so after looking around

[DrClock]

I've concluded thus:

Since I've left the clock crew has become pretty terrible at everything.

Some people say its clams fault (And I'm inclined to agree after seeing his thread about people who don't make flash bitch about the site and they suck, then throws a fit at the end ignoring everything that was said and locks the thread) But clam aside, heres what I've noticed.

The site (although it shouldn't play a major role) looks like a facebook ripoff but done badly, the splash is boring, just being filled with text about how much clockopeidia sucks and that we should contribute, but nobody really cares.

Quick fix:
- add a cool flash as the splash page, nothing fancy. Remember moskau? good times.
- Make the forums look less like facebook, its hideous.

The forums, while I understand trying to emphasize that this is a flash group by making flash the first section, it was a pretty shit idea, they were kind of inactive to begin with and that just didn't help.

The general forum is tucked away under a new name at the bottom. It was the most active place on the forum and you bury it. Why? When I first came back sobe had to tell me where it was because I couldn't find it. Not a good start for anyone who just joined.

Also, nobody's posting. Why? No new flashes to attract new members. I get that everyone is busy with real life but we always made it work in the past, but now with the new administration, there isn't much motivation to make flash movies.
When the administrators start telling us that our opinion doesn't matter because we put no effort in the flashes we make and our voices will only be heard if our flashes our deemed good enough quality by admin's standards, then what the point?
And on the same note; the clock crew was based on really terrible movies meant to piss off the Newgrounds populace. Why would our vote only matter if we produce five star quality flash movies?
So the motivation to make movies is at an all time low, hence no new members recruited by our "We just don't give a fuck" Finesse, and spam-tastic portal raids.

Another few quick fixes:
Put the general discussion back at the top where it belongs and re-name it general discussion.
It just looks stupid as is. (Seriously? Misc disc?)
take away that Bullshit about not having a say in site development. This is a community and every voice should be heard, regardless of a persons flash movies. We're all a family, and coincidently, we're all artists in our own right, so the administration should probably start listening harder.

And finally, dear clock crew. This is not the fault of the administration or one person in particular.
This is on your shoulders as well, If you want to see the clock crew thrive for another nine glorious years, then get on your computer, and make a flash if you have the time, doesn't have to be fancy, It doesn't even have to be good. It just has to happen.

Love you forever,
DrClock

[DrClock]

hmm so you think that having a different forum skin would help? help what? peoples motivation to do flash? nope. maybe you should have been working in flash instead of posting this and that would do more to fix the problems here than anything youre gonna write.

Actually, a nicer looking forum might help, even in the slightest bit.

Also, I am working on a flash at the moment, developing the art for it right now. Just strapped for time balancing work and school. But in case your curious. Its a flash about the song "the way" by fast ball. A romanticized version of a story about an elderly couple leaving home for a family reunion but never arriving, they were found dead at the bottom of a cliff 500 miles from home.

[DrClock]

cool.

the thing about forum skins, is that it is impossible for everyone to agree on something that looks nice. a number of people have told me that if a new skin comes out, that they want the current one to still be selectable, since they really do like it. a forum skin is not the solution (nor is it a significant part of the solution that would justify the amount of work required to do it)

its easy to say "heres a list of what clam should do" but if ever i come out and say "heres what you guys should do" everybody just turns around and points to that first list and uses that as a shield to not having to do anything.

so when i locked that thread, i said to myself: anybody who doesnt wanna do anything, isnt going to get to tell me to do anything. people who want to be supportive and contribute to this community, i will support them and try to be as accommodating as possible.

Clam, in all honesty I want you to tell me what I can do to help. I didn't mean to single you out so much. I know I'm not very active any more, but give me some things to do and I will try my best to see it through. And if you give people lists of things that will benefit the clock crew and they bitch (Assuming the list is reasonable) Fuck em. They don't belong here.

[buttplug]

hold up clam don't close this thread I'm makin a movie

[VuBawlsClock]

Not complaining but, how hard is it to make a new skin? Is there a certain program or is it just photoshop magic.

[buttplug]

here just like I promised
http://www.clockcrew.cc/talk/showthread.php?96192-Dr.-Clock-Sez-a-high-intensity-film-about-the-dangers-of-hookers-skydiving-while-abusing-alchohol
oh god I am just so witty

[Topcatyo]

I think the main problem is that a lot of regular members have been getting busy with their real lives and we don't have enough fresh blood, with free time and ambitions, to make flash for when the older members can't.

Basically we need new members. That's what's wrong.

[I1I1I1I1I1I1I11111I1I1I1IIIIIII1I1I1I1I11I]

The amazingly hard trial of changing a color:
Background Colour: #019DBE =
Background Colour: A DIFFERENT NUMBER.

[VuBawlsClock]

Ok, now I see why no-body has made a new skin.

[TelephoneClock]

Now Clam, correct me if I'm wrong (I'm skimming over a 'how to make a forum skin' tutorial as I type this), but it appears as if creating a forum skin requires (generally) two steps:

1.) Create the art for the skin (E.G. the background image, icons for the buttons, banner, etc.)

2.) Code the art into a functional forum skin

I know that only you and other admins can access and edit the code, but if other members could collaborate and create art for a new skin, would you be able to use that art to code a new skin?

EDIT: It's probably much more complicated than this, but I just want to know if there's any possible way I (or the rest of us for that matter) can help in the creation of a skin.

[FLOUNDERMAN_CLOCK]

Chain leek to a computer desk with a tablet and tell him if he doesn't make a skin that is as good as the 2005 .net skin we'll kill him.

[Slurpee]

the art and the coding go hand in hand. oftentimes you can create art assets that can't be reconciled with the forum environment, and those have to be tailored to the needs of the skin. getting everything in place is what actually makes skinning a chore.

[I1I1I1I1I1I1I11111I1I1I1IIIIIII1I1I1I1I11I]

cool, you managed to re-color one object of about 300. now do all the margins and padding and spacing and borders and positioning and do some custom html/php work for the 200 individual templates/pages and test every single page to make sure theres no broken divs

the fact that i posted the header background as the sample shouldnt mis-lead you. there are a lot of ambiguous terms that i have to go searching for in the actual page code if i want to know what im styling. (re: what does block_background refer to? idk. id have to search through every page just to find out what exactly it will change)

Copy paste copy paste copy paste.

[TelephoneClock]

the art and the coding go hand in hand. oftentimes you can create art assets that can't be reconciled with the forum environment, and those have to be tailored to the needs of the skin. getting everything in place is what actually makes skinning a chore.

So does this mean there isn't some way for us to collaborate on a design?

[Kombucha]

Copy paste copy paste copy paste.

So you want everything to be the same color?

[pop-tart]

Someone could make a fortune creating a WYSIWYG skin designer.

As for your observation Mr. Telephone, Clam has reached out to me to submit some art for some skins he's working on. So yes, he's always trying to evolve the site... and he will call on you if you show some creative initiative and/or skill. Show him what you've got in mind and he'll give you fair feedback.

[Slurpee]

So does this mean there isn't some way for us to collaborate on a design?

no it's just that most of the work would still end up on clam's end

[TelephoneClock]

As for your observation Mr. Telephone, Clam has reached out to me to submit some art for some skins he's working on. So yes, he's always trying to evolve the site... and he will call on you if you show some creative initiative and/or skill. Show him what you've got in mind and he'll give you fair feedback.

Would it be possible for you to send me some examples of what you're doing? Just for getting the proper sizes on things, and so I could actually get an idea of what could be done.

[DrClock]

A collaborated effort for making new forum skins would be pretty sick. Some people doing amazing art, others coding different sections of it, and eventually we would end up with a really amazing forum that would please most of the crew. The ones who didn't contribute can just join the lock legion and be angsty. (New forum section get?)

Also, Buttplug. thats exactly what we need. But for everyone to make one. spam the portal till we get new members. Then spam some more. Add a link or just write "www.clockcrew.cc" at the end and boom. fresh meat.
(And it was a pretty great flash)

But yeah. I'd be crazy down for making tutorials for the new members. Obviously I'm not the most talented person ever, but I can cover the basics. And throw in a little Adobe illustrator too.

Tiem, I could contribute. I think I have the day off tomorrow, So I'll try to get some cheap flash movies in.

Clockopedia I have little interest in but if corpsegrinder needs some help, by jove I'll lend a hand.

[Amp]

I agree, I just stopped by for the first time in over 2 years today, and the CC now leaves a lot to be desired. The art section used to be a lot busier too.