ACTIVITY CHECK DISCUSSION

[paradisamods]

Hey guys!

So there's been some confusion and disagreement about what should/should not count for activity check, what is counted where, etc. So this is a post where we'd like to discuss revamping the activity check system with you! Once we can get a clear idea of what everyone feels is fair, it will make it easier for us to have a clear system where everyone understands the activity requirements desired of each character in Paradisa.


SECTIONS:

What do you think should count for a post?
What should constitute thread "size"?
What should constitute comment "quality"?
How much should the mods be responsible for? The players?
How should a thread on a log be judged?

Comments

+1

[diremuta.livejournal.com]

Foreverrrrrr.

[huntersdaughter]

As for people posting at the end of the month - I know that some people, who do tag around a lot more, sometimes will toss up an entry at the end of the month just so that they don't have to worry about tracking all their threads through the month. They figure it's easier to just have two posts vs having to go looking for all the threads that they know they did.

[orz-woeisme.livejournal.com]

It...has, actually! We have had one person add their character tag to an entry they didn't even comment to, and we've had someone reply to a log only once and then drop the thread ): which is why making comments in logs = 1 post worries me!

Mind you these are only two cases but it's still something. It's not constant but both cases have been in the last 2 months.

[molotov]

No, I totally get that! And as you know, I'm happy to follow the lead of whoever posted the log. I just personally would only utilize the log comm for prose, because I don't have an issue with actionspam being in the main comm. I don't really have a problem with room filters and joint posts, because I view it as more of a style thing than a "would the journal capture this?" thing.

[matchmaker.livejournal.com]

I tagged into two of Christina's logs this past month three times between my two characters (meaning Angel and Cupid tagged into one log, and another time with just Angel tagging into the second log and not ... three comments from me total between them).

Although her logs were originally listed as "Harmony and YOU" or whatever, we discussed them beforehand and I planned to tag into them when she posted them, so you can't always go off of lack of closed log for this type of thing.

[encryptedlock]

I realize this, but I still don't like this system.

[valerie]

That's actually a very good point. But then that stems back to my strong dislike of private entries and opens up a whole other discussion.

+1

[encourage]

This exactly. I like private posts! I love the insight. But private posts alone should not count toward activity.

[encourage]

Noted, and understood!

[phaseshifts.livejournal.com]

Obviously the loophole exists, but I don't think a conscientious player will take advantage of it, and we have a lot of conscientious players and people who do have the wherewithal to go talk to the mods when they see people repeatedly abusing loopholes like that. One time using it is unfortunate, constantly doing it is something else - acting like because the loophole exists, everyone will be using it constantly, is extending the argument to the absurd.

[shalamayned.livejournal.com]

I mostly agree with this in a way, but my issue is kind of related. If one of my cast mates only ever did posts on the last 2 days of the month, I'd be somewhat upset as this means there's 28-ish days of the month they're not posting.

If that makes sense.

[matchmaker.livejournal.com]

I get that, but if people aren't complaining about so-and-so dropping six posts with me over the span of two or three months, then should it be a huge issue? Obviously their CR and cast don't take issue or they would speak up.

A lot of us had planned to "take back the logs comm" in the coming months to help revitalize it. I think allowing people who tag into open posts have that interaction count toward activity each month (which is the way it HAS been done) is a good incentive in and of itself--we just need to start having people actually post there and get things happening over there instead of relying on the easier/quicker method of making action threads all over the journal network that don't even belong or make sense there half the time.

Is it going to be a perfect fix? No. Some people are so used to the way things are that they will avoid the logs comm and do their own thing and that's fine. But the logs comm is pretty obsolete compared to the main comm. Taking away tags there from counting toward activity check will not help fix it.

[valerie]

The same could easily be said for an open post in the main community. One could make an open post, but plan to thread with someone specifically. Why wouldn't that count, though? Why would the log thread be any different?

[gottaknockhard.livejournal.com]

In that case, I definitely think if the person doesn't reply AT ALL to a log that they were tagged in, it shouldn't count towards activity. In cases where it's one reply that isn't very long, that gets a little dicey too...

I can see why mods wouldn't want to look through every log to see who commented, but wouldn't it be easy to see from the number of comments if that needed to be looked into? (Two or three comments might be worth opening to see how long those comments were?) Maybe that's an easier way for it to be handled.

I know that it's a hard thing to gauge, but hopefully there's a way to do it that won't be too much of a headache for anyone.

[arrowonthewind.livejournal.com]

This is what I tend to do, just saying.

[dusk.livejournal.com]

I agree - but I'm not sure how, exactly, to promote that feeling and make sure that people will do that. If you have any suggestions for promoting a more open atmosphere where people feel like they should contact us, then that would be great -- because it's something we've been trying to work on for awhile.

Makes sense. I completely agree -- I'm just worried that people won't take advantage of the system of contacting us about it, simply because of past experiences with players.

[waterproofed.livejournal.com]

I feel like it's been discussed before ages ago. Like one public+one private= cleared for AC. That doesn't sit well with me.

[randomtology.livejournal.com]

I guess we'll have to see if multiple people care about such a loophole, as we did with the wait one month after you app thing. As I distinctly recall, I argued that from day one with many reasons why I felt it was an unfair rule and the general response I got was "wait and see" from the mods and helpers.

And since this is supposed to be an equal grounds discussion...we'll see if a lot of people are bothered by that, I guess. As a single player, I am not.

TAGS for probably the millionth time asfd

[encourage]

To paraphrase from the AC post: Perhaps (in both comms) the main poster(s) could be tagged with a !character x, and then the commenters just with their normal tags?

This would be for tracking activity. One of the big complaints I know about this is as follows: We have so many tags used, have a paid account for the main comm to deal with that, and we still have tags for basically every character here from game opening. To get two for each character active in game would mean necessitating the loss of old tags for characters no longer in game, starting with ones not here for some time. Based on the general number floating around, let's say we'd need... roughly seven hundred tags to account for characters currently in game -- one that is such as "!character x", and one that is simply "character x"!

Possible solutions to that include: Indexing old journal names to a character list, deleting old tags, and then for those wishing to read back, searching by journal name. With LiveJournal allowing this search function, it could free up tags to use in the current game environment, without sacrificing the ability to read back on old threads/characters/etc.

But that's work!: It is, and there's two of us at least willing to do that. This wouldn't be an instantaneous change.

But that's work to look up!: How often do you go back and review old tags as it is? The list can be set up to have a link that does the searching for you!

But I have another issue: Speak on it! That's what discussion is for!

Reasoning behind this kind of change/adaptation: accounts for all activity a person tags their character for in a given month. Makes clicking on two tags give quick answers to character activity. There are other benefits but I am distracted and liable to forget them right now.

There are also other issues! Please bring them up, folks!

[molotov]

I do understand this, but my issue is that "not making posts until the end of the month" does not equal "inactive". And if their actual activity is an issue, you can always approach the mods about it, so that it can be brought up with the other player in a researched and dignified way.

Also, think about it this way: if you make two posts a month, you're still not posting for the other 28-ish. "Activity" shouldn't be boiled down to quantity over quality.

ALSO ALSO, totally off-topic, but I want Varian CR for Molotov really badly. He is right up her alley.

[waterproofed.livejournal.com]

I agree completely with the room filter thing. I honestly don't understand why they're even posted in the main comm if they're just for certain characters. I realize a lot of people go through the main comm more and so people post there for the community to see, but things like room filters make more sense in the log comm.

IDK my two cents.

[orz-woeisme.livejournal.com]

No I didn't mean to imply that's what we should do ): I was just saying I feel uncomfortable having a rule like that similar to how people were uncomfortable with the 1-month wait loophole. I didn't mean to say that I think everyone will use it constantly.

[shalamayned.livejournal.com]

No no of course it doesn't equal inactive :) Just if it keeps happening every month, it can be a bit painful. Maybe case by case basis is best for that kind of thing.

To be fair, I'm a serial poster/tagger so yeaaah.

Throw Molotov at him any time, I love and embrace all CR.

[wield.livejournal.com]

I don't think this goes anywhere specific, but what's going to happen to the players being held accountable for it right now? Are they going to be able to slide by this time or what's going on? No matter which way the discussion goes, they are kind of got the bad end of the bargain.

[matchmaker.livejournal.com]

Spamming comments to the main community and tagging into a log are two different experiences, as far as I'm concerned. Replies to posts are generally done quickly and take little effort. Replies to logs can also be that way, but they are generally ... I don't want to say harder, but they tend to take a little more thought and effort from my own experience. This is my opinion and I'm sure not everyone agrees--but ask yourself why so many people do actionspam in the main community versus posting up a log?

I guarantee that part of the reason is that it's easier/faster/or more convenient.