Forum:Forum revival

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These forums are pretty dead. They're not used too often and don't generate much discussion these days. Since forums are one of the community "hubs" (the other being IRC), we really need to snaz up these forums. Some ideas:

• Move to a seperate URL (similar to MarioWiki and other Wikis).
• Spot on the Main Page.
• Sitenotice concerning the forums.
• Make forums more organized and add forum rules.
• More boards (Wiki discussion, SSB64, Tech Talk, Archives, etc).
• New design akin to most internet forums.
• Link to forums as #sw topic.
• Youtube video encouraging users to join forums (or some sort of Youtube thing).

So what do you think? And what are your ideas? BlindColours 23:31, 3 November 2011 (EDT)

You're trying to address a problem that doesn't exist. The forum namespace being unused just means people have nothing to discuss; there's nothing wrong with that at all - and in fact I think it's a good thing. Toomai Glittershine The Incomprehensible 23:53, 3 November 2011 (EDT)

Well, it should at least have boards for Wiki Discussion and SSB64, regardless of forum use. We also need forum rules. BlindColours 23:58, 3 November 2011 (EDT)

Why are the forums here barely used? Simply, there are vastly superior Smash forum sites out there, while we are a Wiki and not a forum site. Now to respond to your points:

• I don't see it as necessary nor helpful to move our barely used forums to another url.

• We already have a forum link in the sidebar, though I wouldn't be opposed to putting a link in the navigation section on the main page.

• Sitenotice is already used to notify people of important forums. However, the sitenotice should not be used to advertise casual forums.

• CHawk did introduced forum rules, which for some reason, were never passed despite no serious opposition to them. For being more organised, yeah they could be, but with us being a Wiki, I'm not sure if you could get them anymore organised.

• These topics can already be discuss in the forums. However, I would support more categories as I have often found myself having to put a forum in a category that didn't really fit.

• Not really necessary for them to be a different design, and I'm not sure that's possible directly on our Wiki.

• Like with the sitenotice, links to important forums are put in the IRC topic.

• Completely unnecessary, forums are of minor importance to SmashWiki, and we would be looking for editors before forum goers. Omega Tyrant 00:03, 4 November 2011 (EDT)

My main gripe with this is that there exists the possibility of the forum overtaking the Wiki in popularity; that is, too many accounts can sprout up with the sole intention of using the forums, similar to how we have users whose only contributions are to the Smash Arena. As OT said, we need to look for more editors first. ReiDemon 00:14, 4 November 2011 (EDT)