Comments on: CoS Forums

I really like the idea of the name changes, but if I may ask, why the sudden change? I like Aurors and Unspeakables more, but I just wanted to know what made you change up the system :)

Well we brought in the new levels for post count because the old one's were getting a little out-dated and it simply made sense to make the new staff names consistent with the new post count titles :)

Well we brought in the new levels for post count because the old one's were getting a little out-dated and it simply made sense to make the new staff names consistent with the new post count titles :)

Thanks :tu:
I'm sure CoS will benefit from the changes :D

I'm not sure if this is the place to put this question, but this is where I'm putting it, obviously :

But anyway, the rotating stars, like mugglenetkid2 has below his post count, what are they? I know they have something to do with reputation, as that's the folder it's in, but what do they do/why do you get them?

Many thanks

The stars represent each year you've been at CoS. For example, mugglenetkid2 has been around for 1 full year. Also, at 1000 days, they turn red. :)

As you can see, I haven't reached a year yet, so I have no stars.

at 1000 days, they turn red. :)


You mean pink. A pretty homicidal pink... :elaugh:

That's totally what I meant... thanks for correcting me. :cool:

Ah, I see now. Thanks very much.

I'm realy sorry but i don't know where else to ask this at,but if i have a game not nessesarly HP related where do i post it?Once again,realy sorry.

Okay, sorry for the wait, my computer is so slow at the moment:

What does T.B.D mean? To be Deleted?

What will happen to the Recon. the Marauders thread?

Is this permanent?

I have more :p.

What does T.B.D mean? To be Deleted?To Be Determined.
What will happen to the Recon. the Marauders thread? Jessica is sponsoring it. Depends on how the discussion goes and whether or not members behave there for "what will happen".
Is this permanent?Will have to see how well it works before that can be decided.

I see. Thanks and I would like to add that it is/will be a good system and a successful one.

What will happen to the Recon. the Marauders thread?

Actually Recon was the prototype for the whole system. The changes effect Recon less than other threads because it was already unofficially in place there. :)

Wonderful idea.

Great idea. Jessica has been doing a great job keeping Recon on track. This will be good for the other threads as well.

What the heck is Racon?

The Reconstructing the Marauders thread... comes to my mind.

A question regarding the sponsored threads. If the experiment goes well I was curious if there will be other threads added to the staff sposered list-- namely 2 threads that I believe are still currenly closed for review: Is Harry a horcrux and Dev of Sev. Not necessarily if or when they will be reopened, just if they would be considered.

A question regarding the sponsored threads. If the experiment goes well I was curious if there will be other threads added to the staff sposered list-- namely 2 threads that I believe are still currenly closed for review: Is Harry a horcrux and Dev of Sev. Not necessarily if or when they will be reopened, just if they would be considered.

If they were reopened then yes, due to their popularity they probably would be assigned a sponsor :)

Do these new rules only come into place say tonight and do not affect previous posts before the rules.

If only canon is aloud in the threads can the staffs definition of canon not be placed back on the forum if you can be banned for not putting down canon, please.

Dumbledore dead or alive can now only have canon. So anything on Jo's site is canon but what I don't understand is that Jo stated on her site that she uses mythology so is mythology still accepted or not?

Dumbledore dead or alive can now only have canon. So anything on Jo's site is canon but what I don't understand is that Jo stated on her site that she uses mythology so is mythology still accepted or not?

You should contact the thread sponsor for specific questions about what is and is not allowed. The rules may be tweked for individual threads at the thread sponsor's discretion.

EDIT: When RLF logs on she'll make a decision of this question and post the answer in the thread. Until then, keep the discussion Canon-only and you should be fine.

Just to clarify, is it now frowned upon and/or not allowed to make statements without providing book quotes or some other form of canon to back them up? I've only read the books once or twice, and as such I don't have a photographic memory of the books like some people do. Quite frankly, I can't be bothered to spend an hour paging through the books to look for a quote to back up an opinion or a point that I'm trying to make. If canon is going to be required every time, I guess I'll have to stick to the less popular threads or the non-HP ones.

Just to clarify, is it now frowned upon and/or not allowed to make statements without providing book quotes or some other form of canon to back them up? I've only read the books once or twice, and as such I don't have a photographic memory of the books like some people do. Quite frankly, I can't be bothered to spend an hour paging through the books to look for a quote to back up an opinion or a point that I'm trying to make. If canon is going to be required every time, I guess I'll have to stick to the less popular threads or the non-HP ones.
Or do you mean that you can't bring a proof along the lines of "In other fantasy novels, this is what happens"?

Or do you mean that you can't bring a proof along the lines of "In other fantasy novels, this is what happens"?

No, I'm wondering if we're expected to provide HP book quotes or other "accepted" canon every time we try to state an opinion or make a point on one of the new sponsored threads.

Or do you mean that you can't bring a proof along the lines of "In other fantasy novels, this is what happens"?Well, anything that happens in otherfantasy novels can't be considered proof. Asserting that such a thing is proof equals accusing Jo for plagiarism. :D

But it's not wrong to say "if I remember correctly Slughorn said....." However, when creating a wonderful, hopefully new, theory based on something said in a HP book, it's of course better to check first if the book really said so.

Edit. No teo, providing the quote for everything you want to say isn't mandatory.

OK, thanks. I am glad to know that "to the best of my recollection..." is still acceptable.

I have general question about all sponsered threads. I don't want to get banned for not quoting canon but how does this all work. I'm not being funny with this it is just that I'm not use to this system and I just want to make sure I don't get banned for not providing canon.

I mean if I quote something in canon to support an assumption then is that assumption accepted or does the assumption also have to be canon as well as the supporting canon provided?

This is the only thing I am not sure about.

I mean if I quote something in canon to support an assumption then is that assumption accepted or does the assumption also have to be canon as well as the supporting canon provided?

What? If a thread is specified as requiring canon evidence only, then you can say whatever you want related to the topic of the thread as long as it has its basis in canon evidence. So I couldn't say that Hermione is going to become an Auror just because I think that - but if I have a piece of the canon where she expressed an interest in doing this then I could use that to back my claim up and that would be using canon evidence.

What? If a thread is specified as requiring canon evidence only, then you can say whatever you want related to the topic of the thread as long as it has its basis in canon evidence. So I couldn't say that Hermione is going to become an Auror just because I think that - but if I have a piece of the canon where she expressed an interest in doing this then I could use that to back my claim up and that would be using canon evidence.So if the vow states and if it proves necessary then I can say well what if Narcissa convinces Bellatrix that it is not necessary to perform the final task. Does this mean the vow can be nullified by the three involved.

Or could I use the fact that there is no sign of the wand to back up an idea that the wand might still be in Albus Dumbledore's hand. Things along those lines.

So if the vow states and if it proves necessary then I can say well what if Narcissa convinces Bellatrix that it is not necessary to perform the final task. Does this mean the vow can be nullified by the three involved

You may want to owl the thread sponsor with specific questions about one thread.

You may want to owl the thread sponsor with specific questions about one thread.I was just using this as an example for all sponsered threads.

I don't want to be banned for getting the wrong idea about what is canon in a responce to something quoted as canon.

I don't want to be banned for getting the wrong idea about what is canon in a responce to something quoted as canon.

You wont be banned for getting the wrong idea about what cannon is. Thread sponsors will simply explain it too you again.

If someone fails to take on board what is said and act in fashion disregarding a staff members explanation in a continual fashion then they may be warned. I doubt this will lead to a banning unless someone is acting in a manner that shows continual and constant dis-respect to staff.

You wont be banned for getting the wrong idea about what cannon is. Thread sponsors will simply explain it too you again.

If someone fails to take on board what is said and act in fashion disregarding a staff members explanation in a continual fashion then they may be warned. I doubt this will lead to a banning unless someone is acting in a manner that shows continual and constant dis-respect to staff.Ok thanks lanifiel for the explination.

Also just to make it perfectly clear no one is going to get banned from a thread without ample notice. You will receive either warning points and/or an owl from the Thread Sponsor letting you know what you are doing wrong and that if you keep doing it you may be asked to leave the thread. Then you'll have time to improve your behavior.

It's a last resort for the staff and one that will only be used in extreme situations.

I suppose it's just me, but I never noticed the CoS Forums [Lite] Style. That one is really cool. Is it new or have I just never noticed it?

62442al Man: We've had that style as long as I can remember. It's easier on the eyes, so I used it alot before I got my bifocals. :)

I suppose it's just me, but I never noticed the CoS Forums [Lite] Style. That one is really cool. Is it new or have I just never noticed it?
Yup its been around for a very very long time.

I love the light style. It loads fast and is easy to read.

I was wondering why the rules of the forums seem to be so strict? As you can see I haven't been on here very long, so I'm sure there is just something here I am missing.

For Example:

The Harry is a Horcrux thread was closed with a warning- I understand that people were just arguing the same kind of points over and over again, but really what else are people going to do for the next year or so until we get real answers? There must be some people who still find that interesting to debate about...as long as noone is getting nasty, why close it?

I was reading another thread today that I felt was closed prematurely- saying that discussion of Dumbledore not being dead is no longer allowed. I'm not sure that they even read the first post before they closed it- I thought it was rather interesting. So what if he's dead for good- why such tight control over what can be discussed?

I guess that as an adult, I am feeling like I am being thrust back into high school, being told what we can or can't talk about. I understand that language and respect for others is very important and I totally agree with monitoring that. I just don't see the need for the strict guidelines of what and how things can be discussed.

Thanks for hearing me out

The Harry is a Horcrux thread was closed with a warning- I understand that people were just arguing the same kind of points over and over again, but really what else are people going to do for the next year or so until we get real answers? There must be some people who still find that interesting to debate about...as long as noone is getting nasty, why close it?

Experience has taught us to read signs of arguments about to happen. It's our own pre-emptive doctrine of avoidance of confrontation. Is it harsh? Sometimes. I've closed threads very quickly for things we've asked members to avoid doing and it's when we get ignored that we get harsh. We normally keep threads closed until such a point that heat has died down and we can continue. We've kept threads closed for months before now and they still close within days of re-opening.

We have tried and are in fact in the process of actively engaging members more in debates. We have staff sponsors of big threads who try and keep the thread on the level and not drifting off, but we can't be online at every point. We do trust members to keep the debate going, but unfortunately it doesn't always work.

I was reading another thread today that I felt was closed prematurely- saying that discussion of Dumbledore not being dead is no longer allowed. I'm not sure that they even read the first post before they closed it- I thought it was rather interesting. So what if he's dead for good- why such tight control over what can be discussed?

It was agreed to let the debate settle and die out. No use discussing something that has been rubbished by the author. Let's have shippers debate the truth of Harry/Hermione, even though JK has debunked that? It will lead to people coming into threads going "He's dead. Get over it!" or "Harry never loved Hermione. Get over it" or my personal favourite "YOU ALL SUX!!! HARREEZ GAY LIEK YOU! HAHAHAHA". Becomes a headache for everyone involved.

I guess that as an adult, I am feeling like I am being thrust back into high school, being told what we can or can't talk about. I understand that language and respect for others is very important and I totally agree with monitoring that. I just don't see the need for the strict guidelines of what and how things can be discussed.

The problem is that the internet gives people more confidence to express their true feelings than if you were face to face with a person. This in turn requires us to sweep the site a little more thoroughly in order to keep things from getting out of control. I don't believe there is much you can to placate the trouble makers in this place. You have to come down hard and fast and unfortunately for the majority of good rule-abiding members, they tend to suffer because idiots breed idiots.

Always welcome good constructive feedback. Thanks :)

I've been feeling the same way. As a newbie to the forums, being directed to massive 3 and 4 part threads that have 50 or so pages each...well, why bother?

Every board has discussions that come up time and again. People either ignore, give concise answers or have a stock C&P answer.

I just feel like all of this stifles creativity, discussion and well, freedom of 'speech' ;) If someone feels a thread is a waste of time, it is their choice not to participate.

I've been feeling the same way. As a newbie to the forums, being directed to massive 3 and 4 part threads that have 50 or so pages each...well, why bother? The trick is to read the first post of a thread and then the last couple of pages. No one expects a new poster to read the whole of a 30 page thread and when the thread gets that long, then the same ideas are going to get rehashed over and over again, but hopefully with new angles.

The trick is to read the first post of a thread and then the last couple of pages. No one expects a new poster to read the whole of a 30 page thread and when the thread gets that long, then the same ideas are going to get rehashed over and over again, but hopefully with new angles.

I post on a large computer game forum sometimes and some of the threads there run into the thousands of posts. There is no way I can keep up with the debate, so I tend to quote the very first post and offer my interpretation. If someone responds saying "Oh, we've already discussed this," I politely reply that I haven't and am responding to the poster because I can't read page after page of post without losing the will to live.

So yes, I feel your pain guys. But I've experienced that consolidated debates offer more ideas, even if some are repeated. It's not always a bad idea to rehash an old theory for consumption because someone is bound to reply to you after failing to see ideas posted before and hey you can pick up the gist of things quite quickly.

And that's one good thing about CoS, that after x amount of posts the thread is closed and a new version started. it allows for a concise recap of the discussion so far and people can catch up easily and go from there.

Yay for CoS! :clap:

I was just reading through the rules (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=22999) and I noticed that they havn't been updated to reflect the new staff user titles, just wanted to point that out

Changed, thanks Paul :)

You know the link to forum announcements, right at the top of the main page? Well it always links to the most recent announcement but the text is hardly ever changed. If you want people to notice and read announcements, it might be a good idea to keep that updated so we can see at once when a new announcement is posted. It still says "New User Titles" today.

You know the link to forum announcements, right at the top of the main page? Well it always links to the most recent announcement but the text is hardly ever changed. If you want people to notice and read announcements, it might be a good idea to keep that updated so we can see at once when a new announcement is posted. It still says "New User Titles" today.I would tend to agree. I only realised that there was a new announcement because anabel made a comment about it. I wanted to see what she was talking about and voila! there it was - nothiing to do with New User Titles.

You know the link to forum announcements, right at the top of the main page? Well it always links to the most recent announcement but the text is hardly ever changed. If you want people to notice and read announcements, it might be a good idea to keep that updated so we can see at once when a new announcement is posted. It still says "New User Titles" today.

Yeah, I'll bring it up with Ali. :)

Just a general comment: This is probably the most I've enjoyed being at CoS since I joined up, everything from the people posting in the threads to the staff and staffing structure is brilliant at the moment! Thanks :D

I'm very happy you brought back the little arrows to go to your last post, those are very helpful. Everything else is awesome. Keep up the good work.:D

Just a general comment: This is probably the most I've enjoyed being at CoS since I joined up, everything from the people posting in the threads to the staff and staffing structure is brilliant at the moment! Thanks :D
Yes, it is quite an enjoyable forum and I am very happy that it exists - especially since I visit daily.

I'm very happy you brought back the little arrows to go to your last post, those are very helpful. Everything else is awesome. Keep up the good work.:D
The updates are very nice. I particularly like the Multi-Quote option. :drool:

I can use expanded Stylemarillion again! I'm in heaven!

The upgrades are fantastic Ali and Kizz :tu:

I can use expanded Stylemarillion again! I'm in heaven!

The upgrades are fantastic Ali and Kizz Is there more than one version of Stylemarillion?

No, but the forum width option in magical me is working now which means you can specify the width of any of the styles.

Oh yeah, Stylemarillion expanded... I like that :tu:

Got a question about the new warning system:

If you receive simply one point warning, you may find yourself banned from the above areas if the post in question occurred in this area. Guidance will be issued to staff on how to best use this system change.

What does this ban mean? A ban for a week, month, three months or forever for that particular forum?

NEW - If member obtained warning from a bad post in Hogwarts, DoIMC or Spirit Division they can be banned from those areas for up to 30 days. Though it is important to note that a forum ban may not last as long as the warning point. It will be down to the moderator to decide the duration of time that the member is denied access. It may well be only 5 days, but your 30-day warning point WILL remain in place.

That should answer your question, Hes.

Thank you Adam :)

No problem. I'd wondered about that myself, but then I found the post on the Notice Board.

Oh yeah, Stylemarillion expanded... I like that :tu:This is really great. I never wanted to ask, because I thought it would maybe be too much extra work, but this is really great. :D

My comment is not necessarily on the forums, but I would like to say that I love the Halloween skin. Very nice. It is my first year being here in CoS, and the change is lovely. Good job to the staff. :tu:

I totally agree with MHPFAN, the Halloween layout is awesome!:D I probably won't be keeping it on for too long, 'coz I expect I'll start missing my original CoS layout pretty soon.

Dumb question: (I don't really celebrate, so...)

I thought Halloween was on October 31st, not 30th. Am I missing something? Of course, this could just be my ignorance speaking...:whistle:

I thought Halloween was on October 31st, not 30th. Am I missing something? Of course, this could just be my ignorance speaking... It's already 31 Oct. in some parts of the world. ;) (Plus, it takes work to make the skin, why not use it for more than a single day? :D )

Yup, I used it for some weeks the last year. It's awesome. :D

It's already 31 Oct. in some parts of the world. (Plus, it takes work to make the skin, why not use it for more than a single day? )

And that is exactly what I am known to lack - pure and simple logic! :D Thanks for the quick reply!

Yup, I used it for some weeks the last year. It's awesome. :D

And oh how I suffered when it was gone. :sad:

I've just seen the latest announcment. There is a comment on changing the Forum rules into threads, like the old system. What exactly does this mean? (I wasn't here during the old times)

And regarding the rules, is the Blog rule new? I don't remember to have seen it before.

I've just seen the latest announcment. There is a comment on changing the Forum rules into threads, like the old system. What exactly does this mean? (I wasn't here during the old times)

And regarding the rules, is the Blog rule new? I don't remember to have seen it before.

Officially, all of the forums are supposed to be governed by the forum rules as set forth in the Notice Board. Practically, however, because of various problems in various threads, we've gotten away from the forum rules and been leaning more on thread-specific rules. That's really more of a band-aid approach to solve specific problems and isn't a good long-term framework.

So we're going to be attempting, as moderators, to move back to an approach of relying on the forum rules as such, and not have so many thread-specific rules. It's a work in progress...we'll see how successful it is.

As to the blog rule---can you point me to which rule you mean?

I have nothing important to say but I just wanted to say that the Halloween layout is fantastic! I usually don't like such dark layouts since I have trouble reading them (I always use the Gryffindor one) but this one is so great that I just had to put it on yesterday! My favourite layout however, is the Christmas one! I love that one and I seriously can't wait for December to come so that I can put it on again! :lol: It's so bright (and easy on the eyes) and pretty with the snowflakes falling!
Sorry for babbling about such non-important thing but I just wanted to say thanks for the great layouts! :scared:

Officially, all of the forums are supposed to be governed by the forum rules as set forth in the Notice Board. Practically, however, because of various problems in various threads, we've gotten away from the forum rules and been leaning more on thread-specific rules. That's really more of a band-aid approach to solve specific problems and isn't a good long-term framework.

So we're going to be attempting, as moderators, to move back to an approach of relying on the forum rules as such, and not have so many thread-specific rules. It's a work in progress...we'll see how successful it is
So basically that would mean that the specific thread rules would disappear but in order to make certain threads work, the general forum rules would be amplified? (in order to make the specific problematic threads work?) It seems reasonable but I find it hard to put into practice considering the very specific dynamic of some topics. :)

As to the blog rule---can you point me to which rule you mean? I meant this one
Personal Web Blogs/Journals
Your personal journal such as LiveJournal or MySpace is not exempt from our rules. If your blog contains language or images that are offensive and certainly not family-friendly then you must either filter such comments through a friends-only option or not link the site at all on CoS, which is the better of the two options as it allows you to keep personal freedom over how you manage your blog.

We will not warn you for the content of your journal, we will warn you for linking a site with offensive material. But I just saw that it's not new. Last edit is from March 2006, so never mind. :)

So basically that would mean that the specific thread rules would disappear but in order to make certain threads work, the general forum rules would be amplified? (in order to make the specific problematic threads work?) It seems reasonable but I find it hard to put into practice considering the very specific dynamic of some topics. :)

The staff is discussing how exactly to do this. As you say, it will be difficult, which is why we're moving slowly and why we don't have an exact plan yet. :)

I meant this one
But I just saw that it's not new. Last edit is from March 2006, so never mind. :)

Yeah, it's not all that new. Blogs and journals are considered just like any other website link: we frown on linking to non-FF stuff.

What "old rules" are you guys talking about?

I'm finding this confusing.

The specific thread rules came into being only a year or so ago, if I remember correctly. The original rules are still on the Notice Board.

Thanks, Peg. I guess I should go familiarize myself.

My comment is not necessarily on the forums, but I would like to say that I love the Halloween skin. Very nice. It is my first year being here in CoS, and the change is lovely. Good job to the staff. :tu:

I agree. I've been gone all this month so I'm just now seeing it. Boy was I shocked when I first logged on. :wow:

Great job you guys! :clap:

I hope this is the right place to post this: I LOVE THIS FESTIVE LAYOUT!!!! It is so beautiful. Thanks, staff, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Praise is always welcome :)

It's quite a nifty layout alright!

I'd just like to comment on how much I've enjoyed legilimency studies. I love character analysis, and this has become my favorite area to post in. Thanks!

Well, we had fun coming up with it and making it so it's nice to hear that you are enjoying it so much :D

it certainly is a fun one!

Hey...I've been AWOL for quite a time, so what happened to the DoIMC?

I'm not quite sure what you mean, but the DoIMC is right here (http://www.cosforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=72) where it's always been.

Really? It's not showing up on my screen. Weird.

Blame the gremlins. They're messing everything up today.

Great forum! Always well maintained! I like how you keep the posts below 1,000,000 even though you could be up to 5mil by now... no reason to clog the forums :)

There's always some thing new and refreshing to read. BTW, this new skin for Christmas is awesome.

Good work, and thanks for having this for us,
-BB

Great forum! Always well maintained! I like how you keep the posts below 1,000,000 even though you could be up to 5mil by now... no reason to clog the forums :)
We do periodic prunings to remove old or closed threads. We also spend a good deal of time cutting down on the amount of threads with duplicate topics. ;)

There's always some thing new and refreshing to read. BTW, this new skin for Christmas is awesome.

Good work, and thanks for having this for us,
-BB
Thank you very much for the kind words. :blush: The Staff here are happy to be of service. :agree:

I'm not sure if this goes here, but I was wondering about something.

In our profile options we get to choose our favorite Harry Potter book. How come we also can't choose our favorite Harry Potter movie? I know my movie choice would differ from my book choice and I've seen some members who've seen the movies but not read the books.

Just wondering. :)

It probably belongs in Comments On: Forum Suggestions (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=67415).

I'd have to agree with you on the movie vs book preference. GoF is my fave of the series, but POA's my fave movie.

Ha, it's opposite for me. POA is my favorite book and GOF my favorite movie. :p But I'm hoping OotP will become my favorite movie. ;)

Not overly sure if it's the right place but a round of applause to the moderators for the clamp-down on the Book 7 title.

Not overly sure if it's the right place but a round of applause to the moderators for the clamp-down on the Book 7 title.
We aim to please. Just doing our job, sir.:D

All the thanks should be directed at leenielou. She did a fantastic job! ;)

I have a comment to make on leglimency studies. Why can't we start our own threads I was realy hoping to write a thread on Regulus black and wrote it all but I found out we can't and only adminastrators can.

Staff can view your thread. :) We'll take a look at it and if we decide a Regulus thread would be good we'll incorporate your ideas and give you credit for them :)

Thank you very much send me an owl if you'd like my ideas to be given.

As always, amazing job everyone. This remains my favorite (and as far as I'm concerned the best) Potter forum. I'm saddened by the censoring of certain topics (Sibling Theory, Dumbledore's not dead, etc) but I understand why that's the case.

My question: Will CoS remain open after DH for those of us with long-standing theory "rivalries" to, I dunno, resolve such things? Someone asked if the forums will remain open after the 7th book and moderator Jessica said that would be decided by the staff. I don't know if I will still be using CoS say a year after book 7, but I know for a fact that I'm looking forward to the massize amounts of humble pie that will be eaten soon after DH and I'm wondering if the great and powerful CoS is gonna be around to facilitate that :D. And if it's not, where/how can I start a petition in the forum?

My question: Will CoS remain open after DH for those of us with long-standing theory "rivalries" to, I dunno, resolve such things? Someone asked if the forums will remain open after the 7th book and moderator Jessica said that would be decided by the staff. I don't know if I will still be using CoS say a year after book 7, but I know for a fact that I'm looking forward to the massize amounts of humble pie that will be eaten soon after DH and I'm wondering if the great and powerful CoS is gonna be around to facilitate that :D. And if it's not, where/how can I start a petition in the forum?

We're still gonna be here after book seven... There's gonna be so much to discuss... As for when/if we're closing for good... Who knows, when the train stops we'll know to get out :)

If the forums with the most activity show threads on the first page that haven't been posted in for months, that could be a good sign. ;)

What? I'm confused...

What? I'm confused...Translation: When the most recent topics haven't had any posts in months, it's a sign that the train has stopped.
;)

OH! Thanks, Nicole.

I'd just like to express my delight at the pretty star I have now :lol:

Congratulations :)

We're still gonna be here after book seven... There's gonna be so much to discuss... As for when/if we're closing for good... Who knows, when the train stops we'll know to get out :)

What if we don't want the train to stop? :p
*Hopes that the train will take its time*

I am sure that there will be a lot of things to say after book 7... :)

Congratulations KarateGirl

I had a hard time trying to locate the Pensieve, and I keep forgetting where it is (I usually just link there from Morgoth's announcement) -- why was the decision made to place it in The Common Room, as opposed to History of Magic? I hope this area is successful -- the thread has a broad appeal, I think.

I had a hard time trying to locate the Pensieve, and I keep forgetting where it is (I usually just link there from Morgoth's announcement) -- why was the decision made to place it in The Common Room, as opposed to History of Magic? I hope this area is successful -- the thread has a broad appeal, I think.

Histroy of Magic deals with the HP Universe exclusivly as shown in the books. Common room is for branching out into areas outside the books alone, such as literary comparrison and what-not.

700-999 posts: Fifth year
May be elected as Aurors by the Staff. Aurors will get the 'Auror' title in their profile and access to their own forum called Improper Use of Magic Office. This will be a very private area, but we will also be (on occasion) discussing forum issues with them. 1,000-1,499 posts: Sixth Year


...just wondering also if this was still an error in the posts/years list, or if the guidelines had been changed. I noticed it was the same as last time I checked, and I was starting to get all excited...

...just wondering also if this was still an error in the posts/years list, or if the guidelines had been changed. I noticed it was the same as last time I checked, and I was starting to get all excited...

It should be under seventh year. Sorry for the confusion. (where did you find this so I can change it?)

It's in the post/year list (http://cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=67213). And I asked about it a few days ago, and I beleive you said that you choose from hogwarts graduates, so do you choose from graduates or seventh years?

Hogwarts Graduates according to this version (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=22992) which was updated later than the one you linked to.

The problem with duplicates is that someone has to remember to update both.

Second edit. The dupe here in WAS deleted.

I'd just like to express my delight at the pretty star I have now :lol:

I'm just tickled pink at the color of my stars! :love:

I'm just tickled pink at the color of my stars! :love:

I'm confused now lol, why are Pumpkin Juice's stars pink and mine yellow; we both have 2 stars?

Is it because she's in Hogsmeade? Or is it because she's a female, that would make sense... Though pink isn't all that bad a colour :p Or is it that she's reached 1000+ days as a member?

Thanks!

The stars turn pink at 1000 days of membership. ;)

Thanks for solving that mystery for me Nicole :)

I'm amazed at the number of posts some of ya'll have. People with fewer days membership being way beyond me in posts. Nicole, you're a queen. :)

I'm amazed at the number of posts some of ya'll have. People with fewer days membership being way beyond me in posts. Nicole, you're a queen.

You could call it dedication, or just not having a life - take your pick! Congrats on the 1000 days! :clap:

You could call it dedication, or just not having a life - take your pick!
I vote for the second one. Congrats, Pumpkin Juice!

Let's find our topic again, shall we? :)

Okay... I was wondering if someone would be willing to set up a polite and correct forum for debating the Harry with Ginny or Hermione.
The topic is currently invading other ones and it's kind of driving me crazy.

Did you work on Cosforums today? I wasn`t able to open the site before now and I haven`t found anything like the note the last time the site was down. Or was it my computer that doesn`t work properly?

Did you work on Cosforums today? I wasn`t able to open the site before now and I haven`t found anything like the note the last time the site was down. Or was it my computer that doesn`t work properly?

There was an issue with one of our Drives.

Thank you for your quick answer!

Okay... I was wondering if someone would be willing to set up a polite and correct forum for debating the Harry with Ginny or Hermione. The topic is currently invading other ones and it's kind of driving me crazy.
We've tried this before and I don't think we're keen to repeat the experience. If someone is dragging a thread off topic, please report their posts and we will deal with them.

Sounds sweet. I guessed that you had tried, but I needed to ask just to make sure...

We've tried this before and I don't think we're keen to repeat the experience. If someone is dragging a thread off topic, please report their posts and we will deal with them.

Love threads do seem to have a habit of getting out of control :(

Maybe I've just been hanging around the wrong threads lately but I can think of three or four threads off the top of my head that were closed because the members within them couldn't follow the rules. Now, normally, I love this site's approach to spam, chatting, flaming, etc.. I've always felt quite safe discussing my opinions as I know the mods are watching and will step in when needed. Lately, though, I've been pondering these closings...were they fair? I understand that you guys have a lot to handle and all but I can't help but wonder if warning the members who were breaking the rules would have been better. It just seems like locking an entire thread is a way of punishing everyone when not everyone was necessarily involved in whatever rule-breaking that was going on. I'm not trying to be troublesome, just curious. :)

Please owl either the thread sponsor (if there was one) or an Unspeakable or Admin with your concerns and the details of the threads in question :)

We have also closed a number of threads in reference to this announcement (http://www.cosforums.com/showpost.php?p=4504882&postcount=3).

Non Snape threads are in no danger of being closed but any threads on Snape that begin veering towards his loyalty/bickering among members are being closed for staff sanity.

We have given these threads multiple chances. However at this point our focus has to be on keeping the forums spoiler free and we just can't allocate the resources that seem to be necessary to discuss Snape outside of the Triumverate threads.

staff sanity.


:yuhup:

Please owl either the thread sponsor (if there was one) or an Unspeakable or Admin with your concerns and the details of the threads in question

Well, I'm not really concerned with any one thread, I'm just confused as to what's going on period. :lol:

Non Snape threads are in no danger of being closed but any threads on Snape that begin veering towards his loyalty/bickering among members are being closed for staff sanity.

We have given these threads multiple chances. However at this point our focus has to be on keeping the forums spoiler free and we just can't allocate the resources that seem to be necessary to discuss Snape outside of the Triumverate threads.

That announcement actually contains a bit on what I'm rather worried about -- I'm not going to ban anyone for recent loss of patience with their fellow HP fans. I appreciate it's been a tough few days trying to negotiate your way around the armoured threads. We'll just have to call it a day and let the Deathly Hallows resolve the outstanding aspects of Snape's character so we can all live happily never after.

I agree that no one should be banned for losing their patience here and there but when it's done repeatedly (either on different threads or on the same thread over and over), I can't help but wonder...where has the line been drawn and what does it take to cross it? You said that you gave some of these threads multiple chances and that's what concerns me -- I feel that you might be viewing the situation incorrectly. I just think that weeding out the posters who are causing the problem would be more benefitial and am confused as to why that's not what's happening. It feels like everyone is being punished when not everyone has done something wrong. Again, I'm not trying to be a pain, I'm just trying to understand why blanket punishments are being handed out rather than punishments targeting specific users. :)




:yuhup:


:rotfl:


Staff sanity...did it ever truly exist or is it merely a myth?

The problem with the Snape threads is that there are too many members who are unable to get along that it turns into a logistical nightmare. We've tried forum banning individual members, we've tried asking people to be polite, we've tried deleting posts that are rude. Unfortunately, individual members can't see all the behind the scenes warnings, discussions, hair tearing etc that it takes to keep these threads running with a modicum of peace.

Like I said before, it's too much work and we don't have time to deal with it anymore. Our first priority is keeping the forums as a whole spoiler free and running smoothly as we appraoch book release. I'm afraid this is non-negotiable and discussion on Snape will be confined to the Triumverate until after book release.

Once DH is released and we know (hopefully) Snape's true loyalty we'll announce plans on how the matter will be dealt with from that point forward.

Well, being that innocent members have been punished, I fully disagree with your tactics but I'm not a mod so I've done all I can by voicing my thoughts. Thanks for the replies, though. :)

I can't click on the Floo Network tab...

I have a Mac and the "where were you" thing covers it up so I can't click on it. I don't know if anyone else had the same problems (I've searched for it), but I thought I should mention it. :(

I can't click on the Floo Network tab...Try switching to a different 'skin'. I see it quite clearly with the Expanded Format, for instance. :)

This problem will just exist as long as we support uor donation drive with extra banner. The easiest way to by-pass it is to click this button http://www.cosforums.com/images/dh/buttons/cosresize_900.gif at the bottom next to the site skin buttons to resize your skin. The you should be able to click the Floo-Network again. :)

ETA: Nicole beat me to it! :D

^ thank you both! the second explanation helped a little better, but thank you! it works now :)

Question... yes i'm new as you can tell...

Why does a thread discussing where people will see OotP get shut down because "this forum does not allow 'meet-ups'"... you only ask where an individual lives when filling out their profile. How is this any diffrent than allowing individuals to voluntarily disclose what theater they want to see a movie at?

You allow personal messages... and all other forms of self expression of individuality but then when someone wants to know what theater fellow fans will be going to, you shut down the thread?

I realize that its to i guess protect individuals from... ? other forum members. But isnt this a bit too much micro-managment? Especially considering that members post where they live in the indtroduction thread every day.


--- second---

why is everything in this forum smashed into as few threads as possible? I mean discussing say the latest movie... there is no way to push all that into one thread with ? seperate volumes. It causes members to not want to search through some odd 21 long page thread and post new threads anyway. Ok it does give you moderators something to do (policing the forum for any stray threads that could be put in an already made category) but at the same time isnt the idea to not have anything for mods to interfere over?


I dunno i just find that the moderation of this forum is for lack of another word "overbearing". I admire the will to keep a "clean family friendly forum" but thats why to me there are mods... to weed through what is malicious (slander, obcene talk, etc..) and what is not (like movie places and freedom to categorize thought into more than 1 thread).

We can't allow discussion of meet ups to happen here because these are public forums. I would like to believe that the majority of our members are exactly who they say they are, but anyone can read these forums and frankly there are a lot of creeps on the internet.

We would not only be liable but culpable if we allowed discussion of a meet up and some creep showed up with bad intentions. It's not over moderation, it's protection of member safety. :)

Sorry, I know I'm not staff but...

Having lots of threads all discussing the same thing takes up bandwidth, and as this forum is so busy anyway, if everyone was posting their own threads left right and centre when they could be put into one thread it would take up an unbelievable amount of bandwidth that could be used discussing other topics

At least that is my belief...am I right

How is providing a profile with a space specifically for "location" as well as allowing people to state where they live in the introduction thread "protecting members".

....my questions still stand :rolleyes:


--edit---
as far as the bandwith thing goes... is there not a way to "archive" old inactive threads... lol and yes that is a very good point this is one of the largest forums i belong to

How is providing a profile with a space specifically for "location" as well as allowing people to state where they live in the introduction thread "protecting members".

There's a huge difference between saying "Hi my name is Jessica and I live in California" and "Hi my name is Jessica and I'll be at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night at 8 pm wearing overalls and a pink hat." We draw the line at anything that would allow someone to find you specifically.

As for the other question, I think lanifiel answered it fairly well here: "Why has my thread been locked?" A brief summary on our policy (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=101333)

There's a huge difference between saying "Hi my name is Jessica and I live in California" and "Hi my name is Jessica and I'll be at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night at 8 pm wearing overalls and a pink hat." We draw the line at anything that would allow someone to find you specifically.
Hmmm...8 pm...Hollyweird Bowl...Friday night...pink hat. *makes note to bring camera* :lol:

There's a huge difference between saying "Hi my name is Jessica and I live in California" and "Hi my name is Jessica and I'll be at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night at 8 pm wearing overalls and a pink hat." We draw the line at anything that would allow someone to find you specifically.

As for the other question, I think lanifiel answered it fairly well here: "Why has my thread been locked?" A brief summary on our policy (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=101333)


wait... who said anything about "hello yes i will be at the parkway theater in front of the second pillar wearing jeans and a pink shirt at 10:03am on the day of..."

come on lets keep this reasonable please... i really would like an honest answer

telling you that i will be at the OotP premeir in hollywood would not give way for you to know exaclty who i was or enable you to single me out of the 100s of people there at that event... or the 100s at the theater (yes mine holds hundreds)

again... please be realistic... i want an honest reply as to why this forum asks where and individual lives but wont allow its members to know where there will be big midnight showings at the theaters

I am being realistic. We're not going there. End of conversation.

Why is it that, when searching the forums, I cannot include words that have fewer than three characters in my inquiry? I'm trying to search for a particular post that I believe was made in the "Harry (or his Scar) a Horcrux? v.2" thread but was made to remove the parenthesis followed by the "a", then the "v.2", and finally the "or".


"Harry his Scar Horcrux?"







Needless to say, it's not turning up what I want...

The search engine requires more than 3 characters. If you owl me the specifics I'll try and run the quote down for you.

Try searching for "Harry AND scar." When I do that Harry (or his Scar) a Horcrux? v.2 (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=72716&highlight=Harry+scar) is one of the results.

You can use AND and OR like that to connect terms.

Thanks, I'll try. :)

It's just a forum software feature. Having search engines set to find "a" can and does causes crashes, both malicious and benign in nature.

A benign crash?

A benign crash?

I think he means one cause by accident ,not on purpose or by evil intent.

twins:p

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to give this comment..critique would be a better word I suppose, so please feel free to move this as needed.

I have been a member of many online communities for MANY years now, and have only been a member here for a few weeks. Over the course of those few weeks I have noticed several instances where perfectly normal threads have been locked for, and I quote, becoming too "chit-chatty". These threads have been in the Common Room, thus seem to invite "chit-chattiness" in the types of topics in that particular forum.

I do not see how you expect newbies like myself to grow in a community where we are discouraged to take a topic in whatever direction that it naturally goes in, especially topics in non-HP Book, non-serious study threads. it seems to me that some of your admin/aurors (not sure which) seem to take the power to their heads.

I enjoy the serious nature of the forums that have to do with plot/character analysis, but I also wish that I could enjoy the community aspect of the other forums, like the Common Room, as well.

I think this community would be much more enjoyable to many members, not just the new ones, if we were allowed to talk more openly.

Thanks for your consideration,

Jo

The Common Room is still a discussion forum where post count is on. One reason for discourageing chit chat there is that it often enough destroys any effort to keep up a meaningful discussion. Another is that we don't want to encourage post count boosting.

So we have tried to steer the 'social only' and 'just for fun' talks into the Quidditch Pitch and the Great Hall.

The Common Room is still a discussion forum where post count is on. One reason for discourageing chit chat there is that it often enough destroys any effort to keep up a meaningful discussion. Another is that we don't want to encourage post count boosting.

So we have tried to steer the 'social only' and 'just for fun' talks into the Quidditch Pitch and the Great Hall.


well, I COMPLETELY disagree with the way the threads are locked, but I guess that's your boat to float :p ;)

thank you for the reply, though

well, I COMPLETELY disagree with the way the threads are locked, but I guess that's your boat to float :p ;)

thank you for the reply, though

It's an issue that comes up every once and awhile. As someone who helped write the policy we go by the decision making that went into it is based upon wanting discussion to be about a specific topic, rather than general chatter. Hence when a thread is started with a purpose in mind, ie a move or a book, we want the discussion to be based on that topic. This way the topic remains true to what the starter had intended.

If its jokes or general chatter then the Quidditch Pitch is where you want to go. :)

It's an issue that comes up every once and awhile. As someone who helped write the policy we go by the decision making that went into it is based upon wanting discussion to be about a specific topic, rather than general chatter. Hence when a thread is started with a purpose in mind, ie a move or a book, we want the discussion to be based on that topic. This way the topic remains true to what the starter had intended.

If its jokes or general chatter then the Quidditch Pitch is where you want to go. :)

fair enough. No hard feelings I hope, I just wanted to give some constructive criticism from a newbie's perspective :) Just so you guys know I'm not just a whiner, I really do think the rest of the forums are remarkably well-run and organized.

I'd just like to ask a favor.

Now that the spoiler policy is over, could somone please merge the Hogwarts Staff Meeting thread with the post-DH episodes?

http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=3617
http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=108178

Also, the feedback threads for them?

http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=61191
http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=108182

Thanks! :)

Done, Ink! :)

Thanks, Gertiekeddle! :)

I think this description on the profile should be changed:
"By wearing an Invisibility Cloak you will be able to browse CoS without appearing on the 'Marauders Map'".
I would assume only the administration has the "Marauders Map", and they could still see someone's name even if they're wearing the invisibility cloak (which is correct in the HP universe). They would be invisible to the rest of us, but STILL visible in the Marauders Map, which is in the hands of the administration :tu:
Either that, or the name "marauders map" should be changed, because if someone is wearing the invisibility cloak, they would still show up in the marauders map. Only the administrations should have the maradeurs map, because they're able to see ALL members, even if they're wearing the invisibility cloak. kthxbye

I think this description on the profile should be changed:
"By wearing an Invisibility Cloak you will be able to browse CoS without appearing on the 'Marauders Map'".
I would assume only the administration has the "Marauders Map", and they could still see someone's name even if they're wearing the invisibility cloak (which is correct in the HP universe). They would be invisible to the rest of us, but STILL visible in the Marauders Map, which is in the hands of the administration :tu:
Either that, or the name "marauders map" should be changed, because if someone is wearing the invisibility cloak, they would still show up in the marauders map. Only the administrations should have the maradeurs map, because they're able to see ALL members, even if they're wearing the invisibility cloak. kthxbye

I have the cloaking device but I know that 'they' can still see me :yuhup:

I have the cloaking device but I know that 'they' can still see me

Try wearing a tin foil hat ;)

To browse the forums without being seen, just don't log in.

Why isn't the quick reply to a thread, considered as a post? Since I don't have access to Wi-Fi connectivity in the area, I tend to use this way of posting since it takes lesser time. My posts are seldom small. The number of posts would have easily surpassed hundred if these are considered. Can you rectify this?

Why isn't the quick reply to a thread, considered as a post? Since I don't have access to Wi-Fi connectivity in the area, I tend to use this way of posting since it takes lesser time. My posts are seldom small. The number of posts would have easily surpassed hundred if these are considered. Can you rectify this?
Quick Reply is considered a post, however, it's not whether you use quick reply versus advanced, it's where you post that matters. Post count is only on in certain areas, The Cloak, Wand, Stone, Muggle Studies, and The Leaky Cauldron for the time being. If you are posting out of these areas, then it won't add to your post count, no matter how long your post may be. Once all the new forums get settled, and the admins figure out what's staying, what's going, what's moving, etc., post count may be turned on in some of those areas as well. Hope this helps!!

I don't really know if this is the right thread to post this in, but I don't know where else it could go and I didn't think that it would merit its own thread.

I typed cosforums.com into a search engine and I found a link to this page: (edit).
I don't know if anyone knew about it or not, but I has statistics and demographics of the visitors to this forum. They even have charts of site traffic and stuff...you can even see the huge spike in the middle of the summer :P Apparently, "Addicts", or people with more than 30 page views here per month (30 page views, puh-lease :P), account for 55% of the total page hits. Out of the 20,267,997 sites that they have data on, CoS is ranked 162,157...not bad. :P There's a bunch of random statistics about the site there, I just thought it was interesting. :)

Edit: I took the link out because I realized that the rankings on the site have some...err..."tasteless" sites listed. I don't know if that means that I can't link to the site or not, since I didn't link to the rankings page, but I figured it'd be better to be safe than sorry :P The stats are still interseting anyways.

I found that site, too!! My favorite part is where it says The typical visitor shops at Scholastic and frequents babynames.com. :rotfl: All those fanfic writers trying to find names for their characters, I suppose!

The keywords are pretty great, too: mugglenet
harry potter
severus snape
alan rickman
baby names
:lol:

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but a friend of mine just joined the forums, but he still hasn't gotten his confirmation e-mail. What can he do to get one?

He's checked both his regular e-mail box and his spam one as well, and still no luck.

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but a friend of mine just joined the forums, but he still hasn't gotten his confirmation e-mail. What can he do to get one?

He's checked both his regular e-mail box and his spam one as well, and still no luck.

Owl me his user name and I'll look into it.

Owl me his user name and I'll look into it.
Ok. Thanks :).

Why is my post count going down?
I had 201 posts yesterday. I noticed that, posting in the "Ask Snape" thread last night and this morning did not add to the post count. (So I just figured for some reason posts didn't count there.)
Then I made a post in a different area (Cloak, I think) a few minutes ago, and now my post count says 200..?
I've received no owls or anything, and made no objectionable posts.

It's probably not your fault. Sometimes we prun older threads that went inactive for some months. On such occasions many posts get lost.

Also closed threads get deleted after 24 hours, if they're for instance duplicate threads of a topic and so don't get into the archives. If you posted in one of those, your posts probably is gone. Hope that explains it. :)

Aww poo. I didn't know I could lose posts that way.
Thanks.

BTW, the "ask so and so" area (Quibbler) counts for posts, doesn't it?

No they don't count. The Quibbler is a fun/games area.

You can see at the Hogsmeade Review Guidelines (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=22994)which areas do count :)

Hey, so, can you mod types take a look at what we have goin on in the Gryffindor Common Room and come up with some stuff re: prefects for houses?

If houses want to elect internal head boys and girls that's fine but as far as staff are concerned they'll remain normal members. We don't want non-staff modding the forums at large.

No they don't count. The Quibbler is a fun/games area.

You can see at the Hogsmeade Review Guidelines (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=22994)which areas do count :)

The Quibbler says:
"A place for all members to discuss individual characters. New characters will be added every month so check back often!"
It didn't say "Post Count Off" there like it does for Flourish and Blotts and Magical Masterpieces - that threw me.
Also, it's not under the "Games" section - it's it's own section. (?)

If post count is off for a forum or subforum or whatever you call it, it'd really help if it was clearly labeled as such, but thanks for the link! I'll check that out again.

I agree with this guy. I've been on for a while and have been really active (apart from that one time where I- shall we say- took a sabbatical?), yet I've only got about 25 posts that count.

Weeell, I'm not asking them to change their rules, per se, only, label things a little plainer, maybe.
(Although personally I think the Quibbler section should count... ;) )

My little girl is quite pleased to be part of all this. You have been very nice to allow her to do so. Not only is she motivated to keep reading, she is practicing her English and she is using the computer.
How can this combo get any better?

Thanks a bunch!!