"Why won't anyone respond to my ads or wants?"

[CEM]

Honestly, when people start ranting in their 'looking for' post about they only want this and that, and if your site doesn't have all ten of their requirements they won't join, I just ignore it. It's not worth trying to make sure everything on your site conforms to that one person. Another thing that I find intimidating when advertising is when people say they won't join if your canon list isn't completely, 100% accurate. This is more specified to HP role-play forums, I guess (since that's what I own, heh.) But I guess some HP RPers don't understand that most canon lists now a days are made up. It's almost impossible to get every single year right unless you're doing a HP era or something that everyone's years are right there. I have a post potter site, and we allow a little bit of free reign with our canon list. Sigh. I guess it's just frustrating altogether when people don't even see the benefits of your site if your rules aren't as strict or polished as they want.

Plus, it's very intimidating...just saying. No admin wants to recruit you to their site if your 'looking for' post advertises you as a nitpicker about every detail.

[hopefullyyours]

Belated reply to midnight: It definitely does depend on the site. Where it's most useful are sites that implement some sort of level-up system and abilities/powers/etc. A basic school roleplay or something where the characters aren't shooting energy beams (or whatever) at each other wouldn't really benefit at all with one-character-per-account and I would see no reason for them to have it.

Since it was brought up, skin is a huge thing for me too. Sites that look awful... I just can't do. It doesn't take that much effort to find and apply a pre-made skin if coding isn't your forte. On that note, however, if the skin is a premade skin and has absolutely no alterations applied I also tend to steer clear.

[Des]

Yeah, honestly ... if you're going to be rude in the requests thread, I'm going to think, "Thank god you won't be joining my site."

Also requesting to be staff straight-off is like a major turn-off.

[wildmaven]

Jun 7, 2012 9:39:57 GMT -8 SelBear said:

I don't see the point of reporting people in all truth. Like when I get a PM and it's not something I want I just close the PM and don't think about it ever again.

It certainly saves the moderation staff time, too. I have lost count of the number of times I get a report that says, "So and so PMed me a link to their Harry Potter site, but theirs wants Harry to be 14 years old and I specifically requested him to be 15!"

o.o

[SelBear]

Jun 7, 2012 11:44:53 GMT -8 wildmaven said:

Jun 7, 2012 9:39:57 GMT -8 SelBear said:

I don't see the point of reporting people in all truth. Like when I get a PM and it's not something I want I just close the PM and don't think about it ever again.

It certainly saves the moderation staff time, too. I have lost count of the number of times I get a report that says, "So and so PMed me a link to their Harry Potter site, but theirs wants Harry to be 14 years old and I specifically requested him to be 15!"

o.o

See in my mind that's just stupid. I don't understand that. As an admin of my own forum I hate listening to stuff like this. I want to spend my time roleplaying, and while it's necessary as an admin to deal with things like this, I don't want all my time online spent doing this. It's easy to just ignore something rather than start complaining. Like there's several in the "Looking For" area that says if you send me something that I don't like I will report you. So now even if my site follows directly with what they want I don't want to send it to them because I have a feeling that they might cause problems on my own forum, which I don't want. It's just a long chain of rudeness in my opinion that doesn't need to happen.

[Luna]

Reading this has actually REALLY helped me, tbh I noticed a lot of flaws in my looking for that I've been trying to correct thanks to all of you.
1 and 3 are probably my biggest issues. As both an admin and a 'looker', I've received ads not suited to me, and I've probably sent many myself not suited to them. But no need to get aggressive. Just send a quick reply saying "thanks for taking the time, but it's not for me", and be done with it.
Yes, I myself am somewhat specific as we all are, but I try to take them as they come. Even though I say "so and so is required", I still have joined RPs where they aren't.

And 3... As a stickler for literacy who cannot comprehend where English skills went within the last 30 years (and I say this as a older teenager), spelling is everything to me. Yes, typos are understandable, we all aren't perfect. But really, the person who spells dubious as 'jewbeus' will get on my nerves. At least try to correct mistakes, we have dictionaries for a reason.

One of my own reasons would probably be the lack of replies I've gotten when advertising. I understand some we miss, forget about, or so busy we just don't reply. But really, it's not that hard to just say a quick little message like I wrote above. It makes you look good too - I like it when someone has manners, even if they aren't joining!

[Kami]

That whole "I must have xyz" character is a HUGE turn off to me as an advertiser, especially when it makes the character the requester wants to play an anomaly from the "norm" of the site. For example, I saw a request for an Avatar: the Last Airbender / Legend of Korra RP that demanded that the requester be allowed to play a red-headed waterbender -- except there are no red headed people in the ENTIRE WORLD of that series, much less waterbenders (who are based off the Inuit tribes of our world). That kind of demand just makes me laugh and wonder who the requester thinks they are that they get to have someone so gosh darn SPECIAL.

[BadWolf.]

Just sticking my little bit in here. For me personally I get turned off of roleplay forums when they have the most excessive application form. Is that really necessary to deem if they are allowed to roleplay with you?. I find it very snotty and a turn off. If an admin wishes to have an application form, sure but one that requires 2 paragraphs per reponse? No. That's annoying. Then not only that you have to wait days while your application is pending is as if it's deciding if you're getting into an elite college! Does anyone else find this or does everyone find long applications necessary?

[Kami]

Jul 2, 2012 9:53:52 GMT -8 BadWolf. said:

Just sticking my little bit in here. For me personally I get turned off of roleplay forums when they have the most excessive application form. Is that really necessary to deem if they are allowed to roleplay with you?. I find it very snotty and a turn off. If an admin wishes to have an application form, sure but one that requires 2 paragraphs per reponse? No. That's annoying. Then not only that you have to wait days while your application is pending is as if it's deciding if you're getting into an elite college! Does anyone else find this or does everyone find long applications necessary?

If you don't like apps, that's fine, but I hardly think it's "elitist" for sites to ask for a paragraph or two to describe your character's personality/appearance/history. I mean, some sites don't need it, especially those more fast-paced, play-by-post forums. Other forums with a more structured / intricate plot may need it, especially if characters have powers or special skills.

I get disliking excessive apps. When people ask me for a long list of likes/dislikes/hobbies/favourites/ideal weather/etc -- that's kind of annoying, and could probably be covered in something like 'personality'.

IMO, however, for many sites your app is their first glimpse at how well you write and how well you RP; having a minimum length requirement allows them to see more of your writing style and whether or not you'd be a good fit for their forum.

As far as pending applications - what do you expect? Should apps just be approved without them being read & reviewed to make sure they follow site rules?

[BadWolf.]

Oh yes I understand why many may need it but many admins go overboard with it things as you said like likes, dislikes, all of that. It seems a bit unnecessary.

With the pending applications, no I completely understand but its a definite way to lose activity. Many members will become disintetested if they are needed to wait a week just to see if they are able to start roleplaying. Many, including my impatient self would just wanting to be getting right into it! Haha but yes you have very valids points.

[Kami]

Ah fair enough. I do agree it's unfair if apps are 'pending' for a long period of time. by the same token, i can understand profile mods being busy, but i think that approving apps should be the first priority for any site.

[garth]

I just thought I'd give my two cents. When I was browsing the "Looking for X site". There were a lot of people asking for "Fantasy", and it came to my mind what kind of fantasy? Fantasy is a really broad Genre. It would seem if you want a Fantasy site it would best be narrowed down to a subgenre. Seeing as someone from a Star Wars site could see that and message you and a person from Harry Potter could also message you. Sometimes being specific is a good thing ;D Yet again just my two cents.

[{ P e r e g r i n e }]

I am most put off by the personally-tailored PMs. I LOVE getting attention. It is one of my favorite things ever and I get the need to feel like a person and affirming that you are not joining a site run by a robot, but the "tell me why I should join your site" really irritates me. I am telling you why you should join my site in my advertisement: that is my sale's pitch. Beyond that, I really don't know what other people look for when they look at a site. I know what I look for, but A.) different people have different interest-grabbers and deal-breaks and B.) I'm really weird anyway. How am I supposed to know what your little quirks are, from an advertisement and besides, are you really that lazy that you can't look for those things in the site yourself? I do it, but it reeeeaaaallllllly annoys me and leaves me with awkwardly writing things like, "we're fun! We're inclusive! We're funny! Yay.........".

[CEM]

Jul 2, 2012 9:53:52 GMT -8 BadWolf. said:

Just sticking my little bit in here. For me personally I get turned off of roleplay forums when they have the most excessive application form. Is that really necessary to deem if they are allowed to roleplay with you?. I find it very snotty and a turn off. If an admin wishes to have an application form, sure but one that requires 2 paragraphs per reponse? No. That's annoying. Then not only that you have to wait days while your application is pending is as if it's deciding if you're getting into an elite college! Does anyone else find this or does everyone find long applications necessary?

Just saying, but most of the time you'll find that if your app gets 'pended,' it is on an active site that gets to your app in 1 day or less. These are really the only sites that care about specific things in your apps. Most sites that are really relaxed and slow will just accept your app right off the bat, or take days regardless, and not care if everything in your application fits or makes sense.

An application is important. Kami pretty much explained everything in my head beyond this point, so that's it for me.

[Lady Lex]

Applications should be fun, not tiring. Usually, before I start filling one out, I have a good idea of what my character likes and dislikes, what their strengths and weaknesses are and a little bit of their background. That makes it easier to fill in things like personality and history and at least give the admin a few decent paragraphs.

What ticks me off is those way-too-long applications that ask for ridiculous things like your character's favorite color, movie, book, song, quote, brand of clothing, brand of shoe, how many times a day they use the washroom... well, you get the picture. Those are pointless questions that will likely be in a thread somewhere.

Like I remember once I posted that my charrie was shopping and bought a pink shirt because "after all, pink was her favorite color".

In the application for my site, I give the members a choice with the character's appearance. They have to post a pic, yes, but it is optional if they want to write more about what their charrie looks like. Really, a picture is all you need though.

I try to personalize a PM a little. Like if they ask for a certain PB, I will let them know that he/she is available. If they want a plot with a certain type of character, I tell them we have an open plot. Just little things like that, things they want to know.

Another thing is that whole "No skins that burn my eyes please". I get that, but what if you find a really cool site with an awesome plot and awesome members but the colors are too bright? You're missing out, there is a resolution button on your computer, you could always use that to tone down colors. I've done it before. And just because I could not pass up the oppertunity to play there.

Everyone's eyes are different though, so I never know if my colors and skin will bother someone. Just have to take a chance there, I guess.