[Poll] Inside The Box Issue 2

[pmprog]

It came out really good, I'd write an article if I could find the spare time...

How does 3-4 months grab you?

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

I'll see what I can do, I have a few in mind, I have a visa application on the go so between work and moving everything to America I have very little spare time.

 

[TrashyMG]

The first issue was all good stuff, I hope it keeps up.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if people were going to be all that bothered, for 5 articles. However, this poll suggests that I was wrong.

Who voted NO!? find them and lynch them!

Korlithiel was pretty clear on why (s)he voted no ^_^ To be honest, I could understand people saying no for the same reason stated a minute ago.


I guess I need to don my editorial cap again, and start prepping some dates, pestering some users, and maybe even look at revamping the site a bit...


Also, if anybody is interested in maybe making me a better logo for the zine, please get in touch.

I just don't understand why someone would vote no on something they don't have to read if they don't feel like it.

 

[gadgetoid]

I just don't understand why someone would vote no on something they don't have to read if they don't feel like it.

Some people... just like to watch the world burn.

 

[StreaK]

i voted no, because it didnt turn out to what it supposted to be when pmprog taken ITB name. Supposed to be stand alone app / e-zine for OP like on old Amiga Days.. and not really another HTML-ish coded quasi-zine.

 

[moz]

Some people... just like to watch the world burn.

I am 95% sure that the only reason that at least 2 of those people voted no was because you said that


(I am also 95% sure that my English skills are failing slowly but surely)

 

[pmprog]

i voted no, because it didnt turn out to what it supposted to be when pmprog taken ITB name. Supposed to be stand alone app / e-zine for OP like on old Amiga Days.. and not really another HTML-ish coded quasi-zine.

Yeah, I knew what you were thinking. Demo-scene effects, chiptune background, numerous articles. Yeah, I was thinking the same, originally. When half the people didn't respond to requests for articles, and there was only 1 guaranteed (mine), it seemed rather pointless going to all the effort to code a zine app that was unlikely to have been released at that time. I got the 5th article the day before the release.


Also, if you read the Issue 1 thread, I'm quite surprised how many people were accessing it on their phones and tablets. Coding it down on the Pandora would have made it even less visible to people.


Maybe with the lovely advent of HTML5 we can hit somewhere in between, allowing it still to be accessed from everywhere, and adding some old school zine stuff in. Cross platform SDL-based zine wouldn't be a stretch too far either (the rendering of the articles wouldn't have to be html either, even though we use html tags for formatting, they could be replaced at runtime).


However, all that depends on somebody spending a fair amount of time to produce the plumbing for the zine - intro/menu, document reader, music player, graphics, effects, music, etc.; We have slightly more people willing to contribute this time than last, but the submission rate last time was about 50%, so I hesitate to say we'll probably be looking at something similar again.


If you want to build the app, I'll quite happily carry on the editorial side only (pushing dates for articles, organising coverage, spell/grammar checking, reformatting etc.).


The door is open...

 

[StreaK]

Yeah, I knew what you were thinking. Demo-scene effects, chiptune background, numerous articles. Yeah, I was thinking the same, originally. When half the people didn't respond to requests for articles, and there was only 1 guaranteed (mine), it seemed rather pointless going to all the effort to code a zine app that was unlikely to have been released at that time. I got the 5th article the day before the release.

So You're really in a point that i was when trying to push ITB as a real ezine. It seems that no mater what different ideas will be for ITB [whether mine, old "wait and see approach, and then restart dev", or your fresh look and organizing, and pushing everybody] it will stays the same way: ITB will stay with lack of good articles

If you want to build the app, I'll quite happily carry on the editorial side only (pushing dates for articles, organising coverage, spell/grammar checking, reformatting etc.).


The door is open...

Sorry, i already scrapped ITB SDL [whats was presented in my ITB thread], i'll not continue to work on ITB SDL. Im just seeing this as a waste of my time.

 

[pmprog]

So You're really in a point that i was when trying to push ITB as a real ezine. It seems that no mater what different ideas will be for ITB [whether mine, old "wait and see approach, and then restart dev", or your fresh look and organizing, and pushing everybody] it will stays the same way: ITB will stay with lack of good articles

Yes, we both wanted an ezine, and yes, it suffers from a lack of articles. Most people I quizzed said put down two comments: They didn't have a lot of time, and they weren't "authors". The former we'll never fix, the latter is why I (and/or any other editors) are here.


This next bit is going to make me sound like a complete b*****d, so I'm sorry if I offend you, but I'm going to say it anyway.


There was a massive difference between your approach and mine. You threw the idea out and said "make this", you ignored my requests for additional information, and complained that nobody was willing.


The trouble is this community isn't full of jounalists or authors, and it takes effort convincing people to submit something even if they don't think it's "good enough". It can always be made good enough, but only if you can get them past the first hurdle and write something to start with.


I gave everybody a clear specification (okay, some didn't even follow it, but as the editor, I fixed it up), and some dates. I prodded a few people who might not have been following the thread, convinced people to try regardless of their writting ability, offered my assistance, and I got 4 people (other than myself) to commit and write articles, and we published an issue.


Sure, it's not going to be stocked on the shelves at your local newsagent, but it happened, people enjoyed reading it, and I can't speak for the others, but I'm proud of what we accomplished.

Im just seeing this as a waste of my time.

It's a shame, 45 interested people is quite a good number for a community of this size IMO.

 

[StreaK]

You threw the idea out and said "make this",


Oh, well i created almost complete workable [YT link is gone, but i presented an engine in 3 different videos in '09 and '10] engine for ITB, but you forgot to mention that, and i did mention that i'll take care of engine releated stuff, because im not good in english..

 

[pmprog]

You threw the idea out and said "make this",


Oh, well i created almost complete workable [YT link is gone, but i presented an engine in 3 different videos in '09 and '10] engine for ITB, but you forgot to mention that, and i did mention that i'll take care of engine releated stuff, because im not good in english..

I didn't mention that, because I never saw them. The only thing I saw was the screenshot in the original (?) thread, so I apologise on that point.


My point above was not about your participation level, it was about rallying the troops. As I said, we're not surrounded by authors (well, we could be, maybe they're keeping quite, or not interested enough), so you need to entice and encourage people into your project, which means guiding and helping them. You're English is pretty good to me, but even if that wasn't the case, I (and/or somebody else) would have stepped up to help on the language side.

 

[PokeParadox]

Yeah I can vouch with what pmprog is saying. If I wasn't hovering like a buzzard and constantly guiding contributors that had even a slight interest... PandoraPanic! would have never been finished!

 

[gadgetoid]

If we could build it in such a way that a packaged PND *and* a web viewable version is available, then I'd vote that route.


I'd say the PND should also be a self-contained engine that downloads new editions on demand, so that you don't have to either


a) download each individual edition as a separate PND


or


B) update the PND every time you want the latest edition


But that's wishful thinking on my part.


I can help with language/editing/proof reading and whatnot.


As someone who offered to write on the first edition of "Inside The Box", but failed to do so; I'd have to agree with you folks. Someone really needs to keep prodding the contributors to submit their contributions. When I'm writing reviews, I normally have PRs hounding me to get things done


I'd suggest firing up an account on wordpress or a similar service, where contributors could submit their work for proof reading/editing, and could submit part-finished works for comment.

 

[MarioPandio]

Its a shame StreaK has destroyed his earlier work but pmprog should feel proud for getting this together. His choice to do so as he did and not via the original intended format was probably wise. As he didn't know if the effort was worth it, or if the format would be widespread enough to those interested. I hope something will continue in whatever format and if I had something to contribute beyond inane postings here and the occasional video of Pandora apps, I would.


Re: Gadgetoids above suggestion of an auto updating PND for Pandora users, could the 'Seventh Sense'.PND engine be of any use here?


As that is capable of downloading additional gamebooks on demand from within the application itself and placing the downloads into the relevant appdata folder automatically. Seems to be kind of what your after there.

 

[RRGreen]

I would like to contribute something to this, but I have nothing to write about


Do you need any help from people for the format, or is that already resolved?

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

It got an issue published,mist a start, why all the bitching?


A pandora exclusive zine would be great if there was enough demand, but it turned out demand was for a multiformat zine, after this first issue was, issued, it has given me (and possibly others) faith that this is worth investing time into, it's certainly got me writing for the next issue.


In the end, it got published, and it was good, it was different from the original idea but hey, it's available to a much greater audience now, the whole Internet as opposed to a few thousand pandora owners.


Either way, the final result was damn good, especially since it almost never happened. Good job man.

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

Ok I found some spare time and I've started writing an article, I'll let you know when I'm done.

 

[skeezix]

You know, you just have to start somewhere.


People take things too personally.. "you didn't execute my vision!" .. well, you didn't ececute your own vision, so someone else did, no big deal The important thing is that _something_ happened, and it can be chanegd or grown over time.


Hell, I'm in a few newsletters that have onyl 1-2 or sometimes 30 stories in them any given month; the important thing is they're there and it comes.


I'd make it HTML, and then on pandora have a webkit wrapper, or an SDL viewer or whatever, that makesd it all fancy and pretty; you dont' want to cut off the just-webbers, you want to be a big global community, even non pandora folks; but you also want to jazz it up on pandora.. why not?!


So kudos to pmprog for carrying the torch, and kudos to streaK for kicking it off. No need to fuss.


jeff


StreaK .. I hear you've bailed on the scene .. damned shame. I didn't use your ports due to the whole FB thing (lol , but a lot of people did; donm't be a bruised apple, stick around Take your lumps


I even printed my own punk music newspaper years ago; first issue was thin, next issue was a little thicker, third issue was awesome; then I cancelled it, cost me too much money and time and I had neither But the important thing was.. gogogogo

 

[gruso]

Well I've just caught up on all this. I'm not touching any of the drama - I think Skeezix has said all the right words on that. What I can say is, the first issue was really great. Some work on the layout to be done, but content wise every author provided a great read. I don't think it was too small; tack on a couple of app reviews and I think you've got a very respectable little zine happening. And if it gets bigger, no complaints!


Round of applause, gents. Roll on issue #2. I'm even getting the urge to write...

 

[SiegfriedCroes]

Hmmm, now that my motivation for working on Rainy Day is back I could write something about it (as you had asked, sorry for not replying, btw)


I'll see what I can do