Should the forum be closed on mondays?

[Melooon]

This is a requested poll debating the topic of Monday forum closures!

Currently the forum is closed on Mondays for the following reasons:

This is partly to give everyone a break (especially moderators), but also to act as a reminder that it's not good to always be online and connected - it's good to step back and appreciate the time we have. If you send a message or make a post as the forum is closing the post won't be lost, it will be there when the forum reopens!

However its always good to re-review; you can view the Mondays discussion thread here; but Ill also quote @mlk3's debate for convenience.

I'm also in the camp that really doesn't understand this from a philosophical standpoint. I totally understand giving the mods a break, in which case I would suggest making the forums read-only but accessible. There's valuable information and conversations here that doesn't necessarily need to be reproduced on the wiki or printed. The responsible thing to do would be to keep information freely available rather than introducing arbitrary barriers.

I think it's a matter of what the goal of the forum is; if the goal was to provide information then I would definitely agree with you. However! Providing information has never been the goal of this forum (It wouldn't look the way it does it that was the case) - this forum is meant to be a fantasy forum or a forum that feels like what you might imagine a forum was like in a dream of the web being new and fresh. Dreams exist in the unknown and the unknown exists behind impassable barriers - without those barriers, the forum would be more functional, but it would lose its soul

While I understand and respect where you're coming from, I believe your forum has grown beyond your original vision. It's now a fairly large and vibrant community. It seems possible (to me) to keep the fantasy vibe (and soul) without restrictions. While this doesn't apply to me, what if some people rely on these forums to boost their mood and bring happiness to their lives? Everyone's circumstance is different and they may not have a pleasant experience away from this fantasy world you've built.

At the very least, don't you think it might be good to poll the community to see how they feel rather than imposing limitations based on your own personal beliefs? Don't get me wrong, I love what you've done with this place and it has fostered a lively and friendly community. But, I wonder if it's grown to a point where blocking access does more harm than good?

It would be interesting to see how everyone feels about that. Either way, thanks for all you've done and continue to do! 

It's a reasonable debate and while I do disagree with it for a range of reasons, this seems like the correct moment to stop and see how everyone else feels. I also appreciate when people take the time to show an interest in the forum and I know my presence looms large here, so it can be hard to appear critical 

Feel free to discuss and add your own thoughts below! I can't guarantee that the results here will be implemented, but usually, if an argument is good I can be swayed, it's happened before and I think the outcome was positive! 

[m1k3]

Thanks so much for keeping an open mind and asking for everyone's feedback! As I said in my last reply in that thread, I trust you'll continue to make the site better for everyone no matter what the outcome of this poll is.  

[xXWebMasterXx_Gina]

Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest! But oh boy is this a tough one!   


I'm new here, so I won't vote just yet; but I will offer some input.

+ I respect the idea of giving moderators a break and I think that alone is a just enough reason. As the forum grows, a single day without posts can significantly reduce their workload.

+/- As someone who can be somewhat impulsive, I can foresee situations where it would be wise for an individual to take some time to think about whatever it is they were about to post, having the forum closed for a day could aid in this scenario; though, that's only 1/7 days so it's statistically unlikely I guess XD.

+ When it comes to my own web building philosophy, I don't put functionality over fun and personal preference. So I can also respect the closure as purely a design choice.

- To m1k3's point, it does seem like the forum has been growing quite steadily and there are worthwhile topics that have practical around the clock use, primarily in the Web Crafting board.

+/- Everyone's schedule and timezone is different. I suppose it could be possible that Mondays are the best time to post for some people. But again, hard to say statistically. 

[cursedcalendar]

honestly i thought we closed on mondays cuz of server costs or something

i definitely support giving the mods a break though! i'm behind the read-only idea

[Cobra!]

I’m personally not a fan of it being closed on Monday, but as pointed out, I can understand giving moderators a break. Moderators don’t get paid for it typically, and donate their free time to help out a space they enjoy, and as someone in this position, that’s something I definitely sympatise with.

However, I think from a moderator’s point of view, it would be good to still be able to read the messages and catch up with the posts, especially given how big and busy the forum as become. (Which is almost a good problem to have, it shows that forums can still thrive in the age of social media!)
It can also be annoying to be redirected to that screen, because when I boot up YS+ on a Monday, I get that music blasting with no way to turn it off. Also need to manually adjust the URL on my iPad and phone when returning the forum when it reopens.

I am behind the idea of making it read only Mondays! Sounds like the best compromise!

I got another idea, though. I noticed that on Mondays, the forum is still accessible through the WAP website. Maybe we can keep it that way and say the forum is read-only for HTTP users on Monday, to encourage people to use different protocols?

[wygolvillage]

I like it being closed, personally. It's like a little reminder to take a breath, if that makes sense. I like when things have a more relaxed pace like that, and I can always check the forum the next day :)

Letting mods catch up with the messages while the forum's on downtime seems like a good idea though. It sort of reminds me of how teachers at the schools I went to have a designated "planning period" to get work done. I think giving the mods access seems like a good compromise.

[larvapuppy]

I don't mind either way if the forum closes for one day a week, but maybe Monday is not the best day for it? In my timezone it closes starting Sunday evening; since it's the weekend I often want to visit the forum during this time. Maybe having it close on Tuesday would be better? Just a thought, it isn't that huge of an inconvenience to me personally 

[Yaya]

I LOVE the form being closed on Mondays.

It reminds me of stores or other hangout spots like the library growing up in which sometimes, it just was closed and you had to do something else. It makes the whole experience feel more tangible, more real, and it makes me excited for the next day when I can hop on!

I don't have any sort of preference for which day, but I do think voting on which day the forum is closed would be a cool way to bring the community together.

[minttea]

Personally, I have the same issue as someone else that the server is usually locked on my sunday evening, which is when I often have time to check the server.

The point about allowing mods a break is important though. I like the idea of making it read only on mondays instead!

[j]

I have the same issue as someone else that the server is usually locked on my sunday evening

the forum uses swatch time by default, where a day starts at 11PM in France, which is why it's closed late Sunday and open late Monday. a little confusing, granted!


i think i'm pretty ambivalent to this, because i'm not as invested in the web and technology as a whole as much as i used to be. i can still appreciate that there's pros and cons to changing opening times, and m1l3's raised a good point that this forum is a homely space for folks that may not have alternatives. that being said, the web (revival) is so huge now that other spaces are but a stone's throw away across your DSL connection: midnight.pub; asdf.com; reddit & facebook (if used sparingly); gemini station; art anarchy forum etc. there's always a risk with online spaces that they'll replace real-life alternatives, which i don't think is the way to go. i'd rather be in a real pub than midnight!

i'd be wary about making the forum read-only specifically to give the moderators a chance to catch up on messages, because there's a trap if the forum size scales, where mods become glued to the forum 7 days a week, which doesn't bode well for constructive & efficient moderation if folks are going to get burned out too quickly. if anything, i'd prefer if the forum was akin to a really old dial-up, where it's slow to boot: mondays the forum is closed and tuesdays are read-only so the mods have a day to catch up. that being said, i'm a big fan of community moderation, so i don't think it's exclusively a mod's job to vet all the posts on the forum. that's why report buttons exist!

i like @Yaya's point about the forum being like a store, too.

[Icey!]

I'm siding with everyone here and saying that it should be read-only on Mondays.

[Grimlock]

i think it should be read-only on mondays. adds to the forums are forever feel in that anyone at anytime can see what we say even when the forum is "closed"

[BlazingCobaltX]

I've honestly already gotten used to the Monday closings. My attitude towards it is now "it is what it is". I don't think it's wrong to sometimes be denied access to the easiest way to spend time and be forced to think of something else to do.

My answer is thus yes, stay closed. However, making it read-only is a good compromise.

 

[Kala]

I personally don't mind that it's closed on Mondays, sometimes it can be a little upsetting when you wanna talk in the forums but then.. U REALIZE ITS MONDAY!!! NOOO!!!! but its just a mild inconvenience xD! it doesn't ruin my day and i know i can come on here the next day.
i think things could be kept the way they are.

[m1k3]

Wow, it's great to see all of the responses! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to give their point of view. After sleeping on it a bit and reading the replies, I think my own view on it is fluctuating...

Being new here, my initial reaction to the forums closing was shock. This is partially due to the archivist in me having a negative reaction to information (of any type) suddenly being seemingly arbitrarily walled off. In retrospect, I realize this is because I've become disenchanted with what the internet, and even life, have become. It didn't occur to me that the Monday closures were part of the charm as @Melooon alluded to.

As others mentioned, it seems like having a read-only forum once a week is a good compromise for everyone. It gives the mods a chance to step away for a day and not worry about new posts being created. There could still be the nifty closed page but maybe have a link on it to proceed to the forum if desired?

@j made a good point about the small web expanding giving us additional places check out while MelonLand takes a 24-hour weekly break.