Creation date: 23 Jun 2000 15:04:08

[maarten]

Its almost 5 years ago this site saw the light of... well you know the big internet lamp or something. It started out as a simple HTML site with links to all available Palace info. The idea behind the site and the name was to combine and unite Palace people and make sure people knew where to find each other and the information they needed. A bit like the Palace directory for websites but with a forum.

At the time there was nothing like this and it took forever to convince people it was a good idea. Even then most figured it was more fun to make theyr own site and have PalacePlanet link to it. Only a few months later disaster struck: communities.com decided to stop Palace developement. A few old Palace developers who had united before this decided to make theyr project the center of Palace survival.

The Palaceplanet site was put on hold and we all worked hard to make palacetools a big succes. Sadly for strange and untold reasons the palacetools group decided to kill itself. All members got "fired" and the site with list ended up with a few people who really had no time to maintain it all.

Time to pick up the Palace Planet idea. After 9 months of hard work and learning some basic PHP in 2001 Palace Planet turned into a giant community portal. Many people volunteered to help out, but sadly only 3 people actually suported the site by donating work.

In the 5 years Palace Planet has been alive it did pretty well, almost all links and downloads on this site have been up to date and the forum is still used by people who need information. A few years ago Palace Planet got over 100,000 real visits a month, but the Palace community is declining and many new people decided to re-do whats already here. Splitting up the community even more and making it harder to find anyone to chat with.

With any luck Palaceplanet will be there right till the end of Palace. lol

[Janus]

That's the trade off Maarten, free thinking only leads to a lack of standards, but on the other side, set in stone standards mean that the entire community waits for 1 individual/server. If you or your staff aren't around to approve new download software links or website links or something that's 'staff' end level related, then the users suffer anyway.

My dealing with people skills isn't very developed lol. I don't really mind helping somebody who's seriously having trouble and all. Learning and helping people learn just because they don't know any better is always welcome. What I can't stand are all the posers and script-kiddies. And yes, some of those are on EVERY board, learn to call them 'Trolls'!

[maarten]

Sure, I have always said the strenght and weakness of Palace is that everybody can make it the way they want. And for most people its an escape so they will not be very intrested in helping out.

Quote: Originally Posted by Janus

That's the trade off Maarten, free thinking only leads to a lack of standards, but on the other side, set in stone standards mean that the entire community waits for 1 individual/server.

It is why I believe in open source for something community driven like Palace. It is also why I don't like sites that are controlled by one person or indevidual who really does not have the time to maintain it.

Quote: Originally Posted by

If you or your staff aren't around to approve new download software links or website links or something that's 'staff' end level related, then the users suffer anyway.

I have always believed you should not run a website like this unless your ready to check for new items every single day. Either by getting enought volunteers on board or by being a freakzoid geekboy with no life like me :P

In the 4 years Palaceplanet, as a portal, has been around I have been checking it daily. Almost eveyrthing submitted to the site was approved or rejected within one day. But this site needs new blood, people who actually care about doing something usefull and make it happen. We got a few good people on board to help out, but they too suffer from "real life" and it would be unfair to expect more then they can do.

Quote: Originally Posted by

My dealing with people skills isn't very developed lol. I don't really mind helping somebody who's seriously having trouble and all. Learning and helping people learn just because they don't know any better is always welcome. What I can't stand are all the posers and script-kiddies. And yes, some of those are on EVERY board, learn to call them 'Trolls'!

Funny enought this forum and site have been pretty trollkiddie free, but then again it was never involved in any mainstream political issue. Here its the results that count not who is your buddy.

[Janus]

Results should the highest of priorities.

I think the biggest fear of all is people are afraid to be leaders within a community. I find myself wishing to follow more than to lead. It's nice being told what to do instead of thinking for yourself. Unfortunately, too many good palace 'leaders' have left the community. Given the newb bashing towards anyone of authority by said 'Trolls', it's hard to imagine why anybody would want to lead...

[cradom]

I check the forums twice a day, usually. If you want/need help with the site or anything else, drop me an e-mail. Should be in my profile.
Or PM me. Be warned, no clue about PHP or the latest/greatest in html.
Anything I can do to help out.

Craig

[maarten]

Quote: Originally Posted by

I think the biggest fear of all is people are afraid to be leaders within a community. I find myself wishing to follow more than to lead. It's nice being told what to do instead of thinking for yourself. Unfortunately, too many good palace 'leaders' have left the community. Given the newb bashing towards anyone of authority by said 'Trolls', it's hard to imagine why anybody would want to lead...

Thats very good point, the amount of crap I got when Palace Planet became slightly popular was unbelievable. But my worst experience was helping out witht he 24HOP.

Not even because of the jerkoffs who tried topiss on everyone who was slightly postive, MoonShine and I got a full frontal virtual golden shower from some idiot named steve from ego street, but mainly because our buddies, our friends, our Palace pals who moderated the list did absolutely zero. It is exactly what you said, you stand there trying to lead a group of people only to get trolled and showered (g). To be honest I gave up on the Palace community, I can deal with trolls but if your friends don't even care to back you up whats the point.

Working together trying to organise a project with friends is a lot of fun, on your own it sucks. The only fun I got from Palaceplanet was making the site becuase nobody else wanted to do the work, but running it is no fun at all.

Ahem... sorry to vent my 3 year old frustrations lol

Craig, any help is appreciated and don't worry this site is not about php or html in anyway.

So if you want to help it would be really cool if you can check the weblinks and see whats missing, perhaps you know a Palace or own one thats not linked yet. Maybe some downloads or other stuff.

The Events Calendar needs more input as wel, Palace birthdays, Palace celebrations, etc. Your registered so your free to submit anything you want on this site.

The script archive forum can use a boost and if you have an idea for a forum or section feel free to suggest it.

[rentahero]

Nice post at the start of this topic Maarten! Your site is one of the few palace sites that keeps up to date. I only know the Palace Chat for about more then a year now, so i don't have much history with it, but in this year i have became a big fan and was amazed with wat is possible with the chat.. and this for no costs at all! It is still a great chat especially if you take into consideration there has not been much development since 2000.

It is true what you said that it is very difficult to attract chatters, we have noticed this with our chat (http://club-rd.mine.nu) too.. only after a year since we opened our chat it's becoming a bit more busy. And ofcourse people see our example and want to start his of her own chat to.. and then they are surprised that no one visits their chat and most of the time the chat is totally empty :?

[Janus]

Other than updating the versions on the 3 plugins I submitted it's all good.

My biggest 'Troll', lol get this, he ladyes at me for wanting to charge money for various things, but then also mocks me for not having any money to do or go anywhere. Paradoxes are fun aren't they?

I'll see if I can't submit a few scripts to your archives *grin*.

[complexity]

There should be a little party on at maart's palace on june 23