Building a new site

Originally Posted by SveNitoR
Ok. So this is more your backup plan if other good options fail?

And for you to do that, you'd go that route to protect yourself and others who are responsible for the site?

Not exactly a backup plan. That's the plan, but in general I do try to see what's coming down the road, and I think a more official continuation is likely, which would be the first choice of the community, rendering my efforts moot. So, if that turns up soonish, great, I'll stand down. If it doesn't, this is what I'll be doing. If it comes to nothing, it will be an interesting exercise, and I'll have done my best to give the Watch a chance to carry on.

The main reason for the anonymity is simply that's how I always participate in online communities, and I'm not going to change now. So, it's really a personal thing, that just has the added benefit of rendering any legal grief an even more remote possibility. In reality, I don't think the legal worries are actually significant, and we'd have policies on reasonable conduct anyway. I just think it's a bonus not to sweat the possibility of legal trouble from something one did or failed to do at some point, while trying to maintain a small volunteer community.

Originally Posted by Ripper
Well, it's probably easier to explain what I will actually do if this isn't sorted out in a more official way, and the Watch is going to die.

I already have a couple of VPS running various services, and I've tested some forum and CMS solutions, just out of interest and to see if I like them.

I would acquire a suitable domain, but I would maintain my anonymity that has always been important to me. That makes me the legal entity responsible for any issues, and I am then fine with that risk.

But, being anonymous doesn't do a great deal to inspire trust. So, I would invite trusted members of the community to help with the backend - partly to help with the chores, but also to confirm the integrity of what we're doing.

Initially I'd pay for it myself, but in the future I would have nothing to do with the money. I would ask a highly trusted member of the community to act as bursar, and any fundraising and its usage would go purely through them, with transparent accounting, and nowhere near me.

There would be a policy of no adverts, trackers, or data-dealing shenanigans of any kind.

I would consult the community on what our rules of conduct should be, and I'll bear whatever vanishingly small legal risk there is after whatever we agree.

I would set up the news site and a forum separately, as I see an advantage in them being independent entities. In part, it's a case of Keep It Simple Stupid - running services as close as possible to what they provide out of the box is what keeps maintenance headaches to a minimum. Then, depending on whether people get on board and want to take it forward, the news site could developed with as much or as little fancy Watch database stuff as we care to do.

First, I'd see if I could get some newsposters on board, because there's no site without them, and I would see if I could persuade people to be moderators, because that's a pain in the arse.

And then we'd see what happens.

But, as I say, I'd like to see if there's an official solution first, as I think it's overwhelmingly likely that the community would go with that option first, and I would have wasted my time, weeping in an empty forum. And I don't think it would be good to create a schism between competing options, if that can be avoided.

So we have a volunteer?

Originally Posted by Redglyph
Just to be sure, what would be still left for us to do, in that case? I mean in our to-do list to transfer the site (choice of software, custom code, transfer the the db, …)? I suppose they wouldn't handle everything themselves?

In this specific case everything would be taking care of. Transferring all the files of the site, the database and getting it operational. RPGWatch would be fully operational, but hosted by someone else. In this case I would probably assist with the transfer to make it more efficient.


There are still discussion topics though and nothing is certain.

Originally Posted by Myrthos
In this specific case everything would be taking care of. Transferring all the files of the site, the database and getting it operational. RPGWatch would be fully operational, but hosted by someone else. In this case I would probably assist with the transfer to make it more efficient.


There are still discussion topics though and nothing is certain.

Wow, nice. You have interesting contacts.

Let's wait and see then.

Originally Posted by Pladio
So we have a volunteer?

I might do it anyway, and keep it in reserve, just in case our new overlord turns out to be a wrongun'.

I'll help with anything, if there is an option to keep the site as is this is the way we all love it after all!

Originally Posted by Ripper
I might do it anyway, and keep it in reserve, just in case our new overlord turns out to be a wrongun'.

That rules me out. Anyway just be careful with that slang term.

It just doesn't mean what people reading it think it means.

On a side note I'm starting to think your someone high on the command chain. I remember you alluding to this when talking about the English Government.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
That rules me out. Anyway just be careful with that slang term.

It just doesn't mean what people reading it think it means.

On a side note I'm starting to think your someone high on the command chain. I remember you alluding to this when talking about the English Government.

Lol. Over here wrongun' is fairly common slang that means a dodgy person, or sometimes, literally a rectum. Is there some worse version I should know about?

Originally Posted by Ripper
Lol. Over here wrongun' is fairly common slang that means a dodgy person, or sometimes, literally a rectum. Is there some worse version I should know about?

Check the urban dictionary for slang use of the word.

Link - https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wrongun

I'm kind of curious, though, who is considering taking on the whole old codebase, which Myrthos said had no future. The amount of hassle and resources involved would make me wondwr if it's someone who sees an opportunity in monetising the Watch.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Check the urban dictionary for slang use of the word.

Link - https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wrongun

Lol. Well, they sometimes get a bit carried away with the definitions on Urban Dictionary, but they're in the right ballpark. Let's hope the term will not be relevant.

I'm curious as well as that was one of the main reasons why the first site RPGDot fell apart. The owner wanted to monetize the site and change what the site started as.

Yes, I was wondering if we will see history repeat. Everyone to Ripper's RPG Rodeo!

I've no computer skills to speak of yet if there's anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to do so.

I think the most likely outcome is Sorcerer's Place will take it over. They'll be monetising and making money off advertising/tracking users. If they're getting paid, they can deal with the technical work themselves. The key thing will be whether newsposters, moderators, etc, are happy under the new regime, and users tolerate the monetization.

Who is this?
http://rpgwatch.net/

Originally Posted by HiddenX
Who is this?
http://rpgwatch.net/

Ripper, are you already working on the new site?

Originally Posted by henriquejr
Ripper, are you already working on the new site?

Lol, I am, but that's not me. I wouldn't presume to use the name Rpgwatch, and wouldn't expect to be given it.

The name of this mysterious new power-player/prospective owner doesn't happen to be Elon Musk, does it? First Twitter, now RPG Watch??

Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, my little joke aside,
I think this is sounding promising!

Originally Posted by Ripper
I'm kind of curious, though, who is considering taking on the whole old codebase, which Myrthos said had no future. The amount of hassle and resources involved would make me wondwr if it's someone who sees an opportunity in monetising the Watch.

I figured he was talking to Taluntain from Sorcerer's Place since he already offered (in the "End is Nigh" thread) and he already hosts several other older sites along these lines, as well as the Codex too. The ads on the Codex aren't too bad.