A Suggestion About Upcoming Book News

[AcornArmy]

I think we should add some sort of link or ticker right on the main Forum page which would either display the news on upcoming books or point people directly at the posts containing such news. I suggest this because I've been wandering the site for some time, worriedly trying to figure out why I couldn't find the release date info for Skin Game, until a few minutes ago when I finally found a thread which pointed out that the book isn't finished yet. (I'm not sure why, but I mistakenly thought Jim had finished the book in September.)

Posts asking about when the next books are coming out sometimes morph into threads in which people complain about a book not being out, so I thought having the latest news on upcoming books right there on the main Forum page might simplify things, and help to enhance the calm of the populace.

We do already have that countdown timer that's used once a release date is set, but that can't help with less specific news. What I'm thinking about would be more like a headline or Tweet or something which would go up until the countdown timer could be used.

[Serack]

I think we should add some sort of link or ticker right on the main Forum page which would either display the news on upcoming books or point people directly at the posts containing such news. I suggest this because I've been wandering the site for some time, worriedly trying to figure out why I couldn't find the release date info for Skin Game, until a few minutes ago when I finally found a thread which pointed out that the book isn't finished yet. (I'm not sure why, but I mistakenly thought Jim had finished the book in September.)

Posts asking about when the next books are coming out sometimes morph into threads in which people complain about a book not being out, so I thought having the latest news on upcoming books right there on the main Forum page might simplify things, and help to enhance the calm of the populace.

We do already have that countdown timer that's used once a release date is set, but that can't help with less specific news. What I'm thinking about would be more like a headline or Tweet or something which would go up until the countdown timer could be used.

AA!

Heh, I only recently got them to generate a sticky addressing this in the spoilers section.  Maybe more can be done.

[AcornArmy]

AA!

Heh, I only recently got them to generate a sticky addressing this in the spoilers section.  Maybe more can be done.

Hey, Serack.   Oddly enough, the Spoilers Section was the one place I didn't look for information about the release date, on the basis that the release date for the next book wasn't, well, a spoiler. I figured news about it was more likely to be practically anywhere else Dresden-related, so I didn't check there. I have failed, and I am chagrined.

[Serack]

Hey, Serack.   Oddly enough, the Spoilers Section was the one place I didn't look for information about the release date, on the basis that the release date for the next book wasn't, well, a spoiler. I figured news about it was more likely to be practically anywhere else Dresden-related, so I didn't check there. I have failed, and I am chagrined.

Well, I had actually expected it to end up in the Books section since that's where the CD sticky of the same ilk was, but the spoilers section does get more traffic (although infrequent and new posters probably visit books first/more often)

[Shecky]

Remember, there's also the Announcements subforum for... well, announcements like, oh, release dates.

[Dina]

But the announcement section has not been updated in months. Not even the release date for Bombshells is here and I am sure we would have loved to see the "Jin ended writing SG" in the Announcement section instead of searching it for all the board. Of course it will be announced when it's already released, but we fans really want a "is going to be released on X date".

IMHO, a link to all the things published in the front page of the site (not the forum section) would be great, as most of us enter directly to the forums and skip that page.

[Shecky]

The problem is that the mods have lives outside the boards; posting it in one place as opposed to the other still requires that the poster have the time to do so. Be that as it may, we really do need to keep the Announcements subforum up to date.

[Dina]

Shecky, I totally understand that. I am just saying that the fromt page is often updated, so we could have, in the Announcement section, a link to that front page. That would be all (if it could be updated in separated threads, even better, but the link alone may help)
Another option may be that you allow some people, like Serack or TCF, to post in the Announcement section, as they seem to be around more often than Pris (I don't think she saw her birthday thread, even).

[Serack]

The problem is that the mods have lives outside the boards; posting it in one place as opposed to the other still requires that the poster have the time to do so. Be that as it may, we really do need to keep the Announcements subforum up to date.

Priscellie has been SWAMPED poor girl.

[Serack]

Shecky, I totally understand that. I am just saying that the fromt page is often updated, so we could have, in the Announcement section, a link to that front page. That would be all (if it could be updated in separated threads, even better, but the link alone may help)
Another option may be that you allow some people, like Serack or TCF, to post in the Announcement section, as they seem to be around more often than Pris (I don't think she saw her birthday thread, even).

*shudder*  I think the announcement section is only accessable by Fred and Prisc, the two Admin level mods.  I'm not sure I'm the right guy for that level of moderation.  There are too many times when I look back and wish I had been better at handling situations (1 is too many, but it isn't 1). 

Edit:  And I didn't tack the above into an edit of my other reply because of the last time you responded to a suggestion forum post of mine within like 60 seconds Dina

[Dina]

What can I say? I am quick at appreciating your suggestions.

It's all right, of course it would be a voluntary task. I am just trying to brainstorming to find a way of making news easy to find to everyone, newbies and experts, and not overcharging the mods, who already have more than enough tasks.

[Priscellie]

Shecky, I totally understand that. I am just saying that the fromt page is often updated, so we could have, in the Announcement section, a link to that front page. That would be all (if it could be updated in separated threads, even better, but the link alone may help)
Another option may be that you allow some people, like Serack or TCF, to post in the Announcement section, as they seem to be around more often than Pris (I don't think she saw her birthday thread, even).

...I had a birthday thread?  ::goes to see::

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME.

Anyway, mea maxima culpa on the lack of Announcements board posts.  Frankly, I don't even have time to make news posts on the front page, and doing so cuts into time I should be working or sleeping or attending to personal hygiene.  We've managed to automate the tweets and mailing list posts, significantly cutting down on the amount of time it takes to make a news post, but posting on the board as well takes juuuuust that much more time than I can spare.

I'd encourage people to join the mailing list to get the freshest news.  Fred and I are the only people who post to it, and we average like three emails per month, so you won't be spammed.  It's nothing but news!