Here we are... FanForce Community Mod Introduction Thread

Finaly after a bit of discussion here we are. The team of mods responsible for this little part of the FanForce and the TFN-Boards. We will publish soon a set of guidelines and rules for this Community, so we have a common ground for the posting together.

So I make the start in introducing myself.
I am MacCaffrey. Some of you may know me from the Rogues HQ and some other smaller thread here. I am from Germany and Manager of the GSFF, the German Speaking Fan Force. What am I doing when I am not traveling through the depth of the boards and the internet? I am in my final year of studying human medicine. And before you ask, yes, I have seen lots of blood already.
My hobbies are Star Wars (I know that gets me the Ric "Mr Obvious" Olié-Award), Warhammer FSB/40k, different RPGs and reading. Not to forgot meeting with my and the other FanForces. I think in my Profile are some more details about me.

Feel free to PM me for questions, help or critic.

So enjoy your time here.

Next one!

 

Thanks to Mac for this wonderful idea!

Me is Spike!

I'm am part of the Global Support Administrator team. Before that, I served as the RSA for Latin America. Before that I was the CR of the Puerto Rico FF Chapter. Before that I was a member of that FF. Before that I didn't know FF existed.

I hope we'll make FFC a more fun place to meet people and post. See you around!!

 

So, where are the other two

 

Well, I don't know how easy your job will be but welcome!

 

It's a bit odd seeing Forum Moderators in this forum.

But welcome to the both of you.

Now for the other two...

 

Interesting.. most interesting... we now have moderators. Welcome, my friends. I trust you will do your moderatorly duties well.

 

So how will having moderators change the flow of FFC?


And where are the other two?!

 

Hi.

Seven days later, still no response, still only two mods introduced got me thinking.

Is the plan to just continue the laid back, almost non-existent flow of things around here or is more energy going to be put into the place? Are we going to see some sort of clear announciation of the goings on in FFC?

My main concern is that the introduction of the four moderators was meant (from what I have gathered, correct me if I am wrong) to shake things up a bit here. I know it has been a really short amount of time, but surely some sort of presence could have been established, or attempted to be established? I know I won't be making any friends saying this, and I know it isn't all that relevent, but one of the mods of this place has only posted here once, two and a half years ago. I'm not saying CrazyMike won't do a great job, far from it, but all I am saying is that it doesn't inspire confidence.

I've come basically as a JCer to FF, so my views are probably warped in the sense that over at the JC you get most forums - especially community forums - moving at the speed of light, with partiality to over-moderation. So to come to FFC is a bit of a shock, really. Similarly, I've only recently discovered FFC, and would have stayed well clear of it - a community of social threads doesn't always appear open, even if it is - had Obi Anne not told me to start some threads. So you can probably take a good 60% off my complaints due to the fact that I am an outsider, just as some of the mods appear to be, but in different respects.

So what I am trying to say is this: while the FFC reflects the general laid-back charm of FF, it would be nice to try to develop it into a community that has a wider member base and gets more than two or three posts per day. Not only do I think that the FFC offers the potential for a global meeting-ground for FF - which I think you will agree with me has a totally different mindset and memberbase to the JC - but I believe it has the opportunity for a great community forum reflecting that which makes the online aspects of FF great: namely, the laid-back atmosphere and general sense of similarity and fun. Why can't the FFC be an integral part of the online FF experience?

I apologise if this is indeed part of your plan. If it is, I say this: Get on with it! Seriously! If you aren't going to be present, at least tell us what you have planned for FFC. It might give us incentive to check in more often, or maybe - just maybe - the incentive for others to come and look.

Derelict introduction threads aren't helpful. They are simply an embarrassment to the administration and the members of FFC.

 

Very good. No need to apologize.

Critic heard and as such accepted.

And your threads are well appriacted.

 

Thank you very much. Such a prompt response is a good first step to proving me wrong.

 

Hurray...

*cough* Sorry... Carried me away...

 

I am sorry I ahve not gotten to this particular thread sooner I have however posted and said hello in a couple of others in the forum

Lets see, a formal introduction.... well.....I started with FF in 02 as CR for Syracuse NY. Then Became an RSA for the NE in 02. I have been around for alittle while now and have been trying to make more of a "community" out of the NE. We have fun things like trivia, Fanforce awards and banner contests etc.

Most of the chapters in the NE hang out together as often as they can. They seem to do a great job of helping each other out.

I am always open to new ideas in the region or even FF as a whole. SO I welcome any comments or suggestions anyone has. I am always here to help. I may not "post" alot however I am on the boards everyday and am happy to answer any questions or concerns anyone has.

Not sure what else there is to tell

Now I will hand the mic over to Crazy Mike when he gets a chance

 

Okay, well in regards to suggestions, I have a few, but is this an okay place to post them? And similarly, you guys probably already have a few things in the works so I wouldn't want to just repeat them.

 

I dont mind them in here unless my co workers would rather us start a suggestion thread?

 

May I ask where exactly you are from, cause I am also from the Northeast

 

Well firstly I think that having the JC travelling social thread stop here - as it will - is a great idea and possibly the best thing that could be done to get more activity here. If we capitalize on it, we should get plenty of new people and hopefully get them to stick around long after the social thread has gone.

Secondly, I think this forum is in serious need of some sort of direction. You can't get people to post here if they have no idea what they are supposed to be talking about. I know it is a bit basic, and not very exciting, but just a simple FAQ or Announcement would mean that when people do turn up, they know exactly what they can and can't do here. Direction is all that is needed.

Thirdly, I think we all know what the biggest problem of FFC is. You can't have an active forum if no-one knows about it. And no-one knows about FFC. Get the RSA's to spread the word about it, and what it offers, in their respective forums. I assume you have an RSA forum or some way you can get them to do this. Maybe even CR's could get involved.
Talk to the JCC mods. Or JCC old mods. If anyone knows how community forums work, it is them. Sure, I bet none of them have been involved in getting an almost-dead forum back to life, but they sure could throw a few ideas at you. The current JCC mods might even let you advertise in their forum for all FF'ers to come over and have a look.

Fourthly, a sense of community is required for a community forum to work. Run games. Run a damn banner comp - this banner has been around forever and doesn't distinguish FFC as anything other than a generic FF board. Do something about all the social threads that make up the majority of FFC. I would suggest a new thread for most of them - with a new thread there comes a renewed sense of energy for oldbies of the group, and more openness for newbies. I'm split between allowing new social threads - therefore providing potential cliques for incomers - and saying cut back on current ones - as no-one wants to hang around in a forum that is completely made up of groups and cliques.


The one thing I cannot emphasise enough is what I've already said: this forum will get nowhere without participation of the mods. Sure, we need direction, publicity and a sense of community, but we won't get any of them without the mods of this forum actively participating and working to see this forum grow. You know, just posting in here would be a terrific start.

 

The banner comp is coming. I'll repost my idea from the OFH here.

Have the banner contest for the normal banner for this forum with all the regular rules and what not. Then once it is picked we then have the banner maker make us two banners; the regular one and a second that will have something like "Come join us in the Community forum" on it. That second banner would be used in all official chapters for a week. I believe the image header can be edited to have that banner made into a link that will take you here.

 

I certainly would not like to see this turn into "Your JC Community."

That's mostly trash.

 

That's a damn good idea. However, you'd want to make sure it didn't annoy more people than it got the attention of... it does seem a little heavy handed. Perhaps a simple thread in every chapter would be better, if a little spam-worthy? Or a line in each CR's sig? Or something...

I agree. I believe the nature of FF would stop it from being the JCC mk.II, though. Besides, I can't see FFC becoming the behemoth that JCC is.

 

First of all thank you for all your input!

And second I want to assure you that it may look like small YJCC it is still the FanForce. We may have some similarity, but we are trying to make something different and unique. I am pretty sure that we will make it. Togehter as a team of Users and Mods.

And third: Where are you MIKE!!!

 

I just hope I'm not being more annoying than helpful.

And I second your sentiments about Mike.

 

I absolutely agree that we need more community feel in here. I love all the suggestions being made here. The banner contest is on the horizon no worries there.

I will also encourage the other Rsa's to promote the FFC.

How about a trivia contest in here to start? its really up to everyone to decide in here I dont mind having a contest going.... should be a blast

and to answer a previous question... I am in Ny

 

Yeah, as I said in the other thread, a trivia contest would be great. Similarly, have you thought about my proposal from FFComms as a possible community building tool to get more people over here at FFC?

 

I think its an excellent idea I am all for building the community. I try to make the NE a community, some chapters are closer than others, still trying to get the tragglers to come on board