Man Behind the Curtain - Tay + OriginalRen Chats

[OriginalRen]

For those of you who haven't had the chance to check out the podcast episodes as of late, take a look at the new series Tay and I have been working on recently in an effort to improve the community and listen to you, the people of Fuwanovel. The 2 episodes posted below are the beginning of the series - a preview into what we hope will be the format for many future episodes going forward. Being very similar to an "ask me anything" thread, Tay will do his very best to answer the many questions the community has in an effort to connect with the many members here on the site.

 

Fuwanovel is on the verge of change, and this is in my opinion a great leap forward, so feel free to tune in by clicking any of the links below, and we hope this helps answer many people's questions.

 

Man Behind the Curtain - Episode 2: Fuwanovel Unification and Concerns

 

And here is the 1st episode in case you happened to miss it:

 

Man Behind the Curtain - Episode 1: Fuwanovel Towards the Future

 

Thanks for listening!

 

[Kimanor]

Interesting. I noticed something at the fuwanovel recommendations thing for this, but I had no clue where to find it.

[Chronopolis]

Good that you made this. Listening away merrily~

Just,

-The podcast could be a lot less roundabout. At least, it would be good to make a set of notes of the non-historical parts, particuarly about the purpose/role the community is supposed to fufill.

[Flutterz]

Here's an idea for a drinking game: take a shot every time Ren says the word "respect" or any word containing it.

[Cythnar]

Here's an idea for a drinking game: take a shot every time Ren says the word "respect" or any word containing it.

Let's try to... I dunno, survive here, yeah?

[Nayleen]

Definitely going to give this a go when I come home later.

[Tenkuru]

Well, looks like I now have a lot to catch up on. Have not heard a single episode of the Fuwa podcast and also the 'get to know the community' thing. Guess I'll need to add this in to my backlog too.

[solidbatman]

Here's an idea for a drinking game: take a shot every time Ren says the word "respect" or any word containing it.

Attempting. Will report back. /joke

[Flutterz]

Another podcast thread T,T

[Tay]

Hahaha. That was a little embarrassing now that I'm listening to myself. Next time we'll cut down on interruptions so it comes across clearer. Both of us had notes, but the whole conversation effect can warp the delivery a little. (Part of this is my fault -- I always bring talking points and Ren does a good job humoring me, but when I get sidetracked during my spiels the flow gets obfuscated). I'll get better, guys! Promise! Don't give up on me yet!

Oh, also -- I keep getting PMs about how people like the Fuwa History lessons. I don't think you realize that if you keep telling me that, I'll keep droning on and on about it ; )

Had a good time. Thanks a lot, Ren, for giving me a chance to share my perspective in a conversational way.

[HMN]

i really enjoyed this podcast episodes it was really good

i personally love hearing about Fuwa history xD

[Flutterz]

Oh, also -- I keep getting PMs about how people like the Fuwa History lessons. I don't think you realize that if you keep telling me that, I'll keep droning on and on about it ; )

He's on to us! D:

[solidbatman]

Tay, is your History of Fuwanovel thing still a thing?

[Tay]

Tay, is your History of Fuwanovel thing still a thing?

Technically, but not really. It's in a storage unit a thousand miles away. : (

[solidbatman]

Technically, but not really. It's in a storage unit a thousand miles away. : (

Mail it to me and I'll finish it. 

 

Also, when we do meet, I am going to punch you in the gut, and then kiss you. So it will be less throw down and more restraining order. 

[zakobot]

Just finished listening to the first episode.

 

I enjoyed getting to know a little more about both of you and hearing about the history of the site.

 

My favorite quote would probably be "I fell in love with the culture... so I bought a rice cooker."

 

(I would have thought rice cookers are pretty commonplace even in the US these days but anyway...)

 

Another takeaway was, "Tay likes people who stand up to him... *number of troll posts increase*" LOL

 

One tiny drawback was the feedback during the podcast, this could be resolved by everyone using headphones for the duration of the podcast. 

 

But I digress, it was a nice chat to listen to and if you need any tips on living in Japan just let me know and I'll be happy to help as much as I can.

 

When I joined the forums I was also overwhelmed by the atmosphere of positiveness so you guys are doing something right.

 

Keep up the good work!

[Guest]

Yes, there has to be only one leader.

 

However a leader doesn't do everything. Because doing everything alone is not possible.

 

First thing I learnt in engineering school is :"Work as a group".

 

You distribute tasks to competent people. Not everybody does the same thing. Then, you win time, efficiency and quality.

[Tay]

Yes, there has to be only one leader.

 

However a leader doesn't do everything. Because doing everything alone is not possible.

 

First thing I learnt in engineering school is :"Work as a group".

 

You distribute tasks to competent people. Not everybody does the same thing. Then, you win time, efficiency and quality.

Agreed. Excellent point I neglected to mention.

[sanahtlig]

With this change of direction that Tay's bringing, and the discussion of Aaeru's burnout, I feel there's a question that needs to be asked.

 

Tay is in medical school.  He must be a very busy person, even without holding the reins of Fuwanovel.  He's acknowledged that he puts many many hours into this site.  He's also mentioned he has medical school rotations coming up.  He's about to get even busier.

 

How long can Tay keep up this level of commitment to Fuwanovel?  If he's going to step into this greater leadership role and change Fuwanovel's current course, is he going to be able to stick around to see it through?

[Tay]

That's an important discussion which -- you're right -- needs to be explored. The short version is that I can't keep up that same number of weekly hours. Things need to change. That's certainly a big contributing factor behind these changes. I know very well that I need to scale back significantly from the minutiae, empower the staff to handle much of what I used to do, and move many of the projects into the community's hands. 

 

Admittedly I have no doubt that there will be an end-game for me. Right now I perceive that end game will be once I know that Fuwanovel has a better internal structure and self-identity, and is moving again towards the end goal of supporting and promoting Visual Novels (and VN elements) in the West. Maybe that'll be in eight months. Maybe in a year. Maybe more. I'm committed to seeing Fuwanovel into its next chapter, and finding the right people to lead it forward.

 

Until then, I'll be here. Fuwanovel and all of my experiences here have had a major impact in my life. I'll try and be as smart as I can about setting it up for success and balancing my life/responsibilities. 

[Guest]

Listen to this while listening and get emotionnaly involved a lot more than you should ! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgw_RD_1_5I

 

joke of course

[fun2novel]

What I still don't get is what are the changes that are coming to the Fuwa community? What are the partnerships you are talking about and how will they influence the community? Does this mean that all the torrents will be removed?

 

I just hope there will still be a place for me on Fuwanovel after these changes come.

[Tay]

What I still don't get is what are the changes that are coming to the Fuwa community? What are the partnerships you are talking about and how will they influence the community? Does this mean that all the torrents will be removed?

 

I just hope there will still be a place for me on Fuwanovel after these changes come.

Darn! And I tried so hard to prevent this sort of miscommunication. Sorry, Fun2novel. I haven't announced the changes specifically, only that some things are going to change from now until September. The short version is that they aren't going to be drastic. 

 

Specifically to your questions -- No, the torrents aren't all coming down, just localized game torrents. I'm still working on partnerships (generally they're with communities who share an interest in otaku culture, or genres similar to visual novels), but none have been finalized yet. And the forum changes I've alluded to are the addition of forums to better tease out community needs.

 

I don't think you'll need to worry about feeling abandoned. I think the changes will be more refreshing than halting.

[fun2novel]

Thanks Tay. You see this forum is pretty much the only forum I visit. I might not post a lot but I love the community and I feel it will be a shame if the changes will be so huge that it won't feel like home to me anymore, lol. But thanks for the reply.

[sanahtlig]

I'm expecting we'll hear a final verdict on the Grisaia / Planetarian torrent question and accompanying clarification of Fuwanovel policy.  Tay mentioned these changes would be rolling out over the next couple of weeks, so we should find out soon enough.