Accj21 said:
I understand that the original founders are growing old, but much of the fanbase is not. Perhaps it could become a time of new leadership, passing it down to people who don't have college/jobs to worry about.
This is a good point and one which I understand has been discussed to some degree, but I only know this through first and second party sources, having not been a part of the discussions that SZ mentioned since I'm not forum staff)
The forum certainly holds loads of sentimental value, but I feel like the new blood need to step up their passion for keeping the place welcoming, entertaining, and sustainable. I feel like the modding scene is getting close but needs a bit more exposure or someone with higher profile; the MP online could be an avenue to explore further; and Activities will always be a source for growth but we can't rely on them solely to maintain membership and activities.
The forum and site on paper are meant to cover different sides of the community, and I still feel that it's doing so, but not quite in the way that the survey that I ran posed to the said communities (well really just the site community of which many also go on the forum). Obviously there may be the old barriers of US law 'requiring' forumers to be over 13, or jut the plain hassle of having to make an account (though you kind of do to pot on the site comment now as well). I think we could get away with a bit more streamlining of the forum parent boards to just Mario/MP/Ninty/VG/General/Activities/Community (which would include F/S and TLL, maybe blogs) while moving hacking to respective gaming boards.
Perhaps we might need to forum/site integrate a bit differently, maybe a Topic of the Week/Day (not Mario news related) where Disqus comments are closed and registering on the forum and posting there was encouraged? The stickler of lack of true integration doesn't help things, but forum portal mods don't really work in my experience of being a member where one as used, as well as previously having one here back in the old days. I don't remember if SMF inherently cannot integrate with website comments but other forum software like vB et al can, but that's not a cost (particularly financial and database conversion) I want to see undertaken unless it will actually generate the member influx we need. Maybe a reverse situation where a forumer is featured on the site for something that they're well known for - Nintega with his modding, Yoshiman with the SMM LPs, and so on! We used to do newsletters (as in, yearly or worse) and other silly publications for forum news and happenings - sure we have a podcast, but site coverage is perhaps the most immediate way to grab people's attention (if they want it). Interviewing fellow forumers perhaps?
Just for some context of relative inactivity/lack of member posting, back in Lent 2008 it was essentially me, VIP and a few of the real old veterans (iirc Cook and possibly MLYW, maybe Snowy) with quite intense posting (to the point where both VIP and myself lost at least half of the couple thousand posts we made due to 101s and offtopicing). I'm sure you guys can at least try to get to that sort of level with General topics (minus the aforementioned 101s and off topics). =p
So much to say from an oldie like myself who very much falls into the group of peeps who have real life fully securing our time, but I want to see ideas and innovations from you guys. The forum needs a bit of intense rehab rather than just sitting in a metaphorical nursing home - be creative and step outside your comfort zone and find something that can keep the forum going strong. Perhaps shuffling the order is one step in the overall blueprint, but there's lots more we can plan or even start in the meanwhile. Take hold of that leading star that we used to have in our logos (before our modern update) and guide your dreams to reality.
~8B1T/TSL/HJ/idk how many other tags I go by~
