note: This is The Column, a part of Apolyton where anyone can write about whatever he/she wants :) If you feel like writing, submit your article via the article submission page

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#116 WHY CIV IS THE GREATEST AND WORST GAME EVER MisterHungry is taking Civilization head on in debating its historical roots. #117 HISTORICAL APPLICATION OF ALPHA CENTAURI Keith Medlin showcases Alpha Centauri for its historical applications. #118 FREEDOM AND OBLIGATION: CTP2 What does freedom and obligation have to do with a game? MarkG wonders... #119 MODERATION IS A VIRTUE Ken Breggot is worried that trying to make Civ too complex will make gameplay too cumbersome. #120 TPOD & ROACSG: THE RESURRECTION In his article's first installment, TheLimey looks at what should become of Civilization III. COLUMN ARCHIVE

On the Apolyton forums, there is a large group of people who have a tendency to make meaningless or useless posts, especially inside the Off-Topic forum. These people have come to be known as "spammers", their posts as "spam", and are shunned by many who consider themselves more serious. Many a time MarkG and DanQ receive insistent complaints regarding the quality of the posts on the Off-Topic, and the number of posters who practically are never seen on the on-topic forums.

However, I begin to wonder if the non-spamer's rendition of the spammer is truly deserved, at least in some cases. After all, many people who participate in conversations and threads labeled as "spam" also participate in many threads that are on-topic, and many of the "spam" threads make Apolyton what it is. A perfect example of this is Mao. He makes many posts relating to the topics at hand, and is a very active poster on the Civ2 forum. He also is the sole owner of the Apolyton Coffee Shop, and is known to have the second-highest number of posts of anyone at Apolyton, only beaten by Ming.

After a few months on Apolyton, I have come to feel that the forums wouldn't be the same without the so-called spam that "plagues" it. I also begin to believe that the reputation awarded to the spammers on the forums here is uncalled for, and in many places, inaccurate. The lines between spam, fun, and topic just aren't as clear cut as some people make them out to be.

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About the author: "This is my first stab at creating a Column. I have been a regular user of the Forums for around 4 months now".

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