There's a bit of reorganisation going on at the moment, so don't be too surprised if a few things move around over the next couple of days. We're trying to give the place a new look.
Essentially, here is a rough outline of the new look/setup we're bringing in:
The Flat Earth Society
Announcements
News and administrative announcements about the website and The Flat Earth Society.
Suggestions and Concerns
For any suggestions or problems you may have related to the forum or site.
Flat Earth Discussion
Flat Earth Discussion, Questions and Clarification
If you're new to the site and want to ask a question about Flat Earth Theory, or want to chat about Flat Earth related topics, this is the place.
Flat Earth Debate
This forum is reserved for debates about Flat Earth Theory. Please note that it is strictly moderated!
Flat Earth Believers
A forum for debate and discussion among Flat Earth Believers.
Flat Earth Information Repository
Post articles, newsletters, and any other information pertaining to Flat Earth Theory or The Flat Earth Society.
Other Discussion Forums
The Lounge
A place to talk about anything that doesn't fit in the other boards. Light chat and socialising are encouraged!
The Media Room
For the discussion of any and all forms of media; cinema, music, TV, videogames etc.
The Library
For the sharing and discussion of writing, art, and creativity in general.
The Lab
For the discussion of theoretical, applied, and alternative science .
The Soapbox
For the discussion of philosophy, society, politics, religion, and other controversial issues.
Now, the biggest change you may have noticed is that Angry Ranting is no longer on that list. Before you get too excited, here's why:
First of all, we felt Everything Else was too crowded. On a forum this large, the scope of that forum was sort of sufficating, as most of the discussion that went on in there was just chat about news stories and politics. The place just seems like a bit of a mash up. What we'ved decided to do is to rename Everything Else 'The Lounge', and make it a dedicated chat board. We're not out to ruin anyone's fun; some aspects of the Site Rules will be relaxed in there, and it will be a 'serious business'-free zone. The Lounge will be for chat and socialising only.
Secondly, AR really makes the site look a bit silly, when w're actually giving newbies a place to lag us with impunity. I mean, I know it was fun sometimes, but it just looks bad. What's more, a lot of regulars use these boards just to chat and have fun, and though that's fine, it does mean there's a lot of duplication. We basically have three chat boards, and really things could be a bit tidier.
To make this possible, we're going to move things around so that there's room elsewhere for discussions that would once have taken place in Everything Else. Current Affairs and Politics discussions will now take place in the new, razmatazz version of R&P,
The Soapbox, and discussions about film, music, videogames etc. will get their own home in
The Media Room. Anything to do with art, writing, literature etc. also get their own board,
The Library, and Alternative Science will become
The Lab, to reflect the fact that many people here want to talk about science in general, as well as alternative stuff.
In the upper section of the forum, there are some small changes too. General Discussion and Flat Earth Questions and Clarification are bing merged into a new board called
Flat Earth Discussion, Questions and Clarification. Once again, this is just a means of avoiding unnecessary duplication. Finally, there's a new
Announcements section, which will house the Site Rules and topics like this. That way things won't get too cluttered elsewhere in the forum.
Something I want to emphasise is that this is not about 'cracking down' and making the place ultra-serious. We just want to tidy the forum up and make it look a little more presentable and organised. I've actually been a big proponent of expanding the recreational aspect of the site, which is why
The Library and
The Media Room have come into existence. Not everyone here believes in Flat Earth Theory, and not everyone here wants to talk about Flat Earth Theory full-time. We understand that. This is about improving the site as a whole, for the benefit of everyone.
All of this will take a few days to materialise fully, as new rules have to be written for new sections, and lots of threads have to be moved. However, as you can see, the process is finally underway. This is easily the largest single reshuffle in the history of the forum, and coinciding as it does with the opening of
the new homepage, it should be a cause for great celebration. Rejoice!
IN VERITATE VICTORIA- Lord Wilmore