POLL: Ban age, countdown and counting topics?

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I meant to make this a poll (and, maybe, somebody else has already done so), but it appears that creating polls is currently unavailable.

What is the point of having the main-page popular-topics list dominated by age, countdown and counting topics? Is there a way to exempt such topics from the list while still allowing them to flourish wherever they reside within the forum? Also, are such topics relevant to neurodiversity and I am just missing the connection? It appears to me to be a way for WP users to gain quick "veteran" status or for WP itself to increase its site hits. In either case, I like the popular-topics list to be void of irrelevant topics that, in my opinion, dilute the overall influence and tone of the site.

Just wondering. So what would be your vote: 1) "Ban such topics", 2) "Allow such topics, but remove them from the popular-topics list," or 3) "Encourage such topics."

I am all for bringing back the polls.

IMHO, "countdown and counting topics" appeal to the Aspie in all of us. We like order and sense. We like a progression. We like quantifiable information. We like to forget our problems by counting and doing punny things.

I'm for option 2. The people who want to post in these topics can find them, and the people who don't won't have to scroll down past counting topics to find the topics they would post in.

I would absolutely NOT want to ban such topics at all. I don't come here just to talk about having Aspergers. I come for other things as well, and playing games in the Off the wall section is one of them. It's fun for me, it gives an opportunity to get to know people in a different way than the rest of the forum, and it's a regular crowd there that obviously enjoy it too.

WP is a hangout place for some of us. I would hate to see it become one of those forums that is AS stuff only. I, for one, never stay on those for long. They're can't hold my interest in the long run. WP OTOH has something for everyone, no matter what we're into at the time.

I see no reason to remove them from popular topics list. And I don't even play the countdown and counting games myself, I'm into other types of games.

So my vote is: No ban on games, and if they're popular, the popular threads list should reflect that.


I miss the old system though, where it wasn't "popular topics" but newest on the front page. I always checked that list.

You can't ban a topic----unless, of course, it goes against the rules. Those topics are on the games forum, and I would NOT like to see the games go away. I CAN, however, understand why they would be a pain, on that list----but, one can't fault people who like to play the word / counting games.

I find the counting threads pretty pointless & I wish there was something else in that section like online quizzes/tests so I'd vote for 2.

we're not going to ban those topics because of 1) they ovbiously don't break any expressed rules, and 2):

if every discussion must be germane to ASD and neurodiversity, over half the forum wouldn't exist.

on the other hand, i see why they could get on your nerves..i used to post in such topics, not anymore and they appear on my 'egosearch' and clutter it. i'm all for 'unsubscribing' from such topics, preventing them from appearing on the 'egosearch'.

the popular topics list should reflect popular topics.

my only problem is they take up a lot of space and make it hard to see real topics, like it's annoying viewing posts since last visit all be filled with those threads and I avoid posting in them since they'd filled up my view my posts too.

It's not a good look when a young aspie requesting help with serious life issues has 0 replies, then gets buried under a pile of "let's count to a bazillion" threads.

cberg wanted to discuss solutions to this problem, but for some reason, was ignored.

https://www.wrongplanet.net/forums/view ... p?t=274027

I agree with this. This is part of why I suggested the topic. I don't want to ban games and entertainment (age, counting and otherwise) despite my ideas for a few poll questions, but certain sub-forums' topics (such as "WrongPlanet.net discussion") aren't linked to the Active Discussions list. Couldn't the games and entertainment topics be delinked, too?

I don't believe that delinking the games and entertainment topics from the Active Discussions list would cause them to whither on the vine. Like many online forums, the games and entertainment section is one of the most popular parts of Wrong Planet. It isn't like it needs promoting.

I'm all for the ability to 'customize' one's active topic list/egosearch by blacklisting 'count to X' threads or what-have-you.

How does that work?

i don't have the power to implement it, but i guess you could select thread or even entire forums, and new posts on there wouldn't show up on your feeds. they will still be there for others to enjoy but they won't clutter your feed.

from the other thread:

we do sometimes lock (remove if no replies) if a thread is deemed 'pointless', or a thinly veiled rehash of one that has already been locked. but that's not a bad idea...

Why not just restore the "New Threads" features from the old WP, in place of the current "Active Discussions" slot on the Home Page. That would resolve most of these issues, surely?

I find all the counting and countdown threads to be quite spammy and annoying, to be honest. I wish there were a way to filter them from the "posts since last visit" link, as well as other threads I have no interest in.

I really want to just ban them outright, but I understand that they are quite popular here, and a lot of members would be displeased if they were banned. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, I just find them to be annoying.

I don't understand. I have "feeds"? News to me. I have found nothing in the control panel to suggest that I can choose what appears on the main page. But, I admit that phpbb-style coding isn't what I know best.