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Is the traffic from ZP good or bad for the Escapist community?

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On the Record
Posts: 5011
Joined: 28 Feb 2008

So, its Wednesday, and the newest ZP isn't out yet. Of course, this leads to several people- destined to be frozen for shouting, "First"- making posts and threads that most of the more frequent visitors to the escapist frown upon.
Of course, who would be here today without ZP having drawn them to the Escapist in the first place? (Cookies to you if you found it in another way.)

So, I ask, is the negative impact of the weekly influx of trolls worth the benefits of new, decent, users? (And possibly silly threads to be entertained by?)

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1062
Joined: 23 Sep 2008

not last week with the "OMG FIRST POST!" people, but probably be back this week i guess

but without ZP many people wouldn't be here including me

Anonymous Source
Posts: 3
Joined: 7 Jan 2009

Just because some people get banned, doesn't make everyone who comes on for ZP a troll does it? Each to their own...

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1173
Joined: 13 Nov 2007

I blame ZP, at least partially, for the fact that we're not allowed to like any video games anymore that weren't made by Valve.

On the Record
Posts: 5011
Joined: 28 Feb 2008

Nazkay:
Just because some people get banned, doesn't make everyone who comes on for ZP a troll does it? Each to their own...

You didn't even read my OP, did you?

Infamous Scribbler
Posts: 606
Joined: 2 Nov 2008

neoman10:
but without ZP many people wouldn't be here including me

Same.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1222
Joined: 13 Dec 2007

Yes, the traffic from Zero Punctuation is worth it because the mods have become quite accustomed to having their Banhammers at the ready on Wednesdays to seperate the wheat from the chaff. It's always funny to see a Zero Punctuation thread go like this:

Yahtzee: This week on Zero Punctuation, (*insert game here*)
Idiot # 13454 was banned for this post
Idiot # 46934 was banned for this post
Idiot # 54533 was banned for this post.

Copy Clerk
Posts: 113
Joined: 25 Nov 2008

I came here because of ZP... I just am not a complete idiot to begin with. That's the problem with most people who are like that.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 3085
Joined: 13 Jul 2008

I came here because of a recommendation from a friend, and discovered Mr. Croshaw afterwards.

Pulitzer Laureate
Posts: 800
Joined: 25 Nov 2008

I found this site because of ZP and yes it does attract a lot of idiots. Overall though, I believe that it is good for the site.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1065
Joined: 27 Aug 2008

I came here because of ZP and I find myself scratching my head at how keen some people are being the first to post a response.

I've had the internet like 12-13 years now and I don't get it. What am I missing? Do you win some magical digital prize for busting the comment page's cherry? Or are they just tools?

BANNED
Posts: 3535
Joined: 11 Oct 2008

Erana, you should pass by the IRC chat more often, I'm talking to the staff right now and they're all just huddled up watching the ZP thread and banning people.

It's true that each Wednesday ZP brings trolls and morons but the staff is always ready for it griping their big banhammers. On the whole I think the ZP's videos are worth it, it brings traffic to the site which is a good thing.

User was banned for: FUN FORUM GAME THX FO PLAYIN :3. (Permanent)
On the Record
Posts: 5966
Joined: 7 Feb 2008

For the site? Good.

For the Forums? Bad, because we get so many "I only watch ZP and have no opinions of my own" idiots wandering in here on Wednesdays. However we all started as one of them, admit it!

Copy Clerk
Posts: 86
Joined: 30 Aug 2007

Well as a person who only found this website because of ZP my opinion may bve slightly biased but I think it's probably a good thing. You'll get probably an equal amount of retards and intellectuals coming in, hopefully the people who can string 2 sentences together will stay. And as for the rest of them...

Well let's just say there are other places they could frequent.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 2003
Joined: 7 Sep 2008

Came here for ZP, stayed for the forums. This is the only forums I know of where grammar is taken as a priority in posts. Plus there's a sense of community here not present in other videogame culture forums I went through.

Press Junketeer
Posts: 500
Joined: 28 Aug 2008

I don't consider my self a valuable asset to The Escapist communion, however I am not a (complete) retard and I got here through ZP. I reckon there are some people here who are considered worthy and who also came here through ZP.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1295
Joined: 19 Dec 2008

Well, speaking as a person who got dragged in by ZP, I'm glad I found this forum (ZP or no ZP) and I like to think I'm a part of the non-troll newbie population.

Population increases are always a mixed blessing and generally tend to seem worse than they actually are since idiots tend to be more vocal. However, Escapist appears to be very well moderated and if the mods can keep up the pace, the downsides of more trolls will be insignificant compared to the benefits of a greater number of productive community members.

Pulitzer Laureate
Posts: 730
Joined: 29 Feb 2008

I loved this forum a bit more before the sudden boom of new members, but some have been very good for this forum were as allot more have been trolls.

Speaking specifically about the forums not the escapist in a whole I wouldn't mind if ZP was to find itself on another site in which the trolls would blindly follow.

On the Record
Posts: 5011
Joined: 28 Feb 2008

Jandau:
Well, speaking as a person who got dragged in by ZP, I'm glad I found this forum (ZP or no ZP) and I like to think I'm a part of the non-troll newbie population.

From what I can tell, you are. =D

Beat Writer
Posts: 212
Joined: 31 Dec 2008

Just like any good RPG and a few SCI-FI games... Trolls are inevitable. You will find them everywhere. I would bet that if you went to the forum for Hello Kitty Online, you will find them there. Give it up, they are there.

Paperboy
Posts: 19
Joined: 17 Oct 2008

If they want to say "FIRST!" let them do it and get banned. Seeing another ZP episode is worth having to deal with the occasional idiot.

Beat Writer
Posts: 153
Joined: 28 Nov 2008

All traffic is good traffic for a website. The Escapist gets to charge a few more dimes for the ads that it places on the site, which means more honoraria for good writers and, conversely, better content for us all.

The forums may suffer, but your ability to freely move your eyes to and away from the screen as you desire acts as a very good filter for the trolly bullshit that floods our beloved threads each Wednesday.

Muckraker
Posts: 338
Joined: 18 Dec 2008

I came to this site for ZP, joined to comment on a review of a game I enjoyed, and I stay because people get banned for being agressively stupid or offensive to others.

The only thing I can't stand is people quoting Yahtzee in lieu of an actual opinion...

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 2995
Joined: 13 Aug 2008

Sylocat:
I blame ZP, at least partially, for the fact that we're not allowed to like any video games anymore that weren't made by Valve.

Not true. We're not allowed to like any video games anymore that weren't made by Valve or Tim Schafer.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 2141
Joined: 23 Jan 2008

Well.. the people and mentality I value would be here. The ones who were here before me and came because of the actual value and potential of the Escapist community. Those that helped shape it into what it was. The maturity in predisposition, the insightful discussions, the inspiring RPG's and the unmatched concentration of incredible talent, conjuring works of art of world-class quality and originality.
It is good more people discover the community of the Escapist, as long as they can affect it in a good way. Those that claim they are here "only for Yahtzee" (you would think they mean ZP) are obviously liars as they begin to post in other sections of the forum. But if they discover the potential this place has in store for them, it is only a wonderful thing. Nothing would be gained from generalising for the sake of simplifying arguments, as far as I know.

I fell upon the Escapist community through a link to an article. Possibly at Wikipedia.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1407
Joined: 3 Apr 2008

i came for ZP and then i found the forum by accident and thought it would be fun and here i am

Press Junketeer
Posts: 423
Joined: 27 Aug 2008

well if were going to be elitist we can all claim that we liked the escapist before ZP and burn anyone who didn't on the stake...

cause that would be cool...

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1341
Joined: 19 Jun 2008

J-Man:

neoman10:
but without ZP many people wouldn't be here including me

Same.

Yeah, me too. I've followed Yahtzee since his Youtube days and, like Moses, he led me to the Promised Land of the Escapist.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1295
Joined: 19 Dec 2008

Erana:

Jandau:
Well, speaking as a person who got dragged in by ZP, I'm glad I found this forum (ZP or no ZP) and I like to think I'm a part of the non-troll newbie population.

From what I can tell, you are. =D

<3

Also, as others have mentioned, I was drawn to the forums in part due to all the "Banned" posts I kept seeing. I was actually lurking here for about a month before I decided to join. My only concern is that the increased traffic might put too much strain on the moderators, which might result in a reduction of quality...

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 1173
Joined: 13 Nov 2007

-Zen-:

Sylocat:
I blame ZP, at least partially, for the fact that we're not allowed to like any video games anymore that weren't made by Valve.

Not true. We're not allowed to like any video games anymore that weren't made by Valve or Tim Schafer.

Good point, I forgot about that. Another entry on the meager list of things we're forbidden from NOT liking.

Infamous Scribbler
Posts: 606
Joined: 2 Nov 2008

darthzew:

J-Man:

neoman10:
but without ZP many people wouldn't be here including me

Same.

Yeah, me too. I've followed Yahtzee since his Youtube days and, like Moses, he led me to the Promised Land of the Escapist.

*Gasp!* Don't you know? Yahtzee is Moses.

Pulitzer Laureate
Posts: 857
Joined: 24 Mar 2008

All I know is that every time I visit the Escapist I wonder why there aren't more ZP focused threads, because there are hardly ever any.

Thanks for bringing one more to this forum horribly devoid of ZP discussion.

and, in response to your next comment, yes I did read it, the point stands.

Gone Gonzo
Posts: 2107
Joined: 23 Feb 2008

I'd say overall it's a good thing. This website would probably have almost no members if not for yahtzee. Seriously, does anyone here actually read the articles on here with any consistency? I've read maybe three articles in the past year that I've been here and none of them entertained me that much. Shit, Khell Sennet's rants are more enjoyable than most of the articles on here. I would without a doubt leave this website and never come back if yahtzee stopped making his videos. And yes, with more traffic comes more idiots but I see trolls and idiots on almost every forum but here it hasn't gotten out of control yet mostly because of the mods. The mods have been very good about keeping idiots off the forum and hence our community stays the way it is.

On the Record
Posts: 5011
Joined: 28 Feb 2008

J-Man:

darthzew:

J-Man:

neoman10:
but without ZP many people wouldn't be here including me

Same.

Yeah, me too. I've followed Yahtzee since his Youtube days and, like Moses, he led me to the Promised Land of the Escapist.

*Gasp!* Don't you know? Yahtzee is Moses.

It takes massive skills to call Yahtzee a religious figure and not look like a fanboy.

Infamous Scribbler
Posts: 606
Joined: 2 Nov 2008

Erana:

J-Man:

darthzew:

J-Man:

neoman10:
but without ZP many people wouldn't be here including me

Same.

Yeah, me too. I've followed Yahtzee since his Youtube days and, like Moses, he led me to the Promised Land of the Escapist.

*Gasp!* Don't you know? Yahtzee is Moses.

It takes massive skills to call Yahtzee a religious figure and not look like a fanboy.

Do I have those massive skills?

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