Hi everyone,

I'm opening this thread up on a whim, in hope that the general Autemo community may offer some great suggestions on how we can boost some activity in the forums.

There's no question that recently the forum seems a little dead - both in chop and general activity. This can be the source of a vicious cycle. If people stop visiting the site, then their friends do the same. I don't want to see this happen to Autemo and I feel I have a responsibility to stop this cycle.

So in essence I'm asking anyone for ideas on what we can do as a staff group, and community as a whole to bring about some more activity in the forums. To get the ball rolling here are a few questions I would like to see answered...

Competitions

• Are there too many or too few?
• Are the rounds too long or too short?
• What about the bases? Sometimes I feel we might be wrong in choosing relevant bases over easy, classic and choppable ones (hence this round's base is easier).

Social Media

• Do you think we should be more active on Facebook?
• Should we spark up twitter again?
• Would you like to see Flash Comps return?

Site Updates

• Does the thread voting system need to be reformed/removed?
• Is there potential in the Global Ranking Points?
• What other features would you like to see on the forum?

Staff

• Do the staff run the site well?
• Does there need to be more staff/new staff hired?
• Do the staff need to be more active in the forums (posting, commenting, etc.)

Other Suggestions

• How do you suggest we get more people involved in chopping?
• How do you suggest we get more people posting in the forums?

Competitions

*Are there too many or too few?
comps are good, i do feel there should be more well structured battles , like themed battles (like a single battle, not rounds)

*Are the rounds too long or too short?
on the competition ones id say they are just fine, on single day competitions would be nice to have something like 2 weeks deadline

*What about the bases? Sometimes I feel we might be wrong in choosing relevant bases over easy, classic and choppable ones (hence this round's base is easier).
the reason most people reject different bases its because they wouldnt be able to find good donors for them,. i so i say you need to make two choices, either you have few and good chop entrys on comp by choosing a hard base (and actually finding out whos talented), or you have loads of entrys made by fast donor finisng and fast copypasting the full donor on a base , with an easy common base,

Social Media

*Do you think we should be more active on Facebook?
facebook seemed to be preety active, iet i think it kinda went less active like 2 months ago, not to shure how would this affect the forum population tough

*Should we spark up twitter again?
cant pronunciate about twitter as i dont use it, iet every sort of advertising is good to pull new members

*Would you like to see Flash Comps return?
i like flash comps, iet the like method winner selection is a no no for me, and we all know why, those likes not allways represent what chop is best, its just an ammount defined by how many people seen the pictures, some artist have a lot of likes on theyr pages, so it would be a matter of sharing the photo, and comp won, flash comps on a defined juri (like asc bpc) would be perfect and fun.

*Site Updates
Does the thread voting system need to be reformed/removed?
i dont see any good part about the voting system, it only generates disagreement and fights, a comment should be more then enough to express theyr feeling about a chop

*Is there potential in the Global Ranking Points?
dont see any potential either, is it working at all?

*What other features would you like to see on the forum?
uhhhmmmm, at the end of the day i think the most simple the forum is the better, we dont wan distractions to the main meaning of the forum (viewing chops, and commenting) the chat is good tough, in my oppinion the best add to the forum would be the Ezines, and i was thinking on a front page with the week picks, or chops of the week, this will make members more active trying to get in that page more often. i seen this ages ago on dpstudio.net, and on monstermonster i think, the older choppers on here might remember

Staff

*Do the staff run the site well?
staff is doing theyr job just fine

*Does there need to be more staff/new staff hired?
i was thinking the other day to volunteer for staff, ill give you a word later if possible, if not needed or you think im not the guy for it, im also fine with that

*Do the staff need to be more active in the forums (posting, commenting, etc.)
i think most of the staff are active

* as other suggestions, i think we need to think more about what we would like to see on the forum and actually work for it to be like that, every member should loose a bit of time letting admins know what they feel about the forum, if it needs some changes, if something is not working etc

Competitions
◦Are there too many or too few?
I would say about the right amount, enough to keep you interested, but few enough to feel like you can try your hand at all of them.
◦Are the rounds too long or too short?
I think some of the lengths are a bit too long, and that while main comps should be kept a reasonable time period, other comps should be cut down in time a little.
◦What about the bases? Sometimes I feel we might be wrong in choosing relevant bases over easy, classic and choppable ones (hence this round's base is easier).
Some of the bases this year have put people off entering, they seem to be very unique cars every time and not ones with much inspiration to enter and want to chop, maybe it could be a bold base one round, and a 'classic' the next?
Social Media ◦Do you think we should be more active on Facebook?
I think it needs to be encouraging people more, and also showcasing some of the lower rank work, as it always seems to be the same people who get given a feature.
◦Should we spark up twitter again?
I think it would be good, as it means you could see it in a small amount of characters, plus it would keep people in the loop as it were, who aren't always on Facebook
◦Would you like to see Flash Comps return?
I would, as it gives you a short amount of time to try and create something, but it needs to be longer, as owing to time zones it could be 2am somewhere so the artist could miss it.

Site Updates

◦Does the thread voting system need to be reformed/removed?

Yes, very much so. It is hard to understand how to progress if people do not give you a mark out of 10 so its an easy way of seeing how you are being recieved in the community. And I know its already a rule and MOST people abide by it, but people who just leave one word comments, unless they quote another artists critique, is stupid and unhelpful, especially in the lower ranks. Plus when a thread has 300+ views and NO comments this can feel disheartening to those who want to improve

◦Is there potential in the Global Ranking Points?

It has never worked in my time here, and to be honest, much like Donor central, I rarely if ever look at it because it doesn't really benefit me.

◦What other features would you like to see on the forum?

I think more tutorials is a must, because unless you know someone who can help you understand the basics, it can be very hard to learn for some people. I also think that people should be given a dedicated picture dump place, so everone can share and use bases, as it can be hard finding particular things sometimes

Staff

◦Do the staff run the site well?

Yes on the whole I think so, easily approachable and very easy to get a hold of.

◦Does there need to be more staff/new staff hired?

I think there need to be staff in the lower ranks we currently go by, my knowledge of the admin isn't the sharpest, but I haven't seen any admins or staff under the NEW category, people may find lower ranked people easy to communicate with

◦Do the staff need to be more active in the forums (posting, commenting, etc.)

Only really when there has been someone stealing or using another chop as their own, and maybe as an occasional thing they have a look through and leave some C+C

Other Suggestions

◦How do you suggest we get more people involved in chopping?

I mean this could be as simple as promoting it more on the social media sites, people there would see it and it could lead to them being active on here.

◦How do you suggest we get more people posting in the forums?

I think people would be more encouraged to post work if the comments and rating tools were used more, as then they can learn, understand, and improve.

Competitions

Are there too many or too few?

Depends, like it is now with the BPC/ASC going on as well, I can hardly find time to do my BPC chops and the regular comps, since the skill level is so high here

Are the rounds too long or too short?

Always made it in time so fine by me

What about the bases? Sometimes I feel we might be wrong in choosing relevant bases over easy, classic and choppable ones (hence this round's base is easier).

Depends on the style or theme you want, not always a good base to find then, the good ones might be to easy to chop, and harder ones (other angles, stuff like that) might be really poor quality or low res


Social Media

Do you think we should be more active on Facebook?

I hardly see intermediate chops making it to your facebook profile

Should we spark up twitter again?

I don't tweet so

Would you like to see Flash Comps return?

Yes

Site Updates

Does the thread voting system need to be reformed/removed?

Make it facebook style, like "ask a question" and then selecting all chops you like, and then in the end see which chop was liked most by the members (will need lots of members voting then tho..)

Is there potential in the Global Ranking Points?

Never knew what that was for actually

What other features would you like to see on the forum?


Staff

Do the staff run the site well?

Yep, can't complain, except for votings getting delayed sometimes, but hey, we all have a life outside Autemo so I understand

Does there need to be more staff/new staff hired?

Nope

Do the staff need to be more active in the forums (posting, commenting, etc.)

They seem pretty actove to me so =)

Other Suggestions

How do you suggest we get more people involved in chopping?

I heard some members say there's already more than enough members, saying they can't keep up with the new chops being posted. Got that reply when I asked why my chops hardly got any comments. We need to get the members we already have motivated and more active around the forum

How do you suggest we get more people posting in the forums?

Members who don't have enough posts or don't post properly in other people's threads can't compete in the competitions? It was like that on Pt.nl and it worked quite nicely.
Also those who didn't have enough posts in the forum were excluded from voting in the competitions.

I'm not sure if it is already like that but maybe it would be a good idea to exclude the new artists from voting as well? Not to be offensive or discriminating but they might tend to look more towards the extremes or just simply vote for what they like instead of keeping the skill and work put into it in consideration as well.

Competitions

• Are there too many or too few?
  For the time being I think there are enough, but there could potentially be more in the future, will elaborate;
  
• Are the rounds too long or too short?
  Rounds are neither too long or too short. I think requiring people to perform round after round is what's killing activity towards the end. This could either be solved by;
  - making the competitions shorter,
  - adding a balancing system (i.e. worst 2 scores of the competition are crossed off, this would also apply to rounds not entered), so people dont feel the competition is pointless after missing a round
  - having multiple competitions run parallel to eachother with longer deadlines. i.e. 3 competitions running simultaneously; i.e. Competition1Round1 duration months 1-2, C2R1 months 2-3, C3R1 months 3-4, C1R2 4-5 and so on.
  
• What about the bases? Sometimes I feel we might be wrong in choosing relevant bases over easy, classic and choppable ones (hence this round's base is easier).
I think relevant bases are extremely important for the challenge and the public face of Autemo. As much as we love them, the late 80's early 90's cars are slowly disappearing from the streets, and are instead replaced by rather generic cars, even though the need for individualism has never been higher. That said, everyone has their own preference and it is going to be difficult to please everyone. In the end everyone would just like to compete with their favorite cars. Perhaps we could do something to meet that desire (hint hint nudge nudge )

Social Media

• Do you think we should be more active on Facebook?
  This is going to come as a surprise from me, but yes. But I think it should be different activity. Autemo and chopping as a whole is incredibly dependent on the community. Feedback from their peers is often as important as the satisfaction choppers get from simply completing their work. Up to now the facebook page has been used as a chop reel, much like the one on top of this page. But when you display the goods on facebook, there's no longer a need for anyone to visit the forums. The strategy behind facebook should be "Hey guys, look at what we can do, wouldnt you like to visit the community, get some actual insight in the process and get involved?", funneling people towards the forums and generate some commitment.
  Secondly just being out there just makes the Autemo facebook page one of too many. You need to be shameless, plug Autemo and 'tag' pictures or whatever you call it from news outlets, car events and whatnot. "Oh this tuner is looking to develop a kit for this GT-R? Look at how much more awesome we are at this."
• Should we spark up twitter again?
  Nay.
• Would you like to see Flash Comps return?
Yup.

Site Updates

• Does the thread voting system need to be reformed/removed?
  Needs to go in its current form. I get that not everyone feels like commenting, especially if they end up repeating the feedback someone else already gave. Let them rate, but let them rate criteria such as originality, quality of work, presentation.
• Is there potential in the Global Ranking Points?
  No. As far as I remember the GRS always favored quantity over quality.
• What other features would you like to see on the forum?
I have no idea whether this is even possible in the current architecture. I would like to be able to add/draw marks with notes attached directly on the chops. Much like a professor who grades your work in a Word document does this. Think derpbook copied this too for their tagging system.

Staff

• Do the staff run the site well?
  Nope. The staff is good at playing whack-a-mole at whomever gets out of line, but I think they should have a more proactive role in keeping people excited and involved.
• Does there need to be more staff/new staff hired?
  Yes. Mainly need activity on the half of the planet that Australia isnt on. I suggest you start with promoting Hugo.
• Do the staff need to be more active in the forums (posting, commenting, etc.)
Yes, see answer above.

Other Suggestions

• How do you suggest we get more people involved in chopping?
  Put less emphasis on total chop perfection, give more attention to the concept stages (works in progress, concept drawings etc.) while reminding people what the fruits of their labor could be - by referencing design contests, tuning firms that turn (poor) chops into reality etc.
• How do you suggest we get more people posting in the forums?
Rep system, decrease reply anxiety by putting more of the generic rating feedback into the rating system, allowing them to just discuss what they do or dont like about the chops. If peeps feel they can get more out of it, they will put more into it.

Competitions

Are the rounds too long or too short?
The length of competitions are good, but sometimes I feel the voting goes on for too long.

What about the bases? Sometimes I feel we might be wrong in choosing relevant bases over easy, classic and choppable ones (hence this round's base is easier).
I agree with what hugosilva says, with easy bases, your gonna have more easy c&p work and use of one donor.

Social Media

Do you think we should be more active on Facebook?
I think Facebook is active enough.

Should we spark up twitter again?
I dont use twitter so it wouldnt matter to me, but it would be another way to attract more artists

Would you like to see Flash Comps return?
I would like to see flash comps again, but the voting should be changed somehow, because people can just tell friends or their facebook fans to like their entry, and the winner pretty much comes down to popularity, not skill.

Site Updates

Does the thread voting system need to be reformed/removed?
The only thing I've seen the voting do is cause arguments for low votes. And the way some people vote, it doesnt really represent the actual chop.

Is there potential in the Global Ranking Points?
It could have some potential, people might try harder to move up in the ranks, and it could help people improve and chop more.

Staff

Do the staff run the site well?
The staff is doing a good job.

Does there need to be more staff/new staff hired?
I've been wanting to be part of the staff here lol
I'm on here all the time and I have plenty of time to manage the site
Also, I've been working on a new chop reel for the top of the site,
So if I'm staff, I would put that up and help out with improvements to the site.
But if not then its fine.

Do the staff need to be more active in the forums (posting, commenting, etc.)
i think most of the staff are active

I will fill it all in when i have time but on a first thought i think there should be something where people can find inspiration as i think lately thats what everyone's lacking as every car looks the same and everything has been done, just a thought, i dont know how it would work but yeh

Flash comps are good. I loved them. But this like system is very bad. If I tell to my friends to like my picture I can win with a very crap chop, too.. So it's not good. You guys should figure out something on this site. Of course you can share it on facebook but the vote should be here.

And the other thing I really hate on this site.
Everyone can vote chops. This is very bad. You should make a new class called voters or something. Admins would pick them and ONLY they can vote on chops. Yes there won't be votes as many as there was but they would be real.

I hope you understood what I'm talking about and I hope you can bring that old feeling back.

Some really good suggestions here guys! I'm planning to do a big response to all of your comments in the next couple days.

In the meantime, keep the suggestions rolling in!

Will have to come up with some mega uber comment to make your response longer and harder
No time now so watch THIS SPACE