Ugh... it's all sticky...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat May 29, 2004 1:46 am

The toy forum, that is. Though the floor in here is since Clay's been around more often...

Seriously, though, while I can't think of anything worthless that's stickied, it is a bit bad that there's four or five stickied threads, and only the Armada game one is attracting much posting... maybe updating the announcement, and then shunting collection & photos to "Who's Who"? I mean, how many of us read people's collections?

Post by **Denyer** » Sat May 29, 2004 1:55 am

Or "Who's Who" for that matter... all people seem to do is mistake it for a place to introduce themselves... I'm sure some of them wonder why only about two people reply...

Post by **Warcry** » Sat May 29, 2004 8:14 am

This topic gives me an idea, actually...

Do you think it would be viable to have a seperate forum for 'Most Common TF topics'? Stuff like 'favourite characters', 'favourite series', 'favourite toys', 'reissue Gun Megs d00d', etc. A forum where we can have just one thread for each of these topics, as opposed to new ones being opened every month or so. You could make the forum reply-only (so no one but staff can make new threads there), assuming VB allows such a thing. It'd allow the newbies to post their $0.02, as well as see immediately what a lot of other posters have had to say.

Or do you think it'd be totally ignored by the new folk and be more trouble than it's worth?

'Cause it strikes me that the collection and photo threads from Toys would fit nicely in a forum like that...and there are more than a few others in different forums that could do with the same treatment, but then we'd have a full page of stickies everywhere you go...

Also, "Who's Who" is massively irrelivant, IMO.

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sat May 29, 2004 9:06 am

I know I could do without the "poll" style topics in G1 and the "what if" crapfests...my solution is to just ignore them...it works.

Post by **Denyer** » Sat May 29, 2004 6:53 pm

Some boards have a "polls" section... and I do quite like the idea of a "staging ground" or "famous topics" section but I'm not sure to what degree it'd isolate newcomers. Or where it'd fit. Possibly in a small subgroup with "Famous Topics" and "The Junkion Files" together? Famous and infamous side by side.

I think "who's who" could be merged into GD, possibly with each topic prefixed with "[introduction questionnaire]"... maybe have one sticky in GD with all the info about the photo page, a copy of the questionnaire if anyone wants to fill it out, what to do to call people to chat (with a link to the topic to bump), etc.

What do other people think?

Sixswitch · Post by **Sixswitch** » Sat May 29, 2004 9:51 pm

The problem with a 'common topics' forum is that it will probably end up being too ambiguous. Some things are obvious, but others less so. As an example...

Who became Cyclonus?

This is considered a big no-no topic, because it's been done to death - but I've not seen a proper discussion on that topic since I've been here - over three years now.

-Ss

Post by **Denyer** » Sat May 29, 2004 10:45 pm

I think it's considered a no-no more because it's pointless even going by the standards of discussing kids TV...

Post by **Warcry** » Sat May 29, 2004 10:46 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
What do other people think?

I like it, though I imagine you could have guessed that.

Six raises some interesting questions about what would go in the Famous Topics forum, though. Perhaps it would be best to let forum regulars 'nominate' topics for the Famous forum. Not sure exactly how that would work, though...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat May 29, 2004 10:52 pm

Thing is with a "famous topics" thing is how to make newbs read it first.

And who became Cyke never turns out well because no-one knows jack about it either way. You get everyone pro-Skywarp yelling Skywarp, everyone pro-Bombshell yelling Bombshell, then I come in and do the Lifespark thing, and then someone says that Furman said it was metaphorical at some convention, and then I say Furman's full of crap, then they say something along the lines of how somehow something someone said a decade after the event is apparently relevant when they have a habit of openly endorsing whoever they're currently working for, and then I break their nose, and then Garand tells us we're all children and locks it.

Um, okay, that was worrying.

Seriously, though, there's just no evidence either way, as Cyke openly retained no personality traits, making any conjecture pointless. You may as well post "Who do you like more - Skywarp or Bombshell?" :\

Though Cyke being the one in the foreground always made sense to me

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sat May 29, 2004 11:29 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Thing is with a "famous topics" thing is how to make newbs read it first.

They won't. At the Xbox-Scene forums I used to visit, they tried making new users review certain commonly asked questions in threads but the result was that the new users simply ploughed through and asked dumbass, repetitious questions anyway.

I was really being facetious with my comments about those types of topics because, really, how hard is it to just ignore them? Or pop in when they're fresh, see if there's anything interesting and hitting the back button when there's nobody to abuse? I don't think a new forum like that is really necessary and it could possibly cause hard feelings amongst regulars and trouble for newbies.

Post by **Denyer** » Sat May 29, 2004 11:41 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
then I come in and do the Lifespark thing, and then someone says that Furman said it was metaphorical at some convention

Nono, it's just that we didn't read the emphasis as literal to begin with... seriously, there are some dumb names for TFs, but 'Lifespark' would be taking the piss...

The "famous topics" (and "infamous topics") would be in the main forum index above the TF and Community blocks.

Still not sure on the other details, though.

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Sun May 30, 2004 10:52 am

Originally posted by Sir Auros
They won't. At the Xbox-Scene forums I used to visit, they tried making new users review certain commonly asked questions in threads but the result was that the new users simply ploughed through and asked dumbass, repetitious questions anyway.

You mean the kind who sign up and a) post a thread "WOT IS UR FAVORITE TOY!!!!!!111! ARMADA CAR2N SUKORZ DUNO TINK SO!!!!1" in, say, the G1 forum or b) enter, say, the toys forum which is, at that time, filled with four or five "When will Alternator Hound be released?" threads WHICH ARE ALL ON PAGE 1 and don't even BOTHER to notice them but start a new thread on said topic AGAIN? :rolleyes:

Arcee · Post by **Arcee** » Sun May 30, 2004 11:33 am

Maybe we should have a forum called "NEWBIES READ THIS FIRST!" (Yes, in capital letters. BIG RED capital letter, if necessary.) And a rule that one has to have made 25 or how many non-spammy posts in the newbies forum before he's allowed to post in the other forums.

Or a list like this -

OFFICIALLY DISCOURAGED TOPICS

1) TRUKK NOT MUNKY

2) Who became Cyclonus, Skywarp or Bombshell? (Psst... it was Skywarp)

3) FIBRIR/RIBFIR

4) Who would win, Unicron or the Death Star?

5) Is Starscream gay or straight?

Or so.

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sun May 30, 2004 11:36 am

That'd only further discourage newbies from posting (as if Tom and myself aren't enough trouble) and I'd wager would really cheese off people who aren't interested in posting in the G1 forum at all...

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Sun May 30, 2004 1:36 pm

Arcee, I know a case of a company's website whose administrator got bombed with requests "WHEEN WILLL PORDUCKT XYZ BE REALSED!!!!111!!11!1" despite there being a HUGE, BOLDFACED note at the TOP of the "contact" page that said "No information about product XYZ available yet, we will inform you as soon as we find out more. Mail requests about product XYZ WILL NOT BE ANSWERED." He then solved it by having that note show up in the form of a pop-up as well. Finally, the mail requests (mostly) died off. Once he removed the pop-up, they mailed him again, DESPITE the original bold-face note STILL being there...

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 30, 2004 5:04 pm

Originally posted by Sir Auros
could possibly cause hard feelings amongst regulars

How so?

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Sun May 30, 2004 6:35 pm

I don’t like the idea of having a forum for ‘discussed to death’ topics. From what I remember when I first came here I was only in the G1 forum discussing elements of the Movie. If it were not possible to talk about such things then I wouldn’t have been inclined to stay at all, or investigate other forums. I enjoyed reading other people’s opinions and being active in a discussion.

A cut and dried thread is passive and promotes very little. I think its less likely that people would absorb the info. Its good for people discuss even mundane things, and interesting when someone offers a different point of view on a well worn subject.

I just think its likely to bite ya on the ass and lead to less people in the long run refreshing the forum. I like it best when new people and established people banter freely, and perhaps with the impending new movie a massive influx of people will flood the board and infest the G1 forum, at least for a short while. If that leads to lots of mundane and pointless threads, perhaps it would be better to direct them to everything else the board has to offer, like everything on the main site? Everything you really need to know is there, pretty much. Did the same thing happen to X-Men, Hulk, Spiderman and Dare Devil boards when they hit the big screen?

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sun May 30, 2004 7:37 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
How so?

Well, I'd think that since some regulars create the threads I was talking about, they'd be upset at having to now post in a forum full of (likely) illiterate newbies instead of the G1 forum. There's really not too much of a problem with those threads since people can always ignore them and it's not like G1 has a ton of traffic anyway.

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 30, 2004 9:09 pm

Possibly a sticky in, say, G1 with links to the most discussed topics? Or at least a sticky of "who's your favourite TF"? A jumping-in point, if you like.

Or perhaps we could try the ratings system which is built into vB.

Anyone else have any thoughts on merging Who's Who and bringing introduction threads back to GD?

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Sun May 30, 2004 10:32 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
Anyone else have any thoughts on merging Who's Who and bringing introduction threads back to GD?

Maybe a change of name/description of Who's Who would suffice? It says: 'New or old, introduce yourself', so majority of new people do as it says. They enter and say 'Hi', they don't expect the questionnaire.