travel forum

[El Diablo]

All,

I don't really care much one way or other and think the forum might be pretty good, but I think that travel related stuff like trip reports really help build community bonds within forums, so that might be something you want to consider in the decision. Overall for 2+2, I think keeping travel reports spread across a number of different forums is probably better. This keeps general trip reports in people's "home" forums, most Vegas-specific stuff in B&M, tourney travel related stuff in tourney forums, and general travel stuff in the community forums. I think that is something that strengthens all of those forums.

[citanul]

iron,

wait, you mean that AFTER it was a playground, it was made a normal forum for a couple days, and that NORMAL forum got BETTER traffic than the playground forum? so you think it's reasonable to judge the potential success of a normal forum based on something's success/failure as a playground, even if it did better as a non-playground? playgrounds suck, kinda. people don't know what they are or visit it.

all,

you do realize that there's much more that obviously goes in a forum dedicated to travel than trip reports, right? personally i think i'd prefer to see either cross posting or posting in "home forums" than seeing them all solely in the travel forum.

threads such as "ask degen about thailand" are the perfect thing for a travel forum (or metetron's buenos aires post), and are really in no way like a trip report.

[Mat Sklansky]

cit

do you want to mod a travel forum?

[citanul]

Mat,

I wanted to mod a travel forum.

However, I've taken a full time job that starts after the main event, so it would be irresponsible of me in a variety of ways to take on more 2p2 tasks at this point.

I'd be happy helping out with ideas and content for a travel forum if it were to exist. Also, I think there's several mods who would be interested in a travel forum, and good at it, including nation.

[nation]

I'd be down to run it, along with another mod though to help out. I can't imagine it'd be too much work though.

[diebitter]

For something like this, it's best modded by someone enthusiastic and driven to frame the forum (do faqs etc).

Not sure who, but maybe if no current mods feel that way, howabout someone from the user pool?

[citanul]

db,

i'm not entirely sure that the faqs would take that much time/effort, since the big important ones could and should be generated by collecting information from the users. i would also expect these to be sort of the first threads to appear in such a forum.

i'd be happy to help nation out with direction and a few projects, but anything involving actual "work" i've got to pass on, and definitely "mod in name" i've got to pass on as well.

[diebitter]

it's all yours.

[El Diablo]

cit,

As I said earlier, I wouldn't be opposed to this forum. However, what do you think about my point that threads like "Ask Degen about Thailand" and other trip reports and travel threads help build community within forums like OOT, Lounge, STT, EDF, NVG, etc?

Also, as far as mods for a travel forum, Metreon has been vocal about wanting to do it for a long time. I agree w/ a number of mods who think he can be a pretty crappy poster, so I'm definitely not endorsing him or anything (not opposed to him either). Just mentioning that as a reminder.

[citanul]

el diablo,

two responses to the community building aspects:

1) nothing would stop people from cross posting, and i personally don't think the travel forum should be used for "omg look at this sweet trip i took" nearly as much as resources, advice, etc. some of this might take the form of a trip report, but there's a big difference between a trip report written for your friends to see how nice your trip was and a trip report that is based on showing people what there is to do, etc.

2) who cares? one could (laughably) argue that part of what made oot interesting was a variety of the other forums that have since been split off, and that they were important to the community building as well. everyone liked playing werewolf in oot too, or talking about politics, or student life. i live in fear the day when we finally get a whole forum just for "how to/should i shave my balls," and we lose the community aspect of those recurring threads.

but no, seriously, i think there's an obvious content difference between things like "ask me" threads and "trip reports." i don't think for instance that anyone would argue that threads about finding the best airfare deals are a vital part of oot, or anything that that. if anything i'd argue that even if a travel forum existed, trip reports would belong more in the poster's home forum, possibly with a master thread in the travel forum with links.

with respect to metreon, i think he's a bit of a douche and a pretty abrasive and unlikeable fellow, but whatever. i don't think there's any great reason to believe he'd be a good mod, and i think that nation would be good, and would enjoy doing it.