Learning from past mistakes

[Delicious Malk]

I just wanted to be up front with you guys about some of the learnings I feel like I've taken away from some of the sites in our mutual history, and what the current action plan is about them.

1. Site owners that don't care/are not active - I believe by nature this problem is resolved as it stands.
2. Toxicity and overwhelming negativity - First of all, I haven't written the rules yet but I'm just going to rule out discussing politics/religion, there are better forums for that sort of thing and we've seen it really create some animosity that makes things difficult. I'm also, for the time being, not allowing certain people to join the forum at the current time. The most recent forum wasn't so bad for a bit until it was overwhelmed with what I would call "grumpy" personalities dominating and driving out any sort of meaningful discussion. It should feel like a fansite where you are encouraged to be a fan - and that is a priority.
3. Mutual respect and the enforcement of rules - I don't have the patience to work things out between people. Though the most toxic may not be a part of the forum, just remember, don't get personal about your disagreements, don't intentionally try to push buttons, and don't harass anybody. Just taking a zero tolerance policy here, too old for this.
4. Actually caring about growth - This, in part, goes back to having site owners that don't care but I figure I'd address it separately anyway. The current plan is to set up a landing page with news in the same sort of way that wiiudaily did to the forums. I haven't barely started on that yet but if you have any talent making graphics or just writing a simple news/opinion piece, great. Let's use it. I'll be working on the SEO of it all so we appear higher in searches but, it takes a village. Forums don't really make money but I'd love for this to at least partially pay back the cost of hosting/data.

Do you have any things you've learned from history and would like to point out, so that we can avoid it?

[Ancient]

Well...I've learned a great deal from my past experiences from the two previous sites. Some subjects may be pertinent, others not so much.

Quick question, though--Are you really looking to grow this thing? Don't read that either way, simply interested in your answer.

[Delicious Malk]

Well...I've learned a great deal from my past experiences from the two previous sites. Some subjects may be pertinent, others not so much.

Quick question, though--Are you really looking to grow this thing? Don't read that either way, simply interested in your answer.

I’m interested in providing the opportunity to grow the community instead of letting it stagnate

[Ancient]

I’m interested in providing the opportunity to grow the community instead of letting it stagnate

Good to know. That will be complicated, though.

In response to your original post:

--It IS important, very important, to have a site runner who cares about things going on within the forum, or at least empowers people who do. The original site...well, I think Rob assumed Phases would be that guy, but Phases retained a toxic moderator when 90% of the staff demanded he get rid of her. So insight AND oversight is important. It's pretty clear that the SourceCode guy was another right wing sort who wanted a safespace, like two thirds of his staff. I always hated the incessant "Nintendo is for kiddies" stuff we'd get from the more snarky members on the original site, but the truth is that the charming storybook elements in a lot of Nintendo titles DO appeal to kids, so assuming kids won't be on your Nintendo forum is kind of moronic. As such, the tone can't ever get incessantly dark or vulgar

--The "being too old" bit, in regards to disagreements and such...well, I sympathize, but even if this place doesn't grow, you're going to get arguments. It's inevitable. The trick is how they are handled. An even hand and empathy are required--things absent at the SourceCode site. I won't even get into some of the madness of the GameNChick bullshit--like when she wanted to permanently ban capnjazz for calling her "power hungry"...

[Nicholas]

2 is is the key thing here. This is a fansite. When you have one or two people in a tiny community who only bash the very thing the site is for it ruins the point. The best kinds of discussions to have about Nintendo are praising when they do well but providing constructive critisism whem they legitemetely screw up. Neither being a hater or a full on fanboy is helpful to any sort of discussion and just creates toxicity. I would say that keeping an eye on personal insults made over someone's opinion over video games should be a thing, there has been problems with that on the playroom.

[Ninja Monkey]

I've been called retarded among other things, lovely place, ain't it?
Didn't even make a splash on the moderator Richter scale. Not that I particularly care, but it doesn't make for a pleasant community that you want to be a part of. Constantly being name called and verbally attacked just isn't my idea of fun. Doesn't necessarily bother me but I just don't get the point of it.
The overwhelming negativity and toxicity doesn't make for a place where you want to be.

A difference of opinion and being a toxic A$$-hat, a Negative Nancy are very separate things. There's often a distinct difference between the two.
You can tell by the words put forth and the lack of respect behind them. We've seen in the past that certain members like to go after certain individuals and rile them up for shits and giggles. That is an intentional act of being an A$$-hat. You can dislike something, someone and have different opinions without being an ass.

An other thing I've noted is the overwhelming abundance of threads and topics that really has no warrant being on a video game related forum in the first place. You can see that when it came to politics and religion I never really chime in. It's not because I don't have anything to say on the matter, quite the opposite really but they have no place on a forum like this. Furthermore it is evident to everyone, or it should be anyway that those sort of topics are rather delicate in nature, they can easily lead to arguments and destroy a community. Some people's opinions are more assertive than others and they can be rather blunt in how they present them. My understanding of it is you can understand and accept someone else's opinions/stance but you don't have to embrace it or make a big fuss about it. Be mindful, be respectful. Unfortunately however, they are sensitive topics and in mixed crowds that is what you'll get.

Having owners that doesn't care doesn't help either. It just highlights the lack of effort and care put into the place and that is something that has been evident in the past. It'll only fall apart and lead to annoyance within the community. If the owners doesn't care, why should I? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In the past I've asked for the ability to use forum tables using bbcode more than once, a simple task one would think but I didn't even get as much as acknowledged even. I asked Malk the same when I joined this place and he had it up and running within a day.
The difference in communication between the Administration and the community is night and day. I could talk go on and talk a bit about the Administration in and of itself... but I'll leave that for another day

TL;DR I wouldn't go to a PS centered forum and spew shit about how bad the PS is at every waking moment and highlight how much better Microsoft/Nintendo are whilst name calling everyone at that for being a "fanboy" or whatever.
That just isn't my style, and I couldn't even stand behind it really. I just go where the games I want to play are
And it's good to have people behind the scenes that actually care about the place

[aMarioFan64]

I'll just echo what everyone else has said. Make sure the mods can/will ban/reprimand problem members, make sure mods don't power-trip, and try to attract new members when possible.

[Ancient]

I've been called retarded among other things, lovely place, ain't it?

Eek! No! Not okay..good lord, how did that come about?

[Ninja Monkey]

I've been called retarded among other things, lovely place, ain't it?

Eek! No! Not okay..good lord, how did that come about?

It came out of the blue for no reason at all.
Just because I was rocking a Twilight Sparkle Avatar (My Little Pony).
There wasn't anything more to it really.

[aMarioFan64]

I've been called retarded among other things, lovely place, ain't it?

Eek! No! Not okay..good lord, how did that come about?

He's also used Autism and Down Syndrome as insults. Real Classy.