Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I'd love a section on technology and questions about how to use stuff, not just for social media, per se, but for tech questions.
There are many here amongst us who can guide the rest of us through some of the mazes. It would be nice for it to have a section just for that, as opposed to it being peppered in the different threads even if it sometimes crosses over.

I'd love to see a thread specific to blogfests so people who are either hosting or participating can tell others about them. More fun for all.

Hi Mr. Bransford,

In the feedback forum, do you think there could be a Social Media feedback section? I know there's already an "All Things Social Media" forum, but since a lot of writers are so nervous and up in arms about "platforming" (I know I'm one of them), maybe there could be a feedback area for reviewing blog articles in draft too?

Or let's say if someone puts up an "outline" (like a business proposal) for what they're thinking of doing platform-wise, like what they're planning to use (Twitter & FB are the obvious ones), because there are probably an infinite number of combinations people can do with this social media thing (which is maybe why it's so confusing). An example would be if someone is thinking of putting character "sketches" along with character sketches (profiles) on Deviant Art or putting up iPod playlists like Stephenie Meyer did -- this kind of thing goes beyond the standard blog, tweets and Facebook. Not sure how Tweets can get feedback because they're so short, but blog drafts are a little longer, and IMHO a whole marketing proposal is worth some community input.

Nothing formal like a query letter (or a nonfiction proposal), but just some random thoughts on what people are thinking of putting online. (Besides cat pictures and pixelated .jpgs from Scarlett Johanssen's cell phone. )

Rachel Ventura wrote:Hi Mr. Bransford,

In the feedback forum, do you think there could be a Social Media feedback section? I know there's already an "All Things Social Media" forum, but since a lot of writers are so nervous and up in arms about "platforming" (I know I'm one of them), maybe there could be a feedback area for reviewing blog articles in draft too?

Or let's say if someone puts up an "outline" (like a business proposal) for what they're thinking of doing platform-wise, like what they're planning to use (Twitter & FB are the obvious ones), because there are probably an infinite number of combinations people can do with this social media thing (which is maybe why it's so confusing). An example would be if someone is thinking of putting character "sketches" along with character sketches (profiles) on Deviant Art or putting up iPod playlists like Stephenie Meyer did -- this kind of thing goes beyond the standard blog, tweets and Facebook. Not sure how Tweets can get feedback because they're so short, but blog drafts are a little longer, and IMHO a whole marketing proposal is worth some community input.

Nothing formal like a query letter (or a nonfiction proposal), but just some random thoughts on what people are thinking of putting online. (Besides cat pictures and pixelated .jpgs from Scarlett Johanssen's cell phone. )

Thanks for the suggestion! Maybe start a thread in the social media forum, and if it gets so much activity that it's hard to keep track of I can create a dedicated forum for it in the Feedback section.

Hi Mr. Bransford,

Is there a way to add what's called a "lo-fi" interface to the forums? My computer is very old and Internet is very slow, and sometimes the pages don't load correctly (I have to "refresh" several times). On some other forums, which I believe run on the same software, they have a "lo-fi" version (i.e. no graphics, media, or HTML formatting, just what's written on the page).

A lo-fi version would be good for some of the less technically afforded viewers (myself included). Some people read websites on their cell phones, and there's what's called the Mobile edition. IMHO these would be a good idea to put in if you can.

Rachel Ventura wrote:Hi Mr. Bransford,

Is there a way to add what's called a "lo-fi" interface to the forums? My computer is very old and Internet is very slow, and sometimes the pages don't load correctly (I have to "refresh" several times). On some other forums, which I believe run on the same software, they have a "lo-fi" version (i.e. no graphics, media, or HTML formatting, just what's written on the page).

A lo-fi version would be good for some of the less technically afforded viewers (myself included). Some people read websites on their cell phones, and there's what's called the Mobile edition. IMHO these would be a good idea to put in if you can.

Afraid I don't think that's possible in the short term, but maybe sometime down the line!

Nathan Bransford wrote:

Rachel Ventura wrote:Hi Mr. Bransford,

Is there a way to add what's called a "lo-fi" interface to the forums? My computer is very old and Internet is very slow, and sometimes the pages don't load correctly (I have to "refresh" several times). On some other forums, which I believe run on the same software, they have a "lo-fi" version (i.e. no graphics, media, or HTML formatting, just what's written on the page).

A lo-fi version would be good for some of the less technically afforded viewers (myself included). Some people read websites on their cell phones, and there's what's called the Mobile edition. IMHO these would be a good idea to put in if you can.

Afraid I don't think that's possible in the short term, but maybe sometime down the line!

That's OK. I'm getting by with the "regular" edition. Not to be bothersome or anything, but -- well, this one, I guess, pertains more to *me* (and anyone else who shares the same birthday, once every Olympiad).

On my profile page, I'm listed as being 19, which is true in that 19 years have passed since I was born (1992), but since my DOB is February 29, I'm really only, well, "five years old." When my birthday rolls around again in 2012, I'll be listed as 20 on the Congratulations section of the front page, even though I'll only be "six."

Is there a way to have weird commemorations like that listed in parentheses or something or with an asterisk or note that I'm not "technically" as old as it appears on the front-page calendar? I only turn another year older every four years!

I don't have any thoughts of my own, yet I needed to second a couple. I like having sub-classifications, particularly on the Finding an Agent area. I likewise like having the capacity to investigate individuals' initially pages, and so on. Furthermore, the Ask Nathan string is extremely intriguing!