Welcome back!
It was getting annoying to keep updating the “return” page with all the updates about how the new SE is coming along, so I’ve made the Development blog to help make updates not only by myself, but the staff easier. Over the coming weeks up until the relaunch of the forums, I’ll be updating this to let you know how things are coming, what changes to the staff will be and to outline the launch of the actual website.
As I mentioned on the “return” page, we’re not just throwing the forums back up and saying, “we’re back.” This time, a lot more work is going into this reboot of Seventh-Element. The following will give you an idea of the changes we’re making.
1. New Forum Software
Since we launched, SE has used vBulletin software to run the forums. When we relaunch, we will be upgrading to Invision Power Board, a far more powerful and corporate-driven option. I’ve also found that in many respects it’s a lot easier to use than vB. Don’t worry, though! All your old posts and accounts will still be there. We’re going to have our old database converted so you won’t have to rebuild your post counts when we relaunch.
Also, you can expect a new skin.
2. Complete Staff Reorganization
One of the problems on SE3 was staff. This time, we’ve enlisted the help of Allison (Arthryn), Charles and Tim from Inheritance Forums to not only give our forums a boost, but to help us in the construction of our site portal. That doesn’t mean you won’t see old faces on our staff. Steve (HappenStance) will still be there on the admin side, and Janna (Mockingbirdflyaway) will still be in our Writing forums.
3. Concrete Site Goal
Since our inception, SE has always had a fairly ambitious goal to using the internet to help young writers learn to ropes of writing, presenting and marketing their work (we also used to have this for graphics designers, too, but let’s face it, we’re not deviantArt and we always lacked the staff for that, too). This time, we’re following that more closely to make a more focused, yet loose environment.
You can still look forward to a word-filterless, lax-run forums.
4. A Professionally-Designed, Professionally-run Site Portal
Having Allison and Tim with us will allow us to finally launch a professionally designed and run portal. To be run by Charles and I, the design will finally allow Seventh-Element to reach the level of community-driven functionality that was always intended. Our ultimate goal with the site is also to forge connections with publishers, allowing our writers hands-on tools to selling their work and seeing what publishers are looking for.
On the administrative end, the site will also sport a fancy backend, making it easier for our staff to update.
5. Return of Old Features
In the future, SE plans to reincorperate features like the Live-chat Workshop, Podcasts, and on-site blogging. The Underground will also be relocated on-site using a script Allison and Tim have developed. Also, in the future we plan to add an IRC chat to hold Workshops.
I hope you’re excited as I am for all this! At the moment, we’re planning to relaunch the forums sometime in early September. Allison is hard at work on the new logo and once that’s done we’ll get the forums up along with a temporary skin while Allison and Tim go to work on the site portal.
Over the coming weeks, you can expect updates from some of our staff (including Risstalle, who’s got some updates for you about the RP), as well as updates from me about the progress of the site and forums.
Don’t go away!
Ben