Forum:IOTM: getting stale?
A couple of months ago I was in conversation with Seppy about how some members of the site think the Illogicopedian of the Month award is becoming a bit boring and predictable. I believe we've hit a watershed with our first non-user winner of the award (which, by the way, I disagree with and believe Gino ought to have won) and there are certain people who no longer care about awards and stuff like that. Now, I am not suggesting we get rid of the award, far from it, just that things need shaking up.
This was suggested by someone, can't remember who: one plan is to retire the IOTM award, keep it as an archive of past glories, and introduce a brand new 'thing happening of the month' - can't think how else to describe it right now - where users vote on notable events from the past month to go on the front page. This would obviously require some main page shuffling but I don't wanna go into that right now... The downside to all that is that it might encourage drama and discourage good writers.
Personally I like the idea of actually awarding good users: it encourages them and other users to write more great stuff. There are other alternatives, of course, like having a mini 'writer/user of the week' award, or something that an admin/a select group of panellists vote on each week.
Whatever, I think some sort of change is needed to at least engage the minds of those who are no longer stimulated by a simple Illogicopedian of the Month award. -- Hindleyak Converse • ?blog • Click here! 11:52, 4 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
Update: I mocked up a brief modification of the front page to demonstrate how the extra bit (in this case, featured article) might be incorporated. -- Hindleyak Converse • ?blog • Click here! 12:38, 4 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- IOTY, much? Also, nice adjustment on your Main Page 'tinkery' it includes it very well and looks nice. —rms talk 18:57, 4 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- I disagree strongly, Hindleyite, though something needs to be done. The reason we can't do what you propose is that new users will be turned away by the fact that, "He has
ice creama banana trophy why can't I have one?" I think we just need to find a way to get people to care about it. As with the fall of all democracies, the end will come from people not caring. So take like 35 fucking seconds of your life to do something to keep Illogicopedia running strong. - Oh and Hindleyite, don't do this because then I'll have even more problems with the direction of Illogicopedia. --T3 20:56, 4 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Profanity again T3, tisk. Anyway I'm actually for what Hindleyite is proposing. I put the apathy thing up because, to me, the award had lost all real meaning. Instead of a competition to promote quality writing it had just become a stale pat on the back to our latest newb. T3, on your point about people being turned away because they don't get one specific award, well, people who leave our site because of something that small were probably not worth the bother in the first place. The alternatives all sound rather tasty, though I can't remember what they are now because I got distracted. Needless to say they gave the vague happy feelings a pat on the back does to someone with a vagina on their shoulder. Peace and luff 21:08, 4 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Screw this. I 1000000% disagree with you. The reason I say this is because it loses the whole race for Illogicopedian of the Month. I remember how excited I was on August 31st, 2008 when I was waiting the award to be finalized. I was happy. If you take that away from the site you take away all of the user-friendliness we have. If you're trying to encourage new users, taking away an award they could possibly get is just going to turn away. @TReich: The reason it's getting stale is because no one is voting and everyone just assumes that just because there are no new users, you cannot look for older users that haven won it. Take these two users for example: This user and this one. They both deserve it! Half the reason you say it is getting stale is because you've convinced yourself it is. The site won't be nearly the same if you take away IOTM I guarantee it. My entire time on Illogicopedia you've never listened to me on anything but please, this time, listen. I don't care if it's getting stale, don't get rid of it. There has been no debate I've felt stronger about than this one. --T3 01:29, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- I'm with T3, not because he said I deserved it but because if you take away IOTM there's nothing really to work for and strive for. The reason why you say its getting "stale" is because your only looking for new members! I think if you contribute to the site you deserve it. You could have terrible articles, but if you're on everyday editing, that's IOTM material. mwow513 • My Articles! • Talk to me 02:11, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Well it certainly appears to me that every month should we have a new user they automatically win it, regardless of more experienced users doing a better job, which is fine sometimes when someone makes an impression, but for a long while it hasn't felt liek that, more of a steady barrel scraping for newbs. I'm starting to think Illogiopedia isn't yet populated enough to make this award properly worthwhile. The proposals Hindleyite have would, in my eyes, promote user friendlyness just as well. The writer of the week pannelist thing would to me be more competitive, and wouldn't lose people's interest as much as this ones. However, you do raise a point, about user friendliness. We really should do more as a site to promote user friendliness, so when newbs arrive there's an even tighter community to become part of, thatwould be sick. In my eyes the ultimate goal would be where it's normal for most articles to be randomly contributed to by more than one person, without need for it's specification as a collab. Kindof like communism. But anyway, dreams aside I still think it's time something was done. Also, I did restrain myself about mentioning your latest 'user friendliness' T3 :P (love you really) 09:56, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Lol, it seems the division between those who think IOTM is getting stale (Testicles, Seppy, Nerd) and everyone else is pretty evident in the above conversation. I'll repeat that I don't want to get rid of IOTM, in fact I don't think anyone does. The Golden Banana is a prestigious award! What is needed is some sort of change, as yes, it has become the done thing to simply nom the latest newbie and give him a slap on the back. It ought to be more of a competition!
- I suppose I'm partly to blame for all this. Back in its heyday, IOTM flourished, with five or six people nommed every month and flamewars aplenty over who ought to win. Back then, I nommed two dudes on the first day of the month. We've got to find a way of reinvigorating the whole thing, even if it's just something really small like having a mandatory three people put up for the vote (chosen by admins, a panel or whoever) at the beginning of the month. People can still nominate new users after that, but it would at least spark conversation and some life into the page. Because ATM, it's in danger of becoming a bit like Uncyc's Newbie of the Month, and we don't want that, do we?
- Don't worry, T3, I won't implement anything unless there's a consensus. I can understand why you'd get emotional about this subject as it's a part of the site's tradition, and has made a lot of newbies into fully-fledged, regular users. There's the point of after IOTM, where do you go? Well, if this new approach were tried, then oldies would get a fair shot along with the newbs. It all depends on how much stuff the user's done in the past month, not necessarily since January 2007, or whenever the person joined the site. -- Hindleyak Converse • ?blog • Click here! 10:46, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- I'd like to get a chance to compete against teh newbies. I haven't won anything in a longggg time. It makes me sad. -- 21:11, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- I suggested it, i suggested calling it AotM or Awesome of the month, just the best something to happen in the wiki, be it user, article or forum. (is yet to read the rest, expect more comments :P ) --Silent PenguinLeave Me Alone 23:40, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- The real root of this whole problem is not enough users, we need to inject more interest, be it whoring on uncyc again, benson's house of flying pancakes is the usual port of call, or other forums wikis etc, its been ages since iv noticed anyone who actually edits the site mention the site in somewhere else. :/ --Silent PenguinLeave Me Alone 23:48, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- I'd like to get a chance to compete against teh newbies. I haven't won anything in a longggg time. It makes me sad. -- 21:11, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Well it certainly appears to me that every month should we have a new user they automatically win it, regardless of more experienced users doing a better job, which is fine sometimes when someone makes an impression, but for a long while it hasn't felt liek that, more of a steady barrel scraping for newbs. I'm starting to think Illogiopedia isn't yet populated enough to make this award properly worthwhile. The proposals Hindleyite have would, in my eyes, promote user friendlyness just as well. The writer of the week pannelist thing would to me be more competitive, and wouldn't lose people's interest as much as this ones. However, you do raise a point, about user friendliness. We really should do more as a site to promote user friendliness, so when newbs arrive there's an even tighter community to become part of, thatwould be sick. In my eyes the ultimate goal would be where it's normal for most articles to be randomly contributed to by more than one person, without need for it's specification as a collab. Kindof like communism. But anyway, dreams aside I still think it's time something was done. Also, I did restrain myself about mentioning your latest 'user friendliness' T3 :P (love you really) 09:56, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- I'm with T3, not because he said I deserved it but because if you take away IOTM there's nothing really to work for and strive for. The reason why you say its getting "stale" is because your only looking for new members! I think if you contribute to the site you deserve it. You could have terrible articles, but if you're on everyday editing, that's IOTM material. mwow513 • My Articles! • Talk to me 02:11, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Screw this. I 1000000% disagree with you. The reason I say this is because it loses the whole race for Illogicopedian of the Month. I remember how excited I was on August 31st, 2008 when I was waiting the award to be finalized. I was happy. If you take that away from the site you take away all of the user-friendliness we have. If you're trying to encourage new users, taking away an award they could possibly get is just going to turn away. @TReich: The reason it's getting stale is because no one is voting and everyone just assumes that just because there are no new users, you cannot look for older users that haven won it. Take these two users for example: This user and this one. They both deserve it! Half the reason you say it is getting stale is because you've convinced yourself it is. The site won't be nearly the same if you take away IOTM I guarantee it. My entire time on Illogicopedia you've never listened to me on anything but please, this time, listen. I don't care if it's getting stale, don't get rid of it. There has been no debate I've felt stronger about than this one. --T3 01:29, 5 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Profanity again T3, tisk. Anyway I'm actually for what Hindleyite is proposing. I put the apathy thing up because, to me, the award had lost all real meaning. Instead of a competition to promote quality writing it had just become a stale pat on the back to our latest newb. T3, on your point about people being turned away because they don't get one specific award, well, people who leave our site because of something that small were probably not worth the bother in the first place. The alternatives all sound rather tasty, though I can't remember what they are now because I got distracted. Needless to say they gave the vague happy feelings a pat on the back does to someone with a vagina on their shoulder. Peace and luff 21:08, 4 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- I disagree strongly, Hindleyite, though something needs to be done. The reason we can't do what you propose is that new users will be turned away by the fact that, "He has
Yeah well[edit source]
I seem to remember half this discussion was lopped off with the server catastrophe of 11th September. Anyhow, if I remember to take my brain medication, I'll probably nom a few users -- new or old, depending on how much they contributed in the last month -- in the coming days. Feel free to help me out if ya feel like it, yup. -- Hindleyak Converse • ?blog • Click here! 12:49, 30 Serpeniver 2009 (UTC)
- Well. Not that I actually follow this topic, but I think this 'thing happening of the month' or whatchamacallit nowadays, is good. It could encourage both drama and good articles, you know, like if a good article was the thing of the month or...or something. On the other hand, you have different fingers... --
Dxpenguinman, the Penguinman ...He's e-vile! • Talk • Got An Idea? • GAMESHOW! 10:04, 12 Octodest 2009 (UTC)
