This post is going to be continually updated as we go along. Feel free to post suggestions, we're new to this and we want as much input as we can possibly get.

Banner Image - [Done]
Thanks to knighty

Archive
-Check it thoroughly. [Done]
-Institute new categories. [Done]
Current Category Proposals: Mature, Friend-Shipping, Contested, Polyamory, Sensual, Adventure, Humans, Flutterdash as Secondary Ship, Multi-Ship Projects [Suggestions Welcome].
-Sort the existing archive [Done].
-Try to fill in any gaps [Ongoing]

Front Page
-Write up a better group description. [Done]
-Look at ways of improving the page design.

Forums
-Increase traffic and community awareness.

This will be updated continuously as we work through it, like I said, feel free to post suggestions, we want as much of your input as we can get.

Fantastic Banner, moving on!

DAT Banner

I think I´ve removed all the not-existent stories (also 2 or 3 that werent Flutterdash (I checked thoroughly))

THIS BANNER! I want it on my regular fimfiction pane!

644739

Alright, I think we can sort out a space for that. We're here to accomodate as many different Flutterdash fans as we possibly can and if you want a space for writers to exchange ideas, we'll make it happen.

As to the banner, I think a little bit of leeway is in order because they are cartoon characters, but that's just my opinion. Thanks you for your input.

645016

That's brilliant, thanks for doing all that. I think we should hold-off on working on the archive until we have the categories well set out and defined; so people have guidleines when posting future fics to the group and so there isn't any confusion over what categories particular fics fit into. But at the same time it's not going to get done if we don't get started. I'll lay a bit more of the groundwork and we'll discuss it when you come back online.

646229
I tried to strart with some staight forward stuff (e.g. add categories that I find truly helpfull, and that have been already suggested)
For the Folders:
- A story can be in more than one folder I think that can make sense, as almost none of the categories are truly exclusive, butt if a story appears in more than say two folders its like the tags but without any possibility to work with them usefully.
- Tags vs. Folders: a lot of info isin the tags already, BUT there seems to be no way to filter the stories in a folder acording to these, so Human, Mature (these ARE filtered by a global setting I think) might still be usefull.
I think we might still look into a Foldersystem that extends the category tags, but overlaps them as little as possible. that leaves us with folders that aren´t defined by the tags yet (optimal would be the ability to filter group-folders by tag like the e.g. the favourites).
- Who should be able to sort stories in ? every member, a larger group of members with contributor status?
- Main folder as a all stories here, or rather a not yet sorted in folder? (remove when categorized)

- spoilerous categories: I don´t have a proper name yet but a category for stories like
"unexpected confessions" (is let´s say contaminated with RariShy)
"Polar opposites" (same with PinkieShy)
"Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash are Dating and Everypony Freaks Out" (FS likes RD but they´ll quite propably never get together)
"Whithin and without shame" (Polyamorous PinkyDashShy)
"Gravity" (RD is sleeping with all her friends R,PP,FS so far)
"Fluttershy's Lessons in Friendshipping" (RD takes special role but FS is sleeping around (consent))
"what is a Fluttershy (ends very apruptly with both of them marrying someone else)"
"In Rainfall, Irrevocable Secrets" (Fluttershy get rejected)
"How we met" (They end up together but RD has a thing for AJ first)
"perfect on paper" (has OCxDash but FS and RD end up togehter (is obvious from the start))

So I listed all of the stories now... hopefully it becomes clear what I mean: They all have flutterdash but sometimes more(top) or less(bottom) impure.

OK, first: Please don´t take this wrong, it´s merely a suggestion: At the moment you (646229) are listed on top on the founder list, that means your avatar works kind of as the group icon (in the Groups-list for example). Since we have a special Logo it might be worth to consider to let it serve as group icon, wich would of course require you to change your avatar.
Please note that that is your decision alone, I wont think less of you if you don´t want this.

(swaping that list position might would be a possibility, too. Although I´m not sure how to achieve this. It´s not alphabetical, removing and readding one of us as admin migt be a way)

646360
I agree that folders shouldn't be mutually exclusive, if people are hunting through this archive rather than the main archive it's because they're looking for Flutterdash fics of a particular type. Likewise I think the main folder should contain all the fics in the archive, for several reasons, the most useful of which would be keeping an accurate count on everything in the archive. From there we could throw a story into multiple folders afterwards, so people looking for fics in a certain vein can find them more easily.

As to categorizing all those, I suggest that we have one category for Contested Hearts, where Flutterdash is in competition with one or more other ships, regardless of whether or not Flutterdash wins out. Flutterdash as a Secondary Ship should remain a category where there is Flutterdash, but it's not in contention and it's not the main focus of the story, like in Triple X. We should have a category for Polyamory as well, where Flutterdash features as part of a larger relationship. And maybe a category for the Sensual, ie., fics that skirt around mature concepts but never describe anything in graphic detail.

So that brings my running count to: Friend-Shipping, Mature (Not about filtering it, but collecting it so people looking for that type of content have a place they can find it), Contested, Flutterdash as a Secondary Ship, Adventure (Most shipping stories are slice-of-life, so I think this is a valid if niche category) and Sensual. Thoughts?

646401

You're right. Damnit. Having my icon as the logo will make it awkward to go about other business on the site, but having my current one up isn't going to do us any favours either.

I think I can come to a compromise, I'll swap it out for a slightly more generic Flutterdash pic. That way it'll send the right message without (hopefully) compromising the signal an avatar sends about me as an individual. I've got just the pic in mind too. What do you think?

646408
Since this does not have to be final, (and I don´t have any request for changes yet) I´ll get on it.
That system would allow users to search for stories to read but would not warn them about stories they don´t want to touch. But to some extend theres the tags for that and its the best I can think of for now.

-Still the thing with the permissions: all can add few can categorize might be a good idea, or ther is risk of great chaos
maybe we can introduce a categorization-suggestion thread.

646417 That would be ok, (still just to have it said: I have no emotional connections to my avatar, so trying to swap the list position (I think it has no other effects than the avatar-thing) would be an alternative,too)

646435
Yeah I've been thinking about that problem as well. Seems like the best solution is to intersperse Mature stories with the stories in the other categories as well and rely on the fact that people who don't like mature fiction are probably going to be browsing without the ability to see mature fics.

The permissions thing, if we can pull it off within the site framework, would be brilliant. I don't want to compromise our current "Anyone can add" status, but having a few other people to help correctly sort the archive would be be undoubtedly useful. As to the category suggestion thread, I'll get one in the works now featuring all our current proposed categories and see what people think.

Now that we're talking user accounts as well, I feel like we both need to be less faceless as individuals. It's one thing we have in common and one thing that's not conducive to our longer term goals. It doesn't have to be much and it doesn't have to be specific but we should both present more as people and less faceless, though you don't have to if you don't want to.

Also we should both carry a slightly larger plug on our user pages, possibly an image of the logo linking directly to the group page. This would, by slim margins, help increase traffic to the group. We've both just stepped into the public eye a bit more and we can either resist that or invest more in what we've undertaken.

As for categorizing: e.g. adventure: Tags as only policy what is and what not?
A featured Folder? (purely by a formula out of likes and dislikes, or a committee?)

avg_rating = total_all_likes / (total_all_likes + total_all_dislikes)
this_rating = this_like / (this_like + this_num_positive_votes / total_num_votes)
bayesian_rating = ((avg_num_votes * avg_rating) + (this_num_votes * this_rating) ) / (avg_num_votes + this_num_votes);)

Sadly we can´t do that since someone would have to go and count all the likes/dislikes of ALL the flutterdash stories and sum them up.

A committee would add a human touch also we wouldn´t take obligatory downvotesvotes by Fluttedash hater into account. Still it might be less objective.

646479

Adventure as a category would be strictly based on tags, same would go for the proposed mature and human categories. The current site browsing options can make it slightly painful and difficult to find fics like this.

As to some form of "Elite" category, I would like to get around to one eventually. Maybe call it classics, or something. We'd have to think very carefully about the acceptance guidlines and how it would work, so we'll institute it a bit later on if we do it at all. Right now I'm more concerned with getting the rest of the new archive up and running.

646496 agreed

Will there be any Flutterdash Contests, because I'm getting a bit annoyed at the rate of which those Appledash fics are being churned out thanks to their contest. That, and It would be an excellent opportunity for some Flutterdash writers to show off their work.

665774
I think we should try something like that, but we are probably going to need prizes... Has anybody an idea what to do about that, or do you think that a contest just for the honor (display on frontpage (of this group)) would rouse enough interest?

665830
Just getting featured is many peoples goal, a feat I accomplished for an astounding 5 minutes. I'm sure the honor of winning (along with a couple of perks) would certainly be enough to draw in participants. It's either that or we buy them lots of plushies, because who doesn't love plushies?

665866
You mean like Crowd-funding? Or do you have to much money?

665875
I was fooling around. I would consider funding it if there was enough interest (though I'm not sharing my financial situation) but chances are that won't be necessary.

665884
I was joking, too. But if you look at what the Appledash Group does, e.g. a comissioned piece of Art would be an option if we found someone with the required skills willing to donate something like that...

665900
How about a free commission? I have a close friend who does MLP vectors and may be willing to help even.

665918
Yes, that was what I was talking about. If we get one or more people to donate their time (instead of money) that could be the extra bit of attraction to make this a success.

665932
Sorry, badly worded response, but it sounds like a plan to me.