After a discussion in another thread, i figured it's about time we give this issue it's own thread. ------ Basically, i think the forum isn't getting enough attention as a whole, and the General Chat Thread is hogging more attention than neccesary. After thinking through the many suggestions and ideas made in the previous thread, i think this is the best course of action: We give the General Chat Thread a set of decent rules for members to follow. If you wish to post something specific in the General Chat Thread, please consider that it MAY be worth a seperate thread first. If so, don't hesitate to browse the forums, find the proper section, and make it a thread. I originally suggested we remove the General Chat Thread, and see what happens. Yet people seem hell-bent on NOT wanting that thread deleted. I'm sorry i have to say this, but that tells me just how much Everypony Forums is worth... If Everypony Forums can't survive without the activity that a single thread is providing, then what future does it have? We need to bring people's attention to other sections of this forum without making them feel forced to do so. If that can't be done, EPR is doomed. I've been on plenty of forums in the past to see where this is going... Before you mention it. Yes, Roleplaying is an active section too, but not everyone is interested in that. We need to appeal to everyone. That's why this place is called EVERYPONY, no?
This falls back onto what people deem worthy of a thread. I don't think my idea's are worth a thread, I mean really does anyone care about my Griffin OC for a fan fic. No, that's not the forums fault, but the users of the forum. Maybe someone thinks all their ideas are worth threads, they we get flooded. A single thread tells you what the forum is worth. I think not. It's the users that make up the worth. MY VIEW: People just don't care, people want to feel popular. If they know that they will get ignore why would they bother posting something in it's own thread. I see a lot of people pop in the GCT "hi guys what's going on" Look back a page and read, it's simple. It's cool I do it to some times. Let's look at the text games, I can't say that it's being used so people will be looked at, but if that is the case why do a lot of the development dairies have less then 10 replies. PEOPLE JUST DON'T CARE. Bad example, Rarit E, if you want activity in other places, why not start it yourself. Go post in the art section, music section and the fic section. Not to be a jerk, but do you avoid those sections because you don't care about the content in them. Which in turn means people won't want to post in them. Which makes you at fault as well. I know the issues you are talking about, but like I've said many, many times. It's the users faults not the forums. I like this right here, "but not everyone is interested in that". Yet you want to remove the new post button and the GCT. You want activity to go outside of the GCT, well not everyone is interested in that. [size=+4]Change the users not the forum[/size]
Change yourself before you even consider changing others, Echo. The GCT is basically a static form of the EP Chat. Removing it would generate more traffic for it and let the mods actually do their jobs. The GCT is a cespool of stupidity and useless conversation. Nobody cares what goes on in there, and -that is the problem.- You can't change users. But you can influence them by altering their environment.
Wow! That is all I'm gonna say on that. EDIT: Influence by changing their environment. I heard you like oxygen, I don't *deletes oxygen* *************************************************************** It's not the forums fault people don't go to those section. The users don't seem to care for the content in that area, so they don't go. My ask thread for example, I never thought people would post in it. They did and 2 others even made their own that are popular. The users like them, so they go to them. simple. I reason I don't go to the development dairies section anymore is because the last few I've posted in the OP never response.
Forum-wide activity would be nice. But to do that, the users have to change. Even I'm guilty of posting in the GCT because I know that I'll get replied to. Because the users know that not many others will reply, they don't reply themselves. What we need on the site are some hipsters who are willing to not be mainstream and post in other threads. From now on, I'll try to use a bit more of the forums than I usually do. I may not be experienced in many areas but I'll try to think of something useful to post.
Now who's the one forcing me to post in threads i'm not personally interested in? You ask me to start spreading activity, and i will when i find topics worth posting. In fact, i already posted a few today. You can't possibly expect me to do it all by myself, do you? You keep saying that, but how do you suggest we do that? You're the one who keeps saying they don't care to change, so i assume you have a plan? Listen, this discussion may have gotten a bit too heated, and that's probably my fault. Let's calm down a sec and find a way to get out of this properly, shall we? We both agree that we should find a way to get members interested in other sections, and that forcing them to post elsewhere is out of the question, so let's continue from that. From the very start, you were saying we'd be "forcing" members to post elsewhere, but is that really true? Like Saikyo said, it's more of an incentive to let them look at the rest of the forum. It's a staff member's job to make it so the forum stays as active as possible. I'd say they have every right to do what's necessary. Maybe alot of threads will be made, and alot of them might not last more than 2 pages, but that doesn't matter. It's not like every thread should get 50 pages or something.
Let's discuss, not argue. Thank you. Now, I understand both points. We don't want a useless armada of threads burying each other -- most never seeing the light of day. However, currently, the GCT is huge and TOO active, I'm not kidding if it carries on this way a thread that size can actually start to have an impact on forum performance: That is just how stupidly big it is getting. Now before some genius suggests closing it and making a new one, I believe we need to find a middle ground, either create a more specific general chat, still general but with an actual topic. "What I did today" - Is a popular one on other forums. I'm not sure if we already have a thread like this, but it'd be a good replacement imo. Of course, there is always the chat, but I understand entirely if people aren't for real-time communication, so wouldn't like to force people into that.
You can't really change the interests of someone. What you can try to do is encourage them to check out what's happening else where. They may find that they are actually interested in other threads, or they have something useful to say. It probably won't make too much of an impact, but it's worth a try. I know that I'll try to explore the forums a bit more now.
No one is forcing anything, see I didn't delete or move something to make you do that, I just suggested you do it. Exactly, you want others to increase activity, give it a go first. Topic you deem worth posting in. Shouldn't they all be worth posting in? Plan? as if. I can't even fix me, let alone the whole forum. I was never mad bro. But sure lets start over. we both want forum wide activity. Encourage the users. I think things like little badges like that of Escapist would help, but they could also be a trouble starter as well. Maybe make contest, Maybe a short story contest. With like a real prize. I know that requires money and junk. Something like an Itunes card or steam game. Really I have no idea. That thread is out there buried. Also again, I hate Real time chats and at work it would eat my battery to fast, plus I couldn't keep up.
Let's close it and make a new one. :Trollestia: Anyways, I think that the thread serves no purpose any more. Threads like 'How Was Your Day?' would be a great alternative in my opinion.
I think it serves a great purpose. Do you think me asking "Anyone think making the white feathers of a griffin slightly blue would make it look good"? It that really worth it's own thread. No it isn't. It was a quick question meant to get a quick opinion. And since I spent all morning on here I never did it.
I quite like the idea of a "How was your day" thread. But I don't really want to see the GCT go and die. But there will have to be some sacrifices, so I'm up for that.
Then how about instead of an "how was your day" thread. (which can be discussed in a chatbox) We make a "Quick Conversation" thread that focusses around getting someone's opinion or answer to a quick or small problem? Moderators would just have to make sure the conversations in there don't escalate into another GCT. Just make sure the questions are short and the answers stay short. Other general discussion can be diverted to the chatbox, and the bigger conversations of course get their own threads.
That would be awesome, the real question then is. Will people care? like will they check on it or will it be buried like the rest. I'd really like to have a thread like that.
I quite like that, although it'd require a lot more staff. But i know that many users would be willing to take the role. I especially like the "Quick Conversation Thread" idea, although that would require heavy moderation.
We can make the thread, see if gets enough popularity, then sticky it. If it sinks to the bottom, come up with something else. In the previous thread, i remember Saikyo mentioning he'd be more than willing to put that kind of effort into it. (Correct me if i'm wrong. ) If the other moderators share his thought, i don't think it can fail.
Well, give it a go then sir. yeah, that's going to go over well. Not being rude, just saikyo seems a little strict.
I'm pretty sure that they can just hire a few more staff who would be moderators for this section. There's plenty of people who'd be willing to do it, not just the staff only.
If we're serious about making this a properly controlled thread that wont get out of hand anymore, i'd rather let one of the staff members post it so he/she can provide the proper rules for it in the OP. DING DING DING! That's why they made him a moderator, silly! :derpe: Moderators need to show they can be strict when they have to be.
Whatever floats your boat sir. I'd just like to say and this is all I will say on the matter. I think that was a bad choice. INB4 that gets blown way out of proportion and I'm banned when I wake up.
