J-E Reconstruction Project

Gonna do my yearly cleaning again once I actually get some time to think again (when I get out for winter break).

Throw suggestions in here.

I can't say I've exactly thought any ideas through, but I'm all for throwing things out and seeing what sticks. I suppose my biggest question is just to wonder if J-E as a whole has a high enough activity level to actually make any changes to the forum. It's pretty organized as it is considering the activity level, so should we be focusing on some kind of initiative to get more people to participate on a regular basis? Anime and manga are a logical next step for members who may be beginning to feel that their entertainment needs are not solely met by Pokemon, so maybe some kind of focus on getting curious members introduced to J-Entertainment is in order.

We have fun discussions in J-E Discussion, but it's undoubtedly pretty impenetrable to newcomers. The frequent use of otaku terminology, the need to be able to draw from a wide breadth of past reading/viewing experience for discussion, and the discussion of shows in an age group that might be uncomfortable for younger members are all barriers to entry. In no way am I suggesting that conversation be directed in any way, but I'd love to hear suggestions on how to make the J-E forum as a whole more new/casual J-E-consumer-friendly.

Another option for increasing activity is to simply give existing members more opportunities to have in-depth discussion of J-E topics. The J-E Discussion thread is already for this purpose, but I'm curious to know what taking that kind of serious discussion to another level would do for activity. I'd like to possibly suggest the creation of a sub-forum with the purpose of having individual threads dedicated to all series currently airing in Japan at a given time (or, if this sounds overwhelming, a handful of series from each season as decided beforehand by popular vote in J-E). As we can all see from the J-E Discussion thread, current series talk comprises the bulk of discussion in there, and I wonder if having dedicated threads for series where we can conveniently carry on a focused discussion would result in an increase in activity. Having one thread for virtually every series past and present may be stifling enthusiasm for prolonged discussion of individual series, for all we know. J-E as a whole is often surprisingly quiet for a forum with many members who seem happy to discuss any subject at length in the J-E Discussion megathread when the opportunity arises. We have our share of post-and-run "poll"-type topics with their fair share of activity but while they accumulate posts, these type of threads don't necessarily have much back-and-forth discussion.

If there were some plan to increase discussion I'm sure it would be inevitable that there would be some level of overlap with what's already discussed in J-E/the J-E Discussion thread, I suppose, but some kind of plan for having more concurrently active threads than there are at present should be considered. Just my two cents!

I like Chairman Kaga's idea of having something specifically dedicated to shows that are currently airing. I've rarely posted in the discussion thread because the flow of the conversation is often on current shows that I'm not watching. I sort of assume that's what the thread is for 90% of the time now.

Chairman Kaga said:

I suppose my biggest question is just to wonder if J-E as a whole has a high enough activity level to actually make any changes to the forum. It's pretty organized as it is considering the activity level, so should we be focusing on some kind of initiative to get more people to participate on a regular basis? Anime and manga are a logical next step for members who may be beginning to feel that their entertainment needs are not solely met by Pokemon, so maybe some kind of focus on getting curious members introduced to J-Entertainment is in order.

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It's partially me liking to get some feedback every so often, partially that I occassionally see things that may or may not need to be phased out, partially that I couldn't actually think of a creative name for this.

I like Chairman Kaga's idea of having something specifically dedicated to shows that are currently airing. I've rarely posted in the discussion thread because the flow of the conversation is often on current shows that I'm not watching. I sort of assume that's what the thread is for 90% of the time now.

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Sounds good. The original plan back when was supposed to have the J-E discussion thread be a most current season discussion with all older shows being along the lines of, "go make a thread for it," though that flopped a bit just because some people were bringing up older shows because they had just watched it.
Second attempt was making individual thread for each of the current shows. That one flopped because of the weekly nature of series combined with the revival rule and threads staying on the first page.
There's another thing that making new threads that aren't general topic isn't too high in the forum. Making two separate threads would be a good idea of separating letting the older stuff go through some more. Encouraging people to make individual threads may be a good idea to throw in the rules

As for activity, I know the Favorite PC Anime Tournament boosted some activity over here a bit. Perhaps another one, or a similar one, is in order. Will make plans this weeked to start up.

digi-kun said:

It's partially me liking to get some feedback every so often, partially that I occassionally see things that may or may not need to be phased out, partially that I couldn't actually think of a creative name for this.

Sounds good. The original plan back when was supposed to have the J-E discussion thread be a most current season discussion with all older shows being along the lines of, "go make a thread for it," though that flopped a bit just because some people were bringing up older shows because they had just watched it.
Second attempt was making individual thread for each of the current shows. That one flopped because of the weekly nature of series combined with the revival rule and threads staying on the first page.
There's another thing that making new threads that aren't general topic isn't too high in the forum. Making two separate threads would be a good idea of separating letting the older stuff go through some more. Encouraging people to make individual threads may be a good idea to throw in the rules

As for activity, I know the Favorite PC Anime Tournament boosted some activity over here a bit. Perhaps another one, or a similar one, is in order. Will make plans this weeked to start up.

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I'm sure that new subforum suggestions are a dime a dozen on PC but it really does fit for J-E, especially if we want ways to get people talking while preserving the current atmosphere of the forum. We definitely want to encourage people to have more series-specific discussion, but we have the two problems of people being over-reliant on the J-E Discussion megathread while also cluttering the forum (and creating mod issues with bumped threads) if they do want to spin off series discussion into its own thread. I'm not saying that individual threads for series couldn't work in the same forum as all of the J-E general discussion threads that currently reside here, but just for the sake of exploring all options, here's kind of how I'd see a subforum working:

Japanese Entertainment:

For general non series-specific discussion. This includes news, polls, opinion topics, and threads for forms of J-Entertainment that don't get as much attention as anime like manga, J-Drama, J-Pop, tokusatsu, etc. J-E Discussion stays because it's an institution and is a free-flowing strand of conversation that never stays on the same topic.

Series Discussion:

For specific discussion of anime series. I envision a mod being tasked with making sticky threads every quarter with upcoming series info and either creating informational OPs for shows as they begin to air or leaving this to members (though the mod route may create more discussion by inspiring members to check out and discuss series that they may otherwise not have had there been no OP.) Threads for older series would also be created in the same forum, though entirely at the discretion of individual members. You mention the revival rule being problematic to individual threads, though that could possibly just be amended or scrapped altogether in a subforum as discussion of a finished series can never really "end" the way a normal thread does due to there always being new first-time viewers for pretty much anything.

Just a suggestion, you obviously know what works best here though so if it's just a matter of creating another sticky thread for older series, actively encouraging individual threads, etc. that's just fine. I do like the idea of tourney threads to have a constant activity boost, maybe if another Favorite PC Anime tourney gets off the ground we could have some kind of tourney running constantly, whether for individual characters, favorite manga, etc.

my personal opinion of part of the problem with no real support: *points at other clubs*

As far as the second subforum goes, I'm partially sure that it was shot down back when at some point, but that might have been me delusioning. At the same time, J-E has gotten more active than it used to be, so that's a plus. Will do a check.

Next Tournament depends on how much time I have. Earliest I can get it going will likely be this weekend.

Honestly, I think the best thing to try for a while might be to ditch the JE Discussions thread entirely. As someone who would like to frequent the forum but doesn't get around to it, I've always found it really intimidating.

What exactly goes in there that shouldn't go in the main forum? I feel that any discussions about a series should be done in a thread for that series... then not only is it easy to keep the discussion going without interruptions by other topics, but it's easier for newcomers to find the discussion too. This needs to be done especially for currently-airing anime but I also think most series would benefit from their own thread whenever they want to be discussed. :/

I don't think a subforum is really needed for this. J-E's activity is kind of ridiculously low--it only has one page of active threads and most of those are polls where you can really only give your answer and then leave the thread forever (first anime, favourite OP, etc.) If the forum gets way too cluttered by making series threads more prominent, then a subforum is a possibility but before that, there needs to actually be activity to merit it and I can probably guarantee the hstaff would say no just based on the activity of a catch-all sticky thread. Also, if the revival rule is a problem here, you can always extend it or ditch it entirely. :3

[edit: Your argument about Other Clubs isn't entirely unfounded. :P But I think part of the problem is people don't feel welcome starting threads about series here so they go over there where they know a new thread is fine.]

Only other suggestion would be to reduce the number of stickies a bit. Maybe drop the Digi-chan Box and replace it with a one-liner telling people to give you a shout via PM/VM/whatever if they have any suggestions? This one's not a big deal though.

I do really like the idea of having the tournament again, and maybe we could do some sort of anime streaming thing every so often. Like how an anime club might run, maybe previewing some classics here and there or watching the new season lineup in the beginning or just doing something that can get people together in here and grab some more attention.

I completely agree with the Other Clubs issue, as it affects C&M as well (although not as much as it does here with things like the Bleach/Naruto Clubs being the size that they are). I'm not advocating for its removal, as its good qualities probably outnumber the bad, but it is a definite issue. To respond to Erica's point, if anything, I think the presence of the Clubs prevents people from posting in here (rather than the other way around), unfortunately.

Also, like Erica said, I also highly doubt that a subforum would improve activity. Instead, I imagine it'd just split the current activity between the two forums creating an emptier environment for both. Subforums are only really needed when there is too much demand; they're not a stimulus package or anything.

The J-E Discussions has a tendency to be cannibalistic in its activity: all too often if I feel like posting in here, the only topic that has had a new post is J-E Discussions, and that's normally about stuff that's happening now. As well as this, the few times I have posted in there, I have felt intimidated. I'm not blaming anyone, per se, but if people aren't watching the new episode of whatever shows are airing RIGHT! THIS! SECOND! it can feel like you're left out. That said, I wouldn't get rid of it: it's cannibalistic, but it does create sizable activity in its own right. Maybe a re-focus or a re-name to let people know that it's mainly about currently airing shows (I dunno, a J-E DCC or something?) so that more threads about older shows could be created in its stead?

Number of stickies is a bit much, but that's not a pressing concern, to be honest... removing some wouldn't boost activity but would make the place a bit neater.

How about a regular recurring segment to boost activity? Maybe a Poll of the Week or a recurring spotlight on influential anime (recent and older ones) to keep people talking about stuff...

That's all I have for the moment.

Then there must be some way to bridge the gap between Other Clubs and the media forums. I know I'm rather alone in this, but any time I ever ran a club that had a parallel forum it could go in, I'd usually use the club more as a fandom point than as a discussion thread for the series. Since it's the only thing I could think of, in the Kingdom Hearts fan club I used to encourage talking more about favourite characters and what-ifs and conjecture whereas if a KH thread popped up in the Gaming forum, that would be more for discussing gameplay, plot, and so on. There's a balance that can be made but it might require some working-together with Other Clubs and a little more strictness on what can be discussed where. I'm not entirely sure how it might work but I think there's a possibility of maintaining both successfully.

It's fine if no one thinks that a subforum is necessary. I don't necessarily believe that it's a bad thing if they're introduced to stimulate activity rather than reduce clutter, but if by most accounts J-E is so dead outside of the main discussion thread that individual topics for series wouldn't negatively impact general J-discussion topics, then let's just go with just creating series threads in here and adjusting the rules to accommodate the higher level of thread creation.

I've often felt that clubs for media like games and anime cannibalize activity from other forums, so it's definitely not an easy question as to how to handle potentially having two different threads for the same media work in two different forums. If we wanted to clearly delineate their purposes (on-topic series discussion vs. general fandom discussion) and enforce this division that's not out of the realm of feasibility. I don't know how members will react to having to juggle two different conversations about the same media when all manner of series discussion could likely fit easily into a single thread as it already seems to do in Other Clubs most of the time, but I suppose it's worth a shot.

We could always restrict the creation of a club until a certain period after the release of a show/game/anime/etc. has passed to give on-topic discussion/speculation/etc. clubs some time to thrive, but I don't even know if that's a good idea. Just throwing things out as they come into my head :p If digi's okay with the increase in threads here, I suppose we could institute the individual threads policy to coincide with the upcoming anime season. I wouldn't mind undertaking the task since I'm an insomniac bum and have so much time on my hands, as I envision OPs for shows as something informational to generate interest in a show/game/etc; not just serve as a landing point for people already aware and interested. It would take effort but look very nice.

I brought up the Other Clubs thing in HQ. I would really like to see this forum more active. >.>

About Cannibals:
I did play around with the idea of series threads once before i threw the J-E Discussion thread in, though that didn't turn out too well with about 5-7 single-post threads where people just wrote "This is what I think" and left the thread alone for the rest of the time. May be different this time around, so I'm willing to try this again. While i don't enjoy clogging up the front page with too many threads, at the same time, it's REALLY empty out there...
Let's see...looking at the first post of the discussion thread, I think one of the problems was also that there was no encouragement on series thread creation. I tried to hint at it a bit, but probably should have made it more blatant, apologies on that one XD

About Streaming:
I could do that. Frankly, both twocows and I would probably be willing to do that. Would be similar to get-together streaming in the summer. Main problem is for the people in Austrailia and time zones probably.

About X of the Week
Part of this is probably gonna be the tournament, though afterwards this isn't a bad idea.

About Activity:
I find it amusing that the only non-staff posts here are from 2 people.
Come on, people! Opinions are taken into consideration here. Feel free to voice objections/satisfaction to ideas posted here.

If streaming/synchronized watching is going to happen, it might be a good idea to have a sticky thread that serves as a compendium for every legal streaming option there is (crunchyroll, funimation, anime on demand, ANN, etc.) It's undeniable that almost all of us here watch at least some of our anime through gray-area means, so would this impact the selection of shows that are eligible for streaming parties or is there going to be a "don't ask how to find it, just join in if you do find it" policy?

Also, has PC ever tried to drum up interest in specific forums through Notices? It might not be a bad idea to have an invitation to come chat in J-E (Like Pokemon? You'll love anime/manga!), which can be rotated out to feature other forums as a recurring initiative to spread more activity around all of the areas of PC. Not quite a Forum of the Week deal, but close enough.

Hmmm, that's a point there, completely forgot that "stream" means something a bit different in the anime side. I personally don't like the "hit play on three" idea of streaming, so I'd like to say no as far as that goes. By streaming, I refer to livestream and similar such streaming sites. As a result, shows eligible for streaming are a bit less restricted, though that may remain to be seen. I'm pretty confident my up connection's good enough to sustain a somewhat good quality. A test is probably in order, though. Will set up for trial once I get home.

I can probably stream, my connection is pretty good.

I've been trying to get a hold of the information for PC's Twitter account to make official tweets about stuff.

digi-kun said:

Hmmm, that's a point there, completely forgot that "stream" means something a bit different in the anime side. I personally don't like the "hit play on three" idea of streaming, so I'd like to say no as far as that goes. By streaming, I refer to livestream and similar such streaming sites. As a result, shows eligible for streaming are a bit less restricted, though that may remain to be seen. I'm pretty confident my up connection's good enough to sustain a somewhat good quality. A test is probably in order, though. Will set up for trial once I get home.

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Yeah, I definitely didn't mean synchronized down to the second, more like "here's a timeframe in which you should watch episode 73 of Cybernetic Witch Yggdrasilborg-chan" so that people can stay on roughly the same page of discussion at the same time.

If livestream counts as valid streaming, then I guess that anything that you can pick up on KeyholeTV and things like that would count as valid. If we're going that broad, might as well just not restrict what's eligible for viewing parties and just be sure to always advocate legal means of acquiring anime.

It's probably better in PC's interest that we base eligibility off of appropriateness and just discourage threads for R-rated material. Basically, don't allow group watches for stuff like Manyuu Hikenchou/Yosuga no Sora/etc. They can still be discussed in J-E, but we don't want to be seen as actively promoting borderline h-stuff. It'd be up to your discretion.

I know I can stream just fine, bandwidth probably isn't a barrier for very many people in this day and age, though it's obviously a different story for our poor Canadian friends and the like who are trapped under bandwidth caps now.

You realize only a percentage of Canadians have caps, right? Let alone caps that are manageable? XD

I thought it was all of the major carriers there, apparently I'm wrong XD

I have no idea what David is on about. It is only a small percentage of Canadians who don't have caps. It's really only people who grandfathered in on reeeeaally old plans or people on plans with wholesalers that don't have to at least watch their consumption. At least in the eastern provinces, everyone has a cap if they've got a TV/phone/internet package. But streaming things here or there isn't really a big deal. It's speed/bandwidth moreso than cap that would be more of an issue, I'd think. :P

Notices should be absolutely fine, too. I'd be okay with notices even as far in advance as for the "what should we watch?" thread instead of just "here is the date, show up".