so, aside from Scions rantings,
give us some ideas.

remove all the categories and just have ONE main category with sub categories that match the old site? Im thinking JMH might be able to program the forum to show the last five threads for each sub category even.

??

Yeah, I think if the forum index could show the last 5-10 most recently updated thread titles that would be more user-friendly and quicker to navigate.

The categories could be whittled down a lot, I think most of them were represented by the old titles. I'd like to keep some of the new ones though, like Brainstorm, Ask the Experts... Shouldn't need more than 8 categories total. That's my 2 cents.

...and of course, a category for scion's rantings and uni-bomber style manifesto... and of course a category for Heather's daily blog

I'd be willing to run a game or two, in the games section. I was thinking it's be fun to have a weekly themed chop contest. It'd differ from our usual contests in that people would find their own source art, and the entries would need to be on a theme. I'm thinking they'd be funny and irreverent, such as "rejected Happy Meal toys," or "My Worst Vacation, Ever." We'd have people sumbit entries for a week (on their own host), and then vote using the built-in voting feature on the forum. Also, the focus would be on humor, rather than technique, so any and all comers would stand a strong chance of winning.

I think it could be a lot of fun, and as I said, I'd be willing to run it.

But I also realize that we do a lot of chopping, and if people think it'd be redundant or something, I need to know.

it's because Vikas is gone.
remember his ganesha drawing
owww

Have you ever wondered why movies that have a hero and their nemesis always end when the nemesis dies? The reason is because after the conflict is over, the movie would become super boooring.

Kitty made the forum fun and when all the anti-Kitty members won their fight to get her banned from the site, it got boring. Now that she's gone, there is no spark left.

(In fact, just watching the conflict in this thread between Showcase and Scion almost brought back some of that spark. )

It's like Polish pointed out about stirring up the pot. Without conflict, it's like watching a very boring movie. Everyone is so civil now. I've seen more interesting coversations in an old folks home.

Also, I think Fugue touched upon an important issue in that there is the extra layer to go through. Deleting this layer should help some also.

Perhaps, but I don't think that's got much to do with the general "death" of the forum. There were many threads on the old board that had nothing to do with arguments and fights, but they used to be visited a lot.

Think of: Etiquette, Movie Quote Game, Word Association, The Song Title Game, Hottest PSC Guy/Girl, the Insult/Compliment the Last Poster threads, the Photo Challenge threads that showcase started ... and ok, Conservatives Suck! - now THAT last one was about arguing, I admit... But not the others.

Basically, the main members who used to support the forum on a regular basis have either left or rarely post so much, and the newer members perhaps haven't found their feet yet or don't feel so confident about starting the kind of random nonsense threads that people like me, ReinMan or Fugue had no hesitation in starting. That and the more difficult board navigation...

On a more positive note - since show asked for ideas, I'd agree with Fugue



I doubt we'd even need 8 categories - 6 would probably be enough...maybe:
• Introductions & Meetings
• Contests & entries (comments on all contests, including featured pic)
• Ask the Experts (technical tips, etc)
• Brainstorm (ideas, suggestions for site changes)
• General Discussion
• Fun and Games
... with the last 5 most recently updated thread titles listed under each category.

And can we have some of those older fun threads restored too, please, as requested in this thread?

i just want to clarify what i meant. i didnt mean fighting or arguing that turns into a full out brawl, just some heated discussions. like what chopper said, this place has become so boring. everyones walking on eggshells as to not piss someone off.

show, your analogy about opening up a lounge, and people talk, and when someone says something another doesnt like, they punch them in the kidney... thats not what im talkin about. punching someone would be going too far, but saying "i dont agree with that" and discussing, debating, some name calling, whatever you wanna call it, isnt.

this place is boring cause no one will stand up for themself and say something. a few people have, and what happens... they get a "play nice" message from a mod.

just let people be themselves. we all know when something is going past that certain point... so when the pot gets stirred, let it boil for while until its about to spill over... then turn down the heat. (now THATs a great analogy )

I think it's also interesting about the effect that the forum names have for me.

The forum "Ask the Experts" seems to be the equivalent of the old forum called "Photoshopping". However, it's wierd, because I feel more inclined to visit and participate in a forum called "Photoshopping", rather than one called "Ask the Experts". I guess it's the same reason I tend not to buy books like "Idiots Guide to Photoshop" or "Photoshop for Dummies". There's an ego thing involved. Like I'm some amateur that needs help from an "expert". I may actually be an amateur, but I don't want to be reminded of it each time by "asking a so-called expert".

The "Brainstorm" topic seems excessive to me. It made sense in the beginning when the new site went up, but how often are there updates to this site? Maybe once a year? It makes more sense as just a thread under "General Discussion", rather than a category in itself.

I definitely agree that with the "Fun & Games" category. It seems to have worked in isolating all the Game threads from cluttering the General Discussion threads. That was a problem in the previous forum.

---

Lastly, I agree with you HT regarding threads not involving conflict. I guess I just have a nostalgic sense for the old days when people would say "Watch, Kitty will respond by saying or doing this..." and then sure enough, she would respond exactly as they had predicted. It was very entertaining to read during my lunch break.

Great analogy, Pete. I do agree that in the end, Kitty was going a little over the top, but what happened as a result is that now the "play nice" mentality has been clamped down even tighter than it was before.

And Showcase, you used to be the "King of Insults". What happened, man? You didn't become one of them born-again christians, did you?

After reading many of the submitted replies, I'm beginning to feel like boredom is being equated with civility. There is room, in my,view for discussion and debate and a passionate committment to a particular point of view. However, unkind remarks and personal attacks that assault the integrity and dignity of another PSC member work against the harmony and spirit of cooperation that a site like this is designed to foster.
I may become excited about involvement in a game, posting a tutorial, getting some help from a more experienced PSC member and so forth...I don't like to see or share energy created by the sharing of negative(personal attack) feedback and/or hostile feelings.
The world has a lot of things wrong with it, but sometimes it is better to be kind than right because in many cases the world needs more kindness than it does rightness..

Topics like this sure do strike up the band though.

Well, call it unkindness or what you like. People have opinions and I like to hear them no matter what those opinions may be. I don't want people to sugar-coat everything for me. There's enough political correctness in the real world. What's nice about the internet is that a person has the ability to say what they are thinking (whether positive or negative) without worrying about getting punched in the face.

I guess it's just a preference of mine though.

Looks like the format change is solidly winning the poll. I like this idea of reducing the layer of links to topics is the strongest idea, just kind of going back to what was there, even though I personally like the phpbb board alot because of the improved tools you have to use with it.

Format change, bollocks
The ones complaining are all old m-p's.
Adapt to the new situation.

That's exactly what IS wrong with the internet. Someone called me a "foreiner" (his spelling not mine) the other day, intentionally trying to insult me...if it had been real life..well..the fists would have been flying. Don't say anything to me you would not say in real life.