Dumbing Down?

Originally posted by Bedlam
Is it just me or is the chess forum starting to get dumbed down? Iv stopped reading most of the posts these days since 90% of them seem to be none pawn stars asking the most simple of questions.

Only kindergarteners should get excited about getting a little gold star next to their name. 🙄

Originally posted by Sicilian Smaug
Yep, myself and others I've spoke to in in game conversation think the same. Most of it isn't worth reading these days. I remember last year this wasn't the case.

I've not been playing here long and I'm new to this kind of forum chat, but most of it seems to be a complete waste of time. A lot of people must be really bored these days.

Originally posted by Sicilian Smaug
I agree and I wasn't being serious, but some threads on here recently are just stupid.

I'm sorry I misinterpreted your comment. I think I'll go to bed now,

Originally posted by BigDoggProblem
Only kindergarteners should get excited about getting a little gold star next to their name. 🙄

Im not excited about the pawn star, it just seems a lot of questions asked here could be answered after about 30 seconds on google. There are some aspects of chess that really do require the player experience input and debate to answer, I dont see many of those threads in here these days.

Im all for helping beginners who are just starting but if a few sticky threads were made that had the answers to the most common asked questions....ratings converstion, RHP to real life etc then there would be a lot less threads that contain the questions that people who regular come here will have seen 10-20 times, making it easier to find the threads that are more intresting.

Originally posted by Sicilian Smaug
I agree and I wasn't being serious, but some threads on here recently are just stupid.

Its simple to deal with them. Ignore them and they will go away!

Originally posted by Bedlam
Is it just me or is the chess forum starting to get dumbed down? Iv stopped reading most of the posts these days since 90% of them seem to be none pawn stars asking the most simple of questions.

No doubt about it.

There are copy cats of these idiotic threads as well. I've answered the question "How do you play the KG" at least 10 times in the last month on here. Not only that but most of these questions are so insanely basic that a google search or a wikipedia search would do more than answer. I do my best to contribute worthwhile threads (Though I'm sure some of mine are less than good) and never try to post a useless question up on here. The only way to bring this forum back to life, IMO, is to create worthwhile threads and it's pretty much up to everybody to do that.

Originally posted by cmsMaster
No doubt about it. I've answered the question "How play the KG" at least 10 times. most of these questions are so insanely basic that a google search would answer. create worthwhile threads.

Agreed. I do not think that it is only this forum that is suffering either. There are people in all forums in which people state their opinions without supporting anything they say without a reasonably factual basis for what they say.

The frustrating part is that some of the people that do post in the forums do not have an adequate understanding of the topic that is being discussed. Regarding the chess forum, there seem to be few knowledgeable chessplayers who are willing to put the time and effort to share their knowledge. And it is only a small group of chessplayers that are willing to read the chess forum, and even a smaller group of chessplayers that read the chess forum who have a decent understanding of the basic concepts being discussed.

When is the last time a legitimate 2100+ rated chess player posted in the chess forum? Northern Lad, David Tebb, Gatecrasher, cludi XanthosNZ, Varenka, and BillyVoltaire have all posted in the chess forum at some point. (I don't know if Varenka's or BVoltaire's rating has been above 2100, RHP or otherwise.) It is true that most of the above post only very occasionally...which is fine. 🙂 There are so many better things to do in life than post in forums. It is not as if that they would benefit from reading the chess forum. There are only 43 players that are 2100+ as according to the RHP rating system anyway...

Of course, 1500 chess players may have very, very good chess insight too. Read the Amateur's Mind if you don't believe me. I just don't think the standard for good chess here is the same as it is elsewhere.

All the forums here have a select few very good forum posters. No other chess site has a clan system as fine as the one at RHP. I love the way the site is run, the tournament system, the analyze board feature, and all the other improvements that make the site accessable and aesthetically pleasing. But the quality of the chess forum, as is true of the general quality of chess here, is not as good as elsewhere.

RHP was made for playing chess. But it is enjoyable to discuss and study chess for some chessplayers too.