So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

1. So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #1

   I know. I know. Moon has gone on about this before.  Just want to put the thought in your head. As notable members of the site, we should try to bring new people to the site (who may or may not ever become members). 
   
   My trick is refering to things on the site as often as possible while posting on other sites.  Someone was looking for "different elves", I linked him up with three or four of our posts.  Someone needs gaming advice, I direct them to our (okay my) article here.  Someone is looking for new monsters, I send them to the llifeforms section (which probably disappointed them... as not many D&Dish monsters).  Well you get the idea. 
   
   If you visit other sites, referencing things here (rather than doing a random splat) is a good idea. 
   
   You can tell your gaming friends, perferably your online gaming friends, about the site. 
   
   You can do lots of things. Spo how can be bring people here????

2. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #2

   Seems to me like new people stop by every now and then, but if you look at our active member roster, it has remained more or less unchanged the last 4 years.
   
   Why is that?

3. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #3

   Perhaps technology is leaving us behind.
   
   Compared to many other Web 2.0 sites, this site is very quiet and to the Twitter/facebook generation, it may seem to them to be a web 1.0 site with a select bunch of contributors.
   
   Now, I'm _not_ a facebook/twitter junkie so I'm just guessing here.
   
   How can we change?
   
   1.  The 'regulars' - myself included, need to churn stuff more here. Really discuss things.  Comment.
   2.  Perhaps we need to coordinate more with the social media - could we add an automated Strolen user on Twitter that would tweet when new subs were added?  I think ever update would be excessive, but at the current rate of comment/submission, every change being twitted (:) ) might not be unreasonable.
   
   
   

4. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #4

   hmmmm
   
   Embrace social media, eh?
   

5. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #5

   I like it!
   
   When I first arrived 100 or so years ago, a host of Strolenites stood ready to chat, befriend and rpg-talk with me.
   
   Are we still like that, or is this one barren wasteland of navel-gazers?
   
   I don't chat and befriend anymore, that is for sure.
   
   Anyhow: Go for the 2.0 standard!

6. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #6

   One thought:
   User-walls. It is true web 2.0.
   
   On the user profiles there can be a "guestbook/wall" kinda thingie in which people can leave comments. Encouragement and friendly chatter.
   
   I think it would increase the pulse of this site.

7. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #7

   I try to refer readers back to the site, but i dont have much interaction with gamers.
   
   Some ideas:
   A Citadel on FB, take some of our random submissions and put them on a FB page as notes, something to draw people back here. THe Strolenati is neat, but more random than serving as a marker sign for the Citadel.
   
   A 'Wall' that people can write on, visible messages that others can comment on.
   
   free lunches
   
   etc etc etc

8. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #8

   Yes! And yes: not the strolenati

9. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

   #9

   We could transform Strolenati or make a new one. Either is fine with me. I just randomly post in Strolenati to give some attention so it isn't abandoned.
   
   I am all for the Facebook thing so if somebody wants to run with it, go for it.
   
   I am going to be screwed at work for the next couple of weeks due to training.

10. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

    #10

    So... you are screwed at work? Training for what? Swinger Summer Camp in Las Vegas? :p

11. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

    #11

    I am qualified for that, that is the 2009 version which as been superseded and now I have to get requalified for Swinger Summer Camp in Las Vegas Redux.

12. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

    #12

    I think Val has the point.  We are generating new and useful content for gamers at a rate that is only slightly faster than a glacier.  I am not helping, I will admit.  However, we could pick it up some.
    
    I think the core membership is the same because we haven't managed to attract and keep new members.  You can bring new members to the site, but if they don't like what they see or don't see that it is interesting, they will not stay. 
    
    We used to chat more.  People could feel more connected.
    
    We used to comment and build upon each other's ideas more.  I think this is more important than anything.  The exchange of ideas and the building upon the ideas of others helps make for better posts.
    
    We used to be more relevent to more gamers.  What do gamers want?  Do they want masterpieces that they have to resculpt their campaign for?  Do they want stuff they can just grab and go with.  And can they find it? 
    
    Just some thoughts to open the discussion up with. 
    

13. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

    #13

    Yes, all of this is right.
    
    Self centered users
    +
    Slow submission rate
    +
    Campaign specific material
    -
    Chatting
    -
    Submission accessibility
    -
    Collaboration
    ------------------------------
    = Dead Site
    =================
    
    
    Hmmm... We used to have some generators and stuff here.
    
    What if we (manfred) created a generator for major categories like "Items", "NPCs" and "Plots"?
    
    We could provide brief components for the database, and he could randomly pick and choose among them.
    
    For instance:
    
    Item Generator:
    1. Randomly choose item type
    2. Randomly choose item material
    3. Randomly choose ornamental jewelry (if applicable)
    4. Randomly choose whether it is magical or not
    5. Randomly choose magical capabilities (if magical)
    
    Perhaps this is off topic, perhaps it is irrelevant. I dunno. I just tried to remember what I liked earlier in my life.

14. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

    #14

    All excellent points and I am chomping at the bit to do more. I intended to be more engaged with the site this year as well but RL attacks as always. I should clear up 2 projects this weekend that will allow me to get back here to tinkering in the coming weeks.
    
    I am all about new features, but there is still a basic set that the site has but doesn't do well. I need to concentrate on the core of the site function so it does it with minimal issues and intuitively. I know we are not there but I think it is closer than it has been in the past. The site needs to look shiny and inviting with obvious paths to action and calls to participation. I don't think it does this well. Until you delve into the site, you really don't know what all is available. I need to make is super simple to start with some kind of help or feature additions that increase as you visit/post and that are possibly even fun.
    
    I want the Profiles to be hubs of information on the person with updates, requests, stats, easier browsing of their stuff, etc, etc.
    I want an update page with a twitter/facebook style of updates that show the action on the site and direct you straight to it. I want it customizable and orderable and with the ability to show what interests you and dump the rest.
    I want an easier ability to link to and/or post pictures in sub. I absolutely LOVE the idea of pictures and graphics in subs but it is a pain in the ass so not utilized as much as it could.
    I want Moon's task pages improved and made useful and somewhere that is actually helpful to the newcomer.
    I want better interaction between the forum and the site. The amount of content we have and what we use in the forum games should be able to crossflow somehow to make a more interactive experience. I would love to have people come here for the forum games as well as the site content. If we could marry them somehow and have them reference each other, that would be pretty frick'n cool.
    I want to start offering prizes for the quests and figure out a better way to run them.
    I want to make the "in work" or "help" posts easier to access and more welcoming and/or easier to comment on when they are in "draft" mode.
    
    I could probably go on forever for things which is why I enjoy the site so much.  Many of those ideas don't have a real answer. They are wants and desires without a firm game plan or actionable idea to actually make them really work. The best we can do is try some stuff, see if we like it. Rinse, reuse, recycle. I love seeing the ideas everybody has and I grab and pick and choose as I can. We have gotten this far, we will get farther.
    
    I am constantly rejuvenated because I see that you also care about the site. Without you all, this place would have withered and died years ago. As long as you all have hope, I will continue to do what I can with your help.
    
    The Strolenati WILL continue to rise. You cannot keep us down. Not ever.
    
    
    http://strolen.com/random_generators  - Under Library but I could do better showing it off. Just happy to have it up after so long.

15. Re: So what are you doing to let people know about Strolens?

    #15

    I suddenly saw this and just wanted to say I've been mentioning Strolen's Citadel on my blog and I mentioned it as my writer's home when I joined a critique group. A very small audience and so far as I know, that drew no new members but ah well, I tried.

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