AuthorTopic: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!  (Read 26412 times)

Offline Helm

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Hi! I've decided after many years that it's time for me to step down from active moderation. This shouldn't really warrant its own thread, but just letting everybody know because I'll be effectively demoted soon and I don't want anyone to think it's due to any bad blood or whatever with the rest of the moderators. Far the opposite, I have warm feelies for everybody involved.

Here's the thing - I think Pixelation needs new blood on the managerial side. Every time we find new people to turn into mods, they are great additions but they can't fundamentally change Pixelation or move it forward because there's a lot of inertia they have to work against. I am part of that inertia! That we haven't had the Pixelation skin for years now is inexcusable, for example. And since I didn't learn css and finish the skin myself, it tells me I no longer have the drive to keep pushing Pixelation forward.

And when there's lazy (or preoccupied, or, or, or) people on top, those that could really provide for dynamic change don't get their chance. So, I wholeheartedly urge the rest of the mods to take over - or if they want, recruit further from the userbase - and steer Pixelation to the direction it needs to go to remain vital and useful.

I will be staying in Pixelation as a normal user, contributing critique (and getting critique) and various ramblings as usual. I will have no official powers whatsoever.

To make this thread proactive, I urge everyone that is active on the forums to contribute as to how they'd like to see Pixelation carry on in the future, how they'd like to see it change for the better and what they'd like to keep the same.

In this spirit, let me be the first to contribute

Things to change:
1. Make Pixelation pretty again
2. Thank you notes for useful posts, as in 'x,y and z user found this post useful' to promote helpful critique
3. More activities, challenges and commercial critiques

Things to not change:
1. Inclusive atmosphere towards newcomers
2. No condemnation about stuff that isn't exactly pixel art, instead education and proactivity

Thank you for your patience over all these years. I learned a lot.

Offline Mr. Fahrenheit

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #1 on: January 28, 2014, 10:30:36 pm
Later Helm, you've been awesome!

Offline Crow

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #2 on: January 28, 2014, 10:50:54 pm
Damn, you remind me again what should've been done for way too long already. The thing with the skin is, uh, a tad complicated. Working on it.™
Again, I'm a bit sad to see you leave the team, but I'm also happy you'll be sticking around :)
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Offline ptoing

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #3 on: January 28, 2014, 10:59:14 pm
Thanks for having stayed around for as long as you have, you were/are a lot of inspiration and a great friend. Will be nice to having you around, but knowing you can ease your mind from the mod work.

I reckon that once the skin is done I will mainly be in the background as well, tho as long as I feel like it I will keep the hosting and make sure this place has a home. Tho I think it probably is time for some new blood.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.

Offline NaCl

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #4 on: January 28, 2014, 11:30:21 pm
You helped make this community the amazing place this it is! Thanks for that.

Offline Cyangmou

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #5 on: January 28, 2014, 11:57:47 pm
Yeah Helm, we will see sou around anyways =) (hopefully)

let's have this again:
"Because the beauty of the human body is that it hasn't a single muscle which doesn't serve its purpose; that there's not a line wasted; that every detail of it fits one idea, the idea of a man and the life of a man."

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Offline Probo

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #6 on: January 29, 2014, 01:51:17 am
Well done Helm!

@Cyangmou Maybe there could be a a challenge/competition to design aspects of the website's new look?

Offline Reo

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #7 on: January 29, 2014, 01:53:45 am
Thanks for this time Helm! I realize that you're not leaving for good, but I'll to take this time anyway tell you what an inspiration you have been these last few years.
You have introduced me to new and different concepts and thoughts not only in art, but music as well.
I've come to many realizations and conclusions from your writings both here and from other places and they have sparked ideas of my own.
Your writing and all the different artists I've encountered through it have come to mean so much for me that I have a hard time expressing how grateful I am for it all. And I haven't even mentioned your own art yet! You've been a pretty cool Pixel Art/Heavy Metal uncle ( in the best possible way)!
So thanks a lot for these years ( and the years to come!) Thanks for Moebius, Thanks for Fates Warning, for Voivod and Sanctuary!
I hope you'll continue to inspire and that I'll get the chance to inspire you in turn! :)



Offline Mathias

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #8 on: January 29, 2014, 09:34:13 am
This is interesting news! Mature move. Hope it works for the better.

Your contributions were/are really important to me. You already know that.




Guys, he's asking you to make specific points about what to change/not change . . .

. . .
To make this thread proactive, I urge everyone that is active on the forums to contribute as to how they'd like to see Pixelation carry on in the future, how they'd like to see it change for the better and what they'd like to keep the same.
. . .

Ok!

Things to change:

1. Skin. PLEASE SKIN. Skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.

2. Here's a new thing -
(Sven, you probably don't recall, but this is that thought I had the other day which I'd planned on dropping on you once I had it written up. Looks now is the time and place, though. So . . .)

IDEA FOR NEW PIX: Make a thread just for the compiling of and the "reviewing" of good artists.

We all love to find new artists that inspire us. I always want to see great new artists (well . . ."new" to me anyway) and what they're doing.
Yes, the compiling of artists' work is already done elsewhere. There are various artist sites where lots of portfolios can be found.
But! This idea is different. With this, the poster includes his personal thoughts.




To post, one must conform to these rules:

---1. To post about an artist, their work must be high-quality (yes, I know this is subjective) They don't have to be pro or anything. Their work must be exemplary, though.

---2. To post about an artist, their work must be a source of inspiration, for the poster. This makes it personal. Read #3 for why this is important . . .

---3. You don't just post a name. You don't just post a URL to their work. You post a review/analysis! Since the artist is one that inspires the poster, they're now much more prone to talk about them and make the post interesting, informative and contain insight about the poster him/herself.

---4. At top of post in big letters must be: name and general description/genre categorization. This increases usability of thread if just quickly scanning.

---5. Each post is basically a mini-review (can be however long you like), must include pictures of their work and your thoughts on them. Say whatever you like. Tell us why you think artist X is great. Each post is meant to not only expose Pix users to great artists, but also educate them, too.

---6. Same artist is allowed to be reviewed more than once. Why not. Part of the fun is sharing your point of view/thoughts.

---7. Disallow reply posts? Can others post their replies to an artist review post. If replies are culled, the thread would be much more "pure", easier to nav and find artists. But, would also be less interactive. I'd probably allow replies/give others ability to freely post/respond even if not a review.


--- Furthermore ---
First post in thread will contain the rules, and be updated with links to each artist post for quick indexing findability.

When an artist review post is posted and the Admin approves, the images posted are saved and referenced in the post from a safe location so they never die, like feature chest threads. Can't always trust users to keep the images alive or use a good host, unfortunately.
Should the post be locked, too? (is that even possible for a single post?)

We artists like to spend time not only creating but also conversing with each other about art. A designated, structured place to host dialogues about great artists is would be welcome.

______
I feel there's value here for Pix members. It's a slightly fish-out-of-water idea - Pix is a pixel art forum, but plenty of nifty NPA stuff goes on here, too. So, it's not that great a stretch.
Also think of SEO. I'd expect the page to rank OK on search engines, containing the searched for artist's name, along with having images, and also being updated from to time to time (all SEO boosting things) --- therefore more exposure --- therefore increased chance of new forum users.

To proceed - rather than poll users if this is something they'd like, and expect them to read the proposed rules and understand it, I think the thread should just be made and then let someone do the first example post, so everyone has a real-world visual example to help them understand how it works when they open the thread for the first time.
Doesn't need to be a gestapo moderated thread, but I think it would need some mod control in order to keep it under control and optimal for viewers.



So, there's that.
How about a music thread like that, too? Why the heck not.




Things to not change:

1. The waterfall of critique. That's the backbone of Pix. Keep it strong.

2. In-depth, philosophical art discussion (The Advent of the Cluster, ramblethread, etc). These seem important.



(dangit, helm! Cull your PM inbox out, sonny)
« Last Edit: January 31, 2014, 03:34:37 am by Mathias »

Offline RAV

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Re: I am retiring as a moderator of Pixelation - Also, Changes!

Reply #9 on: January 29, 2014, 01:36:55 pm
Personally, I don't find it necessary or preferable that you step down. I have not percieved you as obstacle in the way, not any of you.
Rather a bridge. Maybe a suspension bridge. But still helpful along the way. It holds even if it shakes.

When strangers meet so unlikely, coming from different backrounds, communication needs to normalize, that takes time and patience from everyone. Discussions happen, points need to be tested, but none ended in disaster as far as I can see. The persons involved have been too smart for it to not end fruitful eventually on all sides.

I have good reasons why I involve myself here rather than more "successful" places easier to get in. And that is because I see thoughtful good in here more. I prefer compact and competent communities.

If I cared about nothing but popularity, cheapskating to it by any means, don't you think I would have gone about differently? Rather I invested myself into a vision I believe in, that serves the art.

I do appreciate your attempt to set a sign with this, such that the actual message is understandable by the heart alongside head: the spirit of new frontier, instead of bunker mentality.



-------------------



For the longest time, pixelart was about cutting-edge graphics technology. Everything was pixelart, everyone trying to outdo the others.

After a while, the wealth of visuals was so broad, that to talk about it effectively, the language needed more differentiation. Just by being displayed with pixels now leaves overwhelming interpretation of the possible art. Thus you tried to identify what makes your aesthetic, to get a grasp of your craft. You tried to be descriptive such that it be useful to others. And these days we become more conscious that helpful description is not to devolve into forceful prescription, and that a living art eventually outgrows definition intuitively, for a new cycle of thinking and transmitting.


The first era was a birth of body: pixelart just was; on screen.

Followed by an era of pixelart becoming self-aware. To develop a personality it needed border conflict.

Maybe now is the time of maturity. Finding friends and family. And "giving back", after being given life and learning.


What happened happened. It needed to. We must accept it for how we came to be, and as long as we not dwell on it, but draw consequence, all is good.


Nowadays PA is to maintain an approachable presence within every type NPA. Pixelart is to test itself any other way, like it is a test to any other artist.



------------



I have a series of activities in mind that would provide for an interesting tour of pixelart outside its comfort zone. "When worlds collide".
These would be custom tool based challenges. On one hand it would serve me as a "live" testbed of my tech. On the other it would serve you as an introduction to new fields and creative opportunity to translate your skills.


But it's not about me. For another example, I think last time Arne tried that pixel art tutorial in which the public could participate with example content for that little game mockup/demo thing, was going well. It seems artists get more motivated if they see their art running reactive to their input. I imagine it could be fun making Activities/Challenges surrounding a little Demo of sorts for which content is to be made. I am sure others here could come up with little things likewise, whichever way of implementation. It should be very small, concentrated and accessible. This is no coder community, shouldn't try to be, but not much is required; it is about the assorted art input to a single thing. It does not necessarily need to be a mini game, but it must offer a straightforward way artists can put into their art, resulting to experimental effect; strange ways of utilizing and displaying pixelart, strange requirements of tailoring the pixelart to it; a new interpretation of challenge "limits" for artists.


I think this is the missing link. Pixel art has always been a joint venture of technology and art. The perceived stalemate and resignation stems from mental divorce and neglect.

This kind of proactive "workbench jam" requires a theoretic and practical flexibility and agility to PA that Pixelation, in its informality, has above PJ as gallery.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2014, 03:20:46 pm by RAV »