SFWW Business

Yada yada yada.

Hi ya'll, to those few that still remember this place exists.
The three of us at last night's (3/15/04) impromptu/extra chat had a wonderful discussion about the future of our website. Thre three of us, Anneliese, Dave, K, and myself (CM) reached the following decisions regrading it, and now we would like any and all input regarding these choices, whether you agree or disagree, or anything else you may think about the following.
Simply put: the SFWW website desperately needs to be updated. As this is our main means of new members and we have not had a new member in MONTHS, we need to take care of this. It should also be an easy and active resource for our group (publishers, writing links, conventions, and lots more stuff).

Here is an 6 step process we determed to revamp the website. (Dave/Anneliese, feel free to add anything I may have forgotten)
1) Email Mark (SFWWmoder@aol.com) who was previously in charge of the group and was, even in his winthdrawl from full particpation with the group, in charge of updating the website. If we hear from him and he still can and wants to update the page, great. If we don't hear from him, we move to step 2.
2) We cannont alter our current website without Mark's authorization, so that means creating a new site somewhere else, and Anneliese has the capabilities to do that.
3) Create the new site by using our old site as the base. Dave K has volunteered to search the web for all of our old external links so that if we have a newer site, the links will eventually go to the correct place. Once we have a new place where we can update our existing site content, we'll start to add new content. Anneliese has volunteered to spearhead the updating of the website, but anyone and everyone can help.
4) Get geedback from you all in the form of this discussion board, email, and in chats, regarding our website. What do you think about our website? What do you think should be on it? How do you think it should look? Do you like the way it currently looks? Should it be more of a resource for the group? What is it's purpose? Here's the link to our old site: http://members.aol.com/sfwwmoder/index.htm
5) Once we have a new site, be more proactive with it. I was having all these ideas about actively searching out websites that might consider hacving a link to SFWW. Especially scifi related places like Ralans, Spicy Green, perhaps even online markets that sugget to prospective writers the usefulness of a writing group. Anneliese then promptly coined me: the SFWW publicist for all these wacky ideas. :D However, this stage is far off; first we must concentrate on steps 1-4.
6) Timeline: A) Email Mark, and post this discussoin board topic this week. (week of 3/15/04) Wait a week for feedback from Mark and the group, then proced to updating/creating a new site. B) Have a new/updated site up and running by the end of April/end of May. C) Keep the website updated.

What do you think?

One person had a problem with the new forum theme, Chronicles. So I changed the configuration so now you can use any loaded theme.

That could mean for some people, your theme will switch back to subSilver (the default white and blue one), because that was the only theme we had when you created your login, and it was stored as your preference.

Here is how to change your theme (Board Style) preference:

(1) We have 3 themes loaded: subSilver (the default), Chronicles, and SpacePilot3k. The default for new users is Chronicles.

(2) Log in, and click on the Profile text near the top (it's the leftmost hyperlink on the second row of hyperlinks).

(3) Go down near the bottom where it says "Board Style" (it's in the third section Preferences, and the third selection from the bottom).

(4) Click on the drop down box and select the Board Style you like best. Then go to the bottom of the page and click Submit.

Chronicles is a fancy fantasy based theme: the background is oak wood, the articles have a background of parchment, and the text is black.

SpacePilot3k is a cool space (duh) based theme: it uses a dark starry background. The downside is our rank icons fit more of a fantasy theme. These are little icons that appear under your name as you post more articles. Not a big deal, really, but it kinda clashes. ;)

Here is something else to try:

While you are on the Preferences page, note that at the bottom there is a section called Avatar Control Panel. An Avatar is a small picture that appears beside all of your posts, to personalize them. You can post a wee picture of yourself (but where's the fun in that?) or something else that says "you".

You can see there are four ways to select an Avatar. The easiest is the first one, Upload Avatar From Your Machine. Just click the "Choose" button and find a picture on your computer that you want to use. Note the size restrictions listed above this button. (The next two avatar choices use pictures from the internet, and the last is to choose an avatar from the gallery on the website, but I haven't set that up yet.)

The crits seem to be running thinner than usual. There are only a few of us using the forum. Is this a normal fall thing? Or is interest in SFWW winding down?

As you can see, I changed the forum theme to one that fits a fantasy theme. There is also a space one we could try. It's dark (of course). Well, darker than this one. I like "lighter" themes myself. Contrast is better.

Another poll!

Note you can post comments to polls as well as cast votes.

Here's a poll. Just click on one of the radio buttons above and click submit.

Welcome to our private forum. Only members will be allowed access, so feel free to post whatever you want your fellow writers to see.

You can find the group rules and schedule on our website:

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/sfwwmoder/index.htm