Board (dis)Organization

[SirKicley]

Hey all, on the previous messageboard - I made the suggestion to organize the board into sub-folders, though the suggestion came almost two years into its existence. It would have been a very hard chore considering the number of posts already there. 3


Since this board is still in its infancy, can there be any consideration to doing this before it gets too congested?


"RULES DISCUSSION / ADVICE" (Is this too powerful? How do I use this trait?)
"ADVENTURE IDEAS" (Submitted adventure ideas, and discussions)
"PLAYER GENERATED CONTENT" (Virtues, Rewards, Cultures, etc)
"MIDDLE-EARTH" (for posting the latest thesis on the hierarchy of Angmar, or ecology of the Anduin Vale)
"GENERAL TOR DISCUSSION" (I just got my copy of.....it's aweseome! or I'm looking for players for my PBEM)


[I think this sort of organization will help at some point when the board is much busier in finding the conversations you've been a part of.]

Robert

[Rich H]

I don't think I'd have trouble knowing where to put a thread that I want to start from the topic Robert has listed above, which is always a good test for me.

There could be a couple of issues to creating sub-sections in a forum though:

1) How difficult are they to create? Can this board software actually do that. I suspect it can as we do have subsections of specific games, etc.

2) People putting threads in the wrong section - would mean increased administration in moving them to the correct one, assuming such threads can be moved on this board software. If they aren't moved then it would mean threads being in the wrong place and therefore difficult to find at a later date and would defeat the objective of cleaning/organising the forum.

3) Threads can often evolve and/or include multiple discussions/questions. If these cross between multiple subject sections then where do you put them, or if the conversation within a thread evolves from one topic to another then it could seem incorrectly placed and may be difficult to find at a later date.

[SirKicley]

@ RICH: This seems very similar to the INVISION board used previously and which is the same as I manage for my friends for our games.

In those cases, Yes, you can move a thread, and yes you can have 1 subfolder beneath the main header that we are using.


However as you point out - doing so would require a bit of admin attention. Depending on who and how many would be trusted to have such powers would depend how laborious a task it would be.

You're right, sometimes, a thread has a way of crossing into territory that would cover more than one folder; when that happens, it's best to leave it where it is, and some of more savvy and veterans on here like you or I or Garn would have the insight to just create a new thread in the appropriate area and paste a link to each other's thread. In the old thread suggest continuing only the discussion about X, and continue the now new topic only in the new thread; but each would have a link to the other. It's just a way of pitching in and making it cleaner for everyone - kinda like taking a few extra moments in the breakroom to clean up a bit for everyone's collective benefit.


In the end - it's a little more time consuming on the front end - but saves in dividends on the backend when you're trying to re-access an older thread or keep track of where/what you are involved with recently.

Robert

[Rich H]

In the end - it's a little more time consuming on the front end - but saves in dividends on the backend when you're trying to re-access an older thread or keep track of where/what you are involved with recently.

Completely agree, especially for things like fan made adventures and campaigns.

[SirKicley]

In the end - it's a little more time consuming on the front end - but saves in dividends on the backend when you're trying to re-access an older thread or keep track of where/what you are involved with recently.

Completely agree, especially for things like fan made adventures and campaigns.

And that's the biggest one for me. Rules discussions are handy to have segregated as well - especially for newer players/LMs who want to only those to bone up on the nuances of the game.

Finally player contributions are always an important part of any RPG (like your signature links....), so knowing where to find those are helpful.

[Rich H]

Yeah, agreed.

I think whether something like this happens or not will depend on how difficult it is to do and then maintain. We shall see...

[Jon Hodgson]

We'll have a chat between the various staffers, and see what we think is the best way forward, in consultation with your good selves.

Just so you know though we're into crunch time in the run up to the Gen Con print deadline, so we may not make any bold moves until we're through the current batch of Things That Really Need Doing Right Now™. But I wanted you guys to know we'd seen the thread.

[Rich H]

Cheers Jon!

[Garn!]

First, I want to say I delayed posting so that other users could chime in with their opinions. I talk a lot and sometimes that hinders others voicing their comments. Anyone who has an idea or concern is strongly urged to do so even if, right now per Jon's comment, the issue is postponed. It would make things a lot easier for C7 if they could discuss all relevant issues at one time.

This holds particularly true for users who have never posted. Perhaps you've felt uncomfortable for some reason? Or wanted something to be handled in a particular way? Without letting us know the issue, we may never realize the problem or correct it. So speak up now on anything you would like (or not like) to see happen in these forums.

-----8<-----

I agree with most of the sub-forum categories SirKicley suggested; names and area of interest are clearly delineated. I would suggest adding a Moderators Only forum for discussion on how to handle questionable issues (moving messages or topics, adding sections, warning users about language, banning, etc).

I might prefer "Tolkienverse" or "Legendarium" (or similar broad term) to "Middle-earth", mostly because it includes Middle-earth, the Void (where Morgorth awaits), and anything else associated with Tolkien's writings about this setting. That includes both canon and non-canon works that are a part of the available published material wether written by Tolkien or another author. Unfortunately I'm not sure the use of either term (instead of M-e) would be immediately obvious to average players (they're RPGers, but not dedicated Tolkien fans).

As regards Rich H's comments, most forum software I've encountered generally allows at least three forum layers (main, sections, sub-sections). Creating a new section or sub-section just requires a sufficiently authorized moderator to issue the command - a 5 minute response time would be considered slow.

Moderator authorization is a far more important factor. I'm assuming that C7 staff members cannot continue to be the primary, day-to-day moderators (there just isn't enough time); nor can they hire dedicated personnel whose primary concern are the website(s) and/or forums. Assuming Mods will be a voluntary service, I would suggest that moderators be brought up from user level and given a few extra abilities. Let these mods prove their worth and, if acceptable and necessary, additional abilities can be provided. I do not recommend that any Mod have abilities commensurate with Dom, Jon Hodgson, Coronne, or other C7 staff members. That is why I suggested "up from user" rather than "down from official company staffer" - someone will need to settle inter-Mod disputes (and they will happen) or ban Mods if they start running amok.

Some kind of written rules for moderators are also necessary. Simply as a guideline on what C7 expects from them with regards to using commands and interacting with users. For instance, having a "No Mod shall publicly or privately threaten another user with Banning" rule, etc. (Mind you, I don't think any Mod should have banning abilities, just using that as an example.)

[SirKicley]

@ Garn: I agree with you on your points. I would gladly offer my services as such a mod, having already been quite familiar with these types of boards.

@ Jon: thanks for reading even if it isn't a priority in your current pre-gen-con mode. Completely understandable.


Robert