> Announcements
We have new moderators!
Khushrenada:
Now, it's possible that in a year or two, Nintendo has another Wii type success and we see a forum growth again. It's also possible it could be a more middling success or even a replica of the Wii U in sales. In which case, hoping for outsiders to come in and provide free fresh content may not be a possibility in keeping the forums lively. The way I see it, there are three options. 1. You hope the staff can somehow produce enough main site articles and features to keep people visiting and posting on the site. 2. You fire up the existing forum users and reignite their enthusiasm for being here so that they want to post more. 3. You just accept things they way they are and that the forums may continue to shrink in activity.
Now, number 1 probably isn't going to happen as much as the staff here may have great intentions to do so or want to do so. A big problem is that they are at the whims of when Nintendo announces news or what and how many products there are to discuss. How many Paper Mario: Color Spash and Pokémon Sun and Moon articles can one do from here until November until people tune that news out? Number 3 seems to be what the vast majority are doing because it's easiest to take the path of least resistance. Plus, it harkens back to my time is money theory. With less activity, there's less to see and talk about here resulting in less value visiting the site resulting in less posting resulting in less activity and repeat to infinity. Number 2 is probably the hardest to accomplish but would be the most rewarding. It's a path I've stuck to for a few years now. It's given me a lot of fun and pleasure in sticking with this site and I've appreciated the kinds words and encouragement I've received from so many for my antics over the years.
But right now, it's a path I'm finding hard to keep continuing with. I find myself in what may be the Bill and Maxi territory. Time is money and is the time I'm spending here worth it? Even this post, I've spent two hours writing it now and originally I was just going to post a two sentence snarky answer before changing my mind and deciding to get real about things instead. It's now late, late at night and I've once again let my time on this site go much longer than planned. But that comes from being a fan of it. Yet, I struggle to stay a fan of it. For awhile there in April and May, things were really fun here. With Zap and Lucario around, there was an energy that made it easy for me to come and post here more. Now, having Zap around was an unexpected treat as he only seems to show up on a rare occasion here and there but Lucario, for awhile, has helped give me creative energy and posting inspiration so seeing him permabanned has sucked. Mop it up has expressed a lack of enthusiasm for this site and visiting it. Now Spak-Spang may be bowing out of here also. Is it worth spending that much time here if the community and members I built bonds with aren't around? Am I just Don Quixote tilting at windmills trying to revive these forums with activity in a losing battle because they are doomed to dwindle off and die? That ban I received in December still sours my mood at time and makes me think the best revenge is to just back off from these forums and watch them dwindle in activity. So, I'm hovering between choice 2 of fighting on to create forum activity or choice 3 and just accepting it.
Khushrenada:
If I can't find value in my time posting to liven up the forums because of the community changing, what other value might there be? These days, my mindset is moderation. As Assistant to the Regional Community Manager, I'd find it easier to spend more time posting here and self justify it as well. Living up to my duties of providing entertainment for the community through forum games, joke posts and some serious topics as well, I'd be more inclined to keep things from getting too slow here. There'd be value in posting more here since I'd want to live up to this well-earned responsibility.
Well-earned, you say? Yes, I think so. In my time here, I've organized many Mafia games and committed much time to keeping those goings when they might have ended years ago and have long been entrusted as the Mafia Forum moderator. I've created other forum games to help keep up a spirit of fun in the funhouse. In many past occasions of slow activity, I've come up with jokes or posts to try and create some activity. I've shown passion in being a community organizer including the recent Animal Crossing Trading Card thread. It helps that we have honest and good members making something potentially risky rather safe. I think I can safely say I have the respect of most posters using these forums of whom many think I would be qualified to be a moderator.
I've weighed in on forum matters before (perhaps to the current moderators chagrin) and there are times you've used that advice and followed through on it. I thought the way to bring a spambot's attention to the staff was by posting in a thread created by it because it seemed to be what other users did when that happened but once I learned it was be reporting it through the report to a moderator button then I got on doing it the right way. I've posted ideas I thought might help or improve these forums and I've shown that I have a genuine passion for them and for the users who post here and that respect has been reciprocated. It's why I've stuck up for many of them and I'll say a good word for someone even if I do end up butting heads with them. I keep trying to come up with new things to do here and sometimes they flop and sometimes they succeed like how Radio Trivia started a viewer request portion which was usually the #3 slot in the order. I've helped out where I can when people ask or I see a need like compiling the NWR Zelda data for Insanolord that never got used.
Khushrenada:
You want to liven these forums up? I think putting me on the moderator payroll just might do it. I've been here 10 years. I don't know what the future holds for me or what changes may take place in life. I've got some goals that I'm working towards. For now, I can see myself sticking around here for another year or two but at some point, the party will probably end with me still being able to post here in an active capacity. I always thought I'd become a moderator on this site at some point in time and I'm surprised to think that 10 and 1/2 years have gone by and it hasn't happened. If it isn't going to happen, then I'm not sure what the point is in my staying too active around here. I've always felt I was on the path towards it what with being moderator of the Mafia forum as a sort of testing ground and there have been requests for it by other users. But maybe it's time I make my intentions clear and known and find out whether I've been deluding myself about such a possibility all these years or if it can really happen, and if so, why not now?
Most regular users don't become moderators because they don't stick around long enough, have the desire to handle such duties or display the ability to handle them. I believe I have. And like a mail-room clerk who's learned the ropes and passed the bar to become a lawyer and then used his skills to land high-profile cases and make his partners happy and keep the firm chugging along, I think I'm approaching where I'd like to see a reward from that dedication by being made a partner and promoted on up a bit.
It's easy to just sit back and let someone else do a lot of posting to insert some quick energy but at some point, that someone else is going to want some compensation for their time and effort. Looking at me and saying historically I'm the one to take matters in my hands and do something about is correct since historically no one else seems to act. Thus, going by history, if I don't do anything no one else will which puts me in a very good bargaining position. And that gives me another argument. Putting me into a moderator role shows other forum users that achieving a moderator position is possible here and can be obtained by good community engagement and by proactive posting to keep the forums buzzing with activity. It sets a precedent for others to follow which could possibly help with point number 2: You fire up the existing forum users and reignite their enthusiasm for being here so that they want to post more. Time is money and I believe the time I've spent and given to these forum has brought me to the point where a payday is well earned. In the words of Jerry Maguire, show me the money!
Khushrenada:
You're darn right we got new moderators.
Stratos:
Holy crap, I settled down to read your post just now and, Khush! I noticed your name was blue when I got to your second post! Congrats on the promotion. I for one think it is a good fit for you.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version