I don't even remember where I found this one...
More odds and ends tonight! not all of which are related this time, after the break.
- As you may have noticed we have a new banner today, and have changed the blog name. The URL is still the same however, for now at least. We tried changing it, but that caused all links and bookmarks to the site to no longer function. If we do decide to change the URL we'll give everyone a heads-up, or at least make sure that old links will be redirected. Otherwise we may keep the one we have for a while.
- I have learned that it can be quite a challenge to check comments for submissions to the site: as this blog scales up, we may have to eventually use just the email submission system. However the value of setting up a system where people can leave stuff in the comments is great. So how can we make that system more efficient so that it may last longer? Should we make occasional posts strictly for the purpose of submissions? Should we allow passers-by to tag submitted content that they see in the comments somehow?
- One thing I've noticed about "megathreads"/ discussion threads is that some of them don't actually turn into megathreads as intended. So what do you thing are the differences between a successful megathread/discussion thread and an unsuccessful one? Does it help if we break up and organize the comments into sections like Sweetie bot did here? Does that organization help the conversations grow? Is there an element of luck in which discussion threads do well? Can you think of some other reasons posts become successful places of discussion?
- Should we not bother with pre-readers and just post fics people like, if/when we get as large as EqD? What do you think our future fix policy could/should be? Should we have similar policies for other forms of media?
- With Hasbro's recent investment in FIM merch instead of the show, it's seems like perhaps purchases of merch to support of the show may be misplaced: if we buy merch, they will supply more merch. So perhaps instead we should make sure to buy season DVDs and comics: things that support the creation of more storytelling and episodes. That's my take on it at least. Might it be possible to steer Hasbro toward producing larger seasons again? If so, how would you go about it?
Logging you in...
Ben 78p · 648 weeks ago
You shouldn't have done that.
deleted7291847 117p · 648 weeks ago
We'll hire pre-readers when we believe the time has come (assuming it does). Maybe we could pull some people from the "We hate EQD" FimFiction group. Seems pretty spiteful, but I'd bet they'd be even more supportive of our site with their ideals in mind.
TwilightIsMagic 130p · 648 weeks ago
I'd suggest a different pre-reading system, though. The one EqD has can be quite subjective, as much is left to the single reader who chooses the fic. Might want to change something.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
...Maybe we could get prereaders from there, but do we really need them in the first place? I mean, if we do get prereaders we'd just be following in EqD's footsteps. Maybe prereaders are the best way to do things, but we should at least try some alternatives before deciding we'll have pre readers for fics and stuff.
EggheadDash 111p · 648 weeks ago
Radiogenicpony 104p · 648 weeks ago
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
EggheadDash 111p · 648 weeks ago
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
EggheadDash 111p · 648 weeks ago
Radiogenicpony 104p · 648 weeks ago
summarized version: WE NEED EVERYONE TO TALK IT OVER.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
EggheadDash 111p · 648 weeks ago
EDIT: Like Dawnforge said, this system only works for Discussions, as they're meant to stay on-topic.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
EggheadDash 111p · 648 weeks ago
EDIT: It may be a good idea to listen to the Pre-reader Q & Neighs that are out. I've listened to the first three and they say the really only read the first chapter or two. A large number of tics are disqualified by the first paragraph because they have five comma splices and three capitalization errors. At that point you can figure the rest is going to be just as bad.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
It's not a very specific definition, but I was thinking we could just post stuff that has gotten a lot of good feedback, as well as constructive criticism that the writer has listened to.
EggheadDash 111p · 648 weeks ago
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
EggheadDash 111p · 648 weeks ago
Dawnforge 85p · 648 weeks ago
1. That works, aslong as we know ahead of time, or you figure out the url change, that will work. Find a website pony if you don't have one already. Thats all I can offer.
2. I think the best bet is either a submission post for the time being. I mean, you could come up with a few others, but it would require coding. Coding sucks.
3. Iunno. I just reply till I get too tired to stay up or get busy.
4. AH! Something I can give input on! Right. This may be a tad long, or not really.
Anyways, you should have pre-readers. Though, I recommend having them chose specifically for that task, so that the bloggers don't have to worry so much about pre-reading. Now, since you are small and have much more active bloggers then EQD (Most Seth) You guys have more flexibility. Granted, you should not hold to the strict demand of EQD. A good story, is a good story and should be promoted or shared, imo. I'm willing to aid you in pre-reading and even working out the entire system for you guys. However, that would have to wait for another time. Like... tomorrow.
Just tell me if you would like any of that.
5. If the creators are not EA and it is good. Always support them when possible.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
TwilightIsMagic 130p · 648 weeks ago
Dawnforge 85p · 648 weeks ago
Dawnforge 85p · 648 weeks ago
See my above/below comment for further details. Viewer discretion advised.
TwilightIsMagic 130p · 648 weeks ago
As I said below, I could help out with that. Skim through the fic, make sure it ain't awful and is readable, then give it the green light. I pride myself on my tolerance of various headcanons (even if I don't like those particular headcanons, as is the case with particular dark and shipping things) and rather like impartiality as opposed to elitism. Hopefully, I could live up to that should the task fall to me.
Dawnforge 85p · 648 weeks ago
TwilightIsMagic 130p · 648 weeks ago
DrCob 120p · 648 weeks ago
3. I like the whole breaking down of comments. It feels more compelling to comment to somehow. And yes there can be an element of luck ( the lost 7th Element of Harmony!). Either people just lose intrest quickly, or the topic is easliy closed/ covered, or people have other buisness to take care of and cant participate. Loads of things can happen.
4.Not too sure on this one
5. And I agree with Trig. We arent Hasbro's target demographic and never will be. They cater to them first and foremost, and as a big co. they have to make descisions and cuts based on this. But buying the DvDs (and other stuff) always sends a clear message that people want more, so in the future they may go back to longer seasons. Personnaly I hope shorter seasons means more attention to each episode with cool effects and songs like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LQk-DaZSzU a sharp eyed commenter noted that Twi's "hair slice" now bounces and bobs with her head's movements. A small detail, but still cool.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
Yeah, Just as I thought. And that keeps everything nice and organized too. Maybe we can play around more with that feature. Also I suppose the luck involved will become less apparent as the blog grows.
>Personnaly I hope shorter seasons means more attention to each episode with cool effects and songs
Yeah, maybe. Perhaps we need not worry about smaller seasons at all, since the quality may be higher. I really do think the brony community should be underestimating its economic clout. Everything you do has an effect, people! Whether that effect is negligible or not is sometimes just a matter of how you choose to make use of it.
HappyThoughts 130p · 648 weeks ago
#2 Maybe have a soft deadline as to how old a post is for you to post a submission is. Say, 12 hours, for example. Of course, I don't see why a person just couldn't use the submission box after that.
#3 Look, the reason we had loads of megathreads on EqD was because it was spontaneous. Spontaneity is fun. On here, a website (that started off) dedicated to megathreads, it isn't feasible. Maybe we could use Sweetie Bot's idea for discussion posts, but it wouldn't work for posts on, say, fan content because there would be nothing to drum discussion up for.
#4 Right now this site is pretty small and doesn't really get much traffic when compared to EqD. Other than people on FimFiction or other fanfiction sites, it would be down to the regulars to step up and be prereaders.
#5 Wasn't the news on Hasbro's priorities just speculation? That it may have been a reason, but not the reason? Well, assuming it is, then all I have to say is don't sweat. Less episodes? No matter. A shorter season means that the team behind the show won't suffer from fatigue or have to spread the work as thinly between material, possibly leading to higher quality material.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
-Well there's nothing to keep folks from still being spontaneous when they want, I suppose. I'll certainly try what Sweetie Bot did one of these days. It might just be good for organization anyways.
-yes by definition, if we just listen to the folks who read the fanfic already. If people like it, then we might as well post it. But we don't have to do anything organized... How about this? If you submit a fanfic, just make sure to link to people's feedback on the fanfic on fimfiction or something. As long as people who have read the fix seem to generally like it, it's good enough.
-Perhaps it is on the speculative side, I just thought it was reasonable to asses Hasbro's decision in terms of supply and demand, and based on how I've seen companies act historically. Anyways, I agree: a smaller season isn't neccesarily a bad thing to try and steer Hasbro away from.
Bull_Smit 112p · 648 weeks ago
For #2 I think all submissions should be via E-mail, it's just more organized, easier to find. I don't see how comments could work with this site growing each and everyday, eventually it will begin to pile up and that's when E-mail will be a must.
#3.. Megathreads fail because I'm at work 90% of the time they're posted.
#4.. Wait on it, for now, post what you like, but just keep it organized, and not offensive to anyone in any matter at all.
#5... I got all the episodes PVR'd, I'm a cheater. Sorry.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
#2 Submitting stuff in the comments makes it less certain that we will see it, once the blog grows, but if can be a much faster way of submitting.
TwilightIsMagic 130p · 648 weeks ago
#2 I'm liking the idea of posts made to submit things in comments. Trawling through every thread of comments in search of a submission can be hard, but if we limit the submissions to such posts, then it will be quite a bit easier. Also, I'd encourage people to post submissions not in a reply chain, but in a standalone comment, so that there'd be no need to open a chain.
Make those submission posts once a day. Once a new submission post is up, all new submissions should be made there.
#3 That's because megathreads are a true spawn of chaotic randomness. If there's something funny about a message, or something that can provoke a discussion, it will likely elicit a response. That response may elicit another, and there we go. It's as random as it gets, however; sometimes (and rather often that that), irrelevant discussions spring up from completely different comments. You can't control it with any measure of effectiveness.
I think that the 'designated megathread area' idea isn't quite right. Instead, this blog should be simply tolerant to megathreads. In fact, if we encourage large chains, they will quickly collapse into drop-down thingies, thus not cluttering the page with replies anymore. It's the perfect plan!
As for discussions, I think that breaking down the replies into point-by-point separate comment chains is a bucking brilliant idea. We should keep it for every discussion post we, well, post.
#4 Right now, there isn't even enough fanfiction to post, so I'd say forget the pre-reading for now. However, that doesn't mean there shouldn't be any checks of what we post.
I'd suggest a system different from what EqD has. Instead of a nebulous panel of judges, one of which picks a work and has complete authority over what happens to it, I'd say we should have a slightly less strict one. Here's what I think we could have, at least initially:
Regardless of how a fic was submitted, by mail or by comment, I'd propose posting the links to submitted fiction in comments to a submission thread, where we can easily see it (or, until we have a submission thread thing in place, if we are going to have it at all, in the Nightly post. The main thing is that it should be one predetermined blogpost).
But who would check those submissions? Unless the moderators want to do it themselves, for the purpose of pre-posting checks (preposterous checking!), I propose charging a few of us with the task of looking through them. Those brave ponies could read or skim through the submitted fic with the usual purpose of hunting down mistakes and general evaluation. It would be best if more than one of them did it. Then, they could contact the author (if possible) with the mention of mistakes they found so that the author can correct them. In case the fic is otherwise unacceptable (R34, for example) or the author is impossible to contact, they can reply to the comment in which it was mentioned on this blog and state that. If the fic 'passes', the reply would instead indicate that.
Other blog commenters could also be free to go in and check, then pass their opinion or recommend the fic in replies to that comment.
It's similar to the EqD pre-reading, but at the same time different. A lot more open, for one. The 'three submissions until total banishment' rule shouldn't be imitated, either; first, we don't even have much to banish, second, we're a bit more inclusive than that, and finally, we should instead give an overly eager submitter a cooldown period in which to think. Regardless, a link to that fic would already be present in the thread.
...And that makes sense, right?
Oh, and also, I'd volunteer to be such a fic-checking pony. Saying in advance, though: I'd mostly perform skimming for mistakes and point them out to the author, then give the green light once they're corrected, as well as note the general acceptability. When I read fics, I prefer to take my time, so instead I'd glance through the submissions.
Would be nice to have somepony else helping, though.
#5 Buy DVDs, as it's the show we like the most. No-one's stopping you from buying the rest of the merch, but make sure that those DVDs are kept nearly out of stock.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago
2: Lots of good suggestions about comment submissions! I actually wasn't too sure about making posts expressly for the purpose of submissions... While it makes the whole system more efficient, it would mean we'd get all our news at one time of day, instead of throughout the day as soon as it happens. I'll be sure to try the idea out, and see what works/ what doesn't.
3:Yeah, I thought it a little silly the first few days I was on the blog, when I saw them trying to just designate stuff as a megathread and failing. I wasn't going to say anything because they seemed to be having too much fun with it. They've evolved into posts for miscellaneous stuff that we can't put in another post at the end of the day. Perhaps the name should be changed. Perhaps they can be fused with discussion threads. We shall see.
4: I like the idea of this, but it might have to wait until the blog is larger, since people won't always have the time to read fics when they appear in the comments. I'm not sure we have enough moderators OR active commenters to do that effectively just yet. It would be good to start encouraging that sort of thing though: even now it would serve as a nice supplement to feedback on FimFiction, and stuff like that.
5: indeed
TwilightIsMagic 130p · 648 weeks ago
tl;dr: We should post stuff if it is acceptable, it helps the writers.
MikeNanotube 104p · 648 weeks ago