#15 - March 4, 2009, 1:12 a.m.
The above posters answered it well.
Nobody wants to see a front page where every topic is just begging for a blue response. It limits the amount players are willing to talk to each other. As much as I love you all, I can't carry on a direct conversation with every player at once. If we have something to add to a thread, we will do so. If something is unclear (and remains unclear after a few players have taken a shot at it) then we will usually clarify it. If it is a topic being debated, then we usually get a lot out of seeing the arguments on both sides before we swoop in and cut a debate off. Blue posts can also be terribly distracting, especially when they bring un-needed threads that have good discussions going. The first sign of a blue post damaging a thread are all of the "While you're here, can I ask you about this unrelated topic?"
Even the limited posting that I do sets up the expectation that every thread might get a response. Players and threads that don't get a response feel marginalized, like our mage friend above.
If you have a point to make about class mechanics or balance, go ahead and make it and trust that we have read it. Please don't keep bumping threads for a response -- that is just going to lead to competition when we'd rather the threads that the community is most interested in rise to the top. (We don't just read the first page either.)
We will respond to some of the threads. That's the best we can do, and probably the best thing for the forums as a whole. WoW is blessed with an amazingly sharp community, and the last thing we want to do is silence or even detract from smart posts just because they aren't blue. While overall I think my posting has some benefit, there were benefits to the old system where blue posts were very rare and nobody assumed they would ever get a response.
These role forums have been going for a few months but they are still a new experiment for us. We're all going to have to figure out the best way for them to work.