What is SPAM?

[Nuts]

Seriously, what is spam and why is it inherently bad?

Let's assume for a moment that you're in the middle of a quality thread, and someone comes in and posts "Noobs!" or "Haha dumbasses!" Now, this would be spam in my opinion. A topic, which had great merit, yet someone came in and began posting meaningless drivel that had no relation to the current flow.

On the other hand, let's take a thread that has ended for all intensive purposes. The conversation has died and there isn't much interest. Is it wrong to have a bit of small talk and witty banter amongst the participants as they close out the thread? It's not detracting from the overall flow, since the thread has died.

And lastly, let's examine the quality of spam. If two or more people are conversing, is that spam? Or is spam a singular act that causes disruption in a thread? Assuming you aren't actually disturbing the flow of a thread, what harm does it cause to have a bit of off topic conversation amongst a few friends?

Understandably, there are times and places for everything, but if we're going to be so uptight that people can't relax and have a bit of fun, what's the point?

[kongurous]

I never said spamming was bad, I said spam was bad in the Intellectual Roundtable. Take a look at its description, does it say anything about light-hearted conversation? Hell no. If you must have semi-mindless posting, then have it in the Member's Lounge or another forum, just not a subforum whose sole purpose is for debate, not conversation after said debate. You have plenty of other mediums to reach people, if you really want a light conversation with them, freakin' instant messenger them or something.

On a completely off-topic, but somewhat related to my attitude, note... I need more sleep <_<

[Kingscrab]

Is it wrong to have a bit of small talk and witty banter amongst the participants as they close out the thread? It's not detracting from the overall flow, since the thread has died. I think it's fine. It helps diffuse any remaining hostilities between debaters (in an IR scenerio) and signals end "end to that round". (and let's face it, sometimes it can get heated) It doesn't mean others can't jump in later to make other points against other debaters...

Spam that makes me laugh is okay too!

[Nuts]

I agree kong, rules should be strict in IR, but not to the point that it makes things unpleasant. I was quick to enforce rules against flames and stump speeches, but honestly, if a thread has come to a conclusion, I see no reason why the participants of that thread can't blow off some steam like KC said. If it gets silly, like the thread from today, a mod can close it and everyone can move on. But the term "spam" has such a negative stigma, yet it seems to be applied to the most harmless conversations as of late. I don't feel that small talk between two or more people should be considered spam, especially if those people were actively engaged previously. Now if kongurous comes in to a thread where he didn't participate, and he begins posting one-liners, then yes, we should enforce all rules and punishments, up to and including a permanent ban and censure from the Warboards staff. ;)

[GrimTerror]

"Spam is a disgusting version of deformed Ham. It needs to die!!"

If that was posted as a reply in this topic, would it be Spam? And will the mods close down this thread because the topic is spam, and thus the thread itself is spam.

So many questions...so little time

[Veeger]

I'm of the opinion that if the spam is humorous, and not random to the point that nobody participating in the topic has any idea what you're talking about, then it is fine.

[kongurous]

Now if kongurous comes in to a thread where he didn't participate, and he begins posting one-liners, then yes, we should enforce all rules and punishments, up to and including a permanent ban and censure from the Warboards staff. ;)

You're just mad cus I stalked you last week and keyed your hybrid :P

[CrazyTom]

I guess from this dicussion spam means Silly / Pointless Antisocial Messages, or something. Although I guess you can have long spam.

I think the thing Kong said about chitchat after discussions is different, and quite often you don't want to PM somebody because what you want to say to them just isn't that important. It's like being in a lesson at school where you're having a dicussion. You might stay behind and chat afterwards, but little of what you chat about would be worth going home and phoning the person about.

Though if we're talking about real SPAM then it's 'Spine, Pulped And Mashed.'

[ScottieIWU]

Though if we're talking about real SPAM then it's 'Spine, Pulped And Mashed.'So that's not really a proper acronym, anyway. Minor conjuctions, prepositions etc don't get put into acronyms, so that one would be SPM. You could still pronounce that spam, though.

Anyway, I think spam/"ot" posting are both the overstated evils of the internet. Spam itself can be stupid if it derails a conversation completely (like SarahK making an anti-american remark when it's completely unrelated and unnecessary). However, let's say I post something OT in a topic that results in a long, protracted and good conversation that isn't related to the original post, but is still conversation. I might be told to stay on topic, and take my conversation elsewhere. But the problem is, you can't transplant conversation. Closing topics because they've strayed into a new topic is a conversation killer.

And spam, like me posting a one-liner zinging someone, shouldn't necessarily be that bad. In IR I think it's annoying, but in ML, it seems like it's hard to really spam unless you try to be annoying.

[Kingscrab]

I think the thing Kong said about chitchat after discussions is different, and quite often you don't want to PM somebody because what you want to say to them just isn't that important. It's like being in a lesson at school where you're having a dicussion. Also, I'd like to point out that the idea of an open debate is to try to promote your ideas publicly. (and yes, show off debating skills or whatever) If someone you are debating gives you props via PM, the rest of the group does not know the debate has ended or that you have "won" that round of debate. Blahblah...

On a less serious note, SPAM is delicious! :D

[GenocideAlive]

Seriously, the next person to say that SPAM is delicious is going to get punched in the ballsack. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but grease and pureed leftovers (face, anus, feet, etc.) of pigs is not delicious. In regard to spam on these forums, the pursuit of a definition is fruitless. It is, by definition, at a moderator's descretion. As a matter of fact, I await my post being deleted and this thread being locked.

[Black.Ice]

The best part of a forum is the small talk. If everyone was always on topic, it'd be really dull. As you said Nuts, anything that disrupts the flow of the post is fine, but when two people are having a conversation, I think it's fine. However, that conversation has to have some merit. If they're just posting random stuff, then it's spam.

[Kingscrab]

Seriously, the next person to say that SPAM is delicious is going to get punched in the ballsack. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but grease and pureed leftovers (face, anus, feet, etc.) of pigs is not delicious. Clearly, you have never dined upon the sumptuous delicacy that is Hawaiian style SPAM and eggs, whilst viewing the rolling waves and watching the gentle Honu foraging for beachside sea-treats.

Okay, so maybe it was the sceenery that helped make it taste so good. :o
*covers ballsack*

[Schwitzer]

In regard to spam on these forums, the pursuit of a definition is fruitless. It is, by definition, at a moderator's descretion.
We have a winner.

The problem with defining things like "spam" is that there's a lot of gray area, and so what might be spam to some is not spam to others. There's no black line that distinctly marks the point at which a post crosses into the dark regions of being spam.

Enter the moderators, whose arduous task it is to take this whole gray area and strike a line of acceptability through it. *shrug*

[GenocideAlive]

The problem with defining things like "spam" is that there's a lot of gray area, and so what might be spam to some is not spam to others. There's no black line that distinctly marks the point at which a post crosses into the dark regions of being spam.
Kind of like porn.
Clearly, you have never dined upon the sumptuous delicacy that is Hawaiian style SPAM and eggs
I seriously doubt I'll ever enjoy anything "Hawaiian style" in terms of food. They have a rather nasty (double entendre intended) habit of burying food and then eating it; like, say, bird fetuses. No, not eggs, but fetuses. Formed birds that are attempting to develop and hatch that are arrested by eating. You know, I'm sure there's something appealing about it, but it sure as fuck escapes me. Although I will aquiesce that fetuses and SPAM unarguably go well together.

If I ever visit Hawaii, I'll be either bringing my own food or eating rice the whole time. It's pretty hard to fuck up rice.

Edit: But if there's a "Hawaiian-style" rice, I'm not fucking eating it.

[Nuts]

Hawaiian style pizza is scrumdeliumpcious.

Of course, there's nothing remotely Hawaiian about it except the pineapples.

[Kingscrab]

I seriously doubt I'll ever enjoy anything "Hawaiian style" in terms of food. LOL Okay. Fair nuff'. It's all a tourist sham anyway. Usually "Hawaiian style" just means there's a piece of pinneapple on the plate, or some juice poured over it. Actually, fresh fish is quite good in Hawaii, not so much because of the "Hawaiian style" but simply because (obviously... ie: fresh) someone probably pulled it off their boat a couple hours before you ate it.

Yeah, just stick to the Hard Rock Cafe and get a burger. :D

Of course, there's nothing remotely Hawaiian about it except the pineapples. Ha! You beat me to it!

[Aqo]

Spam: Stupid Pointless Annoying Message.

This entire thread is flawed because it's focused around, not spam, but off-topic-ness on dead threads. Spam would be the first thing described:
..."Noobs!" or "Haha dumbasses!"...
, and like already said - it's wrong. End of story.

[Neo]

Pfft. your just all spamming whores :P

I don't normally mind, but IR really isn't the place for that kind of stuff.

-Neo

[Tharisfal]

Spam isn't of topicness

Spam is a post that contributes nothing to a thread. And therefor it is deemed useless and deleted by the less merciful mods.

[TinyDancer]

Specially Processed American Meats.

Duh.

[kongurous]

Ya know, the posts about what it "stands for" could be considered spam themselves.

[Magmaniac]

You know what aggrivates me?

Whenever a staff member moves a thread, and they feel the need to post something like "Thread moved to Members Lounge" because I consider that spam, as it is a single off topic post in the thread.

[Black.Ice]

When I was staff, I did that to inform the masses. Do you know how many PM's I got from n00bs like yourself along the lines of, "Wh3re did ma' thread go?". :P

Seriously though, people really got confused when threads were moved and PM'd me.

[Veeger]

jpeople are also sutpid, bi! you should espext that! stupidt\ty is the only comomon commolditiy!

POkay, I'm off to bed! Talk to you all tomorrow!!!

[Spartan-II]

I thought he was getting waffles and drunken sex?

Anyway, while he was extremely drunk, his post was on topic.

Spam is anything that does not contribute to the topic at hand. The definition varies from person to person though.

[Demon_Child]

Stupid People Annoying Moderators

BTW Veeger, nice job with your attempt to being drunk (to which I saw right through that) when you nearly mispelled every easy word that was 6 letters long except for "should" and "tomorrow". The biggest giveaway was the forward slash ("\") and I know this because you could not just accidentially hit the forward slash key while typing a word that has both "t" an "y" side by side. Especially when the forward slash key is located just above the "Enter" key ("Return" key if you are using a Mac). ;)

[kongurous]

/me lords over everyone with his 7,400 posts.

That being out of the way, I consider spam to be anything that is incredibly stupid, off-topic, or doesn't contribute to the topic at hand is spam.

[Yoda]

I noticed that a conversation in an IR thread was deleted, all with the message of "Are you all spamming now?" Actually that wasn't exactly it, but close enough. I did not consider that spam, but Neo seemed to, so he deleted it. :shiftyr: No one else has replied in that thread so far, and I still have the last word (a sign of victory, lol).

All the drunk threads are spam, in my opinion. They should be deleted instantly with a ban on the maker. And quite a few other ML threads seem to be made for spam straight off. But aren't closed.

Some spam is funny, but mostly its annoying. By my official definition, spam is "any post on a web forum which deviates from the original purposes of the thread and encourages others to do the same. "

[hammocksleeper]

On the other hand, let's take a thread that has ended for all intensive purposes. The conversation has died and there isn't much interest. Is it wrong to have a bit of small talk and witty banter amongst the participants as they close out the thread? It's not detracting from the overall flow, since the thread has died.

I don't know if you're speaking directly to Warboards or about spam in general but it's worth it to point out that shit like what you described above usually flies in threads here, for a certain amount of time. Even then there comes a point where the "small talk" at the end of a thread is taken advantage of and it definitely becomes spam.

[Aqo]

"Small Talk" really shouldn't be deleted, and in my opinion the thing that supports that the most is the PR forums.

Ever read a thread there?

One thread that 'went on' there is called "Happy Birthday to.....ME". It's a thread someone created to say he'll have a b-day in two days (from the creation of the thread).
By post #5 he was receiving 'happy b-day' messages, and an official one from the site's admins. By post #8 the discussion moved towards... *ehem*: "intercourse with young ladies".
By post #12 the discussion was about if to have sex before marriage or not.
Post #16 was already about religion.
Post #18 was about science, babies, and love.
post #22 was about immortality.
post #28 was about feelings and society.
Here are some quotes from what went on afterwards:
"See there the cause of muslim-fundamentalism and crzyman101."
"self-sacrifice genes (not taken literally)"
"in the nature of the universe there is no such thing as 'purpose'."
"Im lazy so i wont read the 10 pages of text there, can someone sum up what you guys have been arguing about?"
"42"
"its POSSIBLE to prove evolution. There can be no proof of 'poofing'..."
"MAYBE WE"RE ALL LIVING IN THE MATRIX REALLY!!1111!!oneone "
It went on about gray hounds and the game 'Spore', and the main admin said that his son is... *ehem*"the product of a condom and the pill".

That thread is 6 pages long, and hadn't been affected by moderation. (for those who think "well they have 'lite' moderation"... I got banned for a week in that forum for having a signature 100 pixels too big).

Was any of it spam? Well, some of it, probably, but mostly not. Off-topicness is NOT spam.
Threads which've gone off-topic, shouldn't be stopped because of spam, spammers should.


Boo-yah!