Forum:Message Walls vs Talk Pages

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Should we keep the message walls or go back to the talk pages? Here are some pros and cons for both. Feel free to post more in the comments and I'll add them to the list for future readers. Remember that for a pro to be valid, it needs to be something that only one of them has. Inversely, a con has to be something that the other has.

Message Walls

Pros

1. You don't have to leave a message on the other person's message wall to make sure they read it.
2. Messages can be easily removed and reported to an admin.
3. Messages are easier to edit.
4. Users don't have to sign their messages; signing is done automatically.
5. You can start a new thread for each discussion, and it will never display more than three messages at once from your message wall (including the original message), which saves space.
6. The upper right corner provides a link to five recent threads you posted in, ordering them by the date of the last reply (which is also displayed there), as well as the name of the last person to post in them.
7. You can follow individual threads if you want to, rather than whole message walls.
8. Threads can only be restored by admins or the person the message wall belongs to.

Cons

1. Users aren't very familiar with them.
2. Spamming on them is easier.

Talk Pages

Pros

1. Users are more familiar with them.
2. They're easier for users to customize.
3. Users can add templates through the list.
4. Talk pages can be deleted and protected.
5. The time stamp is specific.
6. Talk pages allow you to use the same editor used in articles.

Cons

1. Users have to remember to sign their messages.
2. Vandals are harder to warn and/or block because they don't sign their messages.
3. Removing a message doesn't give you the chance to report to an admin.

The Final Verdict

I know that this has been discussed before, but I want to give Message Walls another chance on this Wiki. We haven't even tried it and we rejected it. Everything deserves a try. I mean come on, at least give message walls a chance, and if the majority of users don't like it, we'll switch back.

Okay, I'm going to put this to a Support/Oppose discussion. The procedures for the Support/Oppose discussion are listed below.

Procedures

Stage 2: Voting and Discussion

1. When voting begins, community members may do the following (providing a reason behind their position):
   1. Place one "support" vote under the candidate of their choice.
   2. Place one "oppose" and/or "neutral" vote under as many candidates as the user feels strongly about.
2. At the end of two weeks, voting is closed. Voting is also closed if there are no votes for three days.

Stage 3: Resolving

1. Voting ends once four days pass and there have been no new votes (except during ties).
   1. Unless five days pass and the vote is unanimous, then the vote ends.

Voting and Discussion

Support

1. Support — Per my nomination. I don't even understand why the Message Wall feature hasn't been activated yet. When I looked at the forum that Felinoel made, I saw that only four users even participated in the decision to activate Message Walls or keep Talk Pages, and all of them were Administrators excluding one user who is now banned from this wiki. That forum didn't even state the pros and cons of either option. It just flat out stated, "I say no, I say no so hard that I am voting for something that hasn't even been mentioned once here. Talk Pages are there for a reason, they are handy and they are much, much more usable, so when the time comes that we may consider this as an option, my vote is and forever will be no please." All I ask is that we give Message Walls a try. You may end up liking the feature. Donuticus (talk) 00:16, October 20, 2012 (UTC)
2. Support — Yes. I like Message Walls. Vzzzt! Rahrahrahrah! Vrrrrr! Wahahaha!! 06:52, October 20, 2012 (UTC)

Oppose

Oppose — No, how about the signatures? And in Talk Pages, we are able to clean up things, remove spam and decorate more. A big NO for this.

I knew you'd come! I had a feeling ^Talk 14:33, October 20, 2012 (UTC)

I knew someone would say, "What about the sigs?" What of them? We would still have article talk pages for you to use your signatures on. This is a debade on whether we will remove USER Talk pages. Also, decorations isn't a big concern here honestly. Donuticus (talk) 14:08, October 20, 2012 (UTC)

First of all, *debate, Second, we usually have the decorations to make the talk page more presentable more eye catching and more friendly. Most users have decorations on their talk pages. Third, we should not remove it since everyone adapted to it, removing it will be just pointless and this is a dumb idea, HONESTLY .
I knew you'd come! I had a feeling ^Talk 22:21, October 20, 2012 (UTC)

You says we have to remove it permanetely? I said that we should give Message Walls a chance on this wiki. Then, we can have a vote on whether we want to keep Message Walls over Talk pages on this wiki, once we have actually given the feature a chance. You can't just say, "Naw, I don't want talk pages. I say no so hard that I'm opposing something that has never been used or discussed on this wiki." Those aren't anyone's exact word, but that technically what's going on here. Not giving a feature a chance and just opposing it when you have never even tried it out, on this wiki. Not any other wiki or community. Donuticus (talk) 14:32, October 20, 2012 (UTC)

That's right, that's my opinion. I really hate Message Walls and I don't want it here. I already stated my reasons a while ago. You are just changing the topic away from the cons and the negativity of the Message Walls.

I knew you'd come! I had a feeling ^Talk 22:42, October 20, 2012 (UTC)

Oppose — I love my signature :(. Happy the neko-mander Says Hi! 23:00 October 20, 2012 (UTC)

Oppose — Talk pages and message walls are both used to communicate on wikia. We already have talk pages and we've had them for a very long time. Why change that? Anywho, I don't even think message walls should be given a chance, once activated all the content on the talk pages will be archived automatically and when deactivated the content on the message walls will be lost. ♠M1870♠ 16:09, October 20, 2012 (UTC)