Do We Keep the Breeder's Listing or Not? (Please read below before answering)

[Kyrit]

For those that haven't noticed, the Breeders Listing area.... isn't used. Instead of seeking possible pairings in their breeders listing, everyone keeps just going to the Roleplay Advertisement section a day or two before they want to use a key. This leave the Breeders Listing, which is meant to be a place to find matches, functionally... useless. Thus far, Shrewd and myself had a very small discussion this morning, and we didn't bother to include any of the rest of the staff since (one they weren't one) we ultimately decided that we should let you guys decide. What are you deciding on? The fate of the Breeders Listing (and to an extent the Rentals Listing perhaps). These are the options.

1.) People are required to use their Breeder's Listing when searching for a breeding partner, since that's what the area is for. No one said you have to have a fancy breeder's listing, so even just having your first post as the current pet(s) you're looking to breed asap would work. If this option is chosen, no "seeking breeding partner" threads would be allowed in the roleplay advertisement section and it would be strictly for searching for non-breeding RP partners.

2.) The Breeder's Listing section is demolished and users seeking breeding partners will just have to use the roleplay advertisement section like everyone seems to be doing recently.

3.) There actually is no option three. I know that sounds harsh saying it's one or the other, but unless people are forced to choose it leaves us with one section that maybe 2-3 people seem to use and one that the vast majority of Evelon seems to use. If an area isn't going to be used for its purpose it doesn't really need to exist.

Feel free to discuss in this topic, try to sway people your way, whatever. Just people don't be harsh to one another. =) We're (mostly) adults here and can hold a nice conversation. Currently this poll has no deadline. That will give time for users (and staff, as I mentioned above that this is something that only Shrewd and I discussed before saying we should have user input on the matter) to tell us what they want. After no one seems to be giving input anymore we'll come to a decission.

[Soriana]

I'm in favor of demolition, simply because the Breeder's Listing as it stands is a little much for my attention span. I sort of feel like I'm treading on thin ice with it these days because I don't know which topics are up-to-date, if the pet I'm interested in has previously been traded, etc. However, I do strongly suggest and advise that we salvage the Rental Listing in some form, as it's a helpful reference for people when creating a search thread in the Roleplay Advertisements, no matter if the keyholder is looking to rent or share. (Especially if the keyholder is a person who generally never has a preference or an idea of what they're looking for in offspring. *sheepishly points to self*)

[Citanul]

I am totally for keeping the Breeder's Listing. I actually ONLY have my breeder's pets in my listing - they aren't in my pen or anywhere else, actually. I feel like they'd clutter it up too much with detailed backstories, histories, etc.

If it were kept to the listing needing to be there, hopefully it would be used more. Maybe we can do a bit of a purge on old/outdated listings? I'd be willing to help keep track of current listings, and lend a hand in helping everyone get organized.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but like you pointed out Kyrit, it doesn't have to be a huge thing. A bare-bones one could work just as well as a more elaborate one. I wouldn't mind making a few different outlines for them.

If the consensus is to get rid of them though, can we please get some notice before the board is gone? Like I said previously, my only record of my breedables (that is up to date) is in my listing.

...I hope this isn't too jumbled. XD I just got home from work.

[ToxicShadow]

I'm in favor of keeping the listings.

Honestly, the only reason I usually end up posting in the advertisements is for the lack of  responses in my listing otherwise. Personally, I use my listing as a much more brief, yet still descriptive thing for my characters, and I love it. If someone wants to know about a breedable type character of mine and they don't want to read my massive pen posts (or if they don't yet have proper info there) they can always refer to my listing.

I find that just a few sentences are usually enough to give a bit of info about a character. The following being an example grabbed straight from my listing:

"A powerful water mage from another world, she used to serve and protect a princess, it being her only purpose in life from the time she was a toddler. In Evelon, she was released from her duties and spends most of her free time near some body of water, loving swimming, sunbathing, and such activities. She is almost always found wearing a bikini or bathing suit. She is typically very friendly and energetic, and she has a great respect for the environment and its creatures."

Of course, many number of breedings are planned strictly based on the colors of the pets and, if that's the case, then descriptions about the pets aren't really required. I would like to emphasize that listings, by no means, have to be super elaborate.

Additionally, I like having my listing for the fact that I like having somewhere nice and neat to list what breedings I have planned. Honestly, without it, I would likely forget about some of the breedings that I have arranged here and there as character match-ups occur. (Countless breedings of mine are arranged in the IRC or PMs randomly through random chatting, so if I couldn't note them in my listing, I would likely never remember. xD;)

Just as well, if looking to breed something specific, that can also be noted and advertised right into the listing. If you want everyone to know when your listing was last updated, you can note the date, as is often done in trading post threads that get reused.

I also wouldn't mind, if anyone would think it helpful, volunteering to take charge for the Listing Directory, which may also help users find updated, accurate listings.

[Shieba]

I am for demolition since I am already bad at keeping my pen updated. Having to keep another thread updated is really nothing I want or can do, honestly. And that's...really all there is to it for me. I know I would never use the Breeder's Listing if I would be forced to use it. I'd rather only self-breed. I don't have the time for two time-consuming threads.

But I'm also, as it was said before, in favor of keeping the rental listings.

[SpringsSong]

I'm more in favor of demolishing them.

When I was making an effort to keep my listing updated, nobody ever posted there requesting breedings.  Ever.  Now, I feel like even bothering to keep it updated would be a waste of time, because I personally either 1) do self-breedings (because of the lack of responses) or 2) rent other people's pets for the sake of getting completely fresh blood in my pen.  Even a basic breeder's listing takes time to put together: remembering lineages, making sure that any restrictions are clearly stated, and putting even just a brief summary of the pet's character down.

Like Shieba, if we weren't allowed to use the RP advertisements to find partners when the fancy strikes us, I would probably just self-breed all the time unless I was asked by someone else to do a breeding with them.

[GrayGriffin]

For me, I tend to PM people about breedings, but that's because I have the breeder's listings to know which of their pets are available for said breedings. I'm in favor of keeping the listings as a record, at least, since I do try to use them.

[HunnyBun]

I vote to keep it, only because it makes it easier to pinpoint the breedable pets rather than search through a pen full of other pets, and that pen might also be outdated. But people should try to keep their listings updated and clean so people wishing to find a pair can do so easier. I use the advertisement thread because I don't want to take hours looking through each thread just to find out the pet I was interested in is either not theirs anymore or isn't available for breeding. Plus I the advertisement thread is good to find people who are actually interested in breeding and will be active. So I'm on either side since both methods are a way to find and end to your means.

[Thunder]

Although no one actually posts breeding requests in my listing anymore, I personally think it's a very useful reference for myself when trying to decide who/what to breed next and if any of my pets have restrictions. But while I would like to keep mine, I understand that they're really not used by too many people anymore. So I would like to propose this.

We can demolish the Breeders Listing area, but for everyone who likes to use their listing in some way, allow them to be included within the Important Documentations area. Although I know that area is mostly supposed to be a reference for mods, breeding records are already kept there, so it would make sense for both things to be put there together.

[Kitsumi]

I agree with what ToxicShadow said - the only reason I really use the advertisements is because no one seemed to be keeping up with their Breeder's Listings. I would love to keep them, and see people actually start using them again. I've honestly been a bit sad that very few people tend to use them, since it's a lot easier to find pairings within the breeding center.

(There's probably a lot more I have to say on the subject, but I'm currently distracted so I can't put my thoughts to words. Pretty much, I completely agree with ToxicShadow's post, on every point)

[Jaykobell]

To those of you who would prefer to see it demolished because of the lack of answers: if I present you with a situation where people would have to start using it instead of the RP Advertisements, would you like to keep it so you could start using the area again?

I think what might work for the area would be just a slight cleanup... For example, the Restrictions area is barely used at all, so how about we change that area to where people can keep all their documents? So in that subforum, you could have your breeders and the restrictions applied to them (if any). In the actual Breeder's Listing forum, you guys could post advertisements the same way you post them in the RP Advertisements. That way, everything breeding-related is kept to one area. You still don't have to create a full breeder's listing topic, and you could still just post advertisements looking for breeding partners.

Would that sound appealing at all? If we do end up doing that, posting anything breeding-related in the RP Advertisements would get moved straight to the Breeder's Listing. RP = non-breeding, Breeder's Listing = everything breeding and breedable.

Mind, I'm just discussing with you guys. I'm actually somewhat in favor of getting rid of the breeder's listing, but surprisingly a lot of people seem to want to keep it. So don't take my words as HOMG THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO OH NO, take them as me just discussing it as a member.

[Freezair]

I was actually going to suggest something a lot like that, Shrewd--to re-tool the listings slightly and make them into an exclusive area for finding breedings, like the advertising section, but breeding-exclusive. There could be a special section for making listings of pets available for breeding and/or rental, but the bulk of the forum would be used like the advertising section is now--simply hunting out pairings on the spur of the moment.

I actually do still use some of those crazy-old pairings that I've lined up from time to time. Teehee.

[Shieba]

Shrewdie, that sounds good - at least if I understand you correctly. What you propose is that we don't have to have a BL thread and instead can just make search threads like we are doing now, right? I would be in great favor of that because all the breeding searches clogging up the RP search area are kinda bad as well, honestly.

My main problem with the BL as they are now is really that, if I trade a pet, I would have to update my pen and my listing. I would have to message all the people I might have a breeding scheduled with. I would have to keep two threads (my pen and my BL) updated all the time, write personlity blurbs, add new pets, change the formatting when I get new pets...it's work. A lot of work. But if we can just make search threads when we actually want to breed and have keys on hand, like we do now, just in the BL section...that would be ideal, really.

But yeah. It's surprising to me as well how many people want to keep the BL, given how it's never used, haha.

[Jaykobell]

Shieba, yes, that is exactly what I meant. You could create a listing if you wanted to, but you wouldn't have to. You could just use the main Breeder's Listing forum in order to post advertisements to look for partners. That way, yes, everything breeding-related can be kept in one place.

I do understand your argument about having to keep two places at once, it's a reason why I don't bother with one, either. My Pen is ridiculously outdated as it is, and considering I do end up trading a lot of stuff, it doesn't appeal to me to keep one up to date (not that I breed with anyone anyway, but...).

But yeah, I'd be in favor of doing that. Idk about the other mods, but it sounds like a solid idea to me.

[Citanul]

I'd like to add that the main reason that it's never used is simply because no one updates them. :/

...And for all of those who don't have 'time' to do a listing, all it would have to be is:

'pet image'
'breeding? yes/no'
'planned breedings'

Barebones. And most of us do not have so many pets that it would take that long to do it. Again, I would be willing to help with the whole thing if anyone wanted. Keep the listings up to date, etc.

I do like the idea of a little subforum for people searching for mates/one breeding. It'd work out, I just hate to see the listings go, really. It makes loading pens for some people even harder and more image-heavy.