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Hey all. Megatron and i have been discussing a bit of a makeover for things around here. Basically, reorder things for a more organized appeal to things. so, here's my proposal. this is TFL feeback, so, feed back!
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General
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-Announcements/TFL news
as current announcements thread, except TFL store updates will be combined in here, as well as the forum rules, and other such material. maybe create a sticky thread for new members, and move user info in here
-General Discussion
same!
-TFL Site Feedback
combining TFL feedback and questions, maybe contributions as well (matt?)
-suggest-a-site (or something )
bagales had suggested something about a flea market setup for people who want to sell figures, combined with suggest a site, basically anything users want to promote or get out there. like bagales' book when he writes it.
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Transformers toys
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-toy talk
same!
-teletran-2
same! the place to ask our resident experts about the toys...
-classics
not sure if these ought to be resorted into their respective categories, or put in here....
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The Transformers Universe
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-Non-toy talk
Same!
-Iacon Database
same!
-(insert energon bar name here)
Roleplay! (finally, i know... )
news and rumors will be sorted appropriately into toy and non-toy talk.
This isn't exactly feedback, but I have a question - What qualifies a topic for the 'classics' section?
Yes, I see the description "Classic topics, old or new, or high-post favorites." But it seems that there are lots of things with high-post counts that aren't in the classics section. And what is considered a 'classic' topic?
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General
-------------------- -Announcements/TFL news as current announcements thread, except TFL store updates will be combined in here, as well as the forum rules, and other such material. maybe create a sticky thread for new members, and move user info in here
I think user info can be separated from TFL announcements (see below). That place should be restricted to administrators only.
-General Discussion same!
Agreed.
-TFL Site Feedback combining TFL feedback and questions, maybe contributions as well (matt?)
I think contributions and picture requests can be merged - Maybe they could fit all into Teletran II. Matt, Ben, Mark and all have other things to do and nobody can take it for her/him self. Sometimes a good informative thread with contributions to the archive can start from a question. Some other times the right answer can come from somebody else who wasn't considered a "resident expert" - that's a category I disagree with.
-suggest-a-site (or something ) Bagales had suggested something about a flea market setup for people who want to sell figures, combined with suggest a site, basically anything users want to promote or get out there. like bagales' book when he writes it.
This could be placed into a single place with "user info". One section to talk about ourselves, our other interests maybe, promote our own website. The place for "group hugs" (well... You get the idea).
-teletran-2 same! the place to ask our resident experts about the toys...
As I said earlier - merge with archive contributions and picture requests.
-classics not sure if these ought to be resorted into their respective categories, or put in here....
I think this is a field which can be supressed - a thread which is more than , let's say, three months, gets automatically locked and archived for reading only and if anybody needs to ask again, just start a new thread. Or rather - convert this place in an archive meant for reading only.
------------------------------ The Transformers Universe
------------------------------- -Non-toy talk Same!
Agreed.
-Iacon Database same!
-(insert energon bar name here)
Roleplay! (finally, i know... )
news and rumors will be sorted appropriately into toy and non-toy talk.
As I proposed earlier, I'd create the fleamarket, or the garage sale, or whatever you want to call it. Public forums like this are a common target for phising -which we have had here. I don't think we need anybody telling us what she/he is having up for sale on evilbay. If you see older threads you will find a lot of those widespread in the whole forum. I firmly believe that anybody with access to internet who could find this site can spell "Transformers" and will see this site and eprey with the corresponding category showing the proper items for sale. I also get a lot of spam mails everyday to have even more from people who only want I to go to see what's for sale. I can suggest the rules for it if you want to hear them.
Go ahead Jose, you are one of the senior figures here. In my opinion it has to be people that partake of the forums and join in. If they don't partake then they get removed from the site altogether. Say they have to make 25 posts, noteworthy posts that is. Then they can sell their wares. Like you Jose I don't want a load of wasters on the site just looking to sell to us more dedicated types. Not a hello and a here you go there is my stuff. Jose care to take it from here?
1. Buying, selling and/or trading is at the risk of each own. Being transactions out of the TFL store, TFL can't be liable for them. So please, use your common sense.
2. All items for sale must have a firm price. No "make me an offer", although it's up to the seller if he/she accepts bargaining.
3. All items must be offered for shipping worldwide. This place is visited from all over the world.
4. (Must be revised) Placing your online store address is (or is not, since this site has a store) acceptable.
5. Evilbay links are not permitted, nor any bidder/seller reference. We all know how to go there and how to look for Transformers for sale. If you want more people to know what you have for sale, pay for a featured auction. Also, it's not desired a "look what I'm bidding on" link, as it only encourages "stalking".
6. Links to other "for sale" places in the web (i.e. another forum) aren't acceptable.
7. "Back to the top" postings (BTTT) won't be tolerated, nor needed here.
8. A "public feedback" isn't needed for transactions, nor a signature with "great traders: (...)" and "bad traders:(...)". If you have had any problems with a transaction with someone in the forum, please tell your favorite administrator. Having a exposed feedback puts tension on the ambience, and it's only a little step away from public bashing.
Now, some explanations on the ePrey related topics: Besides preventing people trying to take you to see their auction, and what I explained earlier regarding outing (Powersellers especially) ids in a public forum, there's also stalking, and the unavoidable "hey, you outbid me, that's retailation for (whatever), you..." Basically, in every forum I have visited which allow evilbay links happens the same thing. There's also the feedback problem.
BTTT: This is one of my biggest pet peeves in public forums and one of the reasons why I stopped visiting the forums of Hot Wheels Collectors. There are so many people there that any topic drops like a rock, regardless on how good they are. In 10 minutes your fresh posted discussion is on page 2 (I'm not exagerating). Thus, some people use the BTTT... And the very same BTTTs drop a probably interesting discussion to the archive immediately. Vox Populi, Vox Dei, if the discussion is no longer of interest must follow its path to the archived threads - so the items for sale.
Regarding feedback, I once mentioned to Ben that in other forum I visit, the free email addresses aren't allowed. This is because they are very easy to make up, with phoney data. Thus, someone who actually lives in, I don't know, Kuala Lumpur, registers as a Japan resident and offeres a lot of rare items for sale. Items get paid for, but they won't be sent ever. A scam for free. So this is a way to be proactive in this matter: At least by a paid email, you know it's a real individual and if the individual happens to be a rotten apple, can be traceable - in my website, I have a visit counter and it gives me the IP address of every visitor who comes, including localization. So at least, if there's a reiterative abuser, that person will be aware she/he won't get away, as a crime will be reported to the respective authority.
Also, real data must be given, but no necessarly exposed. This place could be visited by a Hasbro executive, or underaged people (who shouldn't be able to participate in the sale areas). They could use some special features, but again, they must prove they are real individuals.
This is what I can think of for now... Let me know what do you think and what we can improve.
By the way Mark, what do you mean in the last paragraph?
Pretty much everything you (Jose) said makes sense. I've been on a lot of other forums with the same problems in the past. Especially the 'BTTT' nonsense & the "hey, you outbid me" wars. (That was big in the cel community.)
My only problem is for someone that may want to buy something that isn't offered on this website, or is out of stock at the moment. I'd like to be able to ask people I know "Hey, does anyone know of a trustworthy place where I can get a *insert item here*." Or would such posts just not be allowed?
(I know I haven't been here long, don't mean any disrespect!)
Well we have plenty to think about. Jose you are spot on with all you have said, instead of an auction why not just a shop. Will need to speak to Ben and Matt
My only problem is for someone that may want to buy something that isn't offered on this website, or is out of stock at the moment. I'd like to be able to ask people I know "Hey, does anyone know of a trustworthy place where I can get a *insert item here*." Or would such posts just not be allowed?
(I know I haven't been here long, don't mean any disrespect!)
A "wanted" post would suffice... That's why it should be a place to buy/trade/sell.
Regarding posting direct advertising of other online stores, it has to do with the particular policy of Transformerland. It has a commercial purpose after all and it's solely up to Matt if this is acceptable.
In case this wasn't tolerated - links to other stores -, a "wanted" post can be followed up with a "you have mail" post. Of course, the abuse of this system isn't desired.
Forgot to mention... The garage sale should be restricted to Transformers and related stuff. I have seen some new members with a "buy viagra" store and probably would want to offer such related goods. I don't think this forum needs to be for adults only. In fact, I'd love further generations to keep following Transformers, thus this should be a family site instead. Of course, any underaged has to have some special features - maybe "invisible" accounts - to prevent any undesired behaviour from some jerk.
which reminds me, i gotta go through and delete all the non-activated accounts. we need a better security system on that. even if i don't activate em, they're still always tehre.
Okay, to acknowledge a few things now i've got time to sit down.
classics was where i moved post magnets in our slower days. ie, before you lot showed up, when it was just jose, savanna RX-7 GTX, and myself. i'm thinking of disbanding it.
jose, by resident experts i of course mean anybody. i'm not an elitist
Also, I like all your other ideas. some of them will be hard to enforce with the forum software i'm working with... like banning free emails. not to mention, that's easy enough to bypass.... most of the spammers we have gotten had obscure email tags that a basic free-blocker wouldn't pick up anyway.
the market place rules will need significantly more cosideration, and permission from matt before we're set with that. it depends on how far we want to take it, too.
as for the rest of the lot, i like some of the changes jose has proposed. the only thing is, i'd like to leave archive contributions and picture request separate from other user-accessed areas. the picture request is for the store, and the archive stuff goes directly through matt now.
Jose, you have been extremely helpful! what about the rest of you lot, how do you feel about this?
I'm not really fussed either way--whatever changes you want to do sound fine. I don't really have an opinion on things that affect the board in terms of the store etc., because, admittedly, I'm still a relative n00b to the whole Transformers thing. So I can't comment on the stuff that doesn't affect me.
I do think the role-playing section is a great idea, though I have to wonder just how much we'll be able to contain it into that one forum, lol. Seems like it just naturally spreads to the rest of the subforums...
Then that will be the rule. CHARACTERS ONLY IN THE ROLE PLAY THREAD! Ben? I do feel we need to tread carefully with the market thread, can't be cutting of Matts' nose in spite of our faces.
Also is there anything we can do to get the old users back. I would certainlty take the time to pm/email them all.
Ditch the clasics I say. Keep the forum tidy! As for the rest lets just do it. I will start disposing of Dormant users soon. Only ones that have posted wiil be left, you never know a good shake up and they might come back.
On a little note it must have been a bit quiet until we all showed up!!
on the thought of deleting a/cs with zero posts, could some of these ppl only have signed up so they have access to the store pics etc?
The Market sounds good, but, Matt has his store and the boards having their own trade area is kinda taking away from Matt. Maybe the trade area would be for trading figures only, not selling off your collection etc. Selling your stuff should be done through the likes of dumb-bay not on a site that has their own store.
I have a feeling the RP section is gonna be the busiest part and the news etc will die down and get less traffic.
That is a good point RP about the users that don't post. I think that perhaps we need to leave it as it is now. Just dispose of the spammers and that is all. Ben what are your thoughts?
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