Why do you like GBAtemp?

osaka35 · Jul 20, 2019

So we all love GBAtemp, but why specifically? What makes GBAtemp different than other discussion forums, or university forums if you've ever done those before? What could be done better?

Here are some potential talking points, but feel free to post whatever.
- what do you get out of posting? responding?
- what makes you keep coming back? news? developments? interactions?
- what makes this community so great or what makes others so un-desirable?
- how could a university discussion forum do to be more like GBAtemp?

osaka35 · Jul 20, 2019

Disclaimer:
I'm working on my dissertation on university online discussion forums, why they suck, and how they compare and contrast with self-driven forums like this one. I'm hoping to take answers given here to help me come up with a hypothesis and do some proper data-driven research (just concepts, no specific personal data, obviously). So if you have any thoughts towards that, I'd love to hear your ideas as well.

[edit]
to elaborate on the university part:

universities are pushing to have every class online, so every in-person class has an online equivalent (except where certain criteria can't be met in an online environment). And they all seem to use "forums" to be the replacement for the stuff you get from in-person classes: meaningful discussion between other students and instructor. but they all kind of suck. It's just "here's a talking point. make a post or two about it". no freedom and it feels really restrictive. Definitely doesn't do what they want it to do. It seems either used to make sure the student did the homework or just to make a token effort to connect.

I'm trying to write a paper which shows the flaws in this method and propose an alternate method. More of a community driven forum, like this one. Why try and create something no one wants, when you could try and learn from what already works. It would still have the problems of no anonymity and the pressure of how one should act professionally. How do you think an idea would work best? How would you like to see it at a university you go to?

Scarlet · Jul 20, 2019

I like the lowercase t in GBAtemp and how all the site's staff can write the name properly (:

Armadillo · Jul 20, 2019

Habit for me these days. Came for the gba flashcart talk back in 2003 as it was one of the best resources, but these days, mostly habit. Forum has stayed active, so no reason to leave.

Chary · Jul 20, 2019

The community. Despite all the crazy scene dramas, the long-term users have created a really tight knit community.

Flame · Jul 20, 2019

Because I've learned tips and tricks to play games for free.

thread/

Kwyjor · Jul 20, 2019

There really doesn't seem to be any other place to go for discussion of obscure features of 3DS homebrew. There's reddit, but they tend to be very strict about what gets posted. (Understandably.)

(But I haven't a clue why people come to a gaming forum and try to discuss profound matters about politics and ethics and whatnot. Reckon for topics like that there are better forums with people who have a much deeper knowledge of the pertinent facts. It does occur to me that some people might actually prefer not to have to discuss their favorite ideas with people who know more than they do. But eh, that's just my opinion.)

osaka35 · Jul 20, 2019

Scarlet said:
I like the lowercase t in GBAtemp and how all the site's staff can write the name properly (:

When in Rome, I suppose

but you're right, I should set a better example.

NoNAND · Jul 20, 2019

Initially I signed up way back somewhere around circa 2015. At first I kept lurking and lurking desperately in search of a 3DS kexploit that would run on the 9.9 firmware at that time. After a long while of lurking I decided to make an account and start interacting with 3ds homebrew scene guys to get an elaborate answer to my questions. Though not yet was I interested in its community and its people, couldn't care less. Suffice to say at that time I merely logged in to check up what was going on with the homebrew stuff. However in 2018..everything changed I began to frequent this website more and more often. Started reaching out to some tempers and made friends with a few.
I'm more than pleased with GBAtemp!
I love this site and its people couldn't be happier here. Truth be told I don't care about the homebrew scene as much as interacting with some people here.

Deleted-401606 · Jul 20, 2019

I like GBAtemp because there are users here that are genuinely looking to make friends and help others out.

I don't like how over the years the staff fluctuates because some moderators are only in it for the power trip and when they realize that the power trip isn't worth the work they quit and a new person on a power trip takes over.

FAST6191 · Jul 20, 2019

I am doing more than a ghost account to download from a sign up to download thing then I usually think long and hard before joining any forums/whatever (I am on all of 4 on the internet, and 1 is long gone, 1 is a zombie). Happened back then and to this day remains somewhere where people care to talk about games, care to hack games, care to pull apart their devices to either fix them or mod them and are usually pretty sharp when it comes to this discussion/debate lark (along with site management encouraging that sort of thing and allowing people to speak, even if the ideas espoused are ridiculous, which is, sadly, something of a rarity these days).

Never found the generic community building websites to be any good for this -- I figure there is a reason there is no facebook group constantly being referenced here, and no reddit or digg or whatever stuff going on. That said I am not entirely sure why that is.

TR_mahmutpek · Jul 20, 2019

hacking

NoNAND · Jul 20, 2019

Flame said:
Because I've learned tips and tricks to play games for free.

thread/

The day I discovered something as *cough *cough "backup loadung" *cough *cough I became an enlightened GBAtemp member and human being.

By the by it's nice to have you around @Flame

Flame · Jul 20, 2019

Maluma said:
I like GBAtemp because there are users here that are genuinely looking to make friends and help others out.

I don't like how over the years the staff fluctuates because some moderators are only in it for the power trip and when they realize that the power trip isn't worth the work they quit and a new person on a power trip takes over.

power always corrupts.

Deleted User · Jul 20, 2019

I like it because I just joined yesterday, and immediately 4 or 5 people respond to my questions with helpful and relevant information, and not a single one of them are jerks

Tom Bombadildo · Jul 20, 2019

I don't like GBAtemp.

:whip:

KleinesSinchen · Jul 20, 2019

There is so much stupidity everywhere in real life around me – no details here – and GBAtemp is a very welcome contrast to that. While nothing is perfect, and there have been less enjoyable moments, in general – here are intelligent people willing to solve problems. Sure there are members with an attitude I do not like, but that is a minority.

People asking questions, giving answers, helping each other. In short: thinking. It helps me to not despair of humanity.

I like helping others because it gives a good feeling – makes me feel less useless. And I learned a lot just by visiting the site everyday.

Lastly: The topics here are important to me. I believe in the right to have full control over my computers (which is not equal to so-called “piracy” – not interested in that). Reading this put me in a sorrowful mood and I seriously hope this decision will not have any bad consequences or make the site attackable.

For the sake of completeness the opposite: What I don’t like is the dedicated politics section (prone to drama).

sarkwalvein · Jul 20, 2019

osaka35 said:
So we all love GBAtemp, but why specifically? What makes GBAtemp different than other discussion forums, or university forums if you've ever done those before? What could be done better?

Here are some potential talking points, but feel free to post whatever.
- what do you get out of posting? responding?
- what makes you keep coming back? news? developments? interactions?
- what makes this community so great or what makes others so un-desirable?
- how could a university discussion forum do to be more like GBAtemp?

I don't know what you mean by university forums.
But if you mean forums put up by universities for their students to use, they are usually lacking in functionality, they do not inspire any freedom in the behavior of users, they are very closed and limited and they end up feeling like a clumsy tool you use to interact with university staff and colleagues because it is imposed instead of practical. I have attended some universities, they all had "forums", they all were subpar and it felt like they restricted you.

Regarding the potential talking points:
- what do you get out of posting? responding?
It is like a drug, I feel bored, I respond or start conversation, I get replies, endorphins are released: it works /s
(true story / addictive)

- what makes you keep coming back? news? developments? interactions?
Mostly interactions / the community. News and developments play a role, but not in a daily basis.

- what makes this community so great or what makes others so un-desirable?
The community for once. The behavior of the staff also that enables it: there is a lot of freedom, I would say it is borderline anarchy but still falls on the safe side, there is drama but it is limited, it does not reach anarchy.
I would say others may be undesirable when there is either too much restriction, too much chaos, or some kind of (way too biased) "order".

- how could a university discussion forum do to be more like GBAtemp?
By not being a university forum I guess. The core idea of being somewhat closed/restricted to a group of persons that make part of the institution, as well as having a omnipresent authority figure (the institution) that makes you think twice before speaking up in a really free way ruin them.

...there you have it, one more sample for your research.

Kioku · Jul 20, 2019

- what do you get out of posting? responding?
Literally nothing. It's a time waster to get me through my dull days.

- what makes you keep coming back? news? developments? interactions?
Habit at this point. I'll be honest, this isn't my favorite place to be. However, I usually find myself typing 'g' in the browser and hitting enter. There's some interesting news posted once in a blue moon, and the reviews are fun to read.

- what makes this community so great or what makes others so un-desirable?
It's the only one that doesn't have mods that ban you for calling them stupid. Not that I have done that, but it's nice they don't power trip.

- how could a university discussion forum do to be more like GBAtemp?
Unsure how to answer this question. Elaborate?

As for other talking points? Meh. Some people here are interesting and have some nice insight in certain areas. Also a diverse level of expertise in various areas.

osaka35 · Jul 20, 2019

sarkwalvein said:
I don't know what you mean by university forums.
But if you mean forums put up by universities for their students to use, they are usually lacking in functionality, they do not inspire any freedom in the behavior of users, they are very closed and limited and they end up feeling like a clumsy tool you use to interact with university staff and colleagues because it is imposed instead of practical. I have attended some universities, they all had "forums", they all were subpar and it felt like they restricted you.

Regarding the potential talking points:
- what do you get out of posting? responding?
It is like a drug, I feel bored, I respond or start conversation, I get replies, endorphins are released: it works /s
(true story / addictive)

- what makes you keep coming back? news? developments? interactions?
Mostly interactions / the community. News and developments play a role, but not in a daily basis.

- what makes this community so great or what makes others so un-desirable?
The community for once. The behavior of the staff also that enables it: there is a lot of freedom, I would say it is borderline anarchy but still falls on the safe side, there is drama but it is limited, it does not reach anarchy.
I would say others may be undesirable when there is either too much restriction, too much chaos, or some kind of (way too biased) "order".

- how could a university discussion forum do to be more like GBAtemp?
By not being a university forum I guess. The core idea of being somewhat closed/restricted to a group of persons that make part of the institution, as well as having a omnipresent authority figure (the institution) that makes you thing twice before speaking up in a really free way ruin them.

...there you have it, one more sample for your research.

Memoir said:
- how could a university discussion forum do to be more like GBAtemp?
Unsure how to answer this question. Elaborate?

Thanks!

Yeah, universities are pushing to have every class online, so every in-person class has an online equivalent (except where certain criteria can't be met in an online environment). And they all seem to use "forums" to be the replacement for the stuff you get from in-person classes: meaningful discussion between other students and instructor. But like you said, they all kind of suck. It's just "here's a talking point. make a post or two about it". no freedom and it feels really restrictive. Definitely doesn't do what they want it to do. It seems either used to make sure the student did the homework or just to make a token effort to connect.

I'm trying to write a paper which shows the flaws in this method and propose an alternate method. More of a community driven forum, like this one. Why try and create something no one wants, when you could try and learn from what already works. It would still have the problems of no anonymity and the pressure of how to act professionally though. Do you think that is a crucial part of what makes folks participate?

Why do you like GBAtemp?

Instructional Designer

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Deleted-401606

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Give me back my legions!

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There's hope for a Xenosaga port.

猫。子猫です！

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