WotC forums down for a week or two?

[LFK]

Well, there is a sticky index at the top of the forum which has links to all the handbooks & guides.

But threads also see activity when new content appears which is relevant to them. Then those threads should see some activity, and should be more visible than similarly old threads which don't have any new relevant content.

IMHO a wiki could do the indexing better, and might be a better way to display the finished product, but how could it handle the flow of attention for contributors?

In other words, as a work environment for contributors seeking interesting things to help build, how is a Wiki better than a forum?


See sticky index thread. It's not hard to find old threads.

Cheers, -- N

The sticky threads requires the original poster of the thread to append new handbooks into the top post, else they (the links to new handbooks) end up in the multi-page mire of posts and re-posts and discussions. It works, but it's not elegant.

As for the work environment, I don't actually see it changing all that much. In all likelihood the "rough draft" of a guide or handbook will be posted in much the same way as it already is, discussion will happen, then information will be transcribed or consolidated into a Wiki at the author's discretion/motivation.

Unless, that is, they make guides and handbooks against the CoC, which doesn't make much sense since they're not exactly a burden on the community except when someone goes on a bumping spree because they want them all on page 1.

Really, it's not a zero-sum system: you can have a wiki and a thread.

 

[doctorhook]

IMHO the most useful thing about optimization threads are the discussions that follow the stuff at the top.

Wikis are great to index stable content, and they're great for versioning shared resources, but for discussions? I dunno.

In other words, as a work environment for contributors seeking interesting things to help build, how is a Wiki better than a forum?

Cheers, -- N

I suppose I didn't make myself totally clear: I definitely don't think that a wiki can, should, or will replace the discussions that go on with regards to Character Optimization, but I definitely believe wikis to be the perfect medium for the presentation of CharOp work.

The forums remain the ideal work environment. I think the forums should be used, just as they have been, to discuss the merits of given character options and combinations thereof, and AFAIK, they're not going anywhere. That said, I definitely think that "complete" works -- builds and handbooks primarily, at least insofar as they can ever be temporarily "completed"/brought fully up-to-date -- are far better served by being a part of a wiki, where the entire community can help update and format. Too many builds and handbooks currently suffer from abandonment and infrequent updating, and even of those that are regularly updated, the quality of content and formatting varies widely. A wiki could help immensely with ensuring consistency and quality, as motivated community members would be able to make direct contributions to a single project (all without the pitfalls of using a communal account).

 

[Omen of Peace]

Any word from our WotC overlords regarding how the update is progressing ?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Any word from our WotC overlords regarding how the update is progressing ?

I was hopeing there would be some news by now (11am on the earliest day it would be back)....

if anyone knows or susspects anything...please tell

 

[pascale]

Still down last time i checked....5:10 AST

 

[N0Man]

Well, they did say they'd be down until at *least* the 26th. I predict they will be back up somewhere between now and the future.

 

[Shemeska]

Well they changed my username over there, I know that. Got an email that apparently the spaces in my name are now underscores, presumably because of incompatability between the old system and the new one. Why it can't support spaces, I can't say.

 

[TiwazTyrsfist]

I would dearly like to have a status update from someone who knows something. Even if the best we get is "It'll be down til September".

 

[Stuntman]

I would dearly like to have a status update from someone who knows something. Even if the best we get is "It'll be down til September".

Yeah. The original ETA was rather vague. When they announced that it would be down until at least the 26 and possibly until September, it made me want to check today hoping it would be up early. I didn't expect it would be up.

I would have liked for them to say initially that it would be down until the end of the month. That way, if they do get it up earlier, they can announce it on their web site and everyone would be happy that they brought it up ahead of schedule.

Not that I expect the forums to be up today, but it just makes them seem like they're late. Don't they now how to set low expectations for their customers and then exceed them?

 

[Maldin]

Well they changed my username over there,... Why it can't support spaces, I can't say.

Shemmy, you should know that in a tough economy like this, particularly in the loth-eat-loth "luxury commodity" business of the gaming industry, you can't have any wasted space(s)!

Although, looking at the 4E MM, it sure seemed to have a lower density of text then any previous edition. Seems they could have saved some space there as well.

Denis, aka "Maldin"
Maldin's Greyhawk http://melkot.com
Loads of edition-independent Greyhawk goodness... mapes, magic, mysteries, mechanics, and more!