What happened to The PokeGym?

[Prime]

To be honest, I have no life. I can afford to follow the thread, post a lot, etc.

Much of the staff are parents, are tournament organizers, work, and do a million other things.

Just think of me as the Community Manager. They post a lot in the community while the people making the video game only really post at the most important times.

But we chat in Victory Road on important topics, so the other staff are working on the same projects and discussing them. They just don't always post publicly about them.

 

[Absoltrainer]

Could it be possible the moderating staff is speaking through Prime since he has already paved a path of communication? A lot of moderator's jumping into a thread all at once could give the appearance the staff is presenting an overbearing show of opinion, something they have been accused of in the past.

I don't believe that to be the case since Prime states that no one was telling him to do this, and that he's communicating in this thread because he wants to. That said, I might be wrong...

EDIT: As I think about this, I think this is has a lot of merit as a possible reason, but if that's the case, why not just say so? I see no reason for us to have to speculate on this issue...

And one of the biggest improvements I feel that is needed is more public communication with the members. So, nobody is telling me to do it, but I'm going ahead and being honest and open to the members, because I think that is the right thing to do.

To be honest, I have no life. I can afford to follow the thread, post a lot, etc.

Much of the staff are parents, are tournament organizers, work, and do a million other things.

I don't buy it, this is a dumb excuse.
This thread has been active for a month, and you are the only one (minus some early contributions by losjackal) who has even attempted major conversation.

1.) Of the 7 or so active administrators (since there are a few inactive ones), almost every administrator (minus two) have been posting consistently and actively in other threads over the last month, and you say none of them have had time due to being parents, PTOs, and normal human beings, to come keep up with and respond to this thread which has not grown that terribly fast. This is not to mention that of the 16 or so moderators on this site, most of them have remained absolutely silent, and the few that have posted or thanked in this thread have done so in single post, single sentence responses and have yet to follow up on anything. Either this is done on purpose for the reasons ShadowCard mentioned, which may very well be possible, or perhaps some other reason. If this is true though, why not simply say so?This almost absolute silence for a month is baffling. Not to discredit you Prime, but I was at least somewhat expecting more of a staff response to this thread. I think it would foster more and better discussion too....

2.) Your statement says that the staff is too busy with their lives to interact with the community in a thread designed and directed as member-staff interactions? Are they too busy to moderate too? Too busy to be staff? The staff voluntarily accepted the responsibilities of being a staff member of Pokegym. They are responsible for this site. Part of being a staff member is to interact with the community, especially when the community is legitimately trying to foster helpful discussion to help repair a dying website. I am a senior student. I graduate in May. I am taking 15 hours in 400 level credit course, and besides that am in the process of setting up my life as an independent adult, free of all the "family plans" and dependencies on my parents. I am also setting up my future career. I even have time put aside for my own projects and hobbies. I am a busy adult too, and even I have time to make a post once in a while in this thread, and it's not even my job to do so.

3.) Your explanation for the lack of staff interaction makes no sense. If they have enough time to post in other threads, and to moderate, and enough time to discuss in the Victory Road forum, then I would expect they have enough time to make an appearance in here. This is not to say I am trying to sound entitled to a staff response. I know I am not, and am grateful for your response Prime, but the lack of staff interaction in this thread, a thread designed to interact with the staff, just perpetuates the notion that the staff "doesn't care." PA has contributed more to this thread then the majority of the staff (minus yourself) and it's not even his job. There have been very valid points made by several people and seemingly no response from the staff.

But we chat in Victory Road on important topics, so the other staff are working on the same projects and discussing them. They just don't always post publicly about them.

As I type this, I'm more and more inclined to believe what ShadowCard posted. I would really like to hope that the reason for staff silence if that they are collectively forming a consensus on how to respond. That would be great because I earlier complained about consistency. Yet the thing is, we DON'T KNOW why they are being silence. Prime, you say the staff is discussing in Victory Road "important topics" but you don't specify if this thread is one of them. If there is a real reason for you being the only staff member to contribute, then let us know. There are times and places to keep information from the public. I recognize this as a leader in my own areas, but to leave the group so far in the dark for this long is unprofessional, weakens trust and widens the already mile wide gap between member and staff.

 

[Rew]

1. You need to start by updating the site with news all over the place and giving credit where credit is due. Pokebeach for example has a ton of news, of course write your owns thoughts about the news they provided and link the original article to Pokebeach. That's a pokemon website that ALWAYS has visitors to the home page, at least. Recent news (as well as maybe encouraging researchers here as well) will create buzz and get people to your home page (where the news is). Once they're at the home page, maybe they go to the forum, maybe not. But even if 1% does, that's better than 0%. Tldr; update news and trending topics on the home page frequently.

2. Tone down the power, let freedom ring.. But in a moderated setting. If I wanna post a link, or advertise something PG in RTC, let me! What's it hurt!? Let's have fun, here! Don't let us post porn, but let us crack a joke off topic when we feel clever. Let us play the games, let us give constructive criticism. Too many rules can be just as bad as too little of them. You'll figure this one out, I'm sure.

3. Go outside of the website for members. The Pokegym dice were a great way to get people talking, for one. Do more things like this! The professor shirts, the Rock Paper Scissors cards, the member shirts. Have product! There's so many things that people could use that could have poke gym all over it. Binders, deck boxes, dice bags, dice, playmats... To name a few!

4. Put influence on something you have but NO ONE ELSE DOES. Why would I go the pokegym? Well, because they have experts there, the compendium, the ask the rules team, the executives at TPCi, the PTO's... Be well rounded, like everywhere else, but show that this is what you have. You might not have expert players that post all the time anymore, but you do have community leaders that have a lot of influence in the game. Pokegym: Where You Voice is heard.

5. Sponsor unofficial events. Even a side event at Nationals or Worlds, I mean your target market is RIGHT THERE! You just have to persuade them! At least you know who they are, some people/companies/communities don't even know what their's is! Mutant draft was always a success, right? Give our the aforementioned product as rewards and door prizes. The Pokegym Mutant Draft.

6. Do interviews with big name players and event winners. Sponsor streaming events. As a player, I love being interviewed when I do well... I get to brag. But that adds to the content.

7. Start discussions, whether it's about things like TwitchPlaysPokemon or the pokemon catcher nerf... People like to voice their opinions and THIS IS WHERE THEY CAN BE HEARD! (Back to the mod thing... Don't delete their opinions if you don't agree.)


I was one of those people who left because I couldn't post a lot of content I wanted to. I was one of the first people to join Hey Trainer because I loved that I could talk about what I want without someone censoring it because I wasn't in line with their opinion or because it was a link to an outside website or it was a little off topic. Absoltrainer made a good point with how the moderation team abused the power they had, but we all can learn from mistakes and move on.

Hopefully, I helped with some brainstorming.

 

[Rew]

I posted this on my phone, so there's a couple typos. Sorry!

 

[EeveeLover]

Could it be possible the moderating staff is speaking through Prime since he has already paved a path of communication? A lot of moderator's jumping into a thread all at once could give the appearance the staff is presenting an overbearing show of opinion, something they have been accused of in the past.

But even without posts, the lack of thanks by moderators to posts (which Eeveelover appears to be more actively participating with) is interesting.

And this post wins the prize... What that prize is, I guess could just be being right.

Yep, Prime is the one that is speaking on behalf of the staff as a whole - not because we do not care or have an opinion, but because his message is being received well.

Trust me on this, all the staff know full well what Prime is saying, as we have all had input into the discussions on the backside of things. I believe that all the staff has been in this thread and I assure you that your opinions and concerns are being heard (well, read) and we are taking the things you all are saying seriously.

The staff is by no means perfect, but we are looking at what you are all saying and looking at the way we do things and how we can improve things on both sides of the site.

With regard to the lack of thanks, I think that boils down to two things. 1) All members only get a limited amount of thanks a day, staff does not get anymore than anyone else. I don't want to say that people may not want to waste them in here, because it is not a waste, but they may be saving them for other posts. 2) All the staff have been involved in discussions both on the site and in monthly chats that we all are in the same mindset and agreeing before hand on what information is being posted and how we are moving forward.

I want to say thanks to Prime and all the members that have contributed both posts and thanks in this thread and I hope that we can all continue to work to improve this site for the future.

As with many of you all, the PokeGym was my first stop in the Pokemon community, and while I have joined many other fansites, this is home to me. No where else have ever felt as welcoming or comfortable.

 

[Prime]

1. You need to start by updating the site with news all over the place and giving credit where credit is due.

We'd love to have more news. It does take people to invest the work to post them. We've had a few people over the years and right now we don't have someone in charge of it. We'd love it if someone volunteered.

2. Tone down the power, let freedom ring.. But in a moderated setting.

We're currently in the process of revising the infractions and I *hope* to bring our update to the community very soon and get their opinions on it before we make any changes.

3. Go outside of the website for members. The Pokegym dice were a great way to get people talking, for one. Do more things like this!

I love these items, too. I'd love to see more of them. Then again, it costs money to make those items, and unless people are willing to pay upfront for them or donate money to the PokeGym for the creation of these items, it really depends on whether the people in charge are willing to spend the money to produce them. I agree they are awesome.

4. Put influence on something you have but NO ONE ELSE DOES. Why would I go the pokegym? Well, because they have experts there, the compendium, the ask the rules team, the executives at TPCi, the PTO's...

This sounds like one of our projects We realize one of the PokeGym's biggest strengths is it's connected to Organized Play and we want to take advantage of it.

5. Sponsor unofficial events. Even a side event at Nationals or Worlds, I mean your target market is RIGHT THERE!

I suggested a very similar idea in one of the staff chats, and I got a reasonable reason why this is hard to do. So much of the staff are judges and at Nationals/Worlds, they are a part of staff. From my own experiences on staff, you don't stop working. You get up super early, get down to the ballroom and you work for 12-16 hours straight. They simply don't have the time to run PokeGym events at Nationals/Worlds. Yes, a few of them have run the Mutant Drafts, but it takes a lot of work to organize and run them smoothly, and those same people stay up into the night to run them and have to get up at 6am the next morning to get ready for the next day of Nationals/Worlds. It's just too hard on them.

And the other part of our staff that don't make it to Nationals/Worlds each year, well they could have held these events, but they aren't there.

tldr; the PokeGym staff at Nationals/Worlds have so many duties that they don't have the time to run a midnight side event. It may sound like an excuse, but it's really the truth.

6. Do interviews with big name players and event winners. Sponsor streaming events. As a player, I love being interviewed when I do well... I get to brag. But that adds to the content.

This is where you and I disagree.

There are already other sites on the internet that do these things, like The Top Cut. They do an amazing job streaming/commentating at Pokemon events, and they do an amazing job interviewing players at the events.

You mentioned earlier that the PokeGym should emphasize it's strengths, but now suggest the PokeGym to try to do things that other sites do best. The PokeGym shouldn't try to do everything, provide every kind of product, and compete with every other Pokemon site. The PokeGym is a community first, a forum, a place to discuss topics. Let PokeBeach provide awesome news, let The Top Cut provide awesome interviews, and let the PokeGym discuss these items. The PokeGym can't do the jobs these other sites are doing better, so instead of trying to work against them, we should work in harmony.

7. Start discussions, whether it's about things like TwitchPlaysPokemon or the pokemon catcher nerf... People like to voice their opinions and THIS IS WHERE THEY CAN BE HEARD!

Okay

(Back to the mod thing... Don't delete their opinions if you don't agree.)

I was one of those people who left because I couldn't post a lot of content I wanted to. I was one of the first people to join Hey Trainer because I loved that I could talk about what I want without someone censoring it because I wasn't in line with their opinion or because it was a link to an outside website or it was a little off topic. Absoltrainer made a good point with how the moderation team abused the power they had, but we all can learn from mistakes and move on.

Sounds good.

Hopefully, I helped with some brainstorming.

Thank you for your thoughts and effort.

 

[Absoltrainer]

Yep, Prime is the one that is speaking on behalf of the staff as a whole - not because we do not care or have an opinion, but because his message is being received well.

Well that answers that. Thank you for letting us know.

EDIT: Prime, I said I'd give you a brainstorming post after all my ranting, I still owe you that.

 

[ShadowCard]

I agree that PokeGym should not try to be everything at this time. Right now, the staff needs to figure out the areas it wants to focus on and get them up to shape. If something is outdated, a way to properly archive it so that it isn't front and center but is still findable for anyone looking for it needs to be done (For example, news should not be on the front page if you can't stay updated with the news). After rebuilding, PokeGym can then go back and revisit what wasn't remodeled. But staying current is a must in whatever is decided.

The gem that is the Team Compendium needs some shine. How about news alerts when there is an update?

Was the last CotD really back in August? What, nothing useful to revisit in LTR or the bad rares in XY didn't need a review? But I think CotD is a thing of the past. Why type out dissertations in what people did with similar cards in the past or theorymon when we could effectively watch "Deck of the week" on Bad Deck Monday and see how the cards actually work. However, I have noticed a rising interest in Worlds decks and past archetypes but people don't know how to play them. PokeGym used to have many articles about them but they're not an easy resource to find. Maybe it is time to dust those off, clean them up, and do a "Blast from the Past."

... but because his message is being received well.

I didn't want to say it, but since it has been said: there are also moderators who say things in a very matter-of-fact way and their input ends up being minimized or has an effect of derailing the thread. knowing that, I would guess letting Prime continue to be the point on communication could be something they are going for.

 

[EeveeLover]

Well that answers that. Thank you for letting us know.

EDIT: Prime, I said I'd give you a brainstorming post after all my ranting, I still owe you that.

To further expand on the reasoning behind this.

One of the main issues in the members vs staff discussion is a serious lack of consistency, which I completely agree with. Having the staff discuss the issues and suggestions presented in this thread, as well as some other areas, behind the scenes allows us to reach a consensus that we all agree with and are comfortable moving forward with. Having one voice, prevents anything from getting lost in translation, avoids the differences that we each have with the way we present things, and gives you the members one person in which you are interacting.

Let's face it, Prime is probably the one person on this site that no member has had issue with - except for the themes of the site - , he has a great track record, and really, he hasn't pissed anyone one off that I know of.

Now, in your mind, insert some of the other staffers into the discussion - would the message come through as clearly and easily from them? Knowing how I am sometimes, as well as others, I don't think it would have.

Believe it or not, we all love the site and we all realize that without the membership, we would have nothing to do here. That is why we are looking to everyone here to help the site move forward and become a place we can all be proud of.

I didn't want to say it, but since it has been said: there are also moderators who say things in a very matter-of-fact way and their input ends up being minimized or has an effect of derailing the thread.

Honestly, things like this need to be said more often.

There are times that the staff need to step back in a topic as well. We have our opinions as well, and at times they are very strong - hey, imagine that - just like other members. I am being serious, we love this game as much as anyone else. The folks that work for this site and run it do it for the game. Certainly not for the reputation and hate that our jobs bring at times.

The issue is this. If I make a post about say the new pay to play - well, not really new - system, I am not posting as a staff member, I am posting as a player that likes to play too. But with the tag under my name, my posts get looked at by some of the members in a different way. I understand that the staff represent the site and to an extent - by our roles within the game - Pokemon as a whole, but remember, we were players first and staff here second.

 

[Benzo]

Simply trying to avoid the "dog pile on the staff" and leaving room for derailment. I speak when I can, and contribute as often as I can as well. Part of my silence on this topic is due to the selective area that I mod and the VG being the "least" important focus on this site. I say that with great respect to the original design and creation of this site, of course. Don't get me wrong at all, please.

Part of the reason for the VG being "slow" is due to world wide release. Yes, world wide release is cool and all, but getting info in here is already out on FB or other VG sites- this site is not the biggest on VG- this is of course a TCG site. As it should continue to be the top priority and main focus.

Providing to the VG area is not easy, to say the least. In the past- the games came out months before the USA, and info was "trickled out"- and now it is an "all at once" but with so many other sites that have time to provide that stuff way faster then the 3 VG mods on here.

Staff conversations happen often- members are "all the time" as we of course are out numbered. If 10 people talk via online around daily life- this site gets how much traffic? Please consider that aspect on the "why does nothing happen to change on here"-- The staff do the best we can to keep up with meeting those happy mediums for you members.

Members please remember that some staff were members before becoming staff- and like myself I chose to become staff because I want to contribute. As well as contributing when I was just a member. I like this community- and I try to speak on my "member" side of seeing things and that I do look at how interaction between staff and members need to be able to work side by side in some aspects in order to keep the community thriving. I do not always see every point on each side of the fence- I try to chose the happy medium or suggest things that do empower the members to contribute into the community.

I am selective on when to speak as well, conservative at best for what really is in the best interest of the over all picture. This site has an image- and that image I try to protect with reason and understanding. All of us in this community need to keep that in mind, as a suggestion. How much do you like this environment? I like it a lot, thus I try to reflect that with my choices on here in all matters.

I praise everyone in all their efforts (no matter how big/small)- this is after all- a community and every smile counts. Right?

 

[SD PokeMom]

I didn't want to say it, but since it has been said: there are also moderators who say things in a very matter-of-fact way and their input ends up being minimized or has an effect of derailing the thread. knowing that, I would guess letting Prime continue to be the point on communication could be something they are going for.

which is exactly why i've stayed out of this thread...

 

[Big Daddy Snorlax]

I would also point out that just because we are not posting and joining in the discussion does not mean we are not reading and following the discussion. The desire is to listen to the community and learn from those who participate in the Gym. PokeGym has always been about the community.

BDS

 

[P_A]

Since my last post there have been some amazing posts from a lot of people. I figure instead of multiquoting everyone I'll just sort of hit the highlights of posts that I think should be either expanded upon, or at least some mention should be made for their reply.

For starters, it's good to see that I'm wrong (to a degree). I'm glad that some extra effort has been made for replying to this thread and its contents by the mods. I suspect some of our posts (and specifically my posts) may not necessarily have been very popular with the mod and admin community here at the gym. I also suspect that a lack of a filter between brain and fingers has caused many a controversy on both sides of the line in this forum over the years, so perhaps it has been good that there have been spokespeople (like Prime has taken the mantle in this thread) dealing with situations and people. I don't always have tact (in fact this post may be a true testament to that fact), so perhaps it's good that we acknowledge the fact that some in the mod community may not have an abundance either at times. Believe it or not, I think it was wisdom on SDPokeMom's part to realize that it isn't always in everyone's best interests to post all our innermost thoughts out for everyone to see. I have to give her credit for that. But I also have to rejoice that some of the rest of the mods have made extra effort to post. Just because a defacto spokesperson's posts have been well received (not sure if it was meant that his comments were well received by the mod community ..... or the user community) doesn't absolve the rest of the mods of their responsibility to act (or in this case POST) on important threads that users submit for betterment of the gym. If you as mods deem Prime to be your official spokesperson, first of all I pity the poor fool, and secondly I therefore say you have given up your right to govern (or as in this case, moderate) effectively here. If you can't stand up and give an honest opinion and stand by it .... then why should people follow you? Yes, definitely, thank you mods and admins for keeping watch and reading this thread. Thank you for hitting the thanks button for posts you like. If you feel that positive reinforcing through the thanks button is an issue, then perhaps it's time to readdress that issue. Personally, I don't think I have a problem with the way it is now, but perhaps that's only my opinion. Now I know you can all realize that I haven't polled the users about this, but I would assume that the bulk of the users appreciate the heartfelt comments of mods who have consented to take the time to comment much more. Having "one voice" aside, and assuming that as humans we all have our own circumstances and opinions should help us all to realize that not all of the staff should remain quiet about a touchy subject. Let's face it, as a parent, I know it helped my children to know that I was always there to help them and keep them safe from harm (That's what it feels like when hearing that mods discuss things in Victory Road, but members as a whole have no knowledge of any particular discussion). But if that's all I did, I certainly would be a poor parent. I'm glad I worked with them, conversed with them, taught them, joked with them, .... yes, showed an interest (and not just a feigned interest - though I'm sure at times it did happen due to circumstances of course) in things that mattered to them throughout their lives so far. You mods and admins need to do the same. Just like a parent doesn't give every scrap of information about every little decision they've made concerning their children but on occasion discuss the highlights when the decision affects them. What's one of the complaints about TPCi in the forum? That they aren't very communicative with the community at large. That may in part be due to necessity, but certainly does not have to be the case here. Take a stand! Be proud to have an opinion! Your opinion may not necessarily have to be right any more than anyone else's - including mine. But more people benefit and learn from positively bringing forth an honest opinion. Rew, I really appreciate your posts for just that reason. Not everyone gets everything right the first time, and not all suggestions work all the time. But bringing forth those suggestions help everyone to learn things, including me. Benzo, keep up the good work. You are making good progress to becoming a great asset here on the gym. Being selective in posting doesn't mean to slow down in your posting. We all benefit when we participate - those who post learn confidence, and those that read them .... learn - period.

The pokegym was not my first foray into the world of pokemon and it's forums, but I sincerely would like to think it was the best of my stays. I'm hoping that many more people can say the same. To that end, I'd like to see it be a site that everyone can be proud of.

If you as staff feel that your posts need to have a 'qualifier' to it, then you should supply that. For example, when I was a mod, I still had opinions that I felt should be heard. But as my responsibility as a mod here meant that I needed to say those opinions with tact, and say that although I had an opposing opinion, I did have to acknowledge my responsibilities as well. Don't feel that you can't be honest with the members. You'll do yourself more harm in the long run.

Prime, I don't agree that you shouldn't try offering content that other sites offer. We each have our own point of view, and perhaps some may do things better than other people, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth trying. Who knows, you may be able to offer to make a better mousetrap in time. Giving up on trying to improve is worse in the long run. It's not a matter of trying to compete with other sites, but to augment those. When you are on the internet and look for a specific subject, do you automatically believe the first site you see? Even if the information is similar, perhaps one site might be able to present something in a better light, or in a refreshing new way than another.

Last of all, BDS ... Thanks for being part of the admin team that gives us the opportunity to enjoy this forum. Thank you for reading and listening. But don't be afraid to post more often. We really like to see your posts and rarely if ever dismiss their importance. You too are a very fine asset showcased here on the gym.

I hope my wordy reply was worth reading, and that it helps. You should all realize that I too have always wanted to see this forum as the best of the bunch. I hope you can get past my occasional lack of tact and see the importance of my message. It took me quite some time to complete the post.

 

[PokemonTrader]

In addition to that.
I think mods need to stop being so selective to replying to inquiries, PMs and posts.

I recall asking a question on Team Compendium... No reply for weeks... I PMed a mod regarding the issue and they said that Team Compendium gets a LOT of posts and it was probably lost. So I posted another... and another... and another...

To this day, I got one run around response from 'Pop and that's about it. His reply was he'd get back to it, but never did.

 

[Prime]

Prime, I don't agree that you shouldn't try offering content that other sites offer. We each have our own point of view, and perhaps some may do things better than other people, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth trying. Who knows, you may be able to offer to make a better mousetrap in time. Giving up on trying to improve is worse in the long run. It's not a matter of trying to compete with other sites, but to augment those. When you are on the internet and look for a specific subject, do you automatically believe the first site you see? Even if the information is similar, perhaps one site might be able to present something in a better light, or in a refreshing new way than another.

It's not that we don't want to try different things, it is that we only have so much man power and we need to focus what we have on the more important things.

Every single thing requires volunteers. Every single thing on this forum requires a person to get up every day and go to this forum and invest time without getting paid or thanked for it.

It'd be like asking a Soup Kitchen to expand and offer more options. They can only do so much with the help they have.

In my honest opinion, the PokeGym needs to boil down it's function to the basic goals, and if later in the future we want to expand, and we have the membership jumping to volunteer to do things, then we can consider it. But if we continue to try to do too many things, we will continue to fail at them, and the PokeGym will never be as potent as it once was.

 

[P_A]

You forget Prime ..... I've been there. I've been in your shoes as a mod. Yes, I realize that it requires resources, and volunteers. It requires a certain amount of commitment. Yet how many volunteers have the admins turned away by not following through with mod appointments? How much is not being done by those who originally volunteered and not really committed themselves to responsibilities they volunteered for? Evil Psyduck makes a very valid point in post 61 when he says it's not so much understaffed as much as many of them do nothing. So what is needed to entice more from current mods? How about some thanks? How about a small token to say, "Job well done guys!" How about letting those volunteers in on what they are really in for, and training and backing them up? Soup kitchens can and do sometimes expand and offer more options - with the right amount of financial backing and volunteers. Don't tell me that things CAN'T be done. Tell me how they CAN! I have respect for those who moderate here on the gym. Partially that's because I once did it. But I know that they aren't the only ones who have passion for the site or who potentially have passion for the site. Proper use of what you have is the cornerstone of progress. If you want to succeed in bringing back some of what you've lost, then perhaps it's time to think seriously out of the box - outside your comfort zone. Don't be content to just supply what you have in the past, OR NOTHING WILL CHANGE! Thank you for your opinion, but it shouldn't be allowed to continue like that. And I think deep down you see it that way as well - otherwise you wouldn't continue to post here on this thread, trying to help make things better for both the gym's mods and members.

 

[Benzo]

This is my step by step Pokegym visit:

I don't log in right away- if I do, any PM's will distract me right off. I browse my mod area to check new postings to make sure johny foul mouth hasn't posted more trash again. (johny is "in general" reference here)

If so- action taken to remove said trash.

I check all other aspects of my area to see how my area is going.

I then log in. I respond to PM's.

I then check staff zone.

Anything that requires attention- I give it.

That's just the main faze of my coming on here. If I only have approximately 1/2 hour a day for here- most of that time is gone being a mod.

I think an area needs to be touched on: The level of expectations from both sides, i.e.: staff and members.

Staff keep the site neat and tidy at best they can. If the 'gym is clean- more time for interaction and time to bring in extra content.

Members expect a site that is well managed and a place for numerous activities.

Look at that word a second: activities. If all that this site is looked at as it being a "resource"- not many activities can happen if it is only on the staff to provide them. Yes, this is a resource site. Activities are a bonus. If the level of quality drops in the resource department due to staff working to hard on to many activities- the site loses the resource usefulness.

Activities need a balance, just as this site needs that resource balance. Priory is key, right?

I try to bring in activities. The lack of participation from members is the buzzkill on activities. Either not enough interest, or not enough staff "free time" to maintain the activity.

I will say that there does need to be a revamp in how members and staff work together to have more activities on here.

It goes both ways: What can the leaders do to provide/ what can the members provide to revive this resource? It's like a car with no battery: slapping a new paint job on it won't get it to start.

We can not provide something out of nothing. The foundation has been here all this time. It is a 50/50 on both the home owners and the visiters to keep the 'gym somewhere to hang out.

I keep asking myself "What more can I bring in with what I have skills in for this site?"- So I ask you members to ask yourselves the same question.

I present something- no reaction in interest- back to the drawing board. I would love it if I didn't have to think of an idea so often........... and in the area where it is my forte- the VG- do any of you have activity ideas?

I take blame on my part for not being as social outside of the VG area for here- but mod work and working on ideas to keep what little interest there is still interesting. With TCPI taking on the VGC- I would think that the VG area would be more active. I do not know what to do more of to make it an area more active.

more to come later- on 3ds and this was a lot to type up, lol

 

[vaporeon]

^Thats about my same process as well. I address anything that needs attention at that time. I also respond to every PM I get from the community and do my best to handle them and if I can't or its beyond my power, I pass it to the higher ups.

I would like to see Pokegym fun again. Do the custom avatar days, hold more art contest. Stuff like that. The reason Pokegym is one of the greatest Pokemon communities is because of our strong official-unofficialness. That is whats great about Pokegym. Sure other websites are good but those tend to be ran by players while PokeGym is ran by TO's of Pokemon and visited (and posted on) by official TPCi staff. Thats a big deal for us. Rather then Pokegym do everything, we should use the strength of the community to make Pokegym better. Places like 6prizes and nugget bridge are great resources but some website are not age appropriate for Pokegym.

The question is for the community. What would you like to see done to Pokegym to make it better?

 

[ShadowCard]

The question is for the community. What would you like to see done to Pokegym to make it better?

Did you want us to repeat what has already been said in a list format or was this a question for new posters going forward?

However, as staff has made several complaints about the amount of work/resources the site needs to be maintained, add "redefine volunteer roles" to the list. I think it plays into PokeGym having too many outdated rules and rules-posts that also needs to be addressed. A streamlining of what staff's roles are may reveal areas where their time is not being well spent. See my response to Benzo below.

This is my step by step Pokegym visit:

I don't log in right away- if I do, any PM's will distract me right off. I browse my mod area to check new postings to make sure johny foul mouth hasn't posted more trash again. (johny is "in general" reference here)

If so- action taken to remove said trash.

I check all other aspects of my area to see how my area is going.

I then log in. I respond to PM's.

I then check staff zone.

Anything that requires attention- I give it.

That's just the main faze of my coming on here. If I only have approximately 1/2 hour a day for here- most of that time is gone being a mod.

Benzo, I see your title is "Front Page News Editor." Are States not news right now? PokeGym Labs is one of the better things going on at PokeGym right now but there is nothing on the front page to direct players to the States listing?

If that is the routine of your day, I think something is wrong. You are "Front Page News Editor." Shouldn't your first action be to check the News and Gossip board to see what is being discussed and could be moved to the front page? Or, if that is someone else's job, to ask them if they are sure there was no news from Feb 5 to March 14? Behavior issues should be a passive enforcement on your part, something you observe while looking for news. I would think that is more Vaporeon's role based on the title "Forum Moderator." If you're actively looking for someone posting "more trash again", I think you have exposed the problem: roles of the staff need to be redefined. What does "check all other aspects of my area to see how my area is going." mean? It sounds like you're spending too much time moderating and not enough time finding/editing the news.

 

[P_A]

Benzo old friend, I don't mean to be rude - honest I don't. But that's a far cry from what my day was like ... back in the day. Perhaps that's why some of the mods at the time mentioned that the mod community as a whole would miss me when I was gone.

I used to get up at 5:30 so I could spend at least a half hour browsing the gym and replying to pm's and such before I even dressed to go to work. Then while I was drinking my morning coffee at work I spent at least another half hour on the gym dealing with damage reports. If there were some problems, I may even put 15 minutes at break and another half hour at lunch dealing with things. Usually I spent my last break talking to my wife on the phone, so I didn't use every waking moment on the gym, but after supper I may end up spending as little as 1 hour and as many as 8 extra hours on the gym, dealing with stuff, posting my opinions, discussing mod activities, providing content and activities for members. This was also while I had young teenagers here in the house, was a PTO, and had responsibilities due to my religion. Yes, I probably burned myself out. I can safely say I lost sleep many nights due to both problems on the gym, and my home life. However that's the type of passion it took at the time, and I was willing to do so. I'm not saying that everyone should be like me - on the contrary, you need to be less like me. You need to work smart, not more. But even so, it does require a commitment.

As for suggestions, it's good that you ask for them. I've already gave a few within the video game portion of the site. There have been quite a few here in this thread already as well. Here's an idea: Perhaps it might be a good idea to list suggestions already given and mention their possibility of implementation. Then we can go from there.

edit: Ha, ninja'd by ShadowCard. Good post. Yes, I think first of all we need to pay attention to suggestions already given before asking for more.