I applaud your efforts. I have visted your forums less and less of late (while still remaining a loyal customer). Your wise decision to crack down on the idiots will undoubtedly bring me back to read substantive comments.

It's often a difficult line, deciding how much control to exert over a "public forum," but the guidelines you stated above seem just right.

Keep up the good work!

--Dannyspleen

P.S. First page! OMG LOL! (just kidding)

Thank you.

And I'll be the first to admit that my first page posts had zero enlightening content.

Are these referral link and associated rules also going to be in effect in the Everything Else topics? Just curious.

thank you so much. i really appreciate a good forum that's controled and i think i will spend a little more time here reading about products instead of just checking the woot and leaving.

btw, do these apply as strickly to the photoshop contest threads? i know those are more for fun and i enjoy some of the commentary there.

Does this go for that peteroman character? heh

Well said.

BTW...
I'm drunk!!!! first page, uh, not first post! Bone of Contention Bone of Contention Bone of Contention

I was gonna throw a "First!" out there just for comedic value, but I'm too late.

There was a one popular website called f__kedcompany.com that fell victim to lack of enforcement of the rules. I am glad you are jumping in before you meet the same fate.

M

While the Everything Else (and other) forums are under these same rules, they will not be under the same level of scrutiny as the product threads.

Essentially, we're saying people will probably get away with a little more stuff over there, but we hang out there, too, so we may occasionally do a bit of pruning. And if jerks move in and start to ruin all our fun, we reserve the right to punch them. Or at least ban their accounts.

Glad to see everyone's pretty much on board with us here. Hopefully we'll end up getting known for having an insightful, cool community and attract smart people from all around to come in and tell us why our products suck.

colinski wrote:

thank you so much. i really appreciate a good forum that's controled and i think i will spend a little more time here reading about products instead of just checking the woot and leaving. btw, do these apply as strickly to the photoshop contest threads? i know those are more for fun and i enjoy some of the commentary there.

I, for one, am hoping that at least the "PG-13" rule gets applied to the photoshop thread. Some of the entries in that last contest were simply inappropriate.

My favorite part of the US Constitution are the first five words in the first amendment: "Congress shall make no law."

Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, but it only says that "Congress shall make no law respecting ... abridging the freedom of speech." It refers to government limitations on speech, and has nothing to do with what the rest of us want (or don't want) to hear. In fact, 'Congress shall make no law regarding who you kick off of your blog.' (I made up that part, but it is consistent).

BRAVO to you for getting rid of the dumb stuff, and for all the right reasons.

Dave

Thank you

Well you just put peteroman out of business... well done. You've done well updating everything with 2.0 (I hardly ever hear someone say how much they hate brocooli and carrots anymore) and the improvements with the forums (particularly wootbot) are fantastic. Keep it up!!!

chrisaroz wrote:

Well you just put peteroman out of business... well done. You've done well updating everything with 2.0 (I hardly ever hear someone say how much they hate brocooli and carrots anymore) and the improvements with the forums (particularly wootbot) are fantastic. Keep it up!!!

I hesitate to go off topic (might get banned), but how are the skins coming along? I heard that at some point we would be able to choose different color schemes?


Oh, and I don't actually think Pete will go anywhere for awhile. If he stopped posting now, it would just prove that he was only here to spam, not be a part of the community like he claims to be.

dave bug wrote:

Glad to see everyone's pretty much on board with us here. Hopefully we'll end up getting known for having an insightful, cool community and attract smart people from all around to come in and tell us why our products suck.

I disagree with this statement. If people would look around, this forum is already a cool, attractive, and insightful.


There is just some people that aren't quite up to date on internet forums



I hope I can be considered as part of that cool, insightful and attractive community.


Oh, and I'm generally opposed to change, and here most people are for the change, so I'm gonna go against the flow and say that I don't like the changes. Seriously. What do you say to that?

cruzer wrote:

I disagree with this statement. If people would look around, this forum is already a cool, attractive, and insightful. There is just some people that aren't quite up to date on internet forums I hope I can be considered as part of that cool, insightful and attractive community. Oh, and I'm generally opposed to change, and here most people are for the change, so I'm gonna go against the flow and say that I don't like the changes. Seriously. What do you say to that?

Are you saying that you like all the referral posts, "first page" posts, etc? If so, well, you could just leave, if you don't like the changes.

Binaural wrote:

Are these referral link and associated rules also going to be in effect in the Everything Else topics? Just curious.

oooh thats right
Let the EE forum be as it was
or at least the post whore thread!
pleeeze

dave bug wrote:

While the Everything Else (and other) forums are under these same rules, they will not be under the same level of scrutiny as the product threads. Essentially, we're saying people will probably get away with a little more stuff over there, but we hang out there, too, so we may occasionally do a bit of pruning. And if jerks move in and start to ruin all our fun, we reserve the right to punch them. Or at least ban their accounts. Glad to see everyone's pretty much on board with us here. Hopefully we'll end up getting known for having an insightful, cool community and attract smart people from all around to come in and tell us why our products suck.

That sounds fair enough
but half the fun of the post whore thread
is the pissing contests Pete and Cruzer have
awww, good times

Mydogkickzass wrote:

oooh thats right Let the EE forum be as it was or at least the post whore thread! pleeeze

That wasn't my point. I was hoping the rules, especially those regarding referral links, would also be extended to that area.

Binaural wrote:

Are you saying that you like all the referral posts, "first page" posts, etc? If so, well, you could just leave, if you don't like the changes.

haha, why fix what isn't broken.

Binaural wrote:

That wasn't my point. I was hoping the rules, especially those regarding referral links, would also be extended to that area.

yes but you sparked a thought in my head
and the quote button was closer than the post button was

Thanks woot!
I will appreciate being able to get directly to the opinions & "price checks" for the products, as well as the reports of how good/bad the items are when they arrive.

I really appreciate this--thanks!

Hurray! My visits to the forums have dropped off considerably. The "First Pagers" at times took up three pages before any content related to the item was posted.

I applaud Woot! for finally making a stand. I look forward to browsing 2-3 pages of content rather than 5-10 pages of mindless nothing.

Wow, I found someone with an extra woot! t-shirt (they got it in a Bag-O-Crap) who is willing to give it up, AND the forums are getting cleaned up in one day. This is my lucky woot! day. Maybe I should stay up till midnight, you know... just in case.

Firebert

I think nearly everyone who's ever even noticed that I exist knows where I stand, but it ought to be said anyway: well done!

(though at now eight minutes after the wooting hour, I have to say it doesn't appear to be working, yet)

Amen.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!


BTW, if you want me to pull the link to my site, I'll be deeply hurt, but I will comply.

Amen.

I used to read every forum but gave up long ago. Too many people talking to themselves and telling us why they didn't want, or already had, or couldn't afford the item that sold out in 16 minutes anyway. If you don't want or need it, why tell us? Go to sleep.

I still checked the item every midnight, but just couldn't wade through all the self serving junk posts. I couldn't believe you allowed them. Thanks for doing what is right for the rest of us and for the site.

Oh, did I make first page? Ooops.

I look forward to not having to sift through dozens of posts containing meaningless drivel.

Thank you

oh oh...now that I think about this (not that I was really against it in the first place), ya'll are gonna need some help controlling all these posts....I know you have a few volunteers for being mods here....come on, think about it, you know you want some more mods

I just want to add another "Thank you"...

I gave up trying to say much of value after a month or so on the sight, since my posts were lost in the sea of "Bone of Contention!!!" posts, and inevitably, somebody with a "FIRST POST!" would edit their post to make some random comment followed by a commentary added 10 minutes later...

I'm looking forward to the new attitude - see y'all around the boards

Jason Toon wrote:

Eh? Huh? What's that you say? Speak up, man! ...the New Woot Order

Man... And to think I didn't even get a mention, a wink, a nod, a...

Props to Woot for finally putting your foot (s?) down. I think it's great that I don't have to sift through hundreds of idiotic messages to find something actually worth reading. However, I'm not sure how I feel about not being allowed to post referral links. I mean, I guess that you guys have a business to run, and you'd rather not have your website be used to advertise for competitors, but what's the harm in us (your oh-so-loyal customers) trying to sucker people into doing referrals for us so that we can get a free iPod?

But I totally understand if you want to keep the rules just the way that they are.

wOOt.

Thank you! It is not like you are depriving all of hte adolescent posters of theirconstitutional rights. There are plenty of other arenas on the Internet for their juvenile comments .

Thank you. I appreciate the changes.

Thank goodness, I used to peruse the forumns, espeically for the product at woothand, but I kept getting annoyed having to surf through the first 3 pages of first posts and this woot sucks, and why'd I stay up for this. It's obvious that not everyone is going to like the product on hand, but the majority of the products do sell out...so yeah.

New Woot Order!!
Viva La Resistance or something.

AMEN! BAck to usefulness for the blog!

while i applaud your efforts to get rid of the "first posts" and other useless nonsense peope post up here, you might want to consider revising your "rules"...

http://www.woot.com/WhatIsWoot.aspx#q26

"We know spamming and forum vandalism when we see it. We will enjoy ruthlessly destroying it. So bring it, chumps! Bring it!"

how can you go about banning people from the forums, when you outright are taunting them to do so in your "rules" section...

i am hoping this post doesn't get me banned, as i would enjoy contributing to "usefull" posts, but i just felt i should point it out.

bravo!

it's been over twelve hours now to judge from the current woot, and I have to say it's not quite enough. (and not quiet enough)

I can tell that a few were removed, but there are still plenty of posts on the first page which say nothing at all about the current item.
I'll agree that

umm...no thanks...

can be considered a mild negative product review,
but

Repeat..............................BAG OF CRAP COMING SOON?

is a complete waste of the valuable time of numerous people trying to read the forum.

And

woot

(plus signature) ... from someone who should know better, that's just pushing the envelope to see how much it gives. Please, from here on out, not that much. (or I suppose that one-word posting could be a subtle request to have the post removed, now that we never get to delete our own any more)

In my opinion, the key question every moderator needs to ask themselves in order to decide whether to delete a post is:

Does this add value to the experience of a potential customer trying to make an immediate buying decision about this specific item?



I will admit, though, that there is at least one type of audience member who may have a positive appreciation for the noise. But then you have to ask yourself Do we want to sell foot-switches, cubicle doors, and light-up keyboards, or do we want to sell home theater systems, quality appliances, and cutting edge electronics?

Judging from last nite's woot offering, I see that a post consisting of "woot!" was deleted, but one that says "woot" (without the exclamation point) remains. I think we have found where the company draws the line.

woot