What are the Pub's Positive Patterns?

[Amber]

I really like the idea of a Crafter's Corner.

And PG is right...  sometimes you can get support from here, and it would be nice to not see all of that go away.  (I'm thinking about people cheerleading Shecky's quitting smoking.)  Maybe a Life Events?

Perhaps a place for the teens/young adults to talk about school?  Or will that naturally delve too deeply into angst?

[Shecky]

As a corollary to PG's post, I'd like to suggest:

Fun Banter (Check 'tudes at the door)
- Come in and yammer to your heart's content. But if you bring attitude, there'll be no yammer and all hammer.

Advice, Please
- Not for real venting or complaining. Just for people who genuinely don't know what to do (look at the Advice About Sick Pets Etc. thread for an example) or can't figure out what's wrong. Or you really need a shoulder to cry on.

[GreyWarden]

I'd like to second, third and possibly even ninth everything paynesgrey said.

I haven't had anything that bad happen since I started hanging here-- but seeing the reactions of the board members to those who have had bad things?  Yeah.  I think we need a place to put the bad stuff.

I realize that you want everything to be positive-- but if that means all kittens, butterflies and puppies coated in sugar... well, such expectations aren't realistic.

Besides-- what could possibly be more positive, more community oriented, than helping out your friends when they're hurting?

Harry would approve.

[Paynesgrey]

So what solutions do we have to help keep these suggested corners tidy, without things that will puddle and stick to our volunteer mod's shoes?  The obvious and oft stated, oft ignored, "don't be a dick, and if someone is, click click click "report." But I have the impression they were getting dogpiled with complaints and the like.

Iago, would it be of any help if you had some more Limited Authority Mascott types to act as doormen for the pub, try to handle small things before they become annoyances for you and your mods? 

[Niccos Shadow]

Really, if you're going to fix it, might as well fix it right the first time. I understand the desire for the "general discussion"/"helping hand" type forums, but it's only delaying the inevitable. Give enough people enough rope and people will start hanging themselves. Even with more moderator types it's just going to end up having those new moderators end up fed-up with stuff as well (I speak from experience here).

If these boards are intended to discuss Jim Butcher and his collective works, then 50%+ of the posts shouldn't be about things that have nothing to do with said topic, IMHO. I think between a chat and specified topic-oriented forums it's really going above and beyond.

[Paynesgrey]

That'll pretty much strip any semblence of a "community" from the forums, making it a pure and plain book club.  While that will have it's appeal to some, I think that the community has been the backbone of this place. 

[Landing]

I agree with Paynesgrey this place isn't just somewhere to go and talk about a book, its a place to connect with people who share a common interest. The Community is what makes this place different from other boards and gives it life, I have seen to many boards that only focused on a very narrow topic wither and die as people left them.

[Paynesgrey]

I agree with Paynesgrey this place isn't just somewhere to go and talk about a book, its a place to connect with people who share a common interest. The Community is what makes this place different from other boards and gives it life, I have seen to many boards that only focused on a very narrow topic wither and die as people left them.

I've seen the same happen.  A simple book club doesn't engender the sense of loyalty and belonging that a community does.  Basically a desert until the new book comes out, with a flurry of activity for a month or two afterwards, then back to being a desert save for the odd recurring arguement about the Death Star fighting the Enterprise.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I agree with paynesgrey that I would hate to see the mutual-support and friendship aspect of the Angst Corner go away.

Chat is not going to work for me personally most of the time, because I rely on the asynchrony of the forum to fit having conversations here in around the immediate exigencies of getting work done, and can't really keep up with real-time conversation most of the time.  Which is not a vote against having it there for those who appreciate it; just that me not being there isn't storming off in a huff, it's a practical issue.

[Paynesgrey]

The fact that Neurovore and I am in agreement on this should inspire both awe and terror.   We've butted heads on most every socioeconomicpolitical issue under the sun pausing only to grudgingly agree that the Sisters of Mercy are just amazing.  Even if he/she does eat eal pie like it's people food.

But if we can play nice and see value in the community aspect of these forums, then either it's a Good Thing, or an abomination of soul crushing world ending evil in which case all life on earth is already doomed.

 

Neurovore, do you have any ideas to lessen the headaches of Iago and his Mad Mod Posse?

[nthnclls]

I like the idea of a "funny" section, which would probably included many threads about lolcats, but I really feel that there does need to be a genuine off-topic, and not just sections of extremely organized chatter.  The unpredictableness and freedom within bounds helps maintain the community.

Also, I think that you may think that the situation is worse than it actually is.  I've been on boards that have gotten out of hand, and while the occasional flame war that we have here is like fireworks, it's nothing compared to a forum that's really in trouble, like one I'm one where all the mods were kicked out...this forum's doing relatively good, I thought, even in the Angst corner, compared to forums with true flaming.

Poetry corner would be good.

[Paynesgrey]

The place is certainly more friendly and better behaved than most forums I've been to.  Although we should bear in mind that "how bad it is" is really for Iago, the mods and Jim to decide, as aggravation and fixing of fuss lies on the mod's shoulders, and anything stinky that goes on here could splatter on Jim's good name.  So if they say it's bad, I'm not to be arguing with them on it. 

[Heretic]

I agree with Paynesgrey this place isn't just somewhere to go and talk about a book, its a place to connect with people who share a common interest. The Community is what makes this place different from other boards and gives it life, I have seen to many boards that only focused on a very narrow topic wither and die as people left them.

I agree too.  As for keeping it positive and supportive, the volunteer doorman idea sounds like it could work.

Building on the Poetry Corner idea, what about a Writer's Block?  Poetry and anything else we want to share (not including JB-related FanFic, which already has a home)

[Yeratel]

I've seen the same happen.  A simple book club doesn't engender the sense of loyalty and belonging that a community does.  Basically a desert until the new book comes out, with a flurry of activity for a month or two afterwards, then back to being a desert save for the odd recurring arguement about the Death Star fighting the Enterprise.

Some of that is already gravitating toward a Mac's Pub page on Facebook.

[Kali]

I'd like to just interject that some of us who've never availed ourselves of the "ask advice of total strangers about appallingly personal matters" threads have nonetheless felt a sense of community here.  To imply otherwise is to say the rest of the boards and threads are useless in fostering a sense of friendship and connection.