Groups!

[FlipMode]

[quote="WildSimba"][quote="Azdgari"]I mean, do I really need to have someone else to decide I'm a good enough writer to join a group for it?[/quote]

^ this[/quote]

IF you pick a decent and fair leader for the group, he/she is going to accept you as long as you are actually a fan fic writer, its not really based on skill. We are letting ALL gamers into the gaming group who want to game at pre scheduled times and dates so everyone can be on at the same time etc... I mean, if that one is not based on skill, I doubt the other groups would be.

[quote]You must be invited into the group, it's run by others, has a ridiculous structure[/quote]

What the hell? It is a group with scheduled events, and that = a ridiculous structure? o.0 To be fair, this is why other group forums are not open yet, we weren't really finished setting it up and it was opened in a rush. But as Moka said, its a completely separate group to the others.

[quote="DGFone"]Ah, I get it now. But I have to say this then: the whole point of the groups is to get members more active in them. So say you are in the RP group, it's to make creating new RPs easier, and even to just talk about the RP process. But what's so different then now, where you simply create such a topic in the appropriate subsection? is it to somehow get more advertisement for members who don't go to other sections? (Seems more counter-productive to me then).[/quote]

No. Literally the only thing user groups currently do is show that a member is a (for example fan fic writer). Or in the case of Wiki editors, to show they like pink names. Anyways, that is all they do, just let you know that member apparently does that activity more than he/she does others.

With the new groups thing, you get a proper section to discuss with other fan fiction writers, your new story idea, get feedback from them first, make amendments etc. Then, you could improve on it before entering it into the public forum.

I mean threads like these -
viewtopic.php?f=101&t=21567
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=10406 and other tutorial threads from the graphics section
viewtopic.php?f=100&p=631924#p631924

Those are the kind of threads that would work better in the actual groups forum, not out in the public. So take that thread where I looked for a PRP buddy, hypothetically speaking anyone could have seen that, who does not even RP at all and gone "Flip! He sure is a guy!" and PMed me to join up. But having it in the forum, means that only people who actually do role play would reply to it, ya see? =)

EDIT cause I have moar to say "Finished, I aint."

Remember this is the staff ASKING FOR OUR FEEDBACK guise, but this is a trial and error type thing, if it does not work out well there is nothing to say that we cant got back to the old system later.


[quote="KopsTheTerminator"][quote="FlipMode"]LoL and then we can elect a leader for the new admin group... Now that would be interesting lol![/quote]

Problem is, how are we gonna promote them when they get elected?

ANARCHY![/quote]

1. Members vote for FlipMode to be the new admin
2. Moka promotes me
3. ???
4. PROFIT!

[Azdgari]

1) We already have a proper fanfic section... the fanfic section. The last thing I think it needs it to cut down the tiny amount of activity it gets at this point by restricting it to 'official' writers.

2) Might not be the case for, say, gamers or RPers, but there are not even close to enough writers here to support our own private forums. We need outside input from non-writers to keep the fanfiction forums afloat (and even with that they're generally dead as a doornail). Also, your examples sort of swayed me the other way. Say I want to PRP with you---I won't get a chance because only people who are in the RP group get to see it. Similarly, if you want to check out some of the ideas for my latest story, you're out of luck. I don't personally like the idea of restricting people from seeing things solely for the reason they're not in a group. That's just me though; I do admit that the idea of clans, which is exactly what this seems like to me, can be very cool. ;3

3) ???

4) Profit

[Noah]

Why do these discussions always seem to happen while I'm sleeping?

Anyway, you people seem to be under the impression that the leaders of these groups are going to have some vendetta against other members. Every other post I see "what if they can't join because the leader doesn't like them". That's a really silly argument to make. The people picked to run these aren't going to be trying to sabotage other members. In fact, I think that the acceptance rate will be around 100% into these groups. Then, if people don't do anything specific to these groups, they'll get removed. Here's an example:

[quote="SimbaCanHazDonut"]
I think the real point of this is to end with those who just join in a group because of the colour, or just to make them join the gropups of the thing they do better, I mean, it loses the point of I go and get a pink name because of the colour and never contribute to the wiki... things like that, right?[/quote]
I wonder who you could be talking about

[FlipMode]

[quote="Azdgari"]1) We already have a proper fanfic section... the fanfic section. The last thing I think it needs it to cut down the tiny amount of activity it gets at this point by restricting it to 'official' writers.[/quote]

But it would not be restricted. Okay sure the group forum for writers may be but the actual public forum, that we have now is still going to be open like it is now. You know when I post a new story or something, and get feedback from lovely fellow writers like yourself? It would be nice to get that feedback, use it to make any changes and then post it in the public forum in its finished form. And that is where I think having a separate forum like this could come into play.

As far as I know, literally the only thing that changes is that people in, say the fan fic writers group, will actually be fan fic writers, vice versa for all other groups. Then in addition to the public spaces we have , now, where anyone can post a story without being in the group, we also have a separate group forum to get feedback for those who want to take it a little more "seriously" and get opinions and stuff from other group members before it is finalised.

I mean, despite the gaming group existing with scheduled games and events, the public games forum has still not changed.

[quote]Say I want to PRP with you---I won't get a chance because only people who are in the RP group get to see it.[/quote]
I actually like that idea though, I mean you want to get paired with someone who is actually going to post, not just some randomer who thought it would be fun to reply and then not post in the actual RP in the end. For the Roleplayers, it actually helps to reduce the number of instances where people do not post in the RP threads.

[quote]Similarly, if you want to check out some of the ideas for my latest story, you're out of luck. [/quote]

No I am not, you can still post it in the public forum, and sorry for sounding like a broken record here but again, the point is you could get feedback from fellow writers, before getting public feedback from other members of the forum.

I am not saying I love this new groups change, but I just can really see what angle the staff were coming from on this one. And I see how it could potentially be used really well.

[quote="Azdgari"]
3) ???

4) Profit[/quote]

Always <3

[Noah]

[quote="FlipMode"][/quote]
I think you're confused Flip. This isn't the Member Photo Album.

Nah but seriously, I agree with everything you just wrote. Some people are serious about certain things, which is what the groups will be for. I'll only get membership for the ones I am serious about. For instance, I'm not a regular fanfic writer, but I would love to do one someday, in which case I would just post it to the public forum and not bother to get into the Fanfic Pride.

BTW, would anyone get upset if we called them Prides? It's only a little wordplay. Just trying to keep the LK in MLK.

[DGFone]

What I am worried is that the groups will simply divide MLK into a bunch of niches. I think it's better to leave everything open and less serious instead of closing down a few things just for the sake of wanting to make it a bit more serious. I still really don't see the reason why we would have to close down sections to the more casual users.

And I also think that it might lead to necessary rivalry.

[Regulus]

This is getting ridiculous. At first, everyone liked the idea, and now, we're all just looking for reasons not to do it. What's next, are we going to postpone the launch of the space shuttle because the astronauts have bad breath?

[DGFone]

At first, people thought it will be a good idea, but then they started to actually think about it.

I really don't want to see MLK divided, which I believe is what will happen if we introduce closed groups to members. Until now, MLk was completely open. I don't want to see it come to being even partially closed.

[Noah]

It is sort of already closed off. The moderators' forum isn't available to regular members, but you don't hear me saying it divides the forum. Regardless, keep in mind that we aren't dealing with nuclear warheads here. If we make a mistake, Moka can change it back, it will not be the end of the world. It's better to say "We tried and failed" than "We will never know for sure"

[DGFone]

[quote="Noahcs"]It is sort of already closed off. The moderators' forum isn't available to regular members, but you don't hear me saying it divides the forum. Regardless, keep in mind that we aren't dealing with nuclear warheads here. If we make a mistake, Moka can change it back, it will not be the end of the world. It's better to say "We tried and failed" than "We will never know for sure"[/quote]

Eh, I guess. I still think that it's a bad idea. The only reason why the mod forums are closed are because their the... moderator forums. They exist for a reason.