Member interaction center

[Nick]

So I had this idea from a post that Razor Leaf made somewhere. Ever since I read it, it's something that I thought about a lot and finally, I have the incentive to finally bring it up! I think we should have a forum based purely on getting to know each other. Chit Chat & Polls and The Welcome Lounge play their role, but I think something a little more extensive would do the trick much better, and provide a greater opportunity for members to become more aware of who they're interacting with on a regular basis. Blogs are posted a lot by members here asking for other members to ask them questions, and they're always something that become extremely popular, and kind of like a short-lived meme of sort that other members with blogs tend to do after one is posted. What do you think of having one of those types of forums added to PC?

 

[tigerBLADE]

I do like this idea because nowadays, I, personally am very interested on meeting new people, but, well, as shy as I am, I often speak to only a handful of members, instead of the majority of the userbase in general. I think this would be a cool idea to properly get to know people, so you'd be more comfortable around them more.

 

[Patrick]

I like the idea, really, but I'm afraid it'll just become another version of the polls subforum. -_-; That and the introduction forum.

Here's my question to you. How would you distinguish this from becoming another area to plop down a few words and be on one's way? What will you do to encourage people to engage in a conversation with each other? And what's stopping it from being entirely self serving, where people just post about themselves but never respond to anyone else in that same subsection?

If you can find some solutions to that (not looking for miracles, of course), I'll be behind you 100%.

 

[Meganium]

The first thing I thought when I read the OP was an "ask me anything" subforum or something like that, which I personally think that's a great idea. Of course it wouldn't be named "Ask Me Anything" but in another creative title. XD

Like Doronjo, I'm also shy towards members too...so this may break this hard nutshell that I'm always in.

 

[Kura]

I like this idea as a thread, not a subsection.. because people are always biased about themselves so i won tend to get to know others through their actions and posting around than anyrhing else. Maybe an ak me anyrhing thread that 3 people every 2 days sign up for and during those 2 days the members ask them questions? Just a suggestion as how it can be organized because otherwise i feel it would become a lot likememberclubs.. that didnt go too greatly imo.

I will elaborate later but rn i typing from my phone.

 

[Squirrel]

This sounds similar to the old member fan clubs? I wasn't around for those, but what went wrong with them and how would bringing them back work out? There's always the alternative of bringing back that old "ask me anything" Other Trivia thread which basically just went sign up > wait your turn > get asked questions > answer them all - but that seems a bit basic for this idea.

 

[Shiny Celebi]

Are you talking about a thread/section where people ask other users questions like in the blogs? I actually do like the idea and it would make it accessable to people that dont have a blog since you have to donate up to Tier 2, get 5000 posts, or be given a blog by the staff. However I think a single thread could get very confusing for people f it becomes popular, we have a lot of users and potentially a lot of users would want to ask or answer questions. As long as there was some sort of order in it I think it could work(such as people having to wait their turn before having people ask them questions) not sure how that would work though and individual threads might work better in their own subforum.

 

[Patrick]

I'd be down with an AMA. As usual, though, I can't help but see both side of the issue. The punchline of that being that I can understand where things could get ugly, fast. Especially if certain members get more questions than others, someone could take it the wrong way.

*recalls a thread here in PCQ&F months ago where someone felt slighted about being ignored in the RPs subforum*

That thought I just typed? I'd rather we avoid stuff like that if possible. A single thread just won't do. People are gonna end up treating it like the DCCs, and those are only fun if you have some clout or seniority, otherwise posts tend to get skipped over. That's gonna be less fun in an AMA situation. Not to mention the clutter. I'd just go with the subforum. Maybe find a way to make it work, though, if there is one.

 

[Melody]

Honestly, I think it's a good idea. I'd love to be able to post up a thread where people would be welcome to ask me about anything about me. If I wanted to do so in my blog, I'd have done so by now...but I don't, because I feel like that lacks much exposure. Blog entries are notoriously short-lived, sometimes even being immediately covered up by the next entry and getting next to no traffic except from others with blogs who happen to be browsing in the area.

Personally I think it would be pretty easy to moderate such a section, and emblems could be given out for those who run their thread well. I also think it'd be a good place for people to ask just about anyone, especially staff members, anything and perhaps get to know a person so that it could spark a friendship or maybe a good discussion...even if it's taken off to PM/VM as the topic meanders away from being on-topic for an AMA thread.

 

[Honest]

Edit: I'd also say that Chit Chat and Polls could house such a subforum. It's more or less not directed at new members, nor is it for Pokémon discussions, and CC&P is more or less the lighthearted, off-topic (ish, I think?) discussion center.

First off, I'm going to agree with, I feel like a whole new section just for this is a bit silly and extra, and CCP would serve such an idea well. I'd be cool with a subforum more.

Anyway, as for the idea itself, it's not a bad idea. I don't exactly recall the Members Fanclub all that well, but it was closed down for a reason, and I feel the two (this idea and MFC) are fairly related. I don't know what was wrong with MFC, but if we already know our mistakes, then we can fix them.

There's one thing I want to say, though, and that's that I feel there should be some sort of restriction on who can make the threads. Not a very crazy one, not like getting 5,000 for blogs. But I feel like without one, the threads can get spammed by newbies and such. I was thinking "having been a PC member for __ amount of time" would serve well.*

*I'm assuming that this would work sort of like the blogs Nick mentioned worked, with people creating a thread for themselves and having people ask questions and talk or whatever. If, instead, other people make the threads (like in Member Fanclubs), then forget that.

 

[Her]

What went wrong with Member Fan Clubs (imo) was just that it was pure member idolatry and spam, and it was only the same five or six threads which were being posted in on a daily basis. I'm sure Nick has some way of identifying the differences between Member Fan Clubs and this idea he has (which I support), but I think the main issue is not his idea itself, but how to make sure it stays a separate entity from Member Fan Clubs.

 

[bobandbill]

It would definitely need some thought and a plan to avoid it becoming like Member Fanclubs for myself to want to support it, really. When I was a member MF seemed like a right mass and ego boosting section for a few more popular members, I frankly I'm not too confident that can be easily avoided.

A thread form carries less risk I suppose than a section...?

 

[droomph]

It would definitely need some thought and a plan to avoid it becoming like Member Fanclubs for myself to want to support it, really. When I was a member MF seemed like a right mass and ego boosting section for a few more popular members, I frankly I'm not too confident that can be easily avoided.

A thread form carries less risk I suppose than a section...?

Member Fanclubs - the word "fanclubs" invokes a feeling of omg ur so cool and would naturally turn into such a forum that it had. Maybe if you named it something less like that (I suggest "playpen"), it would be better off, because that word makes people think of all of them being on the same level, and no core member or something that's the focus, and a place for them to get used to each other, so there's less point of "omg ur the best!" and exclusion and all that.

etc.

 

[Aquacorde]

Yeah when I read this I immediately thought "oh not member fanclubs..." but then I thought about it and "oh, not member fanclubs!" I like this idea. But it seems like it's one of those things where a thread would be too crowded, a blog too short-lived, and a subforum not populated enough. If this idea does go ahead, I would prefer to see it as a subforum of probably CCP because that gives enough space for organization- I was pretty put off by the similar thread in OT because it was a bit chaotic and hard to follow. Of course there should be limitations on who can start threads there. Member for x amount of time OR post count over x would probably be fine. I'm not sure about the exact numbers- 1 year/2k, maybe? Or is that too long? Do you think threads should require mod approval to prevent a mess? idk. This would be a fun thing though.

 

[Nick]

What I had in mind was, a member would create a thread on their own. In the original post, they'd include some basic information that they feel comfortable with including. First name, age, gender, maybe a few misc. facts about them and some quirks they have as well as some interests and open it up for members to get to know them. It's sort of like how an introduction thread in The Welcome Lounge would be made. Then, members will post their questions, and the OP would mass reply to them all whenever they can, and it'll continue until whenever. I'm kind of going with the idea that threads there will require approval before they show, because I think its important for an OP to include more than just something as simple as something like "ask me anything. okay go!!" It would be called Member Interaction Center, and would be a stand alone forum. But I'm open to ideas, of course. If someone has a question/comment about their reply to their questions', they can reply there. It's not a boasting forum, it's a ice breaking forum.

 

[Sheep]

This is a pretty unique idea that I feel has potential to benefit our members as it can be very hard for members - old and new - to settle into a forum of this size. People get intimidated of staff and even members with higher post count, so a place to break the ice and interact with some of the regulars or newer members would provide for a nice way to get to know each other. As someone who spent the first few months on PC petrified of everyone, I surely do think this would help out a bit and am for it 100%!

You can argue that blogs or VMs provide this, but the former is not accessible to everyone and leaving VMs to ask people questions might come off as strange to the one receiving the messages. It's easier if you know exactly who is interested/open to questions and "getting to know moments" with other members, which a member info thread can provide.

I agree with Derk/Twilight Sky that keeping everything in a single thread will definitely get messy given how many people will probably be interested in this. It'd be nicer to separate the section so posts are easier to find.

 

[Her]

What I had in mind was, a member would create a thread on their own. In the original post, they'd include some basic information that they feel comfortable with including. First name, age, gender, maybe a few misc. facts about them and some quirks they have as well as some interests and open it up for members to get to know them. It's sort of like how an introduction thread in The Welcome Lounge would be made. Then, members will post their questions, and the OP would mass reply to them all whenever they can, and it'll continue until whenever. I'm kind of going with the idea that threads there will require approval before they show, because I think its important for an OP to include more than just something as simple as something like "ask me anything. okay go!!" It would be called Member Interaction Center, and would be a stand alone forum. But I'm open to ideas, of course. If someone has a question/comment about their reply to their questions', they can reply there. It's not a boasting forum, it's a ice breaking forum.

i'm totally 100% up for this then
are there any other particular rules you'd see within the section?

 

[bobandbill]

What I had in mind was, a member would create a thread on their own. In the original post, they'd include some basic information that they feel comfortable with including. First name, age, gender, maybe a few misc. facts about them and some quirks they have as well as some interests and open it up for members to get to know them. It's sort of like how an introduction thread in The Welcome Lounge would be made. Then, members will post their questions, and the OP would mass reply to them all whenever they can, and it'll continue until whenever. I'm kind of going with the idea that threads there will require approval before they show, because I think its important for an OP to include more than just something as simple as something like "ask me anything. okay go!!" It would be called Member Interaction Center, and would be a stand alone forum. But I'm open to ideas, of course. If someone has a question/comment about their reply to their questions', they can reply there. It's not a boasting forum, it's a ice breaking forum.

Thread approval would be a start.

That said I am still on the fence with it at best - all in all it doesn't sound all too different from what I remember of member fanclubs besides that a person makes the thread of themselves/by themselves. With boasting or not, I can't see more popular members not getting the spotlight in the long term without something else in place, and that in itself may discourage newer members. Thing is, I'm not too sure what else would do to help that... so anyone have ideas on that aspect? Maybe some 'spotlight' feature that goes through all newer threads (but somehow doesn't miss any)...?

'Course, could be just me who feels this way. =p

 

[tigerBLADE]

I think as suggested a few posts above, you could provide the time interval of members to sign up to create their threads. For example, let's say that tomorrow, you could allow about, I dunno, 5-10 people to sign up to create threads, and those threads can be approved, while the rest ask questions, or whatever. The people who signed up could wait a couple of weeks before posting one again, or maybe there can be a general wait list for people to create threads?

Whichever the case can be, maybe by having a smaller number of threads at one time, there can be more encouragements for people to ask questions to members that they don't know or don't speak to on a regular basis.. I mean, of course, it's ultimately the members' decisions and initiatives to ask questions to the people that interest them, but you know, even the smallest encouragements can help?

 

[Sheep]

Yeah, I definitely think there should be some kind of requirement to meet before you can make a thread. :3 Not sure how well the "must be a member for ___ weeks/months/etc" would work since that would mean members who had an account for a while with no/almost no posts would be able to create a thread. A post count limit might work better; that way we can ensure those who make threads are at least slightly known around the community so their thread can garner a bit more replies and we don't get too many threads from newer members.