Some thoughts on the blog

[Aimless]

Would it better or worse if you removed the "recent forum posts" bar?

Would it be better or worse if people could post replies (moderated, of course) to the articles without having to register?

Would it be better or worse to have a light theme as the actual default theme? This last point may be totally crazy, I just recall the blog being dark when I was logged out, if this is untrue then nvm

[Aimless]

Maybe replace the "recent forum posts" with "recently updated threads"?

[Ominous Gamer]

I've mentioned before the "recent forum posts" don't make any sense. It doesn't read any of the bracket coding, so its usually a mess of jibberish because of a youtube video or a quick reply to a quote that doesn't show. It makes even less sense now that the titles have been removed and are replaced by the first line of the post, so each listing is basically repeating itself now.

light themes suck ass, but the dark theme does have some issues with text boxes, especially the login texts boxes because you can't see the characters you're inputing (at least in XP, IE7).


Off topic, would it kill you to work on your double/tripling posting problem?

[Aimless]

Light themes are awesome, studies show that you suck ass.

Moreover, light themes look serious and professional, whereas dark themes reek of nerds geeks and gamers :P

EDIT: I usually edit them in order to consolidate multiple posts into one, just been extra bad at doing that lately but I shall certainly endeavour to do better.

[Wraith]

light themes suck ass, but the dark theme does have some issues with text boxes, especially the login texts boxes because you can't see the characters you're inputing (at least in XP, IE7).

I rebroke that recently. I was hoping nobody would notice. I'll refix soon.

Would it better or worse if you removed the "recent forum posts" bar?

Would it be better or worse if people could post replies (moderated, of course) to the articles without having to register?

Would it be better or worse to have a light theme as the actual default theme? This last point may be totally crazy, I just recall the blog being dark when I was logged out, if this is untrue then nvm

I was actually planning on reworking the front page now that we have enough articles that they don't all fit. Not sure what it'll end up looking like. I'll try to play around with things.

On unregistered moderated replies - I'm kinda wary about that. That's potentially a TON of spam to wade through. You guys probably don't see too much evidence of it, but we're under constant siege by spambots. But I'll look into it and see if anything can be done with that; whether it happens or not depends on how easy it is to get a good human verification system in place for the unregistered comments.

[RandBlade]

I think the biggest problem is a total lack of posts, it should be getting updated daily ideally but once a month seems very optimistic at the moment.

[Loki]

It's a catch-22. We need more posts to get new users, but we need new users to get more blog posts.

[littlelolligagged]

Perhaps as D&D becomes less of a shithole, there will be more desire to produce quality material for it.

[GGT]

What makes you say D & D is a shithole? I start a lot of threads, are they not potential for "quality material" that could be expanded in the blog by someone who wants to take it there?

Lolli, I took a look at the first two pages, and your only thread is called cheer isn't a sport.

[Aimless]

Can someone give me a refresher on the blog--subject matter, guidelines?

[RandBlade]

I still vouch for letting people post directly to the Blog rather than going via the sub-forum which hasn't had a post in nearly a quarter of a year.

If the blog was used as the Opening Post for the most serious D&D threads then that'd have a purpose to it.

[littlelolligagged]

Most people require pretty heavy proofreading, RB. That's what the subforum is there for.

[Illusions]

Most people require pretty heavy proofreading, RB. That's what the subforum is there for.

Also for vetting too. There are plenty of threads that have started in D&D that didn't belong there, I can only imagine how many blog posts we'd get that wouldn't belong either. Why not just start promoting particularly good D&D threads to article status? I mean, this is modern media we're talking about, I don't see why an "article" in today's world can't be an ongoing, interactive, collaborative endeavor from multiple perspectives...

[RandBlade]

Most people require pretty heavy proofreading, RB. That's what the subforum is there for.

Why? Some of the best blogs I read have typo's in them.

The last article submitted to that forum was on the 11th of June. Its now 14th Aug.

[littlelolligagged]

So write something. I've had my reasons for my lack of desire to, and I know that the other people who would have been busy/apathetic too.

Just speaking for myself, I'd prefer it if people don't automatically post to the blog. That's not what the problem is, anyway.

[Loki]

Can someone give me a refresher on the blog--subject matter, guidelines?

Until we have regular contributions and more than one blog entry a month, anything vaguely politics-related and well-written.

Why? Some of the best blogs I read have typo's in them.

The last article submitted to that forum was on the 11th of June. Its now 14th Aug.

Sloppiness detracts from the quality of a person's argument. People will get put off by an article that has too many errors.

[Being]

Sloppiness detracts from the quality of a person's argument. People will get put off by an article that has too many errors.

That's why I stop reading news articles at the first typo...editor needs to be fired.

[EyeKhan]

Moreover, light themes look serious and professional, whereas dark themes reek of nerds geeks and gamers :P

I agree totally. This site has a better chance of being taken seriously with a light theme. Just look around. The only sites with dark themes are kiddie gamer sites.

[Aimless]

Have we considered pimping other people's blogs or pimping articles and new findings? And, of course, providing commentary. You know, like even serious blogs often do.

By pimping I don't mean crass advertisement of course.

[Loki]

I don't mind discussing new findings, but I think we should wait with the other things until our own blog has more quality content.

[Wraith]

If you want to write Minx, just say so.

[Aimless]

I do want to write, and I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with ideas. I will write as soon as I have an idea that's more suitable for this blog than it is for my own endeavors--as well as interesting enough for me to spend time on. As you know, political analysis--of any sort, and at any level--doesn't come naturally to me, brain-wracking or no. I have one idea, but if it pans out it'll do so once my paper is done. It has to do with med-student debt

I just don't like seeing you guys so sad and I was wondering what was going on and what might be done. Ie. what are the barriers to the blogging? Is it the requirement of essayishness? The necessary association with politics, or the requirement for analysis? Is it because we'd basically just be writing for each other and we don't like each other (besides Ziggy)? Is it simply that the perfect is killing the good? Those are some things that scare ME.

Illusions mentioned vetting posts, and Lolli says D&D is shit, but I think that perhaps some of those threads on D&D that're based on articles may be suitable for a blog, albeit not for an online journal/newspaper/essay-collection. I also think that, in addition to regular media, it would be interesting to read tWF's take on things other serious bloggers are saying. I'd read that blog and there's a chance those other serious bloggers would, too. And because you'd be talking about them and their mothers they may be inclined to respond.

[Wraith]

I do want to write

Too bad! I'm not giving you access!

[Aimless]

I was kidding, and also those jeans DO make you look fat.

EDIT: I was kidding about the jeans!

[littlelolligagged]

I think his ass balloons up when he is aroused.

[Wraith]

I was kidding, and also those jeans DO make you look fat.

So was I, and just to make sure, please let me know if you can't tell what "access" entails the next time you look at the forum page.

[Aimless]

I took back the jeans remark didn't I now my access looks fat

[RandBlade]

Sloppiness detracts from the quality of a person's argument. People will get put off by an article that has too many errors.

True, but even more than that people will be put off by us having nothing to say. Nearly 3 months now without an article submission ... it doesn't matter what the language is like if there's nothing submitted anyway.

Agreed on the light theme being more professional than the black one.

[Loki]

True, but even more than that people will be put off by us having nothing to say. Nearly 3 months now without an article submission ... it doesn't matter what the language is like if there's nothing submitted anyway.

Agreed on the light theme being more professional than the black one.

The reason there weren't any articles published is because no one was submitting them, not because any were rejected for poor quality.

[littlelolligagged]

No, I have to say that having a blog filled with poorly written articles would be far worse than there being nothing at all.

The reasons why no one had any interest in submitting anything have already been discussed.

I don't care what the default theme is, if you want to look exactly like everyone else then by all means go for it - but the idea of sacrificing quality is lunacy.