iSoaker.net :: Soaking the world!

by **isoaker** on Thu Nov 04, 2004 10:21 am

Soakerdom is ailing. Some would like to pass some of the blame on the lower amounts of quality of soakers available in the market, but that should only be a point of complaint from members, but not between members.

Fact is, the problems facing Soakerdom have driven many away since they've felt online soaking has just lost its focus. RAK is the most recent one to vocally announce his discontent with the nature of things, but others like MaXStaR and Budgie have been notably absent these days. At least from MaXStaR, I know his choice to be away is not that he's moved on, per se, but rather his current view that there isn't much to return for at present.

This brings about this thread. I'd like to hear members' thoughts on what can be done. As this is just a small forum in the community, I feel I have much more flexibility on what can be done in it, but am hoping not to have to go certain routes. Basically, I like having an open board, but I'd rather promote positive community growth as opposed to having to cater to everyone. I'm looking for suggestions on how to reduce friction between members, but if it comes down to it, I may just end up restricting who can join and/or remain here based on how I feel they are interacting with the rest of this local community. I'd rather have an open board for all to discuss their thoughts and opinions in a sensible, mature manner. However, if this cannot be achieved here, I'll live with at least a functional, albeit more select, group of individuals who know how to get along.

For now, I'm open to thoughts on the above.

:soakon2:

by **Soakologist** on Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:16 pm

Ever since you started pushing this whole "Community Development" deal at AQT, things have gone downhill.

I say to Hell with it. Take off the links section and this portion of your forums. Just keep the iScF and the Content up. Links just add tension.

I know I might sound backwards, but I'm judging by results.

by **isoaker** on Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:42 pm

Uh... 'Community Development' would never have been brought up the way it was if some problems had never arisen on the boards in the first place. Prior to the introduction of politics and 'anti-othersite' envy, things at Aquatica worked well and we were busy with developments like trying to set up Newsletters and wondering how to increase the community population through joint advertising on all sites involved. Members had preferences on which sites they liked visiting and while there was competition between sites, it was a healthier one, IMO, with sites pushing other sites to try to be their best.

If links add tension, that would spell the end of the Internet. Sites should be promoted, not hidden, of course assuming the content in a site is worth promoting.

At any rate, I prefer building, but I'd like to see if others may have some ideas on how to manage some of the problems facing the community's growth. Your ideas are different and acknowledged, but not quite along the lines of how I wish to do things here.

:cool:

by **Soakologist** on Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:26 pm

If you already know how you "wish to do things here," why are you asking us?

Please don't interpret this as a hostile rhetorical question, because I'm honestly asking.

by **isoaker** on Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:08 pm

Soakologist wrote:If you already know how you "wish to do things here," why are you asking us?

Please don't interpret this as a hostile rhetorical question, because I'm honestly asking.

While having specific overall thoughts in mind, I am open to suggestions, but won't just do anything suggested nor do anything that is counter to the general direction I wish to take things. While wanting to go from "A" to "B", I have no fixed-in-stone line, per se, but I don't want to do anything I consider counter-productive or perhaps too tangential to getting to my goals. Hence, I can ask for suggestions and be able to choose which ones I feel better fit though the suggestion, itself, may be something I hadn't considered. Hope that makes sense.

In this case, I want to make a harmonious community. The question is how can this be achieved while still trying to accomodate as many members/sites/beliefs/etc as possible? Removing links to other forums and/or other sites just doesn't fit with my desired goal. If there ends up being no easy solution, I may have to alter my goal, but want to see if there are options or ideas on how to do things differently that I hadn't considered.

:cool:

by **isoaker** on Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:59 pm

Hmm.. after some consideration and some discussion with other members, I've decided to close this thread. I'm still open to suggestions since some may have some neat ideas, but figure the open forum may not be the best place to discuss them for a variety of reasons. For those who wish to discuss this issue further, please PM me here with your ideas.

Thanks!

:soakon2:

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