Thoughts on the "Resources for New Members" Thread?

Author: bsh1

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#1
bsh1
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Aloha, DART!

So, I have recently been working on revamping the About DART: Resources for New Members thread. It is still a work in progress, and I think it always will be. But I am interested in your thoughts on potential edits, deletions, and/or additions which could improve the content there.

Also, as you might be able to tell from reading the changes I made to the thread, some of the MEEP'd policies will, instead of being added to the COC, be included in a new "Moderation Extended Policies and Interpretations" google document. This document will be a combination of moderation rulings and MEEP'd policies which are not substantial enough to merit being located in the COC. This will help keep the COC to a readable length. I hope to publish this document sometime in the coming weeks.

That's all. Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions!

#2
TheRealNihilist
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@bsh1
How about change DART to DA? 

Make it shorter or have separate forum topics.
Example:
Beginners guide to forums.
Beginners guide to debating.
Site Jargon/acronym
FAQ

Having it all at one place can be quite daunting to read and having it at different places can give people choices to pick what they want instead of reading the debating guide when they are not going to debate or reading the forum guide when they are not going to be on the forum pages.

I have more but I'll stick to that for now. 
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bsh1
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@TheRealNihilist
So, I totally agree that having it all in one place can be kind of daunting. The problem is that having a bunch of pinned threads for each of those topics would clutter the main forum excessively. I am hoping to reduce the number of pinned threads, not increase them. As for DART vs. DA, I don't think that's particularly key for helping orient new users to the site.
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@bsh1
The notification delete system is kind of confusing.  Especially for a new member.  The only real issue with it is that there doesn't seem to be a way to delete individual notifications so that one can save the ones they haven't answered yet.  Other than that, it works just fine. 


Generic Ideas: 

If alt accounts are a problem (probably aren't I'm guessing)  Provisional ratings that lock privileges could help. 

If voting moderation is tough.  Certain moderation features could be made automatic. I think somebody suggested an auto forfeit one time.  

Resign buttons could be an interesting tool unless there's some way to abuse it.  It would help with traffic to get debates into the archives faster. 


Generic templates for topics could be useful for new members.  This could be a strict template that just gives you a classic one like "no gods exist' "socialism vs capitalism" things like that.  Or you could have one with part of the topic framed and they add in the nouns and verbs.  For instance.     "X ought to Y"  The first type of template is probably better. 


For the people who like medals there might be a way to uncap the medal system to make it feel like a constant climb instead of a static goal that ends at the king of the hill medal (not shaming this medal for it is not necessarily easy to get.)  Maybe do something like ribbons for being the "top 5 of the month" or something like that.  The ribbons could either be accumulated or move around after each update. 




#5
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@bsh1
Reminds me of my old DDO guide...

Anyway:
  1. The index should probably have links.
  2. I'd also probably make one post per numbered item (on that, some might be combined, like Site and Debate Jargon being two sub-points under a singular Jargon heading).
  3. If possible, get rid of the 236 days later, it might somehow be confusing to new members (this could require remaking the thread, and doing like ten placeholder posts in case they become needed...).
  4. I'd personally rather not see any links to DDO forums.

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@bsh1
So, I totally agree that having it all in one place can be kind of daunting. The problem is that having a bunch of pinned threads for each of those topics would clutter the main forum excessively. I am hoping to reduce the number of pinned threads, not increase them.
I have two solution.
1) Create another forum category about site functionality which only moderators and admins are allowed to create topics but can choose whether or not they want users to comment on the forums. 
2) Remove existing pin threads. First example of mine to remove is the Hall of Fame one. Have another separate page dedicated to the Hall of Fame instead of being part of the forum site. This would also allow more creativity with how you want to represent it instead of simply typing out who did what. You can have pictures of their profile. Their best accomplishments in a bright colour and in a less bright colour less notable accomplishments that still deserve to be mentioned. I am sure you have already removed the changelog if I am not mistaken. So you would have 3 pinned threads you can use to separate the topics. 
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#7
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@Wrick-It-Ralph
The notification delete system is kind of confusing.  Especially for a new member.  The only real issue with it is that there doesn't seem to be a way to delete individual notifications so that one can save the ones they haven't answered yet.  Other than that, it works just fine. 
This is not an issue related to the new member's thread, specifically. It's a technical issue, which is best referred to Mike (hence, my tagging him on this post). This applies to several of your suggestions above.

I do like the idea of providing templates of some sort for new voters, and that is something I can consider adding. Are you referring to resolution templates, rules templates, or case templates?

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@Barney
  1. The index should probably have links
Good point. I'll add those.

  1. I'd also probably make one post per numbered item (on that, some might be combined, like Site and Debate Jargon being two sub-points under a singular Jargon heading).
I've tried to keep it two issues to one post. Do you feel that's cluttered?

  1. If possible, get rid of the 236 days later, it might somehow be confusing to new members (this could require remaking the thread, and doing like ten placeholder posts in case they become needed...).
I already asked Mike. Sadly, it's not technically feasible.

  1. I'd personally rather not see any links to DDO forums.
Yeah. Transferring them to google docs might be worth doing...

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@TheRealNihilist
1) Create another forum category about site functionality which only moderators and admins are allowed to create topics but can choose whether or not they want users to comment on the forums. 
I feel like that would run into a similar problem, where we start cluttering the forum. But, this is a solution I've considered, and I haven't ruled it out yet. It is one that would require Mike's okay and help, but I'm still not sold on it.

2) Remove existing pin threads. First example of mine to remove is the Hall of Fame one. Have another separate page dedicated to the Hall of Fame instead of being part of the forum site. This would also allow more creativity with how you want to represent it instead of simply typing out who did what. You can have pictures of their profile. Their best accomplishments in a bright colour and in a less bright colour less notable accomplishments that still deserve to be mentioned. I am sure you have already removed the changelog if I am not mistaken. So you would have 3 pinned threads you can use to separate the topics. 
I am hoping to streamline the pinned threads, and have already unpinned at least one (as you noticed). I think this idea is promising, but, again, I am not sold and it would require Mike's okay and help. It's something to ruminate on, for sure, though.
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@bsh1
I feel like that would run into a similar problem, where we start cluttering the forum. But, this is a solution I've considered, and I haven't ruled it out yet. It is one that would require Mike's okay and help, but I'm still not sold on it.
1

I am hoping to streamline the pinned threads, and have already unpinned at least one (as you noticed). I think this idea is promising, but, again, I am not sold and it would require Mike's okay and help. It's something to ruminate on, for sure, though.
What would make you sold on it?
Would it require the Admin to have a early version of both a hall of fame and a difference in pinned threads for you to be sold on it?
#11
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It looks fine fmpov organization wise
#12
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@bsh1
I was thinking for templates for the topic.  I think that would be resolution.  Other templates may be possible.  But I haven't really considered those (so you're ahead of me on that one.)


Yeah.  I ranted a little on there.  I suspected that not all of my statements would be relevant.  

If your goal is to assimilate the new members comfortably into the debart community.  Then the key would probably be to find an imperative to make them do that.  Maybe a medal for friend requesting people.  I know you already have some medals of that nature.  So it's tough to say. 


A FAQ
#13
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sorry.  accidentally sent.  

A FAQ would probably be a nice resource.  It's kind of a niche thing, but when it works, it works beautifully 
#14
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@TheRealNihilist
I might be answering this out of context or my point is moot, but there are a few ways to sort the website's content better without have to eat up your space and processing as a much.  It would heavily depend on how debates are made though on the coding end.  Any data set that you guys use can be made into arrays and dolled out with for loops.  If this is done creatively enough, it can save a ton of space.  I'm not sure if this helps because I don't know how everything is laid out on the website. 

I imagine the debates themselves might be connected to some kind of macro function for space saving.  As for pinning and tagging things.  These can be built into the arrays or if the arrays are already being utilized, it could be built into the data structure of the link or thing in question.  For instance, if you want the debate to convey itself being a certain status without having to use a lot of functions.  You could have a built in generic variable that gets read on the spot so that it takes up less server space, but this might increase CPU.  Like I said.  I don't know if any of this will help what you guys are talking about. 
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#15
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@Wrick-It-Ralph
A FAQ would probably be a nice resource.
There already is an FAQ...
#16
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@bsh1
Where?
#17
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@Alec
Did you even click the link in the OP?
#19
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@bsh1
I saw it.  Sorry about that.
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#20
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Alright. Locking this thread.