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Lift Posting Limits During Wartime?

Jack Fear

16:13 / 20.03.03

Like many of you, I've found myself using the 'lith as a central clearinghouse for war info--posting lots of rolling news, links, and such--and it occurs to me that I'll be hitting my daily posting limit pretty soon. Others may soon encounter the same problem—but the board is too valuable a resource to silence. I'd hate to miss some vital bit of info because the poster had already done hir 25 posts for that 24-hour period.

So I'm asking...

(a) Is it possible to temporarily disable the board's posting-limit function?

(b) Is it simple enough to do to make it worthwhile?

(c) Does it seem like a good idea--for the first few days of the campaign, anyway, when the breaking news is coming the fastest?

netbanshee

16:28 / 20.03.03

Don't have any answers myself, but it sounds like a good idea to me. Granted I've probably never broken the limit before, but not a bad idea if in fact we need to...

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:27 / 21.03.03

Sounds like a good idea to me. Especially the "As it happens" threads, if stuff's coming thick and fast.

Our Lady of The Two Towers

08:31 / 21.03.03

Is there a point? It's not like a Mayday, Twin Towers or the March, where we had people on the spot. Basically what we'd be doing is flooding the board with what we're seeing on the TV. For now, I think the key is to think carefully about what you want to say and direct it to the appropriate thread (I don't suppose there's any way to link the thread in the Conversation to the one in the Switchboard?)

Jack Fear

12:49 / 21.03.03

Basically what we'd be doing is flooding the board with what we're seeing on the TV.

Are we? I've seen lots of links with background and analysis of which I might have otherwise not been aware. I think the point of the thread is as an adjunct/sidebar to the audio/TV/web coverage.

Linus Dunce

13:49 / 21.03.03

I think it's a fine idea in principle, but in practice I don't think it would be very long before someone decides to crap all over this "lefty-peacenik" board as an easy DoS (or denial-of-discussion) attack. Feelings are running high and will run higher.

Jack Fear

13:57 / 21.03.03

Oh, please. What a load of paranoid, self-important tosh: you reeally think THE MAN deigns to notice what goes on here?

And any trolls can be dealt with as usual, by blocking individual ISPs.

All this being said: as heavy as things got yest'y, I never did hit my 25-post limit... maybe traffic's not as heavy as it seems.

Tom, got any stats for the last couple of days?

Linus Dunce

14:50 / 21.03.03

Jack -- Wow, synchronicity! I am actually listening to Sabbath as I read your post. And I don't think of what I or anyone else writes here as being very important at all in the scheme of things. It's just a board, right?

It's not The Man I'm thinking about. It's the rugby-shirted, pin-headed, script-wielding dork (if I may mix my English cultural references) out to use "patriotism" and "support for our boys" as an excuse to fuck something up. Believe it or not, there are people out there like that. And I'd like to be able to visit this board day after day whether or not someone with the same declared IP address as has dumped crap all over it. (I had to ask to get on Barbelith in the first place because of, I believe, the Knowledge's activities in the past.)

Ganesh

17:10 / 21.03.03

Ignatius, trolls will be trolls whatever the weather. We'll deal with them case-by-case, as we always have and always will.

Linus Dunce

00:38 / 22.03.03

I agree about the trolls. Noooo problem.

But it's not what they say, it's how often they say it. Take away posting limits and what's to stop them posting the same crap 20, 30, 50, 100, 500, 1000 times? Wouldn't that thwart the flow of conversation somewhat?

Spatula Clarke

01:56 / 22.03.03

It's really not an issue at all. If it were, every single message board out there that doesn't impose posting limits would be completely useless.

You're going round in circles. Jack's already mentioned that there are now methods in place to enable us (well, Tom) to get rid of any problems as soon as they occur. And hey, we only need to resort to those in the most extreme cases (like, once) - check how we lost innercircle a couple of months ago.

Trolling isn't a justification for posting limits any more - as far as I can see, they're only in place to try and ensure that everyone lifts their game.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:48 / 22.03.03

As far as I remember, I don't think the troll problem was the main reason for the limits anyway- that's why multiple suits were frowned on. As E (I'm not even gonna attempt to spell the rest) says, it was always more about lifting quality of posting.
There could possibly be bandwidth issues- remember the WTC, when the traffic was massive? But then- another whip-round's always an option, should that be a problem.

w1rebaby

23:51 / 23.03.03

It's really not an issue at all. If it were, every single message board out there that doesn't impose posting limits would be completely useless.

No, not really, because most boards have flood-control for that explicit purpose. I don't know if this board does. I don't think it's a big danger, however.

Tom Coates

13:53 / 25.03.03

The board had posting limits installed to encourage people to think a bit before they posted. Initially they were stringently low to make people have to think about them a lot - then they went up to the fairly reasonable 25 posts a day. I recently (without telling anyone) upped that figure to 40 posts a day - particularly because of the Mafia game ongoing in the Creation. I can stick that up further if people would like it - but that essentially does mean five posts an hour every hour for an eight-hour day...

Jack Fear

13:01 / 26.03.03

Fairy nuf. 40 ought to do it.

You are prescient, as well as wise and benevolent.

Char Aina

03:32 / 18.04.03

i like the not telling us part.

Spatula Clarke

10:42 / 18.04.03

I like the complaining about it for no good reason part.

who was complaining?

Ooh thats cool. Had no idea there were limits til yesterday, and just as well its 40 now coz i think im about hittin 25 with this. xx

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