We have broken down walls with this project. We've come together as a community, we've listened to suggestions, and we're well on our way to having a forum that all our users (or at least the majority) can be happy with.
At this stage I think it's time to ask ourselves how much we really want to change. From my point of view, the jedi are evil the past 6 years of Minus World's existence have been mediocre at best. We've constantly flip-flopped on whether or not there will be a mainsite, we've consistently denied suggestions that are deemed "not serious", and worst of all, we haven't done anything noteworthy. For the better part of a decade we've been an MFGG clone, struggling even to match our source material. MW could be called a failed experiment by any outside observer, and most inside observers as well.
But this year, we, the most active members, the ones who care, have taken a gigantic leap toward uniqueness, and more importantly, fun. We've broken the shackles and created what I truly believe is the most enjoyable message board on the internet. Several talented individuals, some programmers, some artists, some idea-makers, have come together with our years of forumgoing knowledge to craft a truly incredible experience that is unmatched by MFGG.
Let me make it clear that I don't want to disparage the MW staff - they've done their job well enough in past years, if you consider the job to be as simple as maintaining the forum. But there's more to it than that. You have to build upon a great thing and make it greater. You have to turn it into a game, and you have to constantly one-up yourself. You have to keep people coming back. Think of the years that were spent simply deciding whether or not there SHOULD be a mainsite, or whether there SHOULD be a move to new software. Around two months ago, the community decided to just DO it. And now look where we are. Look what can be accomplished by a staff that truly cares about innovating, rather than just keeping the ship sailing straight until it sinks.
Again, I don't want to sound rude, because the staff HAVE done a good job at maintaining the forum, hiding hurtful comments, etc. But I really do think more is involved than that. And I think that if we all really care about the future of Minus World, and the history that comes with it, we should start considering alternatives.
MFGG, and subsequently MW, has always been run on a nebulous sort-of meritocracy system, in which admins and moderators are appointed based on who the existing admins/mods think will do a good job, then keep their position until they either step down or demonstrate a lack of interest. I think we can do better than that, which is why I'd like to propose a yearly nomination thread + poll where we can discuss the current staff, determine their weaknesses and strengths, and adjust them accordingly. In essence, a direct democracy.
In the interest of fairness, we should let the current staff keep their positions for the first year, giving them the opportunity to show how their administrative/moderation styles gel with the new Minus World. However I'd also like to nominate @"wtl" for the position of admin, because he's shown that he cares about this community and he's been heavily involved in the development process.
Thoughts?
At this stage I think it's time to ask ourselves how much we really want to change. From my point of view, the jedi are evil the past 6 years of Minus World's existence have been mediocre at best. We've constantly flip-flopped on whether or not there will be a mainsite, we've consistently denied suggestions that are deemed "not serious", and worst of all, we haven't done anything noteworthy. For the better part of a decade we've been an MFGG clone, struggling even to match our source material. MW could be called a failed experiment by any outside observer, and most inside observers as well.
But this year, we, the most active members, the ones who care, have taken a gigantic leap toward uniqueness, and more importantly, fun. We've broken the shackles and created what I truly believe is the most enjoyable message board on the internet. Several talented individuals, some programmers, some artists, some idea-makers, have come together with our years of forumgoing knowledge to craft a truly incredible experience that is unmatched by MFGG.
Let me make it clear that I don't want to disparage the MW staff - they've done their job well enough in past years, if you consider the job to be as simple as maintaining the forum. But there's more to it than that. You have to build upon a great thing and make it greater. You have to turn it into a game, and you have to constantly one-up yourself. You have to keep people coming back. Think of the years that were spent simply deciding whether or not there SHOULD be a mainsite, or whether there SHOULD be a move to new software. Around two months ago, the community decided to just DO it. And now look where we are. Look what can be accomplished by a staff that truly cares about innovating, rather than just keeping the ship sailing straight until it sinks.
Again, I don't want to sound rude, because the staff HAVE done a good job at maintaining the forum, hiding hurtful comments, etc. But I really do think more is involved than that. And I think that if we all really care about the future of Minus World, and the history that comes with it, we should start considering alternatives.
MFGG, and subsequently MW, has always been run on a nebulous sort-of meritocracy system, in which admins and moderators are appointed based on who the existing admins/mods think will do a good job, then keep their position until they either step down or demonstrate a lack of interest. I think we can do better than that, which is why I'd like to propose a yearly nomination thread + poll where we can discuss the current staff, determine their weaknesses and strengths, and adjust them accordingly. In essence, a direct democracy.
In the interest of fairness, we should let the current staff keep their positions for the first year, giving them the opportunity to show how their administrative/moderation styles gel with the new Minus World. However I'd also like to nominate @"wtl" for the position of admin, because he's shown that he cares about this community and he's been heavily involved in the development process.
Thoughts?