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The Future of TLS (Content and Community)

Lex

Administrator
This is a big ask, but please read and share your thoughts if you have time. Some of this is deeply personal so I'm sorry in advance for the inevitable melodrama (some of this stuff would make 2012 me proud I think).

I would also like to apologise for the length of this post, I understand it may not be accessible to everyone due to its length. I'm happy to discuss any of this over DM/ IM on Discord if anyone has anything they'd like to ask.

INTRO

Hi folks,

I need to make this post as a kind of "state of affairs" as well as a call to our community, because it's no secret that we've been in a bit of a content slump for the last while.

That's partly due to the people (myself included) who were taking on the work either leaving the community or not having time to contribute as much as they would like. For my own part, I am active here every single day but as everyone here will be aware I do not post as frequently as I used to, and I lament that I'm less in touch with the community than I used to be. Looking at the admin logs, I'm probably the most active when it comes to dealing with spambots etc but in real terms this is meaningless when it comes to the health of the community. I daresay there are now members here that I don't even know/ who don't know me very well, and once upon a time that was pretty unthinkable (wild though it sounds, I felt I at least had a read on the majority of consistent posters for the past decade or so).

PERSONAL OPINIONS/ CONTEXT (skip this if you wanna)

Realistically, and in the interest of full transparency, there are a bunch of reasons for this.
  • One of them is that in July I'll have been a member here for 14 years, and in that time I've seen countless groups come and go, the website transform numerous times, the community change. We go through peaks and troughs like any other community and I know activity will explode the minute a new Rebirth trailer drops/ the game comes out. Activity isn't really what I'm worried about.
  • The advent of Discord has moved a lot of our activity to that and away from the board. I still believe there's a place for the board and the forum for long-form conversations, but if we're being honest most of us use Discord in the day-to-day. However, even there I'm not actively participating in discussion too often, though again, I am there every single day doing staff-ey stuff or just reading.
  • From a personal point of view, in the 14 years I've been here I've gone from full time work, to student, to unemployed, to student+working, to professional career. I have work/ life balance now in a way I've never had it before, so realistically I should now have time to contribute because I know when I'm available. Sometimes life gets in the way.
  • My feelings toward TLS have been challenged and changed over the years. The one thing that has never waivered is my desire to do right by the community and my love for the place. There are times when I've been surrounded by people with an acerbic or negative opinion of the site and to this day I still feel like this place is a part of who I am so I will always take action based on feedback and so that I can feel confident in defending this place to the people who spread misinformation and want to see it crumble. I took a mental step back a few years ago to examine whether or not this was healthy, which on one hand allowed me to develop an objectivity I didn't have before. On the other, it took me out of touch with the community and I then had to rely on others for feedback which I have since learned I can't trust.
  • The period we had our most active participation across our various channels (YouTube, podcasting etc) was a period where people joined and were excited to dip a toe in the pool. Realistically people aren't going to want to do this forever, but when that activity fell away I felt like a failure as though this is something I was solely responsible for. In actuality, some (not all) of the people who drove that content at the time - while it was welcome - were doing it for the wrong reasons. TLS is never going to be IGN. We are a fan-site, and even if what we publish gets no clout, or gets 3 views, if you're contributing something you have to want to contribute it because you're passionate about what you're doing, not because of the positive feedback/ clout/ power you may or may not get after it's finished.
  • Some of the people stopped being active because they felt they weren't being valued, as though being given admin rights on the board was a thing being withheld from them that they felt they deserved. I do not regret the stance I took at the time and wholeheartedly believe that the less people with the power to see the entire backend and blow this place up is the right call. It is also completely meaningless. Unless you're proficient in messing with the technical aspects of the site it's not something you should have access to. I totally understand that to some it's a bit of a status symbol, but I took way more pride over having the moniker "Site Director" than I ever have "Admin", because "Admin" is just a necessary technical role. I will acknowledge that there is a lack of diversity on the staff though, particularly at the moment.
  • While I'm on that subject of clout and respect, I will forever hold people like Pixel and Shademp in the highest esteem when it comes to contributions to the FFVII fandom, regardless of any kind of meta surrounding it (Pixel is no longer with the community and he famously doesn't like me, for example). Shademp's Unused Text Series and other work is referenced in the videos of YouTubers with 6-figure subscriber counts on a regular basis. Even his most recent DoC stuff gets attention in lore videos. THAT is the clout that actually matters to me in this fandom, and that's why we should hold that kind of contribution in the highest esteem. Next to that, the title of "Admin" on the board is meaningless IMO and it always will be.
  • When that flurry of activity in the lead-up to Remake stopped, I also took a step back from my participation on the media creation side. I recorded my entire playthrough, including my reactions, and never posted it on the YT. I still have the VOD's and am toying with the idea of cutting something together for the channel (3 years later). I don't think it helped that I wasn't keen on the direction of the story at the end, but that's beside the point (I reckon I'll get ripped to shreds because at one point I said "how do I let these ghost things win" or something along those lines).
  • My willingness to take everyone's opinion into account has at times been a hindrance. There is a part of me that accepts that what is truth to someone is truth to them for a reason, because that is of course true. For example, we were too slow to call out/ deal with transphobia. This is partly because it was coming from well known members and the assumption was initially good faith. It was also partly because it wasn't initially overt. But it should never have gotten to the stage it did, and that's on me as well as other staff.
  • I had good friends who seemed to take more pleasure in talking shit about this place and blaming the issues they had with it on everyone else rather than helping me work to improve the culture or change it. It took me a while to parse this out and realise that they're content to shit on it because they themselves do not care about the place - and also, some of the opinions they shared I don't think they realised they were also including me in their aspersions. They'll stick a toe in the pool when it suits them to create whatever main character narrative they're trying to create for themselves, but completely lack the moral fibre it takes to stand up for what's right and actually communicate to affect change. I'm ashamed to say I trusted and respected them enough to hold their views higher than my own (this was in part symptomatic of me taking a step back and relying on others to measure the atmosphere on TLS), and for a while I thought they were right. I've since remembered how *I* feel and it hasn't changed.
  • There was an opinion shared by more than one person that "TLS is anti-women". To be honest, we utterly failed in this regard prior to me becoming a staff member, and that is entirely valid. There was some creepy stalker shit happening here before I joined staff in 2013 (and I still don't have entire context for it all), and I can only say it's not something I would ever let happen as long as I'm here (and current staff would agree). Then there was the general incel-like posting in the Forever Alone thread, which is something I started keeping an eye on since it caught my attention. I admit I personally was ignorant because I didn't frequent that place and am a gay man, so if I ever did see something questionable I probably rolled my eyes and wrote it off as breeder nonsense before I actually knew what an incel was. I know more now. The latest contingent to label TLS anti-women are some of the people who were banned for transphobia, and it was all in a very vaguebooking through-someone-else way. I find that particularly insidious because not only is it TERF rehtoric but it does play on valid concerns from the previous complaints that I actually support. The fact of that matter is, we need people here to report and challenge problematic stuff rather than writing it off as the culture of the community, because that isn't who we are now and it never will be as long as I have a say.

SUMMARY

There is an ebb and flow to a community like this and there are patterns you see emerging over time. This was all a very long way of fully explaining my position, and so that the people who don't know me can understand who I am and why I care about the place. It's also to re-affirm to those who DO know me and have noticed by dip in activity that I always have TLS on the brain and will never stop caring about it.

Which brings me to my resolution: I've been doing a shit job of that recently and I'm sorry. I am committed to staying with our community, to help guide our content creation and to bring back things like community livestreams and whatever else people want to do. But crucially, I cannot do this alone. I can act in an editorial capacity, bring stuff to me, ask me questions and I'll point people in the right direction. But I can only drive so much by myself, and right now I'm technically de-facto in charge of *everything*, including the YouTube, the front page, all social media channels, the board and discord. It's just analysis paralysis, and I need to acknowledge that I was asked to write an article about a month ago by someone on Discord, said I'd get it done then didn't have time and forgot. I can do these small things sure, but I need support.

Randomly, someone has reached out to me on our FB page to discuss content creation (admin of a Remake group who has brought together other creators) and I've lead them to our community - would be interesting to hear some fresh perspectives.

WHERE WE ARE NOW

Content is obviously in a hell of a drought, and that's OK if there's no one willing to make it at the moment. What I absolutely want to avoid is setting targets for people when I've already stipulated here that only people who are passionate about doing it for the sake of doing it should actually want to. It can be disheartening to put work into something and then seemingly get nothing back, but the motivation for creating something shouldn't be the potential clout, and with a fansite like this you're almost always going to end up disappointed. When I used to (regularly) write articles for the site, the buzz I got from it was seeing my name on something on the front page.

WHAT WE NEED

  • CONTENT: Anyone is welcome to contribute, whether that be writing something for the front page (with help from me of course to learn how it works/ editorialise, fair warning, the backend is jank and there are a number of annoying steps), people who want to create stuff, anyone who wants to podcast or anything. I don't think it's been clear enough especially recently that the site is open for anyone who wants to contribute.
  • STAFF: I've said - now 3 times I think, over the past 2 years - that we were going to replace moderators who left. We haven't done this because activity hasn't really warranted it, but it doesn't mean we couldn't do with new mods to better represent the community. Let me know if you all think this is a good idea and I'll get the ball rolling.

OK I've officially run out of steam. There's almost definitely more I want to say but I think I've said enough until I hear from other people. Blessed be :moar:
 

Mage

She/They
AKA
Mage
YOU HAVE MY BOW/AXE/DIGIMON

I appreciate how candid you've been here. I must admit I went from ardent forum user to Discord pretty quickly, mainly because I prefer browsing the forum on my laptop and phones are easier when there's only a dining table to sit upright at.

I am (and have been) willing to contribute for a long time. Obvious parameters include domestic life, being a disabled fuck and neurodiverse batshittery. :monster: One thing I will say is that I researched and compiled an article about pre-order bonuses for Remake that was never used, which I was bummed out about because it took a fair bit of effort at the time. If I produce something considered not of value, I'd rather be told than feel ignored. That said, it may well have been that there was no-one with publishing access around at the time. If that's the case then I am willing to learn how to do this, I'm just wary of bosting the frontpage.
I can produce copy, artwork (needs time for that) and edit stuff. No-one wants to hear my voice lol, but scripting is an option.

Now my laptop is once again out and charging, I'll give it an overhaul and do all the updates and make more of an effort to log in here regularly.
 

Lex

Administrator
I appreciate how candid you've been here. I must admit I went from ardent forum user to Discord pretty quickly, mainly because I prefer browsing the forum on my laptop and phones are easier when there's only a dining table to sit upright at.
Yeah and I think this is fine honestly - the community is still active, it's just that the method of communication has shifted over the years. I don't think it would be worth me lamenting the lack of posting when I too am doing exactly the same thing as everyone else :)

I am (and have been) willing to contribute for a long time. Obvious parameters include domestic life, being a disabled fuck and neurodiverse batshittery. :monster: One thing I will say is that I researched and compiled an article about pre-order bonuses for Remake that was never used, which I was bummed out about because it took a fair bit of effort at the time. If I produce something considered not of value, I'd rather be told than feel ignored. That said, it may well have been that there was no-one with publishing access around at the time. If that's the case then I am willing to learn how to do this, I'm just wary of bosting the frontpage.
This is entirely fair and valid. I don't wish to take away from others who have and can/ do publish on the front page, but I'm pretty much the only person to push these things so when I haven't been available or haven't been directly pinged, stuff can slip through the cracks. And I guarantee there are others who have had a similar experience to you, this is the part that needs to change tbh.

Everyone can have "author" front page access and write stuff in the beginning, and then I can edit/ direct as needed and hit publish until people get the hang of the system. It's an obtuse system, it's not as simple as just writing words and then throwing some pictures in. There are annoying things like SEO, featured image, title length, so on and so forth. I think there are like, 9 components to get right before something gets published, even simple news posts. Even "veteran" posters get it wrong when they post and I have to go in and fix it, which is one of the reasons I'm antsy about giving folk full permissions right away (that and people with editor permission can delete random pages which... no thank u). It's less about trust and more about making sure people are clear on what buttons not to press before they get the ability to press them.

Basically "author" gives people full access to write and preview articles but doesn't allow publishing, so anyone new to it is welcome to that in the first instance. And I'm on hand to answer any questions. Idk you might already have that access Mage?
 

BforB

Pro Adventurer
AKA
B
Thank you for your openness here, Lex. Although I'm not around as often as I used to, TLS will always have a special place in my heart, and through all its ebbs and flows, it has always felt like home. As I've expressed, I'm open to lending a hand on the technical/bot management side on Discord, as well as part-time modding every now and then. I have a big year ahead of me (having a wedding and moving countries ayooo), but you know where to find me and I'll chip in where I can ^_^
 

Leafonthebreeze

Any/All
AKA
Leaf
Hey, I'm relatively new here, but I like this place, and I'd potentially be up for writing bits and/or chatting on a podcast (although I feel like my knowledge of FFVII pales in comparison to lots of you!)

I can write decently, and can DM people examples of my online stuff (my forum posts, mostly bashed out on my phone on a train, are not very representative haha,) but am not great at coming up with ideas for articles. If I was sent a brief though I'd be ok with knocking something out (this is what I'm most used to).

My issue would potentially be that I have a habit of signing up for too much and then getting really overwhelmed. I usually still deliver on what I've promises but at the expense of my mental and physical health. I currently have 5 academic writing deadlines on top of my full time non-academic job so I would need to balance that.

This does mean that something like chatting on a podcast, which has a set time commitment, would maybe work better, but i have a lot less experience in that respect - I've been on my friend's extremely casual podcast once, and live on radio 4 once, and that's about it, so possibly I'm not the best choice there!

Finally, I too am on here every day, and read every single post, so in theory would be happy to chip in with mod help, but I almost exclusively access this place on mobile during my long commute, so if it would require me to get on via pc, I probably couldn't contribute. If basic mod tools are mobile friendly though, I wouldn't mind helping.

Anyway, thanks for making this place what it is guys! Happy to help or not as appropriate.
 

Rydeen

In-KWEH-dible
As a music lover I wouldn't mind writing an article about the remake soundtrack and its different inspirations, but I don't know how I'd structure it or if people would be interested.. I've always loved how the FFVIIR soundtrack played with so many different and sometimes niche genres.
 

Lex

Administrator
As a music lover I wouldn't mind writing an article about the remake soundtrack and its different inspirations, but I don't know how I'd structure it or if people would be interested.. I've always loved how the FFVIIR soundtrack played with so many different and sometimes niche genres.
This sounds interesting, you could always turn it into a series? Ping me a DM if you want permissions on the front page and I'll let you have a tinker around with it
 

JechtShotMK9

The Sublimely Magnificent One
AKA
Kamiccolo9
I had an idea to really dig in to the historical and mythological roots of the series, kinda like a super in-depth version of what the wiki sometimes does. I've got a background in history, so I think I may be able to come up with something a bit more unique, or at least better researched, than a lot of what's floating around the internet at the moment.
 

Lex

Administrator
I had an idea to really dig in to the historical and mythological roots of the series, kinda like a super in-depth version of what the wiki sometimes does. I've got a background in history, so I think I may be able to come up with something a bit more unique, or at least better researched, than a lot of what's floating around the internet at the moment.
Something like this is a really good idea for an article series for sure. One thing I would say to anyone wanting to write is to be mindful of readability, we have a bad habit here of creating articles with tons of info that are walls of text and aren't very readable.

Anyone planning to write for the front page should follow some basic rules - intersperse with images, try not to write paragraphs that are too long, break it up, make lists where you can.


Realistically we have a really bad habit of allowing people to write novel-length posts and there are very few who would actually have the time or attention span to read it. I'm not saying follow that link to the letter, but I'm sure everyone gets the jist.
 

Makoeyes987

Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
AKA
Smooth Criminal
I'm on the forum everyday, checking out of habit. If you need new mods, I'd be more than happy to step up and help.

In terms of content creation, I'm not sure what I could offer at this time. But when FFVII Rebirth rolls in and releases, I could definitely see contributing at that time. I'm loving FFVII more than ever and I wouldn't mind doing stuff again :monster:
 
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Prism

Pro Adventurer
AKA
pikpixelart
Even though I'm also relatively new (and the craziest thing is that I'll have been here for four years this year, and I still think of myself as new...), I'll be happy to be a part of this community. Thank you for posting your thoughts, Lex. My posting has also ebbed recently with my move to Japan, but this place hits a kind of long form discussion that discord isn't really ideal for. I feel like we can go into a lot more detail about FF media and other things here that I don't get a chance to do elsewhere.
 

Nandemoyasan

Standing guard
AKA
Johnny
I am not sure if I will have the time to do so, but I have always had a very soft spot for Final Fantasy in general. I'd love to contribute something. Anyone who likes any Final Fantasy game is automatically allowed to talk to me, basically. I'm not saying I'll be their BFF, but I do enjoy talking about the series and have been saddened to see discussion about it lag in the last 10 years or so on various forums around the net.

The cultural question of "Who are we" is really what interests me most. What sort of people like Final Fantasy, specifically? What is it about this fanbase that draws us together to places like this? Why is it that every time I hit backspace, the current paragraph I'm typing moves one line up in the text editor? (AHEM) Uh, scratch that last one... (even though it bugs me a lot)

If I have time, I'd be down to clown. But I'm just not sure how much time I have these days. I do pay a lot of attention to my writing, though, and I have 0 bones to pick with any sort of cultural/ethnic/gender identity group. I was raised better than that by sweethearted hippie parents.

I seriously hate the fact that pressing backspace at any time deletes my most recent linebreak tho
 

Nandemoyasan

Standing guard
AKA
Johnny
It specifically only happens for me when I’m using Google Chrome on Microsoft Windows 10, if that helps at all. It has been an ongoing issue with the text editor for me since I first signed up for TLS.

I can check some other browsers when I get home from work. I sure would love to get to the bottom of it, it’s been really annoying.
 

Lex

Administrator
It specifically only happens for me when I’m using Google Chrome on Microsoft Windows 10, if that helps at all. It has been an ongoing issue with the text editor for me since I first signed up for TLS.

I can check some other browsers when I get home from work. I sure would love to get to the bottom of it, it’s been really annoying.
Post any updates to the bug report thread and we'll have a look at it there :)

For what it's worth I use Win10 and Chrome also and it doesn't happen to me. Doesn't mean it's definitely you that's the issue, but let me know how you get on with the other browsers.
 
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