Building a Community

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, I've learned a lot from seeing it done wrong on other forums. 

If I run this place like it was the army, it's a place I wouldn't support as a member.  We've all done our time, in real life, as children, in the military, at our RL jobs, dealing with RL bureaucracy, -being treated like our time is worth nothing and we ourselves are unworthy of respect.  Intercourse that cacophony, I say.  I'm here to have a good time.  Period.  And I'm willing to invest the work into this community it takes to gather enough people to have my good time.  And I'd be stupid to hand out treatment I wouldn't take myself; aside from my pride in not being what I hate, harsh moderation would drive off the proud people I'm most likely to understand and enjoy.  The logic scans, doesn't it?

And since the last time I mentioned never having to moderate people in this thread, I banned a troll for two weeks.  It's the only trolling I know of happening at all in the history of AC2, but it was the third trolling attempt in days, and we ain't gonna have trolling here.  I've seen what happens when there are no real rules.  That free-for-all ocean of insults and harassment may be some people's idea of a good time, (and I used to be a nasty-mouthed 13 year-old, so I do understand those guys) but it ain't mine.  Somebody's got to be in charge.

So, you know, the velvet glove seems like a good idea, and it's the only way I could do this and stand myself.  I'm a bossy, aggressive, angry person, and being gentle is the way I ride heard on my bad tendencies.  It's wonderful that that's good for everyone else.

And I really do want to be your friend, absent you giving me a reason not to.  I've been lucky in that, as in so much else, here at AC2.

[ete]

Some stats: this month, we've already had more views than in all of June or April, and not far behind the total views we've been getting in even the best months (and over 2/3 the total views in all of 2011). We have more than double the average posts of a full month this year (and more posts than any month bar July this year). We're under halfway through this month.

Having a load of active projects apparently massively boosts pageviews as well as activity. We're bringing together the old and new players, and there's still enough people interested in these games to build a very healthy community.

[JarlWolf]

Projects and interaction is the path to prosperity for this forum. As long as we have something going on, people will stay interested.

[ete]

So this month we're now at:
Three times the total posts in 2011.
More than double the posts in the previous most active month this year, and most active month overall.
Most pageviews (more than 2011 combined).
Most new members since the spambots were mostly killed.
Most new topics since the spambots were mostly killed.

Additionally, this year we already have more pageviews than last year despite having over four months of this year left.

And I've now been online for over 1/25th of the time BU has been online (Jarl, you're at 1/27th)!

[JarlWolf]

 

[Green1]

Yeah... I have been pretty impressed.

It is not like we have 300 posting members, but then again it is a pretty old game. But between about 30-50 of us, quality.

[Buster's Uncle]

Quality.

[Vishniac]

I was wondering: do we have any mean of knowing the nationality of the members here? (we may have but it's 2 AM here and I'm not keen in exploring this forum now  )
I know there are guys suspicious about the use of too many personal data (and the subsequent abuse by NSA and its friends) but let's say it's on a voluntarily base (as for giving ICQ and the likes).

Why not one of those global maps with dots figuring the members?
Or a new column in the member list?

[Buster's Uncle]

Hmm.  I have at least a vague idea with almost everyone I've gotten to know, but I don't think anyone but me reads everything posted.

I bet it would be doable to create some sort of interactive map and encourage everyone to anonymously mark their location... 

Tech inclined people?  Talk to me.  I'd like to see something somewhere along these lines happen.  We're an international crowd, and I think our diversity is interesting.

[JarlWolf]

I was wondering: do we have any mean of knowing the nationality of the members here? (we may have but it's 2 AM here and I'm not keen in exploring this forum now  )
I know there are guys suspicious about the use of too many personal data (and the subsequent abuse by NSA and its friends) but let's say it's on a voluntarily base (as for giving ICQ and the likes).

Why not one of those global maps with dots figuring the members?
Or a new column in the member list?

As long as it's completely voluntary, and you can mark a "general location" or highlight an area of the map, rather then a specific point. I'd prefer not using a tracking system as I feel its an invasion of my privacy, and its why I use proxies to begin with. I will state my nationality/residence is Russian, but not where in my country. I'm a very paranoid person.

I'd only tolerate it if its truly voluntary... otherwise, no go.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yeah; something where people can attach as much or as little information to a location as they choose would be ideal.  I should think on a scale where a map of the world shows on a single page, specificity shouldn't be a problem.

[Kilkakon]

IP geolocation is pretty easy. You should know everybody's IPs, BU. Pushing those into one of those free geolocators from Bing or Google or whatever will tell you the location of their ISP. It won't tell you their house, but it'll give you the general province or state.

[Buster's Uncle]

Nooooo.

I want something entirely voluntary and anonymous - being able to attach a handle to a dot on the map would be good, but only as an option.  A map would be cool is all, but it has to be voluntary and anonymous.

[Kilkakon]

Ah sure, well that'd be something you'd have to ask people for then.

[Green1]

IP trackers for me is bugged. When you use cellular 3G/4G the IP is out of whatever tower it routes you to to route out off of satellite. I am in Baton Rouge, but Virgin Mobile gives me a different IP each time I cut on wifi. One time it was Dayton, Ohio. Another it was Hackensack New Jersey. The next it was Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

It at least would give you the correct country.