AFAP Renovations

[Man in Black]

Change in the Air:

When Hermy and I started this board we had a grand vision of a website that would become a sort of utopia for creative types to gather and share their... well, creations. It was to be a haven for sci/fi and fantasy geeks to yak about our favorite movies, books, games etc...

Some where along the line I got kind of caught up in the message board craze and tried to make AFAP more than it really was - along with what I mentioned above I pushed to form it into a thriving Proboards community with more posting games and chatty sorts of threads. I have learned a lot about keeping up a website during this course through trial and error and quite a few mistakes. One of the most important things I discovered is that AFAP is not ready to be both thriving message board and showcase for people's creations. It takes much more time to gather people willing to share and discuss artwork, photography, poetry, stories etc... than it does to fill up a message board with posting games and chat topics.

Now to the point. I will be cutting down the content of AFAP over the next month or so. We need a board that is more focused, one that has a more specific theme. I will keep the posting games board and the media boards. Also our creative board The Blank Canvas will become more of a focal point playing to the imagination theme we have going for us. On the chop block as of now is the Paranormal, Science and History boards. It seemed great to have an individual Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Dragon board but the fact is hardly anyone posts in these places.

Maybe this will cause us to have less "business" for awhile but I do believe that there is a lot of talent in the core members we have and I have the faith in AFAP to again draw activity along with other geeks and artists. My hope is that a more streamlined approach will spark us all to take in the other members creations and comment on them. It is my fault for shoving so much stuff onto this board. Post counts and such was never a focus for us and A Far Away Place will again wave the old cliche - Quality over Quantity - with a rededicated advertising campaign once all the changes are correctly put into place.

All suggestions and ideas are welcome and will definitely be taken into consideration, so use this thread for such and tell us what you think would help us to streamline the content of this forum.

Thanks
MIB

[Valentine]

I'll admit that what first attracted me to A Far Away Place was it's mysticism. I loved the magical/fantasy feeling that I got immediately from simply looking at the homepage. My strongest and most sincere kudos go out to you MIB for countless amazing skins because you have one of the best eyes out there for that kind of stuff.

I've traveled through a lot of probards/invision free message boards since I joined my first PB back in April 06. Sure there are a lot of designers out there that has very professional, precise, etc. skins but some of the nicest I've seen lacked the most important thing. Personality. And you MIB, capture that perfectly.

It's definitely not the board's look that's the problem and I have to agree that it probably lacks a direction. Now what I will suggest next you probably won't like to hear.

Make a new board. By now, I've ran a few boards myself and only one that I consider successful. It's trial and error. I've helped a number of people start their boards (either as designer or consultant) and I've also been a member at a number of different types of message boards. From my experience, boards that attempt this type of "revival" don't make it.

AFAP right now sits on a pile of antiquated topics and old customs. If the board goes through this revival, we carry that with us. In making an entirely new board, you start from scratch and give your original aspiration a second chance.

I know by now you're probably giving me the stink eye because I realize there's a lot here at AFAP that you don't want to lose. Every time I suggest someone to make a new board, they give me the stink eye too so I'm used to it by now. But that's my honest opinion and it's what I believe would help you achieve what you want.

I'd love to see you play Dr. Frankenstein and actually give life again to this board but from what I've experienced and seen, that's very difficult to do.

[Man in Black]

I might just surprise you Val

I'll let you in on a little secret, which will most likely stay a secret since nobody is going to pay much attention to this thread.

I have already made a new board (not to mention I've thrown myself totally into MMM). I'm not quite ready to unveil it just yet but I'm happy with it so far - right now it sits in maintenance mode chomping at the bit to be unleashed on the unsuspecting world hehehe.

I totally agree with you about everything you said, in fact it's pretty much why I've already headed in that direction... great minds think alike... I'm not sure where that leaves me and you but...

Like I said earlier I never intended AFAP to be some bustling, chatty message board. It just sort of got pushed that way against its will as Hermy and I got addicted to the Proboards thing. AFAP will not make some revival, maybe a vival... is that a word... because it never was a "busy" board to start with. This was definitely my learning board and it will now return to its originally intended form - more of a website for sharing/storing imaginative creations. Now, it may never be anyone but me, 4C and Lanaia sharing creations but that is what it will be LOL... It may eventually fall into being a storage/test kind of place for other projects... but for sentimental reasons I didn't kill it and make it into the new board... I just created a whole new one. That's a luxury Proboards allows by being free lol.

The thing that happens to most PBs that come and go is their Admins can't, won't or don't roll with the punches and adapt. I guess a lot just get bored and the rest maybe don't like to keep staring at the mistake they created. I'm not like that, I know that I did this wrong. I don't care, it doesn't make me sad or mad or feel like I failed. It was a great learning experience and I'm telling you if it wasn't for this wacky piece of cyber-clay for me to mold - I sincerely don't know if I'd still be breathing. It has given me something to do when I could literally do nothing else at all.

As for the new site I'll share the link when it is a presentable entity, and it is close now. Blackcat is helping me and she is really busy at the time so I'm putting it off until she is able to give all the input she feels necessary.
Val, you and anyone else here is welcome to come in as staff but I'm not going to ask so as nobody feels obligated, I know everybody is mostly busy with their own things... just basically taking volunteers.

And thanks bunches for your kind comments Val. I may lack a lot of things but personality has never been one of them I really hope that you keep coming here at least once and awhile at least to check in and I do hope you get addicted to the new place... Frankenstein is hard at work there -) Here is the mini banner just for a tease...

[Xenopaul]

I'm glad your not killing the board off mib. I may not be around as much as I used to but its mainly because of extra hours at work. I still like to come here when I can

[Valentine]

A new board?!

Well that's great! I'm glad you didn't hit me over the head for my suggestion because I was afraid you might. It's the usual reaction I get but I stand firm about it.

I'd definitely consider joining the new board (that teaser is driving me nuts! I want more! ) but as a staff I don't think I can. I've always felt like I let you down here at AFAP and I don't want to do that again. It's my own fault for getting caught up at my RP board.

Still I look forward to see what you do with the new place and I hope that it does turn out successful just like you want. I'm sure if you target the right audience, it'll be great! If you build, they will come ;D

[Man in Black]

I'll give out the link and the rest of the details when the new place is ready. I think it is going to be a pretty cool board.

[4C-696E]

This isn't the only place under renovations. The Walmart I work at has started a 3 month project to move everything in the store to different places. At least this place being rearranged isn't so annoying as not knowing where things are at work.