Fan Club Forums

[Buffy Summers]

The staff for a while now have been discussing the fan club forums (the Buffy/Angel & Buffy/Spike forums). Initially, they were really meant as fan clubs, where people could get together and post Buffy/Angel or Buffy/Spike pics and squee over them without someone coming in and posting things like

*barfs*



Anyhoo...they weren't used that much and so they kind of morphed into being general forums for the ships. I know I've been moderating them that way, and that anyone was allowed to post in them as long as they remained respectful. But now they've started to have a tendency to be used to exclude people from discussions, which was not the intention behind them.

So we've been talking about what these forums should be. Should they be fans only, or just general forums for the ships, or should the forums be gotten rid of and maybe just replaced by more of a club thing with signature buttons etc? We welcome you guys' thoughts on the matter.

Full disclosure, while we will certainly be taking members input into consideration, the final decision on what the best course of action is will be decided by the staff. But we wanted to give you all the opportunity to say what you think about it.

 

[Monkey Pants]

I think if it's a thread where someone is asking a question like "How do you feel about Spuffy in season 6?" etc, that everyone should be able to post, not just Spuffy fans. But if it's a thread created specifically to share the love of Spuffy, than yes maybe it should be limited to people who are actually fans of the couple, because they really have nothing to add otherwise anyway. Does that make sense?

 

[Spanky]

What do you mean by club? Will it be like the houses? Are you saying for instance if you join one 'club' you cannot join the other?
Or in the forum do you mean just manually kicking people out that do not post positive things in the ship forum re that ship? More strictly enforcing the rules of the preexisting rules in place that a lot of people ignore?

 

[Mr Trick]

I think if it's a thread where someone is asking a question like "How do you feel about Spuffy in season 6?" etc, that everyone should be able to post, not just Spuffy fans. But if it's a thread created specifically to share the love of Spuffy, than yes maybe it should be limited to people who are actually fans of the couple, because they really have nothing to add otherwise anyway. Does that make sense?

Think I agree with this. Besides which sometimes even those love ins can decend into heated debates

As for the idea? I'm not really sure its needed. We already have existing threads for people to show their love for certain ships and more than enough for them debate certain aspects of those ships. If these fan club forums existed then I'd take part, but don't know if their needed.

 

[Athena]

Think I agree with this. Besides which sometimes even those love ins can decend into heated debates

As for the idea? I'm not really sure its needed. We already have existing threads for people to show their love for certain ships and more than enough for them debate certain aspects of those ships. If these fan club forums existed then I'd take part, but don't know if their needed.

I'm in agreement with Mr Trick here (don't get used to it Mr Trick, it won't happen very often ), I mean how many threads can people create for how much they love Spuffy, or Bangel, or why Bangel is better than Spuffy.... it seems to be a very limited subject matter.

Saying that, I think the other ships do need an area to discuss Fillow or Ozgel (my personal fave!) if they wish to. So while I don't think they should be removed, maybe they do need a bit of a rearrange to best serve the shipping population.

 

[Lyri]

There have been times in the past where there have been threads created in the ship forum that could benefit from differing opinions. Not necessarily things like how much people like or relate to Spuffy or Bangel, but like the question that was asked about which seasons Bangels see as being Spuffy, where I feel like Bangels should have been able to give their point of view, but we had members insisting that it was for Spuffies only - Bangels weren't allowed to answer the question that was actually about and put to them. Which I think is very wrong.

I think a general forum for ships would work just as well - if not better - than what we have now. 'Let's Talk About How Much We Love Bangel', Spuffies know they aren't wanted in a thread like that, nor would they want to post. 'Post Your favorite Spuffy Caps', Bangels are going to avoid that like the plague - and I think the members are smart enough not to post in threads that we have no interest in. And if anyone posts in threads just to create drama, there are already systems in place to deal with that.

I don't know about signature buttons or that kind of club - I just know that it's not something that I would have any interest in. But I think a general ship thread is more inclusive than what we have now.

 

[Buffy Summers]

What do you mean by club?

I'm talking about the clubs we already have, the Back Steps and Close Your Eyes.

More strictly enforcing the rules of the preexisting rules in place that a lot of people ignore?

Well that's the problem/question. The rules kind of morphed into something that dos 't match the forum description, which is confusing. So we want to clarify but need to come to a decision about what they should be like.
 

If these fan club forums existed then I'd take part, but don't know if their needed.

The question is what to do with the ones that already exist.
 

But I think a general ship thread is more inclusive than what we have now.

Well that is an option, removing the subforums altogether and just leaving it Lovers Walk, the way it is for other ships.

The signature button thing was just one idea to keep the "I support..." feel while not having a place that excludes other members. That is a minor part of the larger issue.

 

[Mr Trick]

I'm in agreement with Mr Trick here (don't get used to it Mr Trick, it won't happen very often ), I mean how many threads can people create for how much they love Spuffy, or Bangel, or why Bangel is better than Spuffy.... it seems to be a very limited subject matter.

Saying that, I think the other ships do need an area to discuss Fillow or Ozgel (my personal fave!) if they wish to. So while I don't think they should be removed, maybe they do need a bit of a rearrange to best serve the shipping population.

Right I'm predicting now than that is Oz and Angel? In which case that is ****ing genuis!

 

[Athena]

Buffy Summers: What's Ozgel? Lol

Only the best altship of all.... Oz & Angel
 

In which case that is ****ing genuis!

I guess that makes me a bonafide genius then, cause I don't think it existed on here til I made it up! Purely based on their scenes together in Doppelgangland.

I are genius!

 

[Mr Trick]

Only the best altship of all.... Oz & Angel
 


I guess that makes me a bonafide genius then, cause I don't think it existed on here til I made it up! PCurely based on their scenes together in Doppelgangland.

I are genius!

I was thinking of Doppelgangland too! Think you also have the oddball demon thing going on too. On the other hand theyn wouldn't be much fun on a cosy romantic night in

 

[Buffy Summers]

Okay, focus people.

 

[Spanky]

Stay on target... stay on target...

 

[Buffy Summers]

Oh no! Porkins!

 

[GoSpuffy]

I would hate to see the back steps changed. It's why I joined. I think it's important to have a safe place to enjoy your ship without being ripped apart by someone with a countering opinion. I'm pretty sure you'd see less of me if the back steps was open to negative spuffy posts

 

[Spanky]

After giving it alot of thought I think we really need to get rid of the back steps. I doubt anyone would really miss it if it were gone.

 

[Mr Trick]

After giving it alot of thought I think we really need to get rid of the back steps. I doubt anyone would really miss it if it were gone.

Well I don't even know what the back steps are so I certaintly won't

 

[GoSpuffy]

it's a pretty popular place @Mr Trick . It's not for everyone but why get rid of a popular forum?

 

[GwenRaiden]

I can understand the 'shippers wanting to keep their own separate forums. But then I do think there could be more activity if others were able to post in the Back Steps or Close Your Eyes sub forums too. If they do stay - maybe Spuffies/Bangels could include a "free for all to comment" in the thread title of whichever threads they think would garner more perspective and activity. Just a case of being open to others' opinions in the more general 'shipper threads.

 

[Buffy Summers]

The problem of excluding members from discussion threads does need to be addressed, in some fashion, if the forums are to be kept.

 

[Spanky]

The problem of excluding members from discussion threads does need to be addressed, in some fashion, if the forums are to be kept.

It's difficult because then the 'fan club' really does not differ from the traditional board, does it? So if you are not excluding people with differing views on the topic then honestly there is no point for the 'fan club' is there?