Question: Pcf + ef = Ef?

[Doer]

For reference, see the history of the forum.

When i came back from a hiatus due to irl events and found that entropiaforum was not what it used to be, and then eventually (after a brief but very confused time) that PCF is where my account, posts, etc. were (ie home) i stayed at PCF.

It is unfortunate that this forum is specific to Calypso when, for most of its history (as reflected in dbase/past posts), it was the forum for all of EU. Of course, for most of that time, Calypso was the only planet in the EU, but when it comes down to it, there's relatively little that is discussed here that is specific to Calypso.

So, I realize that there have been complications and reasons for it in the past, but in light of more recent developments, is it possible to fold the two forums together and make this EF again?

I really don't want to join/participate in more forums but i do want to belong to an active EU forum that covers all of EU, without limiting itself in any way to a single planet, and i suspect i'm not the only one that feels that way.

 

[pesa]

For reference, see the history of the forum.

When i came back from a hiatus due to irl events and found that entropiaforum was not what it used to be, and then eventually (after a brief but very confused time) that PCF is where my account, posts, etc. were (ie home) i stayed at PCF.

It is unfortunate that this forum is specific to Calypso when, for most of its history (as reflected in dbase/past posts), it was the forum for all of EU. Of course, for most of that time, Calypso was the only planet in the EU, but when it comes down to it, there's relatively little that is discussed here that is specific to Calypso.

So, I realize that there have been complications and reasons for it in the past, but in light of more recent developments, is it possible to fold the two forums together and make this EF again?

I really don't want to join/participate in more forums but i do want to belong to an active EU forum that covers all of EU, without limiting itself in any way to a single planet, and i suspect i'm not the only one that feels that way.

I also would prefer to have a more global forum.
I certainly hope theres some other alternative than going to entropiaforum. The trafficking advertisments there makes me want to puke.

 

[NevadaJake]

I think we really only need one forum as well. Planet specific sub-categories would be good. Years ago, I originally created my account on Entropia Forum and it was migrated here during my 2 year post-VU-10-haitus. Here I am and here I shall stay I have an account on EF and also Planet Arkadia's official forum. But Planet Calypso Forum is my home.

I was looking at the Client loader last night and thought it is interesting that the "game" appears to be called "Planet Calypso" right in the top-middle of the launch-button screen. The shortcut in my start menu does call it Entropia Universe.

 

[Luckycharm]

I used to have the same feeling long ago, but after time I'm pretty much used to it.
Only check EF rarely to see if any official stuff is posted and if anyone has any odd request or question lol

Seen a lot of newbie's post there lately.

 

[narfi]

I was looking at the Client loader last night and thought it is interesting that the "game" appears to be called "Planet Calypso" right in the top-middle of the launch-button screen. The shortcut in my start menu does call it Entropia Universe.

That just depends on what planet your avatar last loged out on.

As for forums, my browser usually has each of the planet specific forums up, (pcf, nd.com, arkadiaforum, cyrene forum) and EntropiaPlanets.com is what I use for my all planets forum.

 

[billairboy]

I don't like that we have to many forums either,but I understand that we need one forum for each planet, because each planet partner want it own forum. But what we don't need is multiple forums that covers all of EU. A merger between https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com and http://www.entropiaplanets.com would be better in my opinion.

 

[Magyar_Republic]

I don't like that we have to many forums either,but I understand that we need one forum for each planet, because each planet partner want it own forum. But what we don't need is multiple forums that covers all of EU. A merger between https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com and http://www.entropiaplanets.com would be better in my opinion.

Not going to happen. EP and EF are two separate business entities and EP at the very least perceives itself and has marketed itself as the free speech alternative to EF.

Of course this is all a matter of perception.

 

[Razer]

Yeah don't think Jason ... uh ... Neomaven will let EP buy EF I mean he would never sell his forum, right ?

To be honest it always surprised me that people post stuff they do on other planets here on PCF and not on the planets forum or on one of the all planet forums. Why post Arkadia events on PFC? Why post Cyrene globals on PCF? You don't see people posting their Calypso events or globals over at Rocktropia forum.

 

[Mac]

...EP and EF are two separate business entities...

OT: I don't know anything about the forum business but I'm curious, I guess one would consider it a "website" like something you could buy off something like Flippa? So I'm curious what an estimate of the annual gross revenue and net income would be for something like this?


I used to go to Entropia Pioneers for my information, then EF started and everyone migrated over, so I've been here every since by default, I prefer one place to go to get my PE info fix.

 

[billairboy]

Not going to happen. EP and EF are two separate business entities and EP at the very least perceives itself and has marketed itself as the free speech alternative to EF.

Of course this is all a matter of perception.

Well, the easy solution is to close down EP and all people use EF instead
We have had this discussion before I know, I just don't like splitting up the EU community in to many different forums.

 

[narfi]

Well, the easy solution is to close down EP and all people use EF instead

Well thats not going to happen as there are players actively involved with EP writing articles and working on their wiki etc... where as EF has been abandoned for the most part by its owner.

 

[Rumsponge]

For anyone new coming in, this is the original Entropiaforum, but we all got sold to MA or SEE or whatever the company was. Then the deal fell through. That is why we are all still here and still tend to use this as a generic EU forum, regardless of what our new overlords think we should be doing. The way the whole thing transpired was kind of sleazy as far as I am concerned.

The big problem is that EP and each planet's forum has a completely different design and layout and it is a pain in the ass to keep jumping back and forth. Personally, I think we should scrap them all and revive Entropia Reality.

Free Knuckles

 

[Mac]

Free Knuckles

I had a feeling something of entertainment value was missing from this place, I just couldn't think of it until now

 

[Killahbee]

1 forum for all, i sign!

 

[WangXiang]

In my opinion, it is very fortunate that this forum is specific to Calypso.

 

[Rumsponge]

Anybody know if all of the forums have twitter or RSS feeds?

 

[Tass]

{removed}

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

 

[Doer]

Again for those that missed the point or didn't read the brief history linked in OP:

PCF is for all intents and purposes for many of us what it was when we created our accounts and posted thousands of times: Entropia Forum. I don't really want to be in a Calypso-specific forum, any more than i want to be in an RT or Cyrene or XXXX specific forum, but due to events this is where i and my many plots, screenshots, etc. are.

I don't object to multiple EU forums, nor do i think it's a bad idea per se. I just don't want multiple homes. I want one active forum that doesn't proclaim itself specific to any planet, and i'd rather it be one with less clunky interface than many of the alternatives i've seen. I'd also rather it be the one with all my stuff already there...

The reason i suggest PCF+EF is because both are operated and hosted by the same person (and i think use the same software) and again PCF was EF for most of its life and there's IMO no need for both given the failure to spin off PC.

BTW I've never felt EF/PCF was oppressive, but then i'm not one who expects or wants gratis online forums to be a free-for-all. I rather appreciate a modded environment because i'm not here for spectacle or vitriol, but for sharing opinions and information with others who also want to do so in a mature fashion (or at least with a modicum of respect). IMO the hyperbole about the oppressive environment is just that: exaggerated.

Perhaps my perspective is because i was a mod for a niche phone OS forum and got tired of the waste of time that loose cannons and, pardon my directness, idiots can cause on a forum. But anyway that's my opinion: nothing wrong with the moderation of PCF/EF.

 

[Magyar_Republic]

Some people don't like to be active on forums served by shady characters while others don't care, some people don't like to be served censored content while others don't care, some people don't like creating content on forums that is then sold to another company paying with the PED the same people deposited while others don't care, some people prefer quality over quantity while others are in dire need of the biggest possible audience, some people enjoy "value-added services" while others don't care, some people are exicted by change and new options while others prefer to stick to what they know, some people don't like platforms engaging in misinformation just to make a few more bucks while others don't care. After all it's a matter of taste, and a matter of style and integrity as well.
.

This is the sales pitch for EP.

It sounds good.

I have a particular viewpoint I would like to put forth as a possibility too.

Some people dont like to be active on forums where the administrators obviously are selling their ability to spin and pander while claiming neutrality. Were some forums truly independent, they would not suddenly find their owners affiliated with planet partners. Some people may actually see through this attempt to profiteer, and recognize that the perceived independence and objectivity is in fact a lie, that moderation occurs on the independent entity as often as it does on the established, and that the only difference is one already is affiliated while the other wants to be.

Putting forth ones service as a possible platform for the powers that be to evangelize their products is commendable, and good business. But some users may appreciate a bit more honesty, since that is in fact what is being sold: An honest, more open environment. Sadly it is not, in actuality, what is delivered. The kid gloves are still there, the brand name and color are all that are different.

Its not really a big deal. Some users just may not like being taken for fools.

 

[MsPudding]

b..bbbb..bb...but...but what if I like it here?

 

[Kimmi]

Well, the easy solution is to close down EP and all people use EF instead
We have had this discussion before I know, I just don't like splitting up the EU community in to many different forums.

Divide and conquer.

 

[Futurama]

For anyone new coming in, this is the original Entropiaforum, but we all got sold to MA or SEE or whatever the company was. Then the deal fell through. That is why we are all still here and still tend to use this as a generic EU forum, regardless of what our new overlords think we should be doing. The way the whole thing transpired was kind of sleazy as far as I am concerned.

The big problem is that EP and each planet's forum has a completely different design and layout and it is a pain in the ass to keep jumping back and forth. Personally, I think we should scrap them all and revive Entropia Reality.

Free Knuckles

Meh, in the end ER was taking it way too far. At first it was very nice with the freedom of speech, scammer naming, discussions that was against the rules on EF etc. But eventually it ended up just a forum full of rage, insults and a venting place for some EU players who live in their parents basement. I'm surprised there hasn't been any criminal cases regarding all the shit ppl were talking there...

 

[Rumsponge]

Yeah, I know. I'd call ER a train wreck, but it was really more like a clown car wreck. After it fell apart, though, I kind of missed it. It's just another interesting part of the history of Entropia that came and went.

But, back on topic... I think I'd really like to see PCF and EF become one again, but if you have an Entropia Forum that is mostly Calypso-centric, it might create issues with the PPs. On the other hand, you'd have to get a very substantial membership in order to fully support active discussions on all of the different aspects of the other planets.

 

[moondog]

I am in agreement, make it one forum with sub categories for each planet and while we are at it a "do not show buying / selling posts" button, in fact if we are going to have separate forumns, have a buying/selling (which I can ignore) and one for everything else EU related.

 

[Tass]

{removed}

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

 

[711]

I also would prefer to have a more global forum.
I certainly hope theres some other alternative than going to entropiaforum. The trafficking advertisments there makes me want to puke.

Google Adsense ads are only displayed on EntropiaForum to unregistered visitors; logged in members see no advertisements. Contrast this to many other EU websites (including some 'independent' websites mentioned in this thread) which display a larger number of such ads to both visitors and logged-in members.

And just for the record, PCF has no advertisements of any kind, despite having the most traffic of any Entropia Universe website.

I think we really only need one forum as well. Planet specific sub-categories would be good.

That's exactly what exists on EntropiaForum.com, and was the reason why EF was relaunched as a planet-neutral forum after the PCF migration.

where as EF has been abandoned for the most part by its owner.

EF has never been abandoned, and in fact has received multiple software updates, new features and other improvements since it was relaunched.

Anybody know if all of the forums have twitter or RSS feeds?

PCF RSS Feed: https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forums/external.php?type=RSS2
EF RSS Feeds: https://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/forum/rssfeeds.php

Some people might not be aware of that fact, not at last due to EF having a long history of suppressing community driven projects.

EF has a long history of suppressing community driven projects?
That (entirely untrue) statement fits quite well with your long history of taking every opportunity to bash EF/PCF/711.

A quick review of the community-driven projects supported by EF/711:

• Entropedia.info - Probably the most important and useful EU community-driven website in the history of Entropia, EF/711 has provided 100% free hosting for this invaluable community resource for more than 4 years and counting.
• EntropiaTracker.com (now EntropiaLife) - Another very popular and valuable community-driven project, EntropiaTracker.com was provided free hosting by EF/711 for the vast majority of its first 3 years online.
• EntropiaRadio.com - 100% free web hosting and radio streaming services were provided for several years to community-driven radio stations such as AtlasHavenRadio, MindStarRadio and others.

Not to mention the fact that I have operated EF (and subsequently PCF) out of my own pocket as a free service to the Entropia Universe community for almost 6 years. Neither EF nor PCF has ever made any profit for me personally, despite your insinuations that they are business entities or some sort of cash cows.

I'll also point out that PCF, the most active and popular EU-related forum, has absolutely no advertisements, despite requiring a substantial hosting platform to support the level of traffic it receives each month. Contrast that to the 'independent' forum which you apparently represent, which is covered with advertisements, yet which receives a tiny fraction of the amount of traffic of PCF.

 

[711]

For reference, see the history of the forum.

When i came back from a hiatus due to irl events and found that entropiaforum was not what it used to be, and then eventually (after a brief but very confused time) that PCF is where my account, posts, etc. were (ie home) i stayed at PCF.

It is unfortunate that this forum is specific to Calypso when, for most of its history (as reflected in dbase/past posts), it was the forum for all of EU. Of course, for most of that time, Calypso was the only planet in the EU, but when it comes down to it, there's relatively little that is discussed here that is specific to Calypso.

When EF migrated to PCF, Calypso comprised the entirety of Entropia Universe, so for all intents and purposes EF was overwhelmingly a forum about Calypso, and all of the old threads and discussions that were moved were 99% Calypso-specific.

It does not strike me as unusual that PCF is the most active of all Entropia Universe forums, given its history, along with the fact that Planet Calypso is by far the most active planet within EU.

So, I realize that there have been complications and reasons for it in the past, but in light of more recent developments, is it possible to fold the two forums together and make this EF again?

I really don't want to join/participate in more forums but i do want to belong to an active EU forum that covers all of EU, without limiting itself in any way to a single planet, and i suspect i'm not the only one that feels that way.

As I said in my previous post, that's exactly what exists on EntropiaForum.com, and was the reason why EF was relaunched as a planet-neutral forum after the PCF migration.

EF has slowly been gaining steam and developing its own core of active members, many of them relatively new to Entropia. If more of the veteran participants active here on PCF decided to become more active on EF and use it as their primary forum 'home', I think you would have your wish of a central, unified EU forum which includes sections for the various planets, a wish which seems to be shared by quite a few others, especially veterans.

That being said, I am not opposed to the idea of having a single, unified forum once again, located at EntropiaForum.com. However, transitioning everything from PCF back to EntropiaForum.com also risks creating further confusion, especially for new participants. Also, since the vast majority of the content in the PCF database is indeed Calypso-specific, it risks the perception that EF is simply a 'Calypso forum' with a new name (as weird as that may seem), and there existing a lack of a planet-neutral general Entropia Universe forum community, which is what EF is now.

It also creates a challenge of what to do with all the content that currently exists on EF (an issue that did not exist when the EF->PCF migration happened). Some of the content could possibly be imported into the current PCF database, but that could also become problematic since many people have accounts on both PCF and EF, and integrating user private messages, profiles, threads, posts, images, reputation etc. isn't a trivial matter, especially since EF and PCF use different versions of the vBulletin software.

Food for thought, though I am open to further discussion and views on the matter.

 

[Doer]

When EF migrated to PCF, Calypso comprised the entirety of Entropia Universe, so for all intents and purposes EF was overwhelmingly a forum about Calypso, and all of the old threads and discussions that were moved were 99% Calypso-specific.

Ah, but my point is that a very large part of that is not unique to Calypso. Even looking at the subforums and categories now, after a couple years of being adapted to Calypso-specific content, one sees entire sections that are universal in many regards: Tutorials, Items, Noob's Corner, Skills, Tools and Utilities, SocTalk, Professions, most of Economy, Space...

A simple planet tag for threads in subforums that do have locality would give enough context for these to be relevant and useful for most EU participants because these are things that are exported or mostly universal.

As I said in my previous post, that's exactly what exists on EntropiaForum.com, and was the reason why EF was relaunched as a planet-neutral forum after the PCF migration.

Yes, but all of us old timers ended up here accounts, posts, gallery, blogs, and all. If PCF had been launched as a new forum and EF kept as it was, i suspect PCF would be empty. In other words, I think most of us here would rather have been left on EF. Maybe a poll is in order to qualify that supposition.

EF has slowly been gaining steam and developing its own core of active members, many of them relatively new to Entropia. If more of the veteran participants active here on PCF decided to become more active on EF and use it as their primary forum 'home', I think you would have your wish of a central, unified EU forum which includes sections for the various planets, a wish which seems to be shared by quite a few others, especially veterans.

I haven't visited it for awhile, but at the time it seemed to be rather quiet and for the most part superfluous with PCF around.

That being said, I am not opposed to the idea of having a single, unified forum once again, located at EntropiaForum.com. However, transitioning everything from PCF back to EntropiaForum.com also risks creating further confusion, especially for new participants. Also, since the vast majority of the content in the PCF database is indeed Calypso-specific, it risks the perception that EF is simply a 'Calypso forum' with a new name (as weird as that may seem), and there existing a lack of a planet-neutral general Entropia Universe forum community, which is what EF is now.

Sure, for newer participants that change will seem much like the previous change was seen by us: an unasked for change in direction. Perhaps a poll is called for on EF to gauge public opinion.

It also creates a challenge of what to do with all the content that currently exists on EF (an issue that did not exist when the EF->PCF migration happened). Some of the content could possibly be imported into the current PCF database, but that could also become problematic since many people have accounts on both PCF and EF, and integrating user private messages, profiles, threads, posts, images, reputation etc. isn't a trivial matter, especially since EF and PCF use different versions of the vBulletin software.

I was hoping that, because they both seemed to use vBulletin, there would be some merging utility that would automate much of that, otherwise i wouldn't have proposed it. Ultimately you'd have to do the actual merging so you have to make the final call on whether it's possible and tell us what the liabilities would be.

Food for thought, though I am open to further discussion and views on the matter.

Thank you. As i said, it appears a well-worded official poll on both forums is probably one of the best ways of gauging popular support and/or opposition to the idea from both communities. Whether it's time yet for that is up to you.

 

[Tass]

{removed}

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

 

[NevadaJake]

711 - thank you for hosting all of these tools and forums for us. Entropia would not be nearly as fun and I would be wasting so many more PEDs without them.