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Should we have a new forum layout?
Yes 8 (88.9%)
No 1 (11.1%)
Total Votes: 9
Forum Layout; Voting Closes 3 Nov 06
Topic Started: Oct 26 2006, 09:40 PM (623 Views)
Philosophe Move
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Agitated Forum Member

This has been brought up a few times before, but nothing has really happened. I am proposing that we actually, finally, change the forums layout. Here is my original post, that was on a different forum:

Quote:
 
DESIGN:
Here is an example of a good, active, healthy forum. It is the center of a gaming network. They have upward of 20,000 members, with one goal. Talk about gaming. The design is simple.

I want people to note how many sections they have. 20. 6 of which are not meant to be used by people frequently. The top three are strictly for announcements and laws. The bottom three are about server opportunities. That leaves 16 sections. That's about 1,250 people per section.

The current exodus forum has 30+ different sections. It has 250 registered members. That is 4.46 people per section. Seems a bit stranded? I suggest cutting down all the sections that are not used. It will make the forum seem a bit more lively.

The Peace Festival, Festivals and Parties Abroad, LGBT Pride Festival, Exodus Art Festival, Beach Festival, National Park, Capital City, etc.  can all be grouped into the RP section easily. They can either be threads, of separarte sub-sections ( I would suggest threads)

Senate, Assembly, MOIA, UN delegate, Pretty much all Governemnt things, should be put in one Section with their own sub sections.

All the sections devoted to talk should be One section labeled General. No sub section, nothing superfluous.

There is probably much more to be cut down on. Why though? Why cut all the forum down? For ease of movement. When I first joined, I didn't know where to post. Where do people talk about things? What do they talk about? What is the point of half of these sections? I STILL don't know.

This is a rough blueprint:

Forum Announcements
-Forum Rules (This would be for system tech. only. Pretty much only addys can post here)
-Forum Suggestions (This is where I would have posted this thread)

General
-Welcome Place (For people to introduce themselves)
-General (Spam, Talk, Whine, Cheese, Flying Spaghetti Monster, whatever)
-General Roleplaying (For people who want to RP outside of NS)
-Debate (Personal opinions on issues)

NS
-Government (To be divided into subsections, like I said before)
-Embassies (Threads for each embassy)
-RP Incidents (To roleplay NS incidents)
-UN Debate (To debate UN proposals)

History of the Exodus
-History of the Exodus (The one on the current forum)
-RMB History (this is just way to cool a little program. Can't lose this)

Admin/Mod (This would be a hidden section only seen by either admins or mods)
-Admins Only
-Mods

MISC:

These are just personal opinions.
1. Sigs should be kept minimal. No matter how cool those animated flags are, loading a page where everyone has a few of those as their sig is annoying. Graphically intensive sigs should be kept to a minimum.

2. . Moderators have to be anal. I'm sorry, it's true. Outside of the General section the forums should be serious. If someone covers a post with smileys in the middle of an assembly debate, a moderator should jump in and clean up the post. If someone who is not in assembly posts in an assembly debate, a mod should jump in and delete that post.



If people want to actually change the forums, I would be happy to help make a model or something.
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Dr Strange Love
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"Rabble Rouser"

Yeah, these forums really could use a makeover.
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Tacticurn
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Phenomenal

Agreed this could go along with the proposal in Regional Vote 2 =]
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Ds Rainbow Phoenix
Unregistered

PM, I admire your gusto and keep it up but I forum design is a complicated thing and not as simple as just posting a vote on it and making it happen. We need to hear from Josh and others who know what this forum can and can't do and take it from there, not vote on something that may not be possible. I would also think that this would need Founder approval before it becomes an RA issue.

Instead, with Avolon's approval, if you changed the wording on this poll to read "should we write up a proposal for a new forum layout and then put it to a debate and vote", then I would gladly vote yes.

I agree that the forum needs a make-over but I strongly feel everyone who wants a say should be allowed to have it in a civilized debate before we vote on it. All changes must be agreed upon by the RA. We cannot just simply approve PM's proposals without hearing from everyone on what they want and don't want such as icons etc.

I support making this an RA issue but I cannot support trying to fast track it by simply adding a vote and then deeming it to be so.
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Philosophe Move
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Agitated Forum Member

Actually, making a forum does not need to be a very hard thing. This is an invision board, which is simple enough to edit. A bit more difficult when people are active, but not to difficult. Again, I would be happy to help, and even make a working model (or even the whole thing)


Of course, this is a poll, and I will happily wait until it closes.
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Joshua
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The Original Founder

I personally think this should be discussed by the founder, and other admins as well. Changes have been made to clean up old topics and discard things. I hav added quick links and so forth, and Ds, Avolon and others have done work as well.

This should not be tied up in the RA, but thats my opinion.

And the end date for the poll needs to be fixed. As 3/11/06 has already passed. ^_^
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Ds Rainbow Phoenix
Unregistered

Josh, I think the RA has a right to ask for forum reform and after all that's all this poll is about, should there be some..

But I totally agree with you that what suggested changes are implemented should be something that Avolon has final say on.

So once this poll is closed then the next step would be for Avolon to approve the admins investigating and initiating changes , each needing Founder approval before actually being implemented, and I think we also should have a section in your proposed Mod forum for forum reform suggestions...

How does that work for everyone?

P.S. Re date for this poll ending, in every country except the USA and her territories the date is written day/month/year unlike the US who does month/day/year so Tact's date makes perfect sense to me but to eliminate any confusion, lets make it a policy that Dates are announced in word form, that is 3rd November 06 which is the date this poll ends. :D
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Joshua
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The Original Founder

That works for me Ds! ^_^ We need to still see how Tacticurn, Avolon, and the other members of the RA feel about it.
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Tacticurn
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Phenomenal

Haha sorry Josh. British dating system pwns j00 =P

And I think thae streamlinging of the forum is a good idea but like DS think it should be discussed more fully in an RA debate.
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Ds Rainbow Phoenix
Unregistered

No actually Tact I said it needs Founder approval NOT RA approval

The RA asking for forum reform is one thing and well within its rights the RA taking over how the forum is designed and run by the admins and Founder and the rest of regional government is not and way oversteps the bounds of the powers of the RA.

We all need to discuss forum reform but the end say so must remain with the Founder and Admins the RA can advise on this but not dictate how when etc this is done.
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Via Bestiae
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Unofficial Court Jester/Slightly to the Left of LOL

Ds Rainbow Phoenix
Oct 28 2006, 10:58 PM
way oversteps the bounds of the powers of the RA.

Well, since we're still trying to figure out where exactly those boundaries are, one could conceivably suggest making them wide enough to encompass this.
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Dr Strange Love
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"Rabble Rouser"

Quote:
 
The RA asking for forum reform is one thing and well within its rights the RA taking over how the forum is designed and run by the admins and Founder and the rest of regional government is not and way oversteps the bounds of the powers of the RA.


This region is supposed to a democracy, and the RA is the regional legislature, and the voice of the people in government. While I understand that the Admins need some decision making power in the day to day running of the forum, the idea that this forum constitutes some special sphere that is immune is to the legislative powers of the assembly is patently absurd.
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Ds Rainbow Phoenix
Unregistered

First of all DSL, as you can see I am conciously making an effort to move past our recent spat so I truly hope you don't use this post to start it up again!

My concern with all of this is that while I truly welcome the RA and believe it is an important part of TE Regional Government, I also see the risk that if it contiues like this the Founder and other ministers become powerless and have their hands tied because everything they do must at all times be approved by the RA.

And DSL, I am not saying this because I am a power hungry bitch, but because I believe ALL levels of our government are important and should work together not one at the expense of another. I also believe the Founder's role and power must be preserved at all times in it's current form.

If we adopted VB's suggestion of the Founder and MoFR & MoIA being part of the executive branch and separate from the RA then I think this would solve this problem. The executive branch should be accountable to the RA but not a puppet of it.

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Philosophe Move
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Agitated Forum Member

Due to the technical limitations, the admins would have to have say over changing the forums no matter what the RA says. The limitations are not set by boundaries set by anyone in the governemnt, but rather by Invision. So the admins have the final say no matter what. Sorry, can't vote on that.
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Philosophe Move
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Agitated Forum Member

So... seeing as how this has passed, I would like to volunteer to help on the project. I understand changing a currently-active forum can be a slight problem, and may take alot of time from the admins. I will help however people want me to, if this project gets off the ground.
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Ds Rainbow Phoenix
Unregistered

Thanks PM. I am sure your help will be very much needed and appreciated!
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Joshua
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The Original Founder

So, is PM asking to be made an Admin or does he just want to be apart of the project? Also, I am not sure what can be done to change the forum layout. We are working on getting new member badges. Maybe updating the forum skin, and buttons?

My other suggestion is to add quicklinks to various forums so folks know how to get to certain things.
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Ds Rainbow Phoenix
Unregistered

Joshua
Nov 5 2006, 05:30 PM
So, is PM asking to be made an Admin or does he just want to be apart of the project? Also, I am not sure what can be done to change the forum layout. We are working on getting new member badges. Maybe updating the forum skin, and buttons?

My other suggestion is to add quicklinks to various forums so folks know how to get to certain things.

Josh I don't think PM is asking to be an admin (although that might not be a bad idea) but rather volunteering to help where ever needed.

As for Forum design, I think Avolon needs to give his approval to this as Super Admin and Founder and also approve a forum staff that would explore any ideas on changes to the forum, especially how practical they are and what is needed and then report back to Avolon and the region.

I hear you loud and clear that just voting on something may not mean it is technically possible but I also think we need to explore new ideas as they are suggested and new folks with new ideas and a different pair of eyes is always a good thing.

While I am at it Josh, I also wanted to publically say thank you for your one man job of making so many much needed ammendments as needed in the past couple of months to the forum. Your policy of ask and I will do my best to deliver has brought us an even better forum and with a forum design staff working with you, this can only get even better (as long as technology allows and the Founder approves).
DS
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Philosophe Move
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Agitated Forum Member

Nope, not asking to be an admin. Just offering help.
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Joshua
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The Original Founder

I was just curious PM. I am sure you would be welcomed as an Admin. But, your input and others is always welcome.

So, what can be done to spruce up the forum?

I think we might need a new skin, something a bit more updated. ^_^ And possibly combining Region Embassies into the International Affairs category. As long as VB liked the idea.

I think adding quicklinks into topic descriptions might be a good idea as long as there are not to many of them. Also, plug The Exodus 411 more, and folks are always welcome to add new things to it or post things they want added. I am sure an admin can update it. The link to it is:

http://z4.invisionfree.com/TheExodus/index...?showtopic=1641

Also, I have a script for an automated welcome PM which would be handy, but I cannot get it to work. I am sure there is a lot more we can do to amke the forum better. ^_^
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Joshua
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The Original Founder

http://z4.invisionfree.com/TheExodus/index...?showtopic=1520

Let us move forum improvement discussion to the above thread please! ^_^
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Dr Strange Love
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"Rabble Rouser"

Frankly the best thing that could be done would be to reduce the number of forums on the front page by either reducing little used forums to subforums or deleting them and moving the threads to other more active forums.
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Joshua
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The Original Founder

Good input my friend. Can you move the discussion here?

http://z4.invisionfree.com/TheExodus/index...?showtopic=1520

If thats cool with everyone, I think everyone should have the chance to voice their ideas on forum improvements. If not we can keep the discussion here. ^_^
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Dr Strange Love
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"Rabble Rouser"

To where? That link does not lead to anywhere.
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Joshua
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The Original Founder

Just noticed that, try here:

http://z4.invisionfree.com/TheExodus/index...?showtopic=1520

It is the forum discussion box over in the technical/moderation forum.
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