Nexus + Deviantart Groups = ?

[Shard]

I've been deliriously ill for a couple days, and while stewing in my own fevered juices, thought about the new groups feature at DA.

In order to draw in some new blood, what about creating a Nexus Dragonry annex on deviantart? Right now I'm part of like half a dozen adoptable groups, there, and I know there are already some dragon adoptable groups though none of them seem really worthwhile. Spamming da with the Nexus might get some newer kids on the block to try out actually writing for a change. Maybe we could even have some monthly challenges (yes, my mind was actually thinking all this while sick) like 'based on pern' or 'elemental bonds' or whatever, stuff we've had similar here.

There's also Gaia but I don't habit there, and hell even Facebook, though fb moves so damn fast I can't even keep track of the people I DO watch there, let alone a group lol. (Also thinking, what about a facebook app...o.0 )

anyway, my fever's down a little and I can think clearly again, but I still kinda like the idea of dragging some new people into the Nexus. What do you think?

[Guest]

I pretty much never visit DA, but I'd join a group there for your idea. I had been thinking something similar the other day, trying to scheme ways to draw in new people. (The only thing I came up with was to spam message boards with adverts, but yours sounds better, lol) Of course, I'd personally still be focusing on Pern, which has remained my favorite throughout the years.

[Shard]

Yeah I searched last night and there's a total of ONE pernese dragon group but I doubt that it's much more than an rp area.

[StarFyre]

I've always been mildly iffy about DA, but what the hey, if this happens, I'll take a gander and see if I can do some that way.

[Guest]

I'm not surprised, it's Pern's own fault that people are tired of it. The books are old and getting suckier with each new one written. But I'm still fairly obsessed with it, and will probably be still beating my dead horse for a few more years. If we end up doing a group on DA/FB/etc, I'll make attempts to contribute other things too though. Mostly I haven't lately because my scanner is still "borrowed," and I never got the hang of the tablet.

[Shard]

It's such a fun *concept* but so poorly executed

But yeah I think I'll be gearing something up. Probably not specifically or exclusively pern, but definitely to include it. I just want to start shunting people here, where we still do most of our stuff for dragons

[Dray]

I'm curious about DA but would not join anything hosted at facebook. How do things translate when you can't page your dragon? Do participants favorite the images that they've adopted and add them to a collection, or do they re-upload the image? Do they post their stories on DA as well?

I'm a DA adoptable newb!

[Shard]

Yeah I'd say if anything goes up on Facebook it'd just be a link here or to the DA group. Facebook is.... fun, but ... oi weird.

With DA, though, people can make their characters and have stories right there in the comment area, right? Dunno about how it'd be handled outside of that although maybe having customized nameplates on dragon images would do - kinda like gaia or pony island adoptables have i guess.

Ugh I'm still sick.

[delyar]

We could always use DA to show clutch templates and then put a link in the author's comments to where they can go to get one of their own (ie. here). Saves the most pain in the neck problems.

[Dray]

The problem with that is in trying to get people who are already registered on DA to sign up over here. :P

My thought would be that you'd run a clutch like this:

Put up a clutch template (or a grid of hatchlings, if you want to show off the goods ahead of time!) Have a deadline, or else be sure to indicate in the deviation when said image is no longer available! Request to add it to the group. Maybe have sub-categories in the group by agency, or by genre (Pern vs. not? XD)

When people see the template in the group, they can write their story and upload it to DA or a web page.

Upload the dragon image itself, (probably with a bit of information just because it's DA, not a safe forum,) and allow the new owner to fav it, or add it to a collection, or download it and put it up on their website.

That way they can play without immediately having to register here. We could probably have a spectrum -- you could release some more common types to DA and promote the Nexus forum with some super rare types over here. ;P

It could just be that forum-based adoptions aren't as popular now, now that there are more convenient ways to connect.

Ha ha ha, I want to make Twitter-flits, now. XD 'You must write a story that's 140 characters or less to get one!' X333

[Shard]

hahahah Twits!

I still don't use twitter myself. heh

[Shard]

Okay so I created a group - #NexusDragonAdoptions, which I've invited whoever I could remember their DA name to, a few folks already there now. So if you're here and on deviantart, sign up as a member or contributor, either way will be fine with me, I have no idea what to do in the group lol. I can't find any info on how to make a group icon, either, so if anyone knows, that'd be helpful...

[Kitsuneko]

Had to dig up my old user account (It's Silver-Storyteller) but I can't join; it says join requests are not open?

[Yakima]

For some reason, I can't sign up...though I would love to change my name, O.o I don't think I can without starting over, though.hmmm

[Shard]

I'll try and figure out how to make the join feature work... they aren't making it very easy, since the FAQ doesn't include basic shit.

[Xenoqueen]

I *think* you may be the only one that can set/change the icon, Shard.

At least, I attempted to change it as I would my personal icon -- by clicking on it from the gallery frontpage -- to no effect. I also trawled through all the Admin pages I have access to and saw nothing promising. So either it's buried someplace I didn't see or it's a group-creator-only thing.

Agreed, the FAQ is notoriously unhelpful.

[Shard]

Okay I hope that I've corrected the Join features. Why groups don't DEFAULT to "automatically approved" for members and contributors I have no idea. Obviously, it's out of beta too early (well it's still IN beta, technically, though they clearly wanted people to use it for the ad space... lol da ads - I see none.) and doesn't have anywhere near as good a instruction area as it needs.

I am guessing that once there's an image in the gallery, I can then choose it for use as an icon... but since it doesn't tell me how LARGE it can be... sigh. Maybe I can upload something in my own gallery and choose to use it as the group icon since I'm the founder... >_>

[delyar]

Pretty sure it has to be an image included in the group. Check other groups for dimensions. (Seems to be maybe 100 wide, 50 high.)

[Yakima]

what's the difference in member and contributor?

[Shard]

Not much, though I think generally members don't have as much ability to donate art. I'd still be able to change either status or abilities to an extent.

[Quachir]

Okay I hope that I've corrected the Join features. Why groups don't DEFAULT to "automatically approved" for members and contributors I have no idea. Obviously, it's out of beta too early (well it's still IN beta, technically, though they clearly wanted people to use it for the ad space... lol da ads - I see none.) and doesn't have anywhere near as good a instruction area as it needs.

I am guessing that once there's an image in the gallery, I can then choose it for use as an icon... but since it doesn't tell me how LARGE it can be... sigh. Maybe I can upload something in my own gallery and choose to use it as the group icon since I'm the founder... >_>

I think the reason they don't have it default to auto approved is probably because of people who might join just to troll and such.

I think the most likely reason though would probably be for those who are new to it that are creating a group that only certain people are supposed to be allowed. So something like, if we were all still doing Pern adoptions only and such then said only known Weyrleaders could be in the group.

I'm curious in the long run how this will work. Definitely at this time will get my attention faster there than here as I check DA at least once a day normally because of my favorite artists and friends who do art.

Wow, I write a post first the first time in how long? And not only that it was about four paragraphs long wow! *gets side tracked and wishes she could play WoW instead of working on reading for her paper due Thursday*

BTW thanks for the invite for me there Shard or I would probably have never known about this.

[Shard]

I knows I think I hit a couple people multiple times because I just went down my friends list, and recalled later, oh that's probably such and so's alt account they haven't been on in months....

[Shard]

Okay so I figured out how to get the logo in. It's actually a MOUSEOVER in the corner of the icon area. o.o because THAT's always been a part of deviantart's engine... o.o