[soomp!]

UPDATE MAY 5, 2009: We have opened up the K-music section so that guests can now view posts. If you notice any increase in "bandwidth exceeded" messages, please PM a few links to julanrouge. k- thanks!

UPDATE: K-DRAMA FORUM NOT OPENING UP - PLEASE READ!

waddup party peeps

we wanted to give you a quick update about some small changes coming to the forums next week. after getting advice from one of the biggest forums on the internets, we decided to open up the korean music and k-drama forums for viewing to all guests. this is to promote more knowledge and discoverablity of korean pop culture to everyone interested. and we are all about knowledge and discovery - you know, k-pop for the masses!

because these forums have historically been protected, we wanted to give everyone advance notice that they will be opening up for anyone to read, with or without logging in. if you have anything posted in those forums that you do not want available to guests, feel free to go back and edit as needed. we are planning on opening up the korean music and k-drama forums to all on TUESDAY, MAY 5TH. no other forums will be opened up at this time, but down the line, we are thinking about opening up the photo sections if all goes well.
the concern has been raised that people may steal content and photos without properly crediting. of course, we can't stop anyone, inside or outside of soompi, from re-posting content without credit, but if you have any images you feel should be credited to you, be sure to watermark them (with your username or however else you want to identify them). another related issue is exceeding bandwidth limits on free services like photobucket or imageshack. we'll just have to cross our fingers on that one. if the whole forum turns into a bunch of broken images, we'll have to rethink things for sure ^^;

thanks for rolling with us!

-s

This post has been edited by julanrouge: 05 May 2009 - 05:06 PM
Reason for edit: ADDED UPDATE

[Ladytron]

Hm, I don't know if I like the Kdrama forum opening since a lot of downloads are in there. I'd be worried about random people sharing links and what not outside the forum, but like you said, we can edit our topics..

I think it's great that you guys are opening up some stuff though, it's sharing to the masses. :]
I remember back when I was a wee lass of 14 discovering upon soompi! Haha, I made an account so I could see what was on the boards.

editeditedit

yeah, I agree with goldenGAZE. The Celeb section should be considered. More than Korean Dramas if you ask me.
I'm just worried about the links being spread out of the community.

[goldenGAZE]

I think this is a great idea (and the Kceleb section should definitely be considered too).
I remember how frustrated i use to be back in my earlier days of Kpop whenever i searched something in Google it'd always link me soompi (but since i wasn't a member i couldn't view anything). Eventually i decided to join (and i love it here now ^^).

It'll definitely get more people exploring and potential members used to all the rules and stuff here in Soompi.

[j00nie]

i think this is a great idea

[bee_mused]

Hmm I am on the fence about this one...mostly because of the crediting issues.

I can't speak for all the korean music/celeb threads as I only visit a few, but I know a good number of users get their sources from korean fansites (with their permission). In the past, there have been issues with crediting within the soompi community...The original fansites that posted up the pictures/links/etc were peeved because their images/links were being spread both to soompi and out of soompi without credit. I think it's safe to say if that had continued, the site would have stopped sharing links with international fans altogether (I think they briefly considered it).

I know this incident can't be generalized to all korean sites/fansites, but I guess my point is that guests need to be educated somehow...or maybe users can just watermark the original credits from the source onto the pictures, if they're not already there. I just don't want fansites to close their doors to international fans because of guests who don't know any better.

[chula]

i remember i used to lurk soompi for a month before finally making an account so i think that'd be a good thing but would it be possible to not have the links visible or photos just show up as thumbnails to non-logged in users?

[rectitude*]

I think this is a great idea & wonderful way to spread the K-Pop love. (: Hope everything goes well!

[doubleAnumbertwo]

i think its a great idea!
to promote the kpop culture! ^^
thanks for doing this!

[epikxlove]

Perfect timing!
A lot of Korean artists are coming over-seas to establish themselves as U.S artists.
I'm sure a lot of non-kpop fans would get curious about these singers' backgrounds!
Spreadin' the Hallyu wave haha

[Roxcee88]

hmmm i dont really like the idea of opening it all up to the public..especially reading the few posts above, about how the links may be distributed. but that may just be my possessive nature

but i do think that the Kcelebs section should be open, since there's a WHOLE bunch of information just waiting to be read about there!

[jesshikkaa]

yeap yeap that's a good idea!!
^ like they said it's perfect timing kekek!
and i remember when i first came on soompi.. it was hard to find lol
hopeee soompi becomes a HUGE INTERNATIONAL FORUM kekek

[Daikirai]

Eh, it's an okai idea, but wouldn't that cause a decrease in registering users?
Opening only specific sections would probably be a better idea, but oh well~
I hope Soompi gets even larger and larger! :3

[5imply_5wt]

i think opening the korean music and korean celeb section is okay.

i'm not so sure about the drama section since a lot of users upload drama themselves.
like many people said above me. there is an increase chance of spreading links without giving credits.

[juhee]

... i dunno ...
i think that the k-celeb and k-music being open is fine...
but the drama section would be a bit too much...
as what many people above me posted...
since a lot of users upload the dramas themselves it wouldn't seem fair~

[ninjastar]

like some have said already, the drama section has download links to dramas, movies and osts, so I don't think its a good idea to let guests see those things
unless soompi changes its drama section rules, but that would suck as a lot of users go to soompi for those things

[julanrouge]

I think we can do a hack that lets us hide links to guests. So they would be able to see the content, but not the links. let me see what I can find. This should answer people's concerns:)

[uruchai]

I think we can do a hack that lets us hide links to guests. So they would be able to see the content, but not the links. let me see what I can find. This should answer people's concerns:)

that would be the best thing, i think. kinda like, "feel free to read but if you want to be in the conversation and all the fun, then join..."

i just have to say if there's a vote, i'd probably vote for the forums staying the way they are. *shrugs* it wouldn't feel like a community if "outsiders" are lurking. but that's just me, with a hint of selfishness and a bit of hypocrisy since i'm always in anonymity status.

[sPark*]

I think we can do a hack that lets us hide links to guests. So they would be able to see the content, but not the links. let me see what I can find. This should answer people's concerns:)

that sounds like the best option

that would be the best thing, i think. kinda like, "feel free to read but if you want to be in the conversation and all the fun, then join..."

i just have to say if there's a vote, i'd probably vote for the forums staying the way they are. *shrugs* it wouldn't feel like a community if "outsiders" are lurking. but that's just me, with a hint of selfishness and a bit of hypocrisy since i'm always in anonymity status.

lmao i totally agree with you about the whole "community feel"
(and your size 1 also. im usually in anonymity status too... haha)

[#SHINAI]

hm, i'm kinda iffy on this choice. the korean celeb thread is fine but,
opening up the drama one...
i don't know.

like some have said already, the drama section has download links to dramas, movies and osts, so I don't think its a good idea to let guests see those things
unless soompi changes its drama section rules, but that would suck as a lot of users go to soompi for those things

i feel the same way

[aZooRe]

truthfully, I do not see the problem in registering.

It takes two easy clicks, some basic information and then you can access the whole forum.

If someone isnt willing to do those easy steps, they shouldnt be allowed to view the forums!

and I agree with Ladytron.
Maybe somehow make the downloads available only to registered members?