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Furtopia services and support => suggestion box => Topic started by: Storm Fox on February 29, 2012, 11:36:45 am
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I've always liked discussing things in the news, current events, the strange and interesting stories not found on TV news, etc.
And for a little while now, I’ve had an idea for having a specific news section where we can post topics on stories of interest.
Ranging from the things that everyone is talking about, to the obscure, and the seemingly hidden stories found on the net.
Basically it’s to create a place for things like discussing new laws, strange and interesting events, the “I can’t believe they did that” kind of stuff, the weird stories you won’t hear on the TV, as well as the big events that everyone is talking about, or anything of interest.
Also, because topics of these types can get a little heated sometimes, if would probably be helpful to have them all in a common area where specific rules for the section can be made, (if ever necessary).
…Here’s a short list of current threads that would fit into such a section…
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43249.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43085.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42916.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42842.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42747.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42690.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42490.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42411.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42212.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42095.0
So not only is there current usefulness, but I believe that it would allow for additional interesting stories and discussions that are not getting posted, simply because members don’t see it as belonging here, even though it has countless times in the past.
And the only requirement should be that topics that are posted should have an actual story source from somewhere.
With actual link(s) to a news story, and not just a mention of some random event.
To better describe it, looking at it like a current events board as opposed to simply being a form of general discussion might help.
I guess that’s about everything… so… what do the admins think? What does everyone else think?
And is there anyone here that has interest in this, or opinions on the matter?
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I'd like something like this myself. I'd be more than happy for a section for news.
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Yeah, I like this idea. Generally, it fits into the non-furry discussion at the moment (most of the time, anyway). I do wonder if other members of the forums think it's a good idea, but if they do, I think it's likely we could make that forum :)
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No offense, Storm Fox, but we've kinda already had this same suggestion in the past.
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=40473.0
I don't understand why the need to have a News forum when Furtopia already has 2-3 places to put news and other non-furry stories. Creating another forum is just overkill IMO. :P And if a News forum was created, It'd be taking away traffic flow from the other boards, and then those boards would possibly slow down and people would lose interest in them.
Quote: "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it."
There's nothing wrong with what we already have IMO.
Also, because topics of these types can get a little heated sometimes, if would probably be helpful to have them all in a common area where specific rules for the section can be made, (if ever necessary).
That's what the Debate forum is for. ;) And we also have the following too:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=31932.0
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No offense, Storm Fox, but we've kinda already had this same suggestion in the past.
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=40473.0
Well …I didn’t know that I was supposed to go through threads that are over a year old. :o
Also, because topics of these types can get a little heated sometimes, if would probably be helpful to have them all in a common area where specific rules for the section can be made, (if ever necessary).
That's what the Debate forum is for. ;) And we also have the following too:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=31932.0
And I thought of that, but I figured the debate forum is, or at least should be, for actual debates, as opposed to a place to just stick things that get out of hand.
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Yeah, I'm kind of with Storm Fox on this one. The debate forum has limited access because people there actually want to debate. I think it's completely okay to discuss news items without putting them in there, especially since that severely limits how many people can participate. Not every political discussion has to be a debate thread.
I don't think a News Forum is necessary, but it would be convenient. I'd probably end up going there quite often, and I can think of many things I might post there that wouldn't feel right anywhere else.
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All i can really say is that i always dread when i have a topic i want to post and have get some attention and it rightfully belongs in a community group subforum, because i know for a fact that it will not be seen from the front page for the flood of My little pony posts that overun the community forums.
If a news topic is actually going to be seen in the time period when it's still important the worst place it could be is stuck in the same section as the MLP board. xD
Edit: Actually, i'm going to make a thread for this... But it's still related.
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Storm Fox: I'm not trying to knock your suggestion down completely or whatever. All I'm trying to say is that I believe there's be too much duplicity by having another community group dedicated to non-furry news when we already have 2-3 other places to post non-furry stuff: General Non-furry Discussion forum, Adult Rated General Discussion forum, and the Debate Forum.
How about this as a compromise......
Rather than a community sub-forum for news, there instead were "child boards" so to speak of the General Non-furry Discussion forum.
What it would be is that we have the main General Non-furry Discussion forum, then have "child boards" (sub-forums) directly underneath it. Names of the child boards could be "World News" for world wide events, "Local News" for news in your city/state/province, and perhaps "Entertainment/Sports". Anything that didn't fit within those catagories could go into the regular GNFD forum or somewhere else as determined by staff.
Creation of Political or even Religious communities/forums is a very hot issue and has always been frowned upon by past and present staff due to the volatile nature of subjects and heavy moderation which would be required.
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Kobuk, Storm Fox never said he recommended having a community group. I think that would be a fine idea, but having a new forum on the front page would be better, IMO.
I don't really see the need to have more than one news forum. Just one would be fine; creating several would just split them into too many categories. We have enough threads to justify having one place for news, but we definitely don't have enough to justify three.
I'd be okay having the news forum either on the front page or as a child forum; however, I'd prefer it on the front page (simply because it's much easier to see and less confusing).
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Tying a news or current events forum in with the General Non-furry Discussion forum doesn’t sound bad.
Though I don’t think a forum for every single news category would be necessary, I guess I could see a sports forum if there’s a lot of sports fans around here. (Though I can‘t really vouch for that one myself.)
And while we’re sort of on the subject, it occurs to me that the “Debate Forum” as we call it, is actually titled furry debate forum and has almost no furry topics at all.
(There's literally just a few furry topics in the Debate Forum, 90% if not more of it is non furry.)
So maybe the Debate Forum should be in the not-so-furry discussion board, or a child board of the general non-furry discussion forum.
And that could go along with a news forum or something like it, basically keeping all the non furry stuff together. (it's just an idea.)
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Another aspect in dealing with another news/non-furry discussion forum, is that it will create more confusion for members on where they are supposed to post a topic, and/or where the staff are supposed to move a topic if it's in the wrong area.
Storm Fox: If a News forum was added, then how different would it be from the GNFD forum? Can you specify in detail what a news forum would be like, what it's supposed to have or not have, etc. What would make it completely different or unique from the GNFD forum so that the two aren't the same.
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In addition to my first post…
While news can be considered a form of general discussion, a news thread would be more specifically about current events.
Such as specific stories where the topic is based around a legitimate story or writing of what, as far as we know is considered fact.
Some examples…
general non-furry discussion
What every forum Moderation team needs. (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43162.0)
What are you reading right now? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=34345.0)
Your Career? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43057.0)
What kind of languages do you speak? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43341.0)
The "Good News" thread. (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42562.0)
Firearms and General Militaria (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42394.0)
Time Travel: Is it possible? Should it be done? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43028.0)
2012 New Year predictions? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42961.0)
What do you wish for Christmas? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42822.0)
Paranormal Experiences? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42813.0)
Black Friday shopping (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42796.0)
Emotional movies (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42442.0)
While a news forum would consist of…
Whitney Houston, Pop superstar, dead at 48 (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43249.0)
FBI wants activists who investigate factory farms prosecuted as terrorists (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43085.0)
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il is Dead. (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42916.0)
National Defense Authorization Act: End of the Bill of Rights? (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42842.0)
American Internet Censorship Bill (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42747.0)
Apple computer founder, Steve Jobs, Dead at 56. (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42490.0)
The effects of war that we often don’t think about (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42212.0)
Military's new plane launched and lost. (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42095.0)
It’s not about wanting to post things that we all cannot do so at present.
But about organizing things, and allowing for further discussion on such topics, as sometimes it seems like news topics don’t fit well with all the others.
And from the examples I provided, it shouldn’t be too hard to see the difference between the two.
Because while some of the general types are about a current event, they don’t fit into the current events (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_events) concept.
As what is defined as news, is an actual story of an event to talk about as opposed to basic discussion which can be about anything.
My opinion, based on what I’ve seen here, combined with my own ideas are…
general non-furry discussion
A place for general discussion that is of a casual and or opinionative nature.
news forum (would be…)
A place for collecting information and discussing current events in a behaved and casual manor.
furry debate forum
A place for discussion and debating of specific topics that have opposing sides / views etc. that are of a more specific matter.
At least that's the way I see it, or the way it comes off as…
And the way I figure it, it’s kind of an intermediate between the general discussion, and the debate forum.
And the likely increased posting of such topics will also spark new debate topics from those stories.
And before you say why not just put such stories in the debate section, not all such news stories would be suitable.
And such debates that do end up there may only be inherent of such a story (news type story), and not part of the core discussion of that story.
I’ve tried to word things as best and thorough as I can, and hopefully I have not made things more confusing.
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Hmmmm. I'll have to give some thought to your idea/concept this weekend. ;)
And before you say why not just put such stories in the debate section, not all such news stories would be suitable.
"Some" news stories may have to go into the debate forum at the discretion of staff depending on how hot, controversial, and "uncivil" they get when being discussed.
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Hmmmm. I'll have to give some thought to your idea/concept this weekend. ;)
Sounds good…
And before you say why not just put such stories in the debate section, not all such news stories would be suitable.
"Some" news stories may have to go into the debate forum at the discretion of staff depending on how hot, controversial, and "uncivil" they get when being discussed.
And I understand that,
I was referring to the concept and nature of the discussion at it’s beginning, as opposed to just sticking things there preemptively.
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Storm Fox: The only options I can think of for the moment are the following:
Option 1. -
Have the General Non-furry Discussion section organised as follows:
General Non-furry Discussion Forum
News Forum
Debate Forum
Life Problems & Help Forum
or........
Option 2. -
General Non-furry Discussion Forum
Child Boards: News Forum, Debate Forum, Life Problems & Help Forum
Option 1 is where the News Forum is a "full fledged forum" so to speak rather than a child or subforum of GNFD. The Debate forum would also get moved into the GNFD section of Furtopia.
Option 2 is where News, Debate, and Life Probs are considered child boards or sub-forums of GNFD.
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Either one sounds good…
My personal preference in this particular case would be for option 1, mainly because I think it would have a cleaner / clearer appearance.
And since the other option, (option 2), would have only one main forum in the “not-so-furry discussion” area with several child forums underneath it.
That would just seem better suited to a section that has multiple primary forums instead of just the one.
However, looking at the community groups (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=94.0), and how they’re laid out, (imagining what the general non-furry discussion might look like with option 2), could be interesting.
But I’m still leaning towards option 1, even more so if the community groups end up being changed in a similar manner. (in reference to what‘s going on over here.) (http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43377.msg833983#msg833983)
I also think that making the Life Problems & Help Forum, a child forum along with the others might cause some of the same complaints as with the community groups layout.
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I don't think the Life Problems & Help Forum needs to become a child board. It doesn't stem from Non-furry discussion in a way that makes it relevant. Making the Debate section a child board wouldn't work either because than all furry debates wouldn't fit.
Option 1 is the makes the most sense out of those presented.
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I'll leave this thread open for a few more days for other members to give opinions, then by the middle of the week, the staff will discuss privately on any forum edits or moving/adding changes. ;)
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I like it, and I don't think it would make anything too confusing at all for new members, or for moving topics. Commenting on something you saw in the news? Throw it in the news section!
But given the discussion going on in parallel here about the community groups forums, and possibly wanting to move those away from the child-board format, option 1 is probably the better way to go. It also just has a cleaner/more uniform appearance.
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Just to chime in, I also like Option 1 the most. Feels a little better to me :)
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I've always felt like the debate board is a little out of place in the furry discussion area ;). Option one sounds good to me.
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Errr.... "Non-furry forums"
FURRY Debate Forum. Might I suggest that be repaired?
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Errr.... "Non-furry forums"
FURRY Debate Forum. Might I suggest that be repaired?
I'll work on it later after dinner tonight.
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Sorted it.