by James Baster on Sun May 25, 2003 3:27 am
Here I will answer the points raised in both this thread and the other one in which this is discussed.
Firstly your previous message was not posted becuase you simply wrote "Why are we not getting avatars then?" and if you had taken to time to read this thread you would see posts from both me and Oli stating our reasons why we dont like them. And thats the crux of the matter.
Its nothing to do with implementation - me and Oli, administrators of the site have looked at the issue and decided for The Sinner its not a good thing, after a long debate on this thread. As for whether this should be a democray or whether me or Oli should get the final word, I will come back to that, but first, some points that I feel have yet to be answered :-
[s]Unregisted User disgruntled wrote on 18:46, 24th May 2003:
[s]James Baster wrote on 18:15, 24th May 2003:
We dont need an inbetweener. We have MB's, we have articles, why try to blur the two together?
Because few people actually read the articles, and certainly don't check them on a regular basis.
That's their problem. They are featured prominently on the front page. If people dont read them, (Oli may decide this is an issue and do something about it) the solution is not to bring the article content to the MB's by Sticky threads. The solution is to try to make the articles more odvious - maybe setting a small box in the side of the page, for example, like the Poll and Calendar boxes.
I wrote this myself because I knew of no website with all these features (notice how all bits of this site are interlinked, its not just MB's)
You can't be serious with this one,
No, I really am, althought maybe to be fair I didn't look that hard.
Even if you really believe this, you must realise that the boards are the focal point og this site, many don't look at the other areas.
And thats not something I want to encourage. There are many sections to this site. I appreciate MB's are by far most popular but ...
Just because these things are introduced doesn't mean everyone will use them but it does give the choice of being able to use them.
You miss the problem. Avators are a wonderful example. Yes, not everyone will choose to use them :- but everyone will have to suffer them. (Bandwidth, etc) I like choice to, but sometimes that choice effects everyone aversely. So noone gets it.
Next ...
[s]andyefc wrote on 23:00, 24th May 2003:
For example, on this bored the only way users can show their personalities and make themselves different is by there username or sig. Thats it!! 2 things?!?!? In any of the other boards you can personalise far more!
Call me old fashioned, but I like to think people can express there personality and make themselves stand out from others by what they write in there messages.
But you should try and implement a proper forums onto the site, and if you are going to say its too hard to match up with the code....then install phpnuke or summit like that and the forums will link up nicely!
No, they wont link up nicely. Notice the MB thread on the bottom of each article? Notice the admins checking unreg messages? I haven't even seen a MB before that allows Unreg and Reg users to post side by side.
But anyway, now we get to the main issue here, and I apologise, but I am going to Rant here. slightly. Or not so slightly.
[s]Unregisted User disgruntled wrote on 18:46, 24th May 2003:
Thats why its a PUBLIC message board. Don't get me wrong, I like these boards and for a simple design they're fine. But to refuse to consider putting in simple things like avatars and sticky threads based solely on your own opinion (you being the mod) it stinks and is ever so slightly unfair.
Let me tell you what I have to deal with. Lawsuits, Techincal Support, Solving arguments, Approving messages - quite frankly, I dont think many people here realise exactly how much work I put into this. I check at least twice a day, and thats just to keep it ticking over. When something happens its far more work.
I think people also have to appreciate that also without this one person system, The Sinner would not be where it is today. I acccept all the responsibilitys for everything here. A committee system would not work - things would change a lot each year with each new committee, decisons would take ages to be made. I did actually consider trying to sell The Sinner to the union as a new Super-Society, but quite frankly I dont have enought faith in student committees. Plus that would make The Sinner subject to student politics. And that would suck.
Now, I try to follow the wishes of the community. Notice in the avator thread how long it is before both me and Oli weight in with our opinions. Also please notice that on the issues of Avators, the community is by no means in agreement. But there comes times when I have to step in and make a final decision, for what I think is going to be the good of the community. Also quite frankly, after 3 years of hard work and stress I think I have earned the right to throw my weight around on occasion.
And thats the way The Sinner is. Yes, its a PUBLIC messageboard in that anyone can post. But its not a PUBLIC website.Its MY website. Now, I am not unfair. I have reasons for eveything I do, and I will explain them if asked. I have explained my reasons for not liking avatars. I will listen to peoples opinions, but in the end the final decision is Mine. Next year will be the same :- Oli will listen to all gladly, but in the end the final decision is His, and His alone. And thats the way its going to be for a long time.
There. I havent written something this long since the whole John Bowker & The Saint Editorial Field-Day, and I sincerly hope this doesnt spark as much of a debate as that, primarily becasue I havent got the time or the inclination. So I wont be replying to anything more on this thread unless I think it really needs it.