Forum's Quality

It's a fairly hard line that some had better not cross. Ask flags.

As for its application to others, their posts and pics may be deleted at any time, followed by a warning, followed by punitive action.

Some wussy complains and things happen.

I got fully informed by kohai on the issue.

Well, too strict enforcement would be a good way to kill the forums.

I agree 100%.

Exit all humor.

let see if I can spam my own thread ok?

let's bring back the humor !

That's nuts. I don't think I've seen any photo-spamming here that would piss me off enough to want to report anyone for punitive action. The forums seem to be a good mix of serious chess discussion and wise-cracking regulars having a bit of fun shooting the sh*t with each other. In fact, I've thoroughly enjoyed some of the ridiculously topical, and anti-topical, photoshops I've seen here. (In fact, the memory of chrisr's caption of Kasparov playing the flounder: "That fish had incredible skill" still makes me laugh even weeks later). Sad day if that's coming to an end.

Same here. I personally find many or most such things annoying, but since I feel they contribute by keeping things alive and active, I'm not really against them.

The only reason Chess.com has a forum is to help generate unique content which helps it in Google ratings.  The better the Google ratings, the more traffic the site sees, the more money they make.  Since it's very high now in Google searches, they might as well patrol the forums with an iron fist and keep only the best content.

like the stalemate thread one ? no wonder.

I'm here to be entertained. If I am informed so much the better. It seems the informative threads don't get spammed as often.

I'm not sure if the quality of the forums has changed. Many of the more entertaining and informative members have left. Thankfully, some return and some remain.

However, thanks to members like Conquistador the quality of spam has remained high. Motorboat Guy was a masterpiece. Something like Motorboat guy is approriate in all context.

As Fischer once said, "Spam is mankind's only hope in combating pretense."

Edit: I may have made up that last part...nevermind.

I loved the "How do I change from strategy to tactics" thread in which she coyly posted a timely pic of penguins near a breathing hole in the Antartic ice...one of them had fallen down in the hole. She posted a caption " Help guys, quick, man down...

then another poster put an old black and white pic of Peter Sellers, from the Pink Panther, with the caption...it's that old Russian hole in the ice trick....

I have laughed for weeks ever since...

In fact I tried to start a thread inspired by this to immortalize our favorite funnies.... so they'd be less likely to get locked up or lost in the jargon...

I would also like to add that I think there should be an 18 and over spam thread here...so we can do what ever we want...with in reason of course

...with a great big warning about how Chess.com isn't going to monitor or discipline people...unless of course it is totally illegal or heinous...

You're right that there is not many informative threads here (the best place would be in the articles) the problem with that there is too many self claim expert which is just really unhelpful. There is no need to poke the stuff toy (AndyClifton) cause he is a NM ! he is trying to be helpful. 

Ah. I was wondering why his account was suddenly closed. 

Well, maybe yes, maybe no.  If we assume the little goof to be like this:

...then okay, I can see your point.  Too often though such thread-bearers come across more like this:

...and they only seem to get worse and worse as things go on.

It seems to me that maybe giving them a little guff about their cluelessly imperious attitude might at least begin to impart to them some sense of the reality of the situation.  Maybe not...but I suspect that forum Rhodas will always be easily offended, and that it has less to do with any respondents' waggish attitudes than with the fact that somebody--anybody at all--dares to contradict them and their own view of the world.

Bad seed, indeed. 

Very subtle introduction of pic. post, black 'n white with a bit of love.

More!   More!

Welcome to the Internet.  A few of you must be new, with high expectations and shattered illusions.  The Internet is full of rubbish, why should a chess site be any different?  That aside, there are plenty of good threads on here - I have learned quite a bit when people have reached out to help others. Sure, characters like Stevie and myself are mostly just in it for the fun - that does not actually diminish the quality of the forums - it augments it.  We meet, we discuss, we have a laugh - it's a social gathering.  We have our dorks, we have our trolls; we also have our sages and our charity workers.  I feel confident that a top master could happily explore the site for fun and find something to make them laugh.  At my level, I find plenty to learn from.

Yes after using my five point chess plan for a year i will happily explore any site, confidently!

I still think the red cross of George looks better than a ticked box on the brew.

This from the guy who withstood years of "if you know?"  I guess everyone has their limits