Increasing forum participation
Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:27 am
Would love to try and figure out a way to increase participation on these forums. They are visited by a lot of players, but it seems that unless we are discussing a grievance or have a complaint very little input is given. Lots of players have given their weigh in and the problems within the game or community but those same players with the issues seem to have very little input on suggestions for growth and development.
Now in no ways am I saying that there is only a negative, or even toxic environment, within the forums. There certainly is a great community here and ALL voices should be heard equally. Wether it is a complaint or a suggestion it should be voiced.
All I am asking is how can we get those who primarily focus on the grievances to be more involved in the suggestions to improve them? It would be amazing to see some of these suggestions threads, which have great merit and innovation to them, get just as much feedback as the complaint posts get.
Now, I understand it is easy to get riled up and jump on the wagon of disdain. It is nice when someone speaks out on an issue that you share and so now it feels comfortable to put your input in as well, but doesn't this essentially feel like, well.... A mob mentality. We see the same type of stuff in school yard fights.
Imagine the positive changes we can ALL experience if we directed that "mob mentality" towards a common GOOD or area of growth. I have a feeling that it would result in a lot more change than if we just voice our grievances.
In the Army we used to tell our junior soldiers, "Do not bring a problem to me without already having a solution in mind." this was not to tell young soldiers that their problems were not to be heard, do not misunderstand. This concept was to get the younger soldiers to have to critically think through a process and to prepare them for the future growth and the leadership roles that they would hopefully grow into one day.
I would love to see that same sort of application made here. Voice your disregard or frustration for a rule, but suggest how to make it better. Argue about clan issues, but give feedback on how to resolve it. So on and so forth.
New ideas take a lot of effort on a persons behalf to come up with and to put down into tangible words. Share our thoughts as a community, positive or negative feedback, but if negative gives areas of concern or improvement to the creator of the idea. Rest assured this will bring better development to the game as it gives the creator more insight as a whole as to what the community wants.
But again I ask, how can we increase the level of forum participation for the better?
Now in no ways am I saying that there is only a negative, or even toxic environment, within the forums. There certainly is a great community here and ALL voices should be heard equally. Wether it is a complaint or a suggestion it should be voiced.
All I am asking is how can we get those who primarily focus on the grievances to be more involved in the suggestions to improve them? It would be amazing to see some of these suggestions threads, which have great merit and innovation to them, get just as much feedback as the complaint posts get.
Now, I understand it is easy to get riled up and jump on the wagon of disdain. It is nice when someone speaks out on an issue that you share and so now it feels comfortable to put your input in as well, but doesn't this essentially feel like, well.... A mob mentality. We see the same type of stuff in school yard fights.
Imagine the positive changes we can ALL experience if we directed that "mob mentality" towards a common GOOD or area of growth. I have a feeling that it would result in a lot more change than if we just voice our grievances.
In the Army we used to tell our junior soldiers, "Do not bring a problem to me without already having a solution in mind." this was not to tell young soldiers that their problems were not to be heard, do not misunderstand. This concept was to get the younger soldiers to have to critically think through a process and to prepare them for the future growth and the leadership roles that they would hopefully grow into one day.
I would love to see that same sort of application made here. Voice your disregard or frustration for a rule, but suggest how to make it better. Argue about clan issues, but give feedback on how to resolve it. So on and so forth.
New ideas take a lot of effort on a persons behalf to come up with and to put down into tangible words. Share our thoughts as a community, positive or negative feedback, but if negative gives areas of concern or improvement to the creator of the idea. Rest assured this will bring better development to the game as it gives the creator more insight as a whole as to what the community wants.
But again I ask, how can we increase the level of forum participation for the better?