Should inactive group members be dropped?

Armadillo of Doom

Group Founder, Lover of Pie
aa
Oct 25, 2007
949
1,228
Like the title says. Between work and other stuff, I've been cross-referencing people who are both in the group, and have not registered/posted on the forum. I'd really like to hear what everyone thinks about this. It's fine if people just wanna browse and such, but despite my best efforts, said people have yet to tell me that they still wanna be a part of this community. Should I drop the inactive Steam group members? How long, if at all, before we move on to the forum?

On the one hand, I think it would help create a much tighter community. Everyone who is there is genuinely interested in creating custom stuff for this awsome game. On the other hand, I don't want people getting all freaked out about needing to post. I'll say again, if peeps just wanna browse and download, that's totally fine. But for those who don't say so, what should we do?
 

Intraman

L4: Comfortable Member
Nov 4, 2007
191
0
Well, inactive members are hard for any community, especially a young growing one like ours. I know there are alot of people in the steam group that only use the chat. Perhaps you can make an announcement encourging them to register to the forums and such. As for removing them, I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe if they're inactive for 6 or a year, but we haven't been around that long. So *shrugs*
 

Shmitz

Old Hat
aa
Nov 12, 2007
1,128
746
I don't think the forum and the steam group should necessarily be tied together like that. On the other hand, if we've never seen them on the forum or in the steam chat and they haven't logged onto steam in, oh, a month, it's probably safe to drop them. They're always free to join it again if they become active again.

EDIT: I mean a month in relative terms, of course. With recent holiday time, I'd expect more leeway. =P
 

DJive

Cake or Death?
aa
Dec 20, 2007
1,465
741
On the one hand, I think it would help create a much tighter community. Everyone who is there is genuinely interested in creating custom stuff for this awsome game. On the other hand, I don't want people getting all freaked out about needing to post

I agree on the steam group. Its awfully fusterating to see this everytime i join chat.

5 in-chat
23 in-game
89 online

I think its mostly because people will join for a day then never go back to it. I think the steam group should be cleaned IMO. Plus for anyone just joining think of how you would see it...

Would you rather see 5people in chat, 10 people online or see 5 people in chat, 98 online? 5/10 right? why because it shows we are a dedicated bunch who are here to help and are intrerested in making the community/maps/ better. Where are 5/98 shows that no one cares.

at least in my opinion.
 

TheBladeRoden

L420: High Member
Oct 26, 2007
491
168
no one even ever uses the chat in my other group
IGN PC
270 Members - 0 Chatting, 9 In-Game, 80 Online
 

DJive

Cake or Death?
aa
Dec 20, 2007
1,465
741
no one even ever uses the chat in my other group
IGN PC
270 Members - 0 Chatting, 9 In-Game, 80 Online

Difference is that group doesn't have a main purpose. Its a bunch of people who play games. tf2mappers is people who map and in general need other people to help *questions, play testing, advice*
 

ryodoan

Resident Bum
Nov 2, 2007
409
117
Hmm.... well it looks like I am to late, but I dont think its a good idea... It can not hurt us to have the extra people in the steam group and it will only help for when you post new events we will get more exposure to people that are obviously pre-inclined to play a custom map.

I think trimming people from the steam group is a bad idea because
  • its a waste of time, people will continue to join and go inactive
  • B. You will undoubtably drop someone that was just lurking and they will not be motivated enough to rejoin
  • Event notifications go out to everyone, even if they are inactive so it gets our name out there.
  • Its not hurting anyone to have a large group.
  • Whats your criteria? You didnt even know that I had a channel bot running after it had been up for over 2 weeks, there is a HIGH probability you will kick someone on accident and piss them off for no reason.
  • If you want it narrowed down so people fit on your friends list again, I think a better idea would be to just invite everyone you see in the chat room or know is active in the group because we want this group to grow and it cant grow if we keep kicking all the people who go inactive for a bit.
As for the forums the same reasoning applies, dont kick them from the site its not like they hurt anything by just being members.
 
Last edited:
B

Big Nick Digger

sorry but i can't think of any good reason to trim people from a website or steam group unless they have violated a rule or broken TOS. It just doesn't make sense :\

but its your place not mine... :p
 

Cdsand

L2: Junior Member
Oct 25, 2007
75
1
I AM ALIVE I AM ALIVE I AM ALIVE.


Phew... dodged a bullet there...
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
I was just kicked from your TF2 group.

This has been a busy time of year for me, as I expect it has been for most. I joined the TF2 Mappers Group thinking it would be a casual thing, I didn't realize I was required to buddy up with the admins to preserve my status.

The kick has had absolutely no effect on me: I can still join the chat room, I can still post on the forums, and I can still make my TF2 maps. It certainly seems like a pointless gesture, one that says to me "we don't want you in our group."

Is that how you intend to grow the community?

-Aaron
 

MacNetron

L5: Dapper Member
Dec 12, 2007
203
47
[...]
5 in-chat
23 in-game
89 online
[...]
Would you rather see 5people in chat, 10 people online or see 5 people in chat, 98 online? 5/10 right? why because it shows we are a dedicated bunch who are here to help and are intrerested in making the community/maps/ better. Where are 5/98 shows that no one cares.

at least in my opinion.
Well, in my case, Steam gets started when I boot my PC. So I come home from work, turn on the PC, mac online, go cooking, mac online, go eating, mac online, doing some dish washing, mac online...
Doesn't mean I'm ignoring the community, I'm doing other useful things.
 

ryodoan

Resident Bum
Nov 2, 2007
409
117
Thanks for your reply here, I have talked to Immortal-D in the chat and even after debating with him he still felt kicking people from the group was the best idea. I am still opposed to it and I will be sure to redirect him to these last couple posts (mostly to rub in that I was right :p)
 

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
6,056
I've just started being an active member here and was about to join the group but this thread has frightened me away from the idea.
 

Armadillo of Doom

Group Founder, Lover of Pie
aa
Oct 25, 2007
949
1,228
I appreciate your thoughts on the matter guys, honest and true. However, I stand by my decision. Schwa, for what it's worth, I apologize. Though you are the first person who was kicked and actually was still with us. To be honest, I really resent the notion that you feel one needs to be friendly with an admin to be part of this community, that's just plain wrong. And Youme, I'm sorry you feel that way. The chat room is a wonderful resource, and good comradery too. I believe I was incredibly generous on the matter. People were removed from the Steam group ONLY if they had both not registered on the forum, AND not shown up in chat. Hate to say it, but this is not a closed matter, as I occasionally speak w/ Drpepper about considering a certain amount of inactivity time before removing from the site. I'm going to leave this thread open, but lets keep it civil.
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
Immortal said:
I really resent the notion that you feel one needs to be friendly with an admin to be part of this community, that's just plain wrong.

Don't take it personally. That was my first impression upon learning I had been kicked. You are correct that I wasn't an involved member. However, I got kicked because I didn't know you.

I joined the TF2 Mappers Group because I intended to use it eventually, in the same way one bookmarks an interesting webpage. I wanted access to the central hub for TF2 maps. I wanted a link to a large group of people that had expressed interest in mapping.

I'm not interested in idling in a chat room with other fluent hammer geeks. That certainly is useful, but it isn't a complete community. I want to bounce ideas off professionals and amateurs, builders and players, casual and hardcore.

-Aaron