Hey folks! Just because it isn't spring doesn't mean we can't do a little spring cleaning. We've been talking behind the scenes, and we're looking at de-cluttering the forums a little in the name of consolidating, getting rid of less active subforums by combining them with others... removing "Newcomers", for instance, and replacing it with a permanent thread for introductions on the Tavern with relevant stickies.
This isn't just because I'm a weirdo minimalist freak. The idea is that by doing this, we can make the forums easier to navigate, have more activity taking place in larger sections (versus spates of smaller activity peppered throughout), and generally make everything cleaner and more intuitive.
So! While I'd like to start doing this within the week, I want to give all of you your chance to speak out and help us decide what goes where, what to keep and what to ditch, and how best to smoosh various subs together while making MWAH MWAH sounds so it turns out better for everyone. This is YOUR forum, after all, so we want your suggestions and feedback before we pull any triggers. Thanks for your time!
Sorry, it's been a hectic week, but that doesn't excuse me not posting the thread because I got wrapped up in other projects! I will remind Boppins to change the description on the tavern to make it clearer for newcomers to introduce themselves there, and get that thread up ASAP.
No need to palms on faces! If I haven't made it clear, then I apologize, as I do consider myself responsible in part for the change. It was something brought up to me, and ultimately I agreed with the rest of the staff. While it may not be completely my "fault", it would be unfair of me to shift the blame entirely to everyone else. Everything I have said thus far has been what was communicated to me about the reasoning for the subsection's removal... that it was largely unnecessary with proper threads, inactive for long stretches of time, and as such, essentially clutter, with the points raised against it largely easily addressed as mentioned in my previous post. I can ask someone else to respond if you're unsatisfied with my own, though the points you'll hear are likely to be the same.
We are not a huge company and may seem to be moving slowly in regards to the things that matter to some people here on the forums, and it's my hope that we can ramp things up in that regard, in addition to communicating it all better, even if it doesn't make everyone happy.
Everything I have said thus far has been what was communicated to me about the reasoning for the subsection's removal... that it was largely unnecessary with proper threads, inactive for long stretches of time, and as such, essentially clutter, with the points raised against it largely easily addressed as mentioned in my previous post.
Now now, there has been some frustration about this as we have all made obvious. I'd like to make a point about this part though.Let's emphasize Matt's point here that ties with that:
Armor Games appealed to me from the start for the close interaction between the admins/mods and the users.
You see, the main problem is the lack of communication. Maybe that's why @DoraDoraBoBora thinks it is her fault But at any rate, as feedback is meant to be constructive, it may or may not be accepted. Exactly like nicho pointed out, you can take the thoughts and ideas posted into consideration but that does not mean you have to accept them. You can still do whatever you originally planned (I am using the term "you" for the entire staff team here ), despite any counter argument anyone may have. And I for one think you did take the feedback into consideration, just that our arguments did not sway you from the original idea
The problem is that there was nothing coming from the staff's end. Aside from Dora who started the thread and probably passed our ideas on to the rest, as I am sure she did, no argument came from any admin or any response to our own arguments. Nothing whatsoever. This enhances the feeling of talking to a wall just because someone from the other side said "We are listening" some days ago.
So, basically, this is what is making the users here upset in my opinion. That no prior discussion and no response to our feedback was given by any admin before the change was made. And maybe why Dora feels it is her fault I want to point out, that personally, I am not throwing the blame to any specific person. Mistakes were made, you (now I am referring to Dora personally xD) may or may not be responsible for some or most of those. It does not matter. What matters is that this must be avoided in the future.
To sum it up, we have some User-to-admin communication (or at least the willingness to start or maintain this connection) but obviously we are facing a serious lack of admin-to-user communication which is, exactly like matt pointed out, alienating the staff from the rest of the community.
I am pointing all this out because that in my opinion is what matters the most. Also, it is my attempt to calm down things before they escalate. I definitely don't think it is Dora's fault nor am I interested in knowing who to blame. I for one don't want to blame anyone in particular. Everyone's opinion has been voiced and our objections have been noted. Aside from that, there is not much we can do as users and there is not much admins can do right now, aside from taking note to avoid such situations in the future This thread is about providing more feedback on combining forums and some of that has been provided in the previous pages, both by myself and some other users (I mean after the Newcomers sub was deleted). If it is being looked at, a response to it and why you think it would be a good or a bad idea is a good place to start xD
This isn't a user-made complaint thread. This is an official "thing" started by an administrator. You can't make an official thread for community feedback on a change, disregard the feedback, then make the change without announcing it (Patrick brought it up), then wait until you get complaints to dance around the arguments. And as was mentioned several times, this isn't something that " (didn't) make everyone happy." It made no one happy. In fact, it made everyone unhappy.
1 You've asserted a few times that the admin responsible for the change have ignored all feedback; an assertion which is entirely groundless. The point of requesting feedback is to give the admin an idea of how the community will respond to a proposed change, if implemented, and to address any severe debilitating flaws that might have initially been overlooked. It is not to give final veto to whoever bothers to respond.
2 I'll thank you not to generalize your own feelings as though they applied to the entire community. It almost never turns out to be true.
Dora said "We are not a huge company." I was referring to the company, not Dora (or anyone) individually. "An administrator" is about the position, not a person.
And in what way does that affect any part of my statement?
