The Sanctuary

Site Discussion => Help & Suggestions => Topic started by: Poast on September 02, 2014, 04:18:19 am

Title: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Poast on September 02, 2014, 04:18:19 am
Alright guys, seriously before we all rat race & shit post this board into oblivion, does anyone want to talk about ways we could improve it real quick? I'm thinking more themes, cleaner hot topics bar, all the old funny totse and zoklet emoticons, quick reply in plain sight at the bottom of each thread, eventually a cleaner layout, other features like potentially a rep/thx system, contests/challenges.

Does anyone know how to make these things happen asap? Do the mods and admins here want that kind of change? Arnox are you ready to take on these kind of numbers? These are all questions we should handle sooner than later. Legitimate ideas have been ignored on &Z for years. If you have some serious ideas now's your chance to voice em. If there's anyone left that gives a shit and is willing to help work to save this community now is the time to step up.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Rizzo in a box on September 02, 2014, 04:20:20 am
There's a lot I want to say but I'm burnt the fuck out on all this at the moment. I need to take a nap or somethin'. anyway glad to see you stepping up for the community as usual poast
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: devnull on September 02, 2014, 04:24:03 am
Less shitposting and more contribution to specialty forums, to start.

Aesthetics and convenience are secondary.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: HaitiSpaceAgency on September 02, 2014, 04:24:43 am
A user CP. and a change of the forum name "Go Team" to "Haiti's Sports Agency"
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Poast on September 02, 2014, 05:23:56 am
Aesthetics and convenience are secondary.

Those two things make it easier to contribute. This current color scheme is rough on the eyes tbh.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Arnox on September 02, 2014, 08:38:37 am
There's a lot you mentioned here. Some things I am willing to put in and others, not so much.

The themes we have are all the ones that, IMO, are pretty good. I thought the rest I saw were meh. As Idio said, you can switch the theme in Profile > Summary > Modify Profile > Look and Layout. Should be the first option you see. But new themes that members have made can be put in as well. As to new emoticons, I'm open to new ones but am really not a fan of obnoxious emoticons so some may make it in and some may not. Quick Reply is at the bottom of each thread already though so I don't know what the problem is there. Rep/Thanks systems are a definite no though. Every time I have seen them in action, they've been nothing but terrible and inaccurate.

So yes, I'm very open to change and adaptation but not all change is good.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Darkhunter on September 02, 2014, 08:41:24 am
I notice one thing already that is better: the person that runs the site actually replying in the threads. To me that is a very good thing on a site as it shows the willingness to be involved with the users and doesn't have the "standoff" effect.

I also want to throw on a subscription thread menu on the site. It might already exist on this site but I haven't run across it yet. Like if we truly enjoy a thread: informative, hilarity, etc... then we can put it on our personal "short list" and would be able to see it very quickly.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Dionysus on September 02, 2014, 08:48:16 am
Dispensing of the thanks system in itself is a major improvement.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: eBagger on September 02, 2014, 08:54:09 am
There's a lot you mentioned here. Some things I am willing to put in and others, not so much.

The themes we have are all the ones that, IMO, are pretty good. I thought the rest I saw were meh. As Idio said, you can switch the theme in Profile > Summary > Modify Profile > Look and Layout. Should be the first option you see. But new themes that members have made can be put in as well. As to new emoticons, I'm open to new ones but am really not a fan of obnoxious emoticons so some may make it in and some may not. Quick Reply is at the bottom of each thread already though so I don't know what the problem is there. Rep/Thanks systems are a definite no though. Every time I have seen them in action, they've been nothing but terrible and inaccurate.

So yes, I'm very open to change and adaptation but not all change is good.

Arnox

You seem pretty firm about the no thanks/rep.

But in this new age of the internet its been proven you need an eHigh to look forward too.

Even if it rewards retardation in some cases.

It give a reason to not +1 and to put in effort as well.

Why have you always noticed such negativity? Why have you seen no good?
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Dionysus on September 02, 2014, 08:58:38 am
Fuck that, the Thanks system is like the lead in the water that caused Rome to go crazy.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Darkhunter on September 02, 2014, 09:01:33 am
Fuck that, the Thanks system is like the lead in the water that caused Rome to go crazy.

Its not like people actually gave a shit about thanks outside of crazy fucks like -SpectraL. He seemed to throw it in the faces of users as a sign of "being right," not realizing most people egged him on for the lulz.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: -SpectraL on September 02, 2014, 10:51:50 am
First, the place would need a Mission Statement.

ie: Freedom of Speech, Not Freedom of Noise

Then it would need a plan.

ie: this is an adult platform... any poster who REGULARLY makes posts similar to what a 12 year old would post will be perma-banned on sight, whether they are or not (yeah, I know you're all for the kidiot spammers, poast), PI-rats=perma-banned on sight, kiddy-pic posters = perma-banned on sight (go to pokemeon.com or sessemestreet.com and post shitty gifs there), repeat no-content-posters/chat light posters = banned on sight, etc...

Then it would need adult content.

Then it would need adult-minded mods.. kiddies need not apply.

That's about all it would take.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: panthrax on September 02, 2014, 11:13:46 am
We really shouldn't start making a habit of bringing all of our old shit over here just to recreate the misery that Zoklet was. Same people bitching about the same things, just in a new location. That being said, let me start my bitching.

1. Install thumbnail plugin for all images posted so it doesn't stretch the page with a full size image, cause slow loading times for slower connected users, cause the  servers to take more of a hit than necessary, slowing the experience down for everyone. It keeps images posted as nice, neat little 100x100 thumbnails that can be enlarged if clicked on.

2. Do not allow animated images to be used in avatars or signatures. It's pretty annoying when you're trying to read all your eyes are involuntarily distracted by someone's rolling text signature, flashing avatars, etc. Once again, with the amount of new users you've just inherited here, if everyone started doing that, it would make page load times long, harder hit to your servers, slower for everyone.

3. Do not allow users to be able to wildly chance the font and color of their text. Blowing up their font to 48 with bright, flourescent green No-Name Script. Keep it uniform and neat.

4. You're going to need more moderators than what has previously been acceptable. Choose wisely. There is going to be a number of former &Z mods who almost expect to be mod'ed over here as well and quite frankly, some of them just don't deserve it. If this is going to be a new slate, let's not fall back into the same institutions and gatekeepers as  we just came  from. Let's start fresh. However, some of the old mods is probably still going to be your best bet over here as well.

5. Add the emoticon package from Zoklet to Sanctuary's.

6. Provide a Mission Statement, as SpectraL suggested. Don't allow it to get so deep that that's all we talk about. "The mission", "Who we are", "What we want to do", etc. The community will never grow that way if we rules lawyer all the time about what we should or should not be doing, who we are, what we're about, etc instead of just doing it. Make up a mission statement and then leave it to your new user base to naturally bring that to fruition. Nudge it along in the right direction, but don't fall into the cycle of philosophy and "deep thinking" about who we are. It's detrimental rather than beneficial.

That's about all I can think of at the moment.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: -SpectraL on September 02, 2014, 11:30:08 am
The place doesn't even really need more than three or four staff members even with a couple hundred active users. The more staff members there are, the more chance there is for fuckups. Only issue there is the few mods who do the job have to not be shit-birds.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Ed Lister on September 02, 2014, 11:38:40 am
Where in the fucking good name of the lord is the Thanks button? We need a hook. Reward system. Dopamine. Do it.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Arnox on September 02, 2014, 11:45:34 am
Where in the fucking good name of the lord is the Thanks button? We need a hook. Reward system. Dopamine. Do it.

Well, perhaps it's time for some rehab.

@everyone else: Will post my views on all the ideas you've given me later. Not ignoring you.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: panthrax on September 02, 2014, 11:48:45 am
Where in the fucking good name of the lord is the Thanks button? We need a hook. Reward system. Dopamine. Do it.

Well, perhaps it's time for some rehab.

@everyone else: Will post my views on all the ideas you've given me later. Not ignoring you.

Excellent....
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Rizzo in a box on September 02, 2014, 07:13:50 pm
Agreed about the thanks system. That just makes us moar like reddit which I think we're trying not to be.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Proots on September 02, 2014, 07:21:10 pm

4. You're going to need more moderators than what has previously been acceptable. Choose wisely. There is going to be a number of former &Z mods who almost expect to be mod'ed over here as well and quite frankly, some of them just don't deserve it. If this is going to be a new slate, let's not fall back into the same institutions and gatekeepers as  we just came  from. Let's start fresh. However, some of the old mods is probably still going to be your best bet over here as well.

6. Provide a Mission Statement, as SpectraL suggested. Don't allow it to get so deep that that's all we talk about. "The mission", "Who we are", "What we want to do", etc. The community will never grow that way if we rules lawyer all the time about what we should or should not be doing, who we are, what we're about, etc instead of just doing it. Make up a mission statement and then leave it to your new user base to naturally bring that to fruition. Nudge it along in the right direction, but don't fall into the cycle of philosophy and "deep thinking" about who we are. It's detrimental rather than beneficial.

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

You made a lot of really good points and I don't want you to think that me excluding them means I don't care for them or that they don't hold merit. That's not it at all. It's just that, when I read these two points in particular - all I could think of to say was "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!".

I really hope that Arnox has the strength of character to understand how unbelievably important these two propositions are. I couldn't even begin to decide which one I think is more important to the continued livelihood of this site. If you asked me to pick one or the other to be implemented, I honestly wouldn't be able to. That's how crucial these things you said are.

Please, Arnox - if you are to consider anything that anyone in this thread - please consider the points that I quoted. They are probably the most important things that this thread will ever, EVER manage to bring to light.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Arnox on September 02, 2014, 10:20:24 pm
You made a lot of really good points and I don't want you to think that me excluding them means I don't care for them or that they don't hold merit. That's not it at all. It's just that, when I read these two points in particular - all I could think of to say was "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!".

I really hope that Arnox has the strength of character to understand how unbelievably important these two propositions are. I couldn't even begin to decide which one I think is more important to the continued livelihood of this site. If you asked me to pick one or the other to be implemented, I honestly wouldn't be able to. That's how crucial these things you said are.

Please, Arnox - if you are to consider anything that anyone in this thread - please consider the points that I quoted. They are probably the most important things that this thread will ever, EVER manage to bring to light.

Hehehe... We already have a mission statement (http://www.intosanctuary.com/index.php?topic=2.0). And how we choose our staff is taken VERY seriously (http://www.intosanctuary.com/index.php?topic=4.0).
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: Proots on September 02, 2014, 10:42:47 pm
You made a lot of really good points and I don't want you to think that me excluding them means I don't care for them or that they don't hold merit. That's not it at all. It's just that, when I read these two points in particular - all I could think of to say was "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!".

I really hope that Arnox has the strength of character to understand how unbelievably important these two propositions are. I couldn't even begin to decide which one I think is more important to the continued livelihood of this site. If you asked me to pick one or the other to be implemented, I honestly wouldn't be able to. That's how crucial these things you said are.

Please, Arnox - if you are to consider anything that anyone in this thread - please consider the points that I quoted. They are probably the most important things that this thread will ever, EVER manage to bring to light.

Hehehe... We already have a mission statement (http://www.intosanctuary.com/index.php?topic=2.0). And how we choose our staff is taken VERY seriously (http://www.intosanctuary.com/index.php?topic=4.0).

I do not know you as of yet, so time will tell me if your words are worth anything or not. I truly, truly hope they are and that you are always able to maintain the power balance and integrity of your site. Zoklet was nice, but sadly degenerated into this bizarre moderator clique with absolutely no accountability, consistency or logic. There was never any cohesion whatsoever.

That in itself, caused and exacerbated a lot of the existing issues that were plaguing the site. I appreciate you linking me to both acknowledgements of the concerns I had. I don't want you to think that I was trying to imply that you weren't aware of the importance of these issues. All I'm trying to say is, that as far as the continued health of this site is concerned - no matter how importantly you take those two points, it can never be enough.

So, please, give it all you've got. I very seldom ever put my faith in a stranger to do the right thing, but in this instance I have no choice. I hope you're able to do right by us, yourself and the site you run.
Title: Re: Suggestions From &Z
Post by: fanglekai on September 03, 2014, 03:53:44 am
Fuck that, the Thanks system is like the lead in the water that caused Rome to go crazy.

Actually.............

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/wine/leadpoisoning.html

but anyway.......