Clans

[Locke]

I'd much rather try to resolve the problems with the existing groups system than move forward with custom clans.

I was under the impression that clans would have colored usernames.

When suggesting clan breakdowns, remember that the idea is to group people with similar interests. Most of the ones I've seen here so far are ambiguous. Something along the lines of Power/Wisdom/Courage or Orange/Blue/Gold/Green (True Colors) would be best I think.

 

[Djinn]

this was said a while ago
http://zeldadungeon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30276&page=4&p=587961&viewfull=1#post587961

On a basic level clans provide a smaller space set aside for a smaller group of people but provide the same community forum experience for mostly like minded members. You have something like 3 private sections, one for each clan. There is a section moderator for each one that serves as that clan captain and the members make many of the same threads there, a general discussion one, post art one, video one, etc. Think of them as a mini version of the forum for the most part. They will contain a lot of the same threads that will be in the global sections but not cluttered up with all the chatter of the entire forum population. This will make certain game threads and things like daily happy thread easier to take on. But all discussion remains within them. Each forum member may decide to sign up for a clan and the clan captain accepts them if they pass some level of criteria like minimum postcount or time as a member. Global mods may patrol the individual clan sections for issues that come up but we ask that they keep their posting activity to the clan which they are a member of.

On the rest of the forum there will be special things like clan vs events where we may have contests between clan members, I remember a few years ago there was an ambitious clan mafia game on loz.com. I'm not sure what prize would be given to the winning clan but that could be discussed later. Trivia, art, performance, etc could all happen between the groups of members.

They for the most part work out based on two things, the ability of the captains to maintain activity within their clans and the forum staff capability of maintaining events for the clans to compete with each other. Plus again it keeps groups of friends or link minded people together in a space that acts more like a clubhouse. When we have say groups or factions already within the forum that do not get along with each other but work out well within their groups this provides a spot for them to post. That becomes more of an issue as the population of the forum increases.

My original idea was to at least make a pokemon themed and a zelda themed clan but ultimately have three. Each clan forum should have a style on its own and then it is up to the members to join it and make it their mini communities.

 

[Fraxinus]

We could always incorporate public permission groups for the clans since that's just a feature that's been sitting there unused. Just a thought.

 

[Kybyrian]

I'd much rather try to resolve the problems with the existing groups system than move forward with custom clans.

I don't like the idea of using the existing groups system at all, honestly. It's out of the way and ultimately feels separated from the main component of the forum, which is what we're trying to integrate. If we want to foster a sense of community in the forum then something like main community clans that are prominent and serve to bring members together (and especially to help new members easily integrate into the community), then it should be a piece of the main forums.

 

[Locke]

I don't like the idea of using the existing groups system at all, honestly. It's out of the way and ultimately feels separated from the main component of the forum, which is what we're trying to integrate.

Is there any other way we could solve that though? I'd be willing to mod the plugin.

If we want to foster a sense of community in the forum then something like main community clans that are prominent and serve to bring members together (and especially to help new members easily integrate into the community), then it should be a piece of the main forums.

I've heard the opposite argument as well. Clans could be more divisive and make new member onboarding harder.

 

[Courteous Allen]

Golly I think a clan system would be positively wonderful. I just hope it doesn't end up having a motorcycle clan like on another forum I used to go to, I'm not normally so pent up like this but those people were to be it politely, not as nice as they could be. That clan was nasty to the other clans but I just hope all clans will get along because it can be a wonderful experience feeling a part of something, even I got into a clan, that was real nice.

 

[Jimmu]

I have been thinking more about clans and have a few more ideas:

- Clans should be there for people with similar interests to group together, I think that these clans should cover interests that are going to be popular as less-popular interests can still be covered with groups.
- Clans could be for topics such as: Anime/Manga, Pokemon Trainers, Zelda Players, Artists, Quality Posters (evolved from HKs), Smash Bros Players, Mario Kart Racers + more (suggest below guys?).
- People should be able to join multiple clans, why limit it to just one? (Perhaps there should be a maximum though?)
- Clans may or may not have certain requirements to join (quality posters for example may have a requirement that you must be determined to be a quality poster), these could be decided by the group.
- No clan should have privileges above other clans (Note: requirements to enter =/= privileges)
- Clans could each have a "Clan Captain" (name suggested by Djinn earlier). This person could maybe be in charge of the clan for 6 months at a time so that other people get a chance at running a clan. Each 6 months each clan has "clan elections" where the members can run for Clan Captain and then members can vote in a poll to decide their leaders.
- Clan Captains would have Mod permissions for their clan alone (for the forum organisation, not for disciplining members), to organise threads and whatnot. Global Forum Moderators would still be in charge of enforcing forum rules in clans and would also step in in the case of a Clan Captain needing to be disciplined/removed.
- New Clans could be suggested in a thread (maybe in a sub forum of this section?) with a description of what the clan is and the requirements to join. In order for the clan to be created at least 10 (or a decided number) people would need to post saying that they'd join it and then an Admin could consider it to be approved or denied. The person suggesting the clan would be the Clan Captain for the first period of 6 months.
- Clans probably don't need a colour in my opinion, I'm not too fussed on this though.
- Clans could each have their own badge for member's post bit. Clan badges could be half-width as Locke said above while Admins, CCs and Moderators would keep their full size badge and colour to make them stand out.

That's what I have for now, I'd like to see some more discussion going on in here. Let me know what you think about my points and add your own, if we can get some more ideas and opinions hopefully clans aren't too far off.

 

[Shroom]

If clans were to happen, and we were to get Clan Captains; I might suggest Co-Captains as well, depending on size, to distribute work and to help organize activities. That way if a captain has something going on in their life, there would be another individual or two to help keep their clans organized.

 

[(◕‿◕✿)]

I suggest Assistant to The Clan Captain.

 

[CynicalSquid]

[SUB][SUB][SUB]No, I don't support racism on these forums. The mods are enough of a klan.[/SUB][/SUB][/SUB]

/joke

What exactly are clans? :?

 

[Jimmu]

What exactly are clans? :?

That question is what this thread is all about. On a basic level, a clan would be a group of people here on the forum. Each clan having its own section on the forums to have discussions in a more casual manner than elsewhere. That's just the bare-bones of the idea though and it needs to be much more fleshed out than that. So, if you have any ideas or comments, what do you want clans to be?

 

[Locke]

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=221581
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=228280
And I could probably make a box on the groups page that lists the most popular groups, or featured groups.

I still think any benefit of clans can be achieved by improving the groups system.

 

[Terminus]

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=221581
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=228280
And I could probably make a box on the groups page that lists the most popular groups.

I still think any benefit of clans can be achieved by improving the groups system.

Groups are entirely too secluded to be of any functional use.

 

[Locke]

Groups are entirely too secluded to be of any functional use.

Did you click the links?

 

[Zorth]

I'd agree with Herman Cain, groups are way too specific and we have hundreds of them which turns inactive & boring pretty fast. 3 or 4 clans sound pretty good to me. More clans than that feels like it would divide the community even further apart since you would probably just have the current ZD cliques getting their own userbadge. Too many clans and also custom created ones would just die out eventually like groups since they'd have to be pretty specific, plus it would be hard to keep track on what each clan is about and what it is called.

I'd just go for the 3 clan idea, 3 sub forums for each clan and a unique userbadge for that clan. The best thing would be to find 3 random names for the clans and skip the username colors so that they don't attract people that simply want in for the name/color so that for example user X doesn't join Clan Y because of the name/color even though user X would feel more at home in clan X. Deku/Goron/Zora or Emerald/Ruby/Sapphire are the first names that come to my mind which are all pretty equal. There are probably many ways of differentiating the clans too. Maybe by personality, age, hobbies, sports/ no sports, gaming interests, world views, etc. Some maybe better than others. It is really up to the community to decide how different from each other clans should be. Should they have pretty clear borders so a user would rarely feel like they fit into more than one clan, or have more of a grey area and simply be there for a different social environment than usual?

The benefits I can think of:

- Would give a refreshing new forum section where you'd meet like minded people in some aspects.
- New competitions between the clans, maybe within them too.
- New awards. Maybe something like the golden afro or milestone award, but clan based.
- Members that feel excluded and regular could maybe join a clan and meet new friends. <3<3<3

I don't really care that much for clans but I would much rather see 3 different but equal clans instead of the Hylian Knight rank.