There are multiple things I think are wrong about IRC as it is now:
1. Too much channels. Well, not really, but they're badly organized. We currently have #outpost2, where all the newbies end up. Then #outpost2.tutor, where people go to know it's moved to #outpost2.coding, it just serves to confuse... Then we have #outpost2.noob, of which I am the owner and I must confess it is useless.
2. Some things are taken too lightly and other things are taken too heavily. Hacker keeps lecturing people about spam. For him 5 lines of talk that may even be useful are "spam". It should be taken more lightly.
3. We keep getting newbies there with the same darn question: problems with the router. The site and guide Levi authored are good but not enough, as they may not be the answer to the specific problem they are experiencing. A wizard troubleshooter, a la Microsoft Help Center, where you can choose what's affecting you and get a step by step solution, would be more adequate.
4. The main channel
should not be only for OP2. It should at least allow for people to socialize a little. People who just want to game should go to some place like #outpost2.scheduling or something (useful especially for hardcore players).
5. I don't think what we did to xfir was fair, or even necessary; however, we do have to make sure that we don't fall prey to what happened to him, which is adequately explained on the now defunct op.xfir.net URL. It was exactly what happened with Killa when I wasn't around, only on a smaller scale.
6. Even so, we were lucky that Hacker and the other programmers stayed on our side, seeing as how only they can sort out the inner details of OP2, and hopefully, 3.
7. We shouldn't take too much on at the same time, even because at this point the community was greatly stirred and we are still very vulnerable. Everyone should do his or her job and not lose their heads at eachother, or all we've been doing so far might be lost.
8. We should also reconsider OP3. I don't mean the individual programmers who are doing the game on their own, but the ones on the OPU team should think about it: are we going to concentrate on producing a potentially better, new Outpost game? Or should we stick with the one we are trying to revive, OP2?
9. Currently these forums are
very disorganized. We have boards created freely for too many OP3 freelance games which are probably dead by now, and the boards serve no practical purpose. The best way to solve this would be to make a sub-forum for fan-made OP3 sequels and group the less-active ones as subforums, or archive the ones that are definitely dead.
10. We should have people that are
capable of teaching newbies on #outpost2. It's no good sending them there to see them ask if anyone is there, only to never return. I can't do much in those respects. We might need more "teachers", or just warn them about who can teach them instead of sending them out there, into untamed lands.
Phew... that's all for now.
