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Thread: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

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  1. #1
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    Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    Over the last weeks/months, i noticed that many threads here are becoming almost dead because everyone seems to be posting on discord.
    While i recognize the appeal of being able to talk directly with people and receive immediate answers, i think this is a very very bad change. Discord cannot replace a forum in any way, because a forum is basically a huge collection of informations and knowledge that is available to everyone.
    Years ago, when i first picked up some decks i still play (goblins, elves, painter) i went to the threads and read hundreds of pages before actually starting to play. This may seem a waste of time, but really it was a source of knowledge that cannot be substituted in any way, since i learnt about weird card choices, gameplay scenarios, sideboarding, etc. from the perspective of a lot of different people.
    Now imagine someone wants to start to play legacy in the next years. While the threads here might still be updated, very few people will actually post in them and a lot of knowledge will get wasted. People will go to discord and ask questions, but they'll never be able to get a deep, detailed analysis of a deck like the one provided by years of posting in a forum.
    So this is just a rant that maybe doesn't have a reason to exist, but i jut wanted to let you know that i think discord is bullshit compared to this forum

  2. #2
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    Quote Originally Posted by LeoCop 90 View Post
    So this is just a rant that maybe doesn't have a reason to exist, but i jut wanted to let you know that i think discord is bullshit compared to this forum
    right there with you brother. i'm always reading threads just to stay current and it seems there is less to read

  3. #3
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    Quote Originally Posted by non-inflammable View Post
    right there with you brother. i'm always reading threads just to stay current and it seems there is less to read
    It only dies if we let it. Honestly, it might be for the best, if we can keep "good" posters here, who want long-form, thought out content, rather than instant gratification seeking, low attention span types.
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  4. #4

    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    It has something to do with book culture vs internet culture I think. Forums are a relatively slow tool to communicate: it takes some time to write a well thought post, and it takes time for others to answer. While TheSource's moderators are applying netiquette in a relatively loose and friendly way (I was in forums where mods used to lock threads with a deck list and just one paragraph of content by writing aggressive stuff like "List+insufficient comments=locked thread. Try again") it seems to me that the point is still valid. Navigating a thread is like going through a book that contains the amount of information that is the sum of all the knowledge that every poster put into that specific topic. If you need some specific information it can be tough. I'm kind of a bookworm and I don't mind reading a whole thread looking for that 1-1/2 year outdated sideboard guide for Eldrazi Stompy, researching for old ideas to see if I can get something from them. However, a lot of people can't be bothered to do so.
    On the other hand, we have accessibility: you get invited to discord, enter the general channel, find a good player, type "hey bro, sorry if I bother you, what's your sideboard like?", and you get the information. It's not a mistery that books are selling less and internet videos are becoming the source of knowledge of choice for many people. Although perhaps not so deep, it's easier and faster.

    That, and, well, sometimes the quality of posts in here makes me wonder why the reality of this Universe doesn't allow the possibility of unseeing things.

  5. #5
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    I also find it a bit sad that so much discussion is moving onto Discord, I expected it to be an overreaction due to the allure of the novelty and that posters will return here for more quality content and in-depth discussion eventually. But that remains to be seen. I don't think Discord has a good search function, and that alone seems like a huge disadvantage, on the other hand you can have subthreads which makes discussion easier. And it's a more social interaction with better user interface, but this is probably obvious.

    I think a main attraction of Discord is that your information is less available to everyone. If you spend a lot of time and effort polishing your strategies, you may not want them to be widespread knowledge before you even got to try them yourself. This may seem insignificant but I find people admitting to this every now and then in various forms.

  6. #6
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    i like the forums. discord is better for creating more of a friendship between users. forums are better for the content.
    -rob

  7. #7

    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    I agree and I find the discord exodus very sad

  8. #8
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    Discord servers allow for more contoured discussion. You can have an area for discussing decklists, discussing the decks place in the meta, and one for matchups. It’s also much easier to share content, and more importantly, goof off on when you’re supposed to be working (incidentally..)
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  9. #9
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    Discord allows for more stupid discussion.
    People spend less time thinking about their ideas before they write them.

    It's also harder to find if you aren't already a member.
    I sometimes read random deck threads, doesn't mean I want to join some chat group for them.
    Tusk up.
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  10. #10
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    I think it's the way things are likely to shake out over time. The reason Legacy has a dedicated forum and Modern does not is, in my view, because Modern rose in the time of Facebook. Legacy has managed to hold on to some of the old ways purely on the back of the older player base, but it won't last like that forever.

    Discord is really well layed out if you want to put the effort into making it work. I have a Table top RPG going on Discord that has a channel for everyone's Characters, NPC's, off topic, on topic and Game. Once that would have been a single Skype thread and a mess.

    It's that kind of flexibility that changes things. It's easy to access, easy to understand and grants almost instant answers to what might have been a single sentance question here. That as well as having options to joke about times at the pub, swap songs or even talk about your kids with others who you come to see as friends is nice.
    It is better to ask and look stupid then keep your mouth shut and remain so.
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  11. #11

    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    I like forums as a repository for significant nuggets of information, e.g.
    - Primers, Matchup Guides etc
    - Tournament Reports
    - Decklist references / Links to mtggoldfish etc
    I find Discord is inherently bad at archiving these because it records information in one continuous stream rather than discrete pages

    Forums are also a good place to start a discussion on a topic that doesn't have an established following yet, e.g. a new deck brew. (But maybe there are general format discord servers where this kind of thing is encouraged? not sure).

    Forums offering an easy-to-access record of all discussion in a format that is (mostly) unadulterated by spam is kind of nice, but I think mostly as a kind of historical curiosity. Chugging through pages and pages of old threads has some value but I don't think is really the best use of anyone's time if the goal is to learn a deck. (People should just playtest and try to make more effort in keeping the primers up to date).

    I also didn't initially like the idea of discord but I have been using it more than forums since I installed it. The messenger-style app is more conducive to live discussions and there is much more of a community feel.

    Sometimes what I do is if I want to make a longer post I do it in a forum and then link to it in the discord which seems to combine the best aspects of both.
    I don't think the average intelligence of discord users is considerably different to any other medium (it's mostly the same people anyway).

    It's also worth considering that the apparent lack of posts on the source could simply coincide with a general dip in popularity of legacy (due to card prices or format stagnation or whatever reason). A lot of the discord servers for popular decks (e.g. Death's Shadow) are also fairly empty

  12. #12
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    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    Quote Originally Posted by LeoCop 90 View Post
    While i recognize the appeal of being able to talk directly with people and receive immediate answers, i think this is a very very bad change. Discord cannot replace a forum in any way, because a forum is basically a huge collection of informations and knowledge that is available to everyone.
    This is why I am a little sad, but ultimately not bothered by the lessening of activity. I think there is enough action and necessity for the forums to exist, and while I wish there was a little more discussion going on I think the important stuff is being laid down here. I think discords have their place, but it is more about community than knowledge. I can't use discord at work, and I rarely have the free time to do that stuff at home so I am a little biased perhaps, but it is what it is.

  13. #13

    Re: Why is this forum being abandoned for discord threads?

    Oh man, content medium chat gets banned from the podcast thread and then this thread gets bumped? This is some serious Fault of Amigara level of trolling.

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