What shell we do?

[dst]

Hi all,

I want to chance something about this section of the forum so we can manage it easily.

So I'm making a poll.

Also I'm open to new suggestions.

[Glaistig]

I don't see what's wrong with how things are now? Having multiple topics gives a sense of individuality to the new members' introductions and aren't too hard to manage as is, since we don't really get "hello" topics that often. The forum would look a bit empty with only one huge thread or a few for different countries.

[dst]

Then it will be your job to delete old topics.

[Glaistig]

Ahh~ /: Hmm.. We are on a cleaning splurge!

How about we create one topic for old hellos? Merge the topics which are pretty old into a sort of archive-topic, so that if people want to read from back when they were newbies, they can still do it with the search function.

[dst]

Do it then. And yes: we are on summer cleaning quest! We need to bring some life into this forum and organize it a little bit. So any suggestions will be welcome. From anyone.

[Glaistig]

Hmm.. well, if we're going to be doing a clean-up: Why do we need a hello forum anyway?  We could have one big thread in the General Stuff or Offtopic one.

[Calyx of Isis]

Hmm.. well, if we're going to be doing a clean-up: Why do we need a hello forum anyway? We could have one big thread in the General Stuff or Offtopic one.

Are you deliberately playing the fool, or is it merely accidental?

Merging or deleting old posts on a regular basis requires a commitment from someone to do it on a regular basis. Are you that person???

@DST: I'm willing to make a commitment to clean up the topic once a month. There is a lot of stuff that could be cleared away to keep the topic fresh. If even one other person would make such a commitment, things ought to be fine.

[Glaistig]

What?! Did you call me a fool? You're a fool, slighting me..

I'm joking of course. I'm faking my indignation, sure. > I don't grudge others for justified feelings; naturally, I am a most rational, composed person.

But umm, what is the foolish part? I'm not sure I get you. If it's the idea of eliminating the Hello forum: I don't see the difference between one big topic in a separate forum alone (dst's idea?) and one big topic in another forum it fits well with organizationally, except that the former unnecessarily wastes space and looks ugly.

If it's the idea of merging posts regularly: if we had a single topic for it, the clean-up merging thing would only have to happen once, anyway, and from then on that would be the place people would post their introductions. The Hello forum currently has 118 topics.. I could manage it without spending too much effort. >_>; I don't like the idea of mass-deleting (which is an option) all the topics, however; I feel uneasy erasing so casually what people have written when there is another option.

If it's the idea of merging old posts into a designated archive-topic regularly in reference to my previous suggestion in which the Hello forum remains (and you quoted the wrong post): the frequency of "Hello" topics doesn't seem too high for someone to manage regularly to me. @_@ But I do think it would be unnecessary work if we could have one big topic in one of the other forums.

EDIT: Oh, and you'd better not think the foolish part is that I seem like I don't have a commitment to act out my own suggestions. > Only, of course, because that'd be wrong, and it's better to be right than wrong. It's not like I get offended when others are wrong; what sense would that make? To be sure..

Ah, on another topic, I also don't want some old topics about the game (I think there are a lot) to get deleted in this clean-up, if possible. What do you think of a forum for old topics, which are still informative but not necessarily up-to-date?

Also, it looks like people are using the Storyline forum for their own stories, not discussing MD's story. Should there be another forum for the roleplaying stories players make?

[Lulu]

I didn't like putting all the posts in one thread, since that seems rather disorganized to me when I imagine people trying to reply back to hellos, you know what I mean? Say hello to one person, then another, umm. . .

I did think separating the them into countries might be interesting at first, but it's also like separating people into groups. I kind of think it might make each thread a nationality-based clique, maybe; and it'd feel kind of odd to just invade a thread full of people from one country to say hello then, ah, if you know what I mean.

So I just went with the old one

About the deleting topics thing. . . Why are we deleting them? Are there too many, that it takes up too much space, or is it just too unorganized?

[meiche]

Honestly if all the posts were in one thread I would probably not visit so often. It would require a lot of up scrolling to figure out who was actually new and saying hi, and past the other 5-15 posts of welcome tomfoolery. As separate topics it's easy to see when a new person actually is saying hello, not just some random person replying.

Couldn't we just delete hello topics that have not been posted to in 30 or more days? Hello is an introduction, after a month it's old hat.

[Sacosphilz]

I think it's a good thing to have this separate 'Say Hello' section like this and without much organization.

From my observation, a lot of people will post this kind of topics anyway in any online community. And if they can't find a proper place for it, they'll usually go for 'General Discussions' or 'Off-topic', which technically isn't the wrong places but doing so can mess up those discussion sections. Because 'Hello' threads are usually numerous but light on content, what often happens is that the content of these 'Hello' threads get mostly ignored while other threads with more serious discussions get flushed down by the sheer number of 'Hello' topics. Separating them is better.

And because 'Hello' posts are light and casual, if we have a separate forum section for them (and we do), we should just keep them casual. It's good enough that people wants to greet each other. No need to organize them and spoil the mood in the process.

(voted 'Leave it as it is')

[dst]

What about old topics that are obsolete? And when I say old I'm talking, let's say, about posts from last year. I want them deleted cause there are no interest to anybody (except for Glai who wants to leave in the past ). I put the option with leave it as it is in the poll but it's not a solution. Something must be done. WE must organize a little bit the forum (and yes....I started with the less important section but from my point of view it was the easiest one until I asked you). I wanted democracy but I'm getting a rebellion.

[Grido]

you could just become a dictator here, that would solve all your problems

[dst]

Want me to? I can be a really good one (good like doing my job well not good as in...good hearted) .

[Glaistig]

Hmm.. you say we need more organization, and I agree, but in the Hello forum? There's not much there, just hello topics, so I don't see what could be organized, unless you want to delete it and make a big topic (but I don't see the need) to stick in one of the other forums.

It seems the main thing which makes people object to one big topic is 1) it'll be cluttered 2) they will lose some sense of individuality. Maybe we could make an Introduction thread in either the General Stuff or Offtopic forum which will be pinned, and new members can introduce themselves casually/fill out a informalish form but no replies allowed (instead members can comment on the new member's profile). I dunno, just an idea.

It'd be a little more organized, but it would seem a lot more awkward to me.

[dst]

I explained you: I started with Hello because it seemed the easiest to clean. I must take it slow. But it seems that I just upset the bees' hive.

[Glaistig]

How about this: I think I'm the only one who cares about the old topics. So, to make things less cluttered, I will merge the old ones into one topic for my own use regularly, and make it invisible. <3 Or just save them onto my computer and delete them, either way.

jk. . . halfway. I really am offering it, though. 8-D

[dst]

As long as I don't see them anymore you can even put them on your wall as wallpapers.

[Glaistig]

So for the Hello forum, what do you classify as old?

[dst]

Everything except the first 13 .

You clean what you think is old and I will tell you if you need to clean more.

[Glaistig]

Yesss...

About this, dst. . . you're a hardworking guy, how about you merge all of them into one thing and tell me? :-D I mean, uh, homework and all. . .

x_x I don't mind doing it, it's just, it would have to wait, you know, maybe two weeks or so before I could start. Is that bad?

[dst]

No Glai, it's not. I will try to do it next week since I will have more time. And btw: I too have things to do (going to work, social life ... not important things like homework but still)

[Grido]

hehe, i can help out if need be, i'm trying to keep busy during the day to make sure i get up before midday

if you tell me a list of what needs doing i can do some of it tomorrow (am in all day)

[dst]

Actually Grido you can help me. In the new ideas section I've made a new topic in which to put all new ideas but ONLY them (without comments from other players). If you want, copy the ideas from the topics and post them in there. Then make a list of the topics you've gone through and send it to me (it's easier to keep track of them this way since the topic names are most of the time stupid -sorry but they are). And also if you can post also the player who had the idea.

Thank you.

[Grido]

just as a new reply to your post? sure, will start to do it in about 10 hours, so about 1.30pm my time