In the past months, the comments went from being thoughtful and helpful to flame wars and off-topic rants. I rarely speak personally on the site because Siliconera is not about me, it’s about video games, but I’m going to step out and say I’m disappointed to see the community deteriorate.
Creating an environment ripe for discussion took a long time and it was not solely my effort. It was our effort, as a community. Readers set the tone with thoughtful contributions and fan-powered Q&As were born. Now, we even have developers pop in and directly answer questions in the comments. We don’t want the increasing number of flippant remarks to sever the line of communication between developers and commenters or the welcoming nature of the site.
In the spirit of keeping Siliconera strong, we’re going to make discussion rules clearer.
- Read before you write: If you’re glossing over a post in a hurry, that’s fine. If you intend to enter the discussion, make sure to read the full post properly.
- Think before you write: What you say and post on the site has an impact. Comments that generate discussion are highly encouraged. On that note, flaming is in no way constructive, and should be avoided.
- Don’t clog the comments with console requests: We’re sorry that "super awesome game X" isn’t available for a specific console, but spamming the comments with "why isn’t this for NeoGeo Pocket" isn’t going to make it happen. Each console, in every generation, has exclusive titles and also misses out on select games. Try to enjoy what you have!
- Cogitate then criticize: We get that not everything is going to be your cup of tea and you have every right to voice your disdain on Siliconera. We ask that you elaborate your point when doing so. Subtle trolling and snarky remarks about how you hate a developer and their pets aren’t going to cut it. Don’t repeat your argument every time a certain topic or game comes up either, if you articulated your point well the first time you won’t have to!
- Keep an open mind: Siliconera covers a wide variety of titles and we realize not every game is going to click with every reader. Don’t care for a particular game? OK, cool, but there’s no need to ridicule others for enjoying it.
We understand that most readers naturally adhere to these guidelines without them being written and for that we thank you. Here’s another way you can help. If you see someone breaking these rules please tell us. One way to do this is by clicking on “flag” to mark a comment as unacceptable. You can also e-mail us if you spot someone causing problems in general. We will review their account and ban them, if necessary. I saw some of our paragon commenters fade away and I apologize to all of you for the mess. We’re going to work hard to improve on-site discussions starting today.
Remember you helped develop Siliconera into the stellar place it is today and all of you will continue to shape the site tomorrow.
– Spencer
