Valky on Improving Posting Quality on HPfGU (other list/catalogue proposal)

[M.Clifford]

Dear Fellow HP Grown Ups,

You know me as Valky, I have been a member for about two years 
(including a break somewhere midway). 

I thank you for the invitation to join this discussion, as I too 
have been feeling concerned that the main list might be leaning too 
close to the edge in recent months, and being a long term member I 
would feel a personal loss if the HPFGU group were to run headlong 
into disaster.

I have seen the most part of the evolution of the group since the 
release of OOtP, I recall being a member of a pretty large and busy 
group before this, but the growth since has been, to say the least, 
unpredictable.

I would like to come forward with a proposal that addresses these 
following matters that appear in the paper.


WHAT PRICE SUCCESS? 
> How to encourage quality posting on HPfGU
> Carolyn White & Barry Arrowsmith
******************************************************************


........ possibilities.
> 
> 1. Topic debates
> An ever-changing group of rabble-rousers should be tasked to post 
a piece of good-quality, provocative analysis > 
>
........
 
> 3.  Revisiting FPs
> Good posts from the past could provide an endless source of 
> discussion....... 
> Of course, identifying FPs is problematic..........

......... what makes a good thread:
> 
> * emotional temperature kept below boiling point
> * repetitive posts kept to a minimum

.......

> CONTROLLING POSTING VOLUME
> 
> •	drastic emergency measures to be put in place at times of 
> peak posting, which apply to everyone


> Peak posting controls
>
> 2.	A second approach would be to create a second list for 
> existing members only, with quite tight posting controls, which 
acted as a quieter discussion group, leaving the main list as a free-
for-all.


> ACTION
> 
> Is there a crisis ? No, not yet – but there will be one come next 
> summer, and in the interim, conditions are bad enough to need 
> addressing. Our priority list for Admin would be as follows:

> 4.	Draw up a plan for how you are going to handle HBP. 
> 5.	Recruit enough help so that ....... everyone in Admin .... 
to be visible quality leaders.
>  
> ****************************************************************
> 



Having been a pre OOtP member I am more familiar with TBAY and FP 
than some of the most active members of the present day. IMHO, I 
have been seeing some of these newer members have come in search of 
something similar to TBAY, and are unfortunately missing out due to 
its current barethread existence. 

As such, I have a humble request, that you would spare a short while 
to read this letter of introduction to a new concept activity for 
Grown Up Harry Potter Fans. 

Creation of this new concept is already underway. There, to my 
knowledge, has not been something quite like this before for HP 
fandom. Yahoos very *own* Row Ninety-Seven. 

Row 97 -- The_Prophecy_Orb at yahoogroups --

A fun and interactive catalogue of future book predictions by HP 
devotees veteran of some years in the community. I believe that this 
concept has been long awaited and given the right backing will be 
well recieved and useful to all in the HP web community.

Here follows a brief description of the activity and concept of Row 
97:

Row 97 has been created in the template of a Yahoo mailing group. It 
will, however *not* be a group for discussion.  

Use of the template has been tailored to facilitate: 

1. A place to store theories and single click links to theories, 
blogs or essays until HBP has been published.

2. Cataloguing and Classifying of the various mysteries posed by the 
first 5 books in connection with recommended ways and to unravel them

3. An interactive HP series OWL and NEWT exam facility (in Database) 
with set papers on the popular mysteries in HP Fandom classified as 
indicated above, and catalogued with recommendations.

4. Research Folders on the links page catalogued respective to the 
popular mystery they have been found useful for.

5. Invitation to members to expand and add to the exams files and 
the research folders.

Upon the release of HBP, members of Row 97 will be invited to join 
in ceremony and celebration as the owners of correct HP Augurys are 
officially recognised and dignified with title. 
Owners of tragically sunk ships will be offered the opportunity to 
take part in ceremonial orb smashing with other members of the 
Seabed-a-holics Anonymous Support group.

It is envisioned that honourary title's from Row 97 activities might 
be actively recognised in fandom, a bit like a degree in HP 
sleuthing. Just as a lark, that it could hold some fantastical 
weight tagged on the end of their discussions and essays as an 
endorsement that they got something right in HBP.  
It is also hoped that the structure of the cataloguing of mystery 
topics will be agreed upon and embraced by the HP web community, so 
that when a Row 97 laureate uses their official title, eg recipient 
of an O Transfiguration Owl, it is quite widely understood which 
topics in the world of HP plot mysteries that encompasses.

The motto of the group is Enjoy Every Moment.

-------

Having read the extensive paper written by Carolyn and Kneasy, and 
in humble gratitude for the great joy I have gleaned as a HP fan, 
off the backs of the HPFGU Admin, so many of you whom I personally 
admire and others I have yet to meet, I would be glad to offer my 
concept as a part solution to the HPFGU main list Pre - HBP 
intervention. 

I hope that in some way this concept, at least, will provide some 
positive and imaginative inspiration to solve the main lists HBP 
objectives. I will continue to develop the Row 97 site and you are 
welcome to check it out, discuss it with me further, and make 
suggestions that you feel could tweak it into a realistic part of 
the solution. 

Please don't hesitate if you are only impressed with the creativity, 
but cannot see Row 97 offering HPFGU a solution, I have done the 
work to create Row 97 so far quite alone and I am well capable of 
tailoring a creative solution to the specifications you might have.
( I already have imagined a newbie transition phase which would be 
creative and interesting and far more positive than message 
blocking.)


Heres hoping that HPFGU will meet the challenge of HBP as a champion.

>From Valky