Register | Login | Search | Help | New Boards | Harassment Policy | Rules of the JC | TOS | Markup Codes
Locked Topic | Read Only Topic | Previous Active Topic | Next Active Topic
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 » - Previous | Next | Reload
Author Topic: JC ideas and suggestions
Title : Title: Manager Emeritus
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/27/08 10:29am Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
Hmm. That's not a bad suggestion. I'll chat with the rest of the EU team - EUC and Lit - and 506. It is more than just books and comics at this point, though that remains the focus (mostly because it's the media that comes out most regularly). thinking

 

-----signature-----
God made man. Man rejected God. God became the man Jesus Christ, died and rose again to life, saving man from himself.
The craziest story ever told.
The truest.
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: Ex-Mod
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/28/08 11:43am Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
I think the surest way to hang onto adult SW fans is to have Lit continue getting participation from LucasFilm authors and artists. Much as we all love the films and the non-SW areas of the site, those aren't what people sign up for.

I know there have been issues in the past with LFL staff being treated badly by users, but the last I heard, anyway, Lit mods and others were putting a quick lid on any type of abuse.

Even if some authors are too wary to openly post here, it would be great to have them willing to answer carefully-chosen fan questions, and have the results posted on the relevant boards.

Access to "insider" information and gifts of planned leaks was what used to distinguish TFN from all the other Star Wars fan sites out there . . . back when there were any other Star Wars fan sites. I think we really need to hold onto our most reliable draw now that the SW website pool is drying up.

A year or two ago, we had mods and admins who had personal contacts with LFL staff, and they were able to arrange some Q&A sessions and other types of interaction for us. Are those contacts still any good? Didn't we once have a PR admin instead of a Comms admin? If so, can we get another one?

For that matter, authors are usually more excited about the release of their "real" novels, and I can see them warming up to the idea of talking to SW fanboys in Lit if they also get to move over into NSWFSF and promote their latest personal projects. The publishing industry's profit margins are razor thin, and the economic downturn can't be helping. Add that to the fact that the first "fat" trimmed away from a publisher's offerings is likely to consist of "niche" genres like fantasy and science fiction, and you can see why authors might be keen on demonstrating their projects directly to people who have already bought their EU books, and might be interested in buying their original stuff.

In addition to offering content that more people want, we also need to use more efficient means of letting the world know what we have to offer. The days of people entering "Star Wars" into Google and being directed straight to our site are over. Fortunately, targeting our audience is very easy, since we already network quite a lot through Fan Force, Facebook, chat, spinoff boards, the occasional drunk dial, etc.* We got the major response we did for the 10th anniversary solely due to word of mouth.

Being able to speak with author X may or may not be as exciting as getting to see the the JC stars turned back on, but we could use the same networking process to bring in former and potential Lit fans. Ditto with Games and other forums devoted to LFL properties, if we could get a few creators to show up and talk to us periodically. For that matter, TFN already has a Podcast. Why couldn't we put little alerts in there, along the lines of: "Author Joe Somebody will be chatting with TFN forum regulars at such-and-such a day and time."

Also, as a "just for the record:" adult fans are mostly giving the new Clone Wars cartoon a thumbs-down, but kids love it. There's already a set of young adult books based on it, and I see these in the hands of my 8-10 year-old students all the time. No, none of them can register here now. However, there is a post-PT generation out there, and some are sure to graduate to the films, games, books, and comics. We shouldn't imagine ourselves as just marking time until the last person turns out the lights in a year or two.

If we make ourselves attractive to the right people, we'll still be here when the Clone Wars kids are able to sign up.



* Also, lots of unsolicited PM's about the quality of our animated gifs. Those are very important too.

 

-----signature-----
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: Former Head Admin
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/28/08 4:08pm Subject: JC ideas and suggestions
I like the idea of more VIP involvement in the Lit. forum. I think that's one we tried a while ago but we didn't really push it enough. That might be something we should get ready to take on again. I think we can actually do some good stuff with that.

I get the "dead weight" issue. To let you know, I have begun discussion with other administrators and I'm looking in areas where we can make some changes. I know that's what I already said, but it is something that will be dealt with.

Now, we have some new things coming within the next week. Most of it's technical stuff that will help us move forward with the ideas presented here. The things that we're about to unveil will help us grab the attention of all users here. I'll be posting more about it in a different thread, which I'll be making shortly in Comms.

 

-----signature-----
If you have any questions about Christianity and/or Jesus, I'd love to talk to you. Please PM me.
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved!" Acts 16:31
Yes, I am a sinner. So are you. We all have a Savior.
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: Ex-Mod
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/28/08 6:47pm Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
Perhaps we could re-collapse some of the boards we split apart when we were overflowing with traffic? Not necessarily into "Star Wars," "Not Star Wars," and "Fan Force Earth," as jp-30 jokingly suggested, but something closer to that. It's frustrating to cycle through similar boards, looking for a discussion on a certain topic, only to find all of them too dead to support it.

Maybe some slow boards are only comatose, and the right moderator could bring them back to life, but others . . . meh. At some point intervention efforts stop being resuscitation and become attempts at necromancy.

Also, I noticed that the LACWAC mods and TME over at TFN are already doing VIP work--didn't mean to suggest that was missing or unimportant. Thanks, guys! happy

 

-----signature-----
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: EUC and Arena Moddess
SW RSA
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/28/08 6:59pm Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
I agree with Ophi about the VIP thing. The Lit mods have done well to keep the VIP's we have (we even lured three over to the EUC as well) and a few more have registered in the recent months. They're not always going to be around posting, but they do tend to show up randomly and especially when they've released something.

 

-----signature-----
Corran Horn is mine. Get used to it.
One of Hammer's Angels
Has reverted to being a 14 yr old. YAY JOBROS and TWILIGHT!
Just laugh at it.
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: Manager Emeritus
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/28/08 7:09pm Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
ophelia posted:
Perhaps we could re-collapse some of the boards we split apart when we were overflowing with traffic? Not necessarily into "Star Wars," "Not Star Wars," and "Fan Force Earth," as jp-30 jokingly suggested, but something closer to that. It's frustrating to cycle through similar boards, looking for a discussion on a certain topic, only to find all of them too dead to support it.

Maybe some slow boards are only comatose, and the right moderator could bring them back to life, but others . . . meh. At some point intervention efforts stop being resuscitation and become attempts at necromancy.

Also, I noticed that the LACWAC mods and TME over at TFN are already doing VIP work--didn't mean to suggest that was missing or unimportant. Thanks, guys! happy

I think this consolidating forums could be helpful. Of course I would like to hear from people that post in those areas, I am just a very casual observer so I don't know how well that would go over with those currently posting and/or if it would help increase traffic.

 

-----signature-----
Lemminglord's love
BSU Broncos 2007 Fiesta Bowl Champions in one of the most amazing games ever
A piece of my heart is in Richmond, VA
Souderwan is my hero
Tiger 1994- December 13th 2008 RIP my furry baby
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Date Posted: 11/28/08 7:55pm Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
I really think merging Amph back into JCC would be a good idea. There are many people who are huge music / lit / movie fans who post in JCC, who for whatever reason stay clear from Amph. Amph is pretty slow right now... Zaz does his best by upping threads constantly, but I really think bringing that form of discussion back into JCC would be a good move.

 

-----signature-----
"Si vas a acabar matándome en un ritual vudú y despues a violar mi cadáver, por lo menos guarda mi cabeza en un frasco como recuerdo."
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: Manager Emeritus
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/28/08 8:11pm Subject: JC ideas and suggestions - Date Edited: 11/28/08 8:12pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Master_Keralys
Don't forget our comics authors! We still have regular posts by John Jackson Miller, John Ostrander, and Jan Duursema, with Omar Francia dropping in from time to time and one of our own, Caledre, joining the ranks as an actual published SW author. They're all Very Important People, too. happy That doesn't mean, of course, that we should stop working to get more Very Important People in.

Consolidation sounds like a good idea, but we need to ask where we would do it. Looking at the board structure:
  • Welcome: should stay where it is.

  • Star Wars Films and Lucasfilm Projects: the only way to do anything here would be to merge PT, OT, and Saga together.

  • Star Wars Television and Clone Wars Movie: already only one forum, belongs as is, will probably be expanding rather than contracting in the next few years.

  • Books and Comics: as was suggested, could possibly use a retitling to something more accurately descriptive, but otherwise, this all makes sense. Lit remains the third most active board on here, following only YJCC and and SWC, and EUC is right behind it.

  • Games: this area is a bit slow moving. The RPG board, and the CCG, TCG, Boardgames boards are both moving very slowly, while Videogames is moving pretty well and will probably do more so if we can effectively mobilize it or a sister forum as a home base for The Old Republic. Thus, RPG/CCG,TCG,Board could be a candidate here.

  • Role Playing: all pretty active, and there's not really a good way to merge SW and NSW RP. The resource should also remain separate.

  • Fan Fiction: pretty well delineated, with before, during, and after the movies as separate boards. Still pretty active, though below 2004-2005 levels, obviously. Active enough to warrant opening a new board in the last six months, the NSWFF. (Or was that NSFW, or something like that? tongue ) Separate resources, as is fitting, for SW and NSW FF.

  • Fan Activities: slower moving by nature. Collecting; Fan Art; Fan Films, Audio, and SciFi3D; Fan Sites; Costuming and Props. You could make an argument that some of these should combine based on traffic/activity, and I'd hear you, but I'd want to know how you planned to do it, too.

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy: Books and Comics, Films and Television. I can't speak for these, but between the two of them we have only three mods, who all seem to do well and two of whom are fairly involved in the larger community as well. Might be combinable, as especially the latter is moving rather slowly at the moment (25 ppp and there are 2 week old threads visible on the page). You'd have to ask NYCityGurl, Raven, or Jedi_Master_Conor about that one as a possibility. If that was combined, it might make sense to move it elsewhere, as well, rather than having its own category.

  • JCC: Forum Feud (now essentially defunct, at least at this time); Amph, YJCC, Senate, Census and Games. All of which are moving pretty well, and would all thoroughly defy joining together. *Keralys pictures joining Senate and YJCC back together...* doh!

  • Sports: The Arena is still moving quite nicely.

  • Admin: I know; let's combine MS and Comms! Okay, so, not so much.


I'd be happy to hear other suggestions, but looking through, that's really all I see that's even viable at this point. Thoughts?

ETA: Harp got in after me; that's one that I meant to catch and missed. Good call.

 

-----signature-----
God made man. Man rejected God. God became the man Jesus Christ, died and rose again to life, saving man from himself.
The craziest story ever told.
The truest.
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Date Posted: 11/28/08 11:15pm Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
Talking about consolidating forums looks good on paper, but it's just not a snap-hiss decision. The mods in such a forum probably aren't even following this, and the users definitely aren't.

 
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: Manager Emeritus
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/28/08 11:52pm Subject: JC ideas and suggestions
True. Part of my point in doing that is to show how unfeasible consolidating almost any of the forums is at this point. happy

 

-----signature-----
God made man. Man rejected God. God became the man Jesus Christ, died and rose again to life, saving man from himself.
The craziest story ever told.
The truest.
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Date Posted: 11/29/08 12:09am Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
Yeah I don't think that is the answer either.

As for the RPG (pen and paper) boards, we had an initiative a while back to actually play games on it, and they are still going. I don't know too much about it, I missed out. That was great, we used to have one post a week, now we have one a day.

Another thing we all did about this very thing was the traveling social thread. I didn't participate, until it came into my home forum. So it worked in a way.

As an old school Video Games forum person, I've noticed a phenomenon over the years that just doesn't make sense on some levels. We used to spend hours upon hours chatting, connecting, troubleshooting, and then finally playing a game. Then bitching about it on the boards.

Now, its 10000 times easier, and nobody plays. Different generations? I dunno

 
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: FF GSA & FF-UK RSA / Saga Mod
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/30/08 3:52am Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions - Date Edited: 11/30/08 3:58am (1 edits total) Edited By: halibut
EDIT: Wrong forum!

 

-----signature-----
They are not "songs", they are "tracks" or "cues"

ROTJ - "It has a nice mix of muppets and patricide that you don't see very often" - Darthboba

Everybody knows that the bird is the word!
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
22646 posts
-1_
epic 
Title : Title: ex mod / rsa
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/30/08 5:15am Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
harpuah posted:
I really think merging Amph back into JCC would be a good idea. There are many people who are huge music / lit / movie fans who post in JCC, who for whatever reason stay clear from Amph. Amph is pretty slow right now... Zaz does his best by upping threads constantly, but I really think bringing that form of discussion back into JCC would be a good move.


i agree. bringing Amph back into JCC would be an excellent move IMO.

 
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Title : Title: Ex-Mod
Total Posts :
Private Messages (0)
My Blog
My Collection
 Date Posted: 11/30/08 9:06am Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
Could we take a look at the Senate as well? It still has a use in that it provides a much more structured environment for discussions that would likely trainwreck in JCC, but the place is not getting very much traffic. It's actually getting less than Amph. (And yes, I counted all posts made yesterday in both forums.) doh! If you take Zaz out of the equation, the Senate had about 75 posts compared to Amph's 100. With Zaz, Amph had more like 120.

If the Senate's containment properties are irreplaceable and we decide to leave it, we need to do something to get it off the "endangered forums" list. Right now, it looks to me as if losing as few as 5 regular users would cripple it, and losing 10 would kill it.

 

-----signature-----
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps with your mom
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
Date Posted: 11/30/08 10:11am Subject: RE: JC ideas and suggestions
It seems to me that one of the reasons the Senate has lost traffic, is that more and more political and related type threads have increased in the JCC.

The thing is though, I still think it's beneficial to have a concentrated forum on the subjects as long as there are people that want to concentrate on these things. T

he JCC is a forum that many like to go and play in, to not be serious, and when these threads are made there, a lot of people can get overbearing. I'm not saying they have no place there, but that I think it's nice there's a forum where every user involved is posting completely serious.

Condensing that and the Amph and whatever other forums that people have considered just seems like a bad idea to me. They were created for individual reasons. They might not get as much traffic as they did, but maybe part of that is the way they're being run?

As for the types of threads that pop up in the JCC, both Senate and Amph type topics are allowed there. As with the Arena, and pretty much anything not pertaining to Star Wars. However those other forums still get some traffic, and not having a forum dedicated to them, that's already made and running, is just going to clutter the YJCC even more than it already is. I really think you'd lose more users if you shut down those forums, than if you took "their" forums away.

Just my 2 cents.

 

-----signature-----
Queen " Baadasssss Pixie" of the Knights of the Sarcasm Table
well, I don't know about you, but i'm going to homerun three strikes to the second base ~Daveeeeed~
love Vin love
Locked Topic | Active Topic Notification | Private Message | Post History
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 » - Previous | Next | Reload
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc (9.02.17.2300, ASPNET0) 2.031