Can I ask that you throw in a comment on the posting guidelines requesting that people observe the rules of spelling/grammar/punctuation in their posts? I know it's a basic courtesy thing and we expect it of people without really thinking about it, but a lot of newbies don't understand that it's a respect thing as much as a "please don't make my eyeballs bleed" thing (and if it's important enough to post to a comm, it's important enough to take an extra 2 minutes and proof-read so that the rest of us will know what you *really* mean).
Couple of other thoughts. First is relating to canon research - I've noticed lately that we've been getting a lot of "I'm new to the fandom, reading X/Y/Z or haven't read anything yet, what should I know/what does this piece of canon have to do with that?" Nothing wrong with research, but could we maybe set up either designated posts for asking about canon issues on the various sub-universes (616, Marvel Adventures, etc), or have a sidebar/profile link to something like Elspeth's Ship Manifesto? I think both the comm and the newer fans would benefit from something like that, b/c it would both make the information more visibly available and also keep older comm members from getting frustrated when the same questions get asked again and again.
Related to that, you might want to think about adjusting the comment on OT posts to emphasize that people should take a minute and think about if it'll be interesting to *other people* as well, before posting it to the masses. Also, a note about posting links to locked posts being frowned up (b/c some of the scans groups are members-only, and especially *with* the high level of newbies, who don't know the comics community well enough to belong to some of the scan communities (not to mention the movie-fans who have no interest in doing so). People tend get frustrated and bitchy when something looks really cool and then they can't get to it, and that can lead to a breakdown in civility )
I probably come across as an organization freak with some of the above, but there's an unfortunate element of reality in the need for clear and visible rules. Our comm has boomed in the last 6 months, and handling a 400-person comm is much different than handling a comm of less than 100 - the posting volume can be higher, and everyone no longer knows everyone. While laid back is good, sometimes having clearly outlined rules/policies in place helps to head off trouble before it starts. It also makes addressing problems which arise easier on the mods, b/c policies *are* in place, and everyone is expected to have read them before posting.
Also, I wanted to thank you for stepping in and picking up the slack as an extra mod - especially with the community growing so fast, *not* having a mod has started to become a potentially serious issue. I think a lot of people will be breathing a sigh of relief to have someone in a position where they *can* step in and delete or diffuse if need be.
no subject
Couple of other thoughts. First is relating to canon research - I've noticed lately that we've been getting a lot of "I'm new to the fandom, reading X/Y/Z or haven't read anything yet, what should I know/what does this piece of canon have to do with that?" Nothing wrong with research, but could we maybe set up either designated posts for asking about canon issues on the various sub-universes (616, Marvel Adventures, etc), or have a sidebar/profile link to something like Elspeth's Ship Manifesto? I think both the comm and the newer fans would benefit from something like that, b/c it would both make the information more visibly available and also keep older comm members from getting frustrated when the same questions get asked again and again.
Related to that, you might want to think about adjusting the comment on OT posts to emphasize that people should take a minute and think about if it'll be interesting to *other people* as well, before posting it to the masses. Also, a note about posting links to locked posts being frowned up (b/c some of the scans groups are members-only, and especially *with* the high level of newbies, who don't know the comics community well enough to belong to some of the scan communities (not to mention the movie-fans who have no interest in doing so). People tend get frustrated and bitchy when something looks really cool and then they can't get to it, and that can lead to a breakdown in civility )
I probably come across as an organization freak with some of the above, but there's an unfortunate element of reality in the need for clear and visible rules. Our comm has boomed in the last 6 months, and handling a 400-person comm is much different than handling a comm of less than 100 - the posting volume can be higher, and everyone no longer knows everyone. While laid back is good, sometimes having clearly outlined rules/policies in place helps to head off trouble before it starts. It also makes addressing problems which arise easier on the mods, b/c policies *are* in place, and everyone is expected to have read them before posting.
Also, I wanted to thank you for stepping in and picking up the slack as an extra mod - especially with the community growing so fast, *not* having a mod has started to become a potentially serious issue. I think a lot of people will be breathing a sigh of relief to have someone in a position where they *can* step in and delete or diffuse if need be.