Topic Starter Icon Next to the Name?

[Saku]

Not sure if this is the place to put this, so if it isn't please forgive me!

One quick question, today I woke up and noticed a strange pencil icon next to my name. It says 'topic starter' when I hover over it with my mouse. I noticed that not everyone has these icons and some people who don't have it have indeed 'started' topics. So I'm wondering what on earth this new icon is? Is it just there temporarily such as it popped up by accident and it will just take time to remove? Or is it here to stay? If it's the latter, why did we decide to put it there? It looks somewhat... odd... lol

Anyway, if anyone could let me know that would be great! Thanks!

[Oniya]

From a little random poking, it seems to appear next to the name of the original poster of a given thread, within that given thread.  (i.e., it shows up next to my name in my A&A's, but not if I post in Izu's A&A's.)  It may be a handy way of keeping track of the OP, especially in threads where advice is asked for, or in heated threads like those in P&R?

[Vekseid]

Yep : )

Just went through the mod list and picked out some of the nice ones that were compatible.

[Saku]

I slightly get it but slightly don't... must be because I'm not fully awake yet. So what you're saying is that it appears next to the name of the original poster of a given thread and that particular thread is chosen at random? And what do you mean about 'in threads where advice is asked for' or heated threads like those in P&R? Why would you need to know who started the thread in 'where advice is asked for' and what is P&R? Sorry if this is a dumb question... my brain isn't thinking...

[Oniya]

P&R = Politics and Religion  (Sorry)

By 'topics chosen at random', I was referring to my own research into what this was.  Basically, I picked a few threads and looked to see who in it had the pencil.  In all cases, it was only the person who started the thread.

I could see this coming in handy if someone puts a post up where they are asking for advice in a certain situation (Bad and Ugly threads, Lords/Ladies/Lieges Only threads), and people reading it start putting in their own experiences.  A late-comer can pick out the Topic Starter and make sure that their advice is pertinent to the question that was asked, and not to the similar-but-already-resolved experience of someone else who has offered advice.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I think it's really great, but I like the attention. 

[Izu]

Ermh... I guess it's a good idea... but... can we get that pencil somewhere else? Like over the on/off bulb? Because it kinda looks ugly at the end of the name... just I think so...

[Saku]

Ermh... I guess it's a good idea... but... can we get that pencil somewhere else? Like over the on/off bulb? Because it kinda looks ugly at the end of the name... just I think so...

Yeah, I was wondering if it could be put at the very bottom right beside the bubbles for PMs, AIM, Yahoo etc... that spot? Because then it would be out of the way, it would look nice etc... since I like the way the username is by itself. With the pencil up there it looks a bit messy. But that's just me.

If you can't change it then that's fine. But I thought I'd at least let you know my thoughts xD

Also, I think I get it now. ^^ Regarding what the pencil icon means hehe thanks guys!

[Oreo]

I think it's fine just the way it is and will come in very handy in the introduction threads. Thanks Veks.

[Beguile's Mistress]

There are several places where it works for me but the Introductions threads is the most handy when the unapproved are more active in visiting each other.

[kylie]

        If it's open to discussion, I'd rather not have it right next to the username myself.  I can sort of see the logic to the extent that the motive might be more to accord the OP some sort of exceptional status within the thread, but to me:  It doesn't look especially pretty by the username (it clutters up the text of the name with a rather square and bureaucratic looking icon I think)... 

       I also don't really want people to see it immediately along with the name every time someone posts.  To drag out a slightly pesky analogy, it's like constantly facing player sex markers in an ongoing roleplay where the player is playing "another" sex:  Some people may be positively indifferent or amused, but others are going to be constantly distracted.  That changes their tone or ability to participate neatly in the conversation.  If we must have it...  Then by the bubble on the right, perhaps would be better.

       More skittish and personally but...  Off the bat, I'm actually a little skeptical about whether we need such an imposing icon at all.  It's not obvious to me that simply having an icon will (or even should) keep people "on topic" or force extra deference to the OP on choosing the boundaries of the topic, or whatever it's supposed to do.  It might make some people keep thinking "that's the OP, can't really argue" and others more prone to use "the responsibility of the OP" as a claim about what that person is or is not saying...  Especially in threads like Politics where bounding the topic narrowly is a great way to exclude the more predictable counterpoints, but also sometimes to set up a rather crass diatribe thread. 

       Now if the OP wants to say, "I was really trying to ask about something else," it's always possible to simply say that.  Often enough, unless they are going to repost the whole first post anyway, there is enough going on that people are going to have to go and look back there to really get it.  There may be some other advantage to this icon I've missed (??)...  But this is what strikes me right away.

[Oniya]

The one place that I can see it being really handy is in threads started by unapproved members (most specifically, their intro threads), when there is no handy avatar to distinguish between them.

[Vekseid]

I can replace the image with something.

[Beguile's Mistress]

The only thing I could think of would be a gold bubble to match the green/white online/offline bubble at the beginning of the name.  Would be simple, elegant and functional!

[Oreo]

How about a star instead?

[Izu]

A star over the On/Off bubble... Or a change in the color of the name?

[Vekseid]

How about a star instead?

Any transparency needs to be done with a .gif file.

[Oreo]

How about a star instead?

Any transparency needs to be done with a .gif file.

Like this?

Or these:

[Haibane]

I like the pencil image. I saw it and at once found it intuitive enough to know exactly what it stood for... a star symbol might be ambiguous and newcomers to the site might think its some kind of rep badge or rank badge or something, whereas a pencil scribbling something is extremely clear as to its meaning.

[kylie]

       I honestly didn't know what it stood for...  Until I started guessing and then scrolling to check, some minutes later.   I still don't see how it helps more than it could hurt.  It's not that hard to look at the top of a thread.

      Personally, I really don't want some "special status" flagged  every time I open a thread, in each post throughout that thread. 

      Hey, if it's really such a draw: Could we perhaps make it optional for each user to flash it or not to flash it? 

      But if we must have it lingering around making us feel more (or less) important in every thread, please could it be on the right side.  There's enough going on by the name. 

[Beguile's Mistress]

Or course, hovering your cursor over anything you don't understand is a great way to find out what something is.  It's my first step in solving the mysteries of suddenly appearing stuff, or things I've just noticed but have been there for a while.

[Cecilia]

Having been in thousands of intro threads at this point, I really like having something there.   I can't tell you how many times I've has to figure our which of the unapproved people writing in a thread are the applicant in that thread.

I've pretty much already taught my eye to skip over it when in other threads. 

[DarklingAlice]

Having been in thousands of intro threads at this point, I really like having something there.   I can't tell you how many times I've has to figure our which of the unapproved people writing in a thread are the applicant in that thread.

I've pretty much already taught my eye to skip over it when in other threads.

This. It is extremely nice for that purpose.

The pencil symbol itself did seem kind of jarring when I first saw it, but I have to agree on its lack of ambiguity.

[Haibane]

If it helps our staff and mentors assist the newcomers better, then it's a win. Keep it.

[Oreo]

Yes it is very helpful in the intro threads. I have a feeling that is likely why it was added. With that in mind, is it possible to have the best of both and make it a function that only works on unapproved members?

>.> Just my own opinion, I don't mind the pencil as it stands. It is a useful tool.