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Grex > Coop > #278: Grex Town Hall -- How do we move forward? |  |
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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 357 responses total. |
kentn
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response 33 of 357:
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Jun 17 15:28 UTC 2010 |
There's modifying our current bbs and there's switching to something
else. Both should be considered, I think. In the short term we might
need to go with modifications to backtalk, but if we had someone with
the expertise to install and set up a new conferencing system, we'd have
a better chance of trying that out. Anyway, it sounds like something we
could experiment with, if only to see how it looks and operates, and how
much maintenance is involved.
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jgelinas
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response 34 of 357:
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Jun 17 19:56 UTC 2010 |
(NB: grex's users, not its staff, have objected to the editing of posts
and other 'improvements.')
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kentn
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response 35 of 357:
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Jun 17 21:43 UTC 2010 |
Users or members? And just objections or a member vote? How
many did not object?
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jgelinas
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response 36 of 357:
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Jun 19 18:10 UTC 2010 |
It was not a vote. There has been extensive discussion of the matter
over the years. Richard remembers "the staff" objecting, and I remember
just about everyone objecting.
No big deal. The question is, "What do people want to do _now_?"
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kentn
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response 37 of 357:
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Jun 19 21:06 UTC 2010 |
I have a feeling a lot of these improvements will not be as bad as some
people think, especially since we really don't have much participation
in the conferences and we're holding new users back with a validation
requirement (and probably chasing many away before they ever give Grex a
real try).
Something like editing responses could be implemented and tried out and
if it is a huge issue (which I doubt), it could be taken back out (or
turned off) later. It perhaps could be made optional in the user's
setup if they object to it so much. It says a lot about the Grex users
that they refuse to even try. This situation has chased more than one
user away.
If we decide to cater to a small group of vocal users who want to keep
things as they were in the past we potentially lose the opportunity to
gain new users looking for something other than a bbs from 20 years ago.
One option would be to present the old interface to those who want it
and a different interface to those who want something newer in terms of
features and appearance. I don't know how possible that is given our
current programming resources, but it's something to consider.
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mary
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response 38 of 357:
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Jun 20 02:21 UTC 2010 |
Or cyberspace communications could start a second (fresh) system for
conferencing. It would live in the cloud and not be encumbered by old
software and old rules. This version would remain and we could see how it
goes for both of them.
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slynne
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response 39 of 357:
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Jun 20 03:48 UTC 2010 |
resp:37 One thing I would ask for if responses are allowed to be edited
would be for the ability to use blockquote tags in order to quote things
I am responding to.
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lar
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response 40 of 357:
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Jun 20 04:45 UTC 2010 |
once this cirle jerk circus stops spinning then grex is dead. we have
the same people debating the same topic over and over. with no clear
winner.
I say offer some cool ass php games like facebook does. keep the shell
for those granfathered in and attact other users with the sort of games
facebook does.
80% of facebook revenue is either directly or indirectly connected to
games.
my first suggestion is "kill the neo-commies"
I can code it if you can support it.
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lar
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response 41 of 357:
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Jun 20 04:50 UTC 2010 |
This response has been erased.
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lar
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response 42 of 357:
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Jun 20 04:51 UTC 2010 |
This response has been erased.
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lar
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response 43 of 357:
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Jun 20 04:52 UTC 2010 |
level 1
outwit with the dull and slow faggot called richard
level 2
show slynne for the shallow thinker she is
level 3
make the neurotic sindi put you on her ignore list
level 4
make a jackass out of brooke
level 5
beat the one dimensional rcurl in a debate
level 6
make tod stop trolling for a second and get all serious and shit
level 7
fuck with bellstar
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lar
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response 44 of 357:
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Jun 20 04:57 UTC 2010 |
level 8
get the whole ann arbor circle jerk circus in an uproar
level 9
make marcvh do a google search
level 10
defend the hero cross against all comers
level 11
make nharmon address you personly
level 12
flame fatass steve and ugly glenda for never participating in a system
they desire to control
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lar
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response 45 of 357:
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Jun 20 04:58 UTC 2010 |
**BONUS LEVEL**
level 13
make the antigrex twinkie post in agora
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kentn
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response 46 of 357:
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Jun 20 15:47 UTC 2010 |
Re 38: If that would help Grex financially and in terms of its mission,
it'd be worth discussing. It sounds a lot like throwing in the towel on
the one community idea, though. Unfortunately, it may be the best way
to move Grex forward when significant change is required.
Re 39: That sounds reasonable to me. It would probably just be an
indent of the quoted text with a couple blank lines, but it would help a
lot to differentiate quote from response. A simple tag could indicate
start and end of the quote. Of course, once you add tags like that you
might as well just be running a more modern bbs which supports such
things, including editing.
Re 40: Debate is generally a good thing. But endless debate without
conclusion and not changing with changing times will kill Grex. Given
that a lot of people (as evidenced by Facebook) want to play games this
might be something we can do to gain users. For example, Grexburg!
We've always offered text-based games so it's not like games are
forbidden.
We still need to encourage communication and discussion as part of our
main mission. (It may be that some people who come here to play games
will become involved in other activities on on Grex.)
However, using a game to defame other users won't help Grex (legally or
otherwise) even if it is done humorously.
For those of you who are not members, but want Grex to do or not do
something, why are you not members? What would convince you to become a
member?
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marcvh
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response 47 of 357:
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Jun 20 15:55 UTC 2010 |
I don't have a strong view on things like games or editing responses,
although I can't really imagine us competing with Facebook in this area.
The reason I'm not a member is because I don't really see "lack of
money" as being one of Grex's main problems. Maybe I'm mistaken in that
belief, but there it is.
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jgelinas
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response 48 of 357:
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Jun 20 16:43 UTC 2010 |
And the financial aspect of membership is the least important.
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kentn
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response 49 of 357:
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Jun 20 18:39 UTC 2010 |
Right now, that may be true since we need members to help influence
policy and vote in board elections. But we didn't have enough members to
do that in the last election. We can't in good conscience continue to
avoid our by-laws in order to have elections. Yet, this does not seem to
be enough of a reason for people to become members.
And for those who see finance as the deciding reason not to become a
member, how small a bank balance is enough for you to become a member?
One point that should be obvious here is that we need members no matter
what our bank balance, so that's why it's important we know what will
increase our membership.
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jgelinas
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response 50 of 357:
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Jun 20 20:08 UTC 2010 |
Right; if we can't get members, then it becomes painfully obvious that
the membership can no longer support the corporation.
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richard
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response 51 of 357:
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Jun 20 23:04 UTC 2010 |
You've got to provide an organization that is worthy of buying
membership into and a product worth supporting. Right now Grex has
money but the board has shown an unwillingness, indeed a near total
apathy, towards the idea of investing those funds into a make or break
overhaul that would either work or not work.
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mary
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response 52 of 357:
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Jun 21 00:30 UTC 2010 |
The board is a group of people who have generously volunteered to help
(note the word "help") keep the system viable. They are working with not
a lot of money, almost no staff, and a group of users who are unwilling to
consider any change unless it meets their personal preference regardless
of the bigger picture. It's sad, really.
Go to your room, Richard, until you can come out and apologize to those
willing to be your pinata. Or get on the board yourself and show us how
it should be done.
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lar
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response 53 of 357:
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Jun 21 00:34 UTC 2010 |
*historic event*
I agree with mary
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jep
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response 54 of 357:
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Jun 21 01:48 UTC 2010 |
I don't know how much money Grex has now, but I quit being a member
because it had a big bankroll and nothing on which to spend money. The
only purpose for contributing money to Grex under those circumstances is
because you don't want to have it yourself. I think Grex still has
plenty of money for any conceivable need over quite a few years.
If it has a need for more money, I will send a check. Grex is valuable
to me, and I will support it as needed.
I haven't voted because I am not a member and so not eligible. I did
vote a half year ago when longtime users such as myself were invited to
do so.
As for a vision for the future, I like Grex now. I won't use it if it
becomes anything like Facebook, because I don't enjoy Facebook. And if
I did, I would spend time there.
I agree that Grex needs a stronger user base and isn't going to get one
by remaining as it is. I haven't thought of any changes to the user
interface or functionality which would bring more users in, while
retaining what I like about it now.
I think a lot of what has driven many people away has been the
willingness and ability of conversation snipers such as zulu and lar to
disrupt discussions. I think they will eventually drive me away, too,
which is why I think it's a reason why others have left. Grex has held
to it's choice to be "free speech", which really means to retain such as
those at the expense of others who would be more community minded.
People who won't tolerate that kind of stuff leave, and so the snipers
become more and more prominent. If that problem had been solved years
ago, I think Grex would be a lot more stable now, and a lot more
interesting. I don't know if it's too late and I don't think those
remaining want to change the Grex philosophy of doing business, anyway.
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keesan
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response 55 of 357:
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Jun 21 02:15 UTC 2010 |
I have one of these idiots on my ignore list, and generally choose to ignore
most comments by the other. Try doing the same.
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kentn
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response 56 of 357:
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Jun 21 02:43 UTC 2010 |
If we were to invest everything we have in a new system (which is what
it would take given some of the staff's suggestions), we'd be without
funds to operate.
It is also prudent to keep some money as back up in the event of a
shortfall in funds or an increase in expenses, thus not all of the money
we have is available for a new system. So we'll come up short if we
try to do that. It has been suggested to run a fund-raiser for a new
system, which I think is fine. But we need to to have a clear idea of
what we want to do with that new system (which is what this item is
intended for).
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slynne
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response 57 of 357:
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Jun 21 17:02 UTC 2010 |
It sounds like it might be a good idea for the board to consider
lowering the cost of membership.
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