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Andolyn
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 Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 5:38 pm Post subject: Announcement From the Desk of the Mayoress |
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Let me just start this by addressing the City as a whole. I'm very disappointed in the lack of activity after all of our efforts to help. We have taken everyone's ideas and run contests, streamlined the forums, and anything else we could think of. We ran the Ifys for the first time in YEARS, and that held people's attention for a little while, but now we're back to having a massive wasteland on our hands.
It IS possible. I'm on another site where they literally have THOUSANDS of members with HUNDREDS of new stories a DAY and comments aplenty for all of them. What's so different here?? I have a feeling it's all about initiative. You get back what you're willing to put in, and the fact is, our citizens just aren't passionate about the City.
Where are those who were so willing to offer criticisms and demand ideas during election times?? Where are their SGs and comments on the SGs of others?? That's right. We don't have any. They left right after the polls closed.
We haven't had a new member sign up in over a month people. And the last ones who signed up haven't even read the welcoming PM Tika wrote and sent to each of them. Why? Why WOULD they stay? THERE'S NO ONE HERE.
And now for a more pointed grievance. I'm EXTREMELY disappointed with the City Council and the elders of the City at this point. The ones who are supposed to be the elite of the city and where are our comments on SGs? We had several new SGs fizzle out due to lack of readership, and the list of those SGs just continues to grow. Where is the Council? Where are the older, more experienced members? Where is the example for the rest of the City? They've posted in their own SGs...a couple have been commenting, but as a whole, WE. ARE. FAILING.
I've commented, I've posted my own SGs, I've sat in the empty Inn for hours on end, and I know Tikanni has as well. I don't know what else we can do, but we're going to keep trying. I only ask that our citizens do the same.
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Tikanni Corazon
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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Go Andi! Well done you, for voicing the exact same thing that I've been thinking over the last few weeks myself, and have made it known in the Active SGs thread, though I notice that no one's really bothered to take any notice. Over the last few weeks, I've seen numerous members log in to IF, and hang around for long enough to have read and commented on an SG or even two, and yet they don't. They just leave again, besides the odd member who decides to come out of the woodwork and post in the Nanowrimo thread in the open forum, which is one of the most active threads on the site right now, and yet it's activity means nothing to the site in general. Most of these members have SGs of their own, so I can only assume that they log in to check on the progress of their own work. Does it not occur to these people that everyone on IF works just as hard as they do on their tales, and that they might appreciate a response? There are even those members who ask for comments, and yet give nothing back.
I myself try my best not only to comment on most of the SGs on the site, but to give a critique as well. That takes time granted, but a damn basic read and an idea for a DP doesn't. Ten to fifteen minutes, I'd wager. Takes me half an hour or more to go over and make one of my comments on an SG, and yet I do it. It's extremely disheartening to know that most of the current active members only care about their own creativity and time spent working on their own stories, rather than giving consideration to each and every creative mind on the site. Because that's what we are. All of us united in our desire to write and improve ourselves. But not united in our efforts to want to help each other.
So what's the problem? There has to be a reason why. Those of you who think you're possibly too good for the riff-raff of the city to be worth your time...why not use your experience and apparent brilliance to help them become better writers? For those of you who just cannot be bothered...how can that be your way of thinking, when you yourself want others to make the time for you? This is just ridiculous, and every single one of you who fits the profile that's being painted here should be ashamed.
_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887
 
 
  
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sagittaeri
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I second (or third?) this. I'm guilty of it myself, so I know the only way out of this slump is for everyone to work together and ramp up the SGs and commenting. It's not really "work", because I really enjoy reading people's SGs, and playing them. And I know I can't be the only person who feels that way.
Due to my 12 hour work day, the window of time that I can be in the Inn is becoming rather small, which I'm pretty gutted about, because I rarely bump into people in there anymore. But, at the same time, I got the feeling that people only enter the Inn if they see "The Inn (1+)"...and they don't enter if it's "The Inn (0)". So, I suggest that we should always enter the Inn whenever we're at our laptops browsing or whatever.
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Andolyn
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| Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:47 am Post subject: |
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| Excellent point, sagi! I love it!
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Emperor
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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I've thought long and hard about whether or not to post on this or not. In all honesty I cannot for the life of me reason out why I am doing it in the first place. I often see posts like this and sentiments are echoed and reasons are given and yet nothing changes.
I myself can list at least 10 valid reason why I don't read/comment more often than I should, without getting into the dramatics of my personal life, you will just have to take my word that anyone with a reasonable mind would agree they are valid.
But the sad truth is the reason why I no longer read or comment is a mixture of bitterness, laziness and a lack of any motivation.
I hate to be a downer, when in reality I only wish the best for this site, but if you have to wonder why something is not working I can only give you my own personal experience and reasoning's.
I do want to make a disclaimer before I go any further, my statements are not meant to call anyone out or dis anyone or anything like that.
So here is a real example of why I no longer comment as much as I used to.
Before I began Symphony, I commented on several authors SG's, and other various threads and posts, in my best attempt to contribute. When I finally began Symphony I think at best I had 6 to 8 readers, compared to other SG's out there it wasn't great but hell I was happy to have readers. I continued to post of SG's, and excluding Tikky, in my opinion, offer some of the most through critiques out there. I put a lot of time into "contributing", time which I could have used toward the multitude of important things in my life. And as each chapter went out, I dropped more and more readers. So much so that I posted a chapter, and it went almost 3 months with only ONE comment. Even after commenting and posting on others.
How else is someone to react but with utter disappointment, what reward is there when you support others and they do not support you back. Which is why when I do post now on an SG, which is almost never, I stay loyal and will always comment on those who have commented on mine. Which I think would be backed by the people that refers to.
I could go further in into this self massaging vent, but I won't, I think I've brought enough negativity for one day. So how do we change things, hell if I know, I've tried "giving to get" with very little result. We either have to accept that fact that comments on SG's are dying or we have to change the rules. But drastically changing the rules on posting is something that no one would agree to, I don't even know for sure if I would or not. But it is the only thing I can think of.
It should be said that I do believe there exist and applaud the individuals that do their best in all that they do to keep this site alive.
If I have offended or depressed please accept my apologies. But the truth remains the truth and this is the truth as I see it. Even if I am seeing it through a colored lens.
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A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one. - Baltasar Gracian
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Andolyn
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, Emperor, I can't argue with your frustration, but I can say this...we have almost an ENTIRELY new crowd of people who are loyal to this site now, and after my post, all of them have really amped up the comments, and I'm proud of them. Continuing to stew in past bitterness is doing nothing but aiding in the complacency.
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Tikanni Corazon
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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Actually Emperor, you've kinda hit the nail on the head. The comments that you just made, about giving to get, that is how it should be, and it's exactly what I was trying to illustrate in my post. Both Andi and myself try our best to comment on every SG that comes onto the site, of which there are quite a few, so generally, if we went by this 'give/get' philosophy, we should have about...what...6-7 readers on our own SGs?
The sad thing is that most of the people on the site right now don't seem to agree with that philosophy, whatever their reasons might be. Regardless, the reasons are going to be selfish, I'm thinking, be it laziness or just being plain full of themselves. It's people with such attitudes that are killing IF. There are those of us, like Andi and myself and a select few others who do our very best for the site. Hell, Andi was in hospital last week and she was still posting on here! That is dedication for you, and anyone else that claims to care should do the same.
_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887
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Chinaren
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 12:44 am Post subject: Re: Announcement From the Desk of the Mayoress |
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I think you're possibly being a little bit harsh Ando. People do have to deal with RL stuff, and reading and writing take up quite a bit of time, so not everyone has chance. Plus, the summer is usually slow anyway.
That said, IF does seem to have been unusually quiet recently.
| Andolyn wrote: |
IT IS possible. I'm on another site where they literally have THOUSANDS of members with HUNDREDS of new stories a DAY and comments aplenty for all of them. What's so different here?? |
Really? Which site is this? I like to go on there, post the start of a story or two, then try redirecting people to, er, somewhere else. 
I don't think that IF, and similar sites, can really hit the big time, unless they're very lucky, without a reasonable amount of paid advertising. Places like Writing.com are proper companies, with budgets and technical staff. IF and similar are 'one man shows', sort of thing.
This is my conclusion at least. 
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My Amazon page.
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Andolyn
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| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Actually, Chinaren, I don't believe I'm being harsh in the slightest. I have patiently waited out the summer knowing it's a busy time. I've even waited out the "end of summer, back to work" adjustment, and still, I sign on and we've had a grand total of five posts in the last three days.
Kudos to most of you who posted, as almost all of them...except Chinaren's post...were on SGs.
I will go ahead and say,Chinaren, that you are one of the people to which I was directing this thread, seeing as we've not seen you since the election...in which you were so happy to demand plans for activity from the new leader. Why is it that you have time to sift through the City looking for controversy, but reading an SG is far too troublesome on your RL situations? It seems that is a problem for many.
Anyways, thank you to those of you who are participating in SGs and helping to keep the City up and running. =)
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Andolyn
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| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Also, I'll be locking this thread. It has served its purpose, and will probably now devolve into a debate thread. Any further concerns may be brought to my desk via PM.
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