MS Update Mod Squad Update (Week of January 9th)

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<tr><td align="center"><font color="white" size="6"><b>Mod Squad Update</font><br><font color="white" size="1">For the week of January 9th, 2006</font></td>

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<font size=3 color=skyblue><u><b>New Administrator:</b></u></font><font color=white>

<a href="/user.asp?usr=rhonderoo" style="color: cornsilk;font-weight: bold;font-style: normal;background-color: darkmagenta;text-decoration: none;border-top: 1px solid cornsilk;border-bottom: 1px solid cornsilk;border-right: 1px solid cornsilk;border-left: 1px solid cornsilk;">rhonderoo</a> has filled the role of Communications Administrator. Say hello to your new Administrator in this thread.

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<font size=3 color=skyblue><u><b>Reminders:</b></u></font><font color=white>

No direct linking to inappropriate, family-unfriendly, sites. It doesn't matter if it's in your post, your profile or your sig. Any post that contains a direct link to a site that contains language or anything else inappropriate will result in it being removed and the User warned and/or banned.

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<font size=3 color=skyblue><u><b>Technical Errors:</b></u></font><font color=white>

We are completely aware of the two major technical issues that have come up these past weeks. One is the run-time error that everyone is experiencing at the moment. It usually happens when you try to reply to a PM or post. The second major technical error is the fact that some Users aren't able to see the banners and/or icons of a particular Forum. Rest assured, <a href="/user.asp?usr=zerosleep" style="color: lime;font-weight: bold;font-style: normal;background-color: black;text-decoration: none;border-top: 1px solid lime;border-bottom: 1px solid lime;border-right: 1px solid lime;border-left: 1px solid lime;">zerosleep</a> has been notified.

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<font size=3 color=skyblue><u><b>JCC/Senate Focus Group:</b></u></font><font color=white>

Both the JCC and The Senate have compiled a list of Users to include in a Focus Group that centers around discussion related to the two Forums. Discussion just began this week. This Focus Group will allow regular Users to help make decisions on certain issues that have come up between The Senate and the YJCC. For more information, see the sticky threads in both the JCC and The Senate.

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<font size=3 color=skyblue><u><b>Fan Fiction Resource:</b></u></font><font color=white>

<a href="/user.asp?usr=Healer_Leona" style="color: springgreen;font-weight: bold;font-style: italic;background-color: black;text-decoration: none;border-top: 1px solid springgreen;border-bottom: 1px solid springgreen;border-right: 1px solid springgreen;border-left: 1px solid springgreen;">Healer_Leona</a> wants to remind everyone that Jan. 12th, 11:59pm board time is the deadline for submitting nominations for the Before The Saga Fanfic Awards. Go and submit!

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<font size=3 color=skyblue><u><b>What's The Story?</b></u></font><font color=white>

The What's The Story is a current feature of SW.com's Hyperspace Membership. For those unaware, they post a background character, object or location each week for members to submit their own backstories for. Winning selections are checked/edited for continuity, get LFL approval, sometimes combined with other entries, and become the official backstory for that character/etc via the Databank.

There was current discussion in MS this week on whether or not TheForce.net will recognize these winners. Cur

 

Now that is a quality update. Thanks!

 

w00t. I forgot you were good at HTML, 506. It shows

Very good update.

 

Nice update

 

A table within a table. Don't see that often

Can I just say the idea rhonderoo offered with advertising is a very good one.

 

Nice update, ObiWan506.

 

Good job OW506! It looks very nice and clean.


EDIT: The promotion idea that roo suggested sounds like it could be a lot of fun - can't wait to see what becomes of it.

 

I thought Sape banned the "nice update" type posts over a year ago ?

 

I can't quote it!

But banning everyone is definitely the way to go.

 

w00t!

A good old HTML style update

 

I thought Sape banned the "nice update" type posts over a year ago ?

And "nice update!" spammy posts...

 

Sape did indeed say that with the caveat that 'nice update' and 'thanks', that sort of thing, would constitute a spam post, a +1 then. It was to control the spam in older MSU threads because most people adding them at the time were clearly spamming and it added nothing. When that was stated, spam was rampant in the update threads.

 

I really liked this update, and would like to see more like it. It was very thorough. It was the first time in a while that I've read a MSU and gone, "Huh! I didn't already know that!"

 

Very pretty, yes.

But not practical for quoting, and not very handy for reference when a mod steps down. Register one vote for "prefer strictly markup MS updates".

 

Regarding the SFF: Movies & TV forum, why is Indiana Jones discussion allowed in there (being neither Sci-Fi nor Fantasy - at least in the way I'd define them), and more importantly with a home already in the underutilised LucasFilm Projects forum?

Not that there is any in SFF at present, but THX-1138, Willow, Howard the Duck etc. discussion belongs in LFP too. Or at least should.

 

I'd say what the Indy films did with the concepts of The Lost Ark, the Sankara Stones and the Holy Grail was quite fantastic. This definition seems apt: "Fiction characterized by highly fanciful or supernatural elements."

And as far as already having a home in LucasFilm Projects forum, you can't have an SFF Film & TV forum and then start disallowing certain topics because they can also be discussed elsewhere (save Star Wars since it's TF.N's centerpiece discussion). THe forum is here, so one should be able to discuss Indy there.

 

Since I haven't participated in one lick of the SFF discussion since it interests me to the 0th degree, I'd disagree with this strongly.

The purpose of LFL Projects is to discuss ALL ASPECTS of LFL Projects, not fluff (like JCC) or serious discussion on art/media (Amphitheater) which allows crossover with SFF. There should be no crossover with SFF and LFL Projects as LFL Projects should be (by design) the one-stop shop for non-Star Wars LFL movie endeavors.

 

Design has changed.

 

Based on Everton's description, wouldn't you agree that Indiana Jones fits in both Forums to a degree? So why would you allow it in one Forum, but disallow it in the other?

We knew there would be overlapping threads from different Forums when we started SFF.

 

You walk into a DVD store. You wish to buy / rent Raiders of the Lost Ark. Do you head for the Sci-Fi section? The Fantasy section?

Umm. No.

It's very easy to exclude certain topics from a forum. It's done all the time. And given the tenuous link Indy has to "Sci-Fi and Fantasy" and that there's been an established forum for such discussion for 5+ years here, I don't think it would take much effort to direct Indy discussion from SFF to LFP.

And even the LucasFilm movies that definitely fit within the Sci-Fi genre (willow, THX-1138, Howard the Duck) should, in my mind, be directed to LFP and kept out of SFF.

 

I actually agree with this point. I didn't think about it earlier, but Indiana Jones really isn't fantasy or Sci-Fi... unless you want to call any movie with fanciful action "fantasy..." James bond, Mr and Mrs Smith, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, etc. It's definitely something that should be discussed between the SFF mods. And the other point as well.

 

The entire story of each Indy movie is dependent on the fantastic element Indy is looking for, and the subsequent consequences of discovering it. The story is motivated by that element and driven by the search for it. The bad guys want it too. IMO, that is most certainly not tenuous.

None of those, to the best of my knowledge, contain ghosts emerging from a Lost Ark, magic stones or a cup that brings eternal life.

 

With input from the LFP mod and LFP regulars? Generally when a new forum steps on the toes of another, some sort of dialogue is entered into to work out the details between the existing forum and the new one.

 

Most certainly. Honestly, I didn't think about the Indiana Jones thread at first either.

If it's Sci-Fi/Fantasy, it can go into the SFF boards. If it's LFL, it can go in that Forum too. Similar to how Amphitheater and the JCC are running things, they still host threads that can also be found in SFF. Bottom line, we knew threads were going to overlap, but beyond that each Forum has it's own purpose.

 

None of those, to the best of my knowledge, contain ghosts emerging from a Lost Ark, magic stones or a cup that brings eternal life.

Oh that's true, I suppose. I forgot But ghost don't really define a movie as fantasy, and the magic stones and the holy grail really are borderline, I'd think. Hmm, although i suppose King Arthur Knight stuff might be considered fantasy, but that also has wizards and dragons and such.