Right, anyone who takes this thread seriously, asks sensible questions or actually comes up with reasonable points will be taken seriously and will be answered. By Poser forum Moderators and Coordinators. If we aren't answering at the exact second you post, it's probably because we are not online or are doing something else just then. NOT because we are avoiding an issue. We'll be back and we'll answer real questions with real answers. We will not discuss individual cases however, so it's no good saying "Mod X did Y to Member Z" We have a confidentiality clause here and we do not discuss individual members business in public. Anyone who just complains, with no other point than to complain and with no constructive suggestions on how to do things better will be ignored. So, fire away, what is it that you guys want? Do you want to post off topic in here and if so why? Why do you think that is a good idea? Would you prefer there to be an off topic type forum instead? What is so terrible about following the tos when posting that leads some people to complain about it? What do you like about the forum/community page/Poser galleries/Poser Freestuff here? What don't you like? What would you prefer we did differently? How could we make the Poser forum a place where you would feel happier to be? Would you like to see things like a featured freestuff provider of the month? Would you like to have a featured artist of the Month that you all vote for? Not site wide, just Poser based. Or to have interviews with Poser challenge winners so you can get to know people a little better? Just some examples, I'm sure you have your own points, questions or suggestions. We want your input, this is supposed to be your forum. Here's a chance to have your say. If you can make a good case for a change of some sort in the Renderosity Poser community (ie galleries, forum etc..), we will do our best to make it happen, as long as it doesn't break the Terms of Service here. Shoshanna. Poser Forum Moderator. ps. Please do not post nudity in this thread or it will be deleted. That way, people who do not (for whatever reason) want to see it will still be able to input if they wish.

better search engine,better layout,
more user friendly thread browsing..

well. in one word i coul say : "phpbb :)
or anything at least a bit as userfriendly as it, because it is very hard to ever dig down in older threads, find them back for reference, search a specific topic, or posts from one given user and such.

was my 2 cents...
it was for forum

for galleries one suggestion: crosse picture gender reference (at least 1 major and one minor category to define them so they can be answered by search engine by both inquiry), ex: fantasy AND anime :)
Better search engine for the gallery may be ?

for the IM section, it would be useful if we could hae checkbox on all IM so we can batch delete/archive those of our choice instead of clicking on each one and wait tfor the page to reload each time...

... now it makes 6 cents :) and for freestuff too, some refining categories for a better search engine would be a blessing. Often i search for a precise word and i get out items that are totally irrelevant (barely see where my search word was), more than one word research with operators. Have you ever tried to search for, let say, v2 productr ? you put v2 but people whou put vicky 2 or victoria 2 in their text will not show, you search for victoria and you are swarmed by v3 for example :) the new market place is definitly more useful than the previous one, yet some minor changes/ilmprovements needed but it is a huge leap.

Message edited on: 06/15/2004 05:16

I generally have no problem with forum per se, the community here is helpful and welcoming, I find, for the most part.

I will offer some constructive criticism on the forum layout and design.

This system seems hopelessly outdated. There are more sophisticated forum engines available, which are far more condusive to community communication.

Just an opinion, but I like the Invasion board v1.2. I see it used at auspaytv.com for their forums and lots of other places. I have no idea what its like for an admin/mod, but as a user I think its clean and easy to navigate.

Not that I have really explored the in-depth options of this forum, I havent made that many posts.

Message edited on: 06/15/2004 05:34

Absolutely a more up-to-date forum software to make communication with each other more intuitive and easy. The ability to quote a post in your reply without having to do it via cut n paste, the ability for to bump threads with a reply so that you don't have to go searching for them later on. Someone mentioned PhpBB. Yep, that's basically the kind of forum layout I'd like here as well.

Another mark for improved forum software and better search ability.

I would like to see a featured freebie provider. I don't feel freebie providers get much recognition in general.
(Similarly, although off forum, I would like to see the current freebie "all time best contributors" replaced or supplimented by a "hot contributors". Right now, because only the top 200 freebies are considered, there's no way for a new contributor to ever be recognized unless they're doing something erotic. You need almost 6800 downloads before you even get considered, and you're competing against stuff that has been here since 1998.)

I have always thought that the members who donate their work to the free stuff area should get more recognition. Maybe a "Free stuff contributor of the month" for the person who uploads the most popular free stuff item. Could be measured by the number of downloads or by a voting system. Just a thought.

The Poser forum is the most active in Renderosity so anything new (like artist of the Month and freestuff provider of the month) would be supported by people. Better and more complex search engine for sure! Anonymous entries on all the contests... Custom "how's on line" maybee... pitklad

Allow people to post OT topics if it is something that the rest of us might what to hear, for example, so and so is ill or had a baby or got a new job kind of thing. Also not be so nick picky about the nudity flag and such in the galleries. Let's face alot of the work there is going to have the Naked Vickie in etc kind of thing.... I personality find that gallery images based some sort of religous theme more objectable. They should have the same kind of flag as the nudity or violence.... Now, I'll creep back into my dark corner.....

I think it is more important to focus on content and not so much on representation. The forum software is fine as it is. (I hate those phpbb boards.) > Do you want to post off topic in here and if so why? Yes and why not. There are too many stupid rules anyway. Sometimes I just want to communicate with other Poser users about non-Poser themes. > Why do you think that is a good idea? It is not a bad idea, thats enough. > Would you prefer there to be an off topic type forum instead? An extra off topic forum is bad, because it could vanish at any time. > What is so terrible about following the tos when posting that leads some people to complain about it? How about some consistency in enforcing the TOS? A respectful members conduct is only viable if the admins/mods are worthy of respect. > What do you like about the forum/community page/Poser galleries/Poser Freestuff here? What don't you like? I think you do a good job of it. But the forum header ist to big for my taste. The first messages are only visible after I page down.

I agree with the complaints about the pitiful search engine and the forum software, but I could live with the forum format indefinitely if the search engine would just be improved... Technical issues aside... Do you want to post off topic in here and if so why? Why do you think that is a good idea? Would you prefer there to be an off topic type forum instead? Sure, why not? In a community, people talk about MANY topics, not just one... The "OT Forum" concept didn't really work very well here, you know? The OT Forum became a place where people went to argue about stuff, and while I have no problem with people arguing about whatever they wish, it wasn't really a place where the general community went to look for or participate in conversations like, "Guess what, I got a new puppy!" or "My wife gave birth to our child last night, here's a picture!" or whatever. What is so terrible about following the tos when posting that leads some people to complain about it? The biggest problem I see is that the TOS is unevenly enforced, or it sometimes definitely appears to be. As for why people feel the need to scream and rant that someone wants them to tick the Nudity flag if the image they're posting contains nudity, I have no idea. I put it down to a misplaced sense of entitlement. ;-) What do you like about the forum/community page/Poser galleries/Poser Freestuff here? What don't you like? There are a lot of knowledgable folks around, and some really good artists whose work I admire. What I don't like is that some people just can't seem to play nicely with others and feel the need to gratuitiously engage in "dead horse" arguments. What would you prefer we did differently? Everything! Just kidding. :-) More even and regular TOS enforcement would be good. When discrepancies are noted (such as a mod who maintained that warez talk was not "zero tolerence" but "at their discretion" to discipline), a simple correction AND APOLOGY would go a long way. Mind you, I haven't seen too many TOS-related muck ups here in this forum for a while. The current style of moderation is actually pretty good. Flexible. :-) How could we make the Poser forum a place where you would feel happier to be? I don't feel especially unhappy here. shrug But I do think making the environment "community friendly" is a good thing. Would you like to see things like a featured freestuff provider of the month? Maybe. Would you like to have a featured artist of the Month that you all vote for? Not site wide, just Poser based. Maybe, but how would something like that be arranged? How would people be nominated? Wouldn't it just devolve into a big popularity contest that is essentially meaningless? Or to have interviews with Poser challenge winners so you can get to know people a little better? That might be very nice, actually. Okay. There you go. My thoughts at the moment. :-) bonni

I would like to post WIP's again in this forum to get feedback from the largest poser community on the net, instead of having them shunted off to the showcase forum because they MAY become a product for sale somewhere. It is great to see peoples WIP's and share ideas in an open forum. People go to showcase to see new products coming out...and that is a different mindset that doesnt give as much opportunity for comment as it would in the open forum. This crack down on WIP postings is what drove me from being as active a participant on this site as I used to be. (and also influenced me to sell my products on other sites which were more open to giving feedback...hell....if they give the comments, it only makes sense to have the product in their stores) Rawn

Here goes.... By simply asking these questions, you have already moved in the right direction! I like the Poser Forum here at R'osity. However, I have to say that the sense of community has dropped in recent times. I think this is largely from the inability to post OT here. As Elizabyte said, if I have great news that may be off topic, I want to share it with my 'friends' who I have made here in the Poser Forum. I want to post it here. Easier search as stated would be great. Many a time I know I have seen a thread on teh problem I am having, but I cannot sift through all the past posts to find it. I deplore asking the same questions over as much as I'm sure our gurus are tired of answering. Not that they aren't nice and still give great answers! I think that recognition of good freebie contributors is a terrific idea. THese folks give away vast amounts of hard work. Obviously money isn't their motivation, their stuff is FREE! If I see something great, I try to comment or drop them a post saying thanks. Making that more public would be nice. As for TOS violations. I have to agree that TOS must be enforced, and while the Mods' stnace is that the TOS is even;y enforced, equality is not the perception. It is often more important to appear fair than to be fair. In a venue like this, image is everything. Thanks for asking!

I dont mind off topic stuff in the forums as long as it is marked as off topic. I don't have unlimited time to read every little post on the forums. Posters, be more vigilant with the nudity tag. its not about you being offended, its about me getting reprimanded or fired for trying to learn something during my breaks. If you feel confident in your persuasion abilities, I welcome you to come down here to the "Bible belt" and explain to these conservatives how we shouldn't hided nudity. I doubt youll change any minds. Market place: We need a category for M2. Currently we have a Michael category that has everything and a M3 category. Which seems backwards to me because M3 has the ability to use some of the M2 stuff, but M2 cannot use M3 stuff. This probably helps perpetuate the M2 vs M3 discussions because you can either look at M3 stuff or you can sort thru all the M3 stuff till you find some M2 stuff. Same goes for V2.

A better search engine for the forum would be great. I try to find the answers to my questions that way but I find that I get a million useless links for the one good one I get. I like this forum. The people are friendly (I asked a question in 3ds yesterday and it's not even been acknowledged that I asked). I love the posts. There are a lot of good ones but the good joking humor of everyone here is wonderful. Kristta (I will be posting my first poser work sometime this week if I can get the poor dogs eyeballs to show up!)

Yeah WIP's here would be nice. Not blatant promotion WIP's like "which of these 4 colours of nailpolish is best on my brand new V3 character that will be for sale next week", but genuine ones. As it is now, you're sometimes afraid to ask questions about something with a new model that is acting up, IF that model is intended for sale. Also Off Topic subjects. They're here to some degree anyway, and I think that the ones that are too polemic will be shut down, not because they're off topic, but because they'll become off limits. People naturally go where here are the biggest chance of being read. And at Renderosity, that's here, in the Poser forum. OT threads should be flagged though, so that people who wouldn't like anything but Poser related posts could skip them. Just as people usualy post a [OT] in their subject even now :o) Butch mentioned a "religious" flag. I'd like that. I do NOT want to see religious pictures (and I'm NOT kidding). I LIKE this forum-software. I LIKE that Rosity is not just another PHP-clone. But yes, PLEASE do something to the search engine. Make boolean seaches possible. A Free Stuff provider of the month could be a cool idea, possibly with an interview of said person, it's always fun to read about some of the people you feel you know. I'm not sure how a "FSPOM" should be elected though. The things that are downloaded most seems to be Vickie textures, yet there are many other interesting things around. If it was only by the number of downloads, texturemakers and clothes makers would be all we ever read about. How about that silly goose that uploaded a doggie poop? ;o) Anonymous entries (and possibly votes) in contests too, please. Would make it way more fair for everyone. The current batch of moderators/coordinators does a great job. Well done guys and gals!

This place is filled with good people with lots of knowledge they are willing to share. That has made my projects possible. And I am very greatful for this forum.

I would like to see a better search engine.

I also think the header is far to big.

Maybe freebee department could be divided into something like: Humans, Animals, Props
or: Models, Textures, Morphs

OT posts are ok for me. It is kind of nice when someone share special happenings or thoughts.

I also think the header is far to big. L Have you ever been to the Max forum? Then you can talk about a HUGE header...

Absolutely no OT Forum. Some OT sutff in the poser forum (to post announcements of family happenings like a new baby, or a lost job or a death in the family etc.) is ok with me, but no religion and politics etc. like the last OT Forum. I hated the flaming there by people who totally didn't know about what they were talking and just came there for the trolling. Please let it stay an art community. I like the Poser artist of the month idea. I like the freestuff provider of the month idea. I have no problem at all with the nudity in the galleries or in the forum, but I do dislike the violence thumbs in the store (witch on the stake, gaschambers, torture machinery etc.), but that is personal, so I just don't look. I would like the option to delete comments on images, instead of writing the mods to delete it for me. I would like a header like the Bryce forum with a link to the Poser challenge, Poser top 20, Poser tutorials and freestuff, instead of the links to the Productforum, Poser patches, Dazstudio and copyrights forum. What I really like in the Bryce Forum are the posts with mini tutorials. Like this week somebody found water brushes and showed in a post how he made an image using the brushes in postwork and gave the link where to download them. I never thought of that! But overall I am very satisfied with the forum as it is!

I, too, would like to see a better search engine. Trying to find stuff in the forums is hopeless using the current search engine.

Do you want to post off topic in here and if so why?
Why do you think that is a good idea?
Would you prefer there to be an off topic type forum instead?

Either way would work for me. Either allow OT posts here, properly flagged, or have an OT forum. Not allowing OT posts at all will never work, IMO. We're human beings, not robots. We have interests and lives apart from Poser, and we need to share them.

What is so terrible about following the tos when posting that leads some people to complain about it?

IMO, the complaints are due to the TOS being inconsistently enforced, leading to the perception of favoritism. Some people get warned or banned for minor offenses, while others get away with murder. It's the perceived unfairness that's infuriating, not the TOS.

What do you like about the forum/community page/Poser galleries/Poser Freestuff here?
What don't you like?

What I like is the cleanness of the Rosity site. That's been a bit eroded lately, with Flash ads and the cluttered look of the MP, but it's still much better than most sites. (The people at 3DCommune are wonderful, but their store really sucks. Java windows for every product. Arggghhh. It's like they're trying to keep you from spending money there.)

What would you prefer we did differently?

Go back to having all your past purchases on one page. It's a real PITA to have to search a dozen pages to see if you've bought an item, instead of just one.

I'd also like to see more than one upload to the gallery allowed per day. I understand there must be limits, but I'd prefer, say, 12 a month to one a day.

How could we make the Poser forum a place where you would feel happier to be?

Loosen up on the reins a little. As others have pointed out, when you try to stifle expression, it always comes out in some other way. Perhaps an OT forum would be the best way to go - one in which only a few holds are barred. Key, I think, would be a very good, very experienced moderator, and an upfront warning that anyone who is easily offended should stay out.

I'm sure that someone has already said this somewhere, but I'd really, really like to see some enforcement of the nudity warnings in the gallery. I'm all for artistic license but there have been a few lately that,well, let me put it this way: If I'm browsing the thumbnails and I see one that is nothing more than a set of male genetalia, I quit looking at the gallery and go do something else. I don't think it would be too much to ask that the artists ensure that they do the simple task of clicking the warning boxes when they upload their art. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I have spoken to several others who view Renderosity's galleries as the best that digital art has to offer and they feel the same way. Just my input, nothing more.

Some OT (birth announcements, etc.) here is fine, but give politics/religion it's own forum. I like the Poser AOM idea, but I'd like (no offense to any of the incredibly talented atrists who've made the Hot 20, as I can only dream of having your talent) to see a focus on artists who DON'T make it to the Hot 20 on a regular basis. It'd give people a chance to view the work of people who have more potential than experience. The FreeStuff provider idea is great - they're way under-appreciated. Anonymous contest entries would be a good idea, too.

Well, I like the software. It's not the same old stuff everywhere else, and it's easy to read. I don't like the censorship, but since this is a "family friendly" site, that isn't going to change. And freedom of speech isn't why I come here anyway. The mods seem to be learning, and aren't quite so quick on the draw. Assume an honest mistake, rather than some the worst case. It would be nice if freestuff contributers were honored in some way in the forums. The big freestuff contributers keep giving, and get very d*mn little in return from the 'sity. Their freestuff links should be more appreciated. After all, freestuff is why a lot of people come to the 'sity. I agree that sometimes an item in progress needs some input. The item may or may not be a for sale item. Sometimes the vendor doesn't know when they're doing it. If we post it in the Poser Forum, it gets moved to Product Showcase where it doesn't get as much play. Set the default on the boxes to the most stringent: IE nudity and violence. Let people change them to make them non-nude and non-violent. That way someone doesn't get in trouble because they forgot to set a box. It seems an easier way to deal with the pervs and pruds. ...I like that... "pervs and prudes"... (grin). I think I just offended 90% of the members (bigger grin). OT should come back, and be limited to chatty news items. Sometimes you want to hear news about your online friends. Controversial issues should be allowed in a more open, less controlled forum with a good level-headed mod. Sometimes people want to discuss the issues of the day. Sometimes feelings will be hurt. It's a fact of life. If there isn't a place for this, people will bastardize another forum and use it there. The new forum would be limited to adults. You know, what we're all supposed to be.

I haven't been here long enough to get involved in the politics, so I can't comment on "uneven TOS enforcement," "who did what to whom," or any of that stuff. What I have seen is a knowledgable group of people helping each other out, sharing work and ideas. And -- guess what! -- that's what I look for in a Forum!! Yeah, a good search engine would be nice, but often when I'm looking for an answer to Question A, I find an answer to Question C (which I had a week ago, but forgot) and I get ideas for Projects 1,3, and 7. Interface? You wanna talk interface? Join a Web Design forum! This works, why fiddle with it? Enough. Thanks to the moderators and coordinators who make this possible. I know how much money you guys make off this gig: it's exactly what I get paid as a volunteer fireman.

A couple more thoughts: How about an OT flag, operates just like a Nudity flag. If you implemented that, then folks could update their profile to ignore OT, much like they can have their browser not display Nudity. (Same could go for Religious). Also, rather than an OT forum which invariably turns into a catfight ring, leave OT here (as mentioned above), but also put in a forum like at 3D Arena or Poser Pros where controversial posts, comments or questions are expected to be put in order to spark debate. You don't like debate, don't go there. You've been warned. Thanks, Oh, and I agree that the current moderation of the forum has been good of late.

one single thing that I would like to see: a FAQ database, like a directory (like the "yellow pages" in a phone book) for the forum.. ..with categories and links to tutorial threads already in this forum. It will be tough work to sort through all the posts in this forum. It could be even better than an improved search function, and new people can easily look for answers there. And highlight it at the top of the forum for those who cant see "FAQ" links that well, heheh ;) Nothing else I'd want changed. I love it here, but that's just my humble lil opinion :) Thanks, Dru

I don't mind the n*dity tag, because, like some others out there, we stop by on breaks and our lunch hour to see what's up. Now the subjects per se don't bother me, but I'm traveling here on someone else's nickel, so if they have a policy against it, I have to honor it.
I miss the OT forum..the more intelligent responses, and the information you might not ordinarily see. The descent into name-calling I could do without..;)
My concerns on the freestuff is more general; use the Requirments field to let folks know it's only for a specific model, or needs some other doodad to work..;) One thing that would help me is a readme that actually tells you where specific file go in the download (some folks do this, and thank you for it..;) If the search engine could handle wild cards, that would be a plus..
another thing that I'd ask folks is to be nice to yourself..;) there are no 'stupid, idiot, dumb, foolish' questions, (unless you're asking for warez..and then you're on your own..;) because most folks here have been there before (naysay and I are still there..;)

How about we leave this place alone and change the bad attitudes. Try to cater to the masses and you'll please none.

In a community, people talk about MANY topics, not just one... The "OT Forum" concept didn't really work very well here, you know? The OT Forum became a place where people went to argue about stuff, and while I have no problem with people arguing about whatever they wish, it wasn't really a place where the general community went to look for or participate in conversations like, "Guess what, I got a new puppy!" or "My wife gave birth to our child last night, here's a picture!" or whatever. Actually, there was quite a bit of "Guess what, I got a new puppy!" or "My wife gave birth to our child last night, here's a picture!" there. Also jokes were traded, silly news links, all kinds of stuff. OT and VT were also good places for different types of artists to get together. Some were Poser, some were 2D, etc. IMO, the complaints are due to the TOS being inconsistently enforced, leading to the perception of favoritism. Some people get warned or banned for minor offenses, while others get away with murder. It's the perceived unfairness that's infuriating, not the TOS. Bingo! And, like it or not, in a real life environment people are going to disagree and argue about some things. The more that interaction is censored, the further from reality you're going to get.

the forum is ok as it is... just pleeeeease dont make it beige... shudder hehe ;)

Oh but Simderz...They need to know exactely HOW your view in the forum will be. Heaven forbid you prefer a black background. Black is bad for business, remember ;o) Actually, I am getting accustomed to how the MP looks. I still won't exactely say I LIKE it, but with the other things improved, I can live with the colour. But I agre, PLEASE don't touch the custom colours in the forum.

1. Better search engine facility (that goes for the whole site, not just the forums.) 2. OT in a separate forum of some description ("Community News and Views"??) Sorry, but I don't have much time to browse and I like things categorised so I can scan thro' relevant sections easily. Let's face it, some people enjoy being controversial/obnoxious and are going to do that wherever the OT stuff is put. 3. I agree with MadYuri: "The forum software is fine as it is. (I hate those phpbb boards.)"

Boolean search terms. Everywhere -- to search for a member, for a post, for a store item. Wild card control -- as in the Google model, where 'ca' will pick up 'california,' 'cat,' and 'incandescent'; but '"ca"' (with the quotation marks) will pick up only 'ca.' I can not remember the number of times I have tried to search for, say, 'PT' clothing and got 'pteranadon' and 'inept' and 'pup tent' instead. Also, I spend about half my time in forums where threads "bump" with the most recent activity, moving to the top. I prefer this, personally. It saves having to page through several pages then guess whether something new was added. Others may disagree.

Thank you Sho for recognizing the fact that things are getting a little cold around here lately. I appreciate the attempt to find a solution to this situation. I hope all will respect each other and recognize that R'sity is trying to reach out to us in this thread. 1)Do you want to post off topic in here and if so why? No, return the OT Forum so people can visit it if they want on their own. 2) Why do you think that is a good idea? It's good to have someplace to share non-poser related communications with ither members. 3) Would you prefer there to be an off topic type forum instead? Yes, as stated above! 4) What is so terrible about following the tos when posting that leads some people to complain about it? Nothing or else chaos would ensue, "Dogs and cats living together in sin...." The impression, real or not, is that some believe the TOS is not enforced equally. I have myself felt that way several times, PM'd a moderator, and the problem was generally resolved. Some people just think they are always right. We all need to realize that whether we like it or not sometimes we are wrong and should just accept it. We are all human beings, with feelings and emotions and should respect each other. 5) What do you like about the forum/community page/Poser galleries/Poser Freestuff here? Pretty happy with most of it. Still trying to get used to the new Marketplace. 6) What don't you like? Thumbnails for merchant's products. Not all of us are compression genious' and really think that 25KB would be a better thumbnail size for buyers to view products. First impressions are important and a compressed thumbnail of poor quality can kill a merchant's sales for impulse buyers. 7) What would you prefer we did differently? Accept that we make mistakes as well, most of them are honest and without malice. A polite correction PM like what I received when I inadvertantly violated the TOS, really meant a lot to me. Some people claim they have been warned with expulsion on their first screw up, I don't know if that has ever happened, personally I have never felt threatened by any moderator or co-ordinator here. You and JeffH have been extremely patient and fair with me. 8)How could we make the Poser forum a place where you would feel happier to be? Be a little more flexible and understanding maybe, "Anyone who just complains, with no other point than to complain and with no constructive suggestions on how to do things better will be ignored.", is what we call a Heat-Seeking-Missle in Management. There are better ways to make this statement, "Please make your comments constructive, respectful, and based upon facts you have personal experience with so that we may address them accordingly.", would have been a less antagonistic way to state that and would not alert most people's defense mechanisms. If you start off a conversation with a negative, then the conversation becomes an argument immediately. Start things with a positive statement then address the problems, accept input, and wrap up the discussion with a projected plan of action. 9) Would you like to see things like a featured freestuff provider of the month? Yeah, that's OK but not a big deal to me. I spend about $5.00 a day for bandwidth of my Free Stuff downloads and I can't afford to post as much Free Stuff as I'd like to. 10) Would you like to have a featured artist of the Month that you all vote for? Not site wide, just Poser based. That would be a neat idea. Recognition always is always good for the ego, and sales! Maybe, a featured New Artist to recognize new talent that may not be selling a lot of products but shows the talent and drive to possibly become a popular merchant? 11) Or to have interviews with Poser challenge winners so you can get to know people a little better? That's not a bad idea either. Stroke the ego, stroke the ego. Recognition of people as human beings, not just names on a board is always good and reminds us that we are all just people going broke trying to support our latest Poser Addiction...err Hobby.

Definitely rip out this creaky old steam powered forum software and put in something newer, faster and more in keeping with current software standards. I would like to see OT rules relaxed (note, I didn't say "scrapped") around here. I think it's a good idea because we are a community of sorts, and forums which stick entirely to topic tend to be dull as ditchwater. Conversations don't generally stick to one topic, and often what we have here can be thought of as conversation - or discussion and debate. I wouldn't visit the OT forum for the simple reason that I can't be arsed to open yet another window and flick back and forth. I often have the Merchant's and the Copyright forums open, as well as the Marketplace, Galleries, my email, maybe DAZ, 3D.sk, or Poser Pros and squished in there somewhere is Poser. I could use another open window like a hole in the head. Besides which, I'm a Poser person, and I like my OT to be Poser flavoured. TOS wise, I have no problem so long as it's evenly and fairly applied. Sometimes it isn't (I honestly can't think of a specific example right now), which gets my dander up, but generally, I have been a defender of the TOS. Not because I think it's particularly great or wonderful, or that it makes me feel good, just simply on the basis of "This is our house and if you stay here, you abide by these rules". I'll leave the debates about censorship et al to others. Interviews with other artists is a great idea. I'm all for that.

You should let members post off-topic personal stuff (health, babies, dogs, cats, jobs) about themselves. That's what members really want - a personal touch, a way to connect with each other. Members want to feel like they belong to a community, connected by sharing personal experiences. However, there's a difference between sharing personal experiences, and airing prejudice, hysteria and intolerance. So you should not allow politics, religion, war or other contentious topics here, because some have proved, time and again, that they can't discuss those in an inoffensive manner. Rather than force admins to read through yet more rants (whether they be anti-this, anti-that, anti-whatever) to constantly check for TOS violations, just prohibit that. There are already plenty of newsgroups and yahoo groups for that kind of irresponsible behavior; no purpose for it here.

I would like to have small icons by the post to indicate what it is. An icon indicating question, tutorial, sample work, poser philosphy, ot, and etc.... and perhaps this could be filterd.

1. So, fire away, what is it that you guys want? How about a few handy FAQs like a myth buster faq that explains and dispells myths about poser. Perhaps a top 10 most frequently asked Poser question faq. I liked the idea of icons next to a post that can be searched or filtered on that can be marked as a tutorial, discussion, etc.. 2) Do you want to post off topic in here and if so why? NO! This is a technical forum about poser. Have another forum for OT. There are bizillions of forums about every possible subject. No need to air dirty laundry here. 3) Would you prefer there to be an off topic type forum instead? If you need one then yes. 4) What is so terrible about following the tos when posting that leads some people to complain about it? Well a TOS may not be 100% descriptive. Also, even though a TOS is outlined, people may interpret it differently or think some of the guidelines are a bit silly. But this is your private property so you can do with it as you like. 5)What do you like about the forum/community page/Poser galleries/Poser Freestuff here? The fact that its here. Its very useful. Great resource. 6) How could we make the Poser forum a place where you would feel happier to be? Why? Is this an issue? I thought this was a forum about Poser issues not a place to make people ahppy. If people need to come here to make themselves happy then that's a problem you certainly aren't going to solve. 7) Would you like to see things like a featured freestuff provider of the month? That would be kind of cool. 8) Would you like to have a featured artist of the Month that you all vote for? If you want. I don't look at the galleries myself since my artowrk far surpasses everyone's here. :)

Message edited on: 06/15/2004 15:04

Well I would like more updated FAQ'S too! I have been searching forever on how to get P5 to change background colors, and I couldn't find it in the FAQ's :( And I know I have seen it posted here!

I agree with shogakusha on 2 points he made. 1. - You're making a move in the right direction by asking the question. 2. - An OT flag would solve a lot of the problems Let's face it. This forum has become a pretty grim place to be lately. It's like a birthday party where someone died and they left the body in a corner. Ever since the last 'crackdown', people seem to be scared to broach any subject that doesn't directly concern poser. Well, that sucks, IMO. I like to come here and I'll help whoever I can, but in the last 2 months, I've been coming less and less. It just ain't much fun any more. 'Do you want to post off topic in here and if so why?' Yes. This is a community and people who are part of a community may share a common interest, but they also talk about other things. If there's a new virus out there, I want to know about it, and this is (was) a good place to find out. Similarly, if someone is ill/happy/fired from work, I may or may not want to know. But at least give me the option of looking. As far as religion, politics, and general lunacy go.... forget it. Keep 'em for the late-night drink and argument sessions. Just add an OT flag and state clearly that NO controversial subjects or outright attacks will be tolerated Would you prefer there to be an off topic type forum instead? No. It just becomes a stamping ground for nutters and idiots. And no one goes anyway, except the real diehard flamers and looneys. I like the Freestuff poster-of-the-month idea. A bit of long-overdue recognition for these people wouldn't go amiss. mac

First let me say I like things as they are for the most part. 1) Offtopic posts - not here please, make a separate forum. I know I may be in a minority but I'm comming to this forum to find out about Poser, not that someone won the lottery or whatever. I also come to this forum to get away from all the other stuff that goes on in life, I don't really need to see existential debates, etc. here - unless they relate to whether the dork has an immortal soul or not, and even that's questionable. 2) Better search capabilities - and that's site wide. It's hell trying to find stuff in the free stuff category due to the lack of categorization information. 3) Sticky links at the top of the page to important poser related areas/sites/tutorials. How many times do we have to repost links to Dr. Geep's tutorials in our posts? It would be better for all if we kept some basic stuff at the top level that we could refer people to. Relatedly a link to a community updatable, categorized, well commented table of all the known Poser related sites (with links) would be fantastic and a real site draw I'd imagine. I'm 50/50 on whether the message post flow should be different. Changing it to place the most recently created/responded to threads at the top would be nice, but I'm afraid that this would also tend to demphasize some of the smaller one or two post topics that people need to sort out specific problems they have which is one of the real benefits of this forum. Smaller posts would drop off the front page real quick at the hands of this weeks hullabaloo about whatever's going on at DAZ or how someone didn't use a warning tag correctly. Unzipped

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?Form.ShowMessage=1676872

@ pokeydots: see the link for P5 background colour solution ;-) ======== Big questions. Lots of answers. And a very small chance of everyone agreeing ;-) What I enjoy about this forum is that I generally get a qick response if I need help, that people are usually open, helpful and honest - on the rare ocassions I've posted a WiP here, the comments have been much more helpful and forthcoming than in the gallery. I would like a relaxation of the OT rules. I have noticed that recently this seems to have kind of "naturally" relaxed, and threads haven't been disappeared as they were being. Actually, the moderation recently has been good, with very little to vex me. What does frustrate me is the crappy search facility. I'd definitely second a move to phpBB or similar. A featured freestuff provider (or item) would definitely get my vote. Recognition encourages more sharing :) And interviews would be good too. An excellent chance to get to know the people behind the screen name. Thanks for asking these questions. I understand that you can't always implement all the things we want (forum software upgrade, for example, would involve a site-wide change) but it's always nice to be asked :)

Thanks Karen!

OT - Fine with me. I do think it should be flaged, for those that don't want to read them. WIP - Again, fine with me, as long as it's not just an advert for a market product. I don't have a clue as to how to mod that though. A better search engine is a must. AOM - YOU already have that. It's called the Poser Hot20. The big question would be, how do you choose the artist? I have seen some better stuff by unknowns, who don't get votes or comments or hit's, NOT to take anything away from the main Hot20 artists. I just don't see a need for another popularity contest. Which brings up my last comment. "Anonymous entries on all the contests," including the Poser Challenge. It's to bad that we can figure out who is going to win before it's anounced, most of the time. Rosity has not had a contest that a lot of us can enter, due to the members voting system. Maybe a random member pick to judge said contest might be an idea to make it fair.

A BETTR SEARCH FACILITY!
Search by author. Search by title. Search by contents. Search with logical operators "and", "or".

Message edited on: 06/15/2004 15:55

galery search engine: limit a search within one software or one category for example search the word (words preferably) only in POSER or only in FANTASY or only in POSER and sub categorye Fantasy for example

OT doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't take that long to dip in, skim the first couple of posts and decide you're not interested.

I would certainly like to see the use of forum software that keeps live threads at the top. Sometimes you can go back 5 pages and find a thread still very much alive and kicking, that most people probably haven't read for days.

IMO Free Stuff is the area that really needs a makeover though. OK it doesn't generate revenue directly, but I'll bet it's what brings most people here in the first place, who then go on to buy stuff in the MP. People should be able to rank and leave comments on free stuff, as they do gallery images, and the ability to order search results by those rankings should be added. Try thinking that most newbies come here in search of freebies, as I did, referred from the CL or e-on sites and have a look at the FS area as most people's first experience of this site... get the idea?

John

Oh, yeah, and better search facilties.

John

I have no issues with the search engine we have right now; it seems to handle my needs pretty well. But clearly it's something other folks want addressed, so maybe it's time for it to get a little spruce-up. OT posts? No. Emphatically. This is a Poser forum that receives scores of new posts every day. If one really wants to share news about one's new job or one's new baby, there should be (and probably is already) a community forum for such things. This is about Poser, remember? I realize income drives this site, but can we do something about the constant barrage of banner ads? (The supposedly-WIP "oh look at my new character up for sale next week" posts vaguely skirt the issue, but we could definitely use a tighter hand on those, guys.) I've watched as this place has gone from a community to roughly the equivalent of WalMart, and it's not pretty, okay? I know where the store is -- you make that clear on the home page -- and if I want to buy something, I'll go there. But when I'm here, it's to find information. If that makes the forum seem cold, well, so be it. There's probably a "general community" forum around here somewhere -- and if not, perhaps it's time to start one.

I would like an off-topic forum back. For the short time I was able to visit the old OT forum, the ability to get to know the people behind the name tags was a welcome change to the one-dimensional quality of a regular Poser forum. It was wonderful to discover other people who enjoyed Poser also felt the same way I felt about topics. It was even more wonderful to find a thread I didn't agree with, yet made me think - really think - about the topic being discussed. And it was also wonderful to laugh out loud at some of the things written. Sometimes because the messages were funny, sometimes because the messages were absurd. But whatever the reason, the OT forum was the area on this site that brought me closer to the people who enjoyed the same hobby I enjoyed... and that's what made this place a community.

It seems to me like people automatically think OT = politics and flamewars. I am not afraid that the Poser forum woud de-evolve into a mudpit just because we allowed something like "Beware of this new virus" or "have you all seen my cute new kitty". Politics are so utterly boring and most of the people who come to the Poser forum comes because they basically want to discuss POSER, not POLITICS. If a stray "see my new dog" is posted it is easy to skip it if you detest dogs. We're supposed to be adults here. If we keep that in mind, ALSO when someone posts something we do not agree with, this place will be even more alive, and we'll get the community feeling back, as we learn to know each other :o) Just PLEASE do not change this to PHPBB!!!!!

It seems to me like people automatically think OT = politics and flamewars. I am not afraid that the Poser forum woud de-evolve into a mudpit just because we allowed something like "Beware of this new virus" or "have you all seen my cute new kitty".

The problem with banning "controversial" posts is how you decide what's controversial and what's not. Remember when Bungle1 posted an image of his George Bush M3 character? That thread turned political pretty fast. Ditto the thread about that crucifixion pic in the gallery, which was originally posted only because someone liked it and wanted other people to see it.

How about allowing short personal OT posts here, but asking people to take long or controversial threads to an OT forum? I loved the OT forum, to tell you the truth. Spent more time there than here. Discussion was sometimes heated, but there generally weren't actual flamewars. I could see how some would think there were, if they didn't know the principles; some of the regs had a habit of posting satirical rants that might be taken for serious. Really, I hung out there for quite a while, it things went smoothly with no moderation that I ever noticed. It was only a short period where things got a bit rocky. (Due mainly to the appearance of a particularly...um...controversial poster. Let's just say he later managed to get himself banned from PoserPros' Chicken Coop in about a week.)

Anyway, eliminating the OT forum struck me as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. After all, we "real diehard flamers and looneys" have to hang out somewhere. ;-)