FYI: SJGames open forum online

[TJP]

For those interested, Steve Jackson Games has a new open forum (i.e. registration/joining is free) here and there's a GURPS Traveller section in there as well.

 

[Malenfant]

Well, this I didn't expect (not that I'll be going there)...! So are they closing down Pyramid and JTAS?

 

[Malenfant]

Though with QLI you're not paying for forum access (which is the same as it is for unpaid users), you're basically paying for playtest access and product discounts.

Hmm. If SJG closes down JTAS, what happens to ownership of the articles?

 

[Jame]

It says on the FAQ that Pyramid and JTAS aren't closing down, or at least that there are no plans for such.

 

[Malenfant]

hmm. So I guess the idea is that people would subscribe to get articles and playtests (like here)?

While I was on JTAS the main reason I subscribed was for the forums. I guess if there are free, open forums now, that would remove that reason for paying.

 

[Psion]

I find it odd that anyone would pay for forum access.

I guess it might have been a worthwhile thing when the net was younger and there weren't so many of the durn things.

 

[Malenfant]

I think the general logic is that going to some kind of effort to access a boardhas some effect in whittling out the random trolls that you'd get on free boards nowadays. And if you want to pay for board access, then you generally won't be going there to troll (unless you took your trolling very seriously, at least ).

Though to be honest, while the Pyramid boards were generally a bit more civilised (SJG employees notwithstanding) than rpg.net, I found it was just as cliquey, if not more so.

The JTAS boards were good though. The only problems were that the number of people on them was rather small. I thought some of the people there were rather fixed in their views, but I guess you see that here too

.

I'm finding the CotI boards to be a pleasant balance though, and there's just as much intelligent discussion going on here as when I was on JTAS.

 

[aramis]

pay-to-access Boards predate the internet... some WWIV-net, some Fidonet, and most Galacticom BBS systems were pay-to-access. Most free BBS's had account time limits; some daily, some weekly.

SJG was one of the first commercial (pay for access) BBS's to go internet; I dropped my account when SJG dropped the "Student Access via Telnet is free" as I couldn't afford it.

The vast majority of the web based boards are in fact free.

Going back to the 1970s, trolls were more likely on free boards.

 

[dancha]

FWIW, I think another reason SJG has gone to their new forums is: ease of use.

You had to use a newsreader (or via a browser that offers it like Netscape) to access their forums (yes, I know you could/can use the web version, but it was annoying).

So perhaps the way to think of this is:
a) new technology = presumed greater ease of use
b) new "splash" = good public relations

...especially in light of 4th Edition, and all that...

Just my 1.5 cents (not even two),
Dan

 

[Malenfant]

The new boards are probably a LOT easier to maintain than the usenet boards (especially with the clunky custom web interface they had). Plus I suspect the launch of the new forums are specifically timed for the 4e launch.

Though it's odd that they're apparently still keeping the JTAS and Pyramid boards up. Unless they are going to close down those boards but will keep the magazines and archives going?

 

[clementk]

Like the SJG forums, finally took a real look at them. Uses the newer version of the forum software which is IMO easier to use with more features, esp. when compared to the old version of the web interface for the JTAS/Pyramid groups.

Casey

 

[Jame]

Yeah, the SJG Open Forum is absolutely keen, just peachy! I'm still going for a JTAS subscription, but this is cool too.