XPost: alt.sega.genesis   
   From: bel@whipassgaming.com   
      
   > Well, I guess where I'm coming from is the fact that any bozo can come   
   > in here and chime, and google groups logs it, means that the Industry   
   > definitely sees the discussion.  I would much prefer we emphasize our in   
   > depth gameplay discussions in these groups rather than limit them to   
   > random forum posts.   
      
   I agree...but that's my point: There *are* no discussions...and those   
   that start die quickly. In an active forum, a quality discussion can go   
   on forever. Hell, even with WAG's small-ass community, we've managed to   
   do 70 pages for "Game Shopping". That ain't too shabby.   
      
   > Nothing is going to revive the group to where it   
   > was in the Dreamcast's days, and that is a good thing.   
      
   As much as I hated the fucking Saturn vs PSX days(the trolling was   
   almost intolerable, even with filters), the group was awesome back then.   
   I didn't get to really experience much of it during the Genesis   
   days...would give anything to have been on the internet back when the   
   Genesis was their main console.   
      
   > These groups are viewed as somewhat traditional and official, no forum   
   > can replace that unless these groups get shut down completely.   
      
   Well, with, what, 4(2 from the piece of shit pirtes) new posts a month,   
   these two groups are about shut down. :(   
      
   > I still can't find my random forum comments from WAG or Gamespot from a   
   > few years back.   
      
   Yeah, that's one thing that really sucks ass about ZetaBoards(and   
   Invisionfree before it): The search feature doesn't work for shit. I   
   have noticed that it's gotten better since the Zeta upgrade, but not by   
   much. I'm wondering if using Google as our search engine would yield   
   better results(a lot of forums do that).   
      
   > I can find all of my conversations on Usenet though.   
      
   Lately, and is just me, but if I type something in to Google Groups(when   
   in RGVS) I usually get zero results. I don't get it...used to be, you'd   
   type something in and it'd show you posts from years and years and years   
   ago.   
      
    > If   
   > they fix this in search engines my point will eventually be moot.  It   
   > may be moot already if developers don't utilize this awesome resource   
   > when doing research.   
      
   I'd be very surprised to hear that *any* developer nowadays searches   
   usenet groups for...well, anything.   
      
   > I'm mainly hoping that some start up does it really, I know for a fact   
   > that comments online influence their decisions, we just have to repeat   
   > the right comments in the right places to be heard.   
      
   You know what I've always wanted to try, if I had the money and   
   resources: Turning Xboxs in to some sort of homebrew base console. Put   
   in a new dash, have it connect to a homebrew marketplace, you can   
   download stuff, upload stuff, etc. Sort of like the XBL Marketplace is   
   now, but all user-created and run. I'd also hand out *real* Xbox   
   development software, so homebrewers could sit there and use the full   
   power of the original Xbox to create original games. Imagine it...   
      
   Bel   
   --   
   Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/   
      
   "Nautical nonsense be something I seek"   
     - Me   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)