On 18/04/2012, at 10:09 PM, Lawrence Whitaker wrote:
> I also prefer forums to email lists. Like others, my inbox is stuffed-full
> of unread World of Glorantha list posts and threads.
If I want to read all the messages on the list, I hit a single key to page down on my email client for each message. If I don't wait to read them, I just leave it there and read it at my leisure. If I want to read every message in a forum, I have to click through, read, then hit a next or back button, wait for load etc, for each message. It takes far longer.
> I want to be kept
> informed on discussions about Glorantha, and to participate when I so
> choose, but not to be barraged with information. A forum lets me choose
> what I read, when I read it, and how I respond if I choose to do so.
Indeed - the forum model is perfect for people who want to interact lightly and occasionally.
A well designed forum can be ok, and can be the basis of a community (I don't care much for rpg.net, but it seems to work).
>
> The Moon forums make sense. The company is dynamic and attracting visitors
> to its site. They will see the forum link, peruse, and hopefully join.
Oh, I absolutely see the value for Moon Design.
> This list, on the other hand, is standalone and any new people joining will
> quickly become bewildered by the sheer depth and scale of the discussions -
> a VERY common criticism of Glorantha from outside.
What bothers me is that we may see Moon Design move not just discussion of interest of new people, but discussions of issues precisely of the sort of minutia that get discussed here (eg the question on monasticism) there. I think a newbie forum isn't a bad idea. I think splitting discussion of Gloranthan minutia of interest to the core community we have here between two fora is a bad idea.
> The forums allow you to read and digest at your own rate, choosing what you
> want to read rather than pushing it at you via an email dist. list. If
> anything's outmoded, its not the forum model, but email lists...
Perhaps a dedicated forum might be better, though I personally deeply dislike the forum model. But a split community is worse than either, IMO.
(though, of course, different fora that serve specific roles have their value)
Cheers
David
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