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[X10alex]

Hello,

  My name is Alex, and I'm on the IT staff at X10.  Recently we've noticed an increase in forum-drama, and this is not acceptable.  This board, after all, is a friendly place to discuss and learn about X10 products, not somewhere to bicker with strangers on the Internet (there are many alternatives I can suggest if this is what you're after).  I  have some ideas about how to improve the quality of the forums here, but first I'd like to take any suggestions you might have.  There are only a couple restrictions:

1) The forum code/features cannot be changed.

2) There is no possibility of having an X10 employee moderate/oversee the boards on a daily basis.

  That being said, what would you like to see?  This your forum, how should it be run?

-Alex

[Tuicemen]

If the Expert Advisors (EAs) and Community Advisors (COs) are only to be security Guards with no Real powers the forum will not improve!
The COs have always suggested ways ( more contests, more give aways)
Problem is no one at X10 stay long enough to implement them!

[Puck]

X10alex: It's nice to see there is still a pulse at X10.

1) The forum code/features cannot be changed.

2) There is no possibility of having an X10 employee moderate/oversee the boards on a daily basis.

If you want quality people to continue volunteering their free time for the benefit of your products, then you either have to make changes to the forum or empower the Community Organizers to do the work on X10's behalf.

This tread you created here will be read by the majority of the regular members; it will not be read by 99.9% of people who come to the forum to ask questions, cause problems or deposit their spam. Therefore, only real changes and not guidelines will produce results.

Right now anyone can come onto the the forum and be a public nuisance; and as it is now, they have more power than the Community Organizers; they have the ability to continue doing what they do, block out contact from the Community Organizers and abuse the rating system as a means of revenge for being confronted. They do this knowing that Community Organizers cannot stop them.

I hope changes are made to prevent these problems.

Cheers

[X10alex]

Should the CO's be made moderators?

[steven r]

X10alex: It's nice to see there is still a pulse at X10....

Ditto!
To echo my 2¢...
This forum has matured from one where you couldn't even search posts to a source of information that can't be found anywhere else. It is truly one of the best things that X10 has done for itself and the automation community. That said, if it is to survive it still needs some oversight. That doesn't mean an X10 employee has to watch it 24/7. Delegate to the COs that are here everyday some more of the responsibility for the care and maintenance of the forum. They're free labor and want to help. I'm amazed at how rare it is for me to see spam here as it is now.

While this may fall under your restriction that "The forum code/features cannot be changed.", I have to say that we would be better without a rating system than the one we have now.  Without rehashing the entire soapbox here, I hope you'll look at many of the comments that have already been made elsewhere.

...This tread you created here will be read by the majority of the regular members; it will not be read by 99.9% of people who come to the forum to ask questions, cause problems or deposit their spam. Therefore, only real changes and not guidelines will produce results....

Very good point!

[steven r]

Should the CO's be made moderators?

This could be a good idea.
(Responding to the post you sneaked in while I was typing my post above.)

[HA Dave]

My name is Alex, and I'm on the IT staff at X10.  Recently we've noticed an increase in forum-drama, and this is not acceptable.

Welcome to the forum X10Alex! It is nice to see X10 has staff... and reads the forum. Yes "forum-drama" does seem to rise and fall from time-to-time. There is a large number of knowledgeable and helpful volunteers here at the forum. But the lack of actual management here also attracts trouble-makers.

Should the CO's be made moderators?

CO, Moderator, Site Administrator..... the term or title isn't important. What is important is controlling the clutter of spammers and trouble-makers that litter the forum. Some person or persons, staff or volunteer, need administrative controls.

[KDR]

X10Alex welcome to the world of posting on the forum and making yourself known. I think that firstoff you may want to look at what powers the CO's have and the EA's have. They seem to be mixed were as an example EA's can view deleted posts and CO's can't. Things like that need to be addressed so as to create a flow of control for the boards. Perhaps some extra control should be given to CO's depending on what type of control X10 needs to maintain.

As far as the community goes I think it is one of the best on the net. Having someone at X10 to communicate with from time to time is key. The fact that you posted here is a moral booster for allot of regular users here me included. I'm sure others  will post in this thread as well.

^{----------------KDR}

[JimC]

Should the CO's be made moderators?

That would be a good start. Or maybe you could pick a couple of senior CO's as moderators.

[Tuicemen]

Should the CO's be made moderators?

I'm not sure all COs need to be moderators But at least one or two should have the extra powers to maintain control without screaming for an administrator!
It would be nice to if someone from X10 could be contacted in case of an unusual event on the forum !
I'm Glad another X10 staff member has taken some interest, Welcome aboard!
As for suggestions for improvement!
Besides what I've mentioned, what about rewarding those that go out of there way to start helpful info threads about their setups! 
As an example:
Threads in the User-Designed Working Macros section!
Or those which have been linked to in the Members Sharing Their Original X10 Home Automation Ideas thread!
After all it is these members that have made this forum such a great place for valueable info! And generate X10 Sales as readers see those posts and say, "Wow I'd like to do that!"
Note: rewards(prizes) don't need to be as fancy as those in the highly successful contests, a simple socket rocket or remote would generate more user involvement!

[zach1234]

I think the forum is OK. Except for the rating system! The Rating system HAS TO GO. I think he forums are OK as they are, we need less people telling others what to do and more people helping people in need. I think a 911 to x10 would be nice so if there is a forum emergency a user could get immediate help.

[Brian H]

Insert Nick Here; Many would like to see the rating go, but I believe X10 has said they have on intention's of removing them.

[steven r]

...Many would like to see the rating go, but I believe X10 has said they have on intention's of removing them.

If so, is based on a belief that the current rating is useful which it is not. I believe that an honest and objective look at the current rating system will would lead most, if not all, intelligent people to the conclusion that the current rating system is not only ineffective but actually provides a tool for users to abuse other users. This certainly appears to be consensus of most people here including those with a high ^helpful/_{not helpful} ratio.

[Puck]

...the current rating system is not only ineffective but actually provides a tool for users to abuse other users.

There have been many issues in the past because of it and there will be more in the future unless it is changed or removed.

I like to point to a recent example of why the rating system is has lost its merit:

You got a helpful

I fail to see how saying something obscene about x10 could be considered "Helpful".

THE Moveing TEXT.

Get rid of it. The readers are intelligent enough to figure out if a reply is helpful or not.

[Tony Olson]

I've been reading messages on this "users" forum for a long time (and seldom post messages). I think the current rating system has/or can  have a negative impact on new members in that they may not be as apt to respond/post messages if they think some idiot will ding them for some something they said.

I would guess someone (from X10) could elect some type of moderators - like a X10 MVPs  to keep order where applicable.

Oh, if you want to ding me go ahead, I don't mind - just kidding.

Tony