We're going to appoint people in each of the subforums to welcome newbies in by an automated PM and show them how things work in the particular subforum.
The appointment thing is so that at least one person knows it is their job, and so the newbie doesn't get buried under a PM onslaught the first time they post.
We will give the appointee (now called Heralds) a spiffy icon badge so people will know they are on the job for everybody. There will also be access to a report that shows who is new in the subforum.
If you want to apply for the position, all you have to do is post a welcome draft here. That way, a moderator will consider you. If someone else has already applied for the position, don't worry! Multiple people can apply for one subforum.
This is a list
of the heralds that have already been appointed and the subforums that still need heralds.
Open sections with inactive heralds:
- Betsyandthe Five Avengers — World Building
- Ori Doodle — Old Folks Home
- Cyto Zytokine — New Media
- Totemic Hero — Webcomics
- JHM — Music
- Parable — On-Topic Conversations
- GastonRabbit — Content Violation Discussions
Edited by GastonRabbit on Jan 7th 2024 at 8:33:43 AM
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Right. I was thinking that a bit ago, but it was right in the middle of the content policy explosion, so I didn't want to add to the mods' workload, and then it slipped my mind. I'll get on that.
A grammar tweak: Numbered bullet point 2 should be "Sexual Subjects' Status", not "Sexual Subjects's Status".
In uffish thought
Thanks; both done. With regards to WikiWording, I was trying to decide if it was better to have all blue links or go the simple route.
That was the amazing part. Things just keep going.
Here's my draft. Since I've withdrawn my application, feel free to use anything from it that you want.
Here's the updated message:
Special Efforts is the place to organize and participate in large-scale efforts to improve the wiki, such as wick moving (after renames or namespace migrations), wick cleaning (removing misuse), and page cleaning (removing natter, correcting formatting, moving misplaced elements onto their proper subpages, etc.). Our goal is to keep the wiki looking nice and functioning smoothly.
The stickied threads (the ones at the top that have the image of a note pinned to a board next to them) are for fixing ongoing, wiki-wide problems. If you have time to spare, take a look at these threads; there's always work to be done in them. If, in your wanderings across the wiki, you encounter a page which needs cleanup, but you don't have the time or knowledge to do it yourself, post a link and an explanation in the appropriate thread so that the problem can be fixed.
Three other significant threads are the Regarding the Trivia namespace thread, which works to identify which pages should be classified as trivia; the Real Life section maintenance thread, which primarily determines if specific tropes should be made No Real Life Examples Please; and the Trope Description Improvement Drive thread, which tries to improve unclear, digressive, or overly long trope descriptions. (The Trope Description Improvement Drive thread functions in the same way as the stickied threads: if you see a problem description and can't or don't feel qualified to fix it, post about it.) There are also threads for improving page quotations and for collaborating on the Playing With Wiki. The remaining threads deal with specific cleanup efforts.
If you haven't already, I would recommend reading Text-Formatting Rules, Example Indentation, and How To Alphabetize Things, as they contain useful information for handling some of the more technical parts of improving the wiki. Welcome To TV Tropes also contains a lot of useful information, and has a lot of links to pages with more detailed information.
If, in the course of your cleanup, you come across a locked page which needs something fixed, add a post to this thread requesting the needed change. If a thread, a page, or a post needs some other sort of mod attention, use the yellow button (called the Holler button) which can be found at the top of each post.
This forum follows the general forum rules. If you want to rename a trope or think the description or definition needs sigificant revision, post in the Trope Repair Shop (TRS). If you are having problems with a specific troper, report the situation either by hitting the Holler button or by posting in Ask The Tropers. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or any of the other staff.
Thank you for your help, and have a nice day!
In the interest of space, I cut out the specific explanations of the stickied threads; is that okay or do you think I should put it back in? The thread titles seem pretty clear/intuitive to me, but I'm also really not the best person to judge how a newcomer would see them.
edited 23rd Jun '12 10:03:49 AM by Nocturna
You might want to link to the non-stickied threads there. To the OPs, specifically, if they explain some of the purpose.
I have decided that I want to become a forum herald for the Forum Games sub-forum. Feel free to give constructive criticism for my draft. Here is my draft;
- Read the forum rules. Remember that the Forum Rules apply to all sub-forums. This sub-forum is not an exception.
- Be aware that this sub-forum has its own set of rules.
- If you are trying to look for a specific type of Forum Game, refer to this thread
- If you want to make a thread for a new Forum Game, make sure that...
- there isn't already a thread for the Forum Game. Duplicated threads are not needed, unless the old one ended in a flame war or is a finished RP. This can be done by searching in the Search Forum Titles box.
- the Forum Game follows the rules and guidelines.
- If you don't know how to format text, refer to this page. If you are confused about the Rules of a Forum Game, check the first page of the thread. ask in the Forum Game thread in question or give me a PM.
- Make sure you do not cause thread derailing or participate in it. The rules of the Forum Games are consistent and if you want to play a different Forum Game, bring it over to that thread. If there isn't a thread for it, make a new thread.
- TV Tropes is not the place to have flame wars. They cause too much havoc and unneeded hate. This can be done by being nice and not bringing up subjects of Flame Bait.
- If your avatar or avatar gallery is essential to a Forum Game, make sure they are all Safe For Work. TV Tropes is NOT for porn.
- Be nice to other tropers. They are participants in the Forum Games.
- In a Forum Game, use spoiler tags when having an conversation within the thread. This avoids unnecessary clutter within the thread.
I hope you have fun in the Forum Games sub-forums. Just remember to FOLLOW THE RULES.
Bye! 
edited 23rd Aug '12 11:23:33 AM by Classifiedzerogoki
"Strategy? Spacing? I just keep punching until I hit something." - Sol Badguy
Special Efforts has been updated.
Next up, I'll take a look at the Wiki Talk folks.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
In uffish thought
I've updated my message to include this as a sticky, as well as altering other parts slightly.
That was the amazing part. Things just keep going....Looks like I stickied this by mistake. I've been messing the buttons lately.... -___-
Oh well. May help the project get some attention.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
In uffish thought
As long as it means I can claim it's your fault my message is so long. 
We should probably have a YKTTW herald or equivalent. Someone who can personally watch over it and an automated PM to explain what is and isn't acceptable would probably do wonders for it.
....That's an excellent idea.
Telcontar, your wall of text shall now be sent to all poor souls who post here. Woe unto them.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
In uffish thought
Yay, I can scare everyone off!
Edit: Wow, I didn't realise that would make me get my own message. Well, I guess I do hope to see myself Telcontar-ing around.
edited 26th Jun '12 11:30:43 AM by Telcontar
That was the amazing part. Things just keep going.
Last I knew, it was only supposed to trigger a message if you haven't been seen in a given section in the last (window the search cache monitors). Has that changed?
Fresh-eyed movie blog
I got one when Earl was installed as IJAM herald, and then just now when Telcontar was promoted.
(Also, for some reason, I always misread your name as Telecontar.)
The bot doesn't retroactively recognise users. It sends a PM to everyone who posts after its installation, new or not.
edited 26th Jun '12 11:46:10 AM by lu127
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
Then why did I never get a Welcome to Yack Fest PM?
I thought it went back to when the herald system as a whole was set up.
I can't really say. I think I got a YF PM.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
In uffish thought
Interestingly, my inbox doesn't show a PM sent to TParadox; Para, could you tell me if you received one? I was also under the impression it had some way of looking though some archive, but apparrantly not.
(@Confidant: Maybe the misreading explains why Hopey sometimes calls me Tele!)
That was the amazing part. Things just keep going.
I haven't gotten one.
Fresh-eyed movie blog
I wonder...
I think it treats anyone as new if their first post in the forum was after the installation of the herald system, and gives them the welcome PM even if they've posted since the herald bot came online.
In uffish thought
That makes a lot of sense — it explains why I get one, having been here since Feb 2012, but TParadox doesn't, having been here for a year before this thread was started.
That was the amazing part. Things just keep going.
I've only been in this forum for about two months... But I've been in Yack Fest and Forum Games since August of last year, so no PM there.
State of Mind
"The bot doesn't retroactively recognise users. It sends a PM to everyone who posts after its installation, new or not."
?
I never got a welcome PM from any subforum after the heralds were set up except from Image Picking and Forum Games, neither of which I had gone into in some time.
I have no Welcome P Ms sent for Dark or Lu, though I delete non-responsive P Ms after a few weeks so that might be the case.
"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim
No longer a forum herald
They weren't being entirely clear or accurate on how it works. As I understand it: the bot does retroactively track posting behavior, through the forum history cache. However, it can only go as far back as the forum cache goes, and the cache gets cleared every so often. People who posted before then, but not after, will receive a PM. In addition, it does make a note of when it has sent a PM, so even if the cache is cleared for that person's posts, they will not get a new PM.
That clear up the confusion?
Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)