• Member Since 6th Jul, 2012
  • offline last seen Feb 13th, 2013

Author Support


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  • 604 weeks
    The RP Overhaul Part 2

    (Speaker: Sunnydaze)

    Ciao folks! :pinkiehappy:
    After days slaving over a hot computer screen, we have finally cooked up the new RPs!

    Read More

    10 comments · 789 views
  • 605 weeks
    Announcements, New Contributor Needed, and the Review Team

    (Speaker: Bronymaster)

    First Order of Business: Announcements

    First of all, the crap ton of announcement that you guys probably received. I think you guys got about... 134 to be precise, but It doesn't matter. To start off, I'd like to say I'm sorry for that, but it had to happen.

    Read More

    12 comments · 495 views
  • 606 weeks
    The RP Overhaul

    (Speaker: Sunnydaze)

    Zomg, I'm writing an AS blog! :yay:
    ... *clears throat* Er, I mean, on to business :twilightsheepish:

    Read More

    54 comments · 583 views
  • 606 weeks
    Cid, Prompts, Mass Promotion, New Contributor, and The RP

    (Speaker: Bronymaster)

    First order of Business: Cid

    As some of you may or may not have noticed/been told, Cid Gaius has officially left his position as admin of the group.

    Read More

    21 comments · 618 views
  • 608 weeks
    Clarifying a feature of the group

    (Speaker: Bronymaster)

    Okay, remember awhile back when I introduced that review feature where a "team" headed by Sorren would review stories? Well a lot of confusion was actually had over the matter, and recently a few big changes took place (Some of you will already notice that Sorren is no longer a contributor)

    Read More

    17 comments · 373 views
Jul
17th
2012

Humongous Changes Abound · 10:01am Jul 17th, 2012

Speaker: Bronymaster

1st Order of Business: The New Admin

So, as some of you may have already noticed, I have selected a new admin. I'm happy to say that Sunnydaze has been selected as our new admin!

...What else do you want me to say? Go congratulate him or something. I'm still scheduling an admin selection around the 400-500 member mark. That will be at least partially up to a vote but still ultimately my decision.

2nd Order of Business: The New Contributor System

I have removed all contributors from their contributor status. Do not be alarmed, this is part of a new experiment I'm testing. Allow me to explain. *Ahem* *Pulls out stack of notes*

For as long as I can remember, I've selected contributors based on how active they have been in the group. This was great....for awhile. Now the group has grown very large, and we have many active members. Worse, we are gaining a lot of contributors. It’s gotten to the point where being a contributor only means a fancy badge, a spot on the banner, and a green plus sign next to your name. Basically, nothing more than a badge of honor, if that.

For about two months now, I’ve wanted to give c-units more responsibility. Only recently, and with the help of Sunnydaze for planning, has the new system I wanted been able to come together.

So what’s different this time around?

Well, contributor status is no longer based on your activity, but more on how responsible you can be. I don’t want a bunch of people that can leave a comment here and there. I want people that can help me run a group.

Some of the new responsibilities of these contributors will include, but aren’t yet limited to:

-Being the leaders of “Teams” of people who run the group. Specific duties are specific only to teams. Whereas anyone can be a member of the team, only the leader of said team will probably be a c-unit.

-Monitoring specific threads on a regular basis for rule-breaking, as well as contributing in those threads themselves.

-Being given more power in the decision making process. For instance, once I have run an idea by the other admins, if it gets approved by them, we bring contributors in and have them discuss with us about their thoughts on the idea, as well as bringing up suggestions to make said idea better, or pointing out possible flaws.

-Being called in to give their thoughts on the group every now and then. Simple task is simple.


These are all the new responsibilities I have come up with so far, but more may be added to the list as we go along.

Finally, we reach the point of how these new contributors are to be chosen. Well....activeness isn’t the best way to gauge who would be the most responsible, though being an active member does appeal. I also can’t select just anybody who looks like they might have an inkling as to what’s going on.

So the best way to go about this? Well, I’m taking requests to become contributors. The procedure is quite simple:

Step one: Open up a PM to send to me (Bronymaster)

Step Two: Outline reasons for why you think you would make a good contributor

Step Three(Optional): Provide information on past instances in which you were handed responsibility and handled it well.

Step Four: Send said PM to me.


After you have sent your PM to me, I’ll read it and consider you. Now, obviously just accepting word of mouth is not the best way to choose who would be best, so there will be another step in the procedure, if I decide to let you go past step four:

Step Five: If I have decided to accept what you have told me, I might make you a contributor for a short span of time, if only to try you out and see what you do. The trial period can last anywhere from a few days to a month depending on what job position you have been put in.

Currently, I’m not looking for many contributors, and the only ones that I do need will be required to regulate threads. Also, a few of the old contributors are still going to be contributors. The following people are already going to be (If they agree to the job that I wish to assign them) brought back to the team:

Sorren
Eviltomby
GingerNutGin
PhoKingAzn

But that’s so few!

Shush! I know it’s so few. Like I said, we had too many contributors. Besides, contributors are heads of teams or they are monitors. Both Sorren and Ginger will be heading teams (Ginger is already heading a team) while I’m going to request Eviltomby to monitor the idea threads. PhoKing makes all the art for the group so he is in charge of changing/making/removing/fixing it whenever necessary. Or when we have a new idea. Whatever.

Now, onto what contributors I still need. As of current, I only need contributors willing to monitor threads. Specifically, I need:

2 contributors to monitor the threads in the “Supplementary Story Material” category of the Thread Directory

1 contributor to cover both the “Recreational” and the “Receiving Help and After-Story Cleanup” categories.


Other than that, I got everything covered. But that’s not all.

People have been active in the group for a long time, and many of them won’t get to be contributors. However, I still wish to reward people who are commonly active in the threads. Still provide some incentive to be active. So...in place of being contributor, active members will instead be given two unique things:

A spot on a new banner that I’m going to see if Pho would make that would list “Honorary Active Members”

A badge with the title “Honorary Active Member”.

It’s not much, but at least it’s better than nothing. Active members are also more likely to gain favor and become a contributor when it comes time for me to make them.

3rd Order of Business: Two New Folders

As I am guessing only a small portion of you have noticed, I have created two new folders for adding stories to in the group.

Group-Member Stories (Reviewed and Approved)

Group-Member Stories (Unreviewed and/or Unapproved)

That’s right, it’s a self-promotional folder. BETTER! Two self-promotional folders!

Well, what’s the difference?

Well, the difference ties into the Stories to be Reviewed folder. You remember how I said, way up there somewhere about the new contributor system, that I’m putting Sorren in charge of a team? Well, this is where the team’s other purpose (Outside of actually reviewing stories) comes in. The team, as a whole, will decide if a story is worthy to be put into the first folder or not.

Now, the second folder? Any story can go into that one. We don’t care. It’s easy to just get it in that one.

The first one? Well, only admins can put stories in it. What I’ll do is have Sorren tell me if he and his team think a story passes a certain level of quality and, if it does, I’ll take the story and put it in that first folder.

Now I can already hear a few of you crying foul at me. Let me address some of the issues I can already hear being raised:

It’s mean to seperate stories like that! Where is equal right?

Well, let’s look at this reasonably: A person who visits our group for the stories isn’t going to want to sift through garbage. They want to find the good stuff early on. This makes their job a bit easier. As for equal right, let me remind you that our group’s purpose is to help authors, not self-promotion. Adding these two threads was more something I want to do to be nice. However, I can’t steal The Writer’s Group’s job. So I made ours a bit more selective. If you want equal representation, put it in The Writer’s Group.

What if Sorren judges unfairly or holds a grudge or simply doesn’t like what the story is about?

I’m going to put stress on the word “Team” It’s not entirely up to him. Plus, they are more a judge on quality than what the story is actually about, and I trust him and his team will stick to that. Plus, they send you their review, so you will be informed of what caused them to make their decision. Furthermore, if you still feel that he was being unfair in any way, you can contact me or one of the other admins and we can take a look at both his review and take a peek at your story ourselves.

What about if I fix the story up after they send me the review? Can I try again?

Well, I’m not sure at this point, but I was thinking of allowing you 2-3 tries before you aren’t allowed to resubmit to the folder. I’ll have to talk this over with Sorren, though.


IF you have an argument I haven’t listed here, or are confused, just leave a comment below.

End of Business

So, what does everyone think of what’s going on? Leave your comments below :twilightsmile:

Carpe noctem!
~Bronymaster

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Comments ( 34 )

This looks like it'll be a good system if it all works out.

I sure hope so. I've been wanting to do this for a long time now.

235407
We do have a huge group, yet a handful of members are active.

235418
More than you think! Besides, I'm making this change one way or another.

235420
I really don't care with the new rules, as long as I can help. VectorFan98 is eternally grateful for me. I do want some members that owes me a favor. I can really use them for world domi- *cough* for my story materials.

235422
Awesome! This is the sort of attitude I want from people!

235426
I totally forgot about him. He just message me, I already forgot what I did to help him. He can vouch for me, make me a c-unit so I can rule the group!

2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdJTEao0_gs/Ty2k5PMCa6I/AAAAAAAAC9Y/eZ6g7RpFld4/s1600/mr-burns-evil-wallpaper-1024x768.gif

235428
You send me your qualifications in a PM.

It all sounds good--but of course everything sounds good on paper, heh. I'd really like to give a bit of responsibility a go, but I've never held such a position on a forum. And I'm still so new, heh. I suppose I'll stick to trying to stay active, and maybe offering my sword in the future if it's needed. It'll be interesting to see how this plus out. Good luck, Leader, and to all those with you.

235486
Thank you. We're going to need it.

Ah, now this seems to be an extremely good idea for the new system. I'll be hanging around to see how this all turns out...

Also, I won the bet, Ice Age 4 here I come....:pinkiecrazy:

I think I'll stick with just being active too. I hope this whole idea of reviewing stories works out as objectively as you've intended it...I'd volunteer to help with that, but I'm not nearly as mean as you'd want me to be. I recognize quality, but where would you cut it off?

Did you make a thread about this lol?
Also want me to break out the banners and the badges?

235565
Well, it's more a matter of what people define as quality, which is why I want Sorren to have a team instead of decide it himself.

This sounds fantastic! :pinkiesmile:

235589
That would be nice, yes. Qwardy needs removed from admins, with Sunnydaze added. He needs his own badge now, too. The contributor banner needs to be completely redone, and we need another banner for "Honorary Active Members" as well as a "Honorary Active Member" badge.

The people who need put on the Honorary Active Member banner include:

All the old contributors that aren't on the contributor list anymore :rainbowlaugh:

235647
Going to need a list for the honorary active member banner, am i technically on it as well as banner?
[when you mean the previous contributors so anyone on the old banner that's not on contribu is now honary active?]

Well, I like the idea. The whole contributor thing will make me work harder to get there, and, if I ever do get there, will be fun, kind of like a job...that one likes. And if I'm not able to be a c-unit, then I can always be an honorary member for my troubles. Yay! Well, everything looks good, man. Thanks!

235542 235677
So are you two going to submit an application? :pinkiehappy:

235726
I thought you were interested :rainbowderp:
And I'm not trying to pressure you or anything, just asking :twilightsheepish:

235735 I'm interested, but I could never write anything that bigs myself up....I can't even write a personal statement for university :rainbowderp:

235738
You don't have to say anything that isn't the truth, so it isn't really bigging yourself up :twilightsmile:
But like I said, no pressure, you can submit one if and when you think you can.
Or you can just be an active member, it's all good :pinkiehappy:

235652
Anyone on the previous banner, who is not currently a contributor goes on the Honorary Active Member banner. So you remain on the current c-unit banner, since you are still a c-unit.

Awesomesauce! I'll try and participate more on the threads and scan about for wrong-doing. :pinkiehappy:

Minor suggestion:

I think there should be more than 1 contributor for the recreational threads and receiving help and after-story cleanup threads, simply because the recreational ones get updated and made so often. Two pairs of eyes are better than one!

I'll be sure to not let you down.


Carpe Diem! Carpe Noctum!

"But what if Sorren judges unfairly or holds a grudge?"

Really?




Really!?

235721 Later. I actually feel that I don't have enough under my belt to apply succesfully.

238166
Well, you don't know until you try, we don't expect everyone to have huge resumes or anything :twilightsheepish:
Just describe what you think would make you best for the position :twilightsmile:

238175
That is the thing. I'm not good enough for the position quite yet. I have to brush up on my leadership skills, as well as interpreting commands given to me. And a plus five perception check for traps, and a quick D8 roll for heal a-wait...no, I can only roll for perception...crap, that's Pathfinder!

238182
Hehe, well, I look forward to seeing your application when you do feel ready :pinkiehappy:

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