Xanamiar
Member since: 2007I went ahead and took any request that was older than a year, and we have not heard from the artist who took the request in that time, and put it back in the Request forum. This way another artist can pick it up if they want to.
However, I would encourage any artist who wants to pick it up, to get ahold of the requester first, especially if it's their only request on the boards. Since you never know if they will be back or not.
I did this because it doesn't seem fair for a request to sit in "Taken" when we may never hear back from an artist again, because of their circumstances keeping them from completely the request. Also, it makes the Taken Forum look a lot cleaner.
Any complaints or comments about it, please post it here, everything can be undone :)
Also, I'd like to get everyone's opinions on tossing out old requests after a year or so.. ((If they haven't been claimed once obviously))
This way we can clean up the request forum, and keep fresh requests up for the artists, so they know the picture is still wanted.
Old requests that haven't been claimed should be cleaned out after a set period, unless the requester pops by and shows he's still around and still interested.
But I think six months may be better than a year, really; seems like a lot of new names will pop up and then disappear never to be seen again within a matter of weeks as it is, so six months feels like a pretty fair balance between the regulars and the transient guests we have coming and going all the time.
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Current pet project, Bleach Fanfiction - The Winter War *Complete!*
Well wookiebastard hasn't been around for weeks, but he's probably on holiday or sumthin.
I disappeared for, like, six years or sumthin':P
But SWAG went down during that time Judas, so you can't pick up where you left off :)
I am affraid I am guilty as one of the ghost artist who disappear then resurface later. Fortunately most of what I dont do is my own work....though last time it was a request...I did post that I would not be able to complete it though.
it's understandable Casca.. and I have nothing against any one of them.. But, I don't see a point in leaving them on the Taken forum forever... :)
this way maybe some of them will get done... like the one Teebo picked up already.
Yes, this is a little silly. Thanks to Xanamiar for the cleanup. But now that I'm cruising to take up a new request, I find I'm wading through these re-instated requests from over a year ago. My gut tells me that there isn't much chance that anyone is waiting with baited breath.
maybe we need a new forum for reinstated requests... so we can keep them seperate... But still give them an opportunity to get done.
I'm not sure if any non-artist's opinions are wanted in this thread, but as a requester, it is kind of a bummer to see your request pushed way down the page in favour of a bunch of 1-3 year old requests that have probably been forgotten by both parties.
A 'limbo' forum could be a great idea - a place for abandoned requests where artists who want to make someone's day can go and revive an oldie, with the knowledge that they'll probably want to contact the requester to make sure that they're still interested.
Also, speaking as a requester, the idea of deleting unclaimed requests after six months wouldn't hurt my feelings.
Just my two bits.
That's a good idea; with the no-bumping etiquette, it isn't really fair to the newer requesters who might actually be waiting with intense eagerness for their concept to get chosen, to have a load of blast-from-the-past concepts filling the queue.
I'd be in favour of going one further; delete any request older than 12 months. If it hasn't been picked up by then, chances are it's not going to. Even if new Guild Artists join, and pore through the ancient requests looking for a golden nugget, the chances that the original poster still wants it and might actually appreciate the work are pretty slim.
Perhaps the reinstated request forum would be like a lost and found. If the original requester still wants it they can say so and it gets moved back into the mainstream request queue as a fresh request. Otherwise it fades into obscurity.
I just wouldn't want SWAG to be featured on an episode of Hoarders.
I agree with both of your points. A "Limbo" forum would be nice.. maybe even moving all old requests to it as well... bumping the ones that had been taken to the top since they were at one time taken. Then we don't have to delete anything. Then if a request is in Limbo, all the requester has to do is ask that it be moved back to Requests. Thus giving it a "bump" without really bumping it.
I don't like the idea of another forum, but I'm all for deleting requests older than 12 months. If I requested something 12 months ago, and I still REALLY want it, I can write a new request. No biggie.
Boshuda
Sounds like a plan.. I know Eclipse had said something about the upgrade on the site being able to auto delete threads after a certain ammount of time went by, so maybe that's what he's waiting for... But if he gives me permission to.. I'll clean out the current threads completely, of anything older than a year.
I just didn't want to do it without him saying it was cool.
Perhaps, if old requests are going to be deleted (and I agree that this might be a good idea), an email is sent to the requester asking if they are still interested in the request?
Then they have the option to keep the thread open - if we don't hear back from them the request is binned.
I used to try to take requests from the back-end forward but found that quite often, when I emailled or PM'd the requester, they simply didn't reply. So I didn't start and the requests just got left there to loiter like a single shoe at the back of a wardrobe...
PS - Just need to say, thanks so much for taking this on Xan! I really appreciate the work you're putting into sorting out the mess!!
I tend to delete my own request if they are not taken after a certain about of time and usually repost later to see if there is any interest. If there is no interest then I delete it again and wait for the next spark of inspiration to hit me for a request.
Kia kaha