Guidelines for length of news posts

[Chris_D]

There has been some off topic discussion in the PSN thread about whether the length of that news post requires the use of the MORE tag. I double checked the guidelines and there doesn't seem to be anything specific about it.

Some time ago I was contacted directly by a founder with concerns about the length of the Media Create posts. Based on those concerns I have since used the MORE tag to keep the length down. I had no particular objection at the time and perhaps this is something that should now be standardised across all news posts?

[TheKeck]

In the case in question, I think the more tags would be an improvement, but I also don't care that much.

On a (maybe somewhat?) related note, I've always been curious about when news posts are closed to comments and instead link to another thread for discussion. Seems odd to me.

[DoctorFinger]

In the case in question, I think the more tags would be an improvement, but I also don't care that much.

On a (maybe somewhat?) related note, I've always been curious about when news posts are closed to comments and instead link to another thread for discussion. Seems odd to me.When we do features which are too long for the front page, we do a locked news post directing people to the feature/posdcast/thread/etc. It's one of the weakness of the forum software we use, but it's usually not too irritating (I hope!).

[JayVe]

For extra long features like the ones you describe, would it be possible/feasible to use the initial post as the news, and place the feature in the second post? This way people could respond to the news directly.

I've always thought it was a bit odd, but the whole thing hasn't personally bothered me.

As for the discussion in the PSN thread, it should have quickly been shunted over here to the maintenance bay like Chris_D did, instead of telling me to submit my own darn PSN posts if I didn't like the format.

[Gorvi]

As for the discussion in the PSN thread, it should have quickly been shunted over here to the maintenance bay like Chris_D did, instead of telling me to submit my own darn PSN posts if I didn't like the format.
Or you should have addressed it in the appropriate manner from the get go. Give it a rest.

[JayVe]

Boy oh boy.

If I didn't know how address it, that does not do me much good, does it? Your response wasn't one I expected from the staff of any web site. It wasn't informative at all.

"Don't like it? Submit your own post." as opposed to "Lets take this discussion to the Maintenance Bay (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/forumdisplay.php?f=15)."

Yep. All my fault... for trying to make the site better.

Hubris kills

[DoctorFinger]

For extra long features like the ones you describe, would it be possible/feasible to use the initial post as the news, and place the feature in the second post? This way people could respond to the news directly.

I've always thought it was a bit odd, but the whole thing hasn't personally bothered me.

As for the discussion in the PSN thread, it should have quickly been shunted over here to the maintenance bay like Chris_D did, instead of telling me to submit my own darn PSN posts if I didn't like the format.It's generally only done now for features (reviews/interviews/hands-on previews)) or podcasts, which we'd prefer to keep in their own forums rather than have them peppered around the news forum.

As for the initial question: if the post is really long, the list should be under a 'more' button. But it's decided on a case-by-case basis.

[Gorvi]

Boy oh boy.

If I didn't know how address it, that does not do me much good, does it? Your response wasn't one I expected from the staff of any web site. It wasn't informative at all.

"Don't like it? Submit your own post." as opposed to "Lets take this discussion to the Maintenance Bay (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/forumdisplay.php?f=15)."

Yep. All my fault... for trying to make the site better.

Hubris kills
In the future overly long updates will take advantage of the Read More feature. The tone and method of your initial communication on the matter is why you received the response you did. A polite PM suggesting a condensed post would have been more than sufficient and prompted a different kind of response. Posting in the thread the way you did and then reporting the news post on top of that is tactless.

[JayVe]

In the future overly long updates will take advantage of the Read More feature. The tone and method of your initial communication on the matter is why you received the response you did. A polite PM suggesting a condensed post would have been more than sufficient and prompted a different kind of response. Posting in the thread the way you did and then reporting the news post on top of that is tactless.

As was your response. You told me that things wouldn't change unless you heard more complaints.

Tactless posters on the Internet? Shock.

Tactless staff? A step lower.

[Gorvi]

As was your response. You told me that things wouldn't change unless you heard more complaints.

Tactless posters on the Internet? Shock.

Tactless staff? A step lower.
I shouldn't have lowered myself to your level, you're correct. As for this line of discussion, now that a resolution has been resolved, I'm done. Continue if you'd like, nothing more can come of it.

[JayVe]

I got what I wanted... a cleaner home page using these new guidelines.

[Abyssion]

I think I'll throw in my two cents (not that anyone cares), but I don't have a problem with the longer newsposts seeing as how news isn't exactly posted at a constant rate than it was at the old site.

I can see the whole thing from both sides, but neither one really bugs me. I don't have a problem middle clicking and dragging my mouse down for three seconds. Then again, that three seconds could be spent loading the next page, since I could already be clicking on a link.

Besides I'm usually scrolling down just to click on the sidebar with recent activity, or I am going down to the list of users to click on my name to search my posts to see if anyone posted after me in a specific topic (by the way is there an easier way to see my own posts without having to do that? Why can't I click on my own user name on the frontpage like I can when I visit a forum page such as this. Then again, it's a seperate thing and probably doesn't belong in this topic).

[JayVe]

Not everyone has a scroll wheel all the time.

Some people read the site on mobile devices as well.

Abyssion, use the User CP (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/usercp.php) link to see your subscribed posts.