Forum / Group Improvements

  • Dsc_7543.thumb
    Gloria Garfunkel
    Dec 28, 10:43pm

    This is what was posted as the definition of Groups in FAQ. I think it meets none of these needs. Do groups have potential for creativity or are they just a waste of time?

    "What are Groups?

    Groups are a way for Fictionaut's members to gather and discuss, and they can be dedicated to topics, forms, genres, places, writing programs, magazines, or just about anything else. Anybody can start a group, and groups can be private, public, or invite-only. Once you joined a group, you can participate in its discussion forum and add stories to the group pool."

    Who has ever participated in a group discussion for example?Would that be redundant with Forum?

    They are so chaotic that to have any purpose they have got to be honed down with some specific criteria. What do people think those should be? Is this even an issue worth thinking about?

  • Frankie Saxx
    Dec 28, 11:07pm

    I think groups, as the groups stand, *can* be used just fine for all those things. (I don't see any technical obstacle to them being used for exactly what they're intended. And I don't think there's any way to make a policy that will force people to use them more if there just isn't a need.)

    I don't check in groups very often, and I think the biggest difficulty is that it's hard to keep up with group activity. I have to manually go to each group and look at it. Maybe if there was an activity feed from all the groups I'm a member in, rather than just a list of the groups, on the You/Groups tab, it would help.

    I am not real fussed about this though. I figure at such a point where the forum and front page become too unwieldy or move too fast, people will put groups to more use. Personally, I am fine just visiting the most recent page, and maybe recommended, and a forum discussion here and there. :)

    Though I do sometimes hope that Unicorn Bacon will experience a resurrection.

  • Dsc_7543.thumb
    Gloria Garfunkel
    Dec 29, 12:06am

    I have yet to see any action going on in any of the groups except an added story now and then that's already been posted in ten other places. I've decided to limit my own contribution to the frenzy and post only one story per one group. Maybe you're right. It will just evolve with the needs of the site and for now Forum is the place for Talk.

  • Dsc_7543.thumb
    Gloria Garfunkel
    Dec 31, 06:58pm

    OK. Two or three stories if no one else is posting. But they are really a chance for older stories to be brought to the attention of newer members and people with similar themes to share perspectives. They are a chance for stories no longer on the "front page" to get a second chance.

  • You must log in to reply to this thread.