Forum Improvements

[Knyght]

At this point, the forum is still under construction so anything proposed here probably won't be put in place for a while. But in the meantime, I figured that people could start suggesting improvements for the forum that couldn't be implemented at OldTFF. You could also make a mention of aspects of TFF that you specifically think shouldn’t be changed.

My ideas:

1) Remove the less active fanfiction sub-forums. Based on the kind of traffic they're getting, I would say that includes AMG, FMA, FMP, Mahou Sensei Negima, Sailor Moon, Super Robot Taisen, Suzumiya, Tenchi Muyo and .hack. That's a damn big list but several of these haven't even had posts this year in one or all of their sections. And the one's that do still haven't had much activity. I think I'd even put Bleach in that list since their little writing, only 2-3 posters do anything in the ideas section (myself included) and it's only manga discussion in the talk section. New members might fix that though, if we're lucky.

I wouldn't delete the contents but they could be merged into the Anime/Manga section or put in a Graveyard Forum. The former would be pretty messy so I'd go with the latter which I guess would be like a locked archive. Or do a mix since Bleach would be popular enough to fit in the Anime/Manga section even if the rest go to the Graveyard.

2) Merge together the Movies and TV sections so it's the same as the Anime/Manga section. I'm not sure why they were separate in the first but it would fit to combine their traffic.

3) Remove Hawkverse. I've no idea what that place was even meant to be and there's barely anything there anyway.

4) New sections would be good but I'm not sure what's popular enough to fit. One Piece and Fairy Tail have been mentioned but while they're popular manga, they aren't popular from a fanfiction standpoint. If they aren't gonna generate ideas and fics then I don't see much point. Going by hear say, Nanoha and Familiar of Zero might fit the bill but I honestly don't know.

5) Drop the Games (not the Games Fanfiction section) and Rant forum. The Game section overall has barely any traffic in it and whilst there have been posts this year, there's not many and they're rather sporadic. The General sub-forum for Rants is the only that gets some activity so I think that should be moved whilst the rest gets sent to the Graveyard or something.

6) Reorganise the General forum. I think it would be better to change it to an Original Fiction forum and have it set up like the others e.g. Ideas, Previews and Talk. Original fiction doesn't get much encouragement on this site but I think it'd be good to have an ideal place for it. It would also be a good place for discussing writing itself.

So what do you guys want to happen?

 

[Vexarian]

1. Agreed. Some reorganization is called for, although I might do it slightly differently.

2. I don't see all that much point, movies and TV aren't tied together quite as tightly and interchangeably as Anime and Manga tend to be.

3. Agreed.

4. We'll have to see, maybe some sort of public demand thing?

5. General Rants and GenocideHeart's section should both stay. Hawk and Israfel as well unless we make a graveyard section. Games should also be rejiggered a bit but should stay as is I think. We really just need to do something with World of Darkness, World of Warcraft and OGame. Everything Else, TFF RPGs and Billy all get a decent amount of utility.

6. I do actually like the idea of having an original section. Although we definitely need to at least keep a General Chat section as Rants has become over the years.

 

[Knyght]

2. They're not as close-knit as Anime/Manga but they work in the same area. It's not needed but I figured it'd be a way of tidying things up; it's just a personal nitpick really.

4. I think that'd be best. Sometime in the future, just put together a thread proposing what series would deserve their own sections and then have a vote on it.

5. I don't really visit those sections but saw how low the post activity is for most of it so I wondered if it were really necessary. But I'm basically an outsider for that section so I'll take the word of people who participate there.

 

[rdde]

Please don't merge any dead sub-forum. They still deserve some level of respect. Move them to the Cemetary or the Graveyard, but please don't mix their bones.

 

[Moonkie]

How about we give the forum some time to settle and maybe get some new members before we start any major redecorating. They might have an interest in some of the less active forums, and that's not even getting into the returning members who will likely be showing up over the next few months once they learn we've moved.

 

[Knyght]

I said as much in the opening post. :-/

This is just a place for people to put some suggestions and give plenty of time for members to come up with ideas. Nothing's going to actually happen any time soon. And I think it's a good idea to let people know that there's a good chance the forum will be improved upon in future.

 

[WarmasterCain55]

I wouldn't mind having a skin/theme that's less bright and more dark. All this white hurts my eyes a bit.
[hr]

Authorization code mismatch. Are you accessing this function correctly? Please go back and try again.

This was produced when I tried to mark all forums as read.

 

[TC_Hazard]

I wouldn't mind having a skin/theme that's less bright and more dark. All this white hurts my eyes a bit.

Have you tried switching it to Classic Mode? It's in the same Menu where you turn on the signatures, the "Display Pots in Classic Mode' Option. Forum is way easier on the eyes for me that way.

 

[PCHeintz72]

I'd rather there be no *graveyard* as such for dead categories... but instead simply merge them into the General Fanfiction section...

I'd rather Hawks section not be deleted... I realize Hawk is not as popular a character as he once was, but his section and posts are just as part of the forum as anything else. Maybe move it to be in the same grouping as GH and others though.

For changes, I do know a lot of people wanted the Fate Stay Night changed to be Type Moon, to better cover the related series (Fate Zero, Garden of Sinners, Tsukihime, etc...).

 

[Zephyrus]

I'd rather there be no *graveyard* as such for dead categories... but instead simply merge them into the General Fanfiction section...

I'd rather Hawks section not be deleted... I realize Hawk is not as popular a character as he once was, but his section and posts are just as part of the forum as anything else. Maybe move it to be in the same grouping as GH and others though.

For changes, I do know a lot of people wanted the Fate Stay Night changed to be Type Moon, to better cover the related series (Fate Zero, Garden of Sinners, Tsukihime, etc...).

I disagree with the sentiment about Hawk.

What do we owe him? Nothing at all. All he did was build the forum, hang out for a while, and then leave. He didn't make TFF what it became, the users did. His writing is decent, sure. But that's what FFnet is for. I see absolutely no reason to keep rant sections for individuals who are no longer with us, such as Israefel (or whatever his name is) and Hawk. Out with the old, in with the new. We want to build something new while keeping the spirit of the old TFF alive.

 

[SotF]

One possible compromise about the Hawk and similar stuff is to make them subforums in a "retired" section where if they return the section could be moved back to where it had been.

Possibly do something similar with the various lesser anime stuff, make them subforums of a main general anime one.

 

[ArchfiendRai]

So one section that all the others would be moved into?

Retired
*Example Section (Lets say....SRT. Thats one I've never been in myself.)
-SRT Ideas
-SRT Previews
-SRT Talk
*Other Example Section (Hawkverse)



That could be a clean way to do it, if it wouldn't be too hard to do.

If that was what you were saying, I definitely agree.

 

[SotF]

So one section that all the others would be moved into?

Retired
*Example Section (Lets say....SRT. Thats one I've never been in myself.)
-SRT Ideas
-SRT Previews
-SRT Talk
*Other Example Section (Hawkverse)



That could be a clean way to do it, if it wouldn't be too hard to do.

If that was what you were saying, I definitely agree.

Primarily, though there are others that could be folded into another main one, essentially merging the SRT parts into one general SRT one which is then put under the a more generic section as a subforum

 

[A Curious Stranger]

I have a real quick question. Where's the option to disable posted images in my control panel? I've got to rely on a pretty slow computer sometimes, so that option was a lifesaver back in the old forum.

 

[Knyght]

Sorry to say that there isn't one and it apparently can't be done. I asked about it before but the only way to do it would disable the images for everyone.

 

[SoulesS]

I have a real quick question. Where's the option to disable posted images in my control panel? I've got to rely on a pretty slow computer sometimes, so that option was a lifesaver back in the old forum.

You could use Opera with the option "no images" on until they implement the option in the forum.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Fix it so the 'Mark All Forums Read' works in all Themes. Currently for example it does not in the 'Use Default' Theme.

 

[Jakkun]

The graveyard thing might work. I think it is possible to make a forum section collapsed by default. That way you can hide the lesser used stuff.

I'm not sure about merging movies and TV. Books often spawn both of those, as do comics. It would be weird to merge all four of them, but they would be just as close as Movies and TV would be. Some people know Harry Potter as a book series, some only know the movies. Would Avengers count as a comic or a movie?

 

[NuitTombee]

Fix it so the 'Mark All Forums Read' works in all Themes. Currently for example it does not in the 'Use Default' Theme.

Hrm, do you use 'Mark All Forums Read' from the first page or a bookmark? If you do the former I advise the latter. It's much faster and simpler imo.

The key difference between the two themes 'Mark All Forums Read' links is the &my_post_key= part.

Doesn't Work: http://thefanfictionforum.net/misc.php?action=markread
Works: http://thefanfictionforum.net/misc.php?action=markread&my_post_key=c06c18191ca97d8b7ab73d7393726911

 

[PCHeintz72]

Fix it so the 'Mark All Forums Read' works in all Themes. Currently for example it does not in the 'Use Default' Theme.

Hrm, do you use 'Mark All Forums Read' from the first page or a bookmark? If you do the former I advise the latter. It's much faster and simpler imo.

The key difference between the two themes 'Mark All Forums Read' links is the &my_post_key= part.

Doesn't Work: http://thefanfictionforum.net/misc.php?action=markread
Works: http://thefanfictionforum.net/misc.php?action=markread&my_post_key=c06c18191ca97d8b7ab73d7393726911

I can do that, in point of fact I do that with the Fanfiction.NET Adblocker for example... However, doing that would not fix the fact it is simply broke and should be fixed...

 

[Vexarian]

Holy shit is PCHeintz actually using an avatar?

 

[PCHeintz72]

Holy shit is PCHeintz actually using an avatar?

I've had this avatar since July 23rd, 2005. I just never used it on all forums I go to, merely some.

Avatars mean little to me, generally could care less. Ditto SIGs...

I merely added it since I was updating my information in the profile section anyway. Daylight savings time changes, other tweaks.

I'll probably ditch it though, since I did not intend it to be that big a deal, or any deal at all really.
[hr]
Not too sure I like the idea of this 'Reputation' thing...

I see a lot of potential, good and bad, for abuse of it.

Any thought on whether it should be kept or ditched...

 

[rdde]

Can the number of sub forums listed be increased to three? There are a lot of "and 1 more" littered on the main index.

[attachment=1]

Edit: Also, attachments appear to be broken.

 

[~NGD OMEGA~]

Can the number of sub forums listed be increased to three? There are a lot of "and 1 more" littered on the main index.

I do agree with this request, it's a little thing but a subforum list is something I sorely wanted in oTFF and it's like one off from ideal at this point. Not a huge priority obviously, but would be nice to get to it at some point, probably when we have mods doing the cleanup stuff.

 

[Shirotsume]

I don't see the problem with the reputation thing. Just don't take it seriously and don't let your feelings get hurt if someone rates you down.

As for marking forums read, I'll work on it- there's several places that you can mark things read, and all need updated.