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The Bi-Weekly Update
Well, it's a new year! Which means it's also time for the return of regular sitely updates!
Happy new year, HNZ! The first update of the new year is quite full of exciting things, just as we hope the new year will be!
New Year's on HNZ
Prior to the New Year, the staff on HNZ attempted to meet and discuss the past year as well as the year to come. We all shared what we felt were our greatest failures in the past year, our greatest successes, the best moments, and of course what we hoped to do in 2010 on this site. With that, we also had a few new year's resolutions. I will let you in on some of those plans now:
Change in Updates
As you likely noticed with this update, our major summary-type updates will no longer be weekly, but fortnightly (or bi-weekly). We hope that this will allow for more information to be contained in updates, as well as giving staff enough time to prepare them. Any major goings-on that need to be announced between updates will still be posted, but in their own topics instead of waiting for the update.
Character Spotlights!
HNZ, a while ago, spotlighted well developed characters for being exemplary models of something we were looking for on the board. Whether it was simply having a very thoroughly biography, or a very unique dynamic to the character. Whatever it was, those members deserved spotlighting for their great work at truly developing their character's on HNZ. As a site staff, we decided it would be prudent to bring the spotlight back in the new year. A code has been written that will make things easier on the admin's end, so all we need now to make this successful is:[ol][li]Excellent Characters
We can't spotlight characters that don't exist, but fortunately we know there are plenty of characters on HNZ that are quite well developed. Keep developing them, and we'll be sure to spotlight them as the time comes.
</LI>
[li]Site Participation
This is the big one, and likely where the last spotlight flopped. We need users to be involved in the spotlight to know that it's worth our while. Have a character you'd like to see spotlighted? Drop a member of the site staff a PM for consideration. See a user was spotlighted? Drop by their spotlight announcement, read the small interview with them, and ask a question if you have one! You can ask them anything from what their inspiration tends to be when they're writing, to what their character's favourite flavour of ice cream is and why! This should be something where we can all help each other develop as roleplayers, and writers in general. [/li][/ol]
We hope to have the first spotlight up for next Sunday. They will likely be run every two weeks (opposite of the updates, so it's be update one week, spotlight the next, and so on).
A renewed focus on plots
HNZ is, chiefly, an Harry Potter roleplaying website. Over 2009 we spent a lot of time focusing our energies on maintaining, and flourishing, HNZ's out of character community. There's nothing wrong with that, but this year we want to get back to focusing on plots and other excitements that should be on an RPG in the hopes that the OOC community can now maintain itself.
Keep things as excellent as they were in 2009
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. We don't want to ruin HNZ, and we're not making drastically risky changes to the board.
Tinypic Issues
On new year's day several member's of HNZ were in quite a shock when user's signatures, avatars, and even graphics requests which were hosted on TinyPic appeared to have changed from their playbys to other images. Some of the changes were harmless (Spanish words, for instance) to more vulgar and inappropriate images. After this experience, we have cautioned banner makers not to host images on TinyPic, and will caution members to be careful with any images hosted on tinypic. (The Original Announcement)
The Graphics Forum
When the graphics request system was set up in its present state, banner makers agreed to a certain set of rules and guidelines to abide by themselves, as well as hashing out the universal forms and rules for member's requests. While this discussion topic appears to be missing now (
), I wish to remind members of one of the inherit and implied rules of that forum.
When a user requests a certain banner maker fill their request, that banner maker is under no obligation to do so. That goes without saying. However, if a user has requested a certain banner maker fill their request, other banner makers may not try to fill the request until 2 weeks have passed. After 2 weeks, the request may be marked as failed, or another banner maker can offer to fill the request. Often users desire a certain member fill the request in order to have their specific style of signature or avatar, and banner makers themselves do not appreciate the topics they were working on being filled when they were working on it themselves.
Graphics Competition #19
HNZ's nineteenth graphics competition, and the first of this year, is now underway! Accio, HNZ's yearbook, needs a cover design for the Y8 issue. Think you're up to the challenge? Check out the topic here!
Your Patience... It is Required
With the holiday season just having passed us, and life slowing down once more, Admin seem to be a little behind in processing applications. While the system we are now using is much more efficient and much less time consuming than previous systems (normally, a reply will be sent within a week) that may not presently be the case until we manage to catch back up. So please, just be patient and understanding while we get back on our feet.
Accio: HNZ's Yearbook & Yearbook Superlatives
Voting has concluded for HNZ's yearbook's superlatives. You can read the thank you message from Accio's editor as well as get more information regarding the release of the yearbook in this topic.
Death Eater/Auror Plot
New Zealand is in the middle of a war between Death Eaters and Aurors. This war has been dormant many years, but it seems the Death Eaters are confident enough in their number and skill to fire the first shot (so to speak) at the Aurors once more. While your character may not be directly effected by this plot, we do need your help! With the Head of the Auror deparment murdered, the Dark Mark in the sky, and a general uncertainty about the Ministry of Magic, we need the members of HNZ to act on this plot however you feel your characters would. Spread panic, spread rumours, write an Article to the Daily Prophet. Write letters to the Ministry! Feel your Minister for Magic isn't protecting you? Start a movement to impeach him (then see what happens ). If you have any suggestions for additions or expansions to this plot, we would encourage you to send an Administrator a personal message and we'll see what we can do. 
Hogwarts: End of the Year, Start of the Next[ul][li]Graduation has been opened in this forum for all to read.
[li]Exams (OWLs and NEWTs included) will begin on the 11th of January!
[li]The End of the Year Feast will follow exams
[li]On Saturday the 16th of January group promotions will occur, including all graduated being moved to a usergroup of their choosing or the "members" group by default.
[li]On Sunday the 17th of January, sorting for Y9 will open![/li][/ul]
Plot Highlights
Another big thank you to anybody who submitted RPs to be highlighted! Remember: If you want your RPs, or an RP you've read, to be highlighted - just PM Livvy, Cecily Zhefarovich, a link and a description of the plot.
[ul][li]A Night with Eden - (The Towers)
Eden and Chase are caught out of bounds as they try to spend the night in the North Tower alone. Boy are they in trouble.
[li]Resting Up - (Lakefront)
After several years of crushing, Hadan and Raffael share their first kiss.
[li] Family Reunion - (Brightstone Village)
Cheery Hufflepuff Patricia Rogers meets with a deadly, insane stalker Death Eater who happens to be her brother.
[li]Is this final? - (Brightstone Village)
Demitris and Kailey, a couple who love each other dearly, decide to make their relationship more serious.
[li]It has come to this - (Makutu Mall)
Professor Styx and Nicolette Hensel go out to prepare for a baby, where Kalif decides to make things more interesting and engaging in molding the two best friends' relationship back.
[li]Spaceballs - (Makutu Mall)
Lily and Sumner have a night out and it turns into a romantic event that will last forever. [li]
[li]A sweet new blossum of humanity - (Asia)
Two families come together to meet a new member. [/li][/ul]
That's it for this update, but there's still tonnes to look forward to, including:
[ul][li]Major site updates over the coming year
[li]Sorting for Y9
[li]The Y9 Tri-Wizard Tournament (Information will come later on. )
[ul]<LI>[li]TWT Applications for champion! (This will open around the same time as sorting, and information will be given then)[/li][/ul][li]A special, surprise, update later this week![/li][/ul]
~Nick
(On behalf of the HNZ Site Staff)
As always, should you have any questions or concerns about this update, feel free to post in this topic!
Well, it's a new year! Which means it's also time for the return of regular sitely updates!
Happy new year, HNZ! The first update of the new year is quite full of exciting things, just as we hope the new year will be!New Year's on HNZ
Prior to the New Year, the staff on HNZ attempted to meet and discuss the past year as well as the year to come. We all shared what we felt were our greatest failures in the past year, our greatest successes, the best moments, and of course what we hoped to do in 2010 on this site. With that, we also had a few new year's resolutions. I will let you in on some of those plans now:
Change in Updates
As you likely noticed with this update, our major summary-type updates will no longer be weekly, but fortnightly (or bi-weekly). We hope that this will allow for more information to be contained in updates, as well as giving staff enough time to prepare them. Any major goings-on that need to be announced between updates will still be posted, but in their own topics instead of waiting for the update.
Character Spotlights!
HNZ, a while ago, spotlighted well developed characters for being exemplary models of something we were looking for on the board. Whether it was simply having a very thoroughly biography, or a very unique dynamic to the character. Whatever it was, those members deserved spotlighting for their great work at truly developing their character's on HNZ. As a site staff, we decided it would be prudent to bring the spotlight back in the new year. A code has been written that will make things easier on the admin's end, so all we need now to make this successful is:[ol][li]Excellent Characters
We can't spotlight characters that don't exist, but fortunately we know there are plenty of characters on HNZ that are quite well developed. Keep developing them, and we'll be sure to spotlight them as the time comes.
</LI>[li]Site Participation
This is the big one, and likely where the last spotlight flopped. We need users to be involved in the spotlight to know that it's worth our while. Have a character you'd like to see spotlighted? Drop a member of the site staff a PM for consideration. See a user was spotlighted? Drop by their spotlight announcement, read the small interview with them, and ask a question if you have one! You can ask them anything from what their inspiration tends to be when they're writing, to what their character's favourite flavour of ice cream is and why! This should be something where we can all help each other develop as roleplayers, and writers in general.
[/li][/ol]We hope to have the first spotlight up for next Sunday. They will likely be run every two weeks (opposite of the updates, so it's be update one week, spotlight the next, and so on).
A renewed focus on plots
HNZ is, chiefly, an Harry Potter roleplaying website. Over 2009 we spent a lot of time focusing our energies on maintaining, and flourishing, HNZ's out of character community. There's nothing wrong with that, but this year we want to get back to focusing on plots and other excitements that should be on an RPG in the hopes that the OOC community can now maintain itself.
Keep things as excellent as they were in 2009
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. We don't want to ruin HNZ, and we're not making drastically risky changes to the board.
Tinypic Issues
On new year's day several member's of HNZ were in quite a shock when user's signatures, avatars, and even graphics requests which were hosted on TinyPic appeared to have changed from their playbys to other images. Some of the changes were harmless (Spanish words, for instance) to more vulgar and inappropriate images. After this experience, we have cautioned banner makers not to host images on TinyPic, and will caution members to be careful with any images hosted on tinypic. (The Original Announcement)
The Graphics Forum
When the graphics request system was set up in its present state, banner makers agreed to a certain set of rules and guidelines to abide by themselves, as well as hashing out the universal forms and rules for member's requests. While this discussion topic appears to be missing now (
), I wish to remind members of one of the inherit and implied rules of that forum.When a user requests a certain banner maker fill their request, that banner maker is under no obligation to do so. That goes without saying. However, if a user has requested a certain banner maker fill their request, other banner makers may not try to fill the request until 2 weeks have passed. After 2 weeks, the request may be marked as failed, or another banner maker can offer to fill the request. Often users desire a certain member fill the request in order to have their specific style of signature or avatar, and banner makers themselves do not appreciate the topics they were working on being filled when they were working on it themselves.
Graphics Competition #19
HNZ's nineteenth graphics competition, and the first of this year, is now underway! Accio, HNZ's yearbook, needs a cover design for the Y8 issue. Think you're up to the challenge? Check out the topic here!
Your Patience... It is Required
With the holiday season just having passed us, and life slowing down once more, Admin seem to be a little behind in processing applications. While the system we are now using is much more efficient and much less time consuming than previous systems (normally, a reply will be sent within a week) that may not presently be the case until we manage to catch back up. So please, just be patient and understanding while we get back on our feet.
Accio: HNZ's Yearbook & Yearbook Superlatives
Voting has concluded for HNZ's yearbook's superlatives. You can read the thank you message from Accio's editor as well as get more information regarding the release of the yearbook in this topic.
Death Eater/Auror Plot
New Zealand is in the middle of a war between Death Eaters and Aurors. This war has been dormant many years, but it seems the Death Eaters are confident enough in their number and skill to fire the first shot (so to speak) at the Aurors once more. While your character may not be directly effected by this plot, we do need your help! With the Head of the Auror deparment murdered, the Dark Mark in the sky, and a general uncertainty about the Ministry of Magic, we need the members of HNZ to act on this plot however you feel your characters would. Spread panic, spread rumours, write an Article to the Daily Prophet. Write letters to the Ministry! Feel your Minister for Magic isn't protecting you? Start a movement to impeach him (then see what happens
). If you have any suggestions for additions or expansions to this plot, we would encourage you to send an Administrator a personal message and we'll see what we can do. Hogwarts: End of the Year, Start of the Next[ul][li]Graduation has been opened in this forum for all to read.
[li]Exams (OWLs and NEWTs included) will begin on the 11th of January!
[li]The End of the Year Feast will follow exams
[li]On Saturday the 16th of January group promotions will occur, including all graduated being moved to a usergroup of their choosing or the "members" group by default.
[li]On Sunday the 17th of January, sorting for Y9 will open![/li][/ul]
Plot Highlights
Another big thank you to anybody who submitted RPs to be highlighted! Remember: If you want your RPs, or an RP you've read, to be highlighted - just PM Livvy, Cecily Zhefarovich, a link and a description of the plot.
[ul][li]A Night with Eden - (The Towers)
Eden and Chase are caught out of bounds as they try to spend the night in the North Tower alone. Boy are they in trouble.
[li]Resting Up - (Lakefront)
After several years of crushing, Hadan and Raffael share their first kiss.
[li] Family Reunion - (Brightstone Village)
Cheery Hufflepuff Patricia Rogers meets with a deadly, insane stalker Death Eater who happens to be her brother.
[li]Is this final? - (Brightstone Village)
Demitris and Kailey, a couple who love each other dearly, decide to make their relationship more serious.
[li]It has come to this - (Makutu Mall)
Professor Styx and Nicolette Hensel go out to prepare for a baby, where Kalif decides to make things more interesting and engaging in molding the two best friends' relationship back.
[li]Spaceballs - (Makutu Mall)
Lily and Sumner have a night out and it turns into a romantic event that will last forever. [li]
Four blonde best friends go into labour on the same day, two of them not knowing they have more than they were bargaining for. 
[ul][li]Way less fun than I thought - (Obsidian Harbour)
Professor Kalif Styx and his wife Nicolette.
[li]A Little Girl, A Little You, A Little Me - (Obsidian Harbour)
Cecily and Prodan Zhefarovich.
[li]Why hello there... - (Obsidian Harbour)
Avory Axel
[li]How many are there? - (Obsidian Harbour)
Alphonse and Nataliia Snow. [/li][/ul]
[ul][li]Way less fun than I thought - (Obsidian Harbour)Professor Kalif Styx and his wife Nicolette.
[li]A Little Girl, A Little You, A Little Me - (Obsidian Harbour)
Cecily and Prodan Zhefarovich.
[li]Why hello there... - (Obsidian Harbour)
Avory Axel
[li]How many are there? - (Obsidian Harbour)
Alphonse and Nataliia Snow. [/li][/ul]
Two families come together to meet a new member. [/li][/ul]
That's it for this update, but there's still tonnes to look forward to, including:
[ul][li]Major site updates over the coming year
[li]Sorting for Y9
[li]The Y9 Tri-Wizard Tournament (Information will come later on.
)[ul]<LI>[li]TWT Applications for champion! (This will open around the same time as sorting, and information will be given then)[/li][/ul][li]A special, surprise, update later this week![/li][/ul]
~Nick
(On behalf of the HNZ Site Staff)
As always, should you have any questions or concerns about this update, feel free to post in this topic!
< 