[CJ]

The latest post from the TSR Blog:

Are you a creative and brilliant communicator that enjoys taking words, pictures, videos, sticky back plastic and pipe cleaners and transforming them into fun and helpful resources? Do you have a passion for making complex things simple? Do you get the social web…. like REALLY get it? If you are and if you do we [...]

Read more on the TSR Blog...

[Phalanges]

A part of the job description is to generate new content for the site. I'm curious what your plans are regarding this?

(I'm also curious about where you're going to be curating the best user generated content, but that seems a smaller step than the above)

[Captain Jack]

(Original post by Phalanges)
A part of the job description is to generate new content for the site. I'm curious what your plans are regarding this?

(I'm also curious about where you're going to be curating the best user generated content, but that seems a smaller step than the above)

Hey Phalanges!
A very good question and if I'm completely honest, there isn't a plan that's 100% set in stone. Part of this person's job will be to talk to and work with you and others in the community to decide what will be helpful or useful. However, to give you a much better idea I'll explain a bit more.

TSR is so big and has so many new threads and discussions started every single day that to new members and non-members (and even some members!) it can be a daunting place. It's also possible to miss some of the best discussions, competitions etc. Which will only become more of a problem as the community grows.

For existing members we're hoping this person can also bring some consistency across some pages like the tabs (the section landing pages across the top) and help us to communicate better with the community. The person will sit in our Community Team, working directly with myself, CJ, J, RK and Fleur.

When the job description says creating new content, it actually means to help direct people around the site better and to showcase some of the great stuff on the site already, like the stalking pages, the Easter baking competition etc. So it will be less about creating lots of articles and more about making the community more accessible and encouraging involvement where needed. There will likely be an element of creating new content too if it's useful though, for instance, we could expand out our careers advice section in the future.

The role is very much about enhancing the community though and not at all about turning the site into The Guardian

Hope that makes some sense?

[Phalanges]

(Original post by Captain Jack)
Hey Phalanges!
A very good question and if I'm completely honest, there isn't a plan that's 100% set in stone. Part of this person's job will be to talk to and work with you and others in the community to decide what will be helpful or useful. However, to give you a much better idea I'll explain a bit more.

TSR is so big and has so many new threads and discussions started every single day that to new members and non-members (and even some members!) it can be a daunting place. It's also possible to miss some of the best discussions, competitions etc. Which will only become more of a problem as the community grows.

For existing members we're hoping this person can also bring some consistency across some pages like the tabs (the section landing pages across the top) and help us to communicate better with the community. The person will sit in our Community Team, working directly with myself, CJ, J, RK and Fleur.

When the job description says creating new content, it actually means to help direct people around the site better and to showcase some of the great stuff on the site already, like the stalking pages, the Easter baking competition etc. So it will be less about creating lots of articles and more about making the community more accessible and encouraging involvement where needed. There will likely be an element of creating new content too if it's useful though, for instance, we could expand out our careers advice section in the future.

The role is very much about enhancing the community though and not at all about turning the site into The Guardian

Hope that makes some sense?

I see, so you're more looking for a signposter than a creator? I only asked because the title editor and the description seemed to be going off in a very different direction to what TSR currently is, but that sounds a lot more understandable.

[Captain Jack]

(Original post by Phalanges)
I see, so you're more looking for a signposter than a creator? I only asked because the title editor and the description seemed to be going off in a very different direction to what TSR currently is, but that sounds a lot more understandable.

Hmm, I'd say we do want a creator, someone who can take the discussions and explain it in a clear and visually appealing way, but is also happy to spark activity with original ideas too. And as I say, there will be a creating content aspect, which is incredibly important. Probably the best word is a communicator, someone who can listen to the community and then engage people and encourage participation through fantastic content in various forms.

[Phalanges]

Ok, I think I get you.

(Original post by Captain Jack)
take the discussions and explain it in a clear and visually appealing way

Back when I was trying to learn InDesign I experimented with a couple of threads along those lines. I showed it to Fleur I think.

[Captain Jack]

(Original post by Phalanges)
Ok, I think I get you.



Back when I was trying to learn InDesign I experimented with a couple of threads along those lines. I showed it to Fleur I think.

Ooh, I'd love to see those if they're still around

[Phalanges]

(Original post by Captain Jack)
Ooh, I'd love to see those if they're still around

I've attached it to this post (at least, I think I have. I've never uploaded a pdf before).

I didn't really like the way the TSR newsletter is handled - I felt that it didn't really represent the principles of a forum at all. I had a free couple of days and was trying to get better at InDesign for some magazine editing, so I figured I'd try and lay out what I'd like to see in a newsletter. It's pretty basic (for example the white square in the top left of the page is a hyperlink to the forum thread, but you'd never know that if you weren't told), but I attempted to distil the essence of debate. Let me know what you think.

[Captain Jack]

(Original post by Phalanges)
I've attached it to this post (at least, I think I have. I've never uploaded a pdf before). I didn't really like the way the TSR newsletter is handled - I felt that it didn't really represent the principles of a forum at all. I had a free couple of days and was trying to get better at InDesign for some magazine editing, so I figured I'd try and lay out what I'd like to see in a newsletter. It's pretty basic (for example the white square in the top left of the page is a hyperlink to the forum thread, but you'd never know that if you weren't told), but I attempted to distil the essence of debate. Let me know what you think.

Sorry, I just realised I never replied to this but I did read it when you posted it. It looks very cool! CJ and I will bear this in mind as we review the TSR Times in future. Thank you