The Great Wakka's Journal: VortexDot or Backslash or AmpersandDot or HashDot...

I see Slashdot. I see how it has changed, from a small community website originally, to a massive news outlet that no one can control in the slightest. This is bad. This is why we need a NEW site, based on the slashcode, and really devoted towards the community. We want a summary of everything, but we are tired of the Trolls complaining about editorializing. We are tired of the endless first. We need a more effective slashdot. Now, Slashdot is perfectly fine for just news, but if you want news of a certain combonation, you are out of luck. The site has simply become too bogged down. I will continue to use Slashdot, it provides an excellent source of links and news, but I am looking to start a new Slashsite. If you know of a place that doesn't ask too much in the way of personal info (I like my anonymity) and is totally free (maybe I can have some space on your box?) for me to put this new site, drop me a line about it. Any input is appreciated. Thank you.

Flames will be used to save on energy bills. No spam. Thanks. -The Great Wakka

UPDATE Jan 4 20:53 EST: Okay. I just want my own site :-) And I'd like to try and fix some of the problems of Slashdot, but that's just me. Also read the comment I wrote in response to fm6's comment. That might help clarify a bit.

Where's the need? And why slashcode?

[fm6]

I came to slashdot about a year ago, long after those low-rent days you're so nostalgic for. But for me, the value of this site comes from the very qualities you dislike. Yes, there are a lot of irritating trolls, whiners, and flammers. But the high noise level is inevitable, given the huge amount of interaction that goes on. And the moderation system, for all its flaws, does a reasonable job of filtering out the noise.

OK, I'm not everybody. Some people want a community site. But there are already plenty of those. If you want to start a new community site, there better have some goals beyond "let's not get too popular."

And in any case, what's the value of slashcode in a community site? Its main virtue is its noise filtering -- something you're not interested in! Why not use some BBS or portal software?

Re:Where's the need? And why slashcode?

[The Great Wakka]

I came here only about a year and a half ago. Way after those quiet days. It's just, that, with all these people, good and bad, slashdot has simply become too crowded. I want a small site.

Other Goals:
1. Provide objective reviews of technology
2. Provide headline news, on the hour it happens
3. Provide thoughtful editorials, each of which would have a counterpoint

I would also eliminate AC posting, make it easy to get banned, accounts must be reviewed first (no more auto-accounts!).

These are just the basics. I would expect it to develop over the course. I think that the slashcode is very nice and easy to use. Plus it is a perl script, and it even is community-supported. If you have an alternative, don't hesitate to tell me, please!

Re:Where's the need? And why slashcode?

[rendler]

I came here only about a year and a half ago. Way after those quiet days. It's just, that, with all these people, good and bad, slashdot has simply become too crowded. I want a small site.

kuro5hin [kuro5hin.org] is a smaller site and has generally more ontopic discussions, although these days their tech headlines are fewer and a lot less than Slashdot's.

Other Goals:
1. Provide objective reviews of technology
2. Provide headline news, on the hour it happens
3. Provide thoughtful editorials, each of which would have a counterpoint

First of all CmdrTaco and all the others don't seem to want to go that way they're perfectly happy with the site as is, just reading submissions and post it on the front page or in the various sections. And as for the thoughtful editorials I think Jon Katz does that? To tell you the truth I have no idea what the hell he does around here ;) What I'm getting at here is that the slash editors like the site as is and I don't think there will be any drastic changes to the way the site works anytime soon (except for the various features in slash itself).

I would also eliminate AC posting, make it easy to get banned, accounts must be reviewed first (no more auto-accounts!).

You just said yourself that you valued your anonymity ;) I'm sure a lot of people out there value theirs as well. To loose the ability to post anonymously would be a pretty big blow in general to what slashdot stands for. A free and open discussion on the topic at hand. And with some people out there in the world who live in countries where the very thought of such things and speaking their own mind can land them in prisons, and also people who could get in a whole lot of trouble from their employer/peers/law enforcement agency for speaking their minds. For those such peoples not having the ability to post comments anonymously makes loss of their ability to use slashdot for free and open discussion. Don't you feel that that ability for those few people outweight the fact that the trolls and so on use the anonymous comment system to post their crap?

Re:Where's the need? And why slashcode?

[The Great Wakka]

I know the Slashdot editors are happy. That's why I am looking to start a new site, rather than pick apart and whine at the old one. I know it is completley out of my bounds. I want to be able to eliminate AC posting so that it isn't abused. I bascially want a Slashdot with a more focused vision and all the abuse loopholes closed.

"If you don't like someone's opinons, get your own soapbox."

Moderation!

[The Great Wakka]

How did you get modded up? Why are moderators spending mod points on journal discussions? I'm curious. Did you mod yourself up somehow?

Re:Moderation!

[fm6]

I certainly hope there's no way to mod yourself up! And you're right, expending mod points on a journal discussion is dumb. Probably one of those people who look at moderation as a way of saying "you rock!" or "you suck!"

Re:Where's the need? And why slashcode?

[rendler]

fm6 is completely correct about this and what makes slashdot such a great place and IIRC correctly you use a pretty low threshold. The moderation system might not be perfect but it's pretty darn good, just set your threshold up and most of the time you won't ever notice all the trolls at all. As you've said before you can't see your own messages if you set it too high and your message doesn't get modded up. I suggest going to your user page then going to your thread from there and change the threshold back down temporarily. Setting a threshold of 2 will filter out most of the noise while still giving you most of the good stuff people actually post, just a thought ;)

FortKnox

[hodeleri]

and I had the same idea, see his journal here [slashdot.org].