I'd liek to hear from all forum regulars on that topic. I have asked this question in this section of the forum but got few or no answer. So I'm asking it clearly now.

What should TPU goals be?

Isn't this what the past five threads have been about?

Yeah but I'm not satisfied of the results. I'm making a last desperate attempt at finding an answer.

World domination should be somewhere high on the list
hmmm. then we need minions. We'll trick innocent kids into how to learn how to program. That should solve the problem.

I have been thinking of using massive manipulation to give programmers all the glory that now is wasted on sport champions. Imagine if M$ would pay use millions of dollars in order to use their software.

see... this thread already degenerated. People don't care about TPU as much as I expected.

It's not that people don't care, it's that people have no idea. One of this days somebody is going to trow in an idea.

I think its that we're happy with it as it is, otherwise, why would we keep coming back day after day after day after day after ...

The same people keep coming back day after day after day after day...

It's that no problem for you...

?

i meant:

"if that's no problem for you, it's ok. But I'm not sure if the majority think like that"

or something like that.

They subconsciously think this, they just aren't aware of this.

I think the statement should be:

"To provide a unique environment for young programmers to interact with and learn from one another about programming by whatever methods possible"

I think almost everyone who regularly visits the TPU forums now is either:

1) Not a teenager
or
2) Not an experienced programmer

I don't consider that a success.

rdd: If that's our goal then we are going nowhere. IG don't work and the majority of people coming on the forum are obviously not looking to learn on programming. Most (like me, I honestly admit) are just hanging out here and rejoice at whatever happens. The occasionnal new user that come here to ask a valid questions doesn't come back to read the answers.

I'd say that TPU, as a community, as reached some sort of "point of stability", where few new people arrive and few things happen. We could also name it the "point of lazyness", as people tend to love stability and don't want changes, even unconsciously.

I am both... for another 3 months anyways

Notice "for young programmers to interact"

I think this place is more a spawning ground for new interests and ideas, and to meet people of your own age who have similar interests to yourself, rather than to program, and we pick up bits and bobs of information from each other.

The goal you wrote is crafted so that it fit exactly what is happening now on tpu.org. No need for change to fit your goal. Just wait patiently until new people starts to arrive, or old people starts to get bored and leave...

That's now how it should be! Am I the only one thinking that??

I really think we need to identify what made TPU so good in the days of old. I think that we really need to inspire some enthusiasm about TPU activities.

gian: I believe that's mainly because TPU was simple. Now we're trying too hard to find the 'right way' of doing things. That takes time, and most of the time, it's not what people (teens) really want.

i don't know the "old" TPU, so what kind of activities did you have in mind?
Those activities have to be "well defined", as i think the main reason the IG/LG stuff didn't work out was because noone knew what to do...

I'm also still for some projects - there it's pretty clear what one can do (once they are up and running. getting 'em up and running is the part that worries me).

Getting some projects up would be good enough... The 'running' part is up to the members of the project.

yeah. i'm currently stuck in another "big" project for school, but otherwise i thought about starting something on my own (/really few people) and once there is some base allowing (more) people to join. That way someone could easier say like "i'll do that part" or even simply do it.

Well, for one, I think we could restore something like the seperate message boards as opposed to the consolidated 3 boards. That seemed to allow people to post messages that were only relevant to a very small part of TPU, without fear of being seen as posting unecessary garbage, and it helped the community feeling.

Hmm maybe, but not TOO Many message boards, they then just become difficult to navigate. Keep the three main ones and then have NO MORE THAN 5 SUB BOARDS.

I've another idea. Stop all the talk of improvemnt. Go away and think for six months, come back with suggestions.

RDD, I disagree... personally, I don't want to be bombarded with VB questions, as I neither care about nor know VB. By breaking up the message boards (as they used to be) you allow more community-based discussion to go on (eg. a community of VB programmers).

yeah thats true... and it will possibly seperate TPU as a whole... A bunch of communities in one... DO we want that?

No, we don't. There's not enough traffic to make that anything but a hassle.

I don't think TPU is big enough for that, you don't necessarily have to read a VB thread do you.Since the community here is so small, It would be more hassle than its worth. Once the "advertising blitz"? happens then we can consider that (When we have at least a hundred regualr regulars (ie/ Myself, diego, gian, Neu, Lamer, RedX, CodeRed.... theres about ten to fifteen of us)

Well, that was effectively what TPU was.
http://gaztek.sf.net/cgi-bin/tpusite.cgi might provide some insight into what I'm talking about.

"I've another idea. Stop all the talk of improvemnt. Go away and think for six months, come back with suggestions. "

Do YOU have suggestions?

I kind of like it the way it is.

Yes, but it is slipping... A community requires active maintainance, or it will not remain the way it is.