May I offer a suggestion...

[Marvin]

I have been reading aSoIaF since Christmas (2011) on my shiny new nook. Which judging by the size of these books I'm pretty happy about (but that’s another discussion for another time and place!)

I am presently several chapters into aFfC. On a personal note – I love em, cant get enough.
However I am lonely.
I can’t come on this forum because as you all rightly point out it’s riddled with spoilers – even in the thread headings!
I want to mull things over, whinge about stuff and just generally join the love in! But all the posts relevant to where I am are ancient history and everyone has moved on – or have they? There must be many other like minded souls, staying well away just in case, slogging away, trying to catch up just to have a chat. And missing all the ‘didn’t see that coming’ along the way companionship.

My suggestion; could there be a sticky thread created for each book where people can come as they finish that particular one and discuss all the events that have taken place up to that point. Like the way everyone can discuss a TV episode after it airs. Obviously all those up to date are welcome but I would suggest it may be very difficult to remember what happened when? I know its already becoming a blur for me.

Just an idea – like I said I’m lonely.

 

[The Imp]

I have been reading aSoIaF since Christmas (2011) on my shiny new nook. Which judging by the size of these books I'm pretty happy about (but that’s another discussion for another time and place!)

I am presently several chapters into aFfC. On a personal note – I love em, cant get enough.
However I am lonely.
I can’t come on this forum because as you all rightly point out it’s riddled with spoilers – even in the thread headings!
I want to mull things over, whinge about stuff and just generally join the love in! But all the posts relevant to where I am are ancient history and everyone has moved on – or have they? There must be many other like minded souls, staying well away just in case, slogging away, trying to catch up just to have a chat. And missing all the ‘didn’t see that coming’ along the way companionship.

My suggestion; could there be a sticky thread created for each book where people can come as they finish that particular one and discuss all the events that have taken place up to that point. Like the way everyone can discuss a TV episode after it airs. Obviously all those up to date are welcome but I would suggest it may be very difficult to remember what happened when? I know its already becoming a blur for me.

Just an idea – like I said I’m lonely.

I think it's a great idea. Hopefully a mod will do it. even if not stickied though, we COULD start one for each book. it might be a little tricky though as to where people are in the books, etc.

 

[Ursa major]

I suppose that there's no harm, and a lot of good, in having a thread for each book where nothing in the later books is discussed. Given the number of chapters, I'm not sure it would be possible to go down a level, to a thread per chapter per book, so this wouldn't help Marvin with his reading of AFfC. But this would allow him to view posts about the previous books without the fear of (too many**) spoilers.


Stickying these threads - there'd be five of them at the moment (and for a few years, I guess) - might also pose a problem in that there are already four stickied threads and a total of nine seems a bit on the high side. What we could do is have a stickied thread pointing out the existence of these others.




** - I'm not so naive as to believe that some spoilers won't appear, to be noticed only by those who don't really want to see them.

 

[The Imp]

I suppose that there's no harm, and a lot of good, in having a thread for each book where nothing in the later books is discussed. Given the number of chapters, I'm not sure it would be possible to go down a level, to a thread per chapter per book, so this wouldn't help Marvin with his reading of AFfC. But this would allow him to view posts about the previous books without the fear of (too many**) spoilers.


Stickying these threads - there'd be five of them at the moment (and for a few years, I guess) - might also pose a problem in that there are already four stickied threads and a total of nine seems a bit on the high side. What we could do is have a stickied thread pointing out the existence of these others.




** - I'm not so naive as to believe that some spoilers won't appear, to be noticed only by those who don't really want to see them.

Well, 4 only because one of the stickied ones is aDWD

The bibliography thread is never used, but maybe it has to be there.

The warning thread could probably go as well. We always have to warn people anway

 

[Marvin]

But this would allow him to view posts about the previous books without the fear of (too many**) spoilers.

Exactly - thanks for the interest, ideas and input.

What we could do is have a stickied thread pointing out the existence of these others.

This would be fine, especially if you can shortcut straight to the threads from within that thread?

Thanks again

 

[Ursa major]

...especially if you can shortcut straight to the threads from within that thread?

That was the idea: a (locked) thread containing a single post whose contents are a short introduction giving the thread's purpose** - something that can't be done in the index of threads in the sub-forum - followed by links to the first page of each of those threads.



** - We'd have to do our best to make the title self-explanatory, of course, but we don't have too many words to play with in a thread title (not if we don't want it dominating the index page).

 

[Boaz]

Marvin, Welcome.

I don't mind rehashing discussions. You may see something completely new... or I may see something completely new. I know of at least two occasions when I posted "brand new" theories only to have people point to where I had the very same "brand new" theories two years previously... and that they were not new in the first place.

I also know that you will want... excuse me, I'm projecting my own impatient attitude upon you....

Let me start over...

I know that in your position, I'd be wont to comment upon every single thread... I'd desire to speak my mind regarding every single character, situation, prophecy, theory, and especially every "I can't believe Martin just did that" moment... and I'd do it all over a weekend. But let me urge you to not go completely spastic because it'll be at least three years before The Winds of Winter is released.... i.e. you'll have more than enough time to savor every delicious plotline and every tasty theory.

By the way, Imp and Ursa are great posters. Ursa has a great sense of humor... he make a pun out of almost any comment. Imp listens to ASOIAF on CD... and he has an amazing memory for recalling quotes... you may notice that he's dominated the Quote thread since he joined (He's basically driven me off that thread). And when reading the old threads, watch out in particular for posts by Raven and Werthead. Those guys really are experts at all things ASOIAF, especially timelines and their impacts upon theories... in fact, Wert is mentioned by GRRM in his Thank You's in ADWD.

 

[Ursa major]

*blushes*

So, should we go forward with the this-book-and-no-further threads?

(I suppose that if they fail to achieve what we hope they might, we can always unsticky the index thread and let them all sink into oblivion.)

 

[The Imp]

*blushes*

So, should we go forward with the this-book-and-no-further threads?

(I suppose that if they fail to achieve what we hope they might, we can always unsticky the index thread and let them all sink into oblivion.)

Let's do it

 

[Ursa major]

I have done.

Sorry to have moved your version of these threads from public view, TI, but I'd already prepared the text for my versions (including missing an important verb from every one of them ).

 

[Boaz]

It my opinion that verbs not usually neccessary.