EoFF Elections 2010, Debate Thread!

[qwertysaur]

Darth Banana is correct that you will be able to have your own member blog when VBulliten4 comes out. but she has only barely skimmed the surface of what we can and should do. Here are a few examples of what we can do already with it, after all we can do so much more than feature simple playthroughs. Say for example a member comes up with a technique that makes a certain boss fight easier in Final Fantasy XIII. Cids Knights and Cids Technicians will have the ability to take any post and promote it to an article for the frontsite, so when a newbie comes asking for help this member created technique is available for them. This can encourage members to post their ideas on how to beat a tricky extra boss, explain the trick to get the Zodiac Spear from the Henne Mines, or even a nice april fools prank like how to really revive Aeris. Adding content to the frontsite will become easier than ever before! In addition, there can be things like thread of the week or picture of the week, where a single thread or work of art gets put up on the frontsite. It feels really nice when the random people from google who come to find the location of all the Stellazio coins and sees your picture of Mog dancing with Umaro in Narshe. With a chest bump. The possibilities VBulliten4 are endless, and the forums, frontsite, and even chat the the wiki will come together as one. Also I know html too.

lowtech version in case you have trouble seeing this because of the colors. (SPOILER)

Darth Banana is correct that you will be able to have your own member blog when VBulliten4 comes out. But she has only barely skimmed the surface of what we can and should do. Here are a few examples of what we can do already with it, after all we can do so much more than feature simple playthroughs. Say for example a member comes up with a technique that makes a certain boss fight easier in Final Fantasy XIII. Cids Knights and Cids Technicians will have the ability to take any post and promote it to an article for the frontsite, so when a newbie comes asking for help this member created technique is available for them. This can encourage members to post their ideas on how to beat a tricky extra boss, explain the trick to get the Zodiac Spear from the Henne Mines, or even a nice april fools prank like how to really revive Aeris. Adding content to the frontsite will become easier than ever before! In addition, there can be things like thread of the week or picture of the week, where a single thread or work of art gets put up on the frontsite. It feels really nice when the random people from google who come to find the location of all the Stellazio coins and sees your picture of Mog dancing with Umaro in Narshe. With a chest bump. The possibilities VBulliten4 are endless, and the forums, frontsite, and even chat the the wiki will come together as one. Also I know html too.

[Marshall Banana]

It's not cool to be a copycat!

Also I know html too.

You just copied and pasted the code for my table, though. :kaolaugh:

[Quindiana Jones]

Way to be original, Zombies.

[Psychotic]

Well of course it's the same, it's a rebuttal.

[Pheesh]

Rebuttal is supposed to be the opposing argument. XD

If anything he should have made it super plain.

[qwertysaur]

I copy paste a lot, but I changed a few details.

edit: if it should be super plain then look at the spoiler before you post.

[Psychotic]

Rebuttal is supposed to be the opposing argument. XD

It's the opposing HTML table!

seriously why is this a big deal? It's supposed to be a bit of fun. Geeeeeeez, guys!

[Pheesh]

Cause we are the good kids who finished class early and got the good spot in the sandbox...and you guys are the big smelly kids who came and punched us until we gave it to you.

[Marshall Banana]

seriously why is this a big deal? It's supposed to be a bit of fun. Geeeeeeez, guys!

You don't take competition well, huh? :mymelrelaxed:

Here, guys. I'll help you out, because the changes you made to my table are an eyesore:

Darth Banana is correct that you will be able to have your own member blog when VBulletin4 comes out, but she has only barely skimmed the surface of what we can and should do. Here are a few examples of what we can do already with it; after all, we can do so much more than feature simple playthroughs: Say, for example, a member comes up with a technique that makes a boss fight easier in Final Fantasy XIII. Cid's Knights and Cid's Technicians will have the ability to promote it to an article for the frontsite, so, when a newbie comes asking for help, this member-created technique is available for them. This can encourage members to post their ideas on how to beat a tricky extra boss, explain the trick to get the Zodiac Spear from the Henne Mines, or even a nice April Fools prank (like how to really revive Aerith). Adding content to the frontsite will become easier than ever before! In addition, there can be features like "Thread of the Week" or "Picture of the Week," in which a single thread or work of art is put up on the frontsite. It would feel really nice for random people from Google - who come to find the location of all the Stellazio coins - to see your picture of Mog dancing with Umaro in Narshe instead. With a chest bump. The possibilities of VBulletin4 are endless; and the forums, frontsite, and even chat and the wiki will come together as one. Also I know html too.

[qwertysaur]

I provided for anyone who disliked how the table looked with the lowtech version right under the first table in the spoiler tag.

And this is an eyesoar

[Election Booth]

I know you had that ready to go in time, so a'okay!

Alright, I wasn't here when it was posted, so 501st doesn't have 24 hours from now, but 24 hours from the time of PusMoaning's post to make a rebuttal!

This was a typo, it was suppose to read 12. However, my typo probably screwed any chance of them doing it in 12, so I'll reward them the 24. Call it making up for the Zombies' first round.

[Jiro]

“Much has been made about EoFF's ability or inability to attract and keep new members.”

Unquestionably, EoFF does have the ability to attract new members. This is illustrated by the fact that 16 new people posted introduction threads within the Wonder Square between March 1st and today. This is not counting those who have posted “Hey, I’m Back!” threads and others who have registered simply without making introduction threads.

Sixteen members in the space of five weeks is not very promising -- three per week? As for those who don't post a newbie thread, many of those are bots and the few legitimate members don't make any posts. EoFF is built around a franchise that is no longer as popular as it once was. There are fewer and less frequent instalments, and the market is flooded with non-Final Fantasy titles. Final Fantasy simply holds less appeal to the youth of today.

“Much has been made about EoFF's ability or inability to attract and keep new members.”

Each and every forum around the world will encounter new members who don’t stick around. This is especially the case for a forum such as EoFF, that has been around for a great period of time. The heart of such a forum is composed of the most loyal members who have served their time here with distinction. Wondering into such an environment incontestably warrants a sense of not belonging to some people. But the important thing is (especially from an administrative perspective) that you'll never make everyone happy. All you can do is try your best; and in this case, it would seem wise to favor with the oldies and try to adapt to the new.

Favouring already established members is like injecting EoFF with the genophage; sure it's for their own good, but how the hell does the forum survive? It doesn't, Wrex gets pissed and things get broken. We don't want that. However, favouring newbies drives away the members who have been an important part of the community for any period of time. Perhaps trying to strike a balance is a far more diplomatic approach, and much more likely to actually achieve anything. The best way for the established members to help retain new members is to stop being bigoted elitists. If you've nailed that, then try being welcoming.

“Some have placed blame on unfriendly, difficult transition into upper forums, and dead, lifeless lower forums. Do you find either of these to be accurate?”

Difficult transition to upper forums? Nope. There is a boundless spew of thread topics to discuss in the upper echelon that only a profound retard couldn’t find something to relate to and discuss.

Yes, let's insult people who might be actually too confronted by so many different topics that they stay away. I am proof enough of this; I spent my newbie days on EoFF in the lower forums until inactivity and real life drew me away completely. General Chat was too hectic, and that was the place where you knew everybody would see your posts. I, like many others, decided against posting in general chat. However many of these members do not stick around long enough to get the courage to post where they can be judged.

Lifeless lower forums? Yes. If a new member comes here and means business, soon to find that the main forum sections of such business are considerably quieter, then of course that person may look elsewhere for the conversations in which they seek.

The lower forums are not active because those games are no longer in the spotlight. Topics have been discussed time and time again and obtaining some of those games in current days is actually more expensive than it was when first released. There was an unopened copy of Final Fantasy VII in a store I visited recently selling for $134.95. In addition, the outdated graphics are likely to turn off new players, which results in an overall deficet of members. Eyes on Plays events (and/or similar) are the only way(s) to bring life back into the lower forums, and even then it is only shortlived.

“What do you feel, if anything, should be changed for EoFF to attract new members?”

Nothing. The numbers are there as evidence that new people are swinging by on a consistent basis. Also, this forum is a unique home to so many people already so why change the equation? The eyes that lay witness on this debate tribute to the fact that we are a healthy community in need of no serious remedy or change.

The way to attract new members to EoFF would be to completely overhaul the site and make it about RPGs in general or something less specific. However you'd obviously understand why this isn't going to happen. EoFF doesn't need to change. Eyes on Final Fantasy is like Earth; it's populated by a diverse range of people. Final Fantasy is like the Lifestream -- it gives life to new people/members, and also to the Earth/Forum itself. The biggest changes need to happen to our Lifestream, not our Earth.

[Election Booth]

So all the arguments are in, I've given you a breather and you'll continue to get a breather until the special surprise I have in store for you all between the rounds is ready.

[Psychotic]

is it a pony?

e: a zomby pony?

[Election Booth]

There will be no Zombie Pornos.