I've been here for several years, and i'm not really around that often anymore cause I've been consumed into my own projects not counting the long list of projects i get stuck doing for Nick but regardless of that i'm still one of the top posters around here. I find it rather odd honestly. You look at other forum services and their support forums are always active. Though I'm not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing as it could mean the people there are friendly or the service is so poor that people always have to request help. vForums is a great service, even if feature production has slowed down a lot over the last year, and yet the support forum is dead. No code requests, not many people talking on here. So Ross should be proud or concerned. I mean he has this great service and yet no one is around which could mean either no one likes the service and has abandoned it OR the service is so good that its self sufficient and people don't need to be around here for resources.

Just makes me wonder, if you could take control of everything for a single day with the ability to change, add, or even remove anything from the service; What would it be?


Personally if I was to change anything around here i'd have to say a more productive community. I shouldn't be one of the top posters around here when i'm never around anymore. That doesn't just got for members either, that goes for staff as well. We all have our own lives, but even still you look at other services and they have a lot of mods, skinning templates, etc because they have an active community as well as active staff. I mean if you look at the code database here, the service has changed so much that half the codes don't work anymore and most of those that do still work aren't even needed do to the template system.

Thats just my two sense of it all, love to hear what you'd all think.

I've always found an active support forum to be a bad thing, I dont mean to mention other services names and im sorry but look at ProBoards support forum they get what 2,000 new support topics a day when vForums gets 0-5? overall I'd say vForums has a nice system and nothing really needs to change (of course some awesome new features wouldnt hurt anyone , or some new premade skins )

Well i'm not really referring to support topics alone. I mean, having people willing to do free graphic templates. Heck there is more of a selection on premade templates when you make a forum then there is in the board here XD. Also people making scripts that ain't simple for the code database wouldn't be a bad thing. I know for a fact an arcade system has been requested here more then once and has been blown off every time. I mean its scripts like that which are very complicated which most people can't do. Though i know people like Michael and Dreg could do then easily with their advanced JS skills. Over all i'm guessing it would be better to see people contributing to the community.

I've been trying to. look at my topics that have 1-2 posts, and die.

XD yeah that seems to me a major problem around here. People can't seem to hold a conversation either.

Broken,

I do agree that the Support forum is inactive, but that doesn't mean we don't care about vForums. If you have a look at the Users Online Today, you see that there are quite a few of us who check in every day. I know that all of the staff have full-time jobs, and many have relationships and other things in their lives that keep them busy, as well. We still post when we have the time available to do so, but unfortunately sometimes that's easier said than done. You yourself said you're not as active as you'd like to be because of other things taking up most of your time.

Also, saying that the Arcade system has been "blown off" really isn't a fair statement. An arcade system is quite a large undertaking, requiring server space first of all (so it costs money to undertake), and quite a bit of time to complete. I personally have had a few attempts at it, but it's a little difficult to spend hours and hours on it (even over a period of a few weeks) when you have a full-time job, a part-time job, a freelance job, an internship, and getting loans/grants/applications/paperwork/etc together for college, all while trying to find some time to fit in a social life, as well, haha.

So I really don't think it's a lack of interest; it just takes a lot of work from the whole community to get a forum from an inactive state to a self-sustained active state, and as you yourself know, life is very busy at times. The levels of activity do fluctuate (usually being quite a bit busier in the summer when things are generally slower for most people), so I personally think it will pick itself up as time goes on and peoples' schedules open up. If you look at the vForums home page, you can see that the growth is still steady, so the service as a whole is growing and succeeding just fine. While I do agree that it would be nice to have an active Support community, I don't necessarily think it's anyone's "fault".

I know its the support forum, so it should highly relate to vforums related topics.
But if the support forum had graphics boards/contests/resources, general topics such as media/sport/entertainment and basically took the step into making it a massive forum for everyone involved atm.

This would (hopefully) generate interest in the software, then others would be able to create their own forums, and obviously be able to advertise them greatly too.

Now the boards I suggested arent specific, but only a start.

Another inferiour software support board has: -
- Skinning boards (requests/premades/graphic requests(buttons, etc.) and codes.
- Graphic specific boards (battles, design discussion and tutorials.)
- Competitions to help advertise forums, battle of the boards, forum of the week.

Now these are only some ideas and comparisons, but the above example has a thriving community.
This certainly isnt a criticism, as I would be one of the members who has slipped away since I first registered here, but it is still my favourite forum software.

I posted a template recently.

o.o

Think of this like the "Big Community" (I guess only UK members will get that )
Still all the details to sort out on this, but the idea would be to have semi-official community run forums filling these gaps. I've seen other forum providers try this in the past but don't think they ever really offered enough support or incentive to get such things running. Initial thoughts?

Posted By Marc on 21st Feb 11 at 4:30pm

 

Broken,

I do agree that the Support forum is inactive, but that doesn't mean we don't care about vForums. If you have a look at the Users Online Today, you see that there are quite a few of us who check in every day. I know that all of the staff have full-time jobs, and many have relationships and other things in their lives that keep them busy, as well. We still post when we have the time available to do so, but unfortunately sometimes that's easier said than done. You yourself said you're not as active as you'd like to be because of other things taking up most of your time.

Also, saying that the Arcade system has been "blown off" really isn't a fair statement. An arcade system is quite a large undertaking, requiring server space first of all (so it costs money to undertake), and quite a bit of time to complete. I personally have had a few attempts at it, but it's a little difficult to spend hours and hours on it (even over a period of a few weeks) when you have a full-time job, a part-time job, a freelance job, an internship, and getting loans/grants/applications/paperwork/etc together for college, all while trying to find some time to fit in a social life, as well, haha.

So I really don't think it's a lack of interest; it just takes a lot of work from the whole community to get a forum from an inactive state to a self-sustained active state, and as you yourself know, life is very busy at times. The levels of activity do fluctuate (usually being quite a bit busier in the summer when things are generally slower for most people), so I personally think it will pick itself up as time goes on and peoples' schedules open up. If you look at the vForums home page, you can see that the growth is still steady, so the service as a whole is growing and succeeding just fine. While I do agree that it would be nice to have an active Support community, I don't necessarily think it's anyone's "fault".

First not once did I say no one cared XD and sorry if it sounded like I was picking on anyone, just thought it be nice to give the staff a hard time every once in a while But i realize its everyone's fault but there is little things that only staffs can do. AKA cleaning up the code database XD heck Most of the codes can be removed OR at least updated to explain how to remake the effect using the template system. The menu button codes are a great example Though I can'tr complain much because NO matter how often I try i'm just not good at javascript. Heck i'm a lot better at PHP, but even then I still make stupid mistakes, especially when i'm programming while tired.

Posted By Ross on 21st Feb 11 at 10:35pm

 

Think of this like the "Big Community" (I guess only UK members will get that )
Still all the details to sort out on this, but the idea would be to have semi-official community run forums filling these gaps. I've seen other forum providers try this in the past but don't think they ever really offered enough support or incentive to get such things running. Initial thoughts?

I'm a bit slow today, not sure what your talking about. (--> American) xD

Ross is suggesting a forum where it isn't ran on the support forum, however, it is the 'go to place' that people on the support forum suggest. Ie. Letting someone open a coding or a design board, and removing the ones on the support board I think. Ie. An 'official' coding forum, or design forum.

I think it's a good idea.

Ah ok, something similar to what a very expensive and well known service that starts with a v did XD yeah but honestly I don't think something like that is really needed. I mean this place is basically already setup for it. I mean they already got a code database, code a code request section. Got a discussion and request section on graphics, etc. Just need to add contents.

I see a lot of forum systems make the official graphics, design or coding boards a community ran one by someone else. Usually there are a bunch, but only one would win the war. The one that has the largest community of developers (the folks that are contributing not requesting) usually will win the war, and get the official host's support behind them.

Also that gives me an idea for a suggestion.

Posted By dog199200 on 21st Feb 11 at 11:49pm

 

Ah ok, something similar to what a very expensive and well known service that starts with a v did XD yeah but honestly I don't think something like that is really needed. I mean this place is basically already setup for it. I mean they already got a code database, code a code request section. Got a discussion and request section on graphics, etc. Just need to add contents.

I've seen a few try it but never any work. I don't go anywhere near vB (can't stand it) so don't know exactly what they do.

I think Michael explained the idea much better than me It gives the control to you, the community. There's not someone like me sitting at the top controlling the system - it gives the community free reign over how they want to run the forum and what they want on there etc. But with the official support of vForums as a whole (so some kind of integration from the websites, directory & this support forum & some kind of benefits for helping the vForums community).

Yeah, honestly though that is something i'd suggest taking a poll on here and see what people say. If people are up for it then its at least worth a try. The worst case situation is that it was time wasted and everyone resorts to coming back here.

I agree with Michael on Ross's suggestion

I could offer up iCodes to become the official forum? I could redesign it, and the coders here could come in, and enter the codes into the Database.

Of course, I guess the owner also has to have advanced coding skills to eh?

Honestly, the official coding/design board should already have a thriving community and a template that makes people gaze in awe. It would need to be something to attract people who don't even use vForums to want to use their designers. Their coders.

I feel if it was to be done it would require a whole new forum, not one thats already created. Plus it would take some work to integrate the forums as i think it would probably be best if there could be a way so that is anyone joined the support forum they were registered into the resource forum as well. Personally for a name we really need to stick with the source of it all. VFS is the support forum, VFC could be the community forum for the resources.

I agree with a tiny point of what Ashkir said, it needs to be a forum that gains that noteriety, not one that is created with the sole intent to become 'the official board'.

That is true, but that still leave the issue with who we'd go about it. I mean we could all make our own forums, and the one that takes off can become the official forum. I use the term official because it would be best for vF to stand behind the forum to some extent.

that's a good idea ross.