TamTu
09-05-2008, 03:22 PM
I would like to clear up some matters on behalf of the staff, mostly regarding the changes.
We currently don't have a test area for additions, meaning we're forced to use the VAA as a testing pool. We could totally choose to shut down the board for members until further notice and give you no VAA. Or we can all continue our business and inquire with staff members (try PMing me, Nikkita or Tony when it comes to technical forum additions/changes) until you get the answer.
Allow me to point out that while something is implemented, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's definitive. As mentioned, we're testing in real time on the VAA so yes, of course, you got to see the default Awards system, which automatically generates the default awards from the current stats. The plan with the VBExperience plugin is based on user contributions to particular forums. Example: you get X points for posting a tutorial, X points for replying to a question of the week thread, etc.
Obviously, posts like "ZOMG I WUN 2 NO ABUT DIS MIC. HALP PRZ."....do not count for points :p
Points that you can spend in the shop that came with the VBExperience addon. It does NOT give you virtual profile pets, or sparkly avatar borders. Instead, you may earn a bigger PM box, sig size, what not. This way, we can also choose potential helpers on the forum based on their own achievements and contributions. We're still playing around with ideas so if you have suggestions, go suggest it in the Help Center.
...Right! The Help Center, which has replaced the Feedback forums. It may seem impersonal. We understand that. But the solution is actually more personal than you think. We can specify general topics so it's easier for us to pick tickets to whoever's responsible for what topic. It will be one-on-one interaction with the staff regarding your issue. If you run into a question or issue that doesn't seem to apply to a particular topic, you can always PM one of the staff members instead. It does eliminate discussion about certain topics, yes. But I don't know... I guess you can bitch about it in the VAA Spam LJ then ;)
So on behalf of the staff, I apologize for the recent radical changes. Know that many of these changes are based on input from many members over the past *years* and we finally have the oppertunity to branch out into something bigger and try out the suggestions. Notable impressions from miscommunication among the staff are embarassing, but we are putting considerable efforts into the community (as well as our internal team) to get you all even more involved with the community and improve interaction with the staff as I type this.
We are open to suggestions (We will religiously keep track of the Help Center ticketbox), but we do have requirements to warrant proper feedback from us.
-Tell us why you want it.
-How it will help you and the board.
-Make sure you know what you're talking about.
Be decent, and don't whine/or "demand"... keep to the point, and understand that just because we don't implement it immediately doesn't mean we won't ever. It doesn't mean we're ignoring you if we don't give you a definitive answer, but we need to figure out how things fit in to what we have lined up right now. It could be something we add right away, or it could be something that'll have to wait a few weeks or even a few months.
I'll probably repeat this information once we're further into development of the VAA, but if you do have any issues, PM me and I'll make sure your message gets to the right staff members. For now, please calm down if you see anything new and weird. Wait or contact a staffmember for explanation.
Signed,
Your friendly (and always lovable) administrator,
TamTu
We currently don't have a test area for additions, meaning we're forced to use the VAA as a testing pool. We could totally choose to shut down the board for members until further notice and give you no VAA. Or we can all continue our business and inquire with staff members (try PMing me, Nikkita or Tony when it comes to technical forum additions/changes) until you get the answer.
Allow me to point out that while something is implemented, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's definitive. As mentioned, we're testing in real time on the VAA so yes, of course, you got to see the default Awards system, which automatically generates the default awards from the current stats. The plan with the VBExperience plugin is based on user contributions to particular forums. Example: you get X points for posting a tutorial, X points for replying to a question of the week thread, etc.
Obviously, posts like "ZOMG I WUN 2 NO ABUT DIS MIC. HALP PRZ."....do not count for points :p
Points that you can spend in the shop that came with the VBExperience addon. It does NOT give you virtual profile pets, or sparkly avatar borders. Instead, you may earn a bigger PM box, sig size, what not. This way, we can also choose potential helpers on the forum based on their own achievements and contributions. We're still playing around with ideas so if you have suggestions, go suggest it in the Help Center.
...Right! The Help Center, which has replaced the Feedback forums. It may seem impersonal. We understand that. But the solution is actually more personal than you think. We can specify general topics so it's easier for us to pick tickets to whoever's responsible for what topic. It will be one-on-one interaction with the staff regarding your issue. If you run into a question or issue that doesn't seem to apply to a particular topic, you can always PM one of the staff members instead. It does eliminate discussion about certain topics, yes. But I don't know... I guess you can bitch about it in the VAA Spam LJ then ;)
So on behalf of the staff, I apologize for the recent radical changes. Know that many of these changes are based on input from many members over the past *years* and we finally have the oppertunity to branch out into something bigger and try out the suggestions. Notable impressions from miscommunication among the staff are embarassing, but we are putting considerable efforts into the community (as well as our internal team) to get you all even more involved with the community and improve interaction with the staff as I type this.
We are open to suggestions (We will religiously keep track of the Help Center ticketbox), but we do have requirements to warrant proper feedback from us.
-Tell us why you want it.
-How it will help you and the board.
-Make sure you know what you're talking about.
Be decent, and don't whine/or "demand"... keep to the point, and understand that just because we don't implement it immediately doesn't mean we won't ever. It doesn't mean we're ignoring you if we don't give you a definitive answer, but we need to figure out how things fit in to what we have lined up right now. It could be something we add right away, or it could be something that'll have to wait a few weeks or even a few months.
I'll probably repeat this information once we're further into development of the VAA, but if you do have any issues, PM me and I'll make sure your message gets to the right staff members. For now, please calm down if you see anything new and weird. Wait or contact a staffmember for explanation.
Signed,
Your friendly (and always lovable) administrator,
TamTu