Finally finished that long response. XD
Dear Gilean, it's everyone's favorite way to respond to VMs/PMs: Microsoft Word!
Microsoft Word is love for the people who still stick with Microsoft instead of Linux and the awesome that is open source.
Like, uh, me. *waves hi from her shiny Microsoft 2003*
And not only is it Microsoft, it's the 1995 edition!
And that's awesomely special.
But yes, this was the only way I could organize out my thoughts and all without ending up with verbal diarrhea. :<
At least it's not like shitting rainbows. As sparkly as that is, that's usually a bad sign.
The funny thing is that from what I've seen, it's when there is a lot of active working staff that the forums are actually active. Take PFU and SPPf (lulz) for examples and comparisons. PFU has a very small fraction of those listed on the Forum Leaders page who are what would be considered "active" to the normal member. SPPf, however, has a lot of members that are around in every section, taking part in normal discussions. (It's also the same on PC.) And I guess that that means that the majority of normal members feel safe posting because they can say what they want and not be trolled. Plus, it offers guidelines, and lets the normal members know that there's someone watching over them protecting them and keeping everyone (or nearly everyone) in line.
That and it makes the community feel comfortable by erasing the line between staff and regular members more, I think. If a member looks at a staff member who only comes on to mod, I guess it would make the member feel as if the staff can't relate to them – kinda like they're aliens or just robots. Because the staff sets the feeling of the board, the board ends up being a little colder.
But if that's just rambling, yeah, you've definitely got a point.
I like the latter better because it means that I can state my opinion without someone mindlessly flaming me and the staff not doing a thing.
Or participating it. Definitely agree here.
I had a point with all this. I swear I did. It's just that I found some Bert/Ernie slash and started reading that while writing this. Right now, I'm innocently whistling. (Rule 34: raping your childhood!)
But it's practically canon! Oh, come now. Two straight young men who aren't related sharing an apartment for that many years? Either they're really close friends, or they're "really close friends."
If SA really wants the reputation, he needs to work for it. Twiddling with a few small pieces of code and not signing into the forums for days at a time isn't a good way to get reputation. He should ask for help to run the website, but SA asking for help would be like OSC admitting Andrew's gay. It's just not going to happen.
You have a good point. I really couldn't figure out what it was about PFU that was so great. People say it's the community, but really, the community is filled with drama and morons. It hasn't been great since 2005, and then SA booted out or chased away the intelligent members of that time.
And you're right he in that he needs to work for it. I don't know what he's doing with that board, but opening it without saying a word in response? I don't think he's taken me seriously when I said he's running the thing himself.
I've only been there once, but the who "red Poké ball" skin irked me to know end.
Agreed. I use the snowflake one, but even then, it's pretty godawful. SA's actually admitted he's no website designer when it comes to aesthetics. As in, he can't format and make something look good if his life depended on it. So, we've got pretty godawful layouts and skins (and, for that matter, organization).
Which includes the crappy Halloween one we had not too long ago. Put it this way, you don't want a dark layout from SA. What he did was essentially take a dark gray background and smacked BRIGHT orange and BRIGHT purple text on it. With BRIGHT green links.
My eyes were sad, and I went back to Liquid Gray.
I can't really blame you, nor should you berate yourself. Yeah, there was probably something you could have done, but it's not like you're the only staff member at all on the entire board.
True, but I was the most active and the most serious about it other than Eki (who, between you and me, probably won't be a mod of Firefly because he gets a bit verbally trigger-happy around the members). Literally half the staff has stated they really didn't want to do the job or were leaving PFU if I left. It's great that they support my decision to leave and, back then, ease up, but, uh, it's not too helpful for a staff.
I could've modded someone else, but unfortunately, the options weren't that great. The only other active members in those areas were Shine Diamond (who I don't know that well) and maybe Misstres Meg.
(Haha, I think I don't care at this point who sees this. XD)
Neither do I. XD
Weren't a few of them, before they became moderators, the subjects of your many rants on LJ about the stupidity of PFU?
Ironically, yes. And yet, I still thought they were better than any other alternative on that board. What does that say about the population of PFU?
And Sol? So not included in that monkey crap. You're not kidding at all when you say he's the only good candidate for admin on that board from what I've seen.
Well, if we count the inactive ones, El Nino, Alpha, Ramen Pirate, and Twister were pretty cool too. But unfortunately, none of them were active or wanted the job either. XD
So if you don't want her wrath, you just have to think she's the greatest thing ever or else you'll get an s-mod running around after you.
…Is she still fourteen?
But Yami is still stuck in the same way that she reviewed three years ago. She's never going to change. Nothing's going to force her to change, nobody can say anything to her, and it's just…ugh.
And meanwhile, poor Silawen is doing her best to provide a better example for the younguns. *headdesk*
It's just that Yami will think I'm back to stick up for her and be her best buddy again, but I'll have to say that she's wrong. And getting her response isn't one that I want to get. =\
Ha. I know what you mean here. Silawen and Farla have already mentioned how she's whined about a backstabbing ***** who did pretty much the same thing.
Awesome! I'll get on it once I finish this post-Game fic I've been writing.
Ooh. Good luck. Will we see it? =D
I'm just unsure if I should include snark or not. It would be difficult for me not to since that's how I am. XD
Why not? The guide's almost full of it anyway. XD
By the way, "Xanthine" would be an awesome name. But then again, I'm just a big giant fangirl for words beginning with X. *hugs book*
You're a terrible, terrible influence on me.
Edit with smexy ninja weapons to be used at a later date: Caius/Scythe said that you joining our pairing would be awesome. So PC better watch out, because there's now a new smexy sandwich. XD (Oh dear Andy Apwit's mother's garter...the innuendo on that is astounding.)
Sweet! 8D Is it already noted in the Pairing Thread, or should I go and do it? Mmm. Sexy, sexy sandwich.
Also, I'd like to take the time to thank you for your advice and opinions. What you said here is pretty much what finally got me to get off my rear, leave PFU, and strive to make Firefly better. (Although Macabre's not helping all that much, but I will probably punch him in the face if he keeps this kind of attitude up.) You've also gotten me back to FFNet, and I'm already feeling like I'm actually coming home in a sense. That is to say, I'm going back to the stuff that made me enjoy fandom (site building, fanfiction, reviewing), and I'm definitely happier now. ^_^
So, thanks so much for finally talking me into doing it.
Also, lolwut. This turned out to be four pages too. XD