Like a good newbie, I'm reading the stickies to make sure what I intend to write about is in the right place.  And right off the bat I'm given the runaround:

Connections\Using this forum> "The Connections forum is for offering and asking for services.
Exception: if you have a game in design and seek playtesting, then post in First Thoughts with substantive discussion material."

First Thoughts\Introduction to the First Thoughts forum>  "However, if your game or any aspect of its rules has been playtested, ever, even a little, then all discussions about this game’s content should go into Playtesting. Even discussions that aren’t about literal playtesting should go into that forum for that game."

Playtesting\Rules for the Playtesting forum>"Where do we post material that we want others to playtest?" "That'd be Connections, as you describe it - 'Here it is, play it, thanks.'"

So...yeah.  Someone should really look into revising those.  Meanwhile, I guess I'll take my business to First Thoughts and hope it's okay.

Hiya,

I can see where you're coming from. I can clarify some of it, and there's definitely some that needs fixing.

First, clarification. If you have a game in design, and if you've ever, ever playtested it, and you want to discuss it, then use the Playtesting forum. That forum isn't for directly soliciting playtesters except as a side effect of the discussions. Which fortunately does tend to work pretty well sometimes.

More clarification: if you haven't playtested the game yet, ever, and if you want to discuss it or some aspect of it, then use First Thoughts. As with Playtesting, this is very useful in generating interest in playtesting, but again, the forum isn't for "here it is, please playtest it, bye" announcement type threads.

Now for the correction, and you're right, as written, it's kind of messed up. It is OK to solicit playtesters in an announcement format in the Connections forum. I'll correct that in the sticky. Thanks for bringing this up.

Best, Ron