The Future Of ToS.
 

We have all been asking ourselves the question - what is going to happen to ToS in the future? Will it still be here? Will the userbase remain in the friendly and compassionate state it is in now?

There is one, simple answer to all these questions: ToS is what you make it.

It has always been, and will always be, a member's community. And this has to become especially clear at this time. Why?

Avatar, the beautiful movie it is, will still fade over time. Its message will most definitely not, but eventually we will run out of Avatar related things to discuss. We are currently there - the Avatar centered topics are decreasing in number, and ToS is slowly becoming less of a fan forum... and more of a family.

I have heard some concerned voices lately. People are talking about how some unfriendliness has begun to show - and some of this has occurred, I agree. What has happened, is that the worse sides of human nature has shown themselves. There will ALWAYS be some conflicts among a group of people. What differs us from the rest, is how we treat these conflicts. And it is in these situations we must act like a family. If someone shows unfriendliness, throws insults or feel generally unhappy - we must be there to support the person in question. If we just give dislike back, the worse sides of human nature will take over - and I know that nobody of you wants this to happen.

I urge you ALL - if you feel dislike, annoyance, or even hate - don't spit it out on the other people in here. Share your troubles, your feelings - to solve what is troubling you, instead of letting it hurt other people.

And from the other perspective - if someone says something that affects you negatively - don't share the same back - try to help the person in question.

If there should be a situation that simply cannot be resolved - use the report function and I or any other admin will try and aid as soon as possible.

Also feel free to read the "Our forum" thread (link in my signature) if you have not already.

We have to understand, that just because we have conflicts, it does not mean we have lost our sense of community - conflicts are a natural part of any group of people.

And ToS is a place where we can SOLVE all our conflicts, where going through this can make us better persons.

If we can act like a true family, ToS can last forever.

Eltu this would all be good, if it were true.

Make it true. Nothing stops you.

There is friction even in the best families.

This is not an AF that got the crisis later on, this is ToS and that means that we are here to stay, at least I will and will do my best to keep this place alive. Heck, I'm writing this from the Netherlands in an hotel with 153 restrictions on the Internet. I DO appreciate this place.

It will slowly evolve. I just hope into someting better, but it's up to the people here and where we want to go.

Exactly. I guess my main point is...

There will ALWAYS be SOME conflicts here, it's a part of human nature - but as long as we handle them like a group of friends, this place can remain a true family forever.

I hope we will keep this place alive. I don't want to leave and I don't want to see this place empty and ... ! No that mustn't happen. ToS became so much integrated into my life, that it would be devastating to see its death.

As long as you feel this way, ToS will stay.

:)

I'm more afraid of new members coming in, with significantly less friendly attitude, which would make the "good" members leave. Didn't this happen to A-F in fact?

That is correct.

But trust me, the staff will keep a good eye on such members, and take action if needed ;)

As with all sites, there will be an initial surge, and then a waning, especially as older participants, and dilitantes leave.

"All sites" build upon one central thing - a common interest, a subject, something to discuss and revolve the site around. As you say, after some time the interest for this common subject will wane.

However, ToS is not one of these sites. Avatar was this central point of discussion - but the forum has grown past this. As I said in my original post, we have become less of a fan forum, and more of a family. We can discuss all sort of things - not based on a common interest, but based on EACH OTHER.

This is why I think ToS might very well remain here for a very, very long time.

Deleted your previous post, Cyan.

SERIOUSLY - as I said in the delete message - if you really dislike the forum so much, LEAVE. Don't spew out negative, destructive comments everywhere.

But really i was not being that bad,
it was constructive, the only way i will be positive is if you listen to what i say, it agrees with everything you said.

Yay ToS!!
I've never gone a day without posting. For the last 6 months.

Cyan, you have to make up your mind once and for all.

If you don't like the forum as it is, and don't see any way for it to change, just leave it, for everyone's best.

If you think it can change for the better, leave your suggestions in the feedback forum and we will look into it.

Simple as that.

I'm Aihwa, and I approve of this message. :P

The fact that there are conflicts shows how much of a family we really are. Conflicts, I think it adds to the sincerity of the discussions. If there aren't times of friction here then it'll turn into a false environment, we wouldn't be saying what we really feel. Saying what we mean makes for greater understanding of each other will REDUCE the amount of conflicts here if people take on board other peoples' issues and to be considerate in their posts.

Our common interest - Avatar - has become a much smaller part of ToS. Like Eltu said, we've "evolved" into more of a family, where we share and discuss our everyday lives problems/ideas/thoughts (even though they're most of the time in some way related to Avatar, e.g. PAD etc).
What's the best thing that could happen right now? Avatar 2.
What's the most realistic thing that can and probably will happen in the near future? Avatar re-release (Allthough I haven't heard any news on that in some time now...)

What IS happening right now? A few members are unhappy with some things, may it be both in real life and/or the forums, and they show it by insulting/semi-trolling other people/threads. That is the largest problem right now, and that needs to stop.

Exactly.

We have to understand, that just because we have conflicts, it does not mean we have lost our sense of community - conflicts are a natural part of any group of people.

And ToS is a place where we can SOLVE all our conflicts, where going through this can make us better persons.

Just as Xynth said - some members in here show their unhappiness in very destructive ways.

Don't - explain to all of us why you are unhappy instead. That's what we are HERE for. :)

Xynth, you are right there is hope. The re-release will cause this forum to shift back into full Avatar mode for a while. And the director's cut in the Fall will do so also. The Avatar wave that we have been surfing on all this time has not disappeared yet in my opinion.

We might run out of avatar related things to discuss - that's inevitable - but its MESSAGE can live through us and our discussions forever.

Well most of the forum isn't related to avatar, does it matter then anyway?

Nope, and that's exactly my point.

Everyone here has come here through Avatar - but that does not mean it's all we have to discuss. This is not mainly an Avatar forum - it's a place for friends to talk to each other about whatever they want!

If it's about Avatar, philosophy, sports, troubles in life... it doesn't matter! We can talk about everything we would ever want to, without any restrictions and with people understanding us.

A true family.

We never know. ToS could become revolutionary. It could change the entire direction of humanity.

I can't say the same about Avatar Forums though. :P

Hey, that's a GREAT idea!

Everyone, RALLY in front of the GREAT BANNER OF TOS!

Together we shall form a NEW WORLD ORD... waitaminute.

lol
Very true

Lol if tos ruled this planet,
im moving to pandora :D

Isn't it enough now, Cyan?

If you have problems with ToS, just TELL US WHAT THEY ARE, instead of just spewing out these kind of comments.

We are more than ready to help you - if you just accept our help.

I have already given you a choice - tell us what can be improved upon, stop ranting, or leave. Everyone has a limit - me included. If you will just keep semi-trolling like this, it will soon be reached.

What happened, Cyan? What made you dislike the community to this degree? If it's based on pure lack of interest (which can be fully understandable), why are you still here?

Because there are soo many memories attatched to this place, memories like meeting gabrielle and such.
Its most likely a total lack of interest, but whats getting me a bit annoyed is the constant avatar thing, its a movie, sure it tought us things but reall this is getting a bit obsessive.

But there's a simple solution to that.

If you feel like some parts of the forum hold you here - remain in those parts of the forum ONLY. Accept the fact that some people have different interests here than you - and see the forum for what YOU like about it.

If you are losing interest in Avatar, simply don't visit the Avatar sections of the forum.

As long as you have a positive mind and don't troll the forum with negative comments, I'm happy. :)

But haven't we already moved far behind "Avatar thing" Cyan? In fact I observed that Avatar related themes are fading. It's nothing bad. And if you don't like them there is lot of space for different discussions.

You were just as "obsessed" about this movie as the rest of us before, so don't even try to pull that card, thank you.

Who's to define what "obsessed" really is, anyway? To me, obsessed is when doing something (your hobby, or posting on these forums for instance) actually hurts you mentally or physically. We do quite the opposite, so what does that make us? Obsessed? I'd say rather... that we're "healing". I know it sounds weird but it makes perfect sense in my at the moment dull mind.

Point being, you're on an Avatar forum, you don't want to talk about Avatar? Fine. But if you're going to talk $hit about the people who do talk about Avatar, then you're on the wrong forum.

That's what I'm saying. I mean, Na'vi are okay. They're beautiful creatures, and intelligent. (to a degree) But Na'vi obsessions and overzealous avatar fans are rising. They're mouthing off at their own race!

Avatar could have turned into a nightmare over the months.

I don't mind talking about Avatar all the time, but plenty of people take it too far. And I ain't pointing at anyone, but the "Physical attraction to Na'vi" Thread is a major abuser of humanity.

Well that's the fine thing about an internet community - if you feel like certain discussions make you feel bad - just avoid visiting them. "Overzealous" Na'vi fans, as you call them - if you don't like this, don't visit the related threads, simple as that. ;)

Instead, focus on the subjects and threads YOU find interesting and enjoyable :D

You don't like this place because others do? Most people are coming here in their spare time just to talk and it isn't necessarily about Avatar, like, 3/10 threads now are Avatar related, the rest is just discussion of normal things in our lives. The fact you're annoyed about this escapes me though.

I think we all can agree on one thing:

Nobody likes everything.

Of course we have different interests, different morals, different ways to look at the world. But this should be a ground for discussion - not something that should split us up. And if you don't want to discuss certain things - don't. Nothing forces you to. ;)

If we all can realize this, there would be no trouble. ;)

I find debating interesting and enjoyable. You should know that.

I just find how people can put down their own race for a fictional one to be completely unnecessary, and stupid. Blasphemous even. I just want to know how they could do such a thing, and why the find Humankind to be so terrible.

That's something to discuss in the debate forum, isn't it? ;)

Getting offtopic here though.. :P

this should be enframed ;)

Well in comparison to Na'vi, there are many reasons for that. This topic is like giant pond full of piranhas lol, I hope it's gonna cool down. Just to say something before I fall of dead... every community I've been on so far faced this problem, this midlife crisis, it just depends on the people how they will face it. Remember, with infinite respect to each other, anything is possible. You don't like the thing he does? Well he doesn't force you to like it! It's his thing! Wow I'm not sure if I make sense anymore, I'll leave it at that. Goodbye tomorrow! :D