09-07-2020, 03:21 PM
[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 1.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]Right, here are the results for the most recent OOC Community Survey!
Firstly, the majority of respondents pointed out that they did feel welcome in all three groups. A handful of people felt that Flintlock and Northstar are sometimes welcoming, and someone expressed that they did not feel welcome in Flintlock.
Respondents state that in Bluestem they feel like they are able to plot with other members. In Flintlock, a few people expressed that only sometimes they feel like they can plot with other members. With this being said, someone stated that they feel they cannot plot in Flintlock, and another person felt they cannot plot in Northstar.
From what I can see, it looks like people in general do not believe Bluestem has a problem with exclusive behaviour which I am very pleased to hear. In Northstar, it looks like one individual is concerned that the group has a somewhat exclusive nature. As for Flintlock, three individuals are concerned and this has definitely highlighted where the issue lies. Flintlock Lodge mainly needs some work done on the OOC Community to make it a more welcoming and friendly environment for everyone.
In general, there were very many positive points expressed in this survey which I am very pleased to hear but, for the sake of improving the community further, I will be focusing on the negative points brought up and my plans on what we as a community can do to better the groups’ inclusiveness.
Concerns
A common point which was brought up was the fact that it sometimes feels difficult for members to immerse themselves into a new group, but once they take the plunge and get involved they often have a positive experience in the groups. I appreciate that so many people believe that, for the most part, the groups feel inclusive, but I would love to further ensure that people feel less intimidated in joining a new group and getting involved.
One thing I have done to ensure new members feel that it is easier to get involved in the group dynamics is I have made a plot update thread for each group to ensure people know what is currently happening in and around the groups! Thank you to Hootowls who came up with the idea!
For now, I will see whether that helps make the groups seem less intimidating to join. Additionally, I think that more OOC discussion is good to break the ice! I’ve seen more activity OOC recently so I hope this will benefit new members as well as current ones.
Next, I have had a few concerns about Flintlock having such a large family of OCs living together. Due to this, I will be creating a side plot to relocate a few of these family members in order to ensure Flintlock is more outwardly inclusive.
Another concern with Flintlock is that a lot of discussion takes place on Discord. I am pleased that OOC chatter on the site has increased, so hopefully this will allow for a more welcoming environment.
Something which has been brought up is the fact that a few people feel that they do not feel engaged in what is happening in groups, and people don’t feel welcome and wanted. I would really like to address these concerns about exclusive and unwelcoming behaviour.
Important Reminder (PLEASE READ)
It is great that many of you have friendships groups and people you enjoy talking to but, when in an official Bearbones server, please try to make a conscious effort to be welcoming and inclusive towards others, whether they are your friend or not. I highly encourage you to pop into other characters’ channels to reply to what the writer is sharing, chat when people make the effort to start a conversation or reply to the plotting channel when someone reaches out to offer their character for plotting opportunities.
When I am on the Discord servers and around this site, I like to imagine people as if I am talking to them in person. Ignoring what they have to say and not acknowledging them is very hurtful, and you wouldn’t snub a person for no good reason if they were trying to be friendly and talk to you face-to-face. Of course, sometimes we forget to reply to things, and I am guilty of doing this sometimes, but please don’t make it a habit of ignoring people. It fosters an unwelcoming and uncomfortable environment, even whilst you may not realize this yourself.
This is supposed to be a warm and welcoming community. It doesn’t take one or two people to make a community; it’s all of us who make it what it is, so don’t think that your presence or lack thereof won’t make a difference. You’re all very valuable as individuals, and I’d love everyone to treat everyone as such. This is not a warning but rather a reminder to everyone that we all need to work together to make people feel welcome. If you feel welcome and included, please try to act as an encouraging hand to help others feel the same way, too. If you don’t feel welcome and included, please; let's chat via DM (on Discord or on Bearbones) and let us figure out a way to help you feel more included in the community. You are welcome, and you are incredibly valued as a member of the group(s).
Please bear in mind that if I continually see particular members omitting this very simple responsibility to be inclusive of others, then I will be sending out DMs to those I am concerned with to personally discuss measures on what we can do to encourage more inclusive behaviours.
Remedies
Now that that is out of the way, now comes what we can do to help improve the situation.
I loved the ideas which were brought up! Firstly, some people were interested in seeing less of a focus on the Discord server and more focus on the site itself. I agree that there should be more plots and chats done on the site - it is what the site is here for, after all. Therefore, I would love for people to help in maintaining the warmer environment we are seeing in increasing OOC activity around the site! Discord is helpful, but we should no longer emphasise the use of Discord as our primary means of communication.
People have praised the new plot update thread in the groups as it is a great start in getting members more engaged in the group and IC plots. I agree, it is a great start but there is always more that we can do to improve the current situation. Something which I brought up to current HPs and staff in Flintlock’s Discord is that I think that HPs should have OOC roles and responsibilities as well as IC responsibilities. Being a HP in the groups will mean that, as well as the character having added responsibilities around the group, the HP also has an OOC responsibility in order to make the group more welcoming and engaging.
Someone in charge of updating the plot update thread. Someone who is in charge of DM’ing new members asking if there are any questions they have. Someone who organizes OOC events for members to feel included as part of a community. This spreads that responsibility between multiple people so that more members than just the leader feels obliged to ensure everyone feels welcomed and content.
Also, someone brought up a lovely point that everyone should be encouraged to interact with others not only in character channels but also focus on the person behind the OC! Fostering a good relationship beyond simply plotting will really help in making people feel more welcome in groups. And, remember that this is not a one person job; everyone needs to pull their weight and help make the community more inclusive!
I am so sorry for the bluntness of this thread, but I must stress how important it is to make sure people feel welcome and included. It is such a terrible feeling when you feel like you are not a valued member of a group and you feel like people act in an exclusive way, and I can only try to assure each and every person that you are very much welcome in the groups, and I’m sorry that I have let you down and prevented you from feeling this way. Please, do not hesitate to message me if you ever feel left out or excluded, and I will always be around to support each and every one of you IC and OOC - this is an honest and heartfelt promise. I will take every measure possible in order to ensure everyone feels welcome and safe, not only in my groups but also on the site as a whole.
Firstly, the majority of respondents pointed out that they did feel welcome in all three groups. A handful of people felt that Flintlock and Northstar are sometimes welcoming, and someone expressed that they did not feel welcome in Flintlock.
Respondents state that in Bluestem they feel like they are able to plot with other members. In Flintlock, a few people expressed that only sometimes they feel like they can plot with other members. With this being said, someone stated that they feel they cannot plot in Flintlock, and another person felt they cannot plot in Northstar.
From what I can see, it looks like people in general do not believe Bluestem has a problem with exclusive behaviour which I am very pleased to hear. In Northstar, it looks like one individual is concerned that the group has a somewhat exclusive nature. As for Flintlock, three individuals are concerned and this has definitely highlighted where the issue lies. Flintlock Lodge mainly needs some work done on the OOC Community to make it a more welcoming and friendly environment for everyone.
In general, there were very many positive points expressed in this survey which I am very pleased to hear but, for the sake of improving the community further, I will be focusing on the negative points brought up and my plans on what we as a community can do to better the groups’ inclusiveness.
Concerns
A common point which was brought up was the fact that it sometimes feels difficult for members to immerse themselves into a new group, but once they take the plunge and get involved they often have a positive experience in the groups. I appreciate that so many people believe that, for the most part, the groups feel inclusive, but I would love to further ensure that people feel less intimidated in joining a new group and getting involved.
One thing I have done to ensure new members feel that it is easier to get involved in the group dynamics is I have made a plot update thread for each group to ensure people know what is currently happening in and around the groups! Thank you to Hootowls who came up with the idea!
For now, I will see whether that helps make the groups seem less intimidating to join. Additionally, I think that more OOC discussion is good to break the ice! I’ve seen more activity OOC recently so I hope this will benefit new members as well as current ones.
Next, I have had a few concerns about Flintlock having such a large family of OCs living together. Due to this, I will be creating a side plot to relocate a few of these family members in order to ensure Flintlock is more outwardly inclusive.
Another concern with Flintlock is that a lot of discussion takes place on Discord. I am pleased that OOC chatter on the site has increased, so hopefully this will allow for a more welcoming environment.
Something which has been brought up is the fact that a few people feel that they do not feel engaged in what is happening in groups, and people don’t feel welcome and wanted. I would really like to address these concerns about exclusive and unwelcoming behaviour.
Important Reminder (PLEASE READ)
It is great that many of you have friendships groups and people you enjoy talking to but, when in an official Bearbones server, please try to make a conscious effort to be welcoming and inclusive towards others, whether they are your friend or not. I highly encourage you to pop into other characters’ channels to reply to what the writer is sharing, chat when people make the effort to start a conversation or reply to the plotting channel when someone reaches out to offer their character for plotting opportunities.
When I am on the Discord servers and around this site, I like to imagine people as if I am talking to them in person. Ignoring what they have to say and not acknowledging them is very hurtful, and you wouldn’t snub a person for no good reason if they were trying to be friendly and talk to you face-to-face. Of course, sometimes we forget to reply to things, and I am guilty of doing this sometimes, but please don’t make it a habit of ignoring people. It fosters an unwelcoming and uncomfortable environment, even whilst you may not realize this yourself.
This is supposed to be a warm and welcoming community. It doesn’t take one or two people to make a community; it’s all of us who make it what it is, so don’t think that your presence or lack thereof won’t make a difference. You’re all very valuable as individuals, and I’d love everyone to treat everyone as such. This is not a warning but rather a reminder to everyone that we all need to work together to make people feel welcome. If you feel welcome and included, please try to act as an encouraging hand to help others feel the same way, too. If you don’t feel welcome and included, please; let's chat via DM (on Discord or on Bearbones) and let us figure out a way to help you feel more included in the community. You are welcome, and you are incredibly valued as a member of the group(s).
Please bear in mind that if I continually see particular members omitting this very simple responsibility to be inclusive of others, then I will be sending out DMs to those I am concerned with to personally discuss measures on what we can do to encourage more inclusive behaviours.
Remedies
Now that that is out of the way, now comes what we can do to help improve the situation.
I loved the ideas which were brought up! Firstly, some people were interested in seeing less of a focus on the Discord server and more focus on the site itself. I agree that there should be more plots and chats done on the site - it is what the site is here for, after all. Therefore, I would love for people to help in maintaining the warmer environment we are seeing in increasing OOC activity around the site! Discord is helpful, but we should no longer emphasise the use of Discord as our primary means of communication.
People have praised the new plot update thread in the groups as it is a great start in getting members more engaged in the group and IC plots. I agree, it is a great start but there is always more that we can do to improve the current situation. Something which I brought up to current HPs and staff in Flintlock’s Discord is that I think that HPs should have OOC roles and responsibilities as well as IC responsibilities. Being a HP in the groups will mean that, as well as the character having added responsibilities around the group, the HP also has an OOC responsibility in order to make the group more welcoming and engaging.
Someone in charge of updating the plot update thread. Someone who is in charge of DM’ing new members asking if there are any questions they have. Someone who organizes OOC events for members to feel included as part of a community. This spreads that responsibility between multiple people so that more members than just the leader feels obliged to ensure everyone feels welcomed and content.
Also, someone brought up a lovely point that everyone should be encouraged to interact with others not only in character channels but also focus on the person behind the OC! Fostering a good relationship beyond simply plotting will really help in making people feel more welcome in groups. And, remember that this is not a one person job; everyone needs to pull their weight and help make the community more inclusive!
I am so sorry for the bluntness of this thread, but I must stress how important it is to make sure people feel welcome and included. It is such a terrible feeling when you feel like you are not a valued member of a group and you feel like people act in an exclusive way, and I can only try to assure each and every person that you are very much welcome in the groups, and I’m sorry that I have let you down and prevented you from feeling this way. Please, do not hesitate to message me if you ever feel left out or excluded, and I will always be around to support each and every one of you IC and OOC - this is an honest and heartfelt promise. I will take every measure possible in order to ensure everyone feels welcome and safe, not only in my groups but also on the site as a whole.
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I'M BURNING BRIDGES, I DESTROY THE MIRAGE
[div style="width: 400px; font-family: georgia; text-align: center; font-size: 5pt; line-height: 1; letter-spacing: 2.6px; word-spacing: 1.9px; margin-bottom: 5px;"]ALL VISIONS OF COLLISIONS, FUCKING BON VOYAGE — truce.#1303
《 WRITING &. PINTEREST &. SPOTIFY 》
[div style="width: 400px; font-family: georgia; text-align: center; font-size: 5pt; line-height: 1; letter-spacing: 2.6px; word-spacing: 1.9px; margin-bottom: 5px;"]ALL VISIONS OF COLLISIONS, FUCKING BON VOYAGE — truce.#1303
《 WRITING &. PINTEREST &. SPOTIFY 》