Uses for the WSW Forums

(The following only applies to the Walfas Station Wagon, an art club for people who make comics with the Walfas paper doll program.  If you're a snoopy lurker then this probably doesn't apply to you, but you're still welcome to be my friend.)

I've heard in the Town Haul objections to the forums that were something like "Why do we need forums when we have deviantART (DA) and Raidcall?"  This is like saying "Why do we need the Internet when we have newspapers and phones?"  It's quite rage inducing, which could be problematic since I should be pleasant when advocating something.

Advantages of Forums

• No scheduling required: Were you unable to attend chat because you live in another time zone?  Did you have work during chat time?  Did you just plain forget.  Are you simply sick and tired of having to schedule one more thing?  You don't have that problem with forums.
• You're more likely to be seen:  I could put something in my journal if I have something to say, but who's going to read it?  I'm not the popular kid here, so I'd have to advertize everything.  Now if there were a place where people go to read what everyone else has to say, I (and you) could post there and actually get read. 
  
• Read only what you want: Are you totally disinterested in conspiracies, but curious about project announcements?  Would like a place to go specifically for fanfic recommendations?  You can get that in forums!  Threads are organized by subject, and organization makes what you want to read easier to find.
• Posts don't disappear: Did someone post a link in chat?  What if you not only forget the link but the person who posted it?  How are you going to get it then?  And you won't even know about it in the first place if you missed the chat.  Hope for an admin to boost the signal?  Same thing goes for announcements and fic recs.  Forums don't just make things easier to find, they make them findable period.
• Write at your own pace: When I'm typing something in chat I find that the topic's changed by the time I'm done, meaning I either have to drop my bon-mot or I have to reword what I said (and fall further behind) so people don't get confused.  If there's a dozen or more people in chat then having any kind of conversation is impossible.  Furthermore, I can get my words just right when I have something to say.
• No sound trouble: Do you have an indecipherable accent?  Are you a trans-femme uncomfortable with how your voice sounds?  Is live chat too damn loud for you?  Forums have none of these problems.
• No buggy, Windows-only software: Were you typing something in chat, only for nobody to see it because Raidcall crapped out?  Forums won't do that to you.  Forums also aren't Windows only like Raidcall is.
• Markup is easier: Yes, I've learned to now thanks to Feraligono, but what about other users?  The method in dA is unintuitive, and I'm sick of looking at animated FNAF emoticons.
  

Let's move on to what forums can be used for.  That's supposed to be the big selling point, right?  A killer app that'll convince people who think Raidcall and dA aren't kludges.

Uses of Forums

• Making announcements without having to wait for a Town Haul: This should be self-explanatory.
• Role-playing without having to schedule: I'd like to play Youkai and Yukkuris, but I can't because all the games have to be scheduled!  And what if I'm just not in the mood to play at the scheduled time?
• Fanfic (or fanpic, or fangame, or fanmusic), recommendations: I've seen several things I like that I think others'll like.  Where do I show everyone what I've found?  "Oh, DA already does that."  Really?  Where?
• Archived fanwork: "Oh, DA already does that."  It doesn't mean that DA does that well: for example, there's Comics section but everything's purely in chronologically order.  Wouldn't it be great to have everything organized and easy to find, like in a library (or an imageboard)?  A forum can help with that.
• Project workshops: "Oh, DA already does that."  Again, DA also does that poorly: for example, the link to the Walfas Halloween Spooktacular 2014 should be in a "Walfas Projects" subforum and not buried in the Town Haul October 2014 Minutes.  Projects shouldn't only be noticeable to people who're in the thick of things.
• Finding game partners: Multiplayer games are best played with people you know (i.e., we can plan better, and we're less likely to rage at friends), and shared interests are a great way to get to know people.
• Finding friends who share your other interests:  Do you like something besides Touhou?  Forums are the place to ask "Who else likes This Thing?"  It's easier to share your interests with people who share your other interests.

I'll probably think of more as I get commentit's a bit less ranty now if you've been here earlier.)  I'm doubtful I put forth the strongest arguments, but I'm confident that I've been concise enough to actually be read.  I personally feel like I shouldn't have to make strong arguments, hence my somewhat hostile and weary tone.

I look forward to actually being friendly in the future.