PI direction

Basically, rainshadow had a suggestion that the forum be just about us and not necessarily about Terry. This is, to my understanding because it seems Terry's staff isn't terribly flattered by things that don't have a full central focus on Terry. Should this be Terry's preference perhaps it would best be respected. However this is your home as much as it is mine, hence I am leaving it up to you.

I would either choose keeping it the same or having a sub-section for SoT in the Other Topics section, rather than just having it in Fiction. Either way, I'd most prefer the focus to be on the community and a safe-haven for us, as it became years ago.

I can understand keeping a SOT subforum (and maybe even a have a separate forum for each new book as it comes out, to be kept separate until the next book comes out. If we were going to keep Terry name at the top of the page then that's how I think it should be.

But personally, I wouldn't make it about any one individual at all. It should be about PI and the community.

I agree. Our PI home. Not the product of one person but the joint construction of the haven we make it. <3

I'm thinking so too. I guess to put it this way, I want to know if we are a book community or a community that has a book as part of us.

The books are just a part of it. For sure. That's how I feel anyways.

We are, in my estimation, a community of dynamic, like-minded yet individualistic memberswho were, thankfully, brought together by a book series we are fond of. Aka, a community that has a book as a part of us.

Mr. Goodkind's staff can, and I say this with all respect, stuff themselves when it comes to this forum.

Here's the thing: This forum is not pretending to be official. It's a fan forum. A group of fans got together and made a forum about the books. As such, it is a distinctly separate entity from the official webpage and forums, and should be treated as distinctly separate. The opinions expressed on this forum shouldn't count over there (at least in how the forums are run, at any rate), and their opinions shouldn't matter here (unless, obviously, there's cross-over).

If the Powers that Be on this forum choose to add more stuff about the fans, that's fantastic and I'd love to see it. Many of us really would love a home on the 'net. I've tried other websites, and have to say that the PI forums were among the most civil and friendly places I've ever seen; that's something to be encouraged. And there are certainly events, such as ComiCons and conventions and such that we probably would enjoy, which this forum would be a fantastic place to advertise/discuss. The thing is, I think it needs to be OUR powers that be to do this. Not theirs.

Secondly, there are things that Mr. Goodkind's staff probably wouldn't appreciate being discussed at the official forum, such as recommendations/reviews of other books and media. While Mr. Goodkind's books clearly are based on a particular philosophy the official forum has moved away from discussing that philosophy, and that's something that can be done here as well. I've got leather armor and maille and such; I doubt the official site would encourage cosplay, but as an unofficial site we certainly can. Since we're distinct from them, we can provide a place to do all that and more--but only if we remain distinct from them.

Basically, I believe that this forum needs to draw a line in the sand. It should be the UNOFFICIAL SoT fan forum, a place to do all those things that the official forum doesn't want done. I believe that an unofficial site will provide real and valuable service, but only if it remains free from the influence of the official site. Otherwise, the unofficial site becomes nothing but a subforum of the official one. The distinction will benefit both forums, I think.

Where is option D? 'Pay homage and worship the almighty Domo'

I agree, and love what you said, Dinwar.

Merritt....Hahaha....

I would like to see the place become more what fantasyessentials.net was.

That was what I made after tg.com became just about Terry. We still talked about Terry's books, bur we also had the politics, other authors, anything else we wanted.

I do not think we need to be an unofficial TG forum. I say we just be us.

Hell if you want it, I will give you the fe domain name too. So people who used that can find the place. I think it would be relatively cheap to have the domain redirected to anyplace I want.

I do miss Domo-kun... LOL

FWIW, I am not advocating that we completely remove anything to do with Terry from the site. I just don't think he needs to be the focal point.

In other words, I agree with Zedd. LMAO

Zedd wrote:

I do not think we need to be an unofficial TG forum. I say we just be us.

I think what I was driving at was that there's a difference between a forum devoted to Mr. Goodkind, and a forum devoted to the Sword of Truth series.

"It should be the UNOFFICIAL SoT fan forum, a place to do all those things that the official forum doesn't want done." I'm tempted to add that to the site description lol. Though I'm actually thinking of in a respect simply not being a SoT form. Its part of us. But not "us".

Option D is I change your avatar to this:


Vote wisely.

Gregoriouse The Great wrote:

Oh mother of daisies! What did they do to Bozo?????

ok I have another thing to address then. If we changes this, what would you like to be the pic at the top were "terry goodkind" is? just looking for suggestions.

That should be fairly easy, I think. If it were me, it would simply be Prophets Inc.

That said, there's no reason to rush your decision. You only have 5 votes right now. Wouldn't hurt to let it run through the weekend.

Wouldn't be unwarranted to use pics from the book covers, or something recognizable like a grace.

Or, hold a contest in the arts subforum. If you want to make it about the fans, have the fans contribute. Run a week or month-long contest: Design The Logo.

Dinwar wrote:
Or, hold a contest in the arts subforum. If you want to make it about the fans, have the fans contribute. Run a week or month-long contest: Design The Logo.

Brilliance!

I wasn't intending on doing this hastily, I just wanted to put that out there. I figured a few days. Its really a matter of getting either a reasonable number of votes or having a reasonable amount of time go by. A contest... I like that game on I say. I'll make a post once we decided which way this is going.

Yay!

I'm glad we've reunited. I missed this more than I can describe!

Just going to put my two cents in. I love that we've all reconnected and have a forum for us old PI'ers. And it just seems more like a community forum for us. And Ilove the idea of having a contest for the logo idea. Just saying.

Think I'm going to call this one....

Good call, methinks.