Forum Updates and Realignment

[Stephen]

While I'll always miss what this forum was in early-to-mid 2009, I'm glad to see the place (and Andrew) prospering so much. Nothing stays the same forever, especially on the internet!

My favorite part of the MSPAF nowadays is the Webcomics Thread. Since we're going to have a whole forum dedicated to webcomics, what will be the fate of the thread? It sounds like we'll have a bunch of separate threads, one for each webcomic -- I'm not sure that would serve the same purpose, but I'd be willing to give it a shot if that's what needs to happen. I've always liked the ongoing discussion about a wide variety of webcomics, though, complete with "and speaking of ____, check out today's ____" transitions.

[SleepingOrange]

This is true. However, only about half of those skip the rules because they're idiots--the other half skip the rules because this is their thirtieth forum and every ruleset is pretty much the same.

And then those same people who assume they already know it all make the same mistakes and violations that the idiots make, because even inasmuch as the core rules are pretty similar for most forums the specifics always vary a bit. We're tired of things like too-big signatures, RPing in non-RP areas, text gimmicks, spoiler dungeons, and so on and so on. Anything that makes forumers read the rules is a boon to the staff, and frankly the potential loss of any hypothetical user who can't be bothered to familiarize themselves with the forum's rules and culture isn't a particularly big one to us.

[tynic]

While I'll always miss what this forum was in early-to-mid 2009, I'm glad to see the place (and Andrew) prospering so much. Nothing stays the same forever, especially on the internet!

Pretty much the only thing I do here anymore is participate in the Webcomics Thread. Since we're going to have a whole forum dedicated to webcomics, what will be the fate of the thread? It sounds like we'll have a bunch of separate threads, one for each webcomic -- I'm not sure that would serve the same purpose, but I'd be willing to give it a shot if that's what needs to happen. I've always liked the ongoing discussion about a wide variety of webcomics, though, complete with "and speaking of ____, check out today's ____" transitions.

actually we're keeping a general webcomics-discussion thread in Webcomics General. There will probably be other dedicated threads - Byrobot? Firman Adventures? Prequel? but mainly I think the idea will be to keep everything in one spot, and then once there seems to be a critical mass of discussion about a particular comic, to spin that off the central webcomics thread.

The flip side is that while I agree that there's no point in starting a thread for every single webcomic out there, there's also no reason that every thread has to be terribly long-lived. I can see that if a big event happened in a particular comic which a lot of readers would want to discuss, it might be more useful to make a thread than to try and contain the conversation. In addition, sometimes conversation is more long-lived once there is a dedicated space! So this subforum will allow us to have both these possibilities - centralized discussion, and also more specific threads. This place did begin as a webcomics conglomerate after all, and even though this reorg is mostly about directing the forum in a way more suitable to its current userbase, we thought that with Ryan's community here, there is some room for directed expansion in that area, if you know what I mean.

[Deceptive]

This the MSPA Forum, and it's here for the discussion of MS Paint Adventures and related things.

Probably meant this is here.

[Paul]

Pretty exciting stuff! Can't wait to see what Can Town will create, hopefully it can be used to its fullest potential and be really awesome!

[NotASenator]

While I'll always miss what this forum was in early-to-mid 2009, I'm glad to see the place (and Andrew) prospering so much. Nothing stays the same forever, especially on the internet!

My favorite part of the MSPAF nowadays is the Webcomics Thread. Since we're going to have a whole forum dedicated to webcomics, what will be the fate of the thread? It sounds like we'll have a bunch of separate threads, one for each webcomic -- I'm not sure that would serve the same purpose, but I'd be willing to give it a shot if that's what needs to happen. I've always liked the ongoing discussion about a wide variety of webcomics, though, complete with "and speaking of ____, check out today's ____" transitions.

I'm fine with having a general webcomics discussion thread in that subforum along with the specific threads. Really, there should only be a thread for a particular comic if the interest in discussing it warrants a thread. For example, if someone wants to get more in-depth talking about Dresden Codak or something, a thread for that discussion is fine, but that wouldn't stop people from mentioning it in the general discussion thread.

EDIT: Oh hai tynic.

[Stephen]

Cool. So I'll be able to hang out in the General thread and say, "hey, carazee stuff happening in Bad Machinery this week huh?" without it being an issue of "well I should probably go in the Bad Machinery thread." I am a man of simple desires, and they have all been fulfilled!

I'm looking forward to there being an entire webcomics subforum quite a bit actually.

[NotASenator]

Cool. So I'll be able to hang out in the General thread and say, "hey, carazee stuff happening in Bad Machinery this week huh?" without it being an issue of "well I should probably go in the Bad Machinery thread." I am a man of simple desires, and they have all been fulfilled!

I'm looking forward to there being an entire webcomics subforum quite a bit actually.

Yeah, I see no problem with that.

[Trek]

I think this change is going to work really well, everything looks well thought-out and planned.

[waterbottles]

The new format looks cool, and I love the new addition of the Webcomics general.
I can't wait to see these new changes implemented.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Where the hell is my yeti subforum?!?!?!?!?

[Snowmanne]

Well yeah I saw that, But I wondered if "a few days" means 2-3 or 10-12.
But if you don't know for sure yet then ok.

[Blaperile]

These new changes sound awesome. Good job NaS!

[Avi]

Sounds good!

I'd suggest possibly adding a "completed" sub-subforum to the fan projects subforum, or just a stickied list of all completed projects.

(if this exists already, sorry for wasting your time reading this)

There is a stickied list of Finished Projects, I just keep forgetting to update it :P

[NotASenator]

Well yeah I saw that, But I wondered if "a few days" means 2-3 or 10-12.
But if you don't know for sure yet then ok.

It really depends on how much feedback we get and how much of it brings up discussion. I want to get as much feedback as possible on the possible changes before doing anything in case I am missing something stupid or there's a better way to do it.

It also kind of depends on how my yearly review goes tomorrow. I might just want to slink into a hole for a few days.

[Varkarrus]

So there is not going to be anywhere on the forum where you can just go and chat anymore? bleh.

The general chat thread was always my favourite part about these forums and now the chances of having it are even less.
I'm so thankful for the hidden level forums, but really, it would be nice if we could just still have a place for randomly talking about whatever.

Maybe another subforum for more general chat?

[Avi]

Forum Adventures, Games, and Artbound all have general chat threads.
(and Qwantz, sort of)

[NotASenator]

Forum Adventures, Games, and Artbound all have general chat threads.
(and Qwantz, sort of)

A note - those should all be on-topic chats.

We will not have an off-topic general chat anymore.

Moldova, you answered your own question. There are other places for general off-topic chatting.

[amymist]

Little sad about the lack of random chatting, but other than that, these changes sound awesome!

I'm kind of glad Serious business is going, There tends to be a lot of general meanness there.

[Triangle Man]

If we are never going to have another off-topic general chat thread on this forum again, might I suggest heavy promotion of the IRC channel?

I admit I haven't been on that thing for a while, but it could fill that chat-void.

[Varkarrus]

Nah, lots of people prefer forums for that sort of thing, me included.

And also it is my honest belief that every forum should have a subforum or at least a thread for anything you want to talk about, including a general chat thread.

[Loreweaver]

This is true. However, only about half of those skip the rules because they're idiots--the other half skip the rules because this is their thirtieth forum and every ruleset is pretty much the same.

And then those same people who assume they already know it all make the same mistakes and violations that the idiots make, because even inasmuch as the core rules are pretty similar for most forums the specifics always vary a bit. We're tired of things like too-big signatures, RPing in non-RP areas, text gimmicks, spoiler dungeons, and so on and so on. Anything that makes forumers read the rules is a boon to the staff, and frankly the potential loss of any hypothetical user who can't be bothered to familiarize themselves with the forum's rules and culture isn't a particularly big one to us.

I don't know what forums you've been on, but I've never been to a competently-run forum where those things aren't forbidden by the rules. Those are some of the things I meant when I said that rulesets were the same.

Regardless, I was just chiming in to say that they shouldn't make it too ridiculous, that's all.

[SleepingOrange]

Unfortunately, the modministration disagrees; you will have to keep your opinions about MAD SNACKS YO to yourself or on another venue. The reasons and rationales for this decision have been presented numerous times in numerous ways, and this state of affairs is final; repeatedly lamenting the decision or asking for it to be reversed do little good for anyone.

clarityedit: This was directed at Moldova; I don't have much to say in response to Loreweaver besides "Wow that first sentence was pretty unnecessarily combative.".

[AProcrastinatingWriter]

And thus, after many years of squabble between the rulers of the fora and the peasants, the mods finally gave into their feelings of entitlement, throwing their hands in the air in perfect unison while saying "Screw you all, we're making the forums BETTER".

It was almost like they practiced.

Which they had.






No, but in all seriousness, these sound like good changes, and I'm looking forward to seeing them being implemented. Sounds like an exciting time, indeed...*sniff* our little forum is all grown up now...

[Jacquerel]

Nah, lots of people prefer forums for that sort of thing, me included.
And also it is my honest belief that every forum should have a subforum or at least a thread for anything you want to talk about, including a general chat thread.

Well the people who don't fit in those lots (honestly I'm fairly certain they will outnumber those who do) would still benefit from more visible IRC details
And you can go and join that other board NAS quoted earlier because they agree with your belief!
And then read the bit where he says they can't be everything for everyone and thus are no longer going to try. It's a shame, but it's the case in any community that gets this enormous.

[NotASenator]

Nah, lots of people prefer forums for that sort of thing, me included.

And also it is my honest belief that every forum should have a subforum or at least a thread for anything you want to talk about, including a general chat thread.

I certainly appreciate the feedback and I understand where you are coming from, but I disagree, and have been on (and been an admin on) large, thriving communities before that are completely on-topic. We don't want to be a massive social community site, and our difficulties with keeping up with the [Chat] threads to properly enforce them illustrates the difficulties in being one. We have certain standards and goals we want to live up to, and it is impossible to integrate that with a widely unmoderated or self-moderated chat at the speed that the off-topic chats were moving at.

The existence of an off-topic chat thread is probably the one part of this whole plan that has been discussed the longest and the decisions made regarding it have been approved all the way to the top. So trust me when I say that this was not a decision made lightly or without consideration.