Remove Suggestions / Ideas Section from Discussions

[YellowJello]

This whole section seems silly at this point. It's basically a bunch of noise with people pitching absolutely impossible ideas, and meanwhile actual feasible suggestions get three or four responses and then the thread is lost in the ether behind all the threads getting bumped due to flame wars.

My suggestion is to close this section and make Suggestions / Ideas its own section that only Steam staff are able to respond to, and the only thing the community is able to do is provide upvotes to ideas and suggestions. This way, staff isn't bogged down dealing with a bunch of trolls having keyboard wars with one another and actual ideas and suggestions are able to be upvoted. The more upvotes an idea or suggestion gets, the higher on the list it sticks. If an idea or suggestion is impossible to implement, staff freezes the upvotes and removes the idea from the list.

But I'm sure a bunch of people will see this as boohooing and slap me with a Jester and then an argument will start in the comments section because it's the internet and this section is an echo chamber.

[Porky Pig]

I doubt Devs even read this forum.

Better of using Steam Labs for feedback.

Whilst I'm here, they can remove 'VAC Discussion' forum as well. I see threads locked by a mod with the reason 'This forum is not for appealing Vac bans' 99% of the posts are appealing against vac bans.

As for 'off topic' ....

[fluxtorrent]

1: upvotes are irrelevant, this is one of those "noise" ideas. Valve is NEVER going to implement an idea because it is popular, nor should they EVERY experiment in this type of development has failed miserably.
2: Discussion can lead to improved ideas, trying to shut down that conversation is counterproductive.

[YellowJello]

fluxtorrent eredeti hozzászólása:

1: upvotes are irrelevant, this is one of those "noise" ideas. Valve is NEVER going to implement an idea because it is popular, nor should they EVERY experiment in this type of development has failed miserably.
2: Discussion can lead to improved ideas, trying to shut down that conversation is counterproductive.

How are upvotes irrelevant and leaving threads open to every troll on Steam not irrelevant? Steam's whole discussions section is antiquated as it is, it's based off of old bbcode forums. It needs to be simplified and filtered more. The discussions on this board have never lead to anything productive.

[B-o-B]

Even this suggestion is getting mighty old. And the Forum is still here.
Guy's. Please. Use Search. Move on after Search. You ain't the first.

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/154645214958765395/ <--- 2016

[rawWwRrr]

Porky Pig eredeti hozzászólása:

Whilst I'm here, they can remove 'VAC Discussion' forum as well. I see threads locked by a mod with the reason 'This forum is not for appealing Vac bans' 99% of the posts are appealing against vac bans.

Some forums serve more as honeypots than they do actual areas for discussion much like VAC Discussion. Without it, all of those threads you see being locked there would bleed over into the forums destroying any usefulness to them. At least with the Vac Discussion forum in place, they all kind of find their way there, a majority of the time at least.

Same for New To Steam and, yes, even Suggestions / Ideas. People are going to act like n00bs and people are always going to suggest new ideas. Create dedicated forums for those and the people will naturally migrate there for those unique use cases.

So even if the suggestion discussions here seem to go nowhere, at least they're *here*.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

When people make suggestions either they don't know that it was already done, on it way, or pointing things out if there something wrong to help improve the suggestion in away, or point out why it won't work.

Asking to stop others from replying to suggestion on a "DISCUSSION" forum seem super counterproductive as it defeats the purpose of having a "DISCUSSION" <---- Which btw Steam staff don't actually reply really on forums often, let alone gonna give reasons to every single suggestion that pop up what wrong with it to understand better, or why it not gonna work out, and what would there be a "DISCUSSION" about really, besides a "possibly" "Yes", and "no" like that all there is really that you're looking for in your version of a "DISCUSSION" which is cut done, and dry in a single reply if they bother to do it, and they don't really have to give a reason either, again not much of a "DISCUSSION" you're looking for in your suggestion.

[Porky Pig]

rawWwRrr eredeti hozzászólása:

Porky Pig eredeti hozzászólása:

Whilst I'm here, they can remove 'VAC Discussion' forum as well. I see threads locked by a mod with the reason 'This forum is not for appealing Vac bans' 99% of the posts are appealing against vac bans.

Some forums serve more as honeypots than they do actual areas for discussion much like VAC Discussion. Without it, all of those threads you see being locked there would bleed over into the forums destroying any usefulness to them. At least with the Vac Discussion forum in place, they all kind of find their way there, a majority of the time at least.

Same for New To Steam and, yes, even Suggestions / Ideas. People are going to act like n00bs and people are always going to suggest new ideas. Create dedicated forums for those and the people will naturally migrate there for those unique use cases.

So even if the suggestion discussions here seem to go nowhere, at least they're *here*.

You make a valid point.

[Aachen]

YellowJello eredeti hozzászólása:

How are upvotes irrelevant and leaving threads open to every troll on Steam not irrelevant? Steam's whole discussions section is antiquated as it is, it's based off of old bbcode forums. It needs to be simplified and filtered more. The discussions on this board have never lead to anything productive.

How are you sufficiently well-positioned to make that assertion?

AAR, these are user boards, so effectively you want to simply remove this section (if Valve employees wanted a back-and-forth, they’d be more active). That will not result in users ceasing to make suggestions.

[Odra]

People need to manage their expectations when it comes to Suggestions/Ideas.

Valve will not engage in a roundtable discussion/debate about ideas and their feasibility, nor will they implement ideas instantly.

This forum serves a purpose from a research oriented point of view, no engineer or developer would turn their back on such a resource.

Repeating the same ideas over and over (often justified with the "Well, just because they haven't done it doesn't mean they wont") in an attempt to get it implemented may have the opposite effect. Keep in mind such people are human and after enough repetition they begin to treat such suggestions as white noise, or at worst elicit a sense of revulsion.

People think of the threads here as a fight that must be won.

• An idea that runs against your belief pops up? Better go in and squash it before Valve implements it! Because surely Valve won't research it first.
  
• An idea that you approve of appears? Defend it against naysayers at all costs! Lets flood the forum with +1 spam!

This is ridiculous.

From an engineering standpoint, you look at the idea and skim the pros and cons, all those impassioned speeches and tirades are just a waste of characters on the page.

"This would be so easy to implement!", "Valve has so much money!", "Make it optional", "This would get Valve more customers" These arguments are meaningless when attempting to sway companies to effect changes.

It's cost/effort/profit, but there are times when the profit is not worth it even when there is zero cost and effort involved.

Then there are the bad faith arguments, such as those made by people who don't like change and use the disenfranchised and vulnerable as soapboxes to get their way, or cheapskates that want to get free stuff so they come up with ridiculous arguments to justify their absurd ideas.

[YellowJello]

Dr.Shadowds 🐉 eredeti hozzászólása:

When people make suggestions either they don't know that it was already done, on it way, or pointing things out if there something wrong to help improve the suggestion in away, or point out why it won't work.

Asking to stop others from replying to suggestion on a "DISCUSSION" forum seem super counterproductive as it defeats the purpose of having a "DISCUSSION" <---- Which btw Steam staff don't actually reply really on forums often, let alone gonna give reasons to every single suggestion that pop up what wrong with it to understand better, or why it not gonna work out, and what would there be a "DISCUSSION" about really, besides a "possibly" "Yes", and "no" like that all there is really that you're looking for in your version of a "DISCUSSION" which is cut done, and dry in a single reply if they bother to do it, and they don't really have to give a reason either, again not much of a "DISCUSSION" you're looking for in your suggestion.

The whole point is to remove it from "DISCUSSIONS". It doesn't make sense for these to be "DISCUSSIONS". The only input that would matter would be from the people able to implement something.

Aachen eredeti hozzászólása:

YellowJello eredeti hozzászólása:

How are upvotes irrelevant and leaving threads open to every troll on Steam not irrelevant? Steam's whole discussions section is antiquated as it is, it's based off of old bbcode forums. It needs to be simplified and filtered more. The discussions on this board have never lead to anything productive.

How are you sufficiently well-positioned to make that assertion?

AAR, these are user boards, so effectively you want to simply remove this section (if Valve employees wanted a back-and-forth, they’d be more active). That will not result in users ceasing to make suggestions.

I am confident in my position based on my history with Steam as well as my personal history with website management in general.

I wouldn't be against the whole discussion board being wiped, honestly, but that's an extreme that I know isn't realistically going to happen. It's an antiquated, pointless mess that serves no purpose whatsoever.

[.geeK]

If this IS somehow used in a productive manner by valve, they do a really ♥♥♥♥♥♥ way of showing it.

It's highly unrealistic that any of this is listened to in any meaningful or operationalized manner.

Theres zero grouping of threads, zero interaction or indication anywhere of changes, and worse, this is mostly the wild west outside of user reports with limited repercussions or observability from anyone. Sure, the mods do SOME good, but them being absent and allowing the toxicity and hostility you see in some of these threads persist.


I'm surprised devs and publishers don't bring it up as a reason NOT to publish on steam, though Steam IS virtually a "natural" monopoly with the marketshare they hold (yes, I know others exist, but Steam beats all of them by a long shot), so some don't have much choice.

... But I digress..

Here are the two other threads thematically similar:

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/5294572213373604818/
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/3492006259504764031/

I'm not sure what "discussion" is left on this point, but I'm here for the drama and attempts to derail.

[Taylor Swift's private jet]

But then, how are these esteemed forum regulars supposed to feel good about themselves by destroying you and other suggestion makers with facts and logic if this section is gone?

[uncle dane vs khamenei]

Bonk! eredeti hozzászólása:

But then, how are these esteemed forum regulars supposed to feel good about themselves by destroying you and other suggestion makers with facts and logic if this section is gone?

Ooh burn

[.geeK]

Bonk! eredeti hozzászólása:

But then, how are these esteemed forum regulars supposed to feel good about themselves by destroying you and other suggestion makers with facts and logic if this section is gone?

Hopefully therapy of you feel "compelled" to try to "destroy" people.


Also, from what I've seen, facts and logic seems to be quite absent in many replies, so not sure where that denotion came from. Although, once in a blue moon, you'll see some thoughtful comments, so it's not completely lost!

[uncle dane vs khamenei]

.geeK eredeti hozzászólása:

Also, from what I've seen, facts and logic seems to be quite absent in many replies, so not sure where that denotion came from. Although, once in a blue moon, you'll see some thoughtful comments, so it's not completely lost!

Hah. "Destroyed with facts and logic" is this sort of snowclone, primarily used on the internet, and is often said tongue in cheek. It originates from political """debate""" videos on YouTube