There are a lot of forum topics that initially violate the rules stated here lichess.org/page/forum-etiquette, and these rules are, for the most part, concise and clear. However, when somebody violates the "spam" portion, they receive backlash and often times this results in even more spam or controversy. This is especially considering that moderators are not online 24 by 7, scouring the forums for threads that need to be closed or deleted.
Therefore, I would recommend including a list of spam topics that are not allowed in the forums, that somebody can read and refer to so they know not to post those things in the first place. It will save moderator's time and the poster will not receive hate or get roped into a forum fight. What applies on another site might not necessarily apply on Lichess. Here are some example topics to be included on the list:
• Comparing chess sites ("lichess vs chess.com vs chess24) These are not valid votes because people who play on Lichess think it is the best site, otherwise they would play on another site. A lot of users also take this as an opportunity to put down other websites or players who use those websites, which is downright disrespectful in my book.
• Creating Bot accounts ("how do I make a BOT?" ) The instructions you can find on your search engine are just as good. Take ten seconds and make use of your resources.
• Favorite friends or forum posters ("who is your favorite forumer?") If you ask me these are pointless popularity contests. All forum posters who don't violate rules are great and equal to each other. These threads encourage elitism and exclusiveness.
• Posts addressed to only one person ("why did @username close their account?") Ohter people's personal matters are none of our business and in the case that you are curious you can use private messages.
• Posts that don't spark a discussion ("look at this game where my opponent fell for the fool's mate, the end") I know I couldn't find a better example, but you get what I mean. One-sentence statements that don't ensure the topic will continue are technically spam...
I'm sure there are many more that are not on the list, and I understand that blanket rules don't always apply, and most of these people who post such forums are not doing so out of bad intentions, but I feel like this would help reduce the amount of spam and save everyone's time.
Feel free to share your thoughts below. No forum fights or flamewars please!
Therefore, I would recommend including a list of spam topics that are not allowed in the forums, that somebody can read and refer to so they know not to post those things in the first place. It will save moderator's time and the poster will not receive hate or get roped into a forum fight. What applies on another site might not necessarily apply on Lichess. Here are some example topics to be included on the list:
• Comparing chess sites ("lichess vs chess.com vs chess24) These are not valid votes because people who play on Lichess think it is the best site, otherwise they would play on another site. A lot of users also take this as an opportunity to put down other websites or players who use those websites, which is downright disrespectful in my book.
• Creating Bot accounts ("how do I make a BOT?" ) The instructions you can find on your search engine are just as good. Take ten seconds and make use of your resources.
• Favorite friends or forum posters ("who is your favorite forumer?") If you ask me these are pointless popularity contests. All forum posters who don't violate rules are great and equal to each other. These threads encourage elitism and exclusiveness.
• Posts addressed to only one person ("why did @username close their account?") Ohter people's personal matters are none of our business and in the case that you are curious you can use private messages.
• Posts that don't spark a discussion ("look at this game where my opponent fell for the fool's mate, the end") I know I couldn't find a better example, but you get what I mean. One-sentence statements that don't ensure the topic will continue are technically spam...
I'm sure there are many more that are not on the list, and I understand that blanket rules don't always apply, and most of these people who post such forums are not doing so out of bad intentions, but I feel like this would help reduce the amount of spam and save everyone's time.
Feel free to share your thoughts below. No forum fights or flamewars please!
