Staffing Activity requirement vs ...just knowing one's around?

[Shades 676]

Hmm... maybe a roll call sheet, so to speak, would work for you? I don't know, as I'm not sure how big your site is, but maybe you can do it as some sites do activity checks? I.e., post a roll call thread and people have from x to x to 'sign on'? Except that instead of them linking a thread with their characters they just post an 'I'm here' or something of the sort?

 

It might get labor intensive for staff if it's done often, like once a week, but maybe it's worth it for your site and how it works?

[Quell 249]

I feel like I've said this before, but here I go again. XD

 

I think it depends on your site whether this is appropriate or not. For some people and sites, people talking in the cbox and the overall community is what matters most; for others the roleplay aspect is what has more focus. You just have to figure out what kind of site you are running or want to run. There's nothing better or worse; they're just different. (For instance, other than on my site that I run, I almost never am in the cbox. I kind of interact with roleplaying as giving each other a fix. Over time, I become friends with my writing partners, but that's not where I start out on a brand new board or 1x1.)

 

What you might do is add something about "online presence" as opposed to "activity requirement".

 

Example (feel free to steal/edit):

Online Presence: While we do not have a weekly or even monthly posting requirement, (Site Name) focuses on an active community. If we notice that you haven't logged on to any of your accounts in over a month, we will archive your threads and mark your account inactive.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Thyme

[Kit the Human 759]

What about....

 

- You are an active member so long as you communicate with the community at least once a week.

- You post with your account/s at least once a month (but be mindful of other people's posting rates)

- Leave of absences shields you from inactivity. 

 

You've established there that while you appreciate that stuff might prevent you from posting, you still expect communication. Without either of those things, your character is fair game to be written out.

 

I agree with you, I think your suggestion there was a little over thought and thus needlessly convoluted. You don't really need to add a rule for character's who haven't got involved in anything and personally, I don't think simply logging in is enough of a reason to avoid writing them out (holding everyone up!). Like anon said, inactivity is like the cold, it spreads if it's not quarantined. 

 

I hope that helps!

[Quell 249]

On 2/11/2018 at 11:14 AM, featherstone said:

B - Once involved in a plot, please post at least once a month; a faster activity may be required for threads whose outcome affects the overarching plot, or by players depending on their preference (that is to say, if you'd rather RP with faster writers only, you can state it in your plotter / at the beginning of a scene).

 

I find this one problematic, mostly because it's quite subjective and hard to quantify. What I might consider "fast" others might consider "slow" and vice versa. I'm not sure what the culture/style of the site is, but if you decide to go this route, it might be worth it to somehow create member groups/thread labels that help people understand this and give it solidity (obviously "absences" would negate activity just as in any normal site atmosphere).

 

Member Group Style:

A player listed as "Fast!RPer" will get a check-in message after 2+ weeks of inactivity whereas a "Slow!RPer" will get a check-in message after 1+ months of inactivity. 

 

Using threads labels:

A character in a thread labeled "Driving Force" may be written out of the thread if they have not posted in 2+ weeks; labeled "Plot Relevant" may be written out of the thread if they have not posted in 1+ months, and but a character in a thread labeled "Personal Plot" will never be written out of their threads.

 

 I just like crystal clarity with exact expectations and guidelines because messing up stresses me out far more than anything else. Wrist slaps are my greatest weakness.

[featherstone 69]

@Thyme your previous post made me realize I might be sending the wrong message. While I don't mind making friends, my main reason for RP is indeed writing. My purpose for asking people to log in or do something even if they're not writing IC isn't to have a lot of people chatting about the weather (not that they can't, of course), but knowing one hasn't forgotten the board exists at all. If you pop in, say hi, do anything, I believe you will indeed post when you can, if just post and then vanish I don't know if it's worth thinking about our thread at all. 

 

But I guess all that I can do is having a shorter activity requirement - not as long as I am fine waiting for a post, but as long as I'm fine not knowing if there will ever be a post.

 

Edited February 16, 2018 by featherstone