It's been a year

[Jason of the Fraternity]

Keep in mind that the Kargatane were around for about seven years, as opposed to this board being up for one year.

I agree with Shoon's remark about apples and oranges, since we are rather different than the Secrets of the Kargatane website. However, Snake brings up an excellent point in that we are relatively young when compared to the Kargatane that we remember and love. I remember (not wanting to date myself) the time shortly after Stu created the Kargatane website and message boards, and both grew and evolved over time. Now, I don't want to say that we'll become the same as the Kargatane, but we hope to also grow and evolve into something better as time passes.

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Jason, I ramble on all the time, let alone now and then it's a curse I tell ya

Now then, thinking back a year ago to early November 2003, we were wondering where we were going to be headed and the idea of a website popped into someones head. A month later the FoS site appeared for the first time, quickly followed by a message board. Since then we have continued what we enjoyed doing and kept building upon it. The decision to release a 4th QtR a year instead of the USS is a move we felt was for the better and it shows how we are maturing in our decisions and goals. What our eventual goals are, are the same as they were a year ago, to supply a place on the internet for Ravenloft fans and make it as darn good as we can make it.

This has occasionally brought up a few redecisions on things (like the aforementioned 4th QtR a year), but they help us bring more new things to people, and (somewhat obviously) to the site.

I am certain the Kargatane made decisions and ammended their plans quite often as they grew and developed. When you do decelop, things will alter your persective and you see things in a different and better way. They had 7 years for all of this and where we will be in another 6 years is something no one knows, not even us of the FoS. If it sees us as the official site then that is fantastic, if not then it is still fantastic since we have hadso much to offer and put out to people (and have much fun doing so).

As Jinn as said, as the official site the Kargatane were able to offer some exclusive goodies (like the Black Bow goodies), but even if another official site appeared now, it is impossible to foretell if that site would be offer those things. Things change under new managment, WotC gave the blessing to the Karg, a site now would have to get the go ahead from WW, a very different company.

The Karg offered things (other than official treats) that we do not offer, but we offer things they didn't. The dread possibilies pages for each domain (which do accept more submissions after the original call closes for that domain), author note, and the DM Tips sections, which the Kargatane did put out a call for once but never got to work due to lack of feedback, but something we are glad to see work here.

Okay.... I rambled again (heheheheheh).

[alhoon]

the FoS is great because it's different!

I also agree with Shoon. A great site, not an imitation of the SotK.
I liked SotK and I think the FoS site has filled the void the Ravenloft community felt. I also believe (and voted) that the FoS is as good as SotK was.

We hope to also grow and evolve into something better as time passes.

I like you as you are! Anyway, evolution and improvement is a nice thing.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

I think the Galen saga stands as a good metaphor for the site: It's completly different here, but still enjoyable.

It's like the transition between 2nd ed and 3rd ed, a change, but one it's easy to get used to. It also helps that the people here are familiar to members of the K.

But if there's one thing I miss about the SotK, it's the Ask Azalin board. Not for the humerous comments, but because it was so useful. Admit it, now that Masque is here, "Azalin" would have sorted out the Mystic problem quicker than Iggy did (boy, Igster, that was a quick, and great knock up!)

If the site could improve in anyway, I think it could be graphically. Something behind the links would be nice, like the K's old red lines. My eyes are bad and I find it hard to read the red on black. The red's too dark, but any lighter and it'd look silly.

[Walden]

I forget. What's the main obstacle to posting the Kargatane's own original material (as opposed to stuff posted by permission) on this website?

(For example, the book/film/TV/game recommendations or
the Ravenloft exegesis pages---i.e. the explanations of the what
the names meant or the origins of various monsters.)

[Joël of the FoS]

I forget. What's the main obstacle to posting the Kargatane's own original material (as opposed to stuff posted by permission) on this website?

(For example, the book/film/TV/game recommendations or
the Ravenloft exegesis pages---i.e. the explanations of the what
the names meant or the origins of various monsters.)

Ethic ? Permission ?



Joël

[Walden]

Yes, Joël...

What I meant was why can't the Fraternity obtain the Kargatane's permission to repost the Kargatane's material? I'm sure they would grant it.

[Shadowsworn]

You mean the stuff from the morgue on SOTK? Yeah, I think that'd be a great idea, if it'd be possible to get the K's permission.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Yes, Joël...

What I meant was why can't the Fraternity obtain the Kargatane's permission to repost the Kargatane's material? I'm sure they would grant it.

Ah, but that presuposes that we could get ahold of them.

Early on we tried to get in touch with Stu and pop the question and to the best of my recollection, we never heard back. I'm pretty sure that his recent posts have been the first contact we've had with the web-master of Vallaki.

[Catman Jim]

.

An 'ignorant and bigoted' American needs to point out that you misspelled 'ignorance' in your signature.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

.

An 'ignorant and bigoted' American needs to point out that you misspelled 'ignorance' in your signature.

I was drunk when I changed it. (When aren't I drunk when I do something like that?)

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Stu has been absent for a long time online and to get anything off the SotK site, we would primarily need his permission (as the webmaster of the site) and that of the author of eash individual piece. Since we don't know who wrote what (since alot of it by my recollection was uncredited to a single individual) we would have to seek out the ownership of that material on a person by person basis, some of whom we are unable to reach tha teasily

[Walden]

Hmm...I thought it was something like this. Some of the Kargatane are MIA. It might be a goal worth pursuing over the long-term, though. The Kargatane morgue material was quite valuable. It would be a shame to lose it.

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Some of the material may still be floating about on the net if you look about for it. We know other parts of the SotK site are still out there, so why not portions of the Morgue?

[Walden]

I found most of the pages through Google's cache service so that idea was of some help. Thanks, Wiccy.

Unfortunately, Google cache only stores limited data, so the outstanding movie reivew page was cut one third of the way through. Also, a fair amount of the information in the morgue needs updating. As this is still an outstanding resource that it would be nice if the Fraternity could get permission from the Kargatane members to repost and update the material. There's no rush; this may take a long time but it makes a good long-term goal.