The Future of GateWorld (Community Discussion)

[Myth]

First, I want to preface this by saying that I've been a fan of Stargate since the beginning and a fan of Gateworld since it's beginning. That said, I've watched far larger, far more advanced sites and concepts become ghost towns and fade away. My advice is, after the end of SGU, if there's no immediate news of anything more Stargate-related to come in the near-term, lock down the site and let it die. Really, websites of this type are already a dying breed and any work you would do on it other than strictly textual content enhancement would serve only to hasten the path to a point of diminishing returns. What made Gateworld a success wasn't that it was the shiniest bauble in the display but rather it's dedication to the cause. Without the cause, it would become just another item on the shelf. I mean, really, much of the site doesn't even work particularly well in more modern browsers. And as Neil Young said, it's better to burn out than to fade away.

I'd suggest finding a new hobby and starting from scratch.

[sgc]

Clear-cut answer: Archive mode **with a twist**

The twist:
Keep GW oriented on all venues of Stargate, including video games and old episodes. Also, orient it more on what the next step for Stargate will be, including shows, movies, etc. We should focus on continuing Stargate in these forms, and how we can get there, etc.

I am really happy that GW will not be going anywhere, because although I am new, it has become a home to me. I love it here. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, and we engage in great discussions relating to SG. I hope that GW will live on forever, just like Stargate.

[Snowman37]

Myth makes some very valid points. When Star Trek ended in 2005, a lot of fan sites closed. I used to follow Roswell (1999-02), and all the fan sites basically dried up within a year. I'm not saying close GateWorld, but you should expect a decreased interest from fandom as new, exciting shows crop up.

[Captain Lazlo]

Myth makes some very valid points. When Star Trek ended in 2005, a lot of fan sites closed. I used to follow Roswell (1999-02), and all the fan sites basically dried up within a year. I'm not saying close GateWorld, but you should expect a decreased interest from fandom as new, exciting shows crop up.

This is why survival could be improved by expanding into new sci fi and drawing some new fans in.

[Snowman37]

Which is fine. I suggested changing the site's name to reflect this.

[Pharaoh Atem]

Which is fine. I suggested changing the site's name to reflect this.

merge scifi stream and GW?

[sgc]

merge scifi stream and GW?

Eh... I don't like that idea. This is a Stargate forum, and I think it should remain that way. I'm not against having the SciFi stream in any way, but it should remain in its own little corner. I want to come to a forum that is dedicated to Stargate where most of the attention is towards Stargate, and I am fairly sure that other fans will agree. If it's a general sci-fi forum, then the people that are here for Stargate probably won't come here anymore, or at least as often.

[jelgate]

Eh... I don't like that idea. This is a Stargate forum, and I think it should remain that way. I'm not against having the SciFi stream in any way, but it should remain in its own little corner. I want to come to a forum that is dedicated to Stargate where most of the attention is towards Stargate, and I am fairly sure that other fans will agree. If it's a general sci-fi forum, then the people that are here for Stargate probably won't come here anymore, or at least as often.

The Scifi stream forum is already at the same place as the GW Forum

[sgc]

The Scifi stream forum is already at the same place as the GW Forum

I believe what Pharaoh Atem meant was merge it into the same forum, where Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and SGU were just in that same list of shows in the Sci-Fi stream.

[Pharaoh Atem]

triple fail

http://www.gateworld.net/

http://www.scifistream.com/

i meant merge both of darren's babies into one big site. that way scifi stream bring in new content and we would still have the forum and gateworld's stargate libaray

[Darren]

In the "Current Shows" areas be proactive about new TV series. For example, you could go ahead and create and area for "Being Human." I realize this could backfire if the shows in canceled during Season 1 or is a huge flop, but the gains could outweigh the risks. Gateworld could become the go to site for all Sci-fi shows and by doing this you're not forcing fans to go to another forum for their Being Human (other other show) discussions. If Gateworld waits until the show is a hit to open areas for show discussion many people (especially potentially new members) have already gone somewhere else and found a home.

I'm inclined to this strategy as well, though when I've tried it with non-Stargate shows in the past (via SF Stream) I caught a sh##storm from a few forum members who hated the idea of giving a forum folder to a show that hadn't proved itself.

Of course, at that time it was NBC's Bionic Woman remake, which was a particularly bad idea ...

There are also some glaring omissions from the General Sci-fi and Fantasy section such as The Walking Dead - when its clear a science fiction show is a hit there should be a section made about it right away, unless GW is not interested in providing a place for discussion about popular shows.

I really enjoyed the first season of this show. If anyone had asked for a folder, I'd have made one. But at this point, I need a little convincing that people around here are actually going to use it.

I think that the best strategy for new shows is still to start it with a thread, and then promote it to folder status once that thread demonstrates that the show has taken off in our own community.

I don't know that I'd even want to see a whole non-SF section with subforums and all, but a single non-SF forum may not be a bad idea. We could just run individual show threads within (a thread for Deadliest Catch, a thread for Mad Men, etc).

While an expanded version of GW as a whole would be sci-fi and fantasy specific, at that point I wouldn't be opposed to a single forum folder for non-SF favorites.

[Briangate78]

I think with no new SG projects GW will not be too busy. I do hope we will see plenty more Stargate projects. I truly feel we will. I hate to see the SG forums turn into a ghost town. Reruns can only attract so many people until they are also exhausted.

I do think expanding GW to more shows will certainly help a lot. You still have some major shows on syfy and in the science fiction drama still active.

[J-Whitt Remastered]

I think with no new SG projects GW will not be too busy. I do hope we will see plenty more Stargate projects. I truly feel we will. I hate to see the SG forums turn into a ghost town. Reruns can only attract so many people until they are also exhausted.

I do think expanding GW to more shows will certainly help a lot. You still have some major shows on syfy and in the science fiction drama still active.

While it's true that people may not be flocking the the SG boards without something new that's not a given. I mean look at the STS9 folder. It's grown by several pages since I started following it just 4 or 5 months ago. Seeing as how DS9 is close to 20 years old (it premiered in '94 right?) that's pretty damn good IMO.

[nx01a]

I do think expanding GW to more shows will certainly help a lot. You still have some major shows on syfy and in the science fiction drama still active.

But no shows set on spaceships.

I've already been through the 'death' of one forum following the demise of Trek on TV. Gateworld is a bit different in that it's already a community where almost anything can be discussed. Without new Stargate, that aspect will definitely have to be stepped up. And the Omnipedia! It's a great resource.

[gotthammer]

of the choices from the OP:
Business as Usual