[Beyond the Final Frontier] Big Announcement!

[Tomcat]

I can tell you now, that a Yahoo Group will probably not be used. They are notorious for being invaded by spybots and then everyone of the members are getting spammed.

Perhaps a separate room can be created on this site for BTFF conversations - but for hosting of the issues, I am going to have to keep looking. Not sure if Patrick wants to host them on his site. I am not sure of the file transfer demand that that will create...

We shall see what happens. Issue layout is still being worked on, so there are a few things on the plate prior to where the issues will be hosted.

[selek]

It can, of course, wait until the layout and other issues are resolved, but why not a simple MediaFire account?

Other than the initial surge of demand upon release, is there that much download traffic for BTFF as to overwhelm the allowable downloads in a given month?

[Tomcat]

I remember with the HOF, that the initial peak of data transfer was only over the first few days of release. Still, once the site fills up with a large number of files (HOF is now up to 72), there can be heavy traffic as new folk come on board and want to collect all the back issues.

By the way, The Hall of Fire website has been suspended... not sure what is going on.

[selek]

By the way, The Hall of Fire website has been suspended... not sure what is going on.

I dunno- but if the server admins all have white hands painted on their heads or body armor, it's time to worry...

[Tomcat]

I can't remember the name of the guy that gave us that web space... it was so long ago.

Maybe he has forgotten that it was there.

[PGoodman13]

I thought someone wanted the Yahoo group just to spread the word about the zine; that's the only real reason I've set up the Facebook group, to spread the word. I'm not too hip at all about using one as a depository for material; I prefer material be sent to me directly at the strpg at patrickgoodman dot org address. It's no harder to make it an email attachment than it is to send to a Yahoo group, and it doesn't compete with my own site.

FASA Grrl -- Of course you can still send me stuff. If you've got record sheets or ships that are just stat blocks, then just send it as stand-alone stuff for the website in general. If you want it in the zine, polish it up a little more before you send it. Either way, let me know in the email how you want to handle it (basic website item or zine article), and we'll go from there.

Tomcat and Selek: Bandwidth and storage aren't an issue, really; hosting the zine on the site is what I've got planned. I don't see why I should bother with a MediaFire account when I've got a pretty good deal with my own site.

[selek]

FASA Grrl -- Of course you can still send me stuff. If you've got record sheets or ships that are just stat blocks, then just send it as stand-alone stuff for the website in general. If you want it in the zine, polish it up a little more before you send it. Either way, let me know in the email how you want to handle it (basic website item or zine article), and we'll go from there.

Fair enough.

FASA Grrl, if you've got the basic stat blocks and whatnot, I can do "fluff" texts.

I may not be Davy Jones, but I'm an Old Salt and I've been immersed in ships since before I could walk. Let me help.

One of my secret delights is hiding little bits of historical evidence and references in ship profiles.

Come to think of it, that's how I do my adventures, too...

Patrick- BTFF Packets 5 and 6 are ready and should be out to you tomorrow. Packet 5 contains the finalized RRT campaign and tops out at over a hundred pages (including character sheets), and contains three adventures, four new ships, a new species and political faction, and rules/packages for RRT/Starfleet Marines/Special Missions teams, including revised Professional Abilities and gear.

Packet 6 contains my "finalized" version of The Taste of Ashes. We play-tested it last week and my "uber-broken" group just barely passed the test. I was called several names I cannot repeat on a family board and it was then pronounced "good".

I'll have another adventure- "The Reliquary" ready by the end of the week. This one is kind of a "red-headed stepchild" as it's a follow up to "The Codex" mission in The Sentinels Mini-Campaign, but uses an entirely different crew and a full-sized starship.

The first of the new Klingon three-parters has been pushed back- but it needs to be ready to play test by middle-of-next-week, so that's my priority for the moment.

Also, I'll have Pike statted and out to you shortly.

Is there anything specifically you need me to be working on?

[Fugazi Grrl]

I can tell you now, that a Yahoo Group will probably not be used. They are notorious for being invaded by spybots and then everyone of the members are getting spammed.

That is quite true. I know we get a bit of that spambotting on the groups I'm on now. My idea of a Yahoo group was meant as an alternative to Facebook.

[Fugazi Grrl]

FASA Grrl, if you've got the basic stat blocks and whatnot, I can do "fluff" texts.

That sounds like a plan. I can do fluffs if I have the time. And I actually have that a pretty lengthy background article on the Expedition class. But, I'd love your help on a few of my other ships, like my blockade runner.

FASA Grrl -- Of course you can still send me stuff. If you've got record sheets or ships that are just stat blocks, then just send it as stand-alone stuff for the website in general. If you want it in the zine, polish it up a little more before you send it. Either way, let me know in the email how you want to handle it (basic website item or zine article), and we'll go from there.

Sounds good to me. Usually my ships would be stand-alones. Same with character sheet type files.

I am working on an Alien book with some of the species that didn't make it into Aliens (Troyians, Markalians, Hermats, Brikar, etc.), which I could submit for the 'Zine.

[spshu]

What no BTFF group on TrekRPGnet?!?!?! OR no announce on Coda Webzine Y! Group?

Its the hip new thing. Use Facebook rather than a dedicated website

So something is wrong with TrekRPGnet's site and forum that have social groups like Facebook? This site and the Coda Webzine Y! group are not dedicated websites either?

Patrick ! Congrats on BTFF ! I know you'll do a great job with the 'Zine just as you've been doing (and still do) with the site.

I can still send you stuff, right ? I mean you've got lots of cool stuff up there (Character sheets, ships, and so forth...) - and I keep on makin' stuff. So, I'll send it if you want. Most of my ships are just stat-blocks, admittedly, because they're usually just stuff we use in our series. But, I could do a 'Zine worthy article on the Expedition class. And on the development of the Alpha Flyer project.

Facebook - I don't do that. Way too many stalkers. That seems to happen to me. I don't know why.

What about a Yahoo Group ? I know there's a big one for FASA Trek (I'm a member), but I couldn't really find a good one for CODA. And I was surprised. A BTFF Yahoo group ?

Would that be cool ?

Gee, perhaps one was perhaps um gee mentioned above and previous and bellow....

It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all, and someone mentioned a CODA group on Yahoo to me once...but I use Yahoo so seldom that I'd really need someone else to kind of point me in the right direction.

^ point V

I think there's already a Yahoo group for the eZine. I was thinking more of one like the FASA group, where members post their ships, and files, and stuff. Then you could go in and harvest material for the 'Zine ?

I'm an old hand at Yahoo groups. I've been running at least 1 or 2 at a time since 1999.

My only concern with such an endeavor as a Yahoo group is that if it's public AND we're posting files to it, then you wind up with many different versions of the same material.

Such a group would likely also compete with BTFF both as an e-zine and as a central clearing house of CODATrek support materials.

Why bother cleaning up and posting material at either BTFF or the e-zine when it already exists at the Yahoo group?

Greater distribution as the e-zine can be host by most any one per GandalfofBorg.

I can tell you now, that a Yahoo Group will probably not be used. They are notorious for being invaded by spybots and then everyone of the members are getting spammed.

Perhaps a separate room can be created on this site for BTFF conversations - but for hosting of the issues, I am going to have to keep looking. Not sure if Patrick wants to host them on his site. I am not sure of the file transfer demand that that will create...

We shall see what happens. Issue layout is still being worked on, so there are a few things on the plate prior to where the issues will be hosted.

You can keep the group from getting spammed by keeping everyone moderated or moderated for a few months or until they post once. I am a moderator or administrator on 10 groups. They are what you make of them, I usually find that when the membership gets over 100 members there is more discussion. If they are too narrowly definited subject then perhaps less so.

I thought someone wanted the Yahoo group just to spread the word about the zine; that's the only real reason I've set up the Facebook group, to spread the word. I'm not too hip at all about using one as a depository for material; I prefer material be sent to me directly at the strpg at patrickgoodman dot org address. It's no harder to make it an email attachment than it is to send to a Yahoo group, and it doesn't compete with my own site.

FASA Grrl -- Of course you can still send me stuff. If you've got record sheets or ships that are just stat blocks, then just send it as stand-alone stuff for the website in general. If you want it in the zine, polish it up a little more before you send it. Either way, let me know in the email how you want to handle it (basic website item or zine article), and we'll go from there.

Tomcat and Selek: Bandwidth and storage aren't an issue, really; hosting the zine on the site is what I've got planned. I don't see why I should bother with a MediaFire account when I've got a pretty good deal with my own site.

That is quite true. I know we get a bit of that spambotting on the groups I'm on now. My idea of a Yahoo group was meant as an alternative to Facebook.

As pointed out before in this thread (and quoted above) -- Coda Webzine Y! Group?
As also pointed out before in this thread, you can have social groups here -- group on TrekRPGnet

Heck a individual thread here could easily serve the same purpose. I tried talking GandalfofBorg of using one thread for posting new issue news as any one that post is automatically subscribed. Any one else can join here and subscribe to the thread with out posting. Merging all the different BTFF new issue threads would pick up all the subscribed forum members into one thread.

[PGoodman13]

Gee, perhaps one was perhaps um gee mentioned above and previous and bellow....

Sarcasm hardly becomes you.

Greater distribution as the e-zine can be host by most any one per GandalfofBorg.

Hosting the zines on the Yahoo group won't work; they/re too big and the space given to the group is too limited. I can host them on my site just fine, though if anybody else wants to host the zines, they're of course welcome to do so.

As also pointed out before in this thread, you can have social groups here -- group on TrekRPGnet

Perhaps the BTFF group I just established will get more than 10 members, the largest membership of any of the 4 groups currently in existence here on these forums.

Heck a individual thread here could easily serve the same purpose. I tried talking GandalfofBorg of using one thread for posting new issue news as any one that post is automatically subscribed.

Depends entirely on your settings. I am not auto-subscribed to any threads, for instance. It's not a universally popular setting.

Now, consolidating BTFF posts might have its uses, and in my copious unstructured free time I might do it. But for the time being, I think I'm going to stick to what I'm good at. I'll remember from now on to notify the Yahoo group for the CODA webzines, and if anyone bothers to join I'll post a note to the social group.

[K.G. Carlson]

So something is wrong with TrekRPGnet's site and forum that have social groups like Facebook? This site and the Coda Webzine Y! group are not dedicated websites either?

No, something is wrong when these sites are less often updated than a Facebook page supposedly supporting them. Its a matter of the cart before the horse and all that.

[spshu]

<snip>

Hosting the zines on the Yahoo group won't work; they/re too big and the space given to the group is too limited. I can host them on my site just fine, though if anybody else wants to host the zines, they're of course welcome to do so.

Space has been upgrade a couple of years ago to 100 MB. The Coda Webzines group with 5 issues zipped total of the two Coda zines and various other files only take up 10% of the 100 MB. Plus there is the CODA Lives Y!Group for the CODA Lives website which host BtFF issue with another 100 MB basically unused. While less graphic intense as the BTFF and HoF, OD&Dities issue 1-12 in all formats (HTML, RTF, Word, PDF) that they were made available plus all supplemental material and the old group's posts only take up 13% of OD&Dities Online Y!Group's file space.

Perhaps the BTFF group I just established will get more than 10 members, the largest membership of any of the 4 groups currently in existence here on these forums.

Depends entirely on your settings. I am not auto-subscribed to any threads, for instance. It's not a universally popular setting.

Now, consolidating BTFF posts might have its uses, and in my copious unstructured free time I might do it. But for the time being, I think I'm going to stick to what I'm good at. I'll remember from now on to notify the Yahoo group for the CODA webzines, and if anyone bothers to join I'll post a note to the social group.

No, something is wrong when these sites are less often updated than a Facebook page supposedly supporting them. Its a matter of the cart before the horse and all that.

So you did not just post? A group on Facebook or any forum is going to have more post then the main site. With the main site you just have the "staff" while the group has the staff and fans posting. Fans general out number the staff. So nothing is wrong with the main site being less updated then a supporting group.

[PGoodman13]

I've begun work on a writing/submission guidelines document. That's a lot more work than you think. I hope to have it done in the near future, and will post it on the site as soon as it's done.

In the meantime:

When submitting for the zine, format things more or less like they're formatted in the books. Characters should appear more or less like the character writeups in the Narrator's Guide, starships should more or less look like the writeups in the Narrator's Guide or Starships, gear and weapons should look like the writeups in the Player's Guide or the Narrator's Guide, etc.

And in the above, when I say "format," I'm talking about general appearance. Don't worry about fonts, etc., when you're submitting; we'll deal with fonts and all the fancy stuff in layout when we get it. Just indicate the headings and such within the document. Use the following codes:

<1>Main Heading
<2>Sub-Header, items subordinate to <1> (and sidebar and table headings)
<3>Sub-Sub-Header, items subordinate to <2> (and sidebar and table sub-headers)

Just put the <#> in front of the header in question, without a space. For example:

<1>Character Generation
<2>Choosing Skills
<3>Specialties for Skills

If you need a sidebar/box or a table, use these tags:

>>>BEGIN SIDEBAR
{stuff that goes in the sidebar}
>>>END SIDEBAR

>>>BEGIN TABLE
{rows and rows of really cool stuff}
>>>END TABLE

You don't have to do the layout to impress us. In fact, it only makes it tougher for us, for the most part. Just help us understand what should go where, and we'll make it happen. That's what we do.