Adding a new forum for the Front Page

[pepperlandgirl]

Right now the front page and the message board are very separated. In fact, I'm sure there are people who don't even know the front page has been updated in the past few weeks (or will be aware when I update it next week). Not only are people unaware of the updates, but the front page is partially meant as a way to generate discussion and draw new users. However, without a way into the message board, it probably won't really do either of those things. So I propose we had a new forum called "Front Page News" or something along those lines.

Here is what I would see happening. I would post a new thread for each article I add to the front page, and then link that thread to the bottom of the article. That way, people on the board will know when something has been added (and what it is and who wrote it), and people who find the article will know exactly where to go to comment on it. Members who write articles can also start their own threads, either for bragging rights, or to encourage more debate/discussion.

I have spoken to both What Exit? and CRSP about this, and they agree it's a good idea. So I thought I would post this thread to get input from the rest of the membership.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Fool of a Spice! Why did you not open this as a poll?

I think it's a good idea.

[Myrnalene]

Very good idea.

ETA: Skald, if I never see another poll again as long as I live........

[Exy]

Yeah, I think this should be pretty uncontroversial. Let's do it.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

As long as there's not a damn poll, sure.

[Kat]

I vote yes! And not just because you're putting mine up this week.

[Sarahfeena]

Sooner rather than later, please. This is the best idea anyone's come up with to help the board grow!

[antigonos]

Couldn't you just put the threads into the relevant existing forums? At the Dope, Comments on Cecil's Columns is pretty much a ghetto no one on the real board ventures into. If the threads about the front page pop up in the forums people already visit, the threads will probably get more notice. Plus, anyone brought in through the front page will end up directly in the melee of the forums instead of in some halfway house holding forum.

[ivan astikov]

I don't know how to capture a still from my browser, but I just got my first clean sweep of the board, so there!

[pepperlandgirl]

Couldn't you just put the threads into the relevant existing forums? At the Dope, Comments on Cecil's Columns is pretty much a ghetto no one on the real board ventures into. If the threads about the front page pop up in the forums people already visit, the threads will probably get more notice. Plus, anyone brought in through the front page will end up directly in the melee of the forums instead of in some halfway house holding forum.

I see your logic, and that occurred to me as well. But it's not always the easiest thing to figure out which existing forums the thread should belong to, especially since I want to start each thread as the articles go live. Putting baseball threads in the game room and recipe threads in--hell, I don't even know where those have been going. The Guggenheim? Anyway, that should be pretty straight forward. But what about articles that could be more controversial? I fear that putting them in Jibba Jabba might prematurely curb debate, while putting them in the Crucible might prematurely cause a fight (I fully admit I've probably thought too much about this).

[What Exit?]

Adding a new forum is easy. It simply needs a name and description. The Mod part is up to CRSP.But we can make a user a limited mod. Effectively mod powers only in the forum and missing many of the mod abilities.

I assume each article would finish with a link to the Front Page Forum so readers can read the existing thread or start one. Is that correct?

[pepperlandgirl]

I assume each article would finish with a link to the Front Page Forum so readers can read the existing thread or start one. Is that correct?

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I was thinking that people with regular articles/blogs would have one dedicated thread, and the others can have threads started when they're published.

[Myrnalene]

Adding a new forum is easy. It simply needs a name and description.

Kat had the super cute idea of "Front Page News".

[What Exit?]

I assume each article would finish with a link to the Front Page Forum so readers can read the existing thread or start one. Is that correct?

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I was thinking that people with regular articles/blogs would have one dedicated thread, and the others can have threads started when they're published.

This seems like a good idea and easy enough to do. I really think we just need a good name and a good description and word from CRSP about giving you mod powers in the new forum.

[CRSP]

Mod powers limited to that forum doesn't sound like a bad idea. I like the name "Front Page News", too. Should it be a brand new forum, or a subforum of ADF, though?

[What Exit?]

My vote is a sub-forum but I don't see it being a big deal either way.

[NAF1138]

I like the idea also. My vote would be for a sub forum of ADF.

[antigonos]

I see your logic, and that occurred to me as well. But it's not always the easiest thing to figure out which existing forums the thread should belong to, especially since I want to start each thread as the articles go live. Putting baseball threads in the game room and recipe threads in--hell, I don't even know where those have been going. The Guggenheim? Anyway, that should be pretty straight forward. But what about articles that could be more controversial? I fear that putting them in Jibba Jabba might prematurely curb debate, while putting them in the Crucible might prematurely cause a fight (I fully admit I've probably thought too much about this).

Hm, I hadn't thought of that. On further reflection, I can see why you'd want to keep them all together as well --- threads in other forums could drop off the front page of the boards and be less effective as a means of keeping visibility high.

[pepperlandgirl]

My only concern with a sub-forum is that it could be less visible to regular members.

[Zuul]

My vote is for a subforum of ADF, but it's not a big deal either way. Just do it. It's all just data.

[Hatshepsut]

My vote is to give it a separate forum, rather than making it a subforum of ADF. I think it will accomplish its goals more effectively if it is more visible, and subforums are less noticeable, especially to newcomers unfamiliar with the board structure.

But like What Exit? says, I don't see it as a big deal one way or the other. I may be overlooking a good reason to make it a sub.

[Sarahfeena]

I think it should be its own forum. I think sub-forums tend to get skipped over unless people are very very interested in the topic, and as Carol says, visibility is probably the key here. If new people are posting in it, and us regular posters don't respond to them, they are not going to stick around.

[featherlou]

I vote yes, yes, many times yes.

[CRSP]

OK, this is done. pepperlandgirl is listed as a moderator (she has limited powers compared with global moderators i.e. can't examine the IP of a poster, but can lock, move, split, and edit threads etc.). Global moderators should still be able to moderate the forum, as well.