The rules are changing, we are going to start showing the assholes the door

Except for Crosswords CrosSwords, of course. That one should be totally private and hidden.

Mark

That makes me think of another question.

Right now there is a page where I can see if there are new replies in threads that I have posted in.

Let's say I am a member of three groups after "the great change". If I want to review new replies to threads that I have posted in, will I have to go three different pages, or will there be a single page where I can see recent replies for every group that I've joined?

Same question regarding the page that lists newly-created topics.

There will be pages that aggregate the topics from various communities, and from each community you'll be one click away from the lists of topics.

Different communities will be able to set different privacy settings but the default (and what the overwhelming majority will be) for communities is will be a public community that anyone can comment on without joining (in case you have something to say but don't want to see the topics in your feed all the time) and that anyone can join at a click.

Edit: the groups that are currently here are a very unfinished and crappy version of what we are going to do. That was the same vision but never got more than a few weeks of work before we had to move on from a2k development.

I dunno.

Leave the place for five minutes and look what happens.

I do hope you include some form of A2K bar in the new scheme of things, Mr G.

Are you finally going to be able to make money from the new site? Or at least not lose money?

Welcome back Lordy.
Not a coincidence that big changes are anno0unced just as you return.

Welcome back, Lordy!

Dunno, the plan is to try some different (non-advertising) revenue streams, and divide the revenue between the platform, the community managers, and the content creators. That means dividing a currently small pie even smaller but I am hoping that by giving the majority of the revenue to the community that this will enable better revenue streams from optional user subscriptions (better because the ad market infringes too much on content and because it is a sick market that is dying from years of irritating and tracking their users). Given that the subscription will both keep the site lights on as well as reward the people who provide the entertainment and keep the theater clean there may be enough users willing to subscribe (at around $3/month) to get the extra featureset and to support the community.

Right now the exact details are being figured out but the goal is that subscribers will be donating a portion of their subscription revenue to the communities and topic authors they enjoy, as measured by their voting.

So if a user wants to optionally subscribe to the site they can, and get some extra features. The most significant of which is that their votes turn into microtransactions rewarding the communities they frequent and the content generators they enjoy.

It's a bold crazy plan, but worst case scenario is it keeps losing a bit of money or comes close to breaking even.

Edit: Please note that the site will always be free, it will have optional subscriptions for those who would like to support the community.

I'm not selling you liquor over the internet you sodden soak!

Quel surpris, seigneur

I bagsy the Dungeon Community.

Or Kitchenware related stuff.

You don't know how happy I am to see you back. We have been devoid of whimsy.

Now don't go getting me in trouble for derailing Roberto's thread, gb.

I don't want to get expelled before I've had a chance to drop my trews and moon everyone.

I don't want you to get in trouble, you just got back. I think Robert will be happy if members return,

Interesting. I can't wait to see how it pans out. I would be ok with a few bucks a month to use the site. I also think that would be hugely effective in knocking down the spam-bot accounts which keep trashing the threads.

In my opinion, a thread more than once devolved into the proverbial junior high school yard, after lunch, waiting for the bell to ring. Meaning the clicks, the in groups, out groups, and let's not forget "the cool kids."

To change behavior might be easier if A2K, in its new format, could just have a proverbial Australia, like England had. Banish the less civil to a forum where bad behavior is de riguer. Or possibly a gulag forum would be more correct?

I would like to see a forum for bombastic pompous asses only. No low-hanging fruit allowed. They gotta attack each other, not just look for easy prey they can gang up on.

There could generate some real excitement, I figure. Like real-life stalking and violent assaults on each other, ya know?

Some time ago, I had the same idea. I was going to call it "The Octagon Forums." In such a forum, anything goes, and you could receive a warning for not insulting someone at least every other post, and banned for taking any **** from anyone without firing an extremely personal insult back at them. And every week, we would all vote someone off the forum, like on Survivor. A year ago, I was quite the Barny-Badass, and would no doubt have been top dog (WHUDAYOULOOKINAT?) in such a forum. But I decided to hang up my guns and put myself out to pasture so to speak. That's why I stay away from political issues.

I'm here to have a good time. Admittedly, I've flown off the handle once or twice, but that was just a relapse, and I'm back on the wagon, forever; I swear it!

Great idea, Glenn! Lets gitter done!