Read Me, Everybody: What the heck should we do here?

[Merlin]

Since we're just getting started here (and I know a lot of you have more experience with these inter-web message boards) tell us a little about what you'd like to see here.

Are there other boards you visit a lot or features you'd like to see replicated here?

Spill it, junior.

[meg]

I don't see enough naked ladies, fer one. Or GOSSIP. Where's the GOSSIP? And I want one of those touchy-feely sections where everyone tells me what records to listen to in my spare time, because I don't know what I'm talking about and I need the guidance.

I like this sort of board. The kids over at Elsinor Records use the very same and I'm crazy about it. Simple and easy to manage and with that nice private messaging feature. I ask for little.

[miss michaela dee]

i would just like to say that this elec-tronic salon is super nice!

and, i'm super glad that i can have a long username with lots of spaces in it.

that being said, i second meg's call for GOSSIP. the juicy kind, pls.

[Merlin]

Gossip and naked ladies, eh?

Well here's a lady John is rumored to have a big crush on.



Of course, I have no way of knowing whether it's true or not. ;)

[grant]

Hey Merlin,

Experience on Barbelith shows that blocking signature files can boost the readability of a message board.

Just so you know. People love the damn things, and they'll put graphics on 'em like nuts, but, as other folks have observed, reading a sig-file intensive conversation thread is a bit like conversing with a room full of people with Tourette's. They'll be talking about, say, Thurston Moore's latest solo project and then blurt out something about George Bush. Which they keep repeating.

Distracting.

[Merlin]

Experience on Barbelith shows that blocking signature files can boost the readability of a message board.

That's probably not a bad idea, Grant.

Given your Barbelith experience, I'd love to hear other ideas you have

(BTW, you should have seen the way this thing looked when "smilies" were enabled. Damn. Looked like Homer's web page with the blinking and the colors and the whatnot. Damn near gave me a seizure.)

[grant]

I wasn't even going to bring those damnable things up.

I don't mind them so much, but try not to use 'em myself.

I have no idea if phpUBB (that's what this is, right?) can support the Barbelith Distributed Moderation system, or even if this board will have enough users to make it functional (it relies on having a lot of moderators). But it's a really appealing idea that actually seems to work.

The other thing that comes to mind (here I'm putting myself in the shoes of Our Exalted Archon, Tom Coates) is to think well and hard about various subjects for your forums, provided you're going to divvy up this place that way. What kinds of discussions do you see taking place here? What do users here want to discuss?

The heuristic for forum layout: a conversation/chit-chat/sandbox/fun&foolishness forum can help filter goofiness out of more "newsy" fora. Additionally, a separate forum for stuff like this, the architecture/nerdstuff/user help area, is also useful - gives people a place to ask about how/why things are, and gives a place to point newbies to who don't know how these things work.

In Barbelith, those two are the ones right at the top of the board.

[grant]

Oh, and on Cross and Flame's religious board, they run this same software. And the Stickies tend to accumulate if you don't have a mechanism (internal to your head, or stated on the board for everyone who has the power) to delete them regularly.

[Merlin]

Thanks, Grant. Muy helpful. We definitely need a Meta-Talk. That's where I'd wanna hang out anyway.

My inclination is to let things roll a little on their own, then look for patterns that suggest a breakout/sections. Although there are probably conventions that can be observed from looking at other band sites.

Any nominations on the must-have sections, people? Live Shows? Gossip? Misheard Lyrics? Nude clip art?

[Unremarkable]

I really like the format of this board. I think a section for live shows would be cool.

[sean]

NERDS!!!!

[Moni]

Hm - I've been a crew member on this nifty/weird board for... umm well too long already I guess.
It's good loads of great features, but most of them only make sense when you've got more than about 100 users (like the buddy list).
One nice feature is that sigs only show up in the first post in a thread, if the user makes further posts in the same thread, the sig doesn't show up anymore.

And it could be useful to have (a) moderator(s) who can move threads to another forum if necessary - no matter how many forums there are, some posts will always end up in the wrong place - must be the magic of m.boards) (that's actually not a real problem, I guess I'm just being anal...)

No smileys?? Pity, I'm addicted to those yellow little tennisballs...:)
Oh and I like nerds.

[LoveSickJerk]

Ok coming from The HD BB (thanks Liz!!!) this is a pretty nice site. Kepp up the good work, and dont forget to feed those dancing bears...

[meg]

OHMIGAWD I totally heard he was totally macking on that totally nekkid lady.


You know what I would love? Official-site-only mp3s. Happy live tracks and maybe a Christmas song. Would require extra participation (or culling of illicit recordings), but would be teh r0x.

[miss michaela dee]

NERDS!!!!

say that with yr. glasses on, mister. (;

(though frankly, i too am lost when it comes to the intricacies of running this elec-tronic salon. i'm just glad other people know what's going on.)

[peripatetic_elitist]

Being a newcomer and reading the previous posts I can honestly say that my mind is spawning many masses of brainchildren. At least we have some intellects here.

[Unremarkable]

You know what I would love? Official-site-only mp3s. Happy live tracks and maybe a Christmas song. Would require extra participation (or culling of illicit recordings), but would be teh r0x.

They should do a studio recording of (fast) Mimi!

[John]

Ok, I think the main purpose of this site should definitely be gossip.

The Long Winters are men of low moral character, blackguards to the very last. Soon these e-pages will overflow with tales of their infamy! I would hasten to warn the youthful dewdrops to avoid them lest they meet with their peril, but I know the yearning, the unspeakable desire, that will draw maidens ever hence despite all entreaties from cooler heads.

That said: I think that it's a fine idea to have secret Mp3's.

[Unremarkable]

Ok, I think the main purpose of this site should definitely be gossip.

The Long Winters are men of low moral character, blackguards to the very last. Soon these e-pages will overflow with tales of their infamy! I would hasten to warn the youthful dewdrops to avoid them lest they meet with their peril, but I know the yearning, the unspeakable desire, that will draw maidens ever hence despite all entreaties from cooler heads.

That said: I think that it's a fine idea to have secret Mp3's.

OK, so give us the dirt on Michael Shilling! What devilish acts has he been up to?

[ChadyzGroove]

this board is nice, something that i spend alot of time at is http://www.nationofcool.com it is a official/unofficial matthew good fansite it's great. a good example of a bad message board is the one at http://www.savesurge.org but the site is awesome cuz i like surge.