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Guys, we got 200 topics in Off Topic. Do you think it's a good idea to make subsections? I think it couldn't hurt Maybe make one subsection for topics about media (games, literature, movies) and another for forum games?

This way topics don't get pushed under, so we can talk about more stuff Please reply with your thoughts!

<_<
Maybe I should just make another index...
>_>

Instead of Subsections, why don't we open more Subforums? We could have "General Media Discussion" and "Forum Games" just listed right on the front page!

RotavatoR wrote:Guys, we got 200 topics in Off Topic.

Such is the purpose of the Off Topic. How many of these are particularly active?

Scrolling down to the last threads in the first page shows that the last post in them was roughly a month ago. With that little flow of access it'd probably be more of a hindrance than a help to move them behind subsections. More clicks to get to 'em.

That said though, I'm not wholly against it. It might be a better start to move Xana's Angel Slayer threads, Movie Night and Game of Metaguards into Projects. Personally, I think these fit as single-thread activities from us. Of course, I didn't scan all of the pages. So there's bound to be more that would fit this idea further into the list.

I just say that having specific areas for specific media is not enough to stir conversation on the subjects. Case in point, the Homestuck thread. It's been there since the mid-point of the ARG and never really left the first page of the offtopic. Clearly we need a webcomics secton... Only, there's no surviving discussion on other webcomics. Making a sub-forum or whole new section in the hopes that we'll get content for it seems kind of a hope-y thing to do.

A Forum Games is one that could be helpful to trim down the Off Topic and leave more space for the serious threads (hah!) here. But traditionally, that's the kind of thing the Off Topic is used for. Along with the serious topics that don't fit the rest of the forum model.

narrativedilettante wrote:Instead of Subsections, why don't we open more Subforums? We could have "General Media Discussion" and "Forum Games" just listed right on the front page!

Considering all that I personally agree with Dilly's idea, even if that wouldn't completely absorb the "Cool" threads from the Off Topic.

Wall of text. >_< Sorry, it just helps me think to go through the steps like this.

Pixelmage wrote:

RotavatoR wrote:Guys, we got 200 topics in Off Topic.

Such is the purpose of the Off Topic.

I agree that the purpose of the Off Topic is to house all the threads that don't fit anywhere else. But I'm also pretty sure that a big part of those topics could fit somewhere else if only there was a place for them.

Pixelmage wrote:With that little flow of access it'd probably be more of a hindrance than a help to move them behind subsections. More clicks to get to 'em.

Well, if that's the case then we can just go with narra's idea and add a Subforum. You know, add one to the five we have now. And besides, even if we don't it's just one extra click.

Pixelmage wrote:That said though, I'm not wholly against it. It might be a better start to move Xana's Angel Slayer threads, Movie Night and Game of Metaguards into Projects. Personally, I think these fit as single-thread activities from us. Of course, I didn't scan all of the pages. So there's bound to be more that would fit this idea further into the list.

Agreed on those three threads fitting better in Projects

Pixelmage wrote:I just say that having specific areas for specific media is not enough to stir conversation on the subjects. Case in point, the Homestuck thread. It's been there since the mid-point of the ARG and never really left the first page of the offtopic. Clearly we need a webcomics secton... Only, there's no surviving discussion on other webcomics. Making a sub-forum or whole new section in the hopes that we'll get content for it seems kind of a hope-y thing to do.

I really don't get what you're trying to say here >_<
- In my opinion the Homestuck thread being popular does not mean that we need a webcomics section, so I think you're misunderstanding me.
- I don't think we need such specific sections like a webcomics section at all. We could make much broader subdivisions like media in general.
- I don't think you can prove what you're saying here because it hasn't been tried before.

Pixelmage wrote:A Forum Games is one that could be helpful to trim down the Off Topic and leave more space for the serious threads (hah!) here. But traditionally, that's the kind of thing the Off Topic is used for. Along with the serious topics that don't fit the rest of the forum model.

Like i said, we can change the forum model

Pixelmage wrote:Wall of text. >_< Sorry, it just helps me think to go through the steps like this.

That's ok, it's a good excercise in reading walls of text for me

Also, one last thing: It's not just about stirring conversation. The forum also feels a bit messy to me :/ I guess it's a sort of OCD xD (but not really )

RotavatoR wrote:I really don't get what you're trying to say here >_<

It doesn't make a lot of sense, but what I'm saying is, just because a thread or section exists, does not guarantee that it'll be used. Homestuck is a successful webcomics thread, but opening a webcomic subforum does not mean new threads to be created and maintained. It's all about interest, regardless of which section the thread is in. So, all I'm saying is... Creating subdivisions to house content we don't have is counterproductive.

Overall we're saying the same thing. Just with different words.

Why not have a mod go through and lock threads that haven't been posted in for over a certain period of time? Say, a month, or the end of the ARG. This would give a better basis of what threads could be divided, or if subsections would really be necessary. (Why not just a "old" and "new" section? With the old section being locked threads, and the new section being active topics?)

To be honest, this feels more like an OCD feed than something actually productive.

eli_gone_crazy wrote:Why not have a mod go through and lock threads that haven't been posted in for over a certain period of time? Say, a month, or the end of the ARG. This would give a better basis of what threads could be divided, or if subsections would really be necessary. (Why not just a "old" and "new" section? With the old section being locked threads, and the new section being active topics?)

Well, there are times when certain old threads that haven't been posted in for ages become active again. The Homestuck discussion thread, for instance, falls pretty idle when Homestuck takes an extended break. And the general videogame thread hadn't been active for ages when I posted to it a while back.

So I don't think locking old threads is necessarily a good idea.

What I think is happening, is that people aren't posting in a topic they would like to post in, because they think "Oh, it'll just be snowed in because there's way more topics that people will post in right after that." If that's the case adding a new subforum might solve it. I do agree that it is at least a better idea than a subsection in Off Topic.

I also am not fond of locking threads for this purpose.

So... anyone against? If you are, can you please give actual downsides, instead of just saying that it won't have any effect?

Also I am not sure at which point I should contact Dana to do this for us. Like, I kind of need a clear signal from you guys that it's ok to ask her. That would also serve as a message to her. I hope that makes sense >_<

I think subsections, though they would provide a sense of order to that subsection of the forums, is a needless timesink.

We could spend hours debating, and wasting Dana or Adell's time, trying to divine whether Cast Calculus fits in Metaguard Projects, or if the Steal The Apple thread should go into Roleplaying.

It directly feeds into our already overactive obsessive list making, and to make such an exhaustive effort for so little gain seems like a bad trade to me.

eli_gone_crazy wrote:I think subsections, though they would provide a sense of order to that subsection of the forums, is a needless timesink.

We could spend hours debating, and wasting Dana or Adell's time, trying to divine whether Cast Calculus fits in Metaguard Projects, or if the Steal The Apple thread should go into Roleplaying.

It directly feeds into our already overactive obsessive list making, and to make such an exhaustive effort for so little gain seems like a bad trade to me.

What about subforums though? (yes, i know the terminology is kind of confusing >_<)

If activity were to pick up in these topics, I might be more inclined to do something. FC got its own subforum due to its ridiculous activity that was overshadowing the other rps since it hand multiple threads associated with it. Until a time I see a need to do something like this I, simply put, probably won't.

Another downside: too many subforums and they lose meaning. They won't help us organize offtopic, just make it difficult to find ANYTHING.

All righty then I'll let it go. Thanks for your replies i guess xD