I could use any help to shrink that backlog of mine and keep track. May I join as well?
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we don't have any hard & fast rules about activity, but joining group exclusive GAs when you haven't been active for 5 months wasn't good ;)
If you want to rejoin the Steam group, just become active again (comment, post updates etc.) - the kick really only excludes you from joing GAs, everything on the website, which is the core of the group, is still available to you
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I would like to know what do you actually consider inactivity then.
I remember joining BLAO when it started (didnt even had a website), I was updating my post monthly since I didn't really had that much time and it wouldnt make sense to spend more time writing about how are you planning to take on your backlog instead of beating it and then was suddenly kicked out of the group.
Kind of silly if you ask me.
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I don't know when/why you were kicked, but we implemented the activity rule before we had the website, and posted announcements about it (well, at least one) - it's not that you have to post all the time and/or play, it's that if you don't have time to post/play/at least comment, you also shouldn't join group exclusive GAs (since you won't have time to play that win either). We also had a "post your attack plan/something within x weeks of joining" rule, there were quite a few people who couldn't even do that, even after reminders.
And like I said, there's no "at least one post/comment every X days" rule, it's more about what you post - if you only have a big round-up post once a month, that's fine. If you post "I played this and it was great" every other day, that's fine as well. If you keep joining GAs though and haven't done anything in several months, it's not okay.
Also, this rule isn't that much about excluding people, but protecting active members - before we did this, there were a lot of complaints about certain users who abused the lax entry rules, just made a placeholder post and joined a bunch of low-entry group GAs (and won more often than active members for some reason, never even said thanks - if you don't want to post about your progress, why be in the group? In most cases, the answer seemed to be to leech)
It's different now with the website, people can be as active/inactive as they want. Let me know if you want to try out the site, I saw that you don't have access there.
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Well, that still doesnt answer why I was kicked. If you are implying I was kicked due to leeching let me tell you that's totally wrong, I only joined a couple GA's and never won anything (not that I care since that wasn't even the point of the group)
back then I decided to not bother anymore, just felt as if I was being told "if you don't do the things the way I want/say then screw you"
was it some unlucky pruning? some silly bias? whatever the case I just wanted to let you know, I figure I wasnt the only one who lost the will to join again, why bother if I could be kicked again for no reason?
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Sorry if you feel that way. Like I said, I don't remember you specifically being kicked, but if you didn't post anything and joined GAs, that's probably why. It's really not random if the only rule for staying in the group is "don't join GAs if you don't actually use the group" (and you just said you did that). And no one said you specifically leeched, but some people did, which upset some members, so we implemented that rule and followed through as best as we could back then (if you just edited your thread for updates, I'm sorry, but we couldn't really check if people just fixed typos or actually added something new).
just felt as if I was being told "if you don't do the things the way I want/say then screw you"
That's called a rule, I believe? And usually, if you break a rule, there are consequences ...
Honestly though, I don't get why you're upset for being kicked from a group you didn't really want to participate in ("it wouldnt make sense to spend more time writing about how are you planning to take on your backlog instead of beating it").
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That's called a rule, I believe? And usually, if you break a rule, there are consequences ...
But that's my whole point. I didnt breaky any rule. I updated my thread once every month, not only updating the first post but also leaving a new post with a few comments here and there, even had a neat little chart where I left my steam reviews. I did it for at least two or three months straight until I got kicked out for apparently no reason.
I don't get why you're upset for being kicked from a group you didn't really want to participate in
It was one of those things in the back of my head, after reading a couple comments here I felt like I wasnt the only one. Nevermind that I also want to correct you, What's so hard to understand the concept of wanting to keep a journal and not having to spent more time than the one you actually spent on the activity? Is there no middle ground?
and with that I feel better. Good luck with your group.
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Original post under the spoiler, actual point/answer/conclusion in the edit below.
Again, joining GAs and not updating was against the rule (that was the only one) - I think our time frame for updates was 2 weeks back then, so than might've been it in your case (yup, here's the announcement, end of April). If you were kicked before that, I really wouldn't know why, sorry - it might've been a mistake? We didn't even start kicking people until several months into the group, and then it was only people not even opening a thread after personal reminders. We didn't (intentionally) kick anyone for breaking that rule until after the announcement.
The middle ground now is actually the website - it's basically a personal blog with statistics, but no access to GAs. Sorry you weren't around long enough for that and are apparently too mad at us to even check it out.
I'm not sure what/who you mean by "I wasn't the only one", but afaik the complaints in this thread were all by users who got kicked out of the Steam group, but didn't really check out the site before writing here (it's the same as having a thread in the group, but with more formatting options and the ability to share posts to an activity feed) (we kicked people with inactive threads - I wasn't the one doing the kicking, so I don't know exactly which criteria were used there - but at that point everyone still had a profile on the site, with the option to import their old posts from the Steam forums)
Anyways, I guess it's good that you got some closure from this (and I got an opeing? I don't know what the opposite of closure is, but I spent way too much time trying to figure out what happened that made you so upset)
(also, sorry if this comes across as passive aggressive, it's not meant to be, but this is kind of out of left field and I'm struggling to understand your anger/dislike and explaining anything without actually knowing why we kicked you, all I can say is you either broke that rule or it was a mistake and no one noticed)
Edit: Found it, you were excluded from the group on May 10th, after the new rule was announced, and your last thread update was on March 5th, more than two months earlier. Since a bunch of other people got kicked at the same time, you'd probably entered a group GA. That was the inactivity rule. Sorry you got kicked, but definitely justified and not "out of nowhere".
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I'm torn. I DO WANT to tackle my backlog. But I don't want to feel pressured to play. So many unfinished games x.x
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I should definetly join then. I would love to have a book club sort group where I can share my thoughts. Part of the reason I have such a huge backlog is because I buy all kinds of indie games that I want to try.
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currently try best to clear my backlog buy/minja/win, can i join
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"You can use your profile to show your progress to others. There’s the statistics box and a list of all your lists (if you set them to visible). You can use your profile description to tell everyone about the backlog strategy you (hopefully) follow. And what’s probably most important: you can post status updates"
I still don;t get this part , Where can i write those activity ?
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If you go to your profile, there are several icons next to your username. First, links to your profiles on Steam + SG, then a pencil and an envelope. Select the pencil to edit your profile description, and the envelope to write a status update (a post that appears in the activity feed if you check the box).
For lists, just select "My games" in the top bar, at the bottom of the drop-down there is an option to create a new list.
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What exactly is a backlog? I took a look at the Steam group Guide/FAQ/getting-started page on the website and I couldn't find a definition. From what I could see, it might be defined as either unplayed or unfinished games within your library, but it's not clear. While you're at it, what does it mean to beat a game, i.e. how is "beaten" different to "completed"?. Is a game beaten when it is not only completed, but all Steam Achievements have also been achieved?
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backlog - "An accumulation or buildup, especially of unfilled orders or unfinished work" - in this case, games in your Steam library you want to play/continue playing at some point. For our purposes, beaten means main story/quests/etc. completed, but still things left to do (more achievements, side quests ...) - completed means everything in the game done (e.g. 100% achievements). In the end though, that categorization is up to you. I have some games in my completed category with one or two achievements missing, simply because I can't get them (rely on random chance, broken etc.)
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I dunno about these mystery activity requirements. Would it really be abusing the system for people to actively meet the requirements once they know your expectations? It's a bit strange to be upset to the point of banishment because people are unable to either clairvoyantly or coincidentally arrive at the same interpretation as the group administration. It also seems quite perverse for a group ostensibly dedicated to clearing backlogs to exclude people actually doing so and demand that members talk about it instead. Maybe a name change would be appropriate? Something like "Backlog clearance: Non facere, sed loqui"?
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As I've explained to someone else above (judging by your question + tone you've read all of that), we've had people abuse the system before. In the beginning, the only requirement was to set up a backlog thread in the Steam forums, and several people just opened a thread with placeholder text ("I'll write something later") and joined group GAs. Other members, who actually posted about their progress, were upset about that, and it's really just abusing the system. The rule now only applies to people in the Steam group, and only if you join group exclusive giveaways. No one is excluded from the backlog group, since all of that takes place on the website. Even if you get kicked out of the Steam group now, you can still use the website like before. The only difference is no more access to giveaways.
So if we wrote "at least one comment within 7 days of joining a giveaway", some people might simply post one meaningless comment whenever they want to join a giveaway. We don't want that, we don't want people to feel forced to write something because a game they want is up for grabs. We'd much rather have everyone post what they can, when they can. If you don't have time to post or comment, you don't have time for extra games (this relates to the group only, of course - I still enter giveaways from time to time outside of the group, but usually the giveaways within the group are meant for people who will actually play them fairly soon)
And again (in reference to the conversation above), why would you join a group like this if you don't want to talk about your progress? You can just do it on your own then, no need for a group. This group is for people who want to share their progress, plans, opinions with others, if it's not for you, don't join.
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You are missing something important. This is not just about a Steam group. This is about a community of which the Steam group is just a part. The community is very open and there are next to no requirements for joining it.
The group is not just about clearing backlogs, but about a certain approach to doing so. You can "act" all you want and never share, that's a valid approach. You could even join the community to use the site for that. But that's not what the group is about, so you wouldn't be invited to that subset of the community.
No one is "banished" from the group. Being in the group is an additional recognition that you can earn, lose, and earn again. That's not meant to be elitist, we are really not too strict about that and we want people to get there. There shouldn't be any hard feelings when someone we haven't seen in months is removed from the group -- we still see them as part of the community, and all the complaining I've read in this thread is from people who didn't understand that or who missed when we introduced that "group membership philosophy" months ago. That's sad, but really nothing to have hard feelings about.
It also seems quite
perversesensible for a group ostensibly dedicated to clearing backlogs and sharing their experiences toexcludeaward people actually doing so anddemand thatencourage other members to talk about itinsteadtoo
FTFY. Sorry, as striking as your version was (wow there was even latin!), it was just plain wrong.
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If you're going to talk about things, at least know what you're talking about. Anyone who is interested in beating their backlog gets invited to our website and is free to do it however and whenever they want. There are absolutely zero activity requirements to be in the group. This is right up there in the thread:
Thanks to this new feature, we can now proudly announce that there are no requirements to join.
Once you're in the Steam group though, you're only allowed to enter group giveaways if you've been active.
It's only to be invited to the Steam group (AKA to be able to enter group giveaways) that we require activity, because if you're entering group exclusive giveaways, you clearly have the time to leave some updates and comments here and there, otherwise you're just leeching. Non-members of the Steam group are in no way excluded from anything, since everything takes place in the website. The Steam group is just there for the giveaways and announcements (which are also visible to non-members - the entire forum is public, as a matter of fact).
And don't you think if you just want to beat your backlog and not talk about it, you can just do that yourself without the need of being a part of a group? What's the point, really?
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After some ground-breaking new website features implemented by mandrill, BLAEO is accepting member applications again! :D
But instead of being invited to the Steam group directly, you will be given access to our website after applying in this thread. Just set up your profile there and be active if you want to, and we'll eventually invite you to the Steam group. Right now the Steam group is mainly used for syncs with SG and group giveaways on here (and reminder announcements for various things), so you're not missing much if you don't get invited right away ;) And just to clarify, the website is basically the group, the Steam group is pretty much just a bonus ;)
Thanks to this new feature, we can now proudly announce that there are no requirements to join (not that we really had any before), simply let us know you're interested here :)
Once you're in the Steam group though, you're only allowed to enter group giveaways if you've been active (we won't post our requirements/definition of "active" so people can't abuse that information).
So, in conclusion, post here to gain full access to the BLAEO website and then add mandrill to your whitelist :P
Please do not add group admins/mods or post to their Steam profiles to get an invite, you'll get added to the site much faster if you just reply in this thread
PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST TO JOIN THE GROUP WITHOUT HAVING BEEN ADDED TO THE WEBSITE! Request to be added to the website in this thread first!
If you don't know where to start on the site, read this guide, and/or this guide. Extra info on image formatting.
If you don't want to miss any announcements, subscribe to these group threads (works for everyone):
More links: Steam Group | Discord Server
FAQ (under construction)
I just joined, and the site isn't showing achievements for my games. Help?
The site starts compiling everything starting with your first login, so if you just used it for the first time, just wait a few hours. Same with new achievements and game additions, just give it some time.
How do I post on the site?
Read this getting started guide, and/or this guide.
How do I get into the Steam group?
We add everyone who applies in this thread to the users of our website, meaning after you login there with your Steam account for the first time, you can use it as a regular member.
Steam changed how groups manage new members and we can no longer invite people we aren't already friends with. So after you're added to the website and have been using it for a while, request an invite to the Steam group if you want to join. We'll review your request and accept it if you have indeed been active on the site (for at least 10 days, but depending on frequency and extent of activity, might be several weeks until you get an invite).
PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST TO JOIN THE GROUP WITHOUT HAVING BEEN ADDED TO THE WEBSITE! Request to be added to the website in this thread first!
I applied in this post and didn't get invited to the Steam group.
See above.
What are the benefits of being in the Steam group?
You get to
post on the forums and* join giveaways that are shared with the group here on SG! But remember that we're not a giveaway group and there aren't many running giveaways at any given time, so you're really not missing much if you're not in the Steam group.*the forums are open to everyone now, no need to join the Steam group
Why did I get kicked from the Steam group?
There's really only one rule: Don't join group exclusive giveaways (i.e. not shared with any other groups or the whitelist) if you haven't been active on the site for a while. A "while" can be anything between 14 days and over a month, depending on your usual activity (e.g. members with huge monthly posts won't get kicked for joining a group exclusive GA 4 weeks after their last post, but someone with who usually posts short updates like "I finished this game, it was fine" every few days and hasn't posted in over 2 weeks might get the boot - this is examined on a case by case basis, any kinds of posts are fine, just be aware of this when you want to enter a group exclusive giveaway AND stay in the Steam group).
I got kicked out of the Steam group, can I still use the website?
Yes! You can use it just like before, nothing changes for you in that regard.
I left the Steam group. Does that affect site usage in any way?
No, but please let us know about it, especially if you don't want to get invited back into the Steam group, so we can make a note of it and don't spam you with invites when you're active on the site.
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