FM Newsletter

[prythian]

For those of you that were here back in V1, you'll remember we had a newsletter of sorts, meant to be monthly, etc.

I thought it'd be neat to start doing it again, but we'll need a group of people to volunteer for it.

We also need to discuss different sections that would be in this monthly newsletter, such as 'most ______ thread', 'most _______ character', and of course the MotM. Stuff like that.

DISCUSS.

[kempff]

I remember this.

I don't think a group of people need to do this.
One person should be picked, and it should be their job on here.
They have a schedule to go by as set by the admin, and if they don't get stuff done, they can be yanked and replaced, or even get the job taken away.


Point being, the person makes the job and adds something, the job itself adds nothing interesting to the forum.
Preferably someone levelheaded, without any responsibilities of that much importance on FM, who has been here for a while.....and who has free time from RP.
So, yes, I'd love to do this, just like I said back then.

[prythian]

I wouldn't have it be one person, because there are many sections of a newsletter that need to be considered that another person may have a different opinion on, or even a more informed opinion. It runs the risk of bias if there's only one person.

[kempff]

LOL, is this a Political News Forum? C'mon, this is RP, if people get offended by bias here, that's just sad.

And for practical reasons for one person: work will get done without delays waiting for others to get it altogether, individual will be picked from their devotion to writing large amounts, there will be no fighting amongst involved people, this forum isn't large enough for a super huge newsletter.

I don't see reason why this can't be an easy job given to one person with the penalty of time lines and dates when the writing is due.
This newsletter idea works if the person given it does the job; often the newsletter becomes boring too quickly, doesn't get done, gets put back behind schedule.....point is, you need to start small before you get big.

[prythian]

I'd accept one person only if that one person agreed to ASK people that might be more informed about stuff.

There needs to be more of a 'forum at large' feel than a 'one person' feel for something like this.

[angelous]

I kinda agree with Pry on this, but I don't think it should be as large as it was back then. I'd say two, maybe three people at the most.

And I have a pretty flexible schedule for now, but once school starts I'm not so sure...

So I'd have to say that I probably couldn't do this.

[kempff]

"You'll accept?"
Prythian, you're just a Q-mod, and we're only suggesting.

And honestly, what do you think this newsletter will report? More informed people?

This isn't the WJ or New Yorker, it's FM. The person just needs to be qualified and get the job done.

Edit: Cite reasons please, opinion based polls don't mean anything. Bias right?

[prythian]

Look... The only reason I used 'I'll accept' is because a ONE person newsletter wasn't my suggestion, and I'd suggest AGAINST it.

If it's a forum wide newsletter, it should have a 'forum wide' feel to it. It's as simple as that.

[kempff]

...and you're not stating sound reasoning except "but I think this, so no."

Let's wait for admin input here.

[prythian]

Um...

It's not exactly that much of an explainable concept.

Forum-wide newsletter, meant to show how the FORUM AT LARGE IS DOING.

That implies getting opinions from multiple people, as well as talking to someone who may be more informed than you on other subjects, as WELL as interviews.

Therefore, forum-wide feel, instead of one person feel.

A one-person-feel newsletter could be done without admin approval; just make a thread.

[High's .Valentine.]

Admin input?

OK, admin input.

One person? No.

Have you ever seen a successful newspaper that's only one man team? I'm sorry Nivi, but if it's a one person newsletter, they should maybe just make a guide in the guide board with some instructions, etc. Add a comic off the internet for fun. And personally, I'd never put that much work on one person. It's like asking me to run the forum by myself. Except on a smaller scale. People here do have a life...and an RP life too. I wouldn't want it wholly dedicated to the newsletter. And besides, the final product of a one person newsletter, in my opinion, would probably look like crap. >_>

And on top of that, ask them to do it monthly? Psh.

Urhm. Seriously though, I doubt this idea to revive the newsletter will ever get anywhere other than in this little thread here. Sure, by all means, try. Maybe a small team. But I doubt members will have such consistency. Even with our big member group back then in V1, the newsletter survived for...two issues. That's two months. Don't even get me started on the second time around.

If you're planning on reviving the newsletter, I'd think something pretty small scale compared to our first one. Sort of like a budget cut, if you get what I mean. XD

Aside from their arguing, is there anyone else who would like to give their two cents? :3

[kempff]

Aug 16, 2009 16:30:01 GMT -5 High's .Valentine. said:

If you're planning on reviving the newsletter, I'd think something pretty small scale compared to our first one. Sort of like a budget cut, if you get what I mean. XD

And yet you say no to me. =/

This will only work in the instance High has stated.

Um...

It's not exactly that much of an explainable concept.

Forum-wide newsletter, meant to show how the FORUM AT LARGE IS DOING.

That implies getting opinions from multiple people, as well as talking to someone who may be more informed than you on other subjects, as WELL as interviews.

Therefore, forum-wide feel, instead of one person feel.

A one-person-feel newsletter could be done without admin approval; just make a thread.

Because I never was arguing, but debating here, I'll take the time to respond to this.
A one person newsletter, why did you assume I meant they'd only respond with what they thought?
I should have been more implicit: they'd interview people, report on what was going on, etc.
Why people assumed I meant anything else, I'm not sure. Next time, let's all be clearer.

[prythian]

Then we need a small team and probably NOT a monthly basis.

Let's face it, monthly is too often.

First, though, considering that it has to be cut down, we need to decide what WOULD be kept. Meaning, the sections we want for the newsletter.

THEN we need to decide how many people and try for volunteers.

[nascent]

All right, all right... lemme try to put this to rest with some practical advice.

Besides everything I do here at FM, I also help write, edit, and manage the 'Propaganda NOW!' newspaper for Erepublik along with my brother and a small (often unreliable) support crew. Now, I know that FM isn't anywhere near as complicated as a MMOSSG, but trust me when I say that there is some carry-over between what I do there and the premise of the FM Newsletter. A quick lesson:

From Many, One

No news media, regardless of how simple or complex, can thrive long without this crucial balance. This is the harmony of Prythian's stance regarding a multi-person effort and Kempff's points about a single-writer operation. Fact is, you need BOTH. This is why newspapers have both writers/reporters and a chief editor.

What I'd suggest here is one person at the helm writing about 50% of the material and the other 50% be on a member submission basis (actual percentages may vary). Member submissions could be promotional "ads" for factions or RPs, responses to current events, etcetera, etcetera. The newsletter's writer would pick through these submissions and choose the best few for "publication" (maybe with a small Munny reward for the lucky few as motivation to submit material?) as part of the final product. In this way the newsletter has the focus and coordination of an individual, yet retains the diversity of interests of FM as a whole.

Yin and yang, gentlemen. Yin and yang...

[ophelia]

Well, uh, not that anything I have to say is usually particularly relevant (or you know, helpful in any way) but it could just be a mass email or a mass PM? (The Newsletter I mean.)

Boys and girls could PM/email cited "Things of Significance" to a Staff-Er or a really Super-Officious-Regular-Member. Then the Staff-Er or the S.O.R.M. could combine, edit, and condense the "Things of Significance" into an aesthetically pleasing little blurb which could be sent out. No pictures. No major articles. Just a wimpy two little paragraph thing. Maybe mentioning birthdays. Maybe mentioning new canon holders. Seriousness and hard work of any sort would be banned with delighted vengeance.

The amount of content and the type of content would depend on what was or was not sent in.

OMG~! It's ONE person AND MANY PEOPLE! OMG!!!