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Post by Flight on Jul 18, 2010 11:49:22 GMT -5
I reckon one problem is that, as I said before, there is only so much to say on a book if all everyone is doing is agreeing with each other. If there were interesting discussions I would join, probably (but that leads to the perilous realm of internet debate). But yes, we've enough people already, though more certainly wouldn't hurt.
Which leads to what I think is the second problem. It takes lots of time and effort to write a detailed opinion post. People must not consider it worth the effort, either because there's nothing interesting to say on the matter (or the matter doesn't exist yet), or because they think there's too little chance that their opinion will be replied to in an equally detailed and worthwhile post. AKA: we're all lazy and we know it.
If everyone was tasked to create a thread each on each book or series which brings up a point that is discussable then people might be bothered to reply. People should be allowed to post their, perhaps controversial, opinion without the fear of others jumping down their throats as is what happens all too often on the anonymous internet.
Everyone's crying about there being no posts but no one is actually posting anything. Hypocritical much?
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Post by Maliris on Jul 18, 2010 12:44:00 GMT -5
So it's a good thing that new books are still being released. The first forum was dedicated to the BSky-series as far as I know (that was before my time) and after a while people ran out of questions and stuff. But I don't really see that happening here, what with new books still coming up... Sometimes people agree with each other. Of course, a nice, juicy debate would be cool but sometimes it just doesn't work like that. People will post something when they feel like posting something. That will always be the case and yeah, writing posts takes time but that is a mannerism of every forum on the internet... Also, there have been some debates and it has been proven that no one will massacre the other because of a different opinion. I am not a fan of forcing people to discuss something just so the forum appears busy. Posting something for the sake of posting. No one would feel comfortable here anymore if they always thought "I have to post something awesome!"... likewise, no one can force someone to read something if they simply haven't got the time! Which brings me back to my first post on this thread, that I'm fairly optimistic that it'll pick up again. The Ketty Jay series is, as far as I know, pretty well loved and many have read RetFalls. So maybe with the release of the second volume people might post more.
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Post by Flight on Jul 18, 2010 13:03:15 GMT -5
No offence, but what's the point of this thread if your action plan is do nothing and hope it'll get better by itself, when all the trends point to the opposite happening? Where did you get the idea that the new Ketty Jay book will bring in more posts when there is the grand total of three threads on Retribution Falls (the lowest out of all Chris' books), two of those created by the same person who doesn't post anywhere else?
I hardly think that providing open topics is forcing people to discuss. Your tone sounds suspiciously like you want more posts but you're not actually going to make any more or encourage others to either.
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Post by Maliris on Jul 18, 2010 13:47:34 GMT -5
That isn't what I meant.
What I meant is that the forum has always had these quiet periods with few members posting but there have also always been times when people were posting a lot. I didn't mean that I would just sit back and watch the forum deteriorate. I am happy to see that people want to keep the forum going. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to increase activity myself but I honestly couldn't think of much.
How does one motivate people into participating in a discussion? What do they even want to talk about? I am to blame here because the forum basically ran itself for a few years and now I don't know what to do. Would it do to think up (hopefully) interesting topics about books that most of us have read so it might get people interested again? But what topics would that be...? I will try to come up with something overnight but if any of you have any ideas for topics then that'd be nice, too.
Apart from that: maybe it'd be good if any of you posted your wishes and the like concerning what the forum should offer? Maybe we can try to figure out what people are expecting, maybe that'll help in a way. Right now the main focus of the forum is the book-discussions (which seems to be a smart thing because it is after all a forum about books...) but what else could there be? We already have an art-section for both drawing and writing. We have a General Discussions-thread where close to every possible topic can be posted. What else should there be? Any ideas?
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Post by Flight on Jul 18, 2010 14:46:41 GMT -5
Sorry if I came across as aggressive, firstly. But you seemed a little defeatist to me in the last few posts.
In answer to your questions in second paragraph about motivation I just think that people are far more likely to post if there is an existing conversation to contribute to then if they themselves have to start something new: hence why there are few new threads. And that by you, someone people respect here, encouraging everyone to start new threads it will motivate. I can't speak for everyone but it seems to me that a lot is not said because no one can be bothered. Maybe that's just me. I don't know. I wouldn't mind at all if you - or anyone - said, 'okay, someone post a problem they had with X as a new discussion thread', but maybe others wouldn't appreciate it.
And I disagree about it being your fault. You can't be expected to guide everyone along like sheep every time the weather looks bad. That would lead to a very single minded and dull forum. If every thread was something you created it wouldn't last.
I just think new topics in the sections we have now could do wonders.
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Post by shyviolet on Jul 18, 2010 15:33:18 GMT -5
I think Maliris probably just seems defeatist because she has started several new topics, none of which drew in any traffic. What more is there to do?
On that note, I am illustrating The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray for my final project at university, and in the interests of keeping the forum alive I will now start a new thread in that section. I may also start a second one later for your opinions on my illustrations, because that would be useful for evaluating my project.
I think posting on forums usually has a snowball effect, so if we can get a few discussions going things should pick up on their own. *touch wood*
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Post by Flight on Jul 20, 2010 17:19:53 GMT -5
In other news, Chris now has a link on his news section of his website, and says will put a a permanent link later your eyelash battering worked Aryeec ! hehe
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Post by Aryeec {E.F. Forester} on Jul 20, 2010 18:11:31 GMT -5
*makes eyelashes flutter* *EDIT* I didn't actually do that to Chris, just so we're all clear. lol **EDIT** Oh, be looking for a permanent link on his website whenever he's able to update the design again.
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Post by Raihor on Jul 21, 2010 17:55:38 GMT -5
His site is powered by wordpress, so it'll be very easy to add such a link. Wordpress is cool like that.
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Post by lisajane on Aug 20, 2010 3:15:46 GMT -5
So this post might seem hypocritical from someone who only pops in randomly, but my two cents.
Some forums die a natural death. Now I'm not saying that the forum is dying, but sometimes it happens. The original Broken Sky forum died a natural death - I think it carried on for about seven years in it's heyday, but in that time, every bit of Broken Sky was discussed, debated, argued, and occasionally role-played to the point that there was simply nothing more to talk about. So we moved onto random stuff and when the occasional new member joined and asked why we're not talking about Broken Sky, we always gave the opporunity to bring up a Broken Sky discussion and we'd happily talk about it - they never did.
Eventually people moved on and I have no idea what's happening there anymore.
Now this forum has a higher chance of succeeding because there's a lot more books by Chris now, but the lack of people coming can't be blamed on any one person, or any set of failing threads. I think Flight's suggestion of posting problems they had with X is actually a good idea, but it won't work here because too many people take a simple difference of opinion as a personal attack. This didn't happen on the old forum - everyone had a favourite different character or coupling, but no one jumped down each other's throats because of it.
I just say enjoy what we've got here now, and make the most of us being a small group. If it expands, that's great; but rather than complain about how things are right now, make the most of it.
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Post by shyviolet on Aug 20, 2010 9:53:54 GMT -5
Not being snarky, but can someone provide some examples of people taking a difference of opinion as a personal attack? A few people have mentioned it, so I'm sure it's happening, but I honestly can't think of any myself.
(Is it me that does it?)
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Post by lisajane on Aug 20, 2010 17:28:56 GMT -5
I know you're not being snarky Admittedly the worst offender of who does take things as a personal attack is no longer on the forum (or so I'm aware), though I know there seems to be a few people here who have escalated the problem when it comes up; ie, a debate will start, this person seems to view it as a personal attack, other people try to argue, this person would became more insulted - I've noticed this tends to happen over in the Broken Sky forum, if it happens elsewhere then I'm not sure. I don't think you do it Shy, you're definitely not the person I'm thinking of, but in all honesty I know this person thinks you're one person who escalates the problem (why, I don't know, I don't ask). I'm not sure if this is the same problem that the others refer to when people are saying that a difference of opinion as a personal attack, but if it is, hopefully it might get better now.
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Post by shyviolet on Aug 21, 2010 3:05:51 GMT -5
I'll certainly keep a closer eye out for it from now on, in the interest of avoiding escalation. The only one that was leaping to my mind was when Smaug and I had that 'Calica is a Mary-Sue' debate that got a bit heated. I was worried it had ended up looking like I was cross with him for disagreeing with me, since I was defending my side with... enthusiasm. I think it would be worth giving anything a try, including the 'problems with X' idea. I mean, it's not like we can't stop and try something else if we think it's getting out of hand. As long as none of us are afraid to mention it when we think something's wrong then I can't see any reason why we shouldn't try things just because it hasn't been our style before.
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