Thinking of HNZ while walking

[Alexis Kramer]

*This are just relational to put in a picture of things we already do on the board to separate different groups, I know that the situations are exactly the same and I'm not trying to say I think of them the same, it's just used as an example because I think it fits here.

Look ^ I even said I knew the whole Ministry/Auror/Ministry Officials wasn't the best example So yes it was just the best way I could use on the site to describe what I thought would be a sort of compromise. Sorry to have brought about confusion( ) with that..but I'm glad we've finally gotten an ultimatum from it!

That said, I looked back my post earlier today, surprised no one had responded to it and then thought about it again. I honestly don't see the need to have the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang groups any longer. This is coming from a person who has very fond memories of having threads in Durmstrang years ago with people I would not have otherwise rped with as we didn't have match ups in HNZ at the time. But, I feel like with the unveiling of other schools and having students who went to the school in Salem (as that somehow came onto the board prior to JKR naming an American school) I think it would have been neater to have that student in a group dedicated for students. I know people might think throwing them all in might be messy but we can still do many things with the students. I think also it will lead to more cases of maybe forming a Quidditch team outside of Beauxbatons if enough students attend another school(maybe?).

I also agree with Nick on this point now. It comes to a point where we can only ask for so many groups. This site is meant to focus on this school in New Zealand not the numerous other schools JKR can and will create in the wizardry world. I think lumping all the other students into one group is the best way to keep focus on HNZ while giving us the chance to have students go to other schools. This plus the list that is maintain will be good for the site I think. A student can still be a Durmstrang student inside the Other Student group, I guess I'm not that attach to either school not having students in them right now but I think my vote would still be the same either way.

Can I also vote the other students be this color? Other Students Kidding, you lovely admins can discuss the right color for the new group if it wins out in votes. I just thought we didn't have enough green groups on the site
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I didn't expect that my simple suggestion would cause this much discussion. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing though. So I am a bit worried.



On the brighter side, I agree with Steph's suggestion of another green group but maybe a minty one,a bit darker than what Steph chose. But of course our admins still have the final say.

 

[Aurora Night]

While most of the Quidditch aspects would remain the same, I think it's untrue to say it will be completely unaffected - the plan to dump the entire school forum into the Europe one would completely wash away the Beauxbatons practices between a lot of other threads, rather than have them all gathered together in one place for the sake of clarity and historical context. Which may seem minor in the scheme of things, but I guess I'm just really passionate about making this little section of the board work, especially considering its still new, and letting it get mixed away like this makes it seem like its less important and not worth bothering with. Maybe the QCP handles all the differentiations that need to be made between quidditch and non-quidditch players, but as I'm still fairly new to the board, that coding is still fairy folk tales to me and would need to be explained. Also I was concerned about the way "Some sort of game may still continue" (emphasis added by me) was worded - it implied that there was in fact something to worry about, despite being told not to, which was why I was hoping for admin/staff clarification of Option 1.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

I think it's untrue to say it will be completely unaffected .

This is true, which is why I'm fairly certain Nick didn't say it would be completely unaffected. He said a game 'May' continue and he said don't take quidditch into account. Beauxbatons games still hold a tenuous place on the site. We have always warned that only activity will beget activity, and that warning is still in place. That still is true even if the merger happens. Quidditch expansion plans will not change as a result of this poll. Games will only take place if Beauxbatons remains a strong, active team and participates in their practices. New teams will only ever be considered if Beauxbatons continues to work out. What practices means for the merger is anyone's guess at this point. I'd hope that people would continue to be active on their Beauxbatons accounts and not get lost in the fervor of creating new 'Other students.'

At any rate, I do think this change will create more work for Beauxbatons quidditch captains to keep practices alive and ensure that people who are trying out for the team are genuinely Beauxbatons students and not just switching schools at a whim. Are these impossible tasks? Nope. More time consuming? Probably.

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

I think that if Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are merged together, I will be one of those people who miss seeing it around the site. I also have sentimental attachments to them, and have loads of background information with them (Including the TWT when it was here!). But that being said, it's not like these schools will be disappearing. If they're merged we'll still be able to use them, it will just mean the others students will be on the same level. I think they had a purpose on the site once, but now that they're not used in the same way it's pointless to keep them separated from the other background schools. I'm not sure this change would be a bad thing, and to be honest I can probably name more students at Ilvermorney now than I can at Durmstrang!

Also on the topic of Quidditch, I get that Beauxbatons wont have their own separate area of the site, but you'll still have your own topics. If anything I feel like those on the team will have to try and stand out and show their activity above the others that have no team. And, should the other schools ever have a team too, such as Ilvermorny, it will appear to be a fairer use of background school.

Overall I understand that this wasn't the choice the topic begun with, but at least there is a choice. And personally I don't think we need Durmstrang and Beauxbatons separate anymore, regardless of what they once were.

Side Note: Additional beautiful colours

 

[Professor James Cade]

To clarify Nick. Is keeping the forums for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang an option if the groups are collapsed?

 

[Nicolas King]

To clarify Nick. Is keeping the forums for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang an option if the groups are collapsed?

Nope, but the topics will still exist.
It's the same problem as keeping the groups: What about when one of the other schools has more students than Durm or Beaux? Do we create a forum for them?
If we move to "Other Students" I think it's a good opportunity for us to do some tidying that might have been good to do a while ago and to affirm that all non-HNZ schools have the same treatment. If we keep the status quo, we have the option to say "these two get preferential treatment because of the past"

 

[November Albertson]

Side Note: Additional beautiful colours

Those are beauties!
Also a nice color and still green but not the same as a previous mentioned green. I like this one a bit better with the default site background.
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If we move to "Other Students" I think it's a good opportunity for us to do some tidying that might have been good to do a while ago and to affirm that all non-HNZ schools have the same treatment.

Yes. This be one of the reasons why I've voted for the all in one group styling.

 

[Amber Chou Wilson]

I voted option 2, as I feel like taking away the usergroups and forums would be a shame. I know they're only there because of old plots and aren't really in use much anymore, and the focus should be on HNZ. But it still seems like a shame to me to lump it all into 'Europe', especially with an eye on the Beauxbatons quidditch.

Though I do admit that most of this is just me liking the different colors/places for these schools, and I know logically that the first option might make more sense for the site and its focus. I'll definitely miss the old colors, though, if it does happen. And I can't help but fear that Beauxbatons will be less active / harder to find quidditch players for without the usergroup. Though that's largely on us as the team to keep it active, which I understand too.

I basically just feel like it's a shame, but I get the logic of it. I do hope the other students list will encourage people to put the actual school they are in in their member title or elsewhere on their profile. I fear it will be a bit of a nightmare trying to keep track of who goes where.

 

[Katherine Alicastell]

If I maintain Durmstrang/Beauxbatons on the Other Students list, then it may be easier to check by referencing that, though it will depend on other people keeping their characters up to date and submitting them.
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[Cyndi Kingsley]

Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll. Please stay tuned for further announcements on this later in the school year.

 

[Nicolas King]

This has been implemented!