So a lot of you here are regulars, and so are familiar with the site's quirks, but since I'm new, I spotted a couple things that could be cleared up. That is, if you care to :P
-Under RPG Theory description, put that the forum is closed.
-Why is there no "Offtopic" forum? For example, I wanted to make a querry about "Plausible freeform-RPG business models" but have no idea where it'd go.
-Similiar to my last point. The forum topics and descriptions are a little confusing. The two things I can pick out is "Endeavor" is a confusing forum name. Contests, Activities, or Ambitions would make more sense to me. Also, having a closed Game Theory forum is like a magnet to where I think most of my posts should go (where they should go into "First Thoughts" I suppose.)
-Make "the forge" icon link to "About the Forge" so when somebody gets linked here (like me) and has no idea what it is, they can find out. It is good website design practice to have your title link to your homepage, which is usually what explains what your website is about.

Also, if you're response to me is "We would like to but... we've fallen behind on housework, need more help, etc." Then I recommend putting out a visible "call for help." There seems to be a very good community here, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem.

Heya David!

Welcome to the Forge!  I was wondering if you had had read this post: the Forge Vision?  In that post, and in later replies, Ron basically lays out the purpose of this site.  I will have to say that his vision is a little different from most online forums, but that is what has kept this place such a viberant and productive community for so long.  Have a gander at that, and I be Ron will be happy to answer any other questions you might have :)

Peace,

-Troy

Hi there,

I appreciate the feedback; it all goes into the hopper. One thing I need to stress is that I, personally, do not manage or design the forum functions at this site. Clinton is the point guy and final authority about that stuff. We have periodic discussions about what we might like to change next, and then he works from there as time permits (for software, forum function, links, et cetera) and I work from there in terms of site content and social/intellectual leadership.

Bear in mind that neither of us is paid, and that we each have demanding lives away from the screen. What this means is that improvements arrive slowly. All of the things that you are finding a bit confusing are vastly improved from their former situations, and those were improvements from before that, and so on. We also tend to focus on the biggest problems of any given time, rather than minor fixes or smoothings-over.

I anticipate that none of your suggestions will even be processed by us, officially speaking, for another couple of months, and if they get incorporated, perhaps in a year. Cross-reference that to the fact that we are actually paring down the site functions in anticipation of its eventual closing, and you can see that optimizing and modernizing the Forge to up-to-the-minute site design-specs probably isn't going to be the first priority.

All that said, your suggestions are very strong and I do mean it when I say thanks for the input.

Best, Ron

You plan on phasing out (closing) the forge?

Yup. See Diaspora, or how I learned 2 stop worrying and love the Forge, from February 2005. Almost two years ago.

The Diaspora discussed in that thread has been something of a overall disappointment, in my view, but it has its high points as well. The basic plan, or hope, to shed or split off various Forge functions into others' hands and visions is still guiding me and Clinton in our general decisions about day-to-day use.

In case you're concerned or wondering, the plan, or hope, also includes getting the discussions here to be as high-powered, as productive, and as honest as possible, with no upper limit for those things, and zero tolerance for their opposites. So it's not a limping, meandering, "oh who cares, it's about to go away anyway" thing. The hope is to generate galaxies where before there was only a big bang.

Best, Ron

If I may presume, there are a couple of your points that do have brief answers.

David wrote: -Why is there no "Offtopic" forum? For example, I wanted to make a querry about "Plausible freeform-RPG business models" but have no idea where it'd go.

Also, having a closed Game Theory forum is like a magnet to where I think most of my posts should go (where they should go into "First Thoughts" I suppose.)

M. wrote:
If I may presume, there are a couple of your points that do have brief answers.

David wrote: -Why is there no "Offtopic" forum? For example, I wanted to make a querry about "Plausible freeform-RPG business models" but have no idea where it'd go.

There is no off-topic forum because there is no off-topic discussion. Except once a year when the Forge Birthday forum is open, everything said here relates directly to the creation, testing, and publication of role playing games.  If you want to chat, go somewhere else.

As to your specific question, if I understand it correctly it sounds like an exploration of a publishing model, and that would put it under Publishing.

Also, having a closed Game Theory forum is like a magnet to where I think most of my posts should go (where they should go into "First Thoughts" I suppose.)

A decision was made by the owners to end all discussion of theory that was not directly connected to actual game play. There are other places on the web where you can discuss theory (although I admit that this was the best, Gaming Outpost before that), but here you can only discuss it in the context of actual play or design issues.

I hope this helps.

--M. J. Young

Well, to a degree, as Ron said that's kinda the hope, to spin off discussion and grow new communities, new productivity and the like.
As to "Off Topic" materials in general, as a personal preference I like the precision focus of this place. I can go almost anywhere, as MJ said, and have a chat about the latest episode of Heroes or talk about how stupid X is. Here, its all focused on game play and design, and I know when I start a discussion here it won't be derailed or burried under crap. The Forge is definetly a tool, not a playground, and invaluable for anyone seriously looking at getting their own game out there, and improving their craft and understanding.
As for confusing, Ron said it right: it used to be worse. But, the key is patience, as with some of the best things in life. I started here a year before the aforementioned post, 2004, and floundered my way around a bit, but you get the hang of it. Right now, its much cleaner and streamlined. The open forums deal mostly with the various stages of development, the closed forums are horses beaten many times over; theres still some life, but thats kind of run its course here. If you have what you consider Theory questions, look the closed forums over for some answers to see if its old ground, if its not then take it up with some of the new sites; several of the more well-known authors on the site have taken up such discussions on their own sites and blogs.
If people are leaving the site, then either they get it and are moving on to the new pastures or they don't have the patience to let some of the material soak in or learn the lay of the land.