Improving Readability of Suggestions

[SekoETC]

Often suggestion topics turn into long discussions and after a while you forget what it was all about. For improved readability I suggest that people replying in suggestion topics include one of the following in the beginning of their message so that skim reading becomes easier:

For - If they support the idea as it is.
For with reservations - That they might support the idea if some changes are made.
Against - That they do not support the idea.
Suggestion - They are proposing a major change or addition to the original suggestion. The first post in a topic here is always a suggestion and doesn't need to be marked.
Comment - Something that doesn't really contribute to the discussion.

If people put for and against in bold, it's easy to count how much support a suggestion has. (Though people couldn't "vote" several times, if they want to say something more they must mark it as a comment or cross over their previous vote.)

All this requires is a mutual agreement. So, for or against?

[Doug R.]

For with reservations

If people make new suggestions in the same thread as the original suggestion, how do we know what suggestion people are supporting? this is the same problem as we have now, but it would complicate the issue more with bolded statements like this.

[formerly known as hf]

Comment

Given that decisions are made by staff
(and I assume you have some formal or informal internal system to decide what goes ahead)

and that, given the nature of a volunteer workforce - what gets worked on is up to the desires of the staff, as it's their time they put in, so they (and rightly so) focus on what they want/enjoy

As such, things will often go ahead despite most people posting here having grave misgivings with or just being against an idea - which is fair enough

It's no real gripe - you're all volunteers who love the game, and most implementations which generated controversy here seem to have settled in mostly smoothly

But, given that, isn't a formalised public voting system a bit of a moot point?

Suggestion
If you are serious about engaging the players in decision making. Maybe a better form would be for any important changes or additions (other than just extra clothes, tools, machines etc. which don;t change the game very much) to have a description of the intended work posted somewhere on the public forums, and be put to a poll?

Though, bear in mind, that in any public process - those with the most beef (for, but usually against) in regards to an issue, will make the most noise...

[Duckers]

For:
I think this is an excellent idea, and I support it wholeheartedly.

[Talapus]

Against

While I like the idea of suggestions being more readable, I don't think this is really going to work. I don't see it being enforceable for such a large group of people, and I fear it may discourage newer people to the forums from making suggestions or commenting on existing ones. I agree with HF on many points. A poll is the best way to get a concise feeling of what the forum denizens think of an idea, and that player input doesn't usually play a major role in RD projects, even or especially when it comes to important changes (which are often targeted at game benefit rather than character benefit).

[Piscator]

Comment

Isn't it in everyone's own interest to make a suggestion as clear and readable as possible? And why would this suggestion only be effective if everyone follows? If I'm going to adopt this suggestion for my postings it can only benefit me. If someone else doesn't like it for some reason it won't be a problem either.

I mean, it's like correct spelling. If you do it, it increases your chances of being read, but it is not absolutely necessary.