Ideas for this subforum!

[Meister]

Hey guys, we or rather I have been kicking some ideas around what we could do with this subforum, because it seems that only the same 9-10 threads ever get replied to and also most threads here seem like they might as well be in General, and I want to ask for some userbase input.

I had this idea, brought on by the new name, that we could actually sticky all the threads that regularly receive replies, move all the others to General and keep this subforum as a sort of "all-time favourite threads" forum or something similar. New threads couldn't be created but particularly successful and long-running threads from General could be moved over (the character-vs.-character one, for example, definitely would as soon as we did this).

We could also make this subforum invisible for unregistered users again. Might give it more of a community feel, I dunno, I just know we used to have that and maybe people liked it better? Although truth be told it wouldn't be terribly secret because anyone can register an account and anyway search engines would still pick it up, I think (might look into ways to prevent that if there's a large interest in this).

Or if one of you has another idea to set this forum apart a bit, feel free to post it!

Oh and of course we could also leave everything the way it is, it's a perfectly fine forum. I just think it could maybe use a few bells and whistles.

[Nikose Tyris]

I actually like combining both the first and second ideas.

[Meister]

Including that option was my original plan but while writing the post I started thinking it wouldn't make much sense that way. Like, you could post stuff you only want members to see... except only in the threads that are already there? Seems odd.

Although I guess for the Camwhore thread it might make a difference. Oh well, it's not like I'll look only at the poll to figure out a result!

[Nikose Tyris]

You could theoretically put an 'anything goes' style chat thread- but elsewhere those seem to be terribly bad ideas so I don't know.

[Mirai Gen]

I like the first idea; The real question is what exactly qualifies as a 'best of all time' thread, or who exactly would decide such things?

[Jagos]

Six months of consecutive posts? That would seem a fair basis. Especially when you consider what could actually be put in here.

[RickZarber]

I would prefer we mostly keep it as it is (though I'd like it to go back to being called the community forum). I'm all for sticky-ing those five or so threads that constantly get updated.

My arguments are all strongly "comics thread" biased, but seeing as how that's like my main attachment to NPF, I hope you'll forgive me that.

I'm not for the "all-time" idea because certain threads like the NPF comic archive thread would thus be excluded and kicked into general where they'd be buried immediately. Threads like that should stay in the same sub-forum as the threads to which they pertain.

I'm not for making it members-only because I like to be able to link my non-NPF friends to comic thread posts.

[synkr0nized]

I have a different idea and will not pick this or any other option but rather post a reply detailing my idea.

I chose this one, though you know why. More or less there's only one thread in here I'd keep.


The "all-time favourites" or whatever idea could be OK, I guess.

[Krylo]

Does changing the name to something less ridiculously long, but otherwise leaving it be, fall under option three or four?

[Meister]

Three. Despite the mysterious presence of a fifth (a clue, maybe?) option. Feel free to do name suggestions.

The real question is what exactly qualifies as a 'best of all time' thread, or who exactly would decide such things?
I'm not necessarily thinking "best", more those threads that have been running for years and still consistently get replies. I.e. mainly birthday thread, comic threads, announcement thread, chat quotes, pictures, introduction and character vs.-character from General.

[krogothwolf]

I had to vote for free pudding cause well, I want pudding damnit!

Although I like the all-time favourite idea the most.

I don't really understand the invisible thing considering it's really not that difficult to sign up for the forum.

[phil_]

I voted for pudding because I don't start threads, so forum arrangement and where threads should go is a non-issue for me.

[Krylo]

Three. Despite the mysterious presence of a fifth (a clue, maybe?) option. Feel free to do name suggestions.

I don't really care what the name IS, it just seems that, "Things that would otherwise be stickies in the General Discussion forum," seems like quite a mouthful for a name and would probably be better off as the forum description.

Though, I also don't care that much if it does or doesn't get changed.

Or if it gets removed, past the fact SOME people seem to like those threads and it keeps general uncluttered.

Or anything else.

I DO however like pudding, so I'm officially 'changing' my vote to that. Good thing I didn't actually vote before.

[Fifthfiend]

Well Meister I hope you brought enough for everybody...

[Meister]

If "pudding" or whatever option #5 currently is comes out on top or noticeably strong I'll just consider it to be the "I completely don't care so do whatever you want" option.

Which is the all-time favourites deal so right now it kind of leads by six votes.

Two more days for the poll and further suggestions and then we'll see.

[bluestarultor]

I think that it should be changed back to Community and actually be a place for community stuff. Like we'll keep the stuff we have in here, but then instead of having the random crap hanging around, it could be used for things like community projects that otherwise get buried and die and basically stuff that actually pertains to the members.

Looking at the current front page, I'd say for sure that Happy Birthday, Camwhore, and everything comic related should stay, probably as stickies, and most of the rest of it seems to qualify for being in the forum.



This just crossed my mind, but is there a way to only make a thread member access? I agree that for a long time, I never posted in the camwhore thread because it was public. That's really the only major one that comes to mind, but if push comes to shove, I know it's possible to make a subforum of a forum, and that could be used to make certain threads private. I also unfortunately know that that kind of setup really limits the activity seen by those threads from my experience on Gaia. You REALLY have to push them if you want people to know about and use them.

Actually, maybe the comic threads could be moved to the art forum and the sprite sheets could be kept in Community and then Community could be made private? I know Rick is big on having the comics accessible, but NPF comes up on the first page in sprite searches. With that, there's no way to be sure that people aren't coming in and just nabbing our sheets. I dunno about anyone else, but I put a lot of work into mine and I don't much like the thought of it being stolen and used without my permission. Thinking of what would actually be damaging to make private, the comic thread is really the only thing I can think of that's currently active.



Edit: I'm just curious, but is the poll private? I checked the results, voted, and then was treated to the pudding option having jumped three votes in a few seconds. It could REALLY skew the results to have non-members messing with things.

[synkr0nized]

I also unfortunately know that that kind of setup really limits the activity seen by those threads from my experience on Gaia. You REALLY have to push them if you want people to know about and use them.

Please discontinue this line of thinking and allow me to continue hoping that you kids aren't as stupid as or in other ways comparable to Gaia.

[bluestarultor]

Please discontinue this line of thinking and allow me to continue hoping that you kids aren't as stupid as or in other ways comparable to Gaia.

We are most certainly not!

On the other hand, if you can't see something, you don't know it's there. Unless there's a distinction somehow (I really don't remember how things looked or know how they'd look here), if it's hard to find, it's hard to find.

Could someone maybe put up a demo? That could help.

[synkr0nized]

It's simple. If guests don't have read access but members do, they aren't there when you are logged out [and, thus, if you aren't a registered member] and magically appear as normal when you are, the same as they always do now. For you or I, for example, nothing would change; any lack of participation wouldn't increase, as the only people who would no longer see whatever section(s) affected are non-members, non-contributors. GG, forum settings.

The only potential snag is if search engine bots/spiders can similarly be blocked from access [otherwise you can still get the information if you're interested in it]. phpBB allows this, so I assume vbulletin does as well.

[bluestarultor]

I meant I was wondering if someone could put up a dummy sub-section just so everyone could see how it looks and if it's discernible from the main body of the forum. Sort of a "This is our community! Take a look!" main Community subforum with a Community->Members Only sub-subforum.

I'm basically just suggesting options to keep certain things protected for privacy reasons and what to do with things we want outsiders to be able to see. A subsection may simply not be viable, so if not, there needs to be a way to rearrange the threads to keep the private stuff private without hiding things people want public.

[synkr0nized]

OK, well, there's certainly no need to add another section to this forum, so in my opinion that whole idea is nonsense. Nonsense, I say, and floof. And what I am/was saying/posting above is that changing the current Community/whatever it's name becomes section to "members only" access will have no visible change to any of us, so I guess I don't see a need for test driving anything.


Unless you want to like gun it down the road while the dealer white-knuckles that little handle near the roof and gives you nervous glances between breaths and the occasional inquiry about whether or not you like it. I guess there's that.

[bluestarultor]

OK, well, there's certainly no need to add another section to this forum, so in my opinion that whole idea is nonsense. Nonsense, I say, and floof. And what I am/was saying/posting above is that changing the current Community/whatever it's name becomes section to "members only" access will have no visible change to any of us, so I guess I don't see a need for test driving anything.


Unless you want to like gun it down the road while the dealer white-knuckles that little handle near the roof and gives you nervous glances between breaths and the occasional inquiry about whether or not you like it. I guess there's that.

My idea was that it would be something similar to the poll at the top of this page, only instead of it being a poll in a thread, it would be a subforum in a subforum, but since that idea's been nixed, I just motion to make Community private and to move anything people want to be seen out into other appropriate forums.

[phil_]

But, but, if community is private, how can I look at it from school computers? What if someone made a comic with me in it and I miss it for all the time it takes me to get home and I don't get the first comment! I mean, I can't log in with those things; I'd be just as well served writing my name and password on a bathroom stall.

I think my need for constant access should be given priority over privacy concerns.

[Mac]

But, but, if community is private, how can I look at it from school computers? What if someone made a comic with me in it and I miss it for all the time it takes me to get home and I don't get the first comment! I mean, I can't log in with those things; I'd be just as well served writing my name and password on a bathroom stall.

I think my need for constant access should be given priority over privacy concerns.

I think you forgot just how slow the comments pour into the thread.

[bluestarultor]

But, but, if community is private, how can I look at it from school computers? What if someone made a comic with me in it and I miss it for all the time it takes me to get home and I don't get the first comment! I mean, I can't log in with those things; I'd be just as well served writing my name and password on a bathroom stall.

I think my need for constant access should be given priority over privacy concerns.

Hence my suggestion to move the comic threads to Art and the Like. The sprite sheets can go in Community along with Camwhoring and other things that relate to the community, but shouldn't be public, while the public stuff can get moved into "second best" forum choices as stickies or something. Besides, half the time, people use the member comic thread where the sketch thread might be more appropriate, anyway, so if they're in the same spot, someone can just point and tell them it belongs in there more easily without it being in a totally different spot where people might not find it.

[Nikose Tyris]

If the comic archive ever comes back to life (after being buried due to lack of activity) you could just view the comics from there.

[synkr0nized]

Wait, phil_ was being serious?

[bluestarultor]

Wait, phil_ was being serious?

No, but it's a major concern of Rick's, and once people were a bit more used to the setup I suggested, it ultimately would be more convenient.

[Fifthfiend]

The problem with making Community members-only is 1. The welcome thread is there so lurkers who decide to make an account won't know it exists and 2. there's honestly no real good reason why it needs to be members-only.

I actually think the idea IS to make this forum for like "community projects" or whatever the junk it's just that you post them in general and we move it here if it seems worth keeping alive.

[Nikose Tyris]

The problem with making Community members-only is 1. The welcome thread is there so lurkers who decide to make an account won't know it exists and 2. there's honestly no real good reason why it needs to be members-only.

I actually think the idea IS to make this forum for like "community projects" or whatever the junk it's just that you post them in general and we move it here if it seems worth keeping alive.

This.

[Tev]

2. there's honestly no real good reason why it needs to be members-only.But what about the people who are afraid the bots will steal their pictures and use them in test labs to create skin suits that they will then use to......you know what, you're right.

[Meister]

Regarding privacy, don't rely on the forum software too much to keep your stuff private. Ultimately it's you who decides what you put online and if you can live with the risk of having it picked up by search engines or whatever. I think it's good to not put too many safety features in the forum so no one forgets this.

I actually think the idea IS to make this forum for like "community projects" or whatever the junk it's just that you post them in general and we move it here if it seems worth keeping alive.
On the other hand General isn't that active and if your community project can't manage to gather more attention than Nikose writing an apartment ad then maybe it just isn't meant to be. I know forums where the "last post: today" threads go back three pages and they manage to get community projects going just fine.

[Funka Genocide]

pudding really isn't that great.

(unless it's bread pudding, that stuff is awesome.)

I figure just move threads that won't die (and that you don't want to kill) into this forum and have at it.

Making this forum stealth sounds cost prohibitive, and I mean in this economy you're just asking for trouble from those wacky leftists.

[Meister]

The pudding in my former university's cafeteria is made of ass. Half an inch of vaguely vanilla-tasting chewy jelly covered by a full inch of pudding skin and liquid alleged chocolate sauce that I strongly suspect is actually the thin cocoa they serve.

Even in a food context I'd take sticky threads over that stuff.

[Nikose Tyris]

So maybe we can agree on:

- Sticky threads with more then 200+ replies that involve the vast majority of the forum [so, not game discussion threads, for instance]

- Some threads for community based ideas might go into Community.

- Stuff that gets brought up frequently and for the majority, made everyone laugh, such as the Evony Advertisement threads.

That stuff is mostly agreed on?

[Meister]

Eh, no. What would go in here is just those threads that, well, would otherwise be stickied in General. I know that's just repeating the forum description but it's really the best way to put it. It's strictly gonna be threads that have been running for a year or more* and show no signs of slowing down. Earlier I listed those that would qualify right now.

Community projects yes if they draw enough people consistently, just like any other thread. Don't expect to have a thread moved here automatically if you put "Community Project" in the title or something. If it can conveniently stay somewhere else, it most likely will.

* above all I don't want to start with any formal requirements like "x posts" or "active for over y months" so take that only as a loose guideline with the real meaning of "so long we're taking it for granted now"

[Nikose Tyris]

Oh.

Well.

I don't know, it's nice to have a say but I don't know if I really like that layout. I kind of like what we had here before.

Can I change my vote to "What we had here before but just sticky the main threads?"

[Meister]

Yes but I don't think it's gonna change much, this is a pretty clear-cut result. All-time favourites comes out on top and either way there's a pretty strong majority that simply doesn't care (a lot of those pudding votes came in after I semi-officially declared it the "do what you want" option, too).

So, I'm off to the admin control panel.

[Meister]

Redirects for moved threads are good for two weeks, by the way. If there's anything you wanted to grab from them, any urls you wanted to save, now's the time.