Our Sponsor Sideshow Send us News
Lord of the Rings Tolkien
Search Tolkien
Lord of The RingsTheOneRing.net - Forged By And For Fans Of JRR Tolkien
Lord of The Rings Serving Middle-Earth Since The First Age

Lord of the Rings Movie News - J.R.R. Tolkien

  Main Index   Search Posts   Who's Online   Log in
The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Main:
TheOneRing.net's and Tolkien fandom's exciting future - help guide us!

News from Bree
spymaster@theonering.net

Feb 27 2015, 7:14am

Post #1 of 17 (5510 views)
Shortcut
TheOneRing.net's and Tolkien fandom's exciting future - help guide us! Can't Post

Now that the movies are over, many fans of J.R.R. Tolkien have asked the staff of TheOneRing.net "What happens next?" The first and most important answer is - nothing is ending - we aren't going anywhere! TheOneRing.net will continue to be the Internet's premier home for J.R.R. Tolkien related news and information, as well as providing regular updates on the comings and goings of the cast and crew of all the films.

The forums, the chat-rooms, the headlines, the Facebook page, the Twitter feed, the book discussions, TORn Tuesdays, Happy Hobbit, and everything else, will all still be there for your enjoyment, and will continue to produce new material. There is so much to look forward to! Examples: The video releases of the third Hobbit film and hopefully boxed sets after that. The continued support of Tolkien in local communities as groups of people hold local events to which all are welcome - picnics, potlucks, readings, costume parties and so much more. The celebration of the creative side of things - where people produce art and writing that is inspired by Tolkien's vision.

All of this, and more, will continue to be celebrated and reported by TheOneRing.net.

In the meantime, the staff of TheOneRing.net is looking to the future and pondering how to improve the site - we are calling this effort "TOR.n 4.0." What features of the site work well? What parts need to be improved? What should be easy to do that isn't? All of these questions are being asked and we realize that the most important input has to come from all of you - the supporters and users of this site! Without you and your support we couldn't be here!

Therefore, in the weeks and months ahead, expect us to poll, query and solicit your input - we will need it and it will certainly be welcome.

It's important to remember that while the movies brought many of us to the writing of JRR Tolkien, and we are glad they did, millions of fans supported and loved Tolkien's writing and the lifestyles and ethics described in them, for decades before the films came around. It was the pre-existing love of Tolkien that brought the founders and early staff together in the first place, before the first movie was released back in 2001. This popular support of Tolkien will continue to exist going forward, we believe for decades to come. We want to remain part of this! We have been touched and honored by your support for TORn, and look forward to continuing to serve the needs of the Tolkien fan community.

(This post was edited by entmaiden on Feb 28 2015, 1:34am)


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Feb 27 2015, 3:35pm

Post #2 of 17 (5390 views)
Shortcut
RPG News? [In reply to] Can't Post

Maybe you can fit in the occasional article about The One Ring Roleplaying Game. Tabletop rpgs don't get enough respect these days.

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock


Altaira
Superuser


Feb 28 2015, 11:59pm

Post #3 of 17 (5340 views)
Shortcut
Why don't you write one? [In reply to] Can't Post

We're always looking for content for the Home Page news. If you write up an article and send it to spymaster@theonering.net, there's a VERY good chance it will get published. Smile


Koru: Maori symbol representing a fern frond as it opens. The koru reaches towards the light, striving for perfection, encouraging new, positive beginnings.



"Life can't be all work and no TORn" -- jflower

"I take a moment to fervently hope that the camaradarie and just plain old fun I found at TORn will never end" -- LOTR_nutcase





swordwhale
Tol Eressea


Mar 1 2015, 6:40am

Post #4 of 17 (5326 views)
Shortcut
good to hear! [In reply to] Can't Post

This is one of the best bits on the internet. A community of diverse folks from far flung places with some common interests they can discuss... which leads to bigger and (sometimes louder by well moderated) discussions.

One of the finest things about this site is the genuine niceness of everyone here, and general lack of trolls!

I like the existing forums for the written works, I'm sure that will keep many fans talking.

Na 'Aear, na 'Aear! Mýl 'lain nallol, I sûl ribiel a i falf 'loss reviol...
To the sea, to the sea, the white gulls are crying, the wind is blowing and the white foam is flying...





Glorfindela
Valinor


Mar 1 2015, 11:17am

Post #5 of 17 (5314 views)
Shortcut
An ignore function would be most useful on this site! [In reply to] Can't Post

Just a suggestion, since you asked for them.Smile


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Mar 1 2015, 3:06pm

Post #6 of 17 (5272 views)
Shortcut
That's a thought... [In reply to] Can't Post


In Reply To
We're always looking for content for the Home Page news. If you write up an article and send it to spymaster@theonering.net, there's a VERY good chance it will get published. Smile



Finding the time is one problem. Confidence in my abiliities as a writer is another. Mostly, I do know how to submit a link (and I have done that a few times), but I don't know how to submit the text of an article that I might write for myself, especially since I don't maintain a blog or other website.

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock


Glorfindela
Valinor


Mar 1 2015, 4:37pm

Post #7 of 17 (5262 views)
Shortcut
Apart from adding an ignore function (if possible) [In reply to] Can't Post

1. Either create a place where discussions about fan edits can be placed, or do not allow such posts on these boards. Many users of these boards find them offensive, and some are of questionable legality.

2. Encourage the return of the cheerful Thranduil appreciation threads.

The recent negative (and off-putting) tone of the Hobbit boards has discouraged and driven away some long-standing posters.


entmaiden
Forum Admin / Moderator


Mar 1 2015, 5:01pm

Post #8 of 17 (5258 views)
Shortcut
You can send Word documents to [In reply to] Can't Post

spymaster at the one ring dot net. It's an e-mail address, so you can write what you want in Word or other document tool and send it as an attachment.


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Mar 1 2015, 5:05pm

Post #9 of 17 (5253 views)
Shortcut
Good to know. [In reply to] Can't Post

Thanks!

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock


DanielLB
Immortal


Mar 1 2015, 5:46pm

Post #10 of 17 (5260 views)
Shortcut
The practicalities of an ignore function. [In reply to] Can't Post

This is probably another side topic which should go onto Feedback ... but I'd like to offer my immediate reaction to the thought of an ignore button.

Aside from the technicalities of creating one for the forum (at a guess, a third-party add-on would be required), which would be added work for the PTB, what real use does an ignore function have? I've always felt uncomfortable with such a function.*

I will admit that in the past there have been many people that I would have happily added to an ignore list - mostly through repetition, deviation, lack of hesitation, and complete and willful ignorance. Heck, I could name a bunch of people right now I'd send to the ultimate ban list! Most of the stuff that gets me hot under the collar is just someone not agreeing with me, which is fair enough. Nobody has to agree with anyone. At the end of the day, life's too short to get sensitive about stuff people hundreds of miles away are typing on the internet. In real life, you don't physically ignore someone, you generally have to tolerate someone we don't agree with. It's the same thing here. It is just as easy to skim or skip on the forum. I can make my own decisions about what to read; I don't need the forum software to do it for me.

Since the forum has a quote function, it also means you won't be able to 100% ignore someone. In terms of how it would work, any posts created by an ignored user would be marked by something like "This post is hidden because [user] is on your ignore list". But if I were to continually see it, I don't think it would actually help me ignore the user. It just tells me there's probably something stupid and/or inflammatory posted there, and then leaves me to guess at how stupid and/or inflammatory it is. If you can read other people's quotes anyway it makes the function completely redundant.

For me using "Ignore" is like reading a book with random pages missing (did someone mention fan edits?!) Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to an audience. Of course, the problem isn't the obvious trolls (they are easy to spot and ignore); it's the 'clever' that don't breach the letter of the rules so much as, I assume, the intent. I've always found that PMing the admins is the best solution. Everyone can have something to contribute, and it takes little effort for me realise any one particular post is not worth finishing and just moving to the next. In some threads, after a while, I'll just stop reading two people's posts that are continually going back and forth. In another thread either, or both, of them might have something interesting to say.

Drama in general doesn't bother me, some of it is amusing. I like to be entertained by trolls, drama queens, and grammar police! I just think that ignoring by not responding to people that annoy me, is the easiest way to silence them.

*Is this really a way of me saying that I'd be offended if someone "ignored" me? You'll have to work that out for yourself.


Glorfindela
Valinor


Mar 1 2015, 6:14pm

Post #11 of 17 (5229 views)
Shortcut
Interesting what you say about the ignore function, DanielB [In reply to] Can't Post

For me, it works differently. On another forum that I occasionally post on, there is such a function, and I do see 'This post is hidden…' However, I have no curiosity to see what the text of such posts is and am glad they don't come to my attention. This is because I find the posts so offensive that I do not want to view them – or to have any correspondence with the people who initiate them. I guess it works the same for me in 'real life'. There are just certain people I have nothing in common with, and do not want to communicate with.

Currently, my feeling about the Hobbit boards is that I should take a break from them, as have quite a few 'regulars' recently who are supporters of PJ and his films. I don't like the current tone of the boards and do not wish to get aggravated by them (even though logically I know it is crazy to get aggravated by individuals who I don't even know). Neither do I want to 'inform' on others by sending PMs to admins. Life is just too short to be irked by such things, and to engage with them – and anyway I have tons of work at the moment that I need to get on with, even on a Sunday!

Anyway, such are my thoughts. Signing off for now…


Magpie
Immortal


Mar 1 2015, 8:33pm

Post #12 of 17 (5207 views)
Shortcut
Sometimes, someone just really pushes my buttons [In reply to] Can't Post

and I am not one to remain silent when certain topics or claims or attitudes present themselves.

If I can't put someone on ignore, then I have to avoid the whole forum to keep myself in check. Maybe I should. Maybe, if I can't control my biting responses, I don't belong on these boards. I know fairly certainly that we lost LOTS of people at a time when people chose to leave rather than bite their tongues.

But if the solution is to just put them on ignore and let it go by not running across their posts, then I can remain a part of this community. And I have to wonder if that would have worked for others that left.

There has been more than once that I put myself in forced exile from this site because I couldn't bite my tongue anymore. One time, I actually signed myself out so I couldn't even be tempted.

I suppose some of that was me in a general bad mood and I was right to take a break. But sometimes, putting 1-5 people on ignore could have made a huge difference.

And sometimes, a conversation that is deemed acceptable by the community and the mods is really unacceptable to me. I would rather be able to visit without having that really aggravating conversation stare at me every time I enter the forum.

And ironically, while I was taking those breaks from TORn, I was having really lovely conversations at imdb because I can put people on ignore there. People like to make imdb out to be a troll pit and depending on the board you're visiting it can be. But that ignore function works there. And on the message boards for the three LOTR movies, there's a really lovely community of people who are able to function really well because imdb makes it so easy for us to 'not see' the crap that trolls and discontents want to contribute.



And sometimes, someone gets really snide, snotty, or insulting to me or to someone I respect and value. Those are people who I want to remind myself don't really deserve a response from me - no matter how reasonable they might be at another time.

I'm not sure exactly the point you make when you say: I can make my own decisions about what to read; I don't need the forum software to do it for me.

The forum software won't do it for you if you don't want it to. So you must be saying that people who feel a need for that function can't make their own decisions or control themselves?

And for the record, this option was available on our old boards and I used it for perhaps 3 people.


LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide


DanielLB
Immortal


Mar 1 2015, 9:03pm

Post #13 of 17 (5194 views)
Shortcut
No, that's far from what I was suggesting. [In reply to] Can't Post


In Reply To
So you must be saying that people who feel a need for that function can't make their own decisions or control themselves?


As I said, they were my immediate thoughts. I might re-write my post slightly different having mulled it over (and if I had the time). I was more insinuating that if there's a certain topic in which a certain poster has commented, I know straight away just to skip over the post. I don't need the forum to automatically remove all posts from that user. I think I made the same point better later on:


Quote
Everyone can have something to contribute, and it takes little effort for me realise any one particular post is not worth finishing and just moving to the next. In some threads, after a while, I'll just stop reading two people's posts that are continually going back and forth. In another thread either, or both, of them might have something interesting to say.


As we all know, different people have very different preferences (just look at the flat vs threaded debate). I wouldn't belittle anyone who uses threaded nor would I if someone used (or asked for) the ignore option. I'd rather pick and choose what I read. Saying that, I'd probably use a "mute" or "ignore" button if it was available. One click and you are all set. Nice and easy.

I find this an awkward topic.


(This post was edited by DanielLB on Mar 1 2015, 9:12pm)


Magpie
Immortal


Mar 1 2015, 9:51pm

Post #14 of 17 (5196 views)
Shortcut
I call the ignore button at imdb my perfect chill pill [In reply to] Can't Post

But that's for scenarios that I wouldn't run into here.

When someone is just radically unpleasant on a regular basis (to an extent that rarely happens here) I will put them on ignore. Then, every time I see that empty post marked 'this post is hidden because the person is on your ignore list' I know they're just foaming at the mouth at something but none of it touches me so I'm still happy as a clam.


LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide


Barrel Rider
Rivendell

Mar 9 2015, 12:20pm

Post #15 of 17 (4909 views)
Shortcut
Maybe a regular spotlight about fan art? [In reply to] Can't Post

My sister and I have loved your site through all six films. There has certainly never been any doubt that you're the best Tolkien site out there!

I think that it would be really cool if you had some sort of regular feature running about different LotR and Hobbit themed fan art. My sister and I have made some wool dolls over the years, and several of them were inspired from other fan art that we either saw in person or online. There are some really cool things out there, and it might be an inspiration to a lot of others to see all the various creative things that different people have worked on. Things like drawings and art --- or even the full 1:12 scale dollhouse to look just like Bag End!

The "Fan Art" board on the forum is a great place, but I just wonder if you would be able to spotlight some art in a regular feature that may not have been posted by the artist in the board. I'm sure it would be inspiring to lots of fans!

Thanks for the great job you guys do!
Sarah

P.S.
Just to agree with you about the previous posts, I don't think an ignore function would help. If a person is upset by particular posts, then it is certainly easy to pass over them. I think your forums are nicely moderated. If fans can't come on and give a true opinion about a character, then it's no longer a discussion board. If I think that Thranduil is a skunk, no one else has to agree with me. Boromir has always been one of my favorites, contrary to every friend we've ever had who didn't like him. Oh well, I do. It's just personal opinions. That's what makes these movies/books so great. There is really something for everybody! I know it must take an absolute TON of effort for you guys to keep this site up, and I really appreciate it.


VeArkenstone
Lorien

Mar 11 2015, 7:53pm

Post #16 of 17 (4796 views)
Shortcut
I have been guilty of posting negative, obnoxious posts myself. [In reply to] Can't Post

But reading some of the other negative postings and feeling for myself their effect, well, I am working on modifying my own posts so that they have a more positive tone (and I have my facts straight - very important!). Sometimes I am successful, sometimes not. An ignore key would be helpful, but since this is not possible, I am getting pretty good at using my own internal ignore key. I know the people who get under my skin and pass right over their posts and go on to the next.
I have been away for long periods of time because of the negativity (both my own negativity and that of others) but I always come back here because I love this site! I want to see it continue and grow even tho there are no more PJ movies, and in spite of the negativity. I am reading a lot more Tolkien now, so maybe have more writing contests, with t-shirt prizes. I also like the idea of someway spotlighting the Fan Art. I would also love to see a TORn-related face-to-face party/get together in my part of the world, Columbus, Ohio would be great!
I, too, miss the Thranduil Appreciation threads and their humor, light-heartedness, and dynamite pictures.
In my life experience so far, after the initial shock, change usually turns out to be good.

Please, call me Ve.


arithmancer
Grey Havens


Mar 13 2015, 12:09am

Post #17 of 17 (4700 views)
Shortcut
Having been a member of a large forum in another fandom... [In reply to] Can't Post

...the ignore function is a wonderful feature. Yes, one knows there is something inflammatory and ugly hidden under the explanation that you are not seeing a post because you have its author in "Ignore". But for me, anyway, that tended to serve as a reminder of why I had said person on ignore which tended to make me, well, ignore the post.

And...I believe the ignore function is usually private - posters on your ignore list would not know they are being "officially" ignored. Just that you are not responding to them.


That said, I have not seen anything here in the past 3 years that approached the stuff I was wanting to ignore over there. Some posters can be annoying and repetitive at times, but none of them raise my blood pressure or make me contemplate breaking several forum posting rules at once. So maybe not worth the extra trouble for the Modar.


 
 

Search for (options) Powered by Gossamer Forum v.1.2.3

home | advertising | contact us | back to top | search news | join list | Content Rating

This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the artwork displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2012 TheOneRing.net. Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net

Do not follow this link, or your host will be blocked from this site. This is a spider trap.