[Community Discussion]: Posting practices

JWiley129 says... #2

I really dislike the comments that are just a list of card links. I think that if you have a card suggestion you can explain why you suggested that card, and maybe pick a card or two to take out for it. For some experienced deckbuilders just having the card suggested would be enough, but there are plenty of novice deckbuilders who could use the advice.

January 23, 2014 1:10 p.m.

zandl says... #3

I think a lot of card suggestions explain themselves, especially if I say something like:

Krosan Grip > Naturalize

As for wanting to respond to somebody else, it helps if they are actually adding helpful information to the discussion already. Why try and strike something up with someone if that person hasn't yet added to the conversation?

And, no; I don't like "Nice deck +1! Comment on mine!". It's pretentious and conceited of you to think that's how a community works.

Also, as "pretentious" as this may sound to some of you, I'm far more likely to keep a conversation going with someone who uses grammar and punctuation regularly. If I have to read a wall of text with no capitalization, punctuation marks, and frequent internet abbreviations, I have to dumb down my mind before reading it and you're less likely to know what you're talking about.

January 23, 2014 1:41 p.m.

NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #4

I tend to visit threads that strike my interests (imagine that). Usually the interest stems from a shared connection with the post, like a shared excitement for spoiler season. Every so often a thread will drag me in simply because it has an interesting or intriguing title. Also, I always fall for the witty titles, even if I know I don't care about the content. I'm a sucker for witty.

Once I'm there I tend to offer my two cents, provided the thread / discussion seems to be going somewhere. If I have something to say I'll voice my opinion, otherwise I'll see that it's not worth my time and I'll peace out.

If someone's asking for help and I have the knowledge to assist them, I usually will. However, I almost never help people whose tone seems demanding, demeaning, immature, or impatient. If my mental picture of you is a twelve year old on a sugar binge, I'm not likely to spend my time on your thread.

January 23, 2014 1:46 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... #5

Agreeing with JWiley129, I would also add that deck suggestion comments are so much more helpful when they include suggestions of what to remove from the deck to add the suggested cards. I'm not going to bother responding to "Play Jace" with "Instead of what?" because I'd rather not waste my time trying to talk to someone who doesn't know how to have a conversation.

Poorly written comments don't encourage me to respond either. If it takes me more than 2 read-throughs to understand WTF, I'm going to give up and ignore it.

I'm much more likely to respond to a comment if it's obvious the person has thought about it and the topic is something I feel I know about and can contribute to.

January 23, 2014 1:53 p.m.

JWiley129 says... #6

While zandl is correct that some suggestions are straightforward, how Krosan Grip is a strictly better Naturalize , the comments I see are more along what Rhadamanthus described.

I also don't like people asking for +1's. I think that it's quite similar to people asking for likes on facebook. It's up to each person whether to upvote your deck, and asking for them won't make your deck any better.

January 23, 2014 2 p.m.

ducttapedeckbox says... #7

My perception of posting etiquette is essentially a combination of the posts above, and I completely agree with zandl's comment on poorly written comments (with respect to grammar, spelling, etc.).

Posts that simply list potential additions without explanations nor suggestions for what to remove are relatively useless, and ultimately waste the deck builder's time. Occasionally I will ignore these comments, but my curiosity often takes control and I ask about their suggestion or what to remove - often to no avail, and that user fails to respond.

I am also irritated when users clearly do not understand the scope of the content on which they are commenting. In my budget (under $50) mill deck, I can't tell you how many people suggested that I run Jace, Memory Adept because it would make the deck better. And yes it would help, but it would break the constraints I have set for the deck. It doesn't take much effort to glance at the hubs of the deck, let alone read the description. If it is evident that a user has failed to take the time to understand my deck, I have zero inclination to have any further interaction with them.

Ultimately, I will ignore any comment that is not constructively written. I'm open to criticism on anything I post, but I cannot take someone seriously if they fail compose themselves for a few sentences.

With that said, there are some users that clearly put effort into their posts and genuinely try to help out. Thank you to those who put their time into their posts!

January 23, 2014 2:18 p.m.

Hallowed_Titan says... #8

I agree with a lot of the above comments, however, I only suggest cards to remove if I see a blatantly weaker card in the deck. If it seems like there are many cards they could choose from I'll leave it up to them unless they ask me for that opinion. Sometimes all people need is the suggestion of a better card and then they'll see the weaker ones and go ahead and make changes on their own, much more gratifying that way. : )

January 23, 2014 2:23 p.m.

Hallowed_Titan says... #9

As NobodyPicksBulbasaur stated, I only click threads that interest me or sound interesting/have a witty title.

January 23, 2014 2:24 p.m.

PrimeSpeaky says... #10

As mentioned by just about everyone above, grammar and spelling are imperative. If the only way I can communicate with a person is through a series of written/typed statements I better be able to read and actually understand the sentences on my screen, otherwise exactly what am I supposed to respond to?

Tone is also a pretty big one. You don't see it TOO often, but you'll get that occasional person who just wants to come in and try to debunk your build/deck list as being trash and tell you to basically replace like 20+ cards and change the deck entirely. If I had WANTED to play that deck, I would have posted that list.

And I couldn't agree with you more ducttapedeckbox. I get similar comments all the time where I'll have responded once and said why I won't run a certain card and then look and see a stream of comments where the same card is being suggested mindlessly like 2-3 more times. I might not mind if they were just agreeing to previous comments, but its really disappointing to see when people just spam a suggestion without actually taking the time to understand the deck list and the user's description of how it is supposed to come together. If you don't take the time to know what you're commenting on, why should we take the time to respond?

January 23, 2014 2:47 p.m.

Triforce-Finder says... #11

Short answer? The feeling that posting will be worth it. No sense in posting without an outcome for the reader or me. What kind of outcome that is, depends on the situation.

Usually it's worth a comment on a deck if I can help out easily with cards I know by heart or get info about the deck, like a basic strategy or a short list of the most important wincons.

When I get a suggestion, it's always better to know why it would fit in the deck. Pointing out possible uses, combos or synergies is important. If someone suggests a card to remove, the reasons are even more important. Anyways, it's not that important to me that every suggestion comes woth a removal suggestion.

About expected reciprocation: I hate it. I had that landlady who would come over and bring something like a sandwich or a few biscuits, and a day or two later asked me to "help" (what means I do the work alone) her with the garden. It's so goddamn manipulative. Although I would have helped her if she just asked, I said no because she was trying to manipulate me, and also rejected those tainted gifts she brought.

So, If you gift something, don't expect a payment. If you want something, just ask without building a debt before.
Also, I don't expect anybody to repay me when I help out. It's nice to get help, even in return, but feels bad when that person does it mainly because (s)he feels obliged to repay a favor.

January 23, 2014 2:54 p.m.

blackmarker90 says... #12

One of the biggest things that will make me post (especially in a hot thread) is intelligent and civil conversation. If I'm reading through a topic and people are just flaming at each other I don't feel very inclined to post.

If you want to give me suggestions for my deck feel free to do so, but I would like your justification and what to take out in place of what you suggested. If I want to refute what you suggested, with valid reasons, don't flame at me telling me I'm a sub-par player, it doesn't get anything accomplished.

January 23, 2014 3:19 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #13

I gotta chime in with this: @Rhadamanthus Most of the time I would agree about the "what to take out" thing but sometimes a list is so tight already that there is no clear substitution and sometimes the best thing is to let the person make the judgement for themselves. If there is a blatantly underpowered slot I will recommend that but a lot of times people have pet cards that they don't want to cut (like me with Centaur Healer [except now I have a replacement in Courser of Kruphix ]).

As for what I post on the answer is literally everything. I am a "Jack of all trades" type of person with a wide range of interests, that translates to how I browse, usually I try to keep my comments correct and to the point without any excess. Sometimes a bit more background is required and I supply that.

January 23, 2014 3:50 p.m.

Jay says... #14

I post when I have something interesting or useful to say, and if I intend to carry conversation. I expect the same from others. I'm also much less inclined to read a multi-page conversation, but I'll still point that out if I randomly jump in so it's not like I'm just choosing to restate the obvious.

I don't mind people asking me for help after helping me. I take it as a compliment- "I like what you've done here, thoughts on my take?" No complaints. If it's totally irrelevant it seems needy, but I usually still help.

All-in-all, be helpful and respectful and we'll get along fine.

Note: dunno if this is relevant, but vague forum titles frustrate me to no end. Say what you mean, not the name of the subforum.

January 23, 2014 3:53 p.m.

Schuesseled says... #15

I only bother viewing decks that either a) have an interesting name, b) fall into the same archetype i'm currently interested in, (wanting to see what my fellow jund players are playing) or c) if they ask me to.

Yes that's right if you specifically ask me to view a deck on my profile or deck pages, I will click on it and take a look. Especially if you were kind enough to +1 or leave a friendly/helpful comment. Consider it Karma.

And I will often leave a:

"Cool deck, take a look at my build: Revel In The Power Of A Jund Blitzkrieg."

On peoples decks that I find interesting. Helps build rapport and refine decks, if you don't like that, I suggest you get over it :P. (and look at my deck and +1, you know you want to)

January 23, 2014 5:02 p.m.

Schuesseled says... #16

Telling people what to take out for a suggested card...can make sense, but quite often it's heavily dependent on your own meta, whether or not that card should be replaced with the suggestion, sided or left in the deck.

And thus best left to the decision of the deckholder most of the time.

January 23, 2014 5:04 p.m.

ChrisHansonBiomancin says... #17

I'm typically drawn toward deck ideas that are either similar to one I've built, have a witty name, or just seems to be a unique idea. I'm a sucker for Simic decks, so if I see one on the front page that will usually grab my attention. As far as threads go, it simply has to be a topic that interests me. A witty title can help, but if it gives me no idea what the thread is about, I probably won't click on it.

I think there's a right way to go about seeking reciprocation that's not manipulative in the sense of a landlady bringing over a sandwich today and asking for help tomorrow. If you literally say "Nice deck! Check out mine!" that's obviously not OK. However, being one of the few on this thread that doesn't have an upgraded account, my decks would never get views if I didn't do a little self-promotion. So I try to give a well thought-out response to other decks and, if they're similar enough to one of mine, I'll include a link to it at the end. I don't think it's out of line to ask someone to check out my deck after I took the time to evaluate theirs and make a few suggestions.

January 23, 2014 6:04 p.m.

Triforce-Finder says... #18

@ ChrisHansonBiomancin

I think I could have worded that better. What i hate is requested reciprocation. It's okay to expect to get a return, as long as nobody thinks they're entitled to get something.

You're actually providing help with that link, too. Looking at a similar deck from somebody else is a good way to get new ideas, and if they want to comment, it's their choice. People can link their decks on mine all day if they are similar. And if I don't know what to comment, at least they get a few clicks and comments from others who look at my decks.

January 23, 2014 6:50 p.m.

CanadianShinobi says... #19

I usually comment and +1 whatever ctaches my eye. However, I do tend to lean toward anything that has blue in it. Furthermore, I also appreicate well written descriptions, and a meaningful conversation.

What I dislike is when I attempt to discuss a deck with someone and they do not respond. I also take poorly those rare few who act as if their knowledge of the game makes them a better person some how. Also, people who promote their deck lists on my own deck list also incur my ire.

Like others I am willing to look at someone's deck upon request via my profile OR if they comment on my deck and ask, politely mind you, to view a similar deck of their's.

January 23, 2014 8 p.m.

lookoutimscary says... #20

Some people's comments are hard to take seriously when it's like: yhu shud ad sum mutavalts

Or when people come up with an abbreviation for everything, like: If I have BBG enchanted with GHSFDS will SUIGDIUDGSBOUGSDBOYSDIGNISD kill it? Or would I have to play KBFLSKJHBNLSHDNKSDGSHDSNDVSDN to protect my KJG? I understand when it's a forum about Deathrite Shaman people shorten it to DRS but too many abbreviations gets confusing for everyone.

January 23, 2014 8:06 p.m.

Devonin says... #21

@Schuesseled Heh, you do the thing that makes me pretty much just stop paying attention to somebody.

I HATE IT when someone comes to your deck, or posts in your deck help thread with, essentially "Cool deck bro, but go look at MINE" If I wanted to look at other decks along the lines of mine I'd search for them. We have a search. If I want some advice, and you want to leave some, leave some. But just rolling in and going "blahblahidon'tcare LOOK AT MINE" just makes me NEVER go look at yours.

I also don't like how the prizes for virtually every on-site contest are "I'll go +1 your decks"

You're supposed to +1 decks that you think are good or interesting decks. Don't +1 someone's pile of crap because they told you a good joke in a joke thread. Not that the ranking matters in the slightest but even so.

January 23, 2014 8:16 p.m.

Schuesseled says... #22

@Devonin

I've given people a plus one for amusing decks, deck descriptions and so forth.

I give out my deck links for two reasons, firstly it's so people can come look at it, secondly so the person whom I've given the link to specifically can look at it. For the reasons I already gave, building rapport and strengthening decks by seeing what others are doing.

If you don't care to follow such links, then you genuinely don't have to.

Some of the competition offer feature tokens as prizes.

January 23, 2014 9:28 p.m.

smash10101 says... #23

As many people have said, good grammar is good. I don't care about the little things that much, but a giant wall of text full of misspelled words and poorly structured sentences (or a lack of sentences) makes for a bad read. Typos I usually forgive, unless it's a really funny one.

I, again, as others have said, dislike the "Nice deck, +1. Comment on mine plox ;) lol." comments. If they say something like, "Nice deck, I also have a Nekusar build, but I go for X, Y and Z rather than X, W, and Q." I might take a look. In both cases they are asking for help and/or views, but the second one they are being constructive. I also like the idea of that "comment on the deck above you" thread that was/is floating around. It isn't the same as just linking your deck on someone else's similar one, but a place you can go to get help/views in exchange for giving help/views. The only problem is not everyone followed the rules.

I am also super likely to read anything rules related, as well as most EDH posts. I sometimes look at trade posts, though I rarely have anything listed, and I always read and participate in the T/O discussions. My posts tend to be long and poorly organized, by which I mean the flow of the post changes half way through, or short and to the point. I also try to get a word in on any thread about T/O rank.

January 24, 2014 3:26 a.m.

ducttapedeckbox says... #24

I like smash10101's wording of the difference between a constructive comment with a deck link and useless comment with a deck link. There is a fine line between the two, yet simply leaving a line or two commenting on the deck makes all the difference.

However, I still fail to understand those who leave a decent comment and proceed to link to a completely dissimilar deck. If you comment on a budget Dimir deck, why would you link to your FNM competitive Azorius control deck ? Maybe they are calling that deck builder's expertise in general? I've always been confused by these posts.

January 24, 2014 9:26 a.m.

nobu_the_bard says... #25

I actually like hearing what people suggest taking out as well as what they suggest putting in, when they make comments. I dislike a long list of suggestions of one type without at least an acknowledgement of the other. What comes out of a deck is as troublesome a decision for me as what goes in most of the time, and just because it's a suggestion, does not mean I have to take it. I like to hear the reasoning as well (unless they are suggesting "more of the same" cards that I did not appear to know about, such as suggesting Crackdown when I had Marble Titan and Meekstone ).

There have been times though that I resisted making a change because I was pointlessly anxious about something, and did not even realize I was being that way until someone provided a proper rebuttal for my reasoning.

Personally though I wish I could figure out how to not be so long-winded... I don't post half of what I write because I realize I'm not being constructive enough, and my fast typing skills and loquaciousness just complicate the mess by making it easy for me to drop a couple paragraphs in no time. I have this problem in real life too, with speaking, but it is less obvious because I am nearly deaf.

January 24, 2014 9:40 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #26

I will post on topics if I have a point to make that I think will add to the discussion. I post on decks if I feel I have constructive input. I post on the rules Q&A If the question has not been answered; or I feel further general clarification may help even though the question itself has been answered.

After those general guidelines for what I will post on it comes down to what stops me from commenting. Poor grammar or constant use of acronyms will stop me from posting. If I have to decode what is being said I won't bother. This doesn't apply to typos and such, people make mistakes. Constant use of wrong homonyms or the letter u for you, the number 2 for to and so on. Remember grammar is the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit.

On deck lists a short concise explanation of the major synergies in the deck and the main goal is what I like to see if I am going to comment on it. No explanation either implies that the deck is simplistic, or the poster doesn't care about others understanding. Either way it shows that the deck owner isn't interested in suggestions. Too long of an explanation and I stop caring by the end.

People who demand attention will never get a comment from me and repeated demanding of attention or ignoring overwhelm similar suggestions will get me to ignore that user. Examples of this type of thing is a deck help forum post and then every 10 minutes bumping it with things like "any suggestions" "halp" "guiz moar help" "I really need help". Not only does this fill the notification box of people who have tried to help you if they have auto subscribe on, it also annoys people who look at the recent topics tab on the main page since the same deck help article keeps popping up. If people didn't comment they probably don't have any suggestions. I have nothing against an occasional bump if you posted say Monday and want to get some help before FNM so you bump on Friday. What guarantees no comment is repeated bumping within the same day, or god forbid hour.

January 24, 2014 9:45 a.m.

gufymike says... #27

To respond to the "What to take out" things from the first page (didn't read 2nd page or see this), but it's your deck, you should know what is under performing for you or what makes the suggestion relevant in most cases and be able to figure out what to replace. I get the 'what to replace' question, if you think your deck is solid and not asking for help, but at the same time you can play test the deck with changes you think are fine based on the suggestion of a card, not what to replace. But if it's in a deck help post or has something like that in the title and so-on, yes, please figure it out yourself.

The one thing that grinds my gears is people making suggestions based on a lack of knowledge of the meta or not knowing competitive from casual. e.g. I was suggested to add Arcane Sanctum to my competitive esper deathblade build. I get it some people don't understand the spike mindset in all ways and think something like the sanctum is a good card because it provides all 3 colors for the deck, but don't understand why etb's tapped is a bad thing.

January 24, 2014 9:58 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #28

Although this is a bit off topic, I agree with gufymike that it is annoying when people suggest things that seem as if they didn't even bother thinking about the deck. I am in no way a spike nor do I try to make hyper competitive decks but I made a budget W/r aggro deck. Since it was budget there were no shock lands in it. I got a suggestion to put Boros Guildgate in since "you at least need some multi-lands". Bro, do you even aggro?

January 24, 2014 10:13 a.m.

Epochalyptik says... #29

@Gidgetimer & gufymike: I agree.

I often get nonviable (or simply bad) suggestions on my BUG deck. I do acknowledge how challenging it is to understand that deck if you didn't build it, though. For example, Seedborn Muse might seem like an auto-include to some, but I have the playtesting experience and the familiarity with the deck to know it's not a good suggestion in this particular case.

Of course, the level of requisite expertise scales with the archetype and format. It's much harder to understand EDH combo-control than it is to understand Modern aggro or Standard MBD. Given the circumstances, I try not to hold it against people for trying to help and understand the deck.

Regarding my own posting habits:

When I comment on a deck, I try first to understand as much about that deck as possible. I look at the creator (their experience might indicate the level of direction or understanding they have with the deck), the price tag, the format (obviously), the description, and the layout of the deck itself.

If I see a new player's deck and it lacks cohesiveness, I will orient my suggestions around improving more basic elements, and I will also go a bit further into the logic behind the suggestions.

If any of you have read one of my comments on someone else's EDH deck, you probably know that I tend to leave long lists of suggested cuts (with reasons for each one) and recommendations. I also discuss problems with the deck's design, construction, and so forth.

January 24, 2014 12:02 p.m.

gufymike says... #30

I should add my own posting habits. I've stopped posting on most decks because of the 'what to take out' question. It's not that simple sometimes to know what to take out because intimate knowledge of the deck and meta is required. The card suggestions I tend to make are the best cards for the format, build and archetype of the deck. Now this tends to me leading people into building tier 1 decks with all the that cost and stale the meta instead of innovate. I would rather not make this obvious suggestion and make one that is relevant to the deck they are trying to build that is innovative.

A lot of the time, I don't have the time to think through the decks to make those suggestions, Sitting down and dissecting other peoples decks and get to know them is not something I can fit in. This is what leads me to post the way I do about card suggestions and one of the reasons I don't like the 'what to take out' question and why I think you should figure it out yourself.

On top of this, you should know YOUR meta way better than I do. I know my meta and the meta, but not your meta. Your deck should be tailored to fight your meta and sometimes a good card suggestion is bad for the meta. I like it when people explain a suggestion I make is bad for their meta! And we go back to 'You should know your deck' because it is similar.

When you ask 'what to take out' it feels like you're asking me to think for you. I don't mind doing this if I'm paid to do it because of the time involved.

Those are the main reasons I've stopped helping with decks. Work, actually playing mtg, building my own mtg decks, life outside of mtg, takes up most of my time.

January 24, 2014 1:16 p.m.

gufymike says... #31

now to actually answer op's questions:

What do you find makes you more likely to respond to another user's post? Is it the use of language? Is it the idea itself? Is it the connection or relation to previous ideas in the thread?

It's the latter 2 reasons and if I have something to add or acknowledging a previous post.

What about other conventions? Do things like links to outside resources, requests for help, response to help requests, or detailed explanations make you more likely to read or respond to something?

I like all this, though I have to admit, detailed explanations take too long sometimes to read and will likely skip over them, specifically on decks. Rules and so on, I will take the time to read.

Those who give me info on what the deck should do, what it is doing they don't like. Basically show me knowledge of the deck are the ones I'll answer the most or try to answer if someone hasn't already.

Conversely, what kinds of conventions make you less likely to read and respond to others' posts? Do demands for help cause you to shy away from a post? What about expected reciprocation ("Here's a comment on something. Now help me with X.")?

Here is where I'll be contrary to the popular opinion, I HATE deck descriptions with images and videos and a whole bunch of non-sense. Just the facts, ma'am/sir. Is what I want in the deck description. If I want fluff, I'll go read reddit. I'm sorry, but a. that makes the deck list too long to bother, too much of it is obfuscating the actual goals of the deck. Though I'll be fair, my regular posts are sometimes very long and worded weird (I don't get time to proof read). Spending 15 minutes to type up a post is usually 13-10 minutes too long. So, here I'll apologize for that.

Now this doesn't apply to links of primers for the decks and stuff that educates me, but plain links and no videos on this site, if I want to click through to youtube, I'll do it. But I'm just glad you guys don't/haven't/didn't auto play them.

I also hate deck help posts that don't mention anything about the KIND of help they want. Showing knowledge of the deck, those that lack an idea of what their expectations and what it is doing and not doing for them. Please stop making me guess at what you're thinking, share with me that info so I can look at the deck informed of what you really want out of it, besides to win.

Not actually taking an opinion as an opinion is another. I don't care if you agree or don't agree with my opinion, but don't get butt hurt over it either. An opinion is not a fact nor is it fact most of the time, it is just what a person feels. discuss them instead of attack them or take them as an attack. This part also bugs me. I've been called negative OP because I didn't share the OP's feelings on a topic, but I didn't insult or try to put down anything. I just shared an opposing opinion.

Sorry for the 3 posts at work and not having full thoughts to complete a single post. Anyways, this I do a lot and probably annoys folks, Sorry for it.

January 24, 2014 1:35 p.m.

cschiller says... #32

I dislike meaningless comments. I get excited when people comment on my work, and I rush over to reply. I get disappointed with the "cwl dek lol" comments. I deckcycled because I want you to help my deck become better, not to revel in your skewed sentence structure, spelling, and other meaningless attributes of some comments. I also dislike the comments with no regard to my deck and format. Don't suggest Plateau in my standard deck. Don't suggest Worldgorger Dragon in a red aggro deck. Be constructive, not annoying. Ask questions, talk about the interactions, about your past experiences. Instead of "anniheliting fire is good becuz burn" say "Man, I played against a deck similar to this one at FNM, but he plays Annihilating Fire in the sideboard instead of Spark Trooper , and it ended up being great. Also..."

January 25, 2014 12:48 a.m.

guessling says... #33

I am pretty tolerant overall (although I do have at least one sticking point).

I do tend to be a little busy and if I am on tappedout, more than likely I am multi-tasking it. I simply have not yet become convinced that the grammatical standards for blogging are the same as the final draft of an academic term paper so I have no problem with whatever form an attempt at communication may take and have not yet felt enough pressure / concern about it to carefully edit and re-edit my posts the way I would for some kind of publication or graded assignment or official company email to a customer or boss. I am happy to be able to understand attempts at communication without the existence of unusual formatting stopping my ability to understand and respond. I see blogging more as casual / conversational and less as formal / official.

What makes me likely to respond?

my name being tagged
a similar deck to one of my own
an issue or discussion that I have opinions, thoughts, feelings about already
a question / request for deck help by someone who has just looked at and commented on one of my decks

January 25, 2014 8:14 a.m.

Triforce-Finder says... #34

One thing that does go on my nerves is when I build/post a legacy deck (be it competitive or not), and then the only suggestions a commenter comes up with are the old dual lands and the onslaught/zendikar fetchlands, where every single card exceeds 50 dollars and one playset is more expensive than the whole current decklist, but have no Idea what the deck actually does and how that could be improved.

I'm all like "be patient, they only want to help and probably just forgot to look at your deck's price, just don't post something nasty..." and tell them I can't afford pay to win. Sometimes, the very same person comes up with a really good addition for my deck after the land question is out of the way, so it pays off not to piss them off.

I've been thinking about putting a small disclaimer at the bottom of my descriptions stating a maximum price I'd pay for a good card, but then, if someone ignores the price checkout already, would it even help?

January 25, 2014 8:49 a.m.

Devonin says... #35

@Triforce-Finder It's not a given that just because the current version of the deck costs under X dollars, that you're intending to play budget. A disclaimer in the description would certainly be at least a little more effective. But it's a truism in business that I've found entirely accurate which says "There is no amount of text so short that everybody will read it"

January 25, 2014 9:03 a.m.

twospires says... #36

The biggest thing that makes me comment on a deck or thread is a card choice or point of view I don't agree with or don't understand. Getting different points of view and lots of card and build suggestions is the best way to progress a deck or thread. Debating a particular card choice can also be fun if both parties are respectful and logical about it.

I agree with liking suggestions for cards that don't work, and that's generally what I give myself. I think most people have a list of cards they'd like to put into the deck, if only they could go over 60 cards. I often find myself wishing I could go over 60 because of a great card I want to put in, but I can't. So I think a "You should cut X because..." is a lot more helpful than "You should add X because..." Of course, the most helpful sort of suggestion is "You can cut X for Y because..."

As far as "Nice deck check mine out" comments go, I really don't mind those if the person gives logical feedback. I've done it myself, when looking for better ideas for my own decks. This also gives you a great outlet to discuss and debate why your decks are different, which leads to both decks getting better in the end.

Great thread by the way!

January 25, 2014 1:31 p.m.

Behgz says... #37

I thought this thread would be about posting match practice write-ups LoL

As far as posting quality on the end of every user aside from yourself, we've all evolved as posters here on TO. As decklings, every different kind of site activity is new to us for the first time, so you'll see the classic, posting in every forum page that gets cycled on the homepage as well as seeing the ever-present amount of mis-labeled forum threads, there are a million other 'deckling' tendencies.

Once we move passed our early stages of development, we are able to step back and see what kind of poster we've been, and what kind we'd like to become.

At the end of the day, you can pen the most intriguing deck description or suggestion, but there's no garauntee to get that same level of quality back from any given user here on TO.

That point being made, it really comes down to YOU the user, the actions WE take while perusing TO determine not only the quality of the site on the whole, as well as our inclination to reach out for that community knowledge and accept the information provided by therein.

January 25, 2014 3:25 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #38

I think that writing off poor practices as "Deckling tendencies" is letting the practitioners off too easily. Not everyone posts mislabeled threads, or spams asking for help. Most people have experience on a message board or some other forums and use these forums correctly. Those who don't or people who are simply self centered need to be told what they are doing is wrong.

January 25, 2014 3:44 p.m.

Epochalyptik says... #39

Moving mislabeled threads and deleting duplicates/spam posts probably makes up 30-40% of my login activity. Selecting or giving Q&A answers is easily another 40%.

The less work I have to do to help someone, the happier I am. It's not that I'd rather not do the work (I'll put effort in if I'm helping someone), it's that I like helping people when they make the job easier for me.

For example, in the hierarchy of Deck Help posts, this is the approximate rank of the kinds of threads I've seen.

Post has a proper link, a brief explanation of the deck (including format), and a brief explanation of what kind of help is needed.
Post has a proper link and maybe a few sentences about the deck.
Post has a URL and maybe a few sentences about the deck.
Post has a proper link.
Post has a URL.
Post says "HELP" and nothing else

Seriously. If you're going to ask for others to put effort into helping you, at least help them help you.

January 25, 2014 3:51 p.m.

Jay says... #40

Speaking of which Epoch, what's with the recent flux in spam posts? Is it just due to the site's growth?

January 25, 2014 4:30 p.m.

megawurmple says... #41

I agree that people that go "+1, now look at mine" really irritate me. I once had someone comment on my deck who had the nerve to do nothing at all but give me a link to his deck. No +1, no advice, nothing. That irked me so much that I actually posted on his wall telling him not to do that. Rightly or wrongly, it felt good knowing that he probably wouldn't pester anyone again.

Horrible grammar also pisses me off. If the post/comment looks like it's been written by an illiterate 5 year old, I can't take the comment seriously regardless of content.

If someone gives a well reasoned argument about why I should/shouldn't include a card, I'm more likely to respond, whether in agreement, with a counter argument, or asking for further help from this seemingly insightful user. If the entire comment is along the lines of "run XYZ, it's good", I'm not going to waste my time.

January 25, 2014 7:02 p.m.

Epochalyptik says... #42

@Jp3ngu1nb0y: I'm not sure. I'm working with the boss to solve that issue. It's really annoying because there's no direct answer to spammers.

January 25, 2014 7:09 p.m.

Triforce-Finder says... #43

Another reason to post that i forgot to mention is the opportunity to make a joke or tell an amusing anekdote. It's not something that belongs in a comment on a deck, but I really like a good story, telling as well as reading.

January 25, 2014 7:33 p.m.

Epochalyptik says... #44

@Triforce-Finder: I especially like descriptions that are like that. When someone puts the time into writing a background, primer, or even a story for a deck/card, it's interesting and impressive.

January 25, 2014 7:44 p.m.

Bellock86 says... #45

As a semi newer user I have seen a number of the mentioned behaviors both good or bad.

I have done "cool deck +1. Can u take a look at mine and see if you have any insights?". In my case it's not begging for attention or anything like that. If I genuinely have nothing to offer a deck but like the persons "style" and think they would have good insights I will leave something like what I said above.

I can see from both sides of that argument. It might seem needy but I don'tsee the point in making up a bogus suggestion in order to "bribe" someone to come look at my deck. But I also hate the posts that say "you should be running X" and that's all they say. I'm not looking for "what to take out" as mentioned by a number of people i should know what has been weak in the deck. But give me the reason you think that card is a good choice. If I agree and it fits the goal of the deck I will gladly say thank you and make a switch to remove something less helpful. If I disagree I will respond with my reasons why and so forth.

I'm more than happy to debate deck contents, reasons, "philisophical" type debates as long as the conversation is civil. If you go high and mighty or "you're wrong and that's just how it is" you've lost all credibility with me and just come off as full of yourself.

Grammar stuff doesn't bug me too much because I constantly have to use my phone to get on TO so typos for me are common and somtimes I use the common abbreviations to save time as typing on my phone is a pain in the neck (I'm actually writing this from my phone).

I really like whenever a deck has a little story for its description or even if it actually describes how the deck is supposed to work.

I hate when the latter just gets ignored. Somone took the time to actually explain the deck. Don't disrespect them by suggesting a card that goes against that. I once had a deck (still on my page I think) that was all gimmick and clearly stated in the description what it is supposed to do and that it was a gimmick deck that only ever does what it's supposed to do like 15% of the games but when it does it's hysterical and the first comment is " I don't get it add X so it's more competetive".

Really got to me but I blew it off

January 25, 2014 10:13 p.m.

TheAmazingSalsa says... #46

Schuesseled: Yeaah... I'm not at all into that "Check out my deck blahblahblah", I find it a bit annoying/desperate.

and as for the "I'd take out X for Y", they're suggestions, and pretty valid ones as well... Most of the time you know what cards to take off to make room for Sphinx's Revelation for example, but it's not always the case with the deckholder. I find those suggestions better than "ADD Storm Crow "

January 26, 2014 12:23 a.m.

Schuesseled says... #47

@TheAmazingSalsa

It's not desperate...... it's the MTG equivalent of junk mail. (which probably validates your claim of annoyance)

How else are you supposed to find out about local pizza selling establishments. Too many phone numbers to find them by dialing randomly

How else are you supposed to find out about my killer deck! Too many decks to find it my dialing randomly.

I think you are confusing a keen sense for advertising with desperation.

Desperation looks like this:

"Oh please guys, look at my deck PLEASE, I'm so helpless, I just wet myself. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE!"

January 26, 2014 12:34 a.m.

TheAmazingSalsa says... #48

Schuesseled Fair enough, I'm sorry... I thought you were trying to defend all people that do that, because there are some people that are just annoying.

And goddamit, I went into your deck's page...

January 26, 2014 12:44 a.m.

Schuesseled says... #49

Well thank you that was nice of you.

Apologies if I got carried away there.

January 26, 2014 9:36 a.m.

DrLitebur says... #50

For me, I'd like my decks to get upvoted, but honestly, I'd rather get the constructive critism that will help me make the deck better. For example, in my EDH mill deck, I had no idea that cards like Keening Stone or Sands of Delirium existed, so the suggestion of them was great. However, I keep keep suggestions for non-standard legal cards for my standard decks. The tags are there for a reason. I have been guilty of overlooking them once or twice, but I try to keep them in mind when making suggestions.