City of IF

Key · Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 2652 Location: The Royal Palace

Here's a question for all the candidates to start things off...why do you want to be Mayor?

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

*Giggles and slips the oft repeated question about fables back in his pocket* :lol:

Ahem,

What do our Mayoral candidates see as being the number one priority in the City at this time, and what are their current plans to address this priority?

Thunderbird · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: Question for candidates

Key wrote: Here's a question for all the candidates to start things off...why do you want to be Mayor?

Honestly, I just love the city and wish to contribute in the strongest possible way I can. I've been watching the Mayors since the position first opened up and each has brought a new era to the city. In this time of recent resurgence, we need to capture the spirit of regrowth and push forward to rise from our recent slumps to recover the awesomeness of the days gone by. I hope to aid in providing impetus to this city's reawakening.

In my humble opinion, IF has done much to add great value to the internet as a whole and I find it baffling that thousands more have not come to join us. I believe in our King's original vision and still see that future as possible, if we make it so.

Smee wrote: What do our Mayoral candidates see as being the number one priority in the City at this time, and what are their current plans to address this priority?

Number one is to increase activity on the site. Having watched the city for years, I feel that even some of the more frivolous activities are important to maintaining interest among those who gather here. This is a social site as much as it is a writing and game location. Hopefully, we can spark more activity in general and I've seen great trends taking place in this arena.

Secondly, to increase activity, I believe we need a return of competitive stimulus. The SGOTM has GOT to be reestablished, even if it takes a slightly new form. The drive to have your storygame be voted one of the best new SGs was a motivation we're now missing greatly... and I'd like to extend that to competitive vote-offs for the featured story as well, giving the already noteworthy SGs another chance to reach a new height.

Third, we should open up public discussions here in the forums to discuss how we can more powerfully promote the site.

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

Key wrote: Here's a question for all the candidates to start things off...why do you want to be Mayor?

You may well ask! :shock:

Being 'Mayor' is not a glamourous job by any means. What comes with the position are administrative responsibilities - protecting the site from spam attacks, keeping profiles up to date, reminding Key to do backups :P and putting into place any organisational changes based on the needs of the community. I've been Mayor once before, and I've assisted Smee in the position for the past 18 months... so yes, why indeed!

Well, being a part of this site over the past few years has taught me a lot. Through it I found the motivation to improve my writing skills, learn how to critique, and improve my artwork skills. As an 'older person' it has helped me get a better grasp of the role the internet plays and will continue to play in many aspects of people's lives now and in the future. I have made friends here - people who I may never get to meet in RL - who share my passion for writing.

That is something special - and I want to do whatever I can to help keep this site special.

Smee wrote: What do our Mayoral candidates see as being the number one priority in the City at this time, and what are their current plans to address this priority?

At this time, we're beginning to see some new life in the city, and in particular some great writing from enthusiastic new members.

My number one priority? Make sure you guys are having fun! This site may be 6 years old, and has developed some strong traditions and values in the past. But 2010 has been a quiet year, which means some regular events (like Storygame of the Month) have stopped, and some lesser used forums (Games, Market Bizarre) have been temporarily closed.

Now we're coming back to life, we can have a fresh start. This is your site, and I want to bring events and forums to life that you want.

kkdestiny · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 2:34 pm Post subject:

( i feel strange asking questions for mayors-to-be >>;)

Say you are made mayor, right now, what is the very first thing you would do?

Masterweaver · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 1463 Location: Look around

Quote: Here's a question for all the candidates to start things off...why do you want to be Mayor?

Why not?

IF is an important city to me. I want it to continue; I want it to persevere. And if I can do that in any way, even the dull ways of the Mayoral position, I will take it.

Quote: What do our Mayoral candidates see as being the number one priority in the City at this time, and what are their current plans to address this priority?

Activity, but more importantly notice. Very few people know about IF, and that's a big problem for a website. The more people know about our city, the more activity we will have and the more varied our stories will be. We must reach out across the internet, be friendly members of other forums. We must show them that we have a great community and devotion to our cause.

[quoter]Say you are made mayor, right now, what is the very first thing you would do?[/quote]

Check to make sure somebody didn't screw up, it's way too early in the game for a mayor to be elected!

And then I'd probably start scanning the forums, trying to find SGs in danger of dying off and shoring them up. Also work out some form of advertising...

Thunderbird · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 5:09 pm Post subject:

Quote: Say you are made mayor, right now, what is the very first thing you would do?
The reality is I'd probably continue to try to keep up to date on every storygame I can. However, to address what I would immediately do AS mayor would be to reinvoke an SGOTM competition again. There's some great stories running right now that really need their own forum to be given the credit I believe they've earned.

That would be first on the list but the list does go on.

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

kkdestiny wrote: ( i feel strange asking questions for mayors-to-be >>;)

Yes - it is a little strange isn't it - what other site on the net do you know of that has its community choose who they want to take over the adminstrative role!

Quote: Say you are made mayor, right now, what is the very first thing you would do?

In earlier elections, the mayor candidates have often had different opinions on which way they should take the city forward, and how they should do it. In more recent times, it has distilled down to 3 major points which Thunderbird, Masterweaver and I all agree on

Competition - Storygames of the month (or more recently the Spotlight competition) to reward authors of the best storygames

Activity - Stimulating forum activity through events, games and of course, good storygaming

Visibility - Promoting the site on the internet to attract new members.

On the competition aspect, I'm anxious to get the Spotlight (previously known as SGOTM - Storygame of the Month) up and running again. Due to lack of activity this year we've hardly had any contenders to make a competition. But in recent months there area few new storygames that now that qualify, (and have already been stickied in their forum) and a few more which, if they put in a good second chapter will also make it to qualify.

If you are interested in qualifying for a competition where the prize is a dedicated forum for your storygame - and a chance to feature on the home page - then take a look at the qualifying criteria Here.

For activity - that is your job! As Mayor, it is my job to encourage people to stimulate activity in any way I can.

On Visibility - Thunderbird has hit the nail on the head here. There have been a number of passionate debates in the past over what City of IF actually is - and how we should present ourselves on the net. For example, are we a role-playing site, or a writer's site? Tweaking the home page and keywords for search engines to reflect the way IF has evolved was something Smee and I were looking at a few months ago - a job we were not able to finish - but is something that would be fun for us all to think about and get involved in.

The FIRST thing I would do as Mayor would be to appoint at least one moderator, to help run the Spotlight competitions and encourage activity.

Vishal Muralidharan · Joined: 24 Aug 2010 Posts: 867 Location: City Of IF!

*Tries to spark off a fight* :lol:

Why do you think that you would be a better mayor than the others?!

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

Well, that's obvious. I'm the prettiest candidate. :P

Seriously though, I guess the obvious advantage I have over the other candidates is experience - I've been Mayor before (Oct 07 - Apr 08) - and I've been there in the background doing the day to day maintenance from Apr 09 to present while Smee has been Mayor.

But - that doesn't make me a better leader than them, and it doesn't mean that I'll be more likely than anybody else to hit on the golden solution to make IF the most popular site on the net.

In fact, I'll admit it - I'm not a leader. But I am good at helping others to make their ideas happen.

Thunderbird · Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 8:32 am Post subject:

This might be one of the few election seasons where I've been delighted with the idea of any of these candidates being mayor. Crunchy has proven herself and I've always liked Masterweaver, who has apparently suddenly morphed from a wild spark of chaos into a fine, upstanding gentleman. As for myself, I may never have been mayor, but I've been here longer than any other candidate, though that may be a bit difficult for some to substantiate.

What I feel would differentiate me as a Mayor among the three candidates is a degree of built up consideration and innovation that has yet to be tried. I've been on the council for some time now and have some differing opinions about how to go about some matters that have yet to be tested. This new approach might be what the city needs, something one whom has already been mayor may not be able to offer and one whom has never been a council member may yet not have to bring.

I'm a natural problem solver. To that end I offer my track record of suggestions on your own storygames to show this. I will find a way for this city to grow and thrive beyond even our refreshing resurgence of late. What's more, I feel a strong bond to many of the other IFians here, including, quite specifically, the other two candidates, who's opinions would be considered most important with any decision made.

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

Nice reply, TB.

A quick question to you personally then, to clarify to myself...

You've mentioned several times now your urgency to get Storygame of the month (SGoTM) back. Is it your intention to bring it back literally as it was, or simply some cross over of terminology and you mean get the next Spotlight competition up and running ASAP?

Thunderbird · Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 8:46 am Post subject:

Perhaps at this point, we need to instigate a SGOTQ (Storygame of the Quarter) policy, rather than expecting to be able to maintain one every month yet. Once we have more activity we can work our way back into that again.

This would be where I lean at the moment but before making any definite decisions, I would like to review the volume of stories that seem to warrant their own forums and proceed from there. Perhaps a couple of months to catch up and then we can shift to a quarterly competition might be necessary.

Masterweaver · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 1463 Location: Look around

Excuse me? I morphed from a spark of chaos? I'm still a spark of chaos, Thunderbird, I just happen to be able to hide it more! CHEESECAKE! CHEESECAKE! CHEESECAKE!

Okay, back to the questions. Hmm, I'd honestly say that I'm the least likely candidate for mayor, amongst our runners anyway. Crunchy's just awesome as both guy and gal, and Thunderbird has a decent grasp of the situation. Me, I'd need to figure out the codes and all that... But then, if I had to pick one strength, it's that I can analyze a situation. I can feel the pulse of the city, for lack of a better term; I can understand what the problems are. And, I suppose, I can figure out ways to do things...

Actually, we could tie in SGOTM (or whatever we're going to call it, it does need to return) with our advertising. Becoming a Storygame of the Quarter means that you get featured on one of our internet ads, right? The more varied the ads, the more varied the audience. Of course, we''l have to cycle through the number... perhaps only six ads out at a time... Fellow candidates, what do you think? A visual, then we animate it to fade into "At the City of IF!"

kkdestiny · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:29 pm Post subject:

(we have that? :O)
(and because it's been a while..)

Is there a topic you want to touch on that no one has asked a question about?

Thunderbird · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:27 pm Post subject:

Yes.

I'd like to find a way to spur more readers to dive into the longer running stories. They tend to lose readers along the way to natural decay (many of us come and go in phases of various activity) while not recovering readership from new members at the same rate. This ends up with some of the best tales on the site being followed by one or two readers.

I'm not sure exactly what can be done about this except to perhaps establish a stronger way for readers to refer other stories they follow.

For that reason, I'd like to remove the expiration period on favorites. Allow them to be removed if the player falls out from reading them but having to renew them all the time is something I find unhelpful for spurring readers into the longer running stories. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd I say.

Additionally, Fables. I feel the limit on them per post is too great, but then perhaps to counterbalance this, I'd reduce the amount awarded per character.

I would also like to see some fables earned for an author if he/she has others posting in replies to his/her story. Is this possible, Key?

I will keep the 'rent' on earned forums out but paying for a forum is still a good idea, and I'd like to see more ways to use them.

I'd REALLY like to see fables established with a real world coin value, even if they were only .00001 penny a piece, giving another motive to prowl the site and use IF, even if it is rather mercenary. I've been hoping to figure out a way to do this that can EARN the site more money than it costs us but I'd have to speak with the King on that matter for the advertising and financial element behind the site is somewhat of a mystery to me at this time.

I'd like to see more strategy games on the site and I really like what the land of Odd brings to the table. More is good there I think. We had another one running a while ago and I've been wondering whatever happened with that. I'm not sure what could be done to promote more of this, however.

I think that pretty much wraps it up. As always, with me as Mayor, there will be open discussions on various ways we can improve activity all around.

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

KK wrote: Is there a topic you want to touch on that no one has asked a question about?

Yes! I have a few thoughts...

Moderators

Now that we're becoming more active, I will be looking to appoint one or two moderators. These moderators would be responsible for keeping links in our Technical Institute current as the City evolves, identifying Storygames that are eligible for the Spotlight Competitions and doing ad-hoc forum maintenance.

Keeping Storygames Active

Thunderbird touched on an area that I totally agree with. Thunderbird wrote: I'd like to find a way to spur more readers to dive into the longer running stories. They tend to lose readers along the way to natural decay (many of us come and go in phases of various activity) while not recovering readership from new members at the same rate. This ends up with some of the best tales on the site being followed by one or two readers.

I'm not sure exactly what can be done about this except to perhaps establish a stronger way for readers to refer other stories they follow.

My thoughts are that really this is a problem that only the author can address. A long running storygame will only hold up if it is a well written, immersive story, with ways to help new readers get on board quickly. The best way to keep your readers is to put in regular chapters, frequently enough for people not to forget what the story was about, but not too fast so that it is impossible to keep up. I'm always looking for incentives for authors in this respect. (The Spotlight comp being an obvious one)

Favorites

I disagree with Thunderbird that the favorites expiration should be abolished. I believe that removing the expiration will give a false impression as to who is following the story, and even worse, whether or not the author is still active. Plus, it would make it more difficult for newer storygames to get recognised in the top 5. We would need to devise a system for manually removing favorites added by folks who are no longer active. The favorites expiration used to be 28 days, and has recently been extended to 60 days. This can be extended further, if needed, but I'm not sure the expiration should be removed completely.

Fables

My thoughts on Fables are this: Unless you can find good things to spend them on, they're worthless. We have, in the past, had auctions of IFgear (don't know whether that's still possible) where people would bid fables for items on offer. It'd be nice to see that happening again.

Non-Storygaming Features

Games like Land of Odd do attract new members who may just want to play those games. There is a feature in Land of Odd where you can exchange fables for extra games - which, if developed may encourage these people to get more involved in the forums to earn those fables.

During the last 6 months we launched a new feature on City of IF - the Multiverse, a CYOA style authouring tool. Due to bad timing more than anything else I think, this has had next to zero response from existing City of IF members. However, looking at other sites where CYOA is their main focus it is clear that there is an interest out there. We have a whole new category Here dedicated to this new feature. CYOA and Storygaming are closely related in a number of ways. The Multiverse can offer a new 'What If' dimension to already established storygame DPs, while introducing people familiar with CYOA to our unique Storygame concept. I'd like to work on making this feature more active.

On a more techincal note, it would be nice to see City of IF upgrade its forum software in the near future.

A final thought:

I have been at City of IF long enough that to me it feels like an old, comfortable glove. But to many here, the complex infrastructure and lore that has built up over the years probably comes across as irrelevant and perhaps even downright confusing these days.

If I were mayor, and everyone were willing, I'd like us all to work together to give the City a new identity, something that will suit the IF populace of today. Let's move forward.

:)

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

Quote: A final thought:

I have been at City of IF long enough that to me it feels like an old, comfortable glove. But to many here, the complex infrastructure and lore that has built up over the years probably comes across as irrelevant and perhaps even downright confusing these days.

If I were mayor, and everyone were willing, I'd like us all to work together to give the City a new identity, something that will suit the IF populace of today. Let's move forward.

I'm intrigued, what do you have in mind, can you expand on this idea?

Bookwizard · Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 639 Location: Gallifrey

I know this has been brought up, but I just want to bring to to the spotlight for a moment: If you were mayor, would you be willing to bring back and re-vamp the Games and Market Bizarre sections of the website?

Thunderbird · Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:42 pm Post subject:

I've been observing these 'two-word at a time' stories that were once just the stuff of the games section. And at first I thought they may cheapen the site a bit.

But there's methods to Key's madness and I think its been contrarily brilliant, increasing activity and giving us a lighthearted reason just to lurk the site and keep up on what's going on here.

The games page as a whole did that very well, so yes... I think we need to remember to keep our kindling around so the larger fires may be started!

As for the marketplace, I also feel it had a positive role in the city.

At the time they were both removed, however, I could see why the decision was made. If the site returns to the state it was in then, where the focus seems to be blurring into meaninglessness (the focus being the SGs) then we might have to consider temporarily removing them again.

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

Smee wrote: Quote: A final thought:

I have been at City of IF long enough that to me it feels like an old, comfortable glove. But to many here, the complex infrastructure and lore that has built up over the years probably comes across as irrelevant and perhaps even downright confusing these days.

If I were mayor, and everyone were willing, I'd like us all to work together to give the City a new identity, something that will suit the IF populace of today. Let's move forward.

I'm intrigued, what do you have in mind, can you expand on this idea?

Over the years, we've seen some extremely creative members come and go, and each member has added their own layer to the City of IF universe. Much of it has developed through IF tales. There are legends, maps and myths recorded in the IFki. Ongoing events have been reported in the IFquirer newsrag.

I sense (and correct me if I'm wrong) that this is quite daunting to get to grips with, if you're new to it - especially when the majority of the people who created all this lore have disappeared. Some of the stuff around here is irrelevant and meaningless now - the Head Eaters being an obvious example.

I also sense (again, correct me if I'm wrong!) that the people who are here now - old and new alike - are less heavy on the role-play side than those of, say, a couple of years ago. It seems to me that there is more of a leaning towards an interest in writing generally, of which Storygaming plays an important part.

To that end, I'd like to encourage everyone here to add their own layers to City of IF's history and culture, by giving them more freedom to take over the IFQuirer, the IFki, and through any new ideas we may have that will make today's City of IF our own.

Bookwizard wrote: I know this has been brought up, but I just want to bring to to the spotlight for a moment: If you were mayor, would you be willing to bring back and re-vamp the Games and Market Bizarre sections of the website?

Absolutely, but only if there is enough interest in word games, RP games and fabling enterprises to warrant it. Currently we have the Open Forum where all these things can take place. If and when activity in these areas increases to the point where the Open Forum can't handle it any more, then I'll know it's time to segregate them out into seperate forums. :)