I have noticed a notiseable dekline in the use of teh written wurd

[togfox]

Many of you know me and will know I've been very active on this forum since quite some time ago and I'm not a newcomer to this game or forum.

I took a KSP sabbatical and I now return to the forums. I love the mods and plugins that the community provide freely for their enjoyment and mine. Thank you to all the coders, modders, grpx artists, animators etc etc.

However, I've noticed lately that people make something great and creative and they'll post it in the forum without giving any sort of introduction, explanation or screenshots. This hasn't happened just once or twice - but its happening a lot. I constantly see posts like

I wanted a sprocket that could widget my Kerbals so I made one. Here it is.

mediafire.zip

And that is the extent of the post. Clearly the author knew what he was posting about but without context, information, instructions or screenshots, its very difficult to understand what the part is for, why I would want it, or what it looks like. Posts of this nature use to be fantastic months ago. There would be headers with large font. Nice (and sometimes garish) coloured text. Screenshots. Sometimes a fan submitted youtube. Detailed list of functionality and release notes for each version.

The forum crash has removed much intellectual property and a lot of knowledge is lost or now resides only in peoples heads. I ask modders who spend weeks on textures and code to please spend another 10 minutes making a first post that gives your fantastic parts the justice they deserve. Modders are volunteers of course and no one can make them explain their parts, but the standard of 1st posts has declined considerably and I hope this can be improved one post at a time. Thanks.

[Yeomans]

Though there is no remaining evidence of it, I will say that anything I made I tried to at least write a paragraph on, but part of that is due to the fact that I like to write alot, so that may just be me. Though it's not definitely the whole reason as to why people aren't writing detailed posts, I can think of one or two small contributing factors as to why. Firstly, I think some people feel that writing too much is a deterrent, and that people won't want to download their creation if they feel they have to read through a whole essay to do so. On a related note, I think some people are afraid that either bad grammar, or poor rhetoric is going to prevent their creation from being noticed, since the post is a first impression. Surely, not writing very much at all isn't a solution, but it is a shortcut to an otherwise uncomfortable process, albeit leading to a similar result. Hopefully that will change, I mean, this community is pretty relaxed and open, but I wouldn't be opposed to a few mod submission guidelines regarding the clarity of submissions, since it only helps the general populace of the forum at the cost of a few minutes by the authors. Once spaceport becomes the de facto method of mod sharing, it may change as well, since the popularity of submissions seems to be more directly linked to how well they are presented.

[Voidryder]

i wld hve rd thse pst bt thy b 2lng.

[Pontiac]

Suggested headings:

TL;DR:

[standard/Non-Standard] Installation Method - If standard, link to the wiki page of how to install a Mod - Non-Standard should give direct instructions

Full Description:

Screen Shots (if applicable):

I have noticed more on SpacePort that there is more and more junk just being pushed up. A lot of it is repeat uploads of the exact same thing, no compatibility version information, or anything. I just walk on by and started looking at the forum threads and subscribe to the ones I'm interested in or use.

[MR4Y]

Some people will even ignore your posts. Here's an example.

I've been trying to install Modular Fuel Tanks for about two weeks now. It's probably the third time I posted in there asking either for a simpler folder structuring or clear installing instructions. All posts were ignored.

Heck. You post a mod in the add on releases part and doesn't even listen to people that want to use it?

[Pontiac]

Either the author has given up, or doesn't give a crap, or is busy, or just wasn't ready to undertake the responsibility of actually supporting their mod.

[MR4Y]

Either the author has given up, or doesn't give a crap, or is busy, or just wasn't ready to undertake the responsibility of actually supporting their mod.

Than the mod shoouldn't be in the forum section used for releases if it's not finished in the first place. I'll go for the second one.

[rodion_herrera]

Than the mod shoouldn't be in the forum section used for releases if it's not finished in the first place. I'll go for the second one.

Where was it mentioned that it's not finished?

[Pontiac]

More specifically, when is any software "finished"?

[MR4Y]

Where was it mentioned that it's not finished?

You seem to be missing the 'if' on my sentence. Since only posts regarding development are answered and others even asking how to use the damn thing are ignored, which assumption you'll have? That the mod is ready to be used?

[rodion_herrera]

You seem to be missing the 'if' on my sentence. Since only posts regarding development are answered and others even asking how to use the damn thing are ignored, which assumption you'll have? That the mod is ready to be used?

You sentence was a direct reply to Pontiac's post (indicated by your use of the word "than" which, I think, you meant to be "then"), thus your "if" refers to something that must have been stated in HIS post, not some unrelated scenario.

[AmpsterMan]

I have to agree on the part of the OP, and mainly with myself. Before the great forum crash I used to have a rocket company; I would maintain it, update it, give witty comments and the like. Now I just put stuff up with pictures and don't know what to do XD. I think it is because that is what KSP has become for me. I hardly get out of LKO anymore. I just build countless launch vehicles for spacecraft I am not using.

[rodion_herrera]

I have to agree on the part of the OP, and mainly with myself. Before the great forum crash I used to have a rocket company; I would maintain it, update it, give witty comments and the like. Now I just put stuff up with pictures and don't know what to do XD. I think it is because that is what KSP has become for me. I hardly get out of LKO anymore. I just build countless launch vehicles for spacecraft I am not using.

Bottom line--after a while, even though we hate to admit it, we do get tired of something, esp. if we start to feel that it's the same thing all over again.

As to the OP's initial thoughts, though again this might be a bad analogy, but I'll just mention it for the heck of it.

Imagine you're driving along and you notice someone parked on the side of the road appearing to have some sort of car trouble. Being the helpful guy you are, you stop and take a look. The trouble it seems is that the owner of the other car somehow lost the lid/cover to his gas/petrol tank. So without further ado, you just open up your trunk/bonnet and then take out a machete (or saw, if you don't like the image in your head of you wielding a machete), go into the woods, and a few minutes later, you emerge with a crudely-hacked "cork" or wooden plug as a temporary cover for his gas tank. He accepts it with delight and proceeds to plug his gas intake with it. And just as you're about to leave, he then shouts...

"...can you smoothen the edges a little bit? I might get splinters. Maybe even varnish it? Or how about a paintjob? Pink maybe?"

...I will slam the accelerator to the floor.

[Pontiac]

Its a perfect analogy, I think.

[Giggleplex777]

I have to agree on the part of the OP, and mainly with myself. Before the great forum crash I used to have a rocket company; I would maintain it, update it, give witty comments and the like. Now I just put stuff up with pictures and don't know what to do XD. I think it is because that is what KSP has become for me. I hardly get out of LKO anymore. I just build countless launch vehicles for spacecraft I am not using.

Sounds like what I do.