THIA: Forum only?

[Alzaire]

Well, here's the thing. Do we really want to push John to keep up the charade? It's nice to be supportive and to not want things to go away, but we need to face reality. John promised content 3-4 years ago that still has pretty much not been touched. The site re-design was started, but never finished. He doesn't have the time, and he's told us he doesn't have the interest in RE anymore either. The few times he's "come back" and appeared motivated lasts only a few days before he loses interest again. Let's just be honest and realize it's a lost cause.

I can't speak entirely for Carn, but I get the impression time and interest is a factor for him too. I'm kind of the same way at this point myself. It's pretty much the reason I myself haven't worked on a site, sub-section, or feature regarding 1.5 or anything.

Now, I don't see what content we already have going away, obviously. News would still be kept up with in the news section if that's your thing. Content we have linked in the features section of the forum. ect. and all that. It's really a question of keeping a front page or not. Cause even if we went forum only, news and past content would still be there.

I think if we keep a front page, it needs a redesign that expresses focus on the news with links to current content but doesn't give an expectation for anything else. Maybe make a solid announcement about that too, so people aren't always constantly asking when the sections are gonna be put up or when the next podcast will be. Cause at this point, we can't really guarantee anything.

The only other option is if John would be willing to share his material and be more open to selecting new staff members that would not only be willing, but capable of working on and posting up the kind of quality content he would want on the site.

[PracticalAl]

I'd support you being a newsposter. You've been here a while now and have always seemed nice. I also prefer content to a website. I don't think we should remove any content, just make it clear there won't be any more.

Thanks Alexia! I have been here for awhile despite my tiny post count. (more of a lurker..)

I certainly understand the situation. No one should be forced to keep up a site, or certain aspects of a site, if there heart is not in it any longer, or simply lack the time.. Though, I would hate to see this site turn into a forum only! I don't see why the front page news can't stay. I think the redesign Alzaire mentioned to put the focus on news and the forum exclusively would do the site some good. It would look sort of like how a lot of gaming blogs are run nowadays. Again, like Alzaire said, the news front attracts more people to the site.

As for the features, We always have Project Umbrella and Biohaze for those!

There are people constantly updating the news topic, such as Pikminister and Aris, (not to put you guys on the spot!) So, I hope the news front page stays, and if anything, improves by being updated more often. Like I said before, I would be more than happy to help with the news posting. I would just need instruction on what is "update worthy" and what's not, haha.

(Typed this on an iPad. Sorry for any typos. Damn auto correction..)

[Carnivol]

I was really looking forward to the RE1 section.

We had some pretty grand plans for it. Lots of content wrapped up, but problems tying it all together into something presentable.

I guess some new/fresh blood could give some fresh takes on things or maybe evt. some other sites with already well established sections could be able to gobble up some of the assets we could be releasing (and then put it all to good use)

I'd be more than happy to help the site's news section! I look through video game news/blogs/sites all day long. And with the TGS coming up I'm sure there will a lot of news on the way. (Hopefully...)

Hmm... Some fresh newsposters would probably be a good idea.

I've actually wondered for a long time why the news front page rarely gets updated; made me wonder what this site considered newsworthy..

To be honest, with the exception of the YouTube/GIF spam, I'd love to do newspost ala the walls of stuff they post every once in a while at the Chrono Compendium (a Chrono Trigger / Chrono Cross fansite).

So.. Uh.. Yeah! I'd be happy to help update the front page news. (I'd also love to see a new design for the site.. Not that I dislike the current one.. ..)

I've kinda always liked the current design. I don't recall what the most recent WIP for the redesign looks like, but if it's not too much work; I guess cutting off the loose ends would permit for a quick implementation of it as a new frontpage/portal design.

I can't speak entirely for Carn, but I get the impression time and interest is a factor for him too. I'm kind of the same way at this point myself. It's pretty much the reason I myself haven't worked on a site, sub-section, or feature regarding 1.5 or anything.

Very true. I guess people who know me really well know that I've always kinda "been there for the ride" and not really out of burning hot passion for everything Resident Evil. I'm always much more likely to contribute something "in the moment" and "give a hand where needed", than jumping in full-time on something. I like team work! I like contributing! I hate doing everything

[PracticalAl]

Something more like the Chrono Compendium would be great! Exactly what I was picturing when I mentioned gaming blogs. When I meant a redesign, I never meant an overhaul. I love the graphics, borders, color scheme, background images, etc. I meant a layout change. Something that rearranges the site to focus on news and forums with the features to the side. (haha, auto correction changed features to fetuses. Glad I noticed that..)

[Xander Ashford]

To be honest, I can't even tell you the last time I went to the actual website to this place and actually read the news. I check the news section of the forums on a regular basis, but most Resident Evil news I get via Facebook through DaMa's Rely on Horror.

I will agree with the others though by saying that removing the site probably will have an adverse affect on the forums and the overall generating of new members. I can actually recall a site a few years back (Actually the first Resident Evil forum I ever contributed to) that changed to solely forum, and the entire thing pretty much crumbled. The forum was basically just a laughing ground for idiots, and the regulars just spammed moronic phrases back and forth.

I like what this place is. It is definitely different than what reHorror was, but different in a good way. I like how everyone here respects one another for the most part, and the people actually feel like grown-ups.

To answer the question: I'm fine either way...I get some news here, but like I said probably a good 70% of the news I get on Resident Evil is through Facebook (Likes to Capcom, Rely on Horror, and Resident Evil).

[kevstah2004]

Do it whenever you have spare time.

[News Bot]

We'd be okay with taking the THIA content which hasn't been released and making it presentable on Project Umbrella with Dot's permission. We are working on the game articles now anyway and the BH1 stuff accumulated by THIA would really help flesh out the stuff which we have collected ourselves, which is already very expansive. I've been looking forward to new THIA content for a long time and I see no reason why it should just be forgotten about.

You can always just release it publicly too regardless of whether it's presentable or not.

In my view a complete merger of Project Umbrella, The Horror Is Alive and Biohaze would be pretty good. The staff can carry over and it gives everyone a much wider access to resources and more strength overall, which would be ultimately beneficial in keeping a constant stream of content which we already do, rather than splitting the content up. It would also allow for a better way of resolving the problems of each site. Of course, there's no way this is a fool-proof idea, but I like it.

[ANDYARKLAY]

We'd be okay with taking the THIA content which hasn't been released and making it presentable on Project Umbrella with Dot's permission.

With Dot's permission it can be given to some group of THIA users which will have time to finish it and make it presentable here.
For me THIA is the best re/bh source. As soon as i'll gain ability to speak english fluently(i'm not from UK/USA and my english is not too good) - i'll start taking a part in site's development.

[Spera01]

I'll be completely honest. I can't remember the last time it was when I went to the actual website to read something. I usually instantly click 'forums' the second the page pops up and read the news there.

The site is still nice though don't get me wrong, and I do think it should stay, but it'd probably be the best to just make some sort of announcement or something, saying that the actual site itself won't be updated anymore.

Up to you though, Dot. If you can't find the time to manage the main site, do with it what you will, but I think most of the community does the same thing that I do, and instantly goes to the forums.

[Pikminister]

I'll be completely honest. I can't remember the last time it was when I went to the actual website to read something. I usually instantly click 'forums' the second the page pops up and read the news there.... but I think most of the community does the same thing that I do, and instantly goes to the forums.

That's because you're already part of the community. You already know where to go to find whatever you need.

When I first came to this site, it was because residentevilfan stopped updating their website. They lost interest in the franchise and gave up. Anyway, I needed to find another source for fresh RE news. So I found THIA. And initially, I didn't even considered joining the forum. I just wanted news and nothing more. It took me like half a year before I decided to join. And only because I wanted to comment on some news story that I saw on the front page of the website.

Now if THIA simply wants to keep the users it already has and has no desire to gain any more of 'em... then sure, keep the forum and do away with the rest.

But I look at the polls they do here on the forums and you only get like 20-30 users voting on them. And its funny cuz that's more ppl (represented on those polls) than the ones actually posting stuff here. I suspect some here are doing the whole double-agent thing. Maybe with more users around, that wouldn't be needed. I dunno...

[Dracarys]

But I look at the polls they do here on the forums and you only get like 20-30 users voting on them. And its funny cuz that's more ppl (represented on those polls) than the ones actually posting stuff here. I suspect some here are doing the whole double-agent thing. Maybe with more users around, that wouldn't be needed. I dunno...

You get lots of silent lurkers.

[aris13]

Will Dot remain admin?

[Scream]

In my view a complete merger of Project Umbrella, The Horror Is Alive and Biohaze would be pretty good.

Only on a content level of course.. The communities are different, and I've never even been to Biohaze. And besides if we were forced to use that Drupal forum module PU has everyone would go nuts (don't get me wrong, I love Drupal just not its forums).

[Alexia_Ashford]

Only on a content level of course.. The communities are different, and I've never even been to Biohaze. And besides if we were forced to use that Drupal forum module PU has everyone would go nuts (don't get me wrong, I love Drupal just not its forums).

I agree. PU's Drupal forums do my head in and the discussions over there are just too involved for my taste and I find it a great effort to read through the posts. It would be a disaster to merge the forums. If anything, THIA and Biohaze would be a lot more realistic.

[Mr_Zombie]

Honestly, I've considered THIA to be a message board with news (that you can read through the forum anyway) on the front page since the redesign many years ago; all the content and features (various videos, wallpapers and various articles) were always a bonus IMO.

However, as others have already stated, it would be a shame to never release all those material you've collected and written over time guys, so it would be a good idea to release them either on PU or Biohaze, or simply post them on the forum.