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Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 06:29pm
by Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba
Dooey Jo wrote:If there's going to be a "nuke everything on sight" policy, why not just remove the forum altogether? Any public testing, like getting opinions on avatars and sigs and whatever, will be pointless as no one will even see the thread before it's gone. All private testing has been redundant ever since we finally got a "sig preview" function. Of what use is it?
This. Frankly, there doesn't seem to be any reason to keep Testing as a forum now that all threads are deleted within the hour. Say what you will about tradition (yada yada plebes yada yada lumpenproles yada yada testingstan vendettopaths strak), but now that the board has private testing as the way to go for new sigs and avatars, there's no real reason to not delete Testing other than giving super-mods something to do. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in thinking that this is a pretty obsolete and pointless forum these days, with the software and deletion-on-whimsy doctrine the board now uses.

So if there's a good showing of support in this thread (read: no matter what happens in this thread) then the mods will do whatever they like on this issue?

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 07:22pm
by Alyeska
I see no reason to end testing. I can and do have a need to post items in testing in order to examine how they appear on the forum without cluttering up any other forum. I have used it for testing purposes quite literally on more then one occasion.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 07:24pm
by Mr Bean
Testing serves it's purpose, it's for testing things, be they images, sigs or banners to make sure they are working right.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 07:25pm
by Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba
I see no reason to end testing. I can and do have a need to post items in testing in order to examine how they appear on the forum without cluttering up any other forum. I have used it for testing purposes quite literally on more then one occasion.

And you need to use Testing as opposed to the Preview function why...?

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 07:28pm
by The Romulan Republic
I agree with Mr. Bean that Testing serves a purpose. Then again, it doesn't contribute much. I wouldn't weep to see it gone, but I'm not going to call for its elimination either.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 07:33pm
by Alyeska
Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba wrote:
I see no reason to end testing. I can and do have a need to post items in testing in order to examine how they appear on the forum without cluttering up any other forum. I have used it for testing purposes quite literally on more then one occasion.

And you need to use Testing as opposed to the Preview function why...?
Its provides a handy place to test extensive features and see how things can interact including the posts of others. It has little drain and does serve a useful purpose.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 07:56pm
by Rye
It serves no more purpose than the preview function or PMing people to ask their opinions, get rid.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 08:11pm
by Grandmaster Jogurt
Aren't there really two options here if we keep Testing?

A: It goes (almost) unused, thus providing little drain on the server unless people really want to refresh the announcement there over and over again. Little need to delete except to clean up clutter, which doesn't seem like much of a decision for us to decide advise upon.

B: It is used. No reason to delete.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 08:22pm
by Dark Hellion
If the argument is "We need testing to test stuff" couldn't we just have a singular thread up in either OT or Hos or even here in the HoC that serves the same function? Then we can just prune one thread periodically instead of a whole forum.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 08:42pm
by Alyeska
Dark Hellion wrote:If the argument is "We need testing to test stuff" couldn't we just have a singular thread up in either OT or Hos or even here in the HoC that serves the same function? Then we can just prune one thread periodically instead of a whole forum.
Threads do not auto prune. In addition, you would be limited to making replies rather then posting new thread options. No, that would not do any good. It requires more effort and allows fewer options.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 08:48pm
by Dark Hellion
Why is autoprune necessary? We seem to be able to lock venting threads when they hit 10 pages pretty easily. Would it really be that much more work for a mod to simply delete all the posts in the thread/whole thread and remake when it hit a certain point (this is a technical question, not rhetorical)?

Also, perhaps I am missing something but what thread options are you talking about needing to test that cannot be done with preview? Again a technical question, do polls not show up on preview? Or embedding? I am not too well versed on the technical aspects of this stuff and I think many posters probably aren't as well so would you explain what necessity you have for testing?

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 08:56pm
by fgalkin
Rye wrote:It serves no more purpose than the preview function or PMing people to ask their opinions, get rid.
Uh..it allows people to test things? Like flash, embedding, strikethrough, polls, titles, etc.

And get sig/avatar opinions.

There is more to Testing than DRAMA, you know, unlike what some people here want you to believe.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:07pm
by Ohma
fgalkin wrote:
Rye wrote:It serves no more purpose than the preview function or PMing people to ask their opinions, get rid.
Uh..it allows people to test things? Like flash, embedding, strikethrough, polls, titles, etc.

And get sig/avatar opinions.

...But you can do those things just as easily with the preview function and via PM...which has been mentioned in nearly every post in the thread.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:08pm
by The Vortex Empire
Testing only requires the preview button. In its current state, it is not worth keeping. Delete.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:26pm
by fgalkin
Ohma wrote:
fgalkin wrote:
Rye wrote:It serves no more purpose than the preview function or PMing people to ask their opinions, get rid.
Uh..it allows people to test things? Like flash, embedding, strikethrough, polls, titles, etc.

And get sig/avatar opinions.

...But you can do those things just as easily with the preview function and via PM...which has been mentioned in nearly every post in the thread.
You're going to PM ten different people if you want their opinion? My PM box is always full, so I can't do that.

Also, things like birthday threads- they gotta go somewhere. And yes, Mods can use their discretion in nuking these, so they can last more than an hour if they choose to keep them.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:32pm
by Rye
fgalkin wrote:Uh..it allows people to test things? Like flash, embedding, strikethrough, polls, titles, etc.
So does clicking "preview" aside from titles and polls, and I think we all know how they work by now.
And get sig/avatar opinions.
Why not just post in AMP for that stuff? Other avatar dumps have been done there. Why not PM someone you respect on the matter? It'll be all over the forum instantly, so I'm sure people will tell you if they give two shits.
There is more to Testing than DRAMA, you know, unlike what some people here want you to believe.
And none of it is really needed.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:36pm
by fgalkin
Rye wrote:
fgalkin wrote:Uh..it allows people to test things? Like flash, embedding, strikethrough, polls, titles, etc.
So does clicking "preview" aside from titles and polls, and I think we all know how they work by now.
You do. New people don't.
And get sig/avatar opinions.
Why not just post in AMP for that stuff? Other avatar dumps have been done there. Why not PM someone you respect on the matter? It'll be all over the forum instantly, so I'm sure people will tell you if they give two shits.
Posts in AMP count towards your total and are permanent. Posts in Testing are not. And, once again, will you PM dozens of people to get opinions on sigs/avatars?

Also, new user introductions still go there. It says as much in the forum description.

Testing still has a purpose, whether you like it or not.


Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:39pm
by Darth Wong
"Waah! If we can't treat it the way we want, then nobody should have it!!! Waaah!"

Does that summarize it?

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:41pm
by fgalkin
Darth Wong wrote:"Waah! If we can't treat it the way we want, then nobody should have it!!! Waaah!"

Does that summarize it?
Pretty much, I think.

Can we end this silly discussion now?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 09:54pm
by Alyeska
Darth Wong wrote:"Waah! If we can't treat it the way we want, then nobody should have it!!! Waaah!"

Does that summarize it?
If I can't have it, nobody can. Yeah, it sounds like they are lashing out in spite.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 10:02pm
by Dark Hellion
I am actually curious if the improved functions of the board post-upgrade has rendered the forum unnecessary. I am not going to speak for the others though, but I think there is at least some merit in someone laying out the technical reasons for a Testing Forum to exist now that it seems nearly all the things can be viewed in preview.

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 10:05pm
by fgalkin
Dark Hellion wrote:I am actually curious if the improved functions of the board post-upgrade has rendered the forum unnecessary. I am not going to speak for the others though, but I think there is at least some merit in someone laying out the technical reasons for a Testing Forum to exist now that it seems nearly all the things can be viewed in preview.
Does no one bother to read my posts anymore, or are you simply ignoring things you don't like?

Here, let me summarize them for you one last time

1) Get sig/avatar opinions.
2) New User Introduction threads.
3) New User testing- YOU may know about the Preview function and how polls work- newbies might not
4) Stuff like birthday threads.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Re: Ending the Testing Forum

Posted: 2009-10-21 10:08pm
by Mr Bean
Dark Hellion wrote:I am actually curious if the improved functions of the board post-upgrade has rendered the forum unnecessary. I am not going to speak for the others though, but I think there is at least some merit in someone laying out the technical reasons for a Testing Forum to exist now that it seems nearly all the things can be viewed in preview.
Once again you ignore the fact it's still the forum for introductions and avatar testing/opinion... if your in to that sort of thing.

Once again it's pointed out that you have been on this forum with a testing forum for half a decade now and it was not until the Testing changes came down the line you were for killing the Testing Forum. The forum has had those features for well over a year now and now you chose to raise your ire over testing existence.