The Idea Thread

[Updating will include other ideas culled from the posters below, just to condense for ease of reading and to see what others have added!]

Additional Ideas/OP Updates:

- Mentoring project: Undergoing different ideas; "Classes", Touch base via PMs

- Newbie Guide/FAQ (Carla, SilentBreeze)

- Card of the week study (autumnstar); Reboot or advertising needed?

- Thread of the week/month w/ challenging topic (Carla)

- Throwback thread to bring up an old topic that was lost to archives but is worth remembering.

Original Post:
While in another thread the current state of the forum is being discussed, rather than highjacking said thread, I'd like to focus on something else:

What can we do?

Sure, some people have been here longer than others. It's very easy to take a back seat. But the questions that could be asked are: what can we do to improve and/or give everyone a fresh breath of AT?

- Some suggested having a beginner (basic) query forum. Leave general threads there with instructions about the other sub forums? [update: removed posting limit]

- I suggested maybe having an "Adopt a Newbie" sort of function, to get the oldtimers involved and communicating with the newbies, maybe helping to guide them?. (Yes, I know this is a bit much, but it's an idea!)

Well, see, I've been here ages, and I KNOW I don't have that much to offer except in deck identification. But I can point new members to coding, to threads, to subforums. I can answer questions in tech support. Mostly I argue.

Who would decide who is a suitable "mentor" ?

Who says who knows stuff and who is rubbish ?

Who is - like - GOD ???

There was an excellent thread here started by euripides, about this a while ago... (No I do NOT mean to silence or close this one, but it is lost in the annals, and others may not find it; I bookmarked it at the time !)

Gregory, I cannot access that post. I suspect it's because I'm not a subscriber?

Oh crap - so it is..... it's in chat. Sorry about that. Post on !

Though I fear this thread doesn't really belong in talking tarot - I think that is where the other STARTED and was moved.... Ummmmm. Maybe we need a subforum for threads like these ? *coughs at mods*

There are valid points in both of those threads on why or why not AT is vibrant.

One thing I've noticed which is a fairly new AT phenomenon is the clique threads. And I mean that in no disrespectful way.
The train pubs
The SOOD
The BPAL

There are others, our deck of the week chat threads may go that route. People like to post where they feel like part of the gang and know the backstory. But to be perfectly honest I hate the pub threads. I haven't got the time or inclination to follow or join in, but I'm jealous because people who I like and enjoy their viewpoints are no long posting in the general forum. It is pretty much all on those long threads.

This isn't just an AT thing, I've seen them on every forum I've ever taken part in (which totals three subjects so perhaps not much experience)
It's part of human nature to seek a clan...but I still don't think it is good for the overall health of any forum.

New members have introduction threads which are open to variety in the conversation.
There is a New member reading circle. Don't think one more forum would be helpful at all.

Kosjitov,

I think having a "newbie" area would be a good idea, an area with basic questions for people just starting in tarot. But, if we are not new to tarot, then maybe we have questions for the general forum, but we are new to the forum. I've been away from tarot for some time, a forced break. (life just didn't allow it) Now I'm in a much better phase of my life, and I'm making time for things that are important to ME. I'm not sure that needing 25-50 posts in another area first is a good idea at all. That would just put LOTS more "same old" questions in that forum, just so they could post in other areas. Do you see what I mean? And who's going to answer these questions if everyone is new? They ask because they don't know. Maybe they ask, because they don't understand how to do a search? It's possible. I have already asked an "old" question, but with good reason, I think. I got help with my question, and thanked the person who helped me. It truly was a blessing.

As for your mentor idea, I think it's great!! But not just for newbies. What about someone who's just bought a new deck, and doesn't really understand how to read it? Maybe we could have a sub-forum where we post if we would like a mentor and the title needs to include if it is for a newbie or for a certain deck?

As for new ideas? Well, I haven't been here long enough. But I'm sure I will find ways to contribute, and I'm sure there are plenty of people willing to help. That's why I like this forum. It's funny, it's educating, it's thought-provoking. Need I continue?

Kosjitov, I don't think the problems happen because of beginners. Beginners have to ask their questions, and because they tend to manifest themselves more often than the long-timers (for reasons I explained in the Are we plateauing? thread), we sometimes have the impression that the Talking Tarot is a beginners' forum.

I do think that some newbies should research past threads, NOT to revive threads from 2003, but to see if the same question was not asked... last month. This way they can see if that thread answers their question. If they are not satisfied, open a new thread with their specific doubts and we will be happy to help.

I know how annoying it can be when people post "this was discussed a while ago *link*", but sometimes I do get a bit tired to writing the same thing over and over again. I already made that beautifully eloquent post in thread X, 3 weeks ago, and I don't feel the impulse to write it all again in thread X2. I could copy and paste the same answer, but I don't know if this wouldn't be upsetting for the person asking the question.

Yes, it is a complicated matter.

The idea of a beginner's forum could be nice, but I'm not so sure if that would improve the Talking Tarot forum. I think the problem of the plateauing in the Talking Tarot forum is one of a different kind, a bit more complex than the apparent "excess of newbie posts". In fact, for me this is just a symptom of something else...

More ideas, suggestions

Think about it this way Marina: if we tackle it from both aspects, no one can continue to just say "it's the newbs" (not that I think anyone IS just saying that, OR that the new additions are to blame). I'm just removing it as a fallback And I'm aware it's not just based on that. I'm still looking for ideas to help fight off the stagnation that people are feeling and give people a middle ground. Help the new folk get integrated, help the old timers shake off the dust and stagnation.

Looking back on some old posts, older posters had good ideas. I'll update this thread as I find them.

autumnstar said:

Oct 17, 2010: I think I can remember a few years ago in the reading tarot cards section they used to do a 78 week study - with one tarot card a week and lots of people contributed their thoughts/ideas etc. I really enjoyed that and it was one of
the best ways for me to learn the cards as a beginner (I hope I am remembering that correctly and it's not my imagination) . It's probably things like that could initially attract people into joining the forum and spark discussions.

Click to expand...

Does it still exist and is it active?

Carla said:

Oct 17, 2010: Have a forum devoted to FAQs of newbies, and keep it archived and updated regularly. Have a detailed explanation of the most effective ways to search this site in order to find the answers you want.

Click to expand...

Added, because it's a bit more detailed than what was listed prior.

And...

Carla said:

Seasoned tarot readers, make a personal effort to start at least one new
thread per month (or more!) on an aspect of tarot that is meaty and rife for discussion and learning. If each of the seasoned veterans here started one insightful or deeply questioning thread per month, there would be loads of interesting stuff for people to read.

Click to expand...

From the reading I did in said thread, it seemed that a significant number of oldtimers ceased posting due to a certain amount of back and forth that came off less than pleasant. I'd still think this is a good idea and out of the box thinking really can help spur others to high levels of thought.

Maybe we can compile a newbie guide, with common topics that people who start out would be interested in so they can check those out before reposing question and a note at the end on how they can search for the question they were going to ask.

Soaring Eagle said:

I'm not sure that needing 25-50 posts in another area first is a good idea at all. That would just put LOTS more "same old" questions in that forum, just so they could post in other areas. Do you see what I mean? And who's going to answer these questions if everyone is new? They ask because they don't know. Maybe they ask, because they don't understand how to do a search?

Click to expand...

It was a ballpark. Inability to post wouldn't mean they couldn't peruse the more general forum and just read the topics there. I'm still of the opinion one would be able to post in Your Reading forums and certain others.