Helping restore Apolyton

[Grandpa Troll]

First, this is a positive thread

Please, lets consider a serious thread folks


How can we make Apolyton succeed and restore to its former Glory?

I offer these two suggestions from yours truly

1) I promise to try harder to no post inappropriate images

2) I promise to be a more positive and less negative or disruptive poster

What would we as posters do, to not only assist the site but attract new blood?

1) Dont DL Dance over a new name, welcome them

2) Share a smile and greeting, not so much hallmark but more helpful greeting


Just trying to keep us moving forward

I take ownership as one, lets all see what we can do in a positive manner, please, no bashing, ok?

Thanks in advance

Grandpa troll

[Asher]

The site's problem was chronic technical issues, hideous home page and news page designs, lack of news content, excessive forum fragmentation, and lack of vision.

The OTF is actually one of the only active parts of the site. A lot of people blame the DL dance (which AFAIK only is done in the OTF) and abrasive posters in the OTF for the decline, but that's demonstrably not true.

The behaviour of posters in the OTF doesn't impact the fact that the Civ4 forums are dead. People who want to Civ go to CivFanatics -- simple as that...

[Grandpa Troll]

The site's problem was chronic technical issues, hideous home page and news page designs, lack of news content, excessive forum fragmentation, and lack of vision.

The OTF is actually one of the only active parts of the site. A lot of people blame the DL dance (which AFAIK only is done in the OTF) and abrasive posters in the OTF for the decline, but that's demonstrably not true.

The behaviour of posters in the OTF doesn't impact the fact that the Civ4 forums are dead. People who want to Civ go to CivFanatics -- simple as that...

Ok, Im a manager over 46 people and 3 facilties at work.

Let me rephrase the OP:

Asher, say we decide, in a positive way, to channel our energies and turn all our efforts toward promoting Apolyton, how can we do it?

I am not asking you to do anything except help, please, lets work as a team.

thanks for considering, your a very intelligent person, was hoping to tap into that gift


If we could, forget about problems we have had, right now, what can we do.

Ok, Asher, perhaps continue to make helpful suggestion about Technical side which is making transitions in a positive manner.


How about the On Topic's?

Myself, i have been working on the Call To power area, keeping PBEM's alive, we have however been having problems with MP, something to do with Vista, as that was when the problems existed, not recognizing the games between two different PC's

Thanks for any help

Gramps

[Asher]

Ok, Im a manager over 46 people and 3 facilties at work.

Let me rephrase the OP:

Asher, say we decide, in a positive way, to channel our energies and turn all our efforts toward promoting Apolyton, how can we do it?

Rephrase "how can we do it" to "why would we do it?".

There's a reason why this site isn't growing, and it has nothing to do with lack of exposure.

[Velociryx]

IMO, it is as simple as doing the work.

When SMAC came out, there were TONS of people here, on 'poly, doing the work. Combing thru the game with a fine-toothed comb and pulling out insights.

Over time, as new games are released, we have witnessed the number of people here doing that sort of work decline.



-=Vel=-

[DanQ]

... lack of news content...

This is one of less than a handful of times I can ever recall seeing a comment to this effect in recent years. It is more than a fair one.

For the record on it, Apolyton was at least in my mind the undisputed Civ news leader for the ~5 1/2 years when I comprehensively covered such stories on-site almost solely on my own. Unfortunately I burned out on it and despite the efforts of many, that department has yet to recover.

(There was also a period when Markos and I were able to share that task, adding to the total time Poly had ongoing, well above average Civ-based news coverage.)

[Lancer]

@Vel...I think that's a symtom.

[Docfeelgood]

IMO, it is as simple as doing the work.

When SMAC came out, there were TONS of people here, on 'poly, doing the work. Combing thru the game with a fine-toothed comb and pulling out insights.

Over time, as new games are released, we have witnessed the number of people here doing that sort of work decline.



-=Vel=-

[Grandpa Troll]

Rephrase "how can we do it" to "why would we do it?".

There's a reason why this site isn't growing, and it has nothing to do with lack of exposure.

Ok, why should we restore Apolyton?

or try

Me, its been a family for me for over 9 years, i came here before my registration date shown, I want to help it, anyway i can

I have been a distraction in past but want to try to help.

Serious, i am asking folks to help contribute, if they would

i understand if you dont feel the desire, I am however asking people to participate in a positive way.

Kind of like on a raft in the ocean.

If you dont try, you wont make it

But if you do try, who knows where you could end up at?

Just a point to consider sir

[Lancer]

As I said in the thread of mine that just got deleted...

Poly does have going for it PolyCast. While the OT posters mostly like just the OT, quite a few people listen in that don't post here. I'm an exception. PolyCast is fun, more people should go on the show and listen in.

I said this to Asher, which would have been good.

[Asher]

The problem as I see it is this: the only valuable asset Apolyton has right now is its posters. And the posters are liquid. The posters can move to one site or another. Like the PlanetACOL folks went to FreeFireZone and then went to Counterglow. The site can be changed easily.

That's why the admin need to tread carefully in how they treat their posters. There's a bit of a dichotomy right now in if they want a moderation-light community as we have now or a nazi regime like they have at CFC. I don't know if you guys have been to CFC's Off-Topic, but it's awful. I fall asleep reading it... hope that doesn't happen here.

And I don't know what to make of the admin. I don't know what direction this site is heading in or what the policies are officially. And until we have something more firm on term of policy or direction, I don't see the point in trying to 'recruit'.

[Asher]

As I said in the thread of mine that just got deleted...

Poly does have going for it PolyCast. While the OT posters mostly like just the OT, quite a few people listen in that don't post here. I'm an exception. PolyCast is fun, more people should go on the show and listen in.

I said this to Asher, which would have been good.

The best idea Poly ever had was the OTCast. Which turned out to be an April Fools joke. The joke's on them.

[Velociryx]

@Vel...I think that's a symtom.

I am more inclined to see it as both symptom and cure. Agreed that new content would lead to more eyeballs here, but "doing the work" helps to *create* new content here that you can't get anywhere else, so the more folks here doing the work, the more it tends to draw still other folks here.

All it would take to see a resurgence would be something to jumpstart the engine, pull a handful of folks here who could/would really sink their teeth into some upcoming release and start pulling insights out of it. Then you'd see the folks at CFC linking HERE again, like they used to in the old days.

-=Vel=-

[Ming]

The best idea Poly ever had was the OTCast. Which turned out to be an April Fools joke. The joke's on them.

We had fun doing that one... I hope people liked it

[xmen510]

Not sure what I can personally do to help. I will provide a postitive attitude and hope that others do so as well. Manners and Courtesy go a lot further then some people may think!