Suggestion Box

MacAllister

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Yep. It's that time of year again. I'm looking at the forums and contemplating how this place could or should better serve the community. This is YOUR community, too. Even though AW owns the software and server, no one person owns a community.

Last year saw some fairly big changes, new forums and subforums, and so on -- But we've also grown significantly, with between 30 and 50 new members arriving daily. It's embarrassing for me to admit, but pretty often I'll see someone post that I've never seen before -- then I realize they've been registered for weeks, and have a couple of hundred posts already. It's not like the olden days, when I pretty much knew everyone here. (Even more embarrassing is when someone clearly has NO idea who the heck I am, or why I'm so bossy...but we'll let that one go, for now.)

Please try to keep in mind that my powers are not god-like; and as much as I'd love to see hundreds of high-paying freelance opportunities posted in the Markets forum, that's well beyond my control.

On the other hand, we have a thriving new QLTBAG forum, where interesting discussions can go far beyond the usual Gender-Queer Writing 101 derails -- and it's working out pretty well, so far.

So sound off. Represent. What would you LOVE LOVE LOVE to see available at AW? What do you think we're missing? What do you find frustrating or confusing? If you're feeling too shy to post, feel free to drop me a PM.
 
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Maryn

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I'm working myself deeper and deeper into a rut of annoyance about the guidelines for Paying Markets being ignored by nearly all who post calls for manuscripts there. I propose that a post to Paying Markets not go up unless the pay rate is in the subject line, like it's supposed to be, even if this means a short delay until a mod has a chance to see that it conforms.

Maryn, getting to be a hard-ass
 

MacAllister

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That's actually possible. We'd have to hold new posts in moderation queue for approval, but it's doable.
 

aadams73

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It would be cool if we could have a permanent suggestion box.
 

Deleted member 42

It would be cool if we could have a permanent suggestion box.

I think you just got one!

I also want to point out that people can always use the Contact Us form at the bottom right of every single page.

The Contact Us form goes right to MacAllister, and it's about the only way to make sure Mac sees/reads whatever.
 

kuwisdelu

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Hmm what do I want....

I think Lisa should keep a better eye on Mac when she gets near the shiny buttons so random colour changes don't make me think I'm losing my delicate hold on reality :D ;)
 

Deleted member 42

Hmm what do I want....

I think Lisa should keep a better eye on Mac when she gets near the shiny buttons so random colour changes don't make me think I'm losing my delicate hold on reality :D ;)

To be fair to Mac, it's not so much the buttons, it's that vBulletin has non-standard CSS.

MaCannister is hand-coding the HTML in teeny little window.
 

kuwisdelu

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To be fair to Mac, it's not so much the buttons, it's that vBulletin has non-standard CSS.

MaCannister is hand-coding the HTML in teeny little window.

Ssshhh! Imagining her pressing a bunch of shiny buttons is more amusing!
 

Ol' Fashioned Girl

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It's not so much as she 'presses' them... she bumps them a lot with her elbows. And sometimes, when she's really tired, she falls over face-first and her forehead takes out four, sometimes five, buttons in one swell foop.
 

Silver King

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For those who may be shy about offering ideas or advice to improve AW, I would urge you to so; nearly all of the great improvements have come from individual members who have shared their thoughts and helped make this site a better experience for everyone.
 

Deleted member 42

For those who may be shy about offering ideas or advice to improve AW, I would urge you to so; nearly all of the great improvements have come from individual members who have shared their thoughts and helped make this site a better experience for everyone.

What FishDude said.

Also, if you're all shy and bashful and what not, you can use the Contact Form that's at the bottom right of Every Single Page and send a private note to MacAllister.
 

EFCollins

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What do you think we're missing?

Spoons and Monkey repellent. :D

As for suggestions...

I love AW. I think it's pretty incredible the way it is. It takes some getting used to for new peoples, but that's because of the sheer size of the place. And loathe as I am to suggest adding more size... what about a sub-forum for audio fiction/poetry? It's not a huge thing yet, but every time I go hunting for new markets, I see more and more new audio cast magazines as well as established magazines that are adding podcasting/audio fiction sections. It's not huge yet, but I think it will be. Some have failed, but then again so have a lot of print and online mags. That's how it goes. Just a thought.

And the SYW sections for fiction, poetry and songwriting... maybe they should all be together (unless they were before and it didn't work)? Several sub-fora under "fiction" as it is now with the separations by genre, but have "fiction, poetry, music lab" as main sub-fora. I dunno. I'm talking about sub-fora inside a sub-forum and I can't even make sense of it.

M'kay. I think I'm done. When even I can't muddle it out...

*shakes head* My half-penny worth.
 
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I know kuwi would be up for a novella forum. I like the idea myself but on reflection it seems to be a matter of length rather than genre. Not sure if it would be entirely necessary. They're kinda halfway between shorts and novels in my opinion.

Hmm. Can we have vending machines dispensing baboons?
 

kaitie

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A free pony for every member?

I want a pink one. With sparkles.

No, I can't think of anything :D

Can mine be purple? I like purple. And actually, I'd prefer a unicorn to a pony.
 

kaitie

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Ooh, and cookies. Can we have cookies?
 
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Yeah, where are we gonna find one of those rare and endangered creatures round here?

Unicorns are a piece of piss, though.
 

Mr Flibble

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And actually, I'd prefer a unicorn to a pony.

Tsk, so unrealistic! At least we had a chance of the ponies.

Well if we're going ask for things we can't have...a dragon. A big black one wiv like flamey spurts and a bad temper. I shall park it over parliament and tell those MPs to do what I say or else :D I may need a special tiara too. With built in laser guns.