"Look at what I found/bought/like" threads

[PseudoScot]

I'm not sure where to stick this or how to voice this observation, but it seems like on the new LHC there are a ton more 'look at this toy' or 'look what I bought' threads than on the old LHC. While I think it's great members are buying toys is it really necessary to start a thread every time one arrives in the mail?

I am not arguing with members' right or interest in posting such threads. I thought, however, that such things are probably better suited to journals/blogs.

Even posts mentioning problems with sellers are a bit dangerous because one bad review might unfairly affect a seller with otherwise great performance.

It's just starting to feel that LHC is becoming a shopping network and a show-and-tell contest. I get tired of seeing member threads that aren't ads but they are. I actually don't read that many but they are like MB spam there seem to be so many of them.

I want to stress that I am not referring to any specific members, this is just an increasing trend that in all honesty is getting a bit tiresome. I am really happy for those members buying their 4th graydog, but perhaps think twice before you post in the mane forum or hair product or whatever thread. Use your blog.

This might be an unpopular opinion but I'm just voicing it because it is a trend and I think it detracts from actual informational posts and information exchange and friendship on LHC.

[justgreen]

Ditto, PS! Also goes along with the 'look what I did with my hair today' threads.

That's all I'll say on this thread, I might get into trouble if I stay here.

[KatKeRo]

I'm not sure where to stick this or how to voice this observation, but it seems like on the new LHC there are a ton more 'look at this toy' or 'look what I bought' threads than on the old LHC. While I think it's great members are buying toys is it really necessary to start a thread every time one arrives in the mail?

I am not arguing with members' right or interest in posting such threads. I thought, however, that such things are probably better suited to journals/blogs.

Even posts mentioning problems with sellers are a bit dangerous because one bad review might unfairly affect a seller with otherwise great performance.

It's just starting to feel that LHC is becoming a shopping network and a show-and-tell contest. I get tired of seeing member threads that aren't ads but they are. I actually don't read that many but they are like MB spam there seem to be so many of them.

I want to stress that I am not referring to any specific members, this is just an increasing trend that in all honesty is getting a bit tiresome. I am really happy for those members buying their 4th graydog, but perhaps think twice before you post in the mane forum or hair product or whatever thread. Use your blog.

This might be an unpopular opinion but I'm just voicing it because it is a trend and I think it detracts from actual informational posts and information exchange and friendship on LHC.

I second you. It's starting to become annoying.

[jessie58]

PseudoScot, I totally agree,I was just saying this to somebody else.
I think that half of the posts are becoming these types of posts. It's hard to wade through the helpful, informative and interesting ones with so many "look at me" posts. Of course I have done that once or twice in the 2 and half years that I've been here but not 3 times a week, come on.

I love hairtoys and understand how if feels to be excited about a new purchase, but a whole thread devoted to each and every purchase around here is excessive. Perhaps we could have one thread where people who are interested can post pics of hair toys or look at hairtoys and then the boards will not be cluttered with them for every 10th post.

I also sometimes think it becomes rather like I am being directed to buy things from a certain seller because the same people post the same stuff over and over again.

[prosperina]

I rather like the "look what I did with my hair today, look what new bun I did" threads because I find them helpful. But the new hair toy threads....I think those are a bit much. Then again, it is nice to read about how certain hair toys worked with certain hair types--because it really can be useful especially for the posters like me that don't have what works for them down yet, people who are still experimenting.

Perhaps there could be a hairtoy/seller review section, so all info could be found in one place rather than repeated throughout the mane forum. OTOH, isn't that the nature of boards, there's stuff not everyone is interested in, there's stuff that gets repeated?

[justgreen]

While in no way am I an expert about forum boards, it would seem to be in the best interest of all of us if we try to NOT overload the boards with excessive threads.

While the new hairstyle/new hairtoy threads are nice for some, maybe they should do what the rest of us have been doing for year(s), putting the pics in our albums or blogs (journals). I love looking at Jessie58's pics, I know I can go to her profile and find good pics.

Also remember, yes it's nice to look at them, but then you have all the other folks posting and the posts just add up.

I seem to remember that this was sort of a rule over at the old LHC.

[Ursula]

At least for the updos, I wonder if this is a side-effect of having albums instead of the photo board. The photo board provided a venue for picture-related discussion, so that if someone posted a thread on a particular updo, others could join in. Albums don't have that community participation effect.

Some of it also goes to my favorite gripe of choosing good thread titles. A thread that said "Pictures of Figure-8 bun" could be a focal point for people wanting to post pictures and discuss that particular updo, while "Look what I did with my hair" gives very little information to draw together people wishing to post on that updo. So the next person who manages their new figure-8 starts yet another "Look what I did with my hair" thread, instead of finding one titled "Pictures of Figure-8 bun."

Also, perhaps, forgetting the "Reviews" section, since it doesn't come up in the regular searches. Posts about a new hair toy would be quite helpful if put on a thread about that product in the "Reviews" section. The "hair toys" section of "Reviews" seems to only have 7 products listed, which is shameful given how much we all love our hair toys.

[prosperina]

Albums, blogs, journals are often exclusive and limited to a few (or many) friends. Putting it in the mane forum (or even better the article section)makes it available to everyone and contributes to the sense of non-exclusivity at LHC. It's irritating to be reading a thread and have someone say, I have pictures of that, and they link to their journal or album and then if you're not their friend you can't see the pic. Why bother even mentioning that you have a pic in the first place, if most reading the thread can't see it? And even if you are a friend with someone, it's often hard to find shift through all the blogs and find the one you want. I thought I subscribed to certain ones, but that didn't seem to help.

Furthermore, excessive posts are in the eye of the beholder. For folks who have been around these boards for a long time, much will seem old hat and excessive. Anyway, internet boards were made to be posted on. If anyone were making so-called "excessive threads" I'd expect a mod or an administrator to step in and tell them not to do so, so far I have not seen that. If you're not interested in a thread don't read it. It's not difficult to scroll past something.

[lavenderblue]

it doesn't really bother me, why exactly does it bother you pseudoscot?
I don't (like to) reed them all the time too (and other time I do like to read them ), but I find it no problem just to pick out and read the threads that interest me. I believe that's inherent to participating a forum, some threads you like, some you don't, why not just skip the ones you don't like?

Maybe it's a idea to have one (sticky) show thread were people can show their new stuff? I can imagine it is not necessary to start a new thread every time.

[icydove]

If you will notice, the people that find this annoying are gurus. Anyone surprised?

I don't think this has anything to do with the photo journal situation, because it happened on the old LHC just the same.

Whenever I made an effort concerning this on the old LHC, I ended up offending a bunch of people and getting my feelings hurt because I was considered being harsh and unwelcoming to newbies. I think a majority of topics on the Mane Forum belong in blogs or elsewhere including long hair sitings, new hair toy and products purchases, I've mastered X hairstyle, I washed my hair today, I cut my hair today, etc. If this was limited, I think the older members of the site would participate more instead of avoiding the Mane Forum altogether. I wish there was a way to make everyone happy on this