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Tavrobel
11-14-2009, 01:09 AM
Simple question: do you read the frontsite news articles?

If so, do you have any criticisms, complaints, or suggestions as to how the news could be handled?
If not, why not? Do you have any of the above anyways?

Don't be afraid to say exactly what is on your mind, or what your opinion is about the news. This is an honest request for assistance. Don't sugarcoat it; I'm not going to be insulted. Do be warned, however, that if your post is off topic, it may or may not exist after you post it.

I Took the Red Pill
11-14-2009, 02:18 AM
No. I don't come here for final fantasy information and haven't for a while.

Freya
11-14-2009, 02:19 AM
I did post my opinion before and you snipped at me. :rolleyes2

Front site is boring. The news articles don't pop. They give me no reason to stay and read them, instead I just skip and head to the forums.

I suggested pictures earlier but I think you need more than just that. Something worth attention. You can make a news article but that doesn't mean people are going to read it. You need to give them a reason to read it.

Do something that would make us forum goers look at the front site. Something to connect the two. Those people who are coming through aren't going to really pay attention to it either. It just seems like the information in the front of a book. You never read who produced it and what copyright it has you just skip to the good stuff.

Maybe at least change the layout so the news articles seem more eye catching.

Levian
11-14-2009, 03:55 AM
I'm just not that into news about Final Fantasy anymore, especially not now that they seem to spend ages between each numbered installment, which would be the only FF's I'd be interested in learning more about anyway. Right now I get my FF fix covered by other gaming sites that also cover many other genres.

Basically, I don't think there's a problem with the news on the front site, I just think there's less demand these days for a site that only focuses on one series, especially with GameFAQs hogging all the people who are stuck, and major gaming news sites hogging everyone who wants to see the latest news & trailers.

Breine
11-14-2009, 10:31 AM
I always go straight to the forums, so to answer your question I don't read the front page news.

I agree with Lekana that the front page needs to be connected with the forums - maybe with some sort of link at the forum index or something.

Jiro
11-14-2009, 10:56 AM
I only read the articles for the comments the news team make. The news doesn't always interest me, but reading what you guys have to say about the news is entertaining!

blackmage_nuke
11-14-2009, 11:08 AM
I personally do not read it due to that extremely unsightly ad that smacks right at the top of the news section. The news doesnt catch my eye as it is pushed down the page by the ad and unless i actively scroll down to look for news im not going to see any eye catching attempts you make.

Christmas
11-14-2009, 11:23 AM
I always go straight to the forums, so to answer your question I don't read the front page news.

I agree with Lekana that the front page needs to be connected with the forums - maybe with some sort of link at the forum index or something.


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/Unknowns2/front2.jpg

How about moving the ad that is blocking the banner somewhere and move the title to the center so that it will be easier to be seen at first sight?


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/Unknowns2/banner.jpg

Old Manus
11-14-2009, 01:35 PM
I stopped giving a toss about FF news after XII was released. In fact, those screenshots are probably the first I've seen of the frontsite in around a year :chef: Leona Lewis? What the hell?

Breine
11-14-2009, 01:37 PM
I always go straight to the forums, so to answer your question I don't read the front page news.

I agree with Lekana that the front page needs to be connected with the forums - maybe with some sort of link at the forum index or something.


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/Unknowns2/front2.jpg[/CENTER]

Yes, like that but the other way around. With a link in the forums that show the latest news on the front site.

Christmas
11-14-2009, 01:39 PM
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/Unknowns2/front23.jpg

Breine
11-14-2009, 02:03 PM
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/Unknowns2/front23.jpg

I know that's there, Christmas :P

I mean some links in the forum index somewhere with the latest news topics from the front page. Similar to what's on the front page with the latest threads made in the forum.

Freya
11-14-2009, 04:38 PM
Well I was meaning something like possibly events being announced on the frontsite for the forums. And things on the forums being announced on the front site. That way we have to check them :p

Really I think the layout just needs to be pumped up.

Agent Proto
11-14-2009, 05:37 PM
Well I was meaning something like possibly events being announced on the frontsite for the forums. And things on the forums being announced on the front site. That way we have to check them :p

Really I think the layout just needs to be pumped up.

OMG, yes that is exactly what needs to be done, so we can also discuss the news on the forums and have certain forum events announced on the front site. As of now, there is no way we can comment about the news. It would be great if we could do that.

Marshall Banana
11-14-2009, 10:01 PM
So far I just think it's not eye-pleasing enough.

Shlup
11-15-2009, 12:06 AM
I think I read one once a few years ago.

Shiny
11-15-2009, 12:10 AM
I have the forums bookmared, so usually no. The only time I went there was for news on stuff mostly for the Final Fantasy 7 sequels. I also went there for the game reviews and walkthroughs for FF X-2 and Tactics Advance. Oh yeah, also went there for the chat thing rubah put up.

Depression Moon
11-15-2009, 01:56 AM
Yeah I haven't looked at the fronsite in a long time. For one the skin here is really drab and the lay out. I also agree with putting some of the articles here in these forums, but I feel a lot like some members here who have lost interest in FF news after XII. XIII has just been on hold for too long to be looking up info for it anymore.

Baloki
11-15-2009, 11:52 AM
Oh yeah, also went there for the chat thing rubah put up.

You have just earnt a day in the pit of flames for mis-credit.

Raistlin
11-15-2009, 05:39 PM
I think Levian really hit the nail on the head: FF is just not big, constant news anymore. There's many years between major releases and it seems like most of the hardcore RPG types that kept FF sites at a peak between FF6-FF9 (maybe X) just kind of stopped caring as much. I'm probably going to buy FFXIII, but I don't really care about every piece of news for it, especially since every major piece of information I could find in the FFXIII forum anyway. I have trouble mustering up any interest in a site solely dedicated to FF news anymore. I've probably visited the frontsite a handful of times in the last few years.

Psychotic
11-16-2009, 05:09 AM
I don't think anybody wants news anymore. It's too dry and nobody cares about FFXIII (and associated spin offs) as they do the older games in the series. What do them no good kids want these days? Here's some ideas for the front page.

- Graphics. Hire a 16 year old girl to crank out icons, layouts and whatnot.
- Trendy new sites like FML and PostSecret and Twitter. I dunno, make FMLs or PostSecrets from the point of view of FF characters and/or people playing FF.
- Demotivational posters/hilarious LOL CATZ style images with an FF theme.
- Let's Play style stuff, eg Necro's Power of Cheese.
- On a similar theme, a Sims house/community (similar to the one I have in Gen Archive and Shlup's in Gen Gaming) with FF characters in it.
- And on the subject of the Sims, you'd make bank if you had Sims FF custom content. RPGMaker stuff too.
- Post a new black orb fan art up there every week? Maybe some cheesy slash fan fiction too? idk.

There's some ideas. Some of them don't appeal to me as a person, but I know they'd appeal to the internet in general.

XxSephirothxX
11-16-2009, 05:18 AM
I think I read one once a few years ago.
Hey, I probably wrote that one! Thanks, Shlup. It means a lot.

Rantz
11-16-2009, 09:38 AM
No, I don't read the frontsite.

I'm willing to agree with Psy here. Maybe not lolcats and stuff, but I don't think people will go to a website just for news anymore, at least not on such narrow topics. If they want news, they'll go to a site that covers a full area of interest (e.g. gaming, finances, design or what have you). Subject-specific sites such as this one are expected to have more in-depth info, more trivia, more entertainment. We have in-depth info, but the only thing updated fairly regularly is the news.

Do people still post art in the fanart section? We could have the latest pieces from there displayed somewhere on the frontsite. Customisation things like Psy's idea about Sims custom FF content, Final Fantasy wallpapers, avatars (we already have these on the forums; why not give them a page on the frontsite as well, and maybe we could crank out some 100x100 ones as well). I have a pretty large collection of little FF gifs (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/729269/Images/64_jecht.gif hurrrrrrrr) which I have no idea if it's legal to host just like that but yeah. Stuff like that.

Psychotic
11-16-2009, 03:30 PM
Yeah no I can see why people would oppose LOLcats FF style. I hate the smurfing things myself. I'm just trying to think of extremely cheap ways to appeal to the target audience. I think you're on the right track, though, with more customisation type things.

Loony BoB
11-16-2009, 05:07 PM
I read them on my LJ friends page, thanks to the RSS feed.

Freya
11-16-2009, 05:58 PM
I have a pretty large collection of little FF gifs (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/729269/Images/64_jecht.gif hurrrrrrrr) which I have no idea if it's legal to host just like that but yeah. Stuff like that.

As long as you credit where you get them then you're ok :p

Tavrobel
11-22-2009, 07:57 AM
Okay, let's give this thing a swift kick to the nuts before anyone says anything else that's stupid. Or God forbid, someone say something else that's even stupider than what they previously had to say. In any case, your feedback is appreciated. Further feedback from other members is also welcome, even if those points are to be addressed. If you are a member with a post that was responded to, I would ask that you clarify, expand on, or rationalize/logic-i-fy your reasoning.


No. I don't come here for final fantasy information and haven't for a while.

Is that because the information here is deficient, or simply because you don't follow FF like you used to? Although, as I'm typing out this question, it seems fairly obvious, but I should still care to ask.


I did post my opinion before and you snipped at me. :rolleyes2

Front site is boring. The news articles don't pop. They give me no reason to stay and read them, instead I just skip and head to the forums.

I suggested pictures earlier but I think you need more than just that. Something worth attention. You can make a news article but that doesn't mean people are going to read it. You need to give them a reason to read it.

Do something that would make us forum goers look at the front site. Something to connect the two. Those people who are coming through aren't going to really pay attention to it either. It just seems like the information in the front of a book. You never read who produced it and what copyright it has you just skip to the good stuff.

Maybe at least change the layout so the news articles seem more eye catching.

Because it was a painful suggestion, caused me great grief, and I have every right to yell at you for suggesting it.

Rearranging the news layout would fundamentally cause an entire reorganizing of the frontsite. Despite what can actually be seen, site-wide restructuring features not only the need for visual rearrangement, but also to comb through copious amounts of code, figuring out what can be thrown out, and what can be reused. Though this is a viable option, the other coders of the EoFF SS would be extremely unhappy with it, and ultimately, our effort would be wasted without more concrete ideas.

In the meantime, is there anything that you could suggest, representing the average reader, that would personally attract you to reading the news or utilizing the information that we have about the games?


I'm just not that into news about Final Fantasy anymore, especially not now that they seem to spend ages between each numbered installment, which would be the only FF's I'd be interested in learning more about anyway. Right now I get my FF fix covered by other gaming sites that also cover many other genres.

Basically, I don't think there's a problem with the news on the front site, I just think there's less demand these days for a site that only focuses on one series, especially with GameFAQs hogging all the people who are stuck, and major gaming news sites hogging everyone who wants to see the latest news & trailers.

So, what you're saying is, is that to you, we are outclassed?


I always go straight to the forums, so to answer your question I don't read the front page news.

I agree with Lekana that the front page needs to be connected with the forums - maybe with some sort of link at the forum index or something.

Noted. We do have links from the forum to the frontsite, as shown by Christmas, but that each of the frontsite pages has links to both the most recent posts in the public forums, along with forums that are relevant to each game from the frontsite. For example, FFI's page leads to FFI's forum. However, if you are asking for an additional link besides that which is currently in the header bar, that is something to asked of the Forum Staff. In any case, do you have any suggestions as to what you, personally, would be attracted to, if featured in the news or frontsite?


I only read the articles for the comments the news team make. The news doesn't always interest me, but reading what you guys have to say about the news is entertaining!

You mean what I have to say about it. Thanks. JKTrix doesn't commentate.


I personally do not read it due to that extremely unsightly ad that smacks right at the top of the news section. The news doesnt catch my eye as it is pushed down the page by the ad and unless i actively scroll down to look for news im not going to see any eye catching attempts you make.

Not in my control. The ad is put there by the owners. However, it should be noted that even in 800x600 resolution, it is possible to see most of the latest article, even with the banner. So, what you're really telling me is that you don't want to scroll down, even if something may or may not interest you.


How about moving the ad that is blocking the banner somewhere and move the title to the center so that it will be easier to be seen at first sight?

Again, not in our control. We've attempted to remove the ads before, but the owners put them back. The last time that we tried deleting it, it popped back up automatically without any input.


I stopped giving a toss about FF news after XII was released. In fact, those screenshots are probably the first I've seen of the frontsite in around a year :chef: Leona Lewis? What the hell?

Is that because FFXII sucked, and you lost faith in the series, or because you stopped caring about FF exclusively?

If it is the former, then I completely understand, simply because it is true. If it is the latter, I still understand, only this time, it is a matter of preference rather than a fact.


I mean some links in the forum index somewhere with the latest news topics from the front page. Similar to what's on the front page with the latest threads made in the forum.

That link would be the jurisdiction of the Forum Staff, and therefore, will not be implemented.

However, if you are familiar with the setup that was featured at OMGMG, we had an exclusive news forum. However, in order to implement that here, it would cause some rather nasty forum hacks that would die at the next vB upgrade. The last time we considered an update to the news module, it was during that really weird period where vB had a patch every week. It has since then, died down in frequency, and could be a good idea to bring back up again. Thank you.


Well I was meaning something like possibly events being announced on the frontsite for the forums. And things on the forums being announced on the front site. That way we have to check them :p

Really I think the layout just needs to be pumped up.

I have been announcing Eyes on Plays (or rather, I would be if FFX were going on as scheduled, and I did post VIII and IX). However, I am not going to post some random game thread from Wonder Square, simply because those threads have no impact on the frontsite whatsoever, and are ultimately, meaningless and trivial.

Again, any suggestions that aren't impossible?


OMG, yes that is exactly what needs to be done, so we can also discuss the news on the forums and have certain forum events announced on the front site. As of now, there is no way we can comment about the news. It would be great if we could do that.

We tried pushing for a news-only subforum, but that was met with large claims of redundancy, a claim to with which I do not disagree. However, in order to obtain a more OMGMG style of news, in which comments are allowed, one would have to remake a thread in every single relevant forum manually, and then hope that people comment in it. Otherwise, the only option would be to implement a new news module, an operation which has met with stagnation and indifference, and the fact that it requires a vB hack, unless the latest version of vB accommodates that as well.


So far I just think it's not eye-pleasing enough.

Is there anything that you think would catch your attention if we added it? Something other than Disney?


I think I read one once a few years ago.

But not anything since then? What made you read that one random one when you did read it?


Oh yeah, also went there for the chat thing rubah put up.

That was Baloki's idea. And his setup. So, yeah, you completely miscredited the chat.


Yeah I haven't looked at the fronsite in a long time. For one the skin here is really drab and the lay out. I also agree with putting some of the articles here in these forums, but I feel a lot like some members here who have lost interest in FF news after XII. XIII has just been on hold for too long to be looking up info for it anymore.

Even though there are three games planned for it? Last I checked, the main had the fastest localization time of all of the FFs.

In response to the drabness, is there a scheme that you think would be more pleasing? Though it may be drab, dark blue is possibly the least offensive of color options. Did you prefer the brown of the previous (2.0 Aeris boobshot) style, or did you have something else in mind?


I think Levian really hit the nail on the head: FF is just not big, constant news anymore. There's many years between major releases and it seems like most of the hardcore RPG types that kept FF sites at a peak between FF6-FF9 (maybe X) just kind of stopped caring as much. I'm probably going to buy FFXIII, but I don't really care about every piece of news for it, especially since every major piece of information I could find in the FFXIII forum anyway. I have trouble mustering up any interest in a site solely dedicated to FF news anymore. I've probably visited the frontsite a handful of times in the last few years.

What possessed you to read the frontsite after you lost interest?


I don't think anybody wants news anymore. It's too dry and nobody cares about FFXIII (and associated spin offs) as they do the older games in the series. What do them no good kids want these days? Here's some ideas for the front page.

...

There's some ideas. Some of them don't appeal to me as a person, but I know they'd appeal to the internet in general.

So, what you're advocating is more user-generated and user-submitted content?


No, I don't read the frontsite.

I'm willing to agree with Psy here. Maybe not lolcats and stuff, but I don't think people will go to a website just for news anymore, at least not on such narrow topics. If they want news, they'll go to a site that covers a full area of interest (e.g. gaming, finances, design or what have you). Subject-specific sites such as this one are expected to have more in-depth info, more trivia, more entertainment. We have in-depth info, but the only thing updated fairly regularly is the news.

Do people still post art in the fanart section? We could have the latest pieces from there displayed somewhere on the frontsite. Customisation things like Psy's idea about Sims custom FF content, Final Fantasy wallpapers, avatars (we already have these on the forums; why not give them a page on the frontsite as well, and maybe we could crank out some 100x100 ones as well). I have a pretty large collection of little FF gifs ... which I have no idea if it's legal to host just like that but yeah. Stuff like that.

So, you are also advocating more user-based content. However, you bring up a point that a site that is specialized toward a series should have even more to offer about the primary subject in question than general information sites. Do you believe that there may be an idea in which we are lacking in which we should not be, other than user-based content?

As for the Fanart section, I can't accurately comment on that at this time.


As long as you credit where you get them then you're ok :p

That is not necessarily true. Not every image on the internet is intended for use in the public domain, even if said images are "well, it's on the internet lol." I would ask that you not attempt to answer these types of questions on behalf of EoFF as a whole. There's more legal loopholes that we (I) have to worry about than one would like to imagine; if one has to think twice about it, it's probably in one's best interest not to explore the option, for fear of legal ramifications. If this site were still owned by the original user, that would not be a problem if we were to receive a "cease and desist."

It should be noted, that this is no longer the case.

So let me get this straight so that everyone is on the same page:
The frontsite is all-in-all, aesthetically unpleasing or insufficient in information
Increased user-interactivity is desired
The original userbase lacks a primary interest in FF
The forums are bookmarked over the frontsite, because there is not enough of anything on the frontsite to justify the extra click
Ability to comment on the news, other than waiting for the thread to pop up on its own in the respective forum
FFXIII is primed for failure, because of SE's handling of the game and its production time

Marshall Banana
11-22-2009, 08:06 AM
So far I just think it's not eye-pleasing enough.

Is there anything that you think would catch your attention if we added it? Something other than Disney?
Pixel art! Beautiful pixel art.

The Man
11-22-2009, 08:17 AM
I'd suggest integrating the frontsite with the forums. Of course, this is often easier said than done due to how finicky vBulletin can be.

I Took the Red Pill
11-22-2009, 08:46 AM
Is that because the information here is deficient, or simply because you don't follow FF like you used to? Although, as I'm typing out this question, it seems fairly obvious, but I should still care to ask.
Purely because I don't give a :bou::bou::bou::bou: about Final Fantasy at this point. It's no fault of the SS but I just don't care tbh. I'm just one person, but FF doesn't mean ass to me at this point, so news about it doesn't do anything. And yeah I think people who are looking for information about upcoming Final Fantasies are much more likely to go to IGN or Gametrailers to check that :bou::bou::bou::bou: our rather than here.

Rantz
11-22-2009, 01:24 PM
So, you are also advocating more user-based content. However, you bring up a point that a site that is specialized toward a series should have even more to offer about the primary subject in question than general information sites. Do you believe that there may be an idea in which we are lacking in which we should not be, other than user-based content?

When it comes down to it, all our content is user-based, so I'm not sure why you'd make the distinction. If any user can provide good content of any kind for the frontsite, giving them permissions enough to do so shouldn't be a problem, as I see it. As for other ideas, I can't say I'm bursting with them at the moment.

Freya
11-22-2009, 06:23 PM
As long as you credit where you get them then you're ok :p

That is not necessarily true. Not every image on the internet is intended for use in the public domain, even if said images are "well, it's on the internet lol." I would ask that you not attempt to answer these types of questions on behalf of EoFF as a whole. There's more legal loopholes that we (I) have to worry about than one would like to imagine; if one has to think twice about it, it's probably in one's best interest not to explore the option, for fear of legal ramifications. If this site were still owned by the original user, that would not be a problem if we were to receive a "cease and desist."

It should be noted, that this is no longer the case.

Still so negative. If it's freeware you can use it. If it says "credit if you're using!" Then you credit. If it says do not use without consent of whoever or a copyright then you can't use it. Simple as that.

Tavrobel
11-22-2009, 06:51 PM
Still so negative. If it's freeware you can use it. If it says "credit if you're using!" Then you credit. If it says do not use without consent of whoever or a copyright then you can't use it. Simple as that.

What part of "stop acting like you're a legal expert" do you not understand? I guess it was subtext, but I should've hoped that you would pick up on it. Are you being intentionally daft, or do you think that your information is somehow correct?

Do you even know what freeware means? "Freeware" pertains to software, not images or intellectual property. Even if you were right, we would need the original source of the image that we wish to add (or wherever you got it from), and a statement that it is free to use. If there is no such statement, the inherent ambiguity of lacking the "you're clear" statement is enough to tell us not to use the image. Again, if we think twice, it's not a good idea. Without a source, we can give no proper credit, which flies in the face of your own statement that we need to give credit to the creator.

The second problem is that EoFF in its statement says that we strive for original content, not reused images that can be found everywhere. Without anything original to offer, there'd be no point to even offering the "it's everywhere" images.

I'm going to ask that you stop talking out of your ass, and instead focus on the other questions that I asked you in response to the other requests that you produced. That so called "negativity" is actually called "prudence."

Levian
11-22-2009, 08:00 PM
I'm just not that into news about Final Fantasy anymore, especially not now that they seem to spend ages between each numbered installment, which would be the only FF's I'd be interested in learning more about anyway. Right now I get my FF fix covered by other gaming sites that also cover many other genres.

Basically, I don't think there's a problem with the news on the front site, I just think there's less demand these days for a site that only focuses on one series, especially with GameFAQs hogging all the people who are stuck, and major gaming news sites hogging everyone who wants to see the latest news & trailers.

So, what you're saying is, is that to you, we are outclassed?


To me, definitely. The news on the frontsite doesn't give me anything I can't find elsewhere (That's not to say I would enjoy more obscure minor FF news, I'd probably not be interested), and elsewhere tends to give me other news I'm interested in too about other games. That said, I've never come to this place for the news anyway, I've come here to talk about the games and news, something other places have failed to make enjoyable. Can't talk for anyone else though! harder FF fans will probably enjoy a news site purely dedicated to Square-Enix games.

A comment system to talk about the news would be very awesome, but if that's impossible then I guess there's nothing to do about that.

Shlup
11-23-2009, 12:39 AM
My sweet loving Tav, could you please try harder not to be such a dick? If you don't want to put the effort into seeing if something is legally usable you can say that without belittling people who're trying to be helpful.

Tavrobel
11-24-2009, 03:46 AM
Pixel art! Beautiful pixel art.

... seriously?


I'd suggest integrating the frontsite with the forums. Of course, this is often easier said than done due to how finicky vBulletin can be.

We've been working on integration, but without a series of hacks or the cooperation of more tech savvy forum leaders, such an operation can go forward. Apparently, Forum Staff have an opinion on how the forum should be run. Who could have known that people so wrong could be in such high positions of authority?


Purely because I don't give a :bou::bou::bou::bou: about Final Fantasy at this point. It's no fault of the SS but I just don't care tbh. I'm just one person, but FF doesn't mean ass to me at this point, so news about it doesn't do anything. And yeah I think people who are looking for information about upcoming Final Fantasies are much more likely to go to IGN or Gametrailers to check that :bou::bou::bou::bou: our rather than here.

Makes sense. Thanks.


When it comes down to it, all our content is user-based, so I'm not sure why you'd make the distinction. If any user can provide good content of any kind for the frontsite, giving them permissions enough to do so shouldn't be a problem, as I see it. As for other ideas, I can't say I'm bursting with them at the moment.

The distinction between what is approved (i.e., coded) and that which can uploaded with no effort, or directly from the people. The Fan Art module would be user-generated. But ultimately, what is written, content-wise, really is written by the Site Staff these days, or people who eventually become one.

That being said, there's is a severe lack of contribution on that end, as well. Even those given the SS title pre-emptively have not produced to the level that was expected, and I have low expectations of anyone other than myself.

Really, all I should hope for these days is for my peers to simply log in. Several don't.


To me, definitely. The news on the frontsite doesn't give me anything I can't find elsewhere (That's not to say I would enjoy more obscure minor FF news, I'd probably not be interested), and elsewhere tends to give me other news I'm interested in too about other games. That said, I've never come to this place for the news anyway, I've come here to talk about the games and news, something other places have failed to make enjoyable. Can't talk for anyone else though! harder FF fans will probably enjoy a news site purely dedicated to Square-Enix games.

A comment system to talk about the news would be very awesome, but if that's impossible then I guess there's nothing to do about that.

It would seem that your opinion is shared, prominently, at least, in this cross-section of members. Unfortunately, I can't assume uniform mental density.

Ohh, if only I could treat EoFF members like spherical pressure vessels.


My sweet loving Tav, could you please try harder not to be such a dick? If you don't want to put the effort into seeing if something is legally usable you can say that without belittling people who're trying to be helpful.

I'll try, one should realize that all we could really do, if this section existed, is check if the image were usable (we would have to, really). What I don't appreciate is throwing out an idea that is rejected, and then for that person to assume that they know more about the given subject, without considering every aspect of the suggestion.

Unlike some people, I actually have to give a damn in order to do my job. I can't just type in something that belittles other people's intelligence or work ethic, and have other people rush to my defense "well, they're the authority, therefore, it's okay for them to say so." Even when I act nice, nothing gets done, so why should I act nice, when no one is on my side? One could argue that if I were nicer, more people would be willing to support me, but as far as I can tell, that hasn't been true at all. I have no moderation power outside of SV (which means in order to reach the public, I have to ask others to do it for me), no one on the Forum Staff is willing to do anything (surprise, surprise), no say as to what happens anywhere (in case you guys haven't checked, we're locked out of your forum, even though you can drop in on ours), and not even an ounce of respect except out of a select few, mostly my peers.

And suddenly I'm an asshole?

Please, don't tell me "internet srs bzn" or "life is unfair." But you telling me to be less of a dick is extraordinarily misguided, especially since I've been discourteous only to one person, the same person who suggested something last time that was more pain than it was worth, and doesn't even realize that their suggestion is actually that much more painful, and instead brushes it off as though I have a negative personality or that I'm lazy. I know that I'm a troll; there's no argument against that. But at least I know what I'm doing wrong. I know at least that about myself.

I guess I was wrong. It would be easier to just not ask, in an effort to improve myself and what I work on.

Shlup
11-24-2009, 04:03 AM
So, since you see no difference when you're nice or rude, you elect to be rude? You really think that's a good idea?

As for the rest, I'm just going to ignore it 'cause I can't even tell who you're mad at anymore. All I know is that you need to learn to communicate your feelings without pissing off everyone who you want to work with you. I'm not asking you to be nicer, I'm telling you that you need to act appropriately in public. I'll put up with this crap in the Site Staff Forum because that's your domain, but that's it.

If you have any further complaints, I advise you to take it to the Private Feedback Forum, as your complaints here don't seem to have much to do with the original topic.

Tavrobel
11-24-2009, 04:11 AM
So, since you see no difference when you're nice or rude, you elect to be rude? You really think that's a good idea?

I know it's not a good idea. But that's not going to stop me from being out of ideas.

And telling me not to be a dick publicly is equally appropriate?

Shlup
11-24-2009, 04:14 AM
Argh, you're such a stick in the mud!

Just be nice.

rubah
11-24-2009, 04:19 AM
My goodness, children.

I THINK IT IS TIME FOR CORPORAL CUDDLING.

Shlup
11-24-2009, 04:21 AM
NOOOO! YOU ARE THE CRUELEST ADMINISTRATOR OF THEM AAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!

Tavrobel
11-24-2009, 04:23 AM
GET IT OFF OF ME IT BURNS

Shiny
11-24-2009, 04:27 AM
I think some of the ideas that Psychotic and Rantzien brought up would be viable improvements to the front site, or rather the site as a whole. I'm not your mamma, but you have to be open for suggestions whether you care to do anything about them. You should be willing to make improvements though; otherwise why bother being on Site Staff?

Tavrobel
11-24-2009, 04:28 AM
I think some of the ideas that Psychotic and Rantzien brought up would be viable improvements to the front site, or rather the site as a whole. I'm not your mamma, but you have to be open for suggestions whether you care to do anything about them. You should be willing to make improvements though; otherwise why bother being on Site Staff?

They are not off the table. What gave you that impression?

The only person on the kicklist is Lekana.

Shiny
11-24-2009, 04:48 AM
They are not off the table. What gave you that impression?

The disdainful nature of your posts. Oh, and with the rubah thing, I thought she did it all because she contributed to it once and linked to it in #eoff. My b, Baloki. :aimkiss:

Shlup
11-24-2009, 04:51 AM
I put effort into using my brain and have a suggestion to improve the frontsite:

The news right now looks like a wall of text. There should be a nice divider between every article 'cause right now it just looks too much like one big things.

And I still think you should make a thread for each news item. It would take, what, two extra minutes per article? SS a couple of lackeys to do it. If they start to slack, fire them and hire more.

Personally, I would like to see a news feed at the top of the forums. Like the five newest articles listed. Small though. But I wouldn't know where to put them 'cause I don't see the ads, so it might be an awful thing to the ad-viewing member.

ETA: Shiny thought it was off the table 'cause you're mean, Tav. Meeeeaaaaaan!

Tavrobel
11-24-2009, 04:51 AM
The disdainful nature of your posts. Oh, and with the rubah thing, I thought she did it all because she contributed to it once and linked to it in #eoff. My b, Baloki. :aimkiss:

... ohh.

I don't know if you are forgiven. You might have to offer a furry sacrifice. And it should be wrapped in orange.

Shiny
11-24-2009, 05:02 AM
The news right now looks like a wall of text. There should be a nice divider between every article 'cause right now it just looks too much like one big things.

And I still think you should make a thread for each news item. It would take, what, two extra minutes per article? SS a couple of lackeys to do it. If they start to slack, fire them and hire more.

Personally, I would like to see a news feed at the top of the forums. Like the five newest articles listed. Small though. But I wouldn't know where to put them 'cause I don't see the ads, so it might be an awful thing to the ad-viewing member.

Hm, I think something like the set up Loony BoB has for OMG My Game is ideal. Basically what you described above in some way.




I don't know if you are forgiven. You might have to offer a furry sacrifice. And it should be wrapped in orange.
He can't have the baby seal!

Shlup
11-24-2009, 05:05 AM
People keep mentioning OMGMG as though it should be copied. Maybe it should, but I still refuse to go there to check.

Tavrobel
11-24-2009, 05:18 AM
People keep mentioning OMGMG as though it should be copied. Maybe it should, but I still refuse to go there to check.

Well, it's one of the example models that we have for people being able to comment on the news. It would seem that based on the people so far, they suggested that it might be more interesting (for those who care about FF news) if they could comment on the news. At OMGMG, all of the news was handled by all of the users, though it could be set to only being approved users. What we learned from OMGMG was that having people be able to comment on what would otherwise be static information is good for generating activity.

Unfortunately, OMGMG failed primarily due to its userbase: generally, they were disgruntled EoFFer looking for something new (therefore, not a lot). The inability to define itself and its limited users led to its own collapse. But what we can learn is that commenting is good. We can adapt that to EoFF. In this case, the SS are still in charge of the news, but people can still comment. Those who care will continue to care, those who won't, simply won't. But if we assume that growth is based on encouraging discussion about ongoing activites, then it could be said that allowing comments is a good thing. Why join a forum if the benefit is null? Joining could allow commenting.

So, that brings us to wanting to add a commenting system. Many newfangled FF sites have them; the problem is, is that they are new, and the other is incorporating such a model into the current structure. vB tends to suck with that. We've visited this idea in the last news module hack that Baloki suggested.

In review: I flipped out on you, and you responded, being shocked that you were trying to be helpful, though poorly disguised as ire. After a certain point, we concluded that hacks are good, but should be approved by the owners, and are made obsolete at new vB versions. This suggestion also occurred at a time when vB seemed to have a new version every three minutes.

This is no longer true. vB has been stable for quite some time. We could revisit the idea now, but it would also need the support and implementation of said news module by an Admin. Since it affects the forums (slightly), it would still need the approval of Forum Staff and a willing Admin. That is all assuming that the news-commenting hack is still available, and updated for the current version of vB that we are using. We also have to figure out if said Admin actually has the proper access to do so; based on the recent resignations, I would have to doubt it.

Raistlin
11-24-2009, 05:51 AM
People keep mentioning OMGMG as though it should be copied. Maybe it should, but I still refuse to go there to check.

Hahaha, agreed completely.

Shlup
11-24-2009, 06:20 AM
Okay, I caved an looked at OMGMG, and I like their little background thing for the news posts. Steal it and make it the right colors plz.

I do like commenting, but I think the New having its own forum, rather than have each article go into the proper forum by topic, was still a deal-breaker that we were unable to find a compromise for. If I remember correctly.

Loony BoB
11-24-2009, 10:56 AM
omgmygame has blog entries rather than news updates, which is why people went there to read things - they were personalised and therefore far more interesting. If we got blogs set up for all users and then targeted the best bloggers to provide updates for the frontsite, we might be onto something.

This would be a lot of work. I dare say if we were able to have some quality communication between ourselves and the owners of this website, they might actually invest in the idea and assist us in making it happen. They've stated many times early on in the past that they were willing to invest if we were willing to show the value of it (eg. PS3 prize and PayPal payments to site contributers).

Aerith's Knight
11-24-2009, 11:14 AM
They've stated many times early on in the past that they were willing to invest if we were willing to show the value of it (eg. PS3 prize and PayPal payments to site contributers).

It's a trap!

Loony BoB
11-24-2009, 12:33 PM
The basics of what I'm trying to say: I think they will pay for the vB Blogs feature if you ask them nicely and give them the reasons behind it. I suggest starting with this. Actually, it's more of a forums thing, though, so maybe us forums staffers will ask about that. What the site staff do with it, though, should be something along the lines of encouraging people to blog, finding out who provides the better blogs and then finding a good way to get those bloggers to update directly to the frontsite. Not sure how that part would work. Have fun with it if we get it sorted, though!

Baloki
11-24-2009, 03:52 PM
I have :bou::bou::bou::bou:loads of ideas but unfortunatly I'm having some connection issues atm so can't just do them as I normally would :/

Tavrobel
11-24-2009, 05:28 PM
Okay, I caved an looked at OMGMG, and I like their little background thing for the news posts. Steal it and make it the right colors plz.

I do like commenting, but I think the New having its own forum, rather than have each article go into the proper forum by topic, was still a deal-breaker that we were unable to find a compromise for. If I remember correctly.

Yes. This was one of the prominent problems of the hack that we discussed way back when. An idea could be that we could move the news articles from the news forum or copy them, but redundancy is redundant.

Every idea for the frontsite more or less hinges on a hack or the owners approving it. Problem is, I'm not a business major, and I can't generate revenue values for internet viewing. Any argument most of us could make would be qualitative, not quantitative. In which case, we just plain need a lot of people to start freaking out and getting pissed off.

Why, that's right up my alley.

Old Manus
11-24-2009, 07:10 PM
ITT Tavrobel assumes adminstrative control of Eyes On Final Fantasy PLC

Tavrobel
11-25-2009, 06:15 AM
Ever since I started linking images in articles, has anyone noticed if the frontsite loads significantly slower than before?

Aerith's Knight
11-25-2009, 12:51 PM
Not for me, or it could be I don't notice a 30 ms delay.

Loony BoB
11-25-2009, 01:39 PM
Every idea for the frontsite more or less hinges on a hack or the owners approving it. Problem is, I'm not a business major, and I can't generate revenue values for internet viewing. Any argument most of us could make would be qualitative, not quantitative. In which case, we just plain need a lot of people to start freaking out and getting pissed off.

Why, that's right up my alley.
I think you have an even lower opinion of the ownership than they actually deserve. If you email them, they reply. If you say "I think blogs on the frontsite, created via the forums, would generate more interest in the site", they'll probably be more than a little interested. I can't actually think of many ideas that we actually bothered to ask them that they didn't go along with. They will listen if you're willing to take the time to communicate with them directly. They just don't look at the threads and might say no. But in my personal experiences, they haven't been assholes about it at all. Ever!

Of course, maybe we should have someone aside from yourself be the one to get in touch with them... >_>;

Aerith's Knight
11-25-2009, 03:09 PM
Every idea for the frontsite more or less hinges on a hack or the owners approving it. Problem is, I'm not a business major, and I can't generate revenue values for internet viewing. Any argument most of us could make would be qualitative, not quantitative. In which case, we just plain need a lot of people to start freaking out and getting pissed off.

Why, that's right up my alley.
I think you have an even lower opinion of the ownership than they actually deserve. If you email them, they reply. If you say "I think blogs on the frontsite, created via the forums, would generate more interest in the site", they'll probably be more than a little interested. I can't actually think of many ideas that we actually bothered to ask them that they didn't go along with. They will listen if you're willing to take the time to communicate with them directly. They just don't look at the threads and might say no. But in my personal experiences, they haven't been assholes about it at all. Ever!

Of course, maybe we should have someone aside from yourself be the one to get in touch with them... >_>;

Sounds like a volunteer.

Tavrobel
11-25-2009, 05:00 PM
Sounds like a volunteer.

Mind reader.

If you've had good experiences with them, BoB, and they've actually responded to you, then why should I be the one to contact them now? While I can't say that they're assholes, that is mostly because they don't respond to me at all, thus eliminating any opportunity for an experience whatsoever. I, unlike you, have no inherent authority because I am merely a regular Staff member. I can't be blamed for only being able to judge based on my experiences, can I? If you think that they're a delightful romp, I'm sure I would change my mind if I were able to share in that experience with you, but no such event has occurred.

Furthermore, you were one of the people who had administrative authority at OMGMG. Therefore, your opinion and experience managing that site is more valuable than the theoretical source of activity that I could offer them.

Loony BoB
11-25-2009, 05:24 PM
I wasn't aware you'd tried to contact them. Have you ever emailed them when you tried to contact them, or did you just PM them? I don't think they have email alerts set up, and if they do, I don't think they're going to their inboxes.

I've already said earlier that it's more of a forums staff thing (regarding the blogs) for now, anyway, so I'm just waiting on the go-ahead from my comrades in that forum before making any request. I've never suggested you should contact them, in fact, I think I suggested otherwise. :D But anyone on SS who has a habit for being tactful and polite would be an excellent candidate to email them regarding any queries they might have regarding the frontsite.

Tavrobel
11-25-2009, 05:53 PM
I have never tried PMs. This is because they don't appear to log in, ever. Well, not that they would need to other than to make sure we haven't attempted to electronically explode the site.

I can be polite and tactful. I just don't see the point in doing so around people that will automatically assume that anything I say is malicious. If you redirected them (the owners) to me, I'm sure that at the very least, they would understand the situation.


Not for me, or it could be I don't notice a 30 ms delay.

Yes, but not everyone has a high speed connection, even if I would like to assume so, I have to care about the people with 56k modems. It was somewhat longer for me when I load it, but I'm always running a torrent or such.

Those, sad, poor, unfortunate people.