Should we remain an official CoH fansite?

[Xanatos]

Please read the information presented below before voting.

We were an official fansite back when paragoncity.com was run by Nexus.
We were an official fansite back when paragoncity.com was run by Bugbite
We were an official fansite back when paragoncity.com was run by Bugbite, myself, and Charon.
We were an official fansite when we transferred over to COHGuru.com
We're an official fansite RIGHT NOW.

...But due to recent concerns we are putting it to an open vote as to whether CoHGuru.com should remain an official fansite or not. Before voting please read the facts below. Bear in mind however - that OUR site rules (as listed in the FAQ section) are almost identicle to the ones laid down by NCSoft anyway.

Several concerns I've recevied regarding CoHGuru.com becoming an official fansite. Along with reasons as to why they are incorrect concerns:

The concerns I've seen:
"CoHGuru.com will become blocked from school/work!" -- CoHGuru.com will not be blocked from your schools or your work on account of being listed as an official fansite.
"Cryptic won't like the Game Mod forum!" -- We (cohguru.com) are unable to put up game mods on our site, or host them for download. What we are able to do however is promote the DISCUSSION of said mods. Furthermore - if posters wish to post mods/links to mods on our forums than it's perfectly acceptable. We (Cohguru.com) are just not allowed to host them on our website/in our webspace.
"We'll lose the Jiggly thread!" -- The Jiggly thread does not fall under the catagory of "Pornography or obscene or indecent material" as listed in the fansite guidelines - and thus it will be able to remain.
The boards will be flooded with newbies! We won't be elite! -- This will not happen to any greater degree than it did back when we were at the www.paragoncity.com boards. And look how wonderfully the community turned out and developed since then. We have a dedicated moderator team here who are more than able to remove the undesireables, and I like to consider us an accepting community. We would not exist as we do today if the 'elite' mindset had been used since day one.
These boards will become like the main boards! -- Not true at all. Your average dull witted cityofheroes.com forumite is more interested in complaining about power nerfs amidst hundreds of other people doing the same thing, than looking for intelligent discussion. CohGuru.com will be a place others can seek asylum from the madness that is the main boards. This is not a possibility or a hope - this will be a fact. :)
We're under the control of the Nazis at NCSoft! -- Nope. NCSoft do not have a policy of fansite regulation. If Cohguru.com were, for example, to go against any of the guidelines illustrated above there would be no consequences.
We'll be owned by corporate fatcats! -- Being linked as an official fansite to City of Heroes will in no way change who the site is owned by. Namely: our saviour Kzap.

Below is what the NCSoft guidelines are against. (Incidently our own forum rules are against such things)

-Hate material, such as racism.
-Pornography
-A single political agenda (by the fansite, not the forum members)
-Existing to sell our products as our sole goal (or the products of others)
-Explicit use of copywritten material (by the fansite, not the forum members)

Ultimately the fansite guidelines exist as a means for NCSoft to deny any involvement with a fansite they deign as 'official' - and is pretty much NCSoft's was of covering their own asses. NCSoft are not going to demand that we stop doing anything we are doing.

A full list of the Fansite Guidlelines can be found here. (http://www.coh.com/cgi-bin/fansite.pl) For those interested. It has been reviewed several times by members of this site and shouldn't affect us in any way. If anyone is confused by the guidelines listed either at cityofheroes.com or posted here than please feel free to ask.

[Masked Revenger]

I voted yes, because it's how I found PCity in the first place. I think it's a good site with a great community, and the people looking for it need a place to find it.

Chris

[Masked Revenger]

The word 'official' doesn't appear in your opening bluster, but is, after alll, what's being voted on.

I'm just curious what difference you think this makes? An "official" fan site, as opposed to a fan site? What we're voting on is "should we be listed on the list of fansites on the CoH site." Official, as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with that list.

Chris

[Quakester]

Okay, both of you go to your respective corners! Yeesh. No need to take this personally guys.

[Akamaz]

I say yes, it's how i found Paragoncity.com in the first place.

[Yin]

Another point entirely missed.

Seems to be a lot of that going around.

[inde]

Why must people derail a thread?

This is a poll on if we should be listed on the official site. What is the current standing or is not is irrelevant - vote on the issue at hand, and keep your person grudges aside. Right now we are not linked, and we want to ifnd out if we want to be linked. End of story.

[Noble]

To me this poll seems to be a reworded phrase concerning the last poll on this topic. Sure there is a slightly different meaning, but all the same I doubt people are going to flop on their opinions just because the wording, and the meaning to some degree, of the question has been changed.

I also agree with BvS concerning the fact that since our website is not listed at the official website, we are not officially affiliated with the game. Unless the main site people recognize us in some way we don't exist to them. We're Just another forum-based website that has gathered people who are interested in a similiar game.

[Masked Revenger]

Okay, BvS, I'm serious here... what the hell is your problem with this? I re-read all your concerns and "arguments" in the other thread, and I believe they are all answered by Xan in this post (as well as in the other thread). As far as I recall, we had a modders fourm on the other boards, and Cryptic did nothing then. Why would now be any different?

And as for being listed here (http://www.cityofheroes.com/community/fansites_info.html[/url), we were when we were PCity.com, and there were not "Cryptic Nazi's" there.

You also mentioned "asshats" diluging this site. I found the original Pcity through that list. Akamaz found it through that list. I'm sure other good people found it through that list too. Are we "asshats?" I have to say, that was majorly insulting the first time you posted it.

I'm am in all honesty confused as to why you are so dead set against this.

Chris

[TroubleWolf]

Man, we can't be Underground, Indy, or Hardcore if we go mainstream! We can be Punk, but only as in "Pop-Punk" like Green Day and Avril Lavigne.

I would have voted "What's the point of having a poll?" if that was a voting option, but instead I'm going to vote "No opinion".

[Tsarmina]

Okay, BvS, I'm serious here...
.....You also mentioned "asshats" diluging this site. I found the original Pcity through that list. Akamaz found it through that list. I'm sure other good people found it through that list too. Are we "asshats?" I have to say, that was majorly insulting the first time you posted it.....

I suggest taking it to PMs. This is a poll. Vote. Post as to why you voted the way you did and your opinion on it being a good/bad idea if you want. No need to escalate things into a argument.


PS.... novaman was one of the most recent asshats.

[Masked Revenger]

I suggest taking it to PMs. This is a poll. Vote. Post as to why you voted the way you did and your opinion on it being a good/bad idea if you want. No need to escalate things into a argument.

PS.... novaman was one of the most recent asshats.

And the mods took quick care of n0vaman. But, you're right, I'll stop.

Chris

[The Widowed]

PS.... novaman was one of the most recent asshats.
And he was promptly banned from the forums, not once but twice (after he tried to sneak back in, apparently thinking no one would notice in the post-host-switching confusion). Which does serve to back up the point that our moderator team is on top of things. Hence, I'm confident that we have little to fear from any troglodytes and evil clowns who wander in from Statesman's soapbox.

The mods filter out the crap, and what's left? Other people--the reasonable, intelligent and considerate sorts--who might be positively ecstatic to find a refuge from the troll-filled cesspool that Statesman's soapbox has become. And if nothing else, we can sell our forums quite nicely on the "we don't have any stupid, biased, unchecked, prejudice-inducing and easily abused 5-star user rating system" point alone.

So I'm throwing in with the Yes crowd. There's my decision. Now let's get CoHGuru listed already.

[Sebastian Kain]

Isn't it going to happen anyway? Or is it really that the people decide? O_o

[Yin]

Undecided. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. I'm not on either side. What the rest of the community votes for I will go with as I have no serious issues with the matter at hand here.

[8 Ball]

Voting for yes, It's not as if it can't be recinded if the "Cryptic regime" get's too heavy handed anyhoo.

[Jade_Dragon]

I don't think there's any reason to change WHATEVER IS THE STATUS QUO. If Cryptic doesn't have a problem with our Jiggly thread, then we shouldn't second guess them.

I would say this only becomes an issue if Cryptic decides that, for whatever reason, some particular post or thread is an issue to them. In that case, we can discuss it with them, as well as amongst each other, and decide what to do. If Cryptic are the kind of people I think they are, they'll be happy to give us the time to decide.

My post in the previous thread was based on the assumption that we weren't "official", but if that status carried over from PCity, I wouldn't change it. As long as we act in what we feel is a responsible manner, I would say the ball is then in their court. Which is the stance I've taken on the other boards I've frequented.

[The Widowed]

Another point to consider: City of Zeroes is listed on the official site's official list of official fan sites.

And the language in City of Zeroes does get a bit...colorful at times.

As pointless as I think the Jigglies thread is, I must admit that I myself don't see Cryptic giving us any problem over women in bikinis.

[iggy880]

Fine, I caved and voted yes, but if I get blocked from school after we becoe official I blame you Xan.

[The Widowed]

Wouldn't your school have to key in the actual URL of this site in order to block it? Unless the URL up there contains "www.cityofheroes.com", merely being buddies with www.cityofheroes.com won't get us blocked. Your school has to specifically target us for a block, you see....

[Poison]

I vote yes, because I see no disadvantage in this.
And I'm gonna delete those posts now, you kids. :baseball:

[BvS]

I vote yes, because I see no disadvantage in this.
And I'm gonna delete those posts now, you kids. :baseball:

What an absolute crock.

[Xanatos]

Thread locked due to overly negative commentary. Vote as you believe. Please feel free to start a thread expressing your opinions regarding the poll.

[AfterglowNoMore]

Um, Xan, when the thread closed, so did the poll.

[Xanatos]

And the thread is now...OPENED again. :)

[Stalking Shadow]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have just witnessed an administration SNAFU. :P

[Esbat]

As long as we can keep the Corporate Fatcats at bay... I'm okay with it. :shinner:

[Malibu Sally]

My vote went in the 'No' column, but not for any of the reasons yet given. My reason... it's not vital or necessary. Official status will just introduce another layer of "approval" that needs to be fulfilled.

Now NCSoft really does not have the time or desire to police this forum to see if we are in compliance with their 'rules of officialdom'. This can be good; it leaves the admins here free to be the admins here. The problem with this is that if any complaints about this site are made, NCSoft will just revoke the official status without even bothering to check the validity of the complaint.(they don't have the time or desire to look into the complaint, so just to be sure, the offical status will be revoked)

And just what does being an Official Fansite get us other than a listing at cityofheroes.com? Is being an official fansite really necessary?

[8 Ball]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have just witnessed an administration SNAFU. :P


Shhh...they'll break out the "Smite" button ;).

[Sechmeth]

I voted for "yes", just because our first forum was official, and it wasn't bad, so I don't see any problems in this matter.

[inde]

And just what does being an Official Fansite get us other than a listing at cityofheroes.com? Is being an official fansite really necessary?

It helps grow our community.

[iggy880]

Wouldn't your school have to key in the actual URL of this site in order to block it? Unless the URL up there contains "www.cityofheroes.com", merely being buddies with www.cityofheroes.com won't get us blocked. Your school has to specifically target us for a block, you see....

The official City of Heroes homepage works, as does their forums, I just like being able to check the boards at school, and then just come home and play.

[Graphite]

Voted yes because it becomes easier for people to find us. Nor do I see any dissadvantage to being one of the many "offical" fansites. As a side note, how many of our membership joined the Pcity comunity after launch? How many of those people would still be members if we were not an offical fansite after the main boards migration?