Tay

If any brave soul wants to suggest background music for reading the above post, feel free to share a link. If it tickles one of the mods, they have my blessing to insert it into the above post (in case I don't see it). Joking aside... Truly -- thanks to everybody for your patience. So many people have stepped up and are doing great things. You're wonderful.

Hello everybody, As some of you know, I've been extremely sick lately. It's been more a dangerous-sick than just I-hate-life-sick, and so my absence on the site was unavoidable. I'm getting better, I've had solid medical care, and I'm putting my life back together. Thank you for your patience. This couldn't have come at a worse time (for my personal life and for Fuwa!) I know that many of us were starting to get really jazzed for upcoming site changes. I want to spell out a timeline for everybody so we all know what's coming and what to expect. I also hope it'll help assuage any anxieties about stagnation. The "cleaning house" period has been extended through October (since I've been out of action for almost all September!) Between now and next Wednesday I will be finalizing some behind-the-scenes changes among the staff and writing materials for the board moderator program By the end of next week I hope to have everything in place to roll out the board moderator program (members can be given moderator roles over particular "boards" on the forums and work under the guidance of a global moderator). I made a call for interested parties (https://forums.fuwanovel.net/index.php?/topic/6292-are-you-interested-in-helping-moderate-a-corner-of-the-fuwanovel-forums/) and the initial roster will be selected from those who stepped forward in that post. If you're interested and fit the qualifications, speak up in that post! Again, at least the selection of board moderators should be done by next week, at which time I should have the training materials finished and in the hands of the global mods (and then we'll see how it goes) I'm working on getting an up-to-date picture on where our server move is and what front-site changes are ready to be made. Nothing to report yet, but I have submitted a 2-page list of high-priority changes to our web development team I finished my site analytics and I'm very pleased with the VN forums changes (traffic and participation are both up across the spectrum of user groups). I think the data also shows that the "Ongoing Projects" board has been very successful at driving traffic and attention to the projects featured within it. I can't say that for sure (I'm not awesome at the form of statistics my program is using), but if I'm reading the data right, then it's driven >3x as much traffic to each project than they were receiving before the ongoing projects board was made. I don't know about you, but I'd say that's exactly what we'd want for our fearless project leaders! Still waiting to hear the details on software changes before I commit to any tagging add-ons for the Development boards (it could take a while, but it's a high priority for me. Don't give up, developers!) The forums changes, like I said, have been very encouraging. The biggest (most important? controversial? fabulous?) issue to tackle, as we all know, will be the general discussion board with the G&C sub-board within it. Before I go into any details about the changes, I'l reemphasize that my priorities in changing up the organization will be: maintain a space for true general discussion, provide a separate space for Fuwanovel-centered projects and community work/discussion, give an out let for getting to know each other and having fun, and then filtering out the posts which are fluff or worthless and really just deserve to die (more on this in a minute ; )). (In summary: better differentiate between topical discussion, friendship building, Fuwanovel work, and "fluff" posts which deserve death) The details are yet to be finalized, but the current plans (written in a super secret notebook) are as follows: A. To create a community hub (focused on Fuwanovel) which will be dedicated to community projects, the improvements board system, a leadership council, etc. B. Restore the "general discussion" board to its true purpose (topically-based and focused discussion about stuff) C. There will be a Lounge section which will be the spot for getting to know each other, having fun, a little goofing off, etc. D. The newest addition will be something akin to an "Arena of Death" where pointless, fluff, and/or scum-and-villainy types of posts will be sent to die (or fight for survival). Details forthcoming. One really big thing that needs to be addressed is site media (blog and social media). There will be some long-overdue changes coming to the blog, and a better workflow for how all these services work together and how they're to be used There's more. I could talk about MOTM, for example, which has had a bumpy road due to my illness, or stances on games and translator groups and requests for takedowns. There's a lot more to discuss, but I don't have the energy atm to get it all down on paper. I ask for your patience as I recover. I'll put out as much info as I can on a regular basis. Within the next week I will be finalizing the list of torrents which will no longer be linked-to on our front site. The links will go "offline" the last week of October. The leadership structure of the community to which we're headed is going to be a leadership council structure with voting and non-voting members. I'm not going to say a lot more at this point (since it's still early, there's still too much to do, and because I need to maintain a tyrannical dictatorship power structure in order to accomplish everything listed above ), but I wanted to clearly state that nobody realizes better than I the logistical problems facing the site. I just wanted to assure everybody that soon enough we'll be in a position where responsibilities are better spread out and no life-threatening illness of any one of us puts all the forward momentum in jeopardy ; ). I want to apologize to the logo contest winners! I'm sorry that I haven't been rotating the banners as I promised. I will be appointing somebody to do this and giving them restricted ACP access so they can make the changes per schedule in the future. Immediate Timeline: I still need some rest time, but I should be in a better position by Tuesday By Wednesday night I should have a fairly comprehensive proposal ready for my inexhaustible and ever-patient counselor and friend Rooke to examine. Details of above proposals will be discussed and refined for up to 2 weeks or until we're both happy. No later than that point I'll reach out for additional opinions and thoughts/further refinement Concurrently: I should have the staff worked out by Tuesday. The global mods (at least the ones who head board moderator teams) will be given several days to choose from a list of willing members to build their teams. I will also be selecting board moderators and assigning them to particular global mods/boards. While the global mods are working on their team (and, again, this is concurrent with Rooke and I working through proposed changes), I will be finalizing the staff handbooks which will contain rules, policies, important information, and workflows for typical tasks. Once that's done and the global mods have built their teams, the new board mods will be contacted, I'll set up their permissions, and the global mods will conduct training for their teams. Front site: This is an email-based workflow which I'll initiate tomorrow (Sunday). The upcoming forums changes will be enacted once we have a set plan (on my end) and an army of board moderators willing to help us manage the transition. I estimate this'll go down within 1-1.5 weeks Some basic blog changes are going to be happening in the next week as well: integration with social media, aesthetic changes, and additional un-annouced changes should roll out. That's probably as much detail as is helpful right now. Please note: I have >40 PMs and emails to go through, so if you don't hear from me right away, don't think I'm ignoring you! LAST POINT! The Bonus Twitter Challenge! I'm not currently able to spend a lot of time up and about, meaning my time for working on Fuwa is somewhat limited. "Working on Fuwa" includes stuff like PMs, emails, reports, TL group sessions, and photo shoots. (<- one of those has yet to be requested. Wonder why...). SO! I'd like to suggest that anybody who urgently needs to contact me should do so through Twitter (at least for the next few days). My twitter handle is @ArchmageTay I'll try to get up and be here on the site, but again, if you have a pressing concern or issue, send me a DM/Tweet. Also! The challenge part: my twitter avatar is pretty bland (but awesome! Yay HP!). If you're tweeting at me and get bored of my avatar, feel free to send me alternates you think I should use instead. If your submission is really awesome, you may just see it go up ; ). That last bit was just for fun, but really -- it's difficult for me (at least in the short, short term) to get up and around, so if you need me, let me know through Twitter. (Unless you're batman. Then just send me a bat signal through Skype). (read the post below- elevator music to accompany things, placed here by me, Kaguya) If you read all of this... wow! Way to go! Thanks for your time, and I'll see you soon.

(If more people want to put their names in, feel free) Thanks, everybody! I'll be posting about this soon!

I'll validate it -- the IP was in the "Banned" list, though. A quick glance shows it may be a shared IP, though.

Sorry, got uber sick but didn't die. Validated.

Thanks, Rooke. Exactly right. If the project was launched, then it's fair game. It doesn't matter if it was recruiting at the time it went "cold", it just needs to have begun work. Thanks so much, guys!

Hello, everybody! It's September 1st... so where's the new Member of the Month announcement? You've probably heard that September is our "cleaning house" month: a lot of site changes (many of which are long-overdue) are going to be made, and we're going to whip our rears into gear so we can move into the future. The September MotM will be chosen based on their willingness to kick off the spring cleaning effort! I need help looking through the Fan Translation Discussion forum and identifying projects which should be moved to the "Ongoing Projects" board. Here's exactly what needs to happen, and the first person (or team) to get it done will receive the prestigious September 2014 MotM Award. (If you tackle this as a team, please choose one person to receive the award. I'll be sure to include all your names in the award's official note (orange "N")). Go through the Fan Translation Discussion board (I need you to parse through pages 1-7 of the Fan TL archive, but you don't need to go further back than page 7 (which is ~January 2014)) and identify all the fan translation or OELVN projects which were started (aka: the project got off the ground, even if it hasn't been updated in a long time) Make a list of these projects and include the project's name and a link to the topic's url I'm looking to parse back from page 1 to page 7 (the last topic on page 7 is "Tapestry -you will meet yourself- translation request ". You don't need to go back any further than that.) The award will go to whichever person/group successfully posts a comprehensive list first. Besides the coveted MotM award, I'll also give them the option to ask me almost any question (note the "almost" ;P ), or receive a hand-drawn image from me. The image will be done digitally, and will be drawn in exactly 5 minutes (no more, no less) (I will keep drawing until 5 minutes is up) (literally) (you may even be able to make a request). Glory, fame, honor, and reward await you! (And thanks a ton for your help! I know this isn't a lot of fun, but it's an unbelievable help to us.)

Time limit: I plan on making the board moderator choices within a week to a week and a half. Feel free to throw your hat into the ring until I announce the list. RE: How to find out if you were chosen -- Yes, you'll receive a PM from me to discuss this choice, and then it'll be posted publicly on the forms (including in this topic once the final list has been nailed down).

Hello, everybody! This topic is looking for feedback on two separate items (see below). Recommendations Forum in General Some informal polling has indicated to me that the "recommendations" forum has been extremely well-received and people seem to think it was a great addition to the boards. If that's accurate, fantastic! I wanted to check in and make sure that everybody's happy with this addition. Secondly: Should the "Recommendations" Forum be a Sub-Forum within the VN Talk Board? I know it's been difficult for some to adjust to the increased number of boards on our index page. Many people have written me asking if I can move the Recommendations board into the VN Talk board (so it would appear similar to how the "Games and Chatter" currently appears within "General Discussion"). I'm interested to hear feedback about this issue. I, personally, don't like the idea for two reasons: first, I think that as a visual novel site we ought to devote screen real estate to the central hobby of the community. Second, I think it gets more traffic and attention (especially from new members) standing out on its own. Please feel free to offer feedback as you are so moved. (And if you have not looked at it, please read my call for volunteers in the new system of board moderators)

Checking into the forums twice a week. Each time you "check in" you agree to do up to 30 minutes of moderating work. You can do more, of course, but that's the basic commitment.

Hello everybody, Thanks again for your patience as I recovered from my illness. I'm excited to begin our month of "cleaning house" and getting the site ready for the future. Today I'm putting out a call for anybody who is interested in moderating on the Fuwanovel forums. This is a major way you can help with the community (though not the only way!), and if you feel drawn to the work, let us know! I've included a job description and requirements below. If this is something you'd like to do, please speak up! This topic is meant to stay open for some time, with action following (hopefully) within a week or so. Not everybody who volunteers will be chosen this time around, but calls for board moderators will happen periodically in the future, so you'll get another shot. Job Description: Board Moderator Requirements: At least 2-3 months of experience on the site At least 50 posts A desire to help out and keep the forums organized! Duties: What will board moderators do? Work with a global moderator to keep an assigned forum organized: topic moves, keeping 'derailing' to an acceptable level, reporting rule violations, helping new members find their way around your forum Be responsible to brainstorm ways to make your forum better Help people have fun and get to know each other What board moderators are NOT: Secret police, spies, thought control agents, or dictators over their forum Important/Interesting Logistics: Each board moderator will be trained by and report to a global moderator in a fancy coordination forum to which you'll be given access. In addition to your living, breathing global moderator trainer/compatriot, you'll have a handbook to reference. We won't throw you in the pool and expect you to swim ; ) Board moderators will be assigned to one or more boards (see the duties listed above) You'll be expected to check in and work as a moderator at least two times a week We'll consider board moderators first when openings in the global moderator ranks opens up

(Rare and Activision (respectively) own those properties, ja?) (It may be as far-fetched as Morrowind on the Vita, but hey, I'm with you. That would be amazing!)

I'm so sorry to hear that, Ren. You've done some amazing work, and it's disappointing that you've hit this roadblock. I look forward to seeing where you go next and how you'll choose to engage this setback. You're a smart and creative guy, and I don't see this keeping you down for long. I know I'm not alone when I say that I enjoyed those videos -- they were appreciated by many -- and I can't wait for what comes next.

^ Good resources. Thanks for sharing.

What's everybody's outta this world/biggest wish for the press conference? Mine would probably be a Bethesda collection for the Vita ; ). #nothappening #shutupleweythevitahastonsofgames

Demotions suck. Be strong, brother.

Agreed on the points above. Also... that name... (the following is stolen from a funny Forbes article)

I've added this to the list of to-change on the front page.

I've always imagined Zaka with black hair and a cape (always a cape)... Blond... I'll need to do some mental gymnastics to alter my mental image. So far I'd say you've nailed it, Batman! Are you going to do yourself, or are you just god?

Hey everybody, I'm sorry that it's a week after my anticipated return date, and I'm still not up and running. I'm not sure if anybody posted about my RL issues, but I've been dealing with some crises and have been in and out of the hospital. I'm home now, and will plan on being online tonight to start catching up and getting to work. I haven't had a chance to read any posts or PMs, so if it seems like I'm ignoring something -- forgive me! I'll get to it tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for your patience and all the well-wishes people have sent my way, Tay

No updates yet. Sorry! Still looking into it.

Hey everybody, Full disclosure: I'm still kind of in crisis mode (I've got a personal and family emergency going on), so I won't have time to proof-read or content-screen a second draft of this. Hopefully it comes across clear enough. Purpose of this thread: As I've reviewed recent threads and PMs it became clear to me that I need to speak a little to forum/community changes and direction. I've been accused of being "unreliable", "slow", "conceited", and even "Hitleresque". I choose to laugh those off and keep moving forward. "Cleaning House" Many of you have expressed frustration that the site isn't moving forward. I've repeatedly clarified that the meta-level direction of the website will be addressed starting in September. We need a better organization to tackle the future, and from now until mid-September, my objective is to restructure the site ("clean house", if you will). What do I mean by cleaning house? More changes to the organization of the forums Releasing with gratitude many moderators The establishment of a new "board" moderator program open to anybody who wants to help and meets certain requirements A new system for choosing global moderators (meaning there will be a difference between board and global mods) Back-end stability changes A lot of changes to the front site (for which we do have several capable coders, and which are only held up now by host-side processes) The "cleaning house" period will be slower until ~ August 21. My personal emergencies and school responsibilities require this timetable. The "hot zone" of changes will run from August 21 to whenever we finish in September, and will encompass the majority of the changes. "Burden of Leadership" So let's be frank: there's too much on my plate. I'm not talking about my mental health, I'm speaking from an organizational angle. People are right to criticize me for being slow in enacting change or rolling out programs -- it's a consequence of my real life responsibilities. I ask that the community be patient -- I didn't ask to be left in a lurch by the departure of my co-admin. I didn't ask for similar departures of previous co-admins. Every time I've sought a partner, I've been left behind with twice the work. So. You should be glad to know that as part of "cleaning house" I'll be restructuring the leadership. I'm not going to give out details right now, but they'll be coming within the next 6 weeks. The fundamental principle of the new leadership structure will be codifying a Fuwanovel charter which will guide the future of the site and give it direction long after I've left Retirement? There's been some bizarre PM conversations screencapped and sent to me. Here's some clarification: I am working towards retirement from the site. As I recently commented to sanah: my end-game at Fuwanovel is knowing that the community has a self-image and internal structure strong enough to carry it into the future. I am not going to abandon the community before I achieve those goals. As we get closer to that goal, maybe I'll speak more to why I'd retire and what projects I'm going to start working on, but those conversations are not applicable at the moment. I haven't set a specific timetable for this process. I'll be here for as long as it takes. Meta-Direction: Torrents In late 2012 Fuwanovel had two slogans "Visual Novel Repo" and "Make Visual Novels Popular in the West". I think these slogans illustrate well the division in the community (still) between a focus on fan-sharing culture and support of visual novels' development in the West. I plan on angling the community down the second path. I personally have significant ethical and logistical qualms with fan sharing culture. I acknowledge, however, that providing game torrents is part of Fuwanovel's DNA. I'm not going to change that. I will, however, continue to enforce the rule that we developed very early on to not host licensed games: all torrents for licensed games hosted on the front site will be taken down in September. Many people have asked if I intend to move Fuwanovel into a "torrent-less" future. The answer: no. It's too ingrained in the community zeitgeist and history. Future community leaders will need to determine their threshold of cognitive dissonance and feel comfortable offering pre-patched, non-licensed games. Hm.... Did I forget anything? Feel free to comment or ask questions below. Here's what I want you to take away from this post: changes are coming. Logistical changes to reorganize the forums/community will be made in a "cleaning house" period which runs from now until it's all done sometime in September. My schedule requires that I roll out changes more slowly from now until August 21, and after the 21st the changes will be rolled out quickly and efficiently. Please be patient during this process: I know that this pace may be frustrating to some, but it's necessary for planning, proper execution, and my own RL schedule.

It's a limitation of the software. Krill started the project, so his name was listed first, but I included the whole group in the note (the orange "N") and in this topic. In my eyes, they all equally deserve the award. Great job, everybody.

I'd like to announce our August 2014 Member of the Month! This award is shared between Krill, maefdom, nosebleed,,and kaguya for their excellent work on the VN lexicon. We have several coders ready to help implement it on the front site, we're just waiting for host access to begin. Great job, guys! Thanks for such good work!

I'm not involved with the seedbox. Steve and Kendjin are the go-to fellas. Thanks for everything, Dale. Do what you think is best!