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Post by sapphire on Dec 22, 2010 14:26:30 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm new here and this site... Isn't the most active, yet I love it because it's about my favorite book. Maybe all we need is for more people to READ the book? Like, yes, advertisings good, but no one is going to want to join if they don't know anything about the book TS. It's a suggestion, hope it's helpful
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Post by Just a person on Oct 16, 2011 12:18:40 GMT -5
I wanted to post here back when the thread was new, honestly don't remember why I didn't. Doesn't matter much anyways since the site's been dead over a year now. Hell when this thread came out I wanted to point out that despite the optimism of the older members (and the only active admin) the place was dying.
Several suggestions were made to improve the site and the only admin wouldn't listen. A member suggested changing the layout to something more sleek and nicer looking overall even went as far as to offer to do it themselves. The admin got snappy and insisted they had a new layout made, that they'd have it up in a week and then disappeared. How hard would it have been to swallow a little nostalgia and pride to let someone(who as much as I dislike them and hate to pet their ego) makes awesome layout just make the place look a little more appealing.
Here's some advice general site attitude affects how appealing the site is when the admins are rude or the members are elitist(which did become quite common towards the end) it tends to drive people off. If I see an admin picking on a member for some ridiculous reason (such as they simply don't like the member) it certainly would make me not want to even give the site a shot.
Elitism, remember you were a beginner once too, be forgiving of shorter posts. I understand short posts don't give you much to work with, but being a blatant bitch gets you no where. If they're breaking the post length rule gently point it out and then give them time to pad their post a little. Don't tell them they suck, don't tell people you won't roleplay with them if they can't write as much as you, basically be courteous. Just because your your character's an ass doesn't mean you should be. A little patience goes a long way.
Fun fact: Roleplaying's supposed to be fun, not who can write the most "descriptive, beautiful, "well written"" post. Few care about how long you can describe a forest they just want to keep the plot moving forward. it loses it's fun when you have to worry about how long the post is.
I understand you don't want illiterate, chatspeak posts that are one line but you should have to worry about how well you described the river.
Admins, there where supposed be four big main admins, the four wolf gods three just up and bailed, quit showing up all together, one left and passed the torch so to speak and left one guy to run this whole place. Problem is he didn't he could be a complete and utter ass to those he disliked, if you broke a rule (written or unwritten) he was downright brutal, and if you were a favorite you could do whatever.
I remember trying to roleplay in a dream after my character had died, I stated right in the post this was taking place in the other character's dream, that none of it was real(no ghosts, no undead wolves, just a roleplay taking place in a dream). The only true admin informed me that I couldn't do that because it was supernatural, that things like that were not allowed and deleted my post. Shortly after I saw a character who'd died roleplaying as a ghost with the deceased character's mate and even finished the roleplay.
Reincarnation was greatly disliked yet there was one character who reincarnated 2-3 times!
You shouldn't do that favoritism, while nice for the favored, shouldn't happen. If you say no paranormal what-nots then none of the members should be allowed to do so. If you say no demons, no funny colors, anything like that then NONE of the members should be allowed to do those things. Even if they're your best bud in real life you shouldn't allow it.
Enforce rules, there are a good number of rules on this but very few were enforced art theft in banners and avatars was dealt with swiftly an brutally(even going as far in one case as to put "Art Thief" under the person's name) Shorter posts attracted mods like no other. I remember when I first joined I struggled to keep my posts the required four lines, I was a beginner, I was learning. I would frequently be told I need to make my posts longer or I'd be in trouble(some said this kindly, other were rather rude going back to the be courteous suggestion).
Bad language was a quick gateway to a lecture aswell. Only because it's against Proboards ToS and having been deleted once made the admins a mite bit paranoid. However other rules weren't enforced much if at all, some folks joined packs before the 20 post mark(this one was enforced sometimes, overlooked at other times).
Padding your post was never enforced, ever. Hell the popular "good" writers did it constantly.Granted it was only a small amount of padding but that's not my point.
As for the special abilities I can think of a few characters off the top of my head the had "demons".
Double posting, post harvesting this one was enforced...if you were caught just posting "jdsghjasghajdghfhhghfadghdfghfhad" and posting it got you in trouble. Goofing off in a thread on a board that did gain post points anyways got some post points taken away a long with a lecture (again, unless you were favored). However one night I was bored, no one was on and I decided to see if I could get away with it. I would reply to threads with something stupid like "Hi" or just random letters and would promptly delete them. I did this for hours out of boredom gained around 150 post points this way. I never was caught, I expected too hell for awhile I expected to not be able to log in cause I was banned/deleted.
Never happened, I was active for years after the fact even. I'm not sure if they couldn't check that sort of stuff or simple chose not to either way it was a rule easily evaded.
Also sitewide plots would've been fun, one was attempted but it never went anywhere.
All in all it was dying long before the only active admin created this suggestions were offered and ignored. I don't know if it could've been saved anyways.
It's dead now because of such choices.
Tl;dr: Yes TS was dying back then slowly and painfully. If anyone should go and try to remake another TS there are some things you can do to make sure it doesn't die like this one.
Advertise, this was suggested but never acted upon. You can't gain members if you don't do so.
Look nice, have a nice well coded layout. Plain and simple. Yes the one here is sentimental but frankly it's not good...at.all.
Be nice, don't be an elitist ass plain and simple. Follow the golden rule. Keep a kind attitude out of character whether you're a member or an admin.
Make rules and enforce them, all of them.
Favoritism should be avoided, generally doesn't sit well with those not favored.
Have active admins, if an admin must leave then have the admins vote on someone to take their place.
Do something sitewide so there's some sort of interaction between the admins and members.
If you make another TS ( and I do hope someone does) post a link on here so we can see it and maybe join up C:
I have had these qualms with this site since a year or two after I joined(so since '07 or so) it feels so nice to finally get it out there ^^
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Post by Sudak on Oct 19, 2011 13:54:51 GMT -5
Wow, I definitely can see you had some pent up thoughts there, *points to previous post*. Well there are always politics in any setting like this and TS was no exception. I would love for it to come back and you're right it's going to take some effort to get do it again. I believe the main reason most of the biggies left, were this was a place of young expression. I personally joined this site back in 2002, near TS1's beginning but it was still pretty developed by that point. That was definitely it's heyday and would love to see it like that again. Site wide plots, and active threads unfolding throughout even a single night!
There may have always been some rules that weren't as enforced as they should have been but that's going to happen no matter where you go, whether it was accidental or not. Most admins were pretty good about keeping up with most stuff but it became more complacency more than just ignoring the fact it happened. The admins have always known that the members here are important to keep the site going.
Honestly, i think it's time for TS to jump ship from ProBoards, personally have hated them from the very beginning. I have been thinking of getting another TS started. If it happens I'll be sure to let you all know. Just wish we were able to get in touch with everybody again, most people don't keep the emails they've used here.
We'll see
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Post by Linnaea on Oct 22, 2011 4:48:12 GMT -5
I'd join you Sudak, but I only rp on ProBoards forums. XD also, if "just a person" is going to be there, I so don't want to rp with someone who outright says how much they hate me. That's just rude.
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Post by Shunké on Oct 26, 2011 11:36:49 GMT -5
I think this site is most definitely dead. A lot of the admins have moved on I'm sure, I know a lot of us have grown up and taken rl responsibilities where that be college or work or now have families and whatnot (btw, for those of you who know Zhentee, she just had a baby!) Not saying everyone mind you. Just the majority of us. That or have grown out of RPing. It's probably best to declare this site dead, maybe the ones who are still here (Linnea and Sudak haha I'm talking to you haha) start a TS3 elsewhere and link us to it- since I don't think the admins will be back. Maybe they pop in once in a while idk. I'm just going those who do want to still RP options- since I doubt this site will ever pick up again. I know that I'm one of those people who is balancing work and rl, sad to say I've grown out of RPing, I don't have the time anymore and I haven't for a while.
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Grell
Cub
No night is so dark, no situation so dire, that the intervention of the gods cannot make it worse.
Posts: 60
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Post by Grell on Oct 28, 2011 13:06:48 GMT -5
I was pointed to this thread by one of my stalker buddies ;) And I figured I would post my two-cents as well - even though I am no longer active - just because I fell in love with this site and all the members here.
"Just a person", I agree with a lot of what you said, but I think the majority of people quit because most of them grew up and out of the RP world (like Shunke points out) - not because they were treated differently. Also, regardless if I agree with you in spirit, I don't think you should blame the administration team for their inadequacies if you took advantage of them yourself.
As for your list of grievances, I think you should have posted this publicly when the administrators were still active.
There was blatant favoritism, but a lot of it was swept under the rug. I was never targeted myself; however, as a sympathetic party, I was contacted by many individuals over the years in regards to administrative biases. While nothing was ever resolved, I'm at least glad to have taken the time to talk to these people who otherwise never really had their voices heard. Like you mentioned, Sudak, this was a place of young expression. Politics here were as bad as they are on any playground. There's always going to be a group of people unfairly discriminated against in that type of setting.
Linnaea, I want to point out that "Just a person" merely said they dislike you - not hate you - and despite that, they were willing to acknowledge that your layouts are incredible. It never occurred to me that "Just a person" was being rude to you.
Hi there Shunke! D'aw, congratulations to Zhentee!! That's great news.
If you ever make a new Sight RPG, Sudak and Linn, you should definitely post the link. My sister and I are on track to make our own within the next six months, but it would be with an Invision Power Board, and so far, it's still within the preliminary stages. It would be great to join a new one we don't have to make ourselves haha.
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Post by Linnaea on Oct 28, 2011 16:04:11 GMT -5
calling me a bitch, yeah that's not rude of "just a person" at all. BI anyway, i'm fairly useless at coding outside of proboards and i'm not interested in learning IF or Jcinc or any of them new fangled forum sites. so if sudak can stand proboards (or if i can show him the good side of it lol) i'd be glad to help out on a ts3.
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Grell
Cub
No night is so dark, no situation so dire, that the intervention of the gods cannot make it worse.
Posts: 60
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Post by Grell on Nov 1, 2011 14:15:36 GMT -5
Wow, Linn. The only time "Just a person" even typed the word "bitch" was in this passage:
I think you are taking this rant out of context as a personal attack.
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Post by Gryffin on Nov 1, 2011 23:34:53 GMT -5
life just takes away from everything doesnt it =(
I've been with this site for eons and ya it has its ups and downs but the mods cant read everything post. which is why usually people do direct them to the issue.
I think alot of us just grew up, or got too busy. I remember getting home from school back in the day like 5 years ago and just cant wait to post.
But face it most of us oldies are getting married, getting jobs and poppin out kids. (congrats zhentee i gotta find her and wish her good news!)
It will be great to be active again and i really hope TS doesnt just die. Though its just so hard with life.
I do have to agree, although i hate proboards. Its just simple enough to post and not be cluttered with useless tools and muck i dont need.
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