I think we should try something new.

[Hypocrisy is Fun]

I'm glad some of you are looking at other ways to keep things going. Every little thing does contribute to something bigger.

I'm not really trying to get us more members or anything, I just think a lot of people may be intimidated to post because they're worried about consequence.

Originally Posted by Ridley

I want our 2007 community and activity level back. That is all.

Thats exactly what I'd like too.

Originally Posted by Neo Pikachu

So yeah, this is kind of how its always been. Wish I could tell you that exciting and massively active periods are in the days to come ahead, but yeah, I've been here for six years... I'm not so sure anymore.

I get what youre saying, and I've noticed those trends too. I really have, but I honestly think we're at a new all time low when I click new replies and theres theres stuff from 2+ hours ago on the first page.

Originally Posted by Teo

bigpost!

OC a privilege? Are you kidding me? Reread what you just said, I mean honestly. A forum without other chat is like a restaurant without a bathroom.

This isn't an organization, it's a social networking site, just like any other forum. Just because we're a Pokemon forum doesn't mean we should discourage talking about anything other than Pokemon. If I'm not the only one who's noticed this, I really wouldn't be so quick to say everything is fine.

Locking/deleting threads in OC seems somewhat pointless, seeing as the activity there is really low as of late. "Dignified and mature posts" are cool and all, and I love them, but how far are we willing to go to keep the whole forum like that?

[Haze]

Originally Posted by Hypocrisy is Fun

OC a privilege? Are you kidding me? Reread what you just said, I mean honestly. A forum without other chat is like a restaurant without a bathroom.

This isn't an organization, it's a social networking site, just like any other forum. Just because we're a Pokemon forum doesn't mean we should discourage talking about anything other than Pokemon. If I'm not the only one who's noticed this, I really wouldn't be so quick to say everything is fine.

Locking/deleting threads in OC seems somewhat pointless, seeing as the activity there is really low as of late. "Dignified and mature posts" are cool and all, and I love them, but how far are we willing to go to keep the whole forum like that?

That's my opinion of the thread.

[miyoun]

Can we have the "What do you look like thread" reopened too?

At least people posted there.

[Masami]

Whoever closed that sucks. Serious.

[Neo Emolga]

Originally Posted by Teo

As was earlier stated, we're a Pokemon Forum. The Mixed/Other boards are a privilege really. They didn't have to be made by Ryan. He made them as a place for us to go and just talk about things that aren't Pokemon. Is it really hard to carry ones self in a dignified and mature manner, while still making funny and on topic post?

ANYWAYS, if I really wanted to I'm sure I could find heaps of reasons to just give infractions, lock threads, and ban people with a good amount of reasons! I don't though! :3

The Mixed/Other boards aren't a privilege, they are a supplement. Without them, the entire forum becomes too standardized without enough complements, so without them, you'd probably be looking at a much lower member count if all we could ever do here was talk about Pokemon, especially if other sites out there had what this site didn't. In the early days, PE2K started off small and grew and its member count grew. Back then, if things were extremely and tensely regulated, what do you think would have happened?

Yes, you could find reasons to give infractions, lock threads, and ban people, but a GMod doesn't go around digging for excuses to do that or wave their powers around to try and leverage respect out of fear. As a mod, you represent PE2K's integrity as a forum, and whatever you do could help or hurt it in ways that would not only affect its reputation within the forum, but outside of it as well. You're also able to use it to do things that other members don't have as much authority to do. But as I personally discovered through my years of modding, people like it more when you less like a mod and act more like a leader to inspire when it comes to making things happen. They're willing to try new ideas, regardless of how crazy or even stupid they might sound... just because its something to experiment.

And as its proven, innovation and big ideas don't happen in formalized constraints, such as Harry's "Think Tank" contexts. They happen because of experimentation and nonconformity, along with having the room and allowance to do those kinds of things. So if you really want to get PE2K back on its feet, you'll allow its members to have a little room to do things that don't typically go on around here, as well as experiment with things and give things a try. What I really get tried of is conversations of how to make the War better, when the real solution may just to be to shut the whole thing down and allow people to conjure up their own idea without feeling like their every slightest whim of thought is "spam." But instead, we're locked into having to reuse that same tired and exhausted context just because its considered a "tradition" now and things would seem horribly strange and foreign if we deviated from the usual plan, despite the fact there could be so little love for something that's been around for nearly a decade. If you want something revolutionary to happen here, then open the doors for it. If you throw an artist in a prison cell with a paper and pencil and give them the order to draw, how good do you think the result will be compared to the artist that didn't have to follow regulation, allow themselves to have some room, and allowed themselves to get inspired?

Remember all those Team RPs that went on for years and years? Remember the Pikachu Survivor Game that people loved and constantly begged for me to host again and again? Do you think I came up with those because someone asked me to? No. Being a GMod actually gave me the green light to be able to try things that may have been a little unorthodox, yet I could finally do without the threat of punishment, and look where it got us. Maybe think that over before you decide to tighten the leash on regulation, brag about your moderator powers, and think that being able to have a few basic necessities is a "privilege."

Yes, it is time to try something new, but right now, people don't feel like they're allowed to.

[Lord Celebi]

Originally Posted by Hypocrisy is Fun

The way I see it, we either get more lenient with "fun" spam and look less professional, or die out because all the newer generations of members are gonna get discourage and move to another forum that's filled with threads they'd love to post in, and what have you.

PE2K isn't /b/. I just locked a trainwreck thread today, and essentially, all it came down to was "ur ghey!" "u liek cocks!" "ur returded!" I'm not trying to say we're a police state, but spam is spam, and that really doesn't belong here.

[Kenny_C.002]

Originally Posted by Neo Pikachu

The Mixed/Other boards aren't a privilege, they are a supplement. Without them, the entire forum becomes too standardized without enough complements, so without them, you'd probably be looking at a much lower member count if all we could ever do here was talk about Pokemon, especially if other sites out there had what this site didn't. In the early days, PE2K started off small and grew and its member count grew. Back then, if things were extremely and tensely regulated, what do you think would have happened?

Yes, you could find reasons to give infractions, lock threads, and ban people, but a GMod doesn't go around digging for excuses to do that or wave their powers around to try and leverage respect out of fear. As a mod, you represent PE2K's integrity as a forum, and whatever you do could help or hurt it in ways that would not only affect its reputation within the forum, but outside of it as well. You're also able to use it to do things that other members don't have as much authority to do. But as I personally discovered through my years of modding, people like it more when you less like a mod and act more like a leader to inspire when it comes to making things happen. They're willing to try new ideas, regardless of how crazy or even stupid they might sound... just because its something to experiment.

And as its proven, innovation and big ideas don't happen in formalized constraints, such as Harry's "Think Tank" contexts. They happen because of experimentation and nonconformity, along with having the room and allowance to do those kinds of things. So if you really want to get PE2K back on its feet, you'll allow its members to have a little room to do things that don't typically go on around here, as well as experiment with things and give things a try. What I really get tried of is conversations of how to make the War better, when the real solution may just to be to shut the whole thing down and allow people to conjure up their own idea without feeling like their every slightest whim of thought is "spam." But instead, we're locked into having to reuse that same tired and exhausted context just because its considered a "tradition" now and things would seem horribly strange and foreign if we deviated from the usual plan, despite the fact there could be so little love for something that's been around for nearly a decade. If you want something revolutionary to happen here, then open the doors for it. If you throw an artist in a prison cell with a paper and pencil and give them the order to draw, how good do you think the result will be compared to the artist that didn't have to follow regulation, allow themselves to have some room, and allowed themselves to get inspired?

Remember all those Team RPs that went on for years and years? Remember the Pikachu Survivor Game that people loved and constantly begged for me to host again and again? Do you think I came up with those because someone asked me to? No. Being a GMod actually gave me the green light to be able to try things that may have been a little unorthodox, yet I could finally do without the threat of punishment, and look where it got us. Maybe think that over before you decide to tighten the leash on regulation, brag about your moderator powers, and think that being able to have a few basic necessities is a "privilege."

Yes, it is time to try something new, but right now, people don't feel like they're allowed to.

Good times. People would bug me about mafia once in a while as well. lol

[Teo]

Lol, where to start?!

I consider the Mixed/ Other Board a lot of things! Perhaps the lot of you took what I said to heart. xD Anyways, I was saying it never had to be included. This site could have just focused on Pokemon. People could have gotten to know one another via PM and IMs, instead of that section.

I'm all for having fun post and off topic chatting, but some members generally take it a bit far. Which will essentially lead an entire thread to be nothing more than spam. Which leads to threads getting locked and deleted.

@Neo Pikachu: Am I flaunting power? Not really, due to the fact I stated, things could EASILY be a lot stricter as what Hypocrisy is Fun stated about things being strict here. I know our staff is a LOT more lenient about all that goes on here as compared to the other Pokemon sites out there. /End Neo Pikachu

Lol, the Picture thread...That was locked because people no longer used it for what it was intended for, posting pictures and commenting on them. It lead to other members posting nonsense and arguments that could have turned into more.

It's easy to say, OMG!!! We have like no activity! WE NEED NEW IDEAS AND SUCH! When all we really need to do is simply post in sections we don't normally post in! Welcome new members with open arms! Build upon what we already have established! Once we can stabilize our current community, only then can we build upon what we have!

[Near]

Lol I can't remember the last time I posted on the forum, other then my front gate post for the URPG, Ataro's E4 Match win, for the URPG, and in my ref log ;/

This post don't count D:

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

You guys really think we're a strict forum? o.O I have to say I find that a little surprising. I mean, I couldn't name more than a handful of members that have actually been perm banned from here. And when someone does break rules, they usually get heaps of warnings before any action is actually taken against them (not necessarily a good thing, but yeah). I can't see how anyone would be afraid to post or try something new?

It could be possible to let up a little on the DCC but I don't think allowing spammy posts around the rest of the forum will help that much. Does anyone actually want to read through a bunch of spam? I think we tend to let a lot of things go as it is? I know I do, anyway (unless it's innapropriate, of course).

I'm just not convinced that increasing activity in the OC (if the suggested ideas did help) would have a big impact on the overall activity of the forum. If we want activity it has to start in the Pokemon-related boards (including art, RP, fanfiction), considering that is why people join here. =)

[Tombi]

Originally Posted by Teo

It's easy to say, OMG!!! We have like no activity! WE NEED NEW IDEAS AND SUCH! When all we really need to do is simply post in sections we don't normally post in! Welcome new members with open arms! Build upon what we already have established! Once we can stabilize our current community, only then can we build upon what we have!

^^^^^^

Anyone who complains about or dislikes the amount of activity should look at themselves and ask, 'am I doing all I can? Am I posting everywhere possible?'- myself included. I've recently tried to explore other sections, and also tried welcoming new members.

Sure, try to think of new ideas, but don't forget about what still exists. That's what attracts people in the first place, after all.

[Zattanna]

I think that once some of the younger people get out of school, whether its grade school or college it will start picking up here. I know that I have only been here since last year but it dropped off alot when school started back up. I am hoping that we will see more activity starting around June.

As far as doing something new... what else can be done? I know I'm not that active in other parts of the forum other than wifi trading but that was why I came to this forum to do trades. I will stick around to see what happens as I like it here and sometimes real life gets in the way where I can't be here everyday. Being in a smaller forum allows me to be able to be gone for a few days at a time.

[Mr420]

^ Good for you, and the same can be said for the most part about myself included. I came here for 2 reasons. 1)like Zattanna is for the trading-DEX-. 2 for the competitive battling portion of it all. everything is secondary.
I tried to get into the URPG and writing for & about pokemon but as pe2k would have it Im not cut out for any of that Plus it takes too much time from my actual In Game time & other real life stints
I like the how "tight" the pe2k forums are compared to the other poke cites.. honestly I lurked here & there before I took the time to actually join pe2k...

[Kenny_C.002]

While that is the case, we also would like to maintain a healthy community. That means in = out as a bare minimum. That's basically why we want to increase activity in the forum, to give us a little bit more buffer space in terms of membership count. There's really nothing wrong with the actual sentiments of the people who generally aren't active in the pokemon boards to want to have more people, and therefore more people venturing out into the "other side" of things.

[HKim]

I tend to agree with Kenny, and a bit with Neo too though I suppose it's because I've had the pleasure of talking with both of them over the past few weeks.

You know, these threads used to only pop up in September when the drama hit the fan. Good to know that us mods aren't the only ones seeing it.

Rules aren't the problem here, or at the very least, not a problem that will change many things. PE2K has had the same rules, more or less, since it first started and that includes many of the years where there were a lot of activity. Sure, times change, but not as much as you think in this short span of time.

The truth of the matter is closer to what Kenny is saying. PE2K needs to be able to, at the very least, attract as many members as those who are leaving in order to maintain a balance. I think we do good job of retention, after all, you guys stayed, but it's the attraction that's the main problem... and one I'm hoping we can solve.

I don't feel like giving more inspirational speeches here. When it comes to PE2K, I've given many over and over again... and recently, I've been disappointed. Inspiration only works when there is support behind it and as much as I love Kenny, Neo, Rust, and the other leaders who have always stood behind me, the truth is that we do need Ryan to take a stand as well. Without him, it's just hard to get some good ideas going. We can start the ball rolling, but the friction is too great.

I've decided to put my last hope for PE2K in Kenny, and I'm sure Neo feels that Kenny is the last chance as well. He was a GMod when I was a new member and is the only one among us with the credentials to make a difference here.