leoin
in
hogwartsch
Planning
Alright kids! Here's the plan. Please leave comments and suggestions.
1.) All those currently listed as a staff member will be contacted(unless we see them posting here) regarding if they would like to stay involved and help with the community revamp. There will be a one week period and - unless there is a hiatus/vacation notice posted anywhere - if they have not replied their position will be listed as 'Open'.
*Regarding filling positions, we'll open applications and allow all members - old and new - to apply. It's only fair, and ensures we get the best person for the job! I think we will start with the highest and most needed and work our way down to the jobs with smaller responsibilities.
*We will be adding Heads of Houses so that Prefects are not required to do the jobs of what would be adult staff members and instead will focus on their common rooms.
2.) The first time you visit a webpage - before the content, the member count, or anything like that - you see the front page. You see the presentation. Right now our two main communities look blank - not because there aren't posts, but because there is no layout! I understand that some dial-up users prefer it that way, but there are plenty of presentation options that will not take an hour to load and I really think it's important to make a good first impression.
3.) Communities need to be cleaned up a bit. Those that are going to stay active will have old (as in from 2005 and the like) posts deleted. There will be some comms that are going to be put on hiatus - either until they are needed, gain proper interest to restart them, or positions are filled to restart them (such as in the case of the classrooms). Many of these do not have active maintainers, participation, or have simply been forgotten! To keep things organized we will begin working on them rather than letting them continue in the shape that they are.
Hiatus communities : hgch_clubs; hgch_lessons hgchcontest (contests will be run on the main community until we build our participation up again); hgchhogsmeade; comfybed ; hgchprophet; quidditch pitches
We are working to clear entries and get hiatus notes up on all of them. Some will have to wait until the other staff who currently are the only maintainers can be contacted.
(outside of the cut so all will be sure to see it) There is a new community that has been created to replace hgch_holiday, which will be deleted. The new Great Hall and seasonal festivities community can be located at hgch_greathall.
This group - and this group only! - is for Deathly Hallows discussion, speculation, and (for you naughty students out there) spoilers. Posts containing Deathly Hallows information will be deleted and considering the amount of offense/information leaked/complaints received may result in expulsion. Please help all of us keep the secrets safe and enjoy the last book as much as we can!
The introductory post can be found here.
4.) The member list is really inaccurate and doesn't provide an accurate scope. Near the end of our revamp we will post a roll call. If you are still active, and would like to be active, you will post letting us know you are around. If not, after a period of time (two weeks?) you will be taken off the member list.
I will save the member list of this community. If you are a member of Hogwarts Challenge, you should be listed as a member of this community. Should someone come back a month from now and find they are no longer a member, I will pull up their member name to make sure they aren't simply avoiding posting an application and invite them back. Simple as that.
* In this same vein, maintainers at that time of the various communities will also delete members whom are deleted from this member list in an effort to keep an accurate account of who is around and apart of communities.
5.) Community info and rules. There is nothing wrong with them, per se, but they are greatly outdated. Also, I feel that any guide needs a look over every once and a while. We will hold a meeting in the Great Hall, so to speak, to brainstorm ideas and gather opinions on what should be included in the new community info, rules, the newbie guide, and FAQ.
* Sorting, judging from some of the recent applications still trickling in, needs to be done a bit more thoughtfully - from the perspective of those applying, not those sorting (you all sorting are providing reasons for your decisions and that is good enough for me). I've seen a lot of one sentence answers in response to the application questions and those don't really fly with me. lol
* Also, the sorting application will undergo some changes. Updating questions, thinking of new ones, and getting rid of the ones that are ready for retirement. I'm thinking submitting questions and voting on them could be one of our first community wide official contests for points that would be tacked onto houses once an official Term starts. Yes, no?
6.) Instituting new activities. In this day and age you can pretty much do anything on the internet. Yes, LJ limits some things, but I feel that some new opportunities will add another layer of fun and keep it interesting for members who have been here a while.
What might these new activities be? Here are just some ideas that sprang to mind. Please share your opinions and your own ideas.
+ Yule Ball
+ Yearbook - kept updated and interactive
+ New Hogsmeade (and Diagon Alley?) and monetary system
+ An (optional) community wide RPG - including perhaps a Ministry of Magic and plots
+ Newspapers and articles (that make it past issue 1 ;))
+ More Quidditch
+ Another tri-wizard tournament
We will be looking for members who would like to devout time to helping out with all these things. No official positions can be offered yet, in the way of fairness, but you will all receive recognition for your efforts, and aiding here will definitely add experience that is beneficial in applications!
If you would like to help specifically with one area of the revamp (banners, promotion, layouts, organization, or content - such as writing up some ideas for new rules, infos, etc) let us know and we will get you started!
1.) All those currently listed as a staff member will be contacted(unless we see them posting here) regarding if they would like to stay involved and help with the community revamp. There will be a one week period and - unless there is a hiatus/vacation notice posted anywhere - if they have not replied their position will be listed as 'Open'.
*Regarding filling positions, we'll open applications and allow all members - old and new - to apply. It's only fair, and ensures we get the best person for the job! I think we will start with the highest and most needed and work our way down to the jobs with smaller responsibilities.
*We will be adding Heads of Houses so that Prefects are not required to do the jobs of what would be adult staff members and instead will focus on their common rooms.
2.) The first time you visit a webpage - before the content, the member count, or anything like that - you see the front page. You see the presentation. Right now our two main communities look blank - not because there aren't posts, but because there is no layout! I understand that some dial-up users prefer it that way, but there are plenty of presentation options that will not take an hour to load and I really think it's important to make a good first impression.
3.) Communities need to be cleaned up a bit. Those that are going to stay active will have old (as in from 2005 and the like) posts deleted. There will be some comms that are going to be put on hiatus - either until they are needed, gain proper interest to restart them, or positions are filled to restart them (such as in the case of the classrooms). Many of these do not have active maintainers, participation, or have simply been forgotten! To keep things organized we will begin working on them rather than letting them continue in the shape that they are.
Hiatus communities : hgch_clubs; hgch_lessons hgchcontest (contests will be run on the main community until we build our participation up again); hgchhogsmeade; comfybed ; hgchprophet; quidditch pitches
We are working to clear entries and get hiatus notes up on all of them. Some will have to wait until the other staff who currently are the only maintainers can be contacted.
(outside of the cut so all will be sure to see it) There is a new community that has been created to replace hgch_holiday, which will be deleted. The new Great Hall and seasonal festivities community can be located at hgch_greathall.
This group - and this group only! - is for Deathly Hallows discussion, speculation, and (for you naughty students out there) spoilers. Posts containing Deathly Hallows information will be deleted and considering the amount of offense/information leaked/complaints received may result in expulsion. Please help all of us keep the secrets safe and enjoy the last book as much as we can!
The introductory post can be found here.
4.) The member list is really inaccurate and doesn't provide an accurate scope. Near the end of our revamp we will post a roll call. If you are still active, and would like to be active, you will post letting us know you are around. If not, after a period of time (two weeks?) you will be taken off the member list.
I will save the member list of this community. If you are a member of Hogwarts Challenge, you should be listed as a member of this community. Should someone come back a month from now and find they are no longer a member, I will pull up their member name to make sure they aren't simply avoiding posting an application and invite them back. Simple as that.
* In this same vein, maintainers at that time of the various communities will also delete members whom are deleted from this member list in an effort to keep an accurate account of who is around and apart of communities.
5.) Community info and rules. There is nothing wrong with them, per se, but they are greatly outdated. Also, I feel that any guide needs a look over every once and a while. We will hold a meeting in the Great Hall, so to speak, to brainstorm ideas and gather opinions on what should be included in the new community info, rules, the newbie guide, and FAQ.
* Sorting, judging from some of the recent applications still trickling in, needs to be done a bit more thoughtfully - from the perspective of those applying, not those sorting (you all sorting are providing reasons for your decisions and that is good enough for me). I've seen a lot of one sentence answers in response to the application questions and those don't really fly with me. lol
* Also, the sorting application will undergo some changes. Updating questions, thinking of new ones, and getting rid of the ones that are ready for retirement. I'm thinking submitting questions and voting on them could be one of our first community wide official contests for points that would be tacked onto houses once an official Term starts. Yes, no?
6.) Instituting new activities. In this day and age you can pretty much do anything on the internet. Yes, LJ limits some things, but I feel that some new opportunities will add another layer of fun and keep it interesting for members who have been here a while.
What might these new activities be? Here are just some ideas that sprang to mind. Please share your opinions and your own ideas.
+ Yule Ball
+ Yearbook - kept updated and interactive
+ New Hogsmeade (and Diagon Alley?) and monetary system
+ An (optional) community wide RPG - including perhaps a Ministry of Magic and plots
+ Newspapers and articles (that make it past issue 1 ;))
+ More Quidditch
+ Another tri-wizard tournament
We will be looking for members who would like to devout time to helping out with all these things. No official positions can be offered yet, in the way of fairness, but you will all receive recognition for your efforts, and aiding here will definitely add experience that is beneficial in applications!
If you would like to help specifically with one area of the revamp (banners, promotion, layouts, organization, or content - such as writing up some ideas for new rules, infos, etc) let us know and we will get you started!