News bots

[pibs]

the problem is the news bots, after they started showing up it looks like theres been less interaction in the forums.

[bah]

Yep, they are doing a good job at killing the community here.
Wraggster is completely aware of this yet chooses to keep them. Even every mod I have spoken to hates them and have told wraggster how they feel.

All I can think of is having all these threads (even though no one reads nor responds to them) somehow increases some automated ranking that increases advertising revenue.

It's a pity; he built a great site and now he's choosing to run it into the ground. It's his site and he's certainly entitled to do it, doesnt make the choice any less ****ing stupid.
Surely when there is nothing but the spam bots (as opposed to the current approx. 10:1 ratio of spam to actual user posts) then the site will get less ad-clicks than it does now.
I also think its extremely disrespectful to all the homebrew authors who release here. Homebrew sites exist because of their hard work and the discussion that it creates. Drowning out actual news/discussion for financial reasons (what possible other reason could there be for the bots) would have to make them feel it would be better to release just on their own site, or just somewhere else.

Everyone who cares for the future of this site needs to start making/posting in threads about the need to get rid of them. Perhaps if there are more posts in those threads than everywhere else on the site (if enough people care) put together, he may get the message.
When they first came in I made a cpl and was disappointed by the lack of responses. If its just me ranting on about it whenever the topic arises (like I'm doing now) then it's easy to ignore. When almost everyone is united in opposition to them its much harder to do so.

[ICE]

Think of it like this guys. Wraggy has like 40,000 posts and almost all of it is news. I have a forum too and after 3,000 news posts I am already wishing I had a robot to lighten the load..

Back on topic now I think the show is funny personally. I laugh at the greediness of others and how it costs them so much money with their "no deal" attitude.

[bah]

ExcruciationX: He was commenting on how much of a marked decrease in actual discussion/real posts has occurred since the bots came.
Actual posts by real people are getting hidden behind the crap, and it seems many are just not bothering to look any more.

ICE: That's assuming that a large volume of posts that are 99% crap reflects better on the site than a small volume of posts that bring unique value in terms of original news and encouraging people to discuss things/issues.

It's not as if regular members were crying out for more news, no matter how irrelevant. The lack of page views/responses for these spam threads compared to actual posts proves this.

Personally I can understand if he's sick of posting news himself, but I think he should either do it himself, allow others to post news or deal with less (but higher quality) news on the site. Perhaps if your sick of posting news on your site you should delegate or question whether you want to run a site any more, before resorting to spam.

What value does posting everything several other popular sites do bring to DCEmu?
Not only is it unoriginal (at least manually posted news is often slightly re-written or spun in a way that interests the poster), but we get thing like engadget posts news, slashdot and some other site cover it, and we get spammed with 3 different copies of the same story when it wasnt relevant the first time.

People are better than computers at many things: understanding context, creative writing, holding opinions and generating interesting discussions by using those skills are some of them.

[ICE]

its not that easy to just find people to post news. he may need his load lightened and this is the best way he found. if any of you dont like them then how about you start posting news so he wont think he needs them?

[pibs]

I wouldn't mind doing newsposting but there was nothing wrong with the ones we had before. All I am trying to say, and bah agrees with me, is that its not really about the slow news or fast ones but more of the environment the people come here to enjoy and discuss about.

[ICE]

Do you guys have any clue how hard it is to get someone to post news for you for more than a month? Its impossible and I know that from experience. Would you rather wraggy continue spending a large chunk of his day posting news on this site like it appears he has been doing for years? It takes a toll on you just spending an hour or so a day doing it. Give him a reason he doesnt need a robot to help him. Its not like any people are gonna help him post news..

Thats just how I see it. I get burned out monthly doing it so either give the man his bots or help out so he wont need them.

[bah]

I (and I think most members) was perfectly happy with the level of news posts pre-spam bots, and much happier with the site in general as the actual content wasn't hidden.

A lot of the news posted is threads moved from the Submit news section. (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=117)

If I had news posting ability then I would post relevant things I find elsewhere, but it would be nowhere near the level of a bot. If wragg just wanted to lighten the load on him then he should have the spam bots post into a hidden section and have mods/news posters choosing a couple of relevant ones each day, possibly adding something to them then posting them in an appropriate section.
Having bots posting every single thing these other sites do (with every post in the same generic format) is just crazy, as would having news posters who just copied/pasted every single article from other sites.
Giving a fair few of the members who have been around a long while the ability to post news and letting them post only where they feel it is worth it would make the site a much better place than complete duplication of all content from other sites.

If you are tired of posting, and can not find anyone to delegate responsibility for doing it, then I would think not running a site would be a better choice than slowly killing it off by reducing it to a news aggregator that does nothing but re-post other sites work.

I would even argue that the mass spamming of the bots reduces other peoples desire to help the site by posting news, as it will be hidden and quite likely missed by most users very quickly.
Pibs makes a good point, this site has always (to me at least) been about the community over 'complete news coverage'. No quantity of posts can make up for the loss of that.

ExcruciationX: I like to rant, and I hate those damn bots. That and the edit button. :)

[ICE]

I (and I think most members) was perfectly happy with the level of news posts pre-spam bots, and much happier with the site in general as the actual content wasn't hidden.


Every liked the level of news here but you dont seem to understand why we have bots now. Wraggy is tired of posting news so he got bots to help because people wont.

Either we have bots or we have very very little news. I understand that the bots overdo the news posting but its either that or not enough..

[bah]

I understand 'why we have bots', I just disagree with the thinking that lead to the decision to inflict them upon the site completely.

Regarding 'not enough news': that is my point, masses of spam posts are in no way better than less frequent posts that are of actual use to PSP homebrew users. If quantity is the only valued measurement, ignoring quality completely, then who cares how much 'news' there is?

The internet can supply seemingly infinite information, it's filtering out the crap so that you can give people who come to the site a better way of finding the particular information they are after that gives the site value.
The Community it fosters.

The posts that really count most to users/members are those regarding homebrew apps and information about how to enjoy using them.

Who are these mysterious (and never heard from) users who demand masses of irrelevant posts?
Name one significant news event to the PSP homebrew community that has been missed by the regular news posters and the submit news section, but has been covered by one of the bots in a way that a single person thought 'I'm glad those bots are there'.

[Shrygue]

I've decided to seperate the news bot discussion from the Anyone watching Deal or No Deal? thread, seeing there quite a debate about them.

[bah]

Good point/idea.
I'm trying to express that these spam bots are almost never on topic, and their negative effect (deserving of moderation) is far greater than one guy ranting in a thread about deal or no deal.
To have them all post in the off topic forum would be a detriment to its normal content. The bots need to go entirely, or at least have their spam pass though a discriminating human filter before becoming news.


Thanks for moving it rather than deleting it entirely.

[ExcruciationX]

Good point/idea.
I'm trying to express that these spam bots are almost never on topic, and their negative effect (deserving of moderation) is far greater than one guy ranting in a thread about deal or no deal.
To have them all post in the off topic forum would be a detriment to its normal content. The bots need to go entirely, or at least have their spam pass though a discriminating human filter before becoming news.


Thanks for moving it rather than deleting it entirely.
Well, it did give the thread a more intelligent topic. :p

[JKKDARK]

Hey guys, news bots are amazing.

Who cares if they post their interesting news at the discussion sections? Thanks to them, now people don't post about their hardware/software/homebrew problems on DCEmu.
Also how can we miss news like "Engadget website got a new font"?

:rolleyes:

[ExcruciationX]

Hey guys, news bots are amazing.

Who cares if they post their interesting news at the discussion sections? Thanks to them, now people don't post about their hardware/software/homebrew problems on DCEmu.
Also how can we miss news like "Engadget website got a new font"?

:rolleyes:
You can't forget three versions of the same news story either. :)

[Triv1um]

Hey guys, news bots are amazing.

Who cares if they post their interesting news at the discussion sections? Thanks to them, now people don't post about their hardware/software/homebrew problems on DCEmu.
Also how can we miss news like "Engadget website got a new font"?

:rolleyes:

That is maybe one of the most sarcastic posts i have EVER read.

Good post.

[bah]

Ahh JKK, you were missed while gone.

:)