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I see, thank you for providing some reasoning behind your statements Fate!

Cool. I figured it was probably something like that.

Affiliates aside, there's still the idea of the animated nav bar on the forum index. With drop-down menus, we can add all sorts of things, related or unrelated to the ideas in this topic.
So if something comes up in the future, or there are ideas in here that we still want to incorporate--like if someone comes up with some easy-to-maintain awesomeness to feature things, for example--I think that might be a good place to consider putting them. Accessible for everyone, but more or less inconspicuous and nonintrusive to the boards themselves.

Kalon, I'm still having trouble visualizing what you're talking about. Because everything you're saying about drop-down menus in the forum index sounds exactly like what already exists at the top of the main forum page. Can you explain it a little more please? What do you mean "animated nav bar" and how is it different from how things currently are? I'm sorry, maybe it's just that I'm misunderstanding some of the words you're using to describe it.

Edit: Maybe I misunderstood the whole thing. You were trying to offer a compromise for the main/portal page idea, but I interpreted your response to indicate that you were suggesting something entirely new to the site that could be utilized for that purpose. Are you proposing a new thing or are you just suggesting we could use the already existing features of the site for the "highlighted threads" idea? If it is the former, then I would appreciate elaboration on what is different or new about your idea than the existing features.

I believe Kalon is simply stating that we'll have a drop down menu like on the forum mane page, like so...



I still don't know what it would serve, as announcements and stickies can be used to draw interest to contest winners and special threads. And like I said, a "blank of the month" is both time consuming and makes the forum more competitive rather than cooperative. I'm also having a hard time visualizing what these "other" uses are. I think we have everything a forum goer needs at hand right now.

Blade Barrier wrote:I believe Kalon is simply stating that we'll have a drop down menu like on the forum mane page, like so...

Yes. Upon review of this thread, I figured that was probably what he meant, but I thought I'd ask just to make sure. ^^;

Yup, exactly like that screenshot.

I wasn't suggesting anything specific. The idea is, if something like this ever comes up in the future, or if we decide we want to do the kinds of things that were already mentioned, I think adding something to that nav bar in the form of a drop-down menu would be an accessible yet non-intrusive way to implement it.

Something that doesn't fall in the category of things you'd make a sticky about, and is more specific to us than some completely other site that we could simply advertise in the Links to Click subforum. Something like a portal page or a feature page or an affiliates page or something like that. Something that'll always be there, but we don't necessarily want it visible everywhere or do a homepage of it. Sort of like an Extra Features thing in DVD's. You don't announce it in the movie, but neither is it the previews at the beginning. It's separate from the main attraction, but it's still an integral part of that DVD, and it's there for whoever wants to view it.

Does that help?

Although it appears that this discussion has run its course, I'll chip in with my thoughts regardless.

A lot of good points have been made already, so I'll try to keep it short. Basically, everything suggested here seems like artificially complicating a simple, well-functioning system. It's a writing forum - what more do you need? It has a spam, bot, ad - free environment where people can share their works or collaborate to create new ones. It has a section where inexperienced members can ask for advise, it has a few subforums devoted to different roleplaying criteria. Everything else is up to the writer themselves.

The monthly features were a nice touch, but back then the member-base was significantly smaller and the material was manageable (sort of). Now you'd need a full-time crew dedicated to this and even then I fail to see the point. Affiliates? Who needs that sort of thing? It only creates drama and can bring unwanted attention to the forum. The way I see it, if someone is "worthy" of this place, then they will eventually end up here regardless. I found out about FOG through another member, a lot of people I've seen joining have heard of us in a similar fashion.

My point is - FOG has stood on its feet alone so far, because of the quality of the writing here. No main page, or any other such will change that. They just won't serve a purpose in a community where a text box and imagination is all you need.

Blackrock wrote:...a text box and imagination is all you need.

Love it. Fate, can we put that in the forum description?

The Ghost Writer wrote:

Blackrock wrote:...a text box and imagination is all you need.

Love it. Fate, can we put that in the forum description?

I agree. I think this is the perfect description of our forum.

Blackrock wrote:Although it appears that this discussion has run its course, I'll chip in with my thoughts regardless.

A lot of good points have been made already, so I'll try to keep it short. Basically, everything suggested here seems like artificially complicating a simple, well-functioning system. It's a writing forum - what more do you need? It has a spam, bot, ad - free environment where people can share their works or collaborate to create new ones. It has a section where inexperienced members can ask for advise, it has a few subforums devoted to different roleplaying criteria. Everything else is up to the writer themselves.

The monthly features were a nice touch, but back then the member-base was significantly smaller and the material was manageable (sort of). Now you'd need a full-time crew dedicated to this and even then I fail to see the point. Affiliates? Who needs that sort of thing? It only creates drama and can bring unwanted attention to the forum. The way I see it, if someone is "worthy" of this place, then they will eventually end up here regardless. I found out about FOG through another member, a lot of people I've seen joining have heard of us in a similar fashion.

My point is - FOG has stood on its feet alone so far, because of the quality of the writing here. No main page, or any other such will change that. They just won't serve a purpose in a community where a text box and imagination is all you need.

I think you've basically summed it all up appropraitely, Blackrock. Thank you.

lol I do love that final sentence as well.

Aww thanks guys, I have my moments from time to time.

I just noticed this here... I believe we used to have a homepage-type page, but it was pretty useless.