it's gone. Maybe you'll skate the thin line between flame and discussion and keep posting in GD. Maybe you won't, and you'll be banned.
In the end, the Flameboard was a roaring success. It was what it was supposed to be, and never really tried to be anything more. It may have taken on a life of its own at times, and it gave me and countless others hours of entertainment on an otherwise dull board.
Will QCDN ever be the same? We'll see.
(Note: Those disagreeing with this post will be promptly reported to the admin under the "Harassment" guidelines posted in the QCDN Community Standards.)
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