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Cartography Forum/Sub-Forum

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Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
...unless a moderator could put a lot of effort into updating it often, and separate discussions could be kept organised and easy-to-follow, in one thread (although, useful discussions could be linked from the sticky I guess).

This.

A forum with this level of activity should be reaching out to its strongest community members to build things like a well-managed sticky thread. Putting together a team and building a management structure is the next growth stage for a web community from here.
 

Johnny Cosmo

Inkling
A forum with this level of activity should be reaching out to its strongest community members to build things like a well-managed sticky thread. Putting together a team and building a management structure is the next growth stage for a web community from here.

I was just thinking that this community really feels like it's not going anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I love it here... but whilst the members keep coming, and the average users online has risen, the forum doesn't feel any more active. A bit of focus, structure, and development is needed.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
I was just thinking that this community really feels like it's not going anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I love it here... but whilst the members keep coming, and the average users online has risen, the forum doesn't feel any more active. A bit of focus, structure, and development is needed.

Yep. New members are coming in, but older ones are getting less and less active because their return-on-activity isn't very large. The conversation in the forum needs to be beneficial to you, or your ability to help others needs to be significant. But there's nobody directing the conversation, so threads keep repeating themselves, old conversations never seem to settle, nothing seems to be achieved. There's thread after thread with questions like, "Should I bother with prologues?" and nobody who's followed up with, "Here's the pros and cons and what-not-to-dos of writing a prologue." Doing those kinds of things would put the basic questions aside and help the conversation grow into areas that are more useful and nuanced to the people contributing. The goal would be to see less, "What's your favorite monster?" and more, "Here's this monster I'm working on, what can I do to make it better?"
 

Johnny Cosmo

Inkling
It can also get tiresome ploughing through a page of people posting to agree with user X, or repeating something that's already been said. Sure, it's a free world... but it waters down potentially useful threads, and I rarely feel like searching for the quality posts (which might lead me to add to the discussion).
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
It can also get tiresome ploughing through a page of people posting to agree with user X, or repeating something that's already been said. Sure, it's a free world... but it waters down potentially useful threads, and I rarely feel like searching for the quality posts (which might lead me to add to the discussion).

Yeah, exactly. But if someone were managing a thread in the Writing Forum, for instance, where one post summed up all the best points about using a prologue (and then maybe linked to the two or three discussions on it), and the next post summed up all the best points about titling your chapters, and so on, then there would be a permanent growth to the conversation.

To bring it back to point, I think someone should do that in the World Building forum with maps.
 

Johnny Cosmo

Inkling
Yeah... like the mods should choose 'topic leaders'. That's not to say it has to be the most knowledgeable person managing the stickied thread, just anybody who can maintain a nice, clean, useful first post. Then the rest of the thread can still be used as a discussion on that specific topic.

Seems like the best idea to me; rather than stretching the forum over more categories, each category can have a few stickies on the biggest or most popular topics. Almost like a FAQ.
 

Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
Articles are slow to be updated, and slow to amass comments (in comparison to threads), and 'resources' is largely neglected.

We already have a potential 'mini social-networking site' in profiles, but do profiles see much action?

There's a lot more that we can be doing here. Mythic Scribes was never intended to be just a forum with a blog. Those were just "phase one," so to speak. We've been working on building up the forum, as that's a crucial part of the process, but it's only a foundation.

Regarding the articles, we only post one a week because, frankly, that's the only reasonable pace for us to produce them (for now). Eventually we would like to post more frequently, but we would need a team of dedicated volunteer writers for that. Would there be an interest in assembling a team of regular writers for the home page?

There isn't much on the resources page now. It was intended to be used for link exchanges with other fantasy related sites. We could possibly develop it into some sort of interactive resource directory. Or would it be more useful in some other form?
 

Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
But there's nobody directing the conversation, so threads keep repeating themselves, old conversations never seem to settle, nothing seems to be achieved.

Yeah, that's the nature of forums. As long as you have a forum with free-flowing conversation, you will have these sort of things.

However, we are by no means stuck with the forum model. It may be possible to integrate something like a moderated FAQ where the best answers on various topics can be cataloged and categorized. Would there be interest in something like this?
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
You may be right. What sort of roles would you envision in a successful management structure?

If you want to send me a message I'd be happy to chat about it, maybe on IM? I've had a little experience doing this in the past. But I wouldn't want to just post a list of ideas for a few reasons, but mostly because it's got to be right for the people in those roles more than anything else.
 

Johnny Cosmo

Inkling
Regarding the articles, we only post one a week because, frankly, that's the only reasonable pace for us to produce them (for now). Eventually we would like to post more frequently, but we would need a team of dedicated volunteer writers for that. Would there be an interest in assembling a team of regular writers for the home page?

I think the website needs more going for it than a weekly blog article and a forum. This is about the only good forum that's dedicated to only fantasy writing (rather than writing in general or fantasy and sci-fi), and I think it's being sold short with articles on music inspiration, a video game discussion, the top six disappointing movies, and so on. Sure, I bet some users enjoy the articles... but they can find that anywhere.

Most of the users here are aspiring writers, but the articles don't cater to them. In fact, convince Ravana to hold off on some of the lengthier forum responses and adapt them as articles, and the homepage will be well on it's way to fulfilling it's potential.

There isn't much on the resources page now. It was intended to be used for link exchanges with other fantasy related sites. We could possibly develop it into some sort of interactive resource directory. Or would it be more useful in some other form?
I don't think it's really necessary. If it's a link exchange, call it a link exchange and put it in a sidebar on the homepage.

You may be right. What sort of roles would you envision in a successful management structure?

Thought I'd give my thoughts; at least one active mod per forum, who can sticky helpful threads from members (effectively making them a sort of thread mod, mine and Devor's previous posts cover that idea). Also, since I don't see you around much, perhaps a second admin?

If you want to send me a message I'd be happy to chat about it, maybe on IM? I've had a little experience doing this in the past. But I wouldn't want to just post a list of ideas for a few reasons, but mostly because it's got to be right for the people in those roles more than anything else.
I don't really see why including other members in the discussion is a big problem...
 
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Codey Amprim

Staff
Article Team
This thread went a little off track. I'm trying to figure out what's actually going to happen about the website as a whole now over the artwork/concept art issue lol. Or maybe I'm missing something, I've been working all day. IDK

BTW, I'd love to add some thought to your conversation about the general direction of the site with you guys.

Anyways, on the article writing platform, I'd love to volunteer or help out with them, I just need some direction! I'd be willing to talk about it to whoever outside of this thread.
 
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Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
I think it's being sold short with articles on music inspiration, a video game discussion, the top six disappointing movies, and so on.

That's a matter of opinion. In any case, if we are going to have more articles of the nature that you are suggesting, we are going to need more writers. I can only do so much by myself... especially with a demanding full-time job and an even more demanding 16 month old.

Again, we could put together an "article team" of volunteers to cover this. Other sites have done similar things. Do you think that there would be interest?

at least one active mod per forum

Why is active italicized?

Also, since I don't see you around much, perhaps a second admin?

I'm not sure how to take this.

You do realize that I'm working on this site pretty much constantly when I'm not at my place of employment, right? Even if I'm not posting, I'm almost certainly hard at work on something behind the scenes.

But that's beside the point.

What is relevant is that I'm listening to feedback on how we can improve this community, and am always open to new ideas. You've expressed some good ideas as to how we can take things to the next level. But to get there, we need committed volunteers. Are you volunteering?
 

Johnny Cosmo

Inkling
That's a matter of opinion. In any case, if we are going to have more articles of the nature that you are suggesting, we are going to need more writers. I can only do so much by myself... especially with a demanding full-time job and an even more demanding 16 month old.

Again, we could put together an "article team" of volunteers to cover this. Other sites have done similar things. Do you think that there would be interest?

Sorry, I thought I'd responded to that. I think I went to alter a previous line and accidentally deleted it... but yeah, that's all I was getting at. And yes, it is a matter of opinion when it comes down to it... but whilst those sort of posts can be fun, wouldn't you agree that the potential for providing users with focused writing guides, helpful tutorials, valuable insights, tips, and resource run-downs would be a better use of the space that most newcomers will land in when they first arrive? With tags and categories for the articles, it's also a decent archive for the forum users to learn from. That's not to say that the less serious or less focused articles should completely disappear, just that they're the type of article that work best as a minority.

Why is active italicized?

Actually, it's just because I don't recognise the staff names. That said, at least two of the moderators don't post much, there's only four mods who seem to govern five forums... and the rest are without mods. Is the forum leaders page up-to-date? I was going to say that four mods for 16 forums is lacking...

I'm not sure how to take this.

Oh no, I meant that innocently, as in; to lighten the burden of running this place. It's only because there's not much changing with the user experience though. If you're busy behind the scenes that's totally understandable, but I think the point still remains.

Are you volunteering?

I'm not sure I'm qualified in a way that's useful.
 

Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
there's only four mods who seem to govern five forums... and the rest are without mods. Is the forum leaders page up-to-date? I was going to say that four mods for 16 forums is lacking...

The forum leaders page lists the categories that each moderator is responsible for. Each of the forums falls under one of the five categories. So each forum actually has a moderator.

I'm not sure I'm qualified in a way that's useful.

If you're willing, I'm sure that we can find something for you.
 

Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
I'm trying to figure out what's actually going to happen about the website as a whole now over the artwork/concept art issue lol.

We're going to add an image gallery, with sections for maps and original fantasy art. It will be integrated with the forums.

This will be happening after the holidays.

Anyways, on the article writing platform, I'd love to volunteer or help out with them, I just need some direction! I'd be willing to talk about it to whoever outside of this thread.

We'd love to have you as part of the team! We'll be in contact in January.
 
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