You know, I was thinking. The "current comic" thread bugs me, Why aren't there separate threads for each strip(and maybe a subforum for discussing each separate strip?) like how they do it at the XKCD, VGcats and the ctrl alt delete forums?
I don't like how the topic is crammed with an ever-changing discussion about the "current comic". What if I wanted to talk about one of my favorite strips? Etc?

I just thought that this should be put into consideration, It would all be a lot more organized that way.

Thanks
~ReCreate

edit: fixed grammar error

Well it depends, do people want to do that?

Erm, I actually kind of like the "current comic" thread. It gives a bit of leeway to discuss recent comics as well.
That and there isn't the drama of lurkers speeding to be the first to post the thread. Then the first 20 posts after that are all "aww, you beat me to it".

So me, personally, would rather have our giant 4k-post buddy over there =P.

One downside is that you would have dozens of threads with limited discussion potential. I think the average comic update gets 20 to 40 posts in the Current Comic thread.

Another issue is that we discuss more in this forum than individual comic updates. If we have 20 or 30 pages of individual-comic threads, it becomes cluttered and some users may be unable to locate other topics of interest to them, like the various interviews Rick has done. Possible Mitigation: Create and maintain a floated thread index.

I can see the merits of what you're advocating; I'm just not sure we're high-traffic enough to justify it yet...

Rick updates the comic too frequently for us to have individual threads for each strip; we'd have a minimum of three new threads in here per week, plus any bonus stuff (like All the King's Men... which we have anyway). Contrast this to Scott over at VG Cats, who updates maybe once per month when he's on a regular schedule. The whole forum would be filled with comment threads, most of which would probably average less than a dozen posts.

Keeping the comments separate isn't particularly difficult anyway, so long as you check the dates.

EDIT: TL;DR: Everything Dissension said, I just said it better because I am Spot, and therefore awesome

Not to necessarily be on the support side of this, but you realize threads can be removed by moderators (at least in any forum I've ever seen).

Once a new comic comes out, with the flick of a finger, Ebly would mail the old thread off to oblivion.
But you'd still only get 20-40 posts on each with the current forum traffic. Which isn't even a whole page.

EDIT: A thread per arc would be nice. However, only if the moderators post it and it isn't some race to be the first with it up >_>.

AHA! Yes, Ebly and I did discuss this. I think that while we don't yet have enough traffic to warrant a new thread for each comic yet, one for each arc would be perfect. After this arc, we can lock the current comic thread, and start a new thread for each arc. We can't delete it, because it really has a lot of history, so...I'll figure out some way to organize it.

And, uh, if more than one thread goes up, we'll just merge 'em. Not to hard, but look for the thread BEFORE you post it new.

We don't want to delete our old threads for no reason; then we'd lose all our cool archived flame wars discussions and ruminations.

Arc threads sound like a neat idea.

Tie Rick down and make him do it ?

I think it would be aproximatley 500-1200 threads assuming you create one for EACH strip. Though that's admittedly overkill.

A thread per arc would be a much better idea though.


Hey aren't you that guy... nevermind...
Anyways, have you seen the XKCD forum? It updates 3 times a week and they have separate threads for each strip. As does the ctrl alt delete forum(IIRC)

edit: and wow a lot of posts in a short time...span(sorry can't help it ) for a forum that has had a maximum of ~25 people active at the same time.

Point being...? Just because each thread won't be as stuffed as it is there... well... doesn't mean it isn't worth existing.

I think arc related threads would be neat in my honest opinion. but i'm no expert on traffic, but i think we either need to go with a yearly topic or a arc related topic.

I wouldn't want the 'current topic' topic going away though. too many memories T_T

I agree with the thread for each arch idea. It allows for a flow of discussion to develop, but without just having the one gigantic thread. Honestly, I don't have anything against the one big thread, but if change is needed, I think that is an excellent middle ground solution.

Archive it...? :p

Current Comic thread: Lock it (maybe), re-name it to "Old Comic comments thread: Arcs 10-29"

Then, we go to the "one thread per arc"

Not too hard to figure out, really.

Well, guys, Rick has approved the idea. At the conclusion of the "Imaginate, Too!" story arc, we will be switching to arc discussion threads.

Buck's right; nothing will be deleted. The Current Comic thread will just be closed when we switch to the new system. On the off chance someone wants to talk about the older comics, there can be a "Previous Arcs: Imaginate! through Imaginate, Too!" discussion thread.

Isn't that kind of what the Comments on the strips are for?

Yeah, that's pretty much the reason why comic threads should continue on the forums, though on the suggested arc basis, which sounds cogent.

Arc threads are the best way to go, given a arc can run anywhere from a month to half a year if Rick's up for it.

The current arc would seem to suggest as much. One of the longest yet. (No complaints here, of course .)

What are you talking about it's not that biiiiaaah...

"94, 95, 96"

Ok.... yeah, that's kinda... wow,

Well, how about this, every Housepets anniversary Rick starts a new thread for the year and begins by copying the posts discussing the previous comic into the new one or something, that way we don't get bogged down with new threads but we don't get huge monster ones either.

Once every story arc is... kinda hard to me because there is no telling how long any one story arc is going to be, it's kinda unpredictable and to be quite honest, it's taken the "current comic" thread quite a while to get even this far... er, hasn't it? When was it started again anyway?

November '08. And you started it .

Why yes, yes I did. Sorry but I was at the library and was short on time (I had places to go) so I had to finish my post and then get, otherwise I would have looked up the starting date myself...

*does some checking*

*does some thinking*

I would relent with the "once per story arc" idea if we didn't actually close the threads (at least not immediately after the next story arc begins) and merely opened new ones for the new arcs and maybe closed the old ones after they died. That, or just let them die and fall down the list until they are gone for some time only to be revived by horrible thread necromancers who have nothing better to do but revive old topics for their own ammusement! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

er, um, yeah.

Wait. Are you saying that it will be a discussion for all the strips in the same thread? I thought it was a thread per each new arc(and old one if anyone wants to discuss an older one, such as its a wonderful dog's life).

Okay! Here's what we've decided, since everyone seems to have agreed...

The "Current Comic" thread will be renamed "Old Comic Discussion: Imaginate to Imaginate, Too." This thread will remain unlocked, and open for further discussion based on the thread's new topic.

After "Imaginate, Too" ends, we will then be switching to a one thread per arc format. The topic of this thread will simply be the arc's name.

The person to post the new thread for the new arc can be anyone; simply whomever posts first. In the case of multiple threads, the threads will be merged if the discussion within each is substantial enough, or simply deleted if not.

And now that's that! We've discussed, we've agreed, and the decision is made. No more use for this topic...Thread done.

This is probably the best title I could have hoped for