Forums » Feature Wishing Well » Read Thread

Since we've been getting so many lately who can't seem to understand they're not doing themselves or anyone else a favor slapping some links down on a couple of hastily typed paragraphs the first day they join the site, how about a three or even seven day period after joining where they simply don't have that option?

Ideally with a message pointing them to the help and info section and forums and a suggestion they spend their first days reading and reviewing other storygames and working to improve and expand their own while they get acclimated to the site?

That's a good idea. It should take someone at least that long to come up with a decent story game.

I think it would be more economic and effective to just authorize madglee's "seek and destroy" program.

Madglee, at one time, said that he had proposed IP tracking particular users and blowing up their homes, but that it "didn't work out".

Wouldn't that make them think that their game is broken?

I don't know, it just might give people a wrong impression of the site. Like that all new writers always make shitty stories so they won't even have the option to post it. (Which most do, but still).

Then bad writers will just post their bad work later. It's just delaying the inevitable. 

Still a good portion of the new writers don't use the forums, and look around they are too excited. That's how I was when I first joined, I didn't even know of the forums, and was even afraid to use them. They will just make the story, wait, and then publish it.

Or they will wait, and publish it. I like how you think that won't happen, and keep avoiding it.

But have been that new member, even more recent then you. When I first got here I was terrified to use the forums, because I didn't know who were the good guys, and who were the a**holes. Even though most of the people on this site are nice, and friendly, it is the internet, and there is no certain way from the new members to know that we are not a**holes. When I first started making stories, they sucked, alright I admit it. I got really harsh comments, and then I disappeared, but then realized on how bad they (my stores) were, and now taking my time, but I fear so many will run away after that, as many. So many already have...

P.S- Never said that.

They won't know that the game is shitty, hell I didn't. It took me about a year later to go this is shitty game, because I got harsh comments. Also you can't believe that if they delay it that every single member will explore the site, and ask for help on their story. I didn't know mine was bad for a long time, so they wouldn't be asking for help on a story they don't know is bad, well until they post it.  Also I did that, and if you haven't notice many new writers did, and are continuing to write 30 minute monstrosities. You see it all over the site, people posting crappy game, after crappy game. They ignore the feedback, and continue to keep writing, and for some reason, I keep reading it (My own fault I suppose, but hey have to try). Just take a look at some of the stories, and see the feedback, then look at the author's next game, and it is the same situation. Bad, and ignoring the feedback.

Well if you knew it than you should have had that as a third option, you only had those two so I thought you were just trying to ignore that option.

How about you spend at least a week on writing your story, before publishing it?

Woah, woah, let's slow down, I am now replying to multiple people, give me time.

You have a week.

I replied earlier, what are you going to do now, wizard?

Delete your story games.

Why? Only have one...

Will be deleted.

What I don't understand is why a suggestion for a short delay personally offends and upsets you so much you're waging war on the very idea.

Either it helps significantly or it doesn't. At worst, impatient, self absorbed idiots will still be impatient, self absorbed idiots, just with a three day delay. At best, it will encourage a few people to take more time on their story and familiarize themselves with the site. Or at least get bored and leave without taking it upon themselves to use our community for their personal toilet, which is also an acceptable outcome that I think we can all get behind.

It is just one of those things that make me go, why. If I was a new writer, and I couldn't post when I wanted to it would just personally piss me off, and then write shitty stuff as a fuck you. (NOT directed at you)

 There is one thing I do know, though... 

hayesa, it really sounds like you're projecting a lot of your own anxieties onto every other new or theoretical new user in existence. Really though, I don't think it's demanding a lot of anyone to ask them to take a couple of days to familiarize themselves with a site before using it. Why WOULD you join a site without having any idea what it's about, after all?

Also, IMO being afraid of the forums is a little silly too because you...you can read them before you post on them and get a sense for the community, you realize this I hope?

I mean, if someone really is that terrified of internet strangers typing words at them, why would they post a story here in the first place?  That just encourages those same scary internet people they're avoiding to pay attention to them. Or...who else do they think will be reading and reviewing the stories here?

A delay and a gentle nudge to say the equivalent of 'heeey so you know maybe you should take a shower and put on some fucking pants before you go flinging the door open to meet the new neighbors' is for their benefit, as much as for the rest of us. Because at the end of the day no one really cares that the smelly socially deficit man with his johnson flapping gently in the breeze gets driven away, but it does waste a lot of time and is kind of hassle for the police.

I didn't know what this site was really about. Other than it was a place to make Choose Your Stories, I mean obviously, it is right there in the damn title. I know you can read up on what the forums say what they are about, but it doesn't tell you what the community here is like. It just states what each one does, and certain rules to follow, not about the people. And I am not sure how to reply to that last paragraph as I find myself going what the hell am I reading. (Laughing, not insulting)

Even I haven't done that, and reading them is so easily avoidable for them. It is like the terms of service, they will just say they read it. Do you know the biggest lie of the universe? I have read, and agreed to the terms of service.

I don't really care if they read them or not, tbh.

All the information is already there, it's freely available and easy to access. And most of it is common sense. There really is no explanation except that a surprising number of people who stumble onto this site are the kind that probably guzzle bleach IRL until one day someone else kindly points out the warning label.

Something needs to be done to counteract this 'join site what is this site who cares CLICK PUBLISH' instinct, though. and a delay is the best I can think of. And a delay between posting one story and another is if anything even more important, because it just takes one idiot or troll spamming the site to shove all the legitimate stories off the main page listing.

 I don't know, these stories used to be funny but now they're wearing me down. I've given up even the most half hearted attempts at politeness or positivity. I just. want them. to stop. Seriously, every time I see one of these stories pop up I can't help but feel a little like the time the cat deposited a half eaten gopher on our kitchen floor and clearly expected praise for it. Except at least the cat couldn't have known any better, and also I'm sure worked harder on that little gift than than most of the-- SORRY, THIS IS JUST PART ONE OF MY POST, TO BE CONTINUED LATER IF ENOUGH PEOPLE LIKE IT,

(no negative feedback okay???)

I used to read almost every story that came out, but then people started to post utter heaps of ebola ridden shit way more often. I completely support the act to increase the wait limit on posting storys upon joining. 

And this is why I give out so many ones now. I see so many people who rate very...let's just say 'generously', and they help keep these stories around even when it's the best thing for all they be taken out behind the barn and quickly and humanely put down. So I fling the ones around to try and counteract this is my own small way. This is also why I suddenly give a crap about my own points when I never did before. If only I'd been getting the dailies all along I could have a little more weight behind my ratings.

I don't have any kind of extreme expectations for rating higher than that, I can enjoy even a flawed work as long as it shows some signs of creativity and effort....just, I want to see something complete, with characters and plot and dialogue, and some signs of proofreading. So you know, the basic minimum requirements to qualify as a story. Stories, that's what I want to see being posted on a site that exists for that purpose. I don't think it's unreasonable.

And it really is a shame that the real, honest attempts people do make just get shoved out of sight by these. I don't go browsing older story games often, but I'm starting to think I should.

Maybe we could even get some kind of thread going in the Parlor, for talking about any gems anyone digs up this way and maybe getting a deserving story a little more attention? 

But there is still one question that remains. Mods, will this be something that will be hard to do?

A thread, or forum, or some feature of hidden gems. With the criterion being NOT a featured story in the past.

As for the original point, of a time limit on publishing, it could simply be as that. I'm writing a story currently, and have two other ideas. They have sneak preview turned off, all three, because they are in no way shape or form ready. But when they are ready to publish, I'll have sneak preview back on, so can be seen by those with interest.

tl;dr, having a restriction (or even links to another page which states why publishing a game in the first week of joining is a (little b) bad idea, and DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS?), would only serve to stop people who publish in the first week, and that's not an entirely bad thing, putting a small obstacle in the way. Can still drum up interest with sneak preview and in the forums, without spoiling it's 'first' impression, and that small window when it's most noticeable. Imho, at least. I've spent the last few days mostly getting to grips with the editor system alone. If I also needed to learn the format and structure of a CYOA, then that'd be an additional learning burden to have to carry, before being able to make a game that I'd be happy to show to anyone.

I'm thinking 3 days after joining and 240 minutes after creating the game.

Hmmmmmmmm. That's really interesting. I'm leaning toward it not being a good idea simply because the people who would be deterred by waiting a day are likely not the same people that would make an army of alts. I think I remember Ryder planning his escapades like a week + in advance.

Yeah, though maybe that would encourage them to actually go read some of the best stories on the site. I feel like so many new users would benefit from that.

Probably. But, honestly, I don't think it would be worth the time investment on my part, and it might send the wrong message to the kind of people we're not trying to scare off.

LOL.