New discussions get lost way too quickly

DaCush·Dec 10, 2014·2 votes·1,387 views

I love the new boards layout but one of the biggest issues is that with the new reddit style boards, new discussions get lost almost immediately. There's no chance to get a new discussion going. I created a new discussion on the "Gameplay and Balance" boards and it was the very last thread on the main page of that board the moment I submitted it underneath all the other upvoted threads. I'm sure these boards are plenty active but just don't feel like it because all the upvoted threads don't give new discussions a chance unless someone changes their format from "Hot" to "New" which almost nobody does I'm sure. So what happens is this effect that it seems that the boards are inactive and all the same discussions are on the main page for a week or longer and it gets tiring seeing the same threads over and over. Something needs to be done to get more discussion going on these boards whether it be that new discussions get a certain amount of time on the main page of "Hot" or everyone is defaulted to the "New" threads setting and you have to click on "Hot" in order to see those popular threads.

7 Comments

DaenDec 10, 20141 votes

all the upvoted threads don't give new discussions a chance unless someone changes their format from "Hot" to "New" which almost nobody does I'm sure

I and many other highly active Boards users use Recent almost exclusively. It seems to me that the optimal setting for the individual really depends on how active he/she is; if checking the Boards a couple of times a day, Hot is amazing. If planning to be consistently active and stay really up to date, Recent or New is really the way to go.

Hyrum GraffDec 10, 20141 votes

I use hot for the main boards site - on each individual board, I use new.

DaenDec 10, 20141 votes

Likewise. My hunch is that if we ever reach the activity levels that Tamat and Pendragon reference (100,000 new threads per day), Hot will basically be required in order to not go crazy.

DaCushDec 10, 20141 votes

I'm sure that's the case for active forum goers like you and others but for the majority that is not the case and most new threads get ignored because everyone is defaulted to Hot.

DaenDec 10, 20141 votes

Fair point. I think this comes down to metrics, to be honest. How many users use Hot almost exclusively? How are new threads treated if they aren't immediately initiated into Hot-dom?

I honestly haven't really noticed these problems even when I primarily used Hot (before Recent existed, even). New threads tend to be considered Hot for a reasonable amount of time right when they are created, and usually the things people find relevant manage to stay there.

Example: this thread hasn't been voted on at all, and yet it's still in the top 5 of Hot 3 hours after creation.

DaCushDec 10, 20141 votes

Fair point as well but this forum is hardly that active compared to gameplay and balance and such where I create a thread and when I clicked back on the forum it was the last one on the main oage and then vanished shortly after. Over there you see the same threads on the main page for a several days up to a week sometimes.

MajorPain9Dec 11, 20141 votes

With hot, a majority of forum users get there supply of discussion from that alone. No need to delve into a new thread when they can just leave or go back to GD or w/e website they were posting on.