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data
Member
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# Posted: 19 Nov 2007 02:33 · Edited by: data
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Well, being someone that left the site a few years ago I went on and made my own which has far outgrown OTF. I still come back and visit this place now and then, browse the forums.
As a webmaster it's always been in my mind that more people to need to be registering to the website than leaving. Otherwise ANY site will die. I am not sure thats always been the focus of those above until now, when it's pretty late.
Anyways here are some practical suggestions.
1) Integrate an SEO to the forums and chat rooms. This will improve search engine rankings. which is the second most potent form of new registrations.
2) There needs to be another theme to this website. ST/SW/LOTR are all good but they are OVER. The fanbase has reached its peak for the near future. So cut down a few of the chat rooms and change the theme to entice a different genre of people to join the website.
3) Be a bit more specific with the age group you are trying to cater for. IF you find statistically that the demographic of this website is more 16+ or even 18+ then get rid of the whole family friendly idea. That's not saying allow porn or anything but you can relax the rules a great deal. This will not only help make people relaxed but will open up a whole new range of topics.
4) Focus less on departments, departmental work etc... Give a few people at the top who are active the powers to moderate the website, and get rid of moderating powers for everyone else. This will cut red tape no end. I'd even go far as saying, half the number of departmenets. Have one for admin one for development and one for on going projects (Trivia). Everything else should go.
5) Promotions should be based on activity and not solely on amount of work for the website. This will allow more people to be in chat, chatting and not working on departmental stuff in their free time. It will give people motivation to be active. I mean what's the point of ranks and project work if no one will visit or use it ?
Anyways hope the above ideas helped. If you want to revive/save this website you need drastic change, since nothing done so far (since the integration of these forums) has helped much.
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fat_man
Member
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# Posted: 19 Nov 2007 11:29
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Stop bragging Data =(
But yeah as much as I must say I do agree with you on most points, but again, nothing will ever change. Cos its the people at the top who don't think such a serious change is needed.
I used to be optimistic but of the countless dozen of times i've seen people want change and not see a tangible outcome =(
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christena
Member
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# Posted: 19 Nov 2007 14:32
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Data!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! you scoundrel... you left and not say good bye*pouts*
Good to see you are still alive *hugs*
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monny
Member
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2007 03:23
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Data, you have some really good points.
What's your site called btw? 
I do agree that the rules need to be relaxed a little. There's a lot of FUNNY stuff that not necessarily PC but still not pornographic. I think we could attract more people who can take and make a joke or 2.
We don't want OTF to become the trash heap of the galaxy..I mean internet...but at the same time we don't want to scare cool people away to save a nearless useless lily white reputation.
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bria
Member
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2007 08:44
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And in fairness - even as it is, we don't keep discussions 100% clean. Just depends on who's around whether they say anything or not. I'm not a fan of introducing anything that's overly sexually explicit or whatever, but I think some more subtle references should be grand...
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polson
Member
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# Posted: 23 Nov 2007 14:45
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I'm just afraid of the butter thing being a common chat topic. That was SCARRING, and if I'd known where it was going I wouldn't have been in that IM.
I've seen people go overboard, including people who have spoke on this topic saying it's not all that bad and they wouldn't take a mile if they were given an inch. I understand WHY the rule is in place and I understand WHY there is reluctance to change it. I just don't see that we've proven we can handle less restriction in that area. But that's coming from someone like me who leads a sheltered life and is rather naive about some of the content of such innuendo, and frankly I've learned some things from OTF patrons about that I had no desire to know, nor do I appreciate knowing now. I've been disturbed on many occations. I don't mind fliratious behavior and mild innuendo, which I think the current rules allow. Stuff beyond that...well...I dun like it. And you can say "don't read it if it happens" but to be quite frank, you don't know it's happening until you read it and then it's like  Noooooo!
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eggburt
Member
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2007 04:51 · Edited by: eggburt
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I think more success can be done by streamlining the webpage content, so all of the content is fully operational, unlike at the moment where a lot of sub-pages don't have their content required, and have broken links.
Replacing the two extra star trek chats with other alternatives, maybe Warhammer 40,000 Games workshop style came across as an idea.
Perhaps something newer, like Heros or Journeyman in the other chat.
The rules on what you can say are often relaxed, depending on whos around, that's the way it should stay, rules in place, but with iniative taken from ISA, like the Police in the uk ain't going to do everyone who swears in public, even though it is breaking section 5, only those they see as a potential problem.
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presbyguy
Member
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2007 12:27
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Its been two years since I last logged on, I doubt anyone remembers me, but two things shocked me upon me revsit, that the chats were all empty and that everything looks to be the same, nothing has changed. The web is a constantly changing enviornment, i still miss the old Shockwave.com and recall the good old days of RPGing, and my web experiance really started at OTF, perhaps a more fluid system in general is the solution, perhaps instead of making gigantic chat room alterations (i recall how long minas tirith took to make) every so often, maybe a more open ended chat room would take the pressure off the others to take in a large enough segment of sci fi and fantasy fans.
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kaela_donos
Member
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# Posted: 8 Feb 2008 01:03
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I think the problem is in the approach basic approach of changes in the past. This thead is changing it though and gives me GREAT hope!
I have been taught, and I have observed, that the root of any change in an organization should be grounded in the needs of the people it serves. While a leaders job is to make sure change and stability is achieved the need assessments come from the base. Before you start change you need to gather data not make an assumption. After the data has been gathered you need to look at it and be able to change your assumptions. Even though this step can be long and tiresome it enables you to get a more complete picture. Collecting data can take the form of the forums, talking to team leader, department leaders and random sampling of team member, going into the rooms them selves and taking to people in there. I am sure there are other ways of effectively collecting data that I have not mentioned.
There are other things that can be done to make what is happing more efficient. Before the departments were devolved, you could have sent out messages using there email telling people about what is going to happen and making sure that you ketch and look at every team. (You could still do this) This was/is the main problems with the departments, uses like this were underused or not used at all. We have resources, we need to find out what they are and use them , and make it clear to every one that they can be used!
I would say that is my two cents, but i am up to a buck 85 by now!
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