The Future of DollfieDreams

A sew along would be fun. As for other vinyl dolls not DD I'd still want areas for just them but I think the Photo and Photo Story areas should be doll brand neutral. So should the doll database area, so when you get a new doll you only have one thread in one place to update, not having to find the database thread in the correct doll brand area. But the thread about custom dolls should be under that brand. So if I want to see custom DH-09 heads I know to go to the DD sub forum, or Starlight in SmD.

One thing I just thought of that I don’t know if it was mentioned.

 

An easier way to upload pictures/profile pictures. I don’t do it often, just because every time I have I feel it’s always been a hassle.

Oh wow, look what's happened in the last few days since I've been here. That was fast! Sounds like things are already moving forward, and rather enthusiastically. That's pretty neat! I hope we can stop to consider something, though.

 

I do hope there's time to reconsider the name. If you already know what it is referring to maaaybe it's okay, but to a newbie... Vinyl Darlings sounds like an, er, shop to buy alternative lovers at, and that's not a DD stereotype we probably want to promote. The abbreviation VD Forum is kinda unfortunate too. Skeeve level critical, Captain! I'll give some thought to other name choices, but thought it was better to point these things out sooner rather than later just in case we want to pause).

That’s...a good point, SakuraSylph. My first thought would be people thinking it was a site about vinyl records but I’m still not sure about the ‘darlings’ part myself. Although I still don’t mind if it stays, I’m open to it being discussed more.

 

As for the mascots name, something with Ai could work - Ai means ‘love’ and fits with the whole darling thing -Aiko, Aimi, Aika, or just Ai on its own. Otherwise there’s Yume (dream...because Dollfie Dream, geddit?)

Yay!!! I'm so glad this goal was reached so quickly and I'm really looking forward to an updated fresh place to feature our dolls. I think this was well overdue to happen.

I'm not exactly keen on the Vinyl Darlings name since someone said before that people out there might confuse it with records, but I guess I could live with it. I know it's difficult trying to think of a name that encompasses what the website will be so maybe having a naming contest or poll would help?

Anyway, I'm super excited to see the new project!

What about Mirai?

 

It's a girls name meaning "the future," but it's also the name given to one of the first two Dollfie Dreams released. In a sense it speaks to both the future of the forum, and the past of the forum.

What about Mirai?

 

It's a girls name meaning "the future," but it's also the name given to one of the first two Dollfie Dreams released. In a sense it speaks to both the future of the forum, and the past of the forum.

I like it for these reasons...

 

However, it's also the name of the first Smart Doll, and more than that, it's the name of Danny Choo's business, so I don't know.

What about Mirai?

 

It's a girls name meaning "the future," but it's also the name given to one of the first two Dollfie Dreams released. In a sense it speaks to both the future of the forum, and the past of the forum.

I like it for these reasons...

 

However, it's also the name of the first Smart Doll, and more than that, it's the name of Danny Choo's business, so I don't know.

 

Yeah, I hadn't even thought of that aspect. Perhaps more importantly it's the name of his mascot character, so it wouldn't seem very original.

I have to say I'm SUPER excited about a new site. Going to hop on the Patreon bandwagon once Raven get paid later in the week, I'm sure he will want to join in himself as well (so thank you from multiple price tiers for families with more than one owner. Just gotta make sure Yuriko doesn't find out or she will want to throw money at the "pretty girl site" too. )

 

I'm glad to hear it will be updated for mobile as well. Even a few days ago Raven mentioned that he never comes here because he can't access it easily on his phone.

 

For those of you who don't know about webdesign, good sites and good programmers know how to code a site that is 'mobile friendly' with fluid layouts, or have the site identify if you are on desktop or mobile and use the appropriate scripts. The "one size for all" type of web design simply does not work anymore since the internet can be accessed by so many different type of devices now and decent web designers work to fit the needed formats. It's no surprise that a website designed for computer monitors (landscape) just don't work well on mobile (generally used in portrait layout.)

 

Personally I'd love to have the 'reaction system' (simple 'like' buttons don't really say much of anything and I find them insufficient) especially on photo posts. A big reason why I have been so absent (even from lurking) is because I still really struggle a lot of times to have the mental clarity to give thoughtful replies to people's photo stories. It is really much worse being the one posting the stories and seeing the view count (like 25+) and not a single reply, reaction, nothing. Honestly I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. And knowing *I* was feeling that way, I didn't want to read other people's photo stories, adding a view count tick, and have nothing to say. Not because I truthfully didn't have anything to say, but I just felt like a single reply of "Cute!" or "Great Job" or "Thanks!(?!?)" was all the words that would form in my head but seem so darn shallow and unhelpful to say. Times like that are when a 'reaction system' (I'm guessing is based on smilies or something similar?) would be massively helpful. I know I'm not the only one with this problem as it is a trait that most introverts share.

 

One adaptation I'd suggest (as I've seen recently through another site) is when the 'like' button (or whatever) is clicked, a reply box pops up underneath, encouraging a further reply. It only stays open 5-10 ten seconds before automatically closing if not used, but I was really surprised that I was much more likely to reply that way than going to the actual reply section. It was just a nice little encouragement to say a little more, if you had something to say. It made me feel like even little comments were still valued.

 

Doll Profiles! As in each one gets their own page?? I find it to be a total beast trying to update my family profile, and I still haven't added everyone! I have to scroll and scroll and scroll just to correct one error and after a while it gets really overwhelming.

 

This is a really out there request, but do you know if it would even be possible to link to Google Photos for posts? I have zero idea what it would take but I do know that I can link to Google Photos with Wordpress and automatically post my photos from there. The integration is SO much better/easier than trying to go through Flickr. Especially since I am pretty much restricted to using my phone for photos anymore. Big setups with our Cannon camera are just too exhausting. It's why I pretty much have been using Instagram to post my doll photos. But truthfully I kinda hate it sometimes. Because it's not here, where my friends are. It feels like sending out pics of Tama to a big world of nobodies that never reply, even when I have specific questions! And I'm SO tired of drummers liking Tama's photos, simply because there is a major brand of drums called Tama. I just want to call them all freaking morons because it's obvious that they don't care a lick about him and his life, unlike the people here who have seen him become the adorable boy he is. Long before DD boys were even a real thing. (I have missed you guys SO much. )

 

This also leads into my next question... What's the size or other restriction on 'vinyl dolls'? Obitsu has been mentioned as well as Pure Neemo, but that really answers my question not at all. What about 11cm Obitsu? Obitsuroids (Nendoroid heads on 11cm Obitsu bodies)? Or the Kewpie that Obitsu makes that use the 11 cm body? I'm seriously not trying to stir up a bee's nest here, I just thought I'd ask before I gave my hopes up. In the last year and a half I have collected a lot of these size dolls (and converted my 'vintage' Strawberry Shortcake dolls onto the 11cm bodies) since much of the time they are the size I'm physically capable of managing. But I always had the overwhelming feeling that they would never be accepted here, even in photos with DD. Truth be told I have felt like that from the beginning about Dolly, even though he is so very much a part of our DD's lives as Tama, and Dolly is Volks, just not DD. My life will always be filled with dolls, but it has been severely painful not sharing my "Chibi Bunch" (11cm Obitsu & hybrids) with you guys. By that very thing I feel like I am rarely welcome here simply because my physical abilities have so drastically changed the last couple of years. I'm learning better how to work around my limitations, but they are permanent. I've just been really scared thinking that in turn it means I won't be accepted here by my friends anymore just because I can't be focused solely on just DD anymore. (And no we have not given up any of our DD. We could never do that.)

 

With that being said, last week I was finally able to get a new laptop. Not only does it run Photoshop and Illustrator (my lifeblood) I also found Bforartists that is Blender with a face lift, and finally laid out so I can use it. I'm still trying to comprehend the impact that all of this has for me, but it's huge. After two years of feeling like my life was just forever getting more restricted as freedoms kept getting yanked away in one fell swoop it feels like my options are limitless. I can finally have the chance to finish Naiomi's cat eye glasses so the properly fit. My school licence for 3DS Max ran out before I could do the final adjustments. There was other DD stuff I wanted to do through Shapeways that I simply haven't been able to for about the last four and a half years. I was excited to discover that a laser cutting website I've known about for years has a marketplace now so I actually have the option of designing DD laser cut furniture. Things I have wanted to do for a very long time that I think the community would like, but now things are set up so I can do them, even under my body's current restrictions. It just means I'm slower. The other day I realized that my new computer also makes it loads easier for me to use the forums again too, although that has nothing to do with the website layout. More the realization that I still have something I can contribute to the community even if it isn't photo stories, but a computer setup that allows me my creative freedom back without massive physical backlash. Even though they are still here, our DD have been the biggest thing that has been stolen from my life, and my connection to the community here. I'm slowly figuring out how to pick it up again even if it is hard and I still often get confused. I just can't imagine my life without this community, even if I've been a terrible friend for too long. I'm trying hard to do better.

 

Also, the 1/3 BJD sewing patterns by Requiem Art Designs are made equally for Smart Dolls and Dollfie Dreams - we could choose a pattern and have a sewalong every month or so.)

 

Oooooh, I really like the idea of a sew-along thread!

Oooh! OOOH! Just this morning I realized I can finish doing the layouts of my DD patterns and convert them to PNG to have posted for free to use. I think I'll save that for the new site. But it isn't the daunting physical task it would have been before. I have had my Smart Doll boy shirt pattern I've been sitting on for quite some time because I just didn't think it would be welcome on the current site if posted in the modding/customization section. I think doing a 'sew-a-long' would be fun. Even though I have been sewing for nearly 30(!?!?!!) years, it gets lonely doing them all by myself. Non-clothing sewing projects would be great too. I'd also be thrilled to work on DD scale fabric designs to have up for sale on Spoonflower for those that would want it. I have a big backlog that still needs to be organized.

 

Averis could we have a decent crafting section too? Especially if we could have a photo section for showing off

current projects kinda like the DD Photos section we have now, but specific to the crafting section? Subsections for Modding, Faceups, Eyes, Sewing, Hair/wigs, and Props & Furniture would be great. Right now they are all lumped together (last time I looked) and it is frustrating trying to find just the sewing stuff in all of that.

 

~Sister Kyoya

It is really much worse being the one posting the stories and seeing the view count (like 25+) and not a single reply, reaction, nothing. Honestly I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.

 

I'm sure it wasn't anything you were doing wrong, or weren't doing right. Activity on the forum has been a bit down for the last year or so. If anything I think it was Volks making a number of dolls no one here except me and a handful of other iM@S fans were really interested in XD.

 

I've seen a more 'she's pretty but not for me' from people lately than I have 'oh my god I have to have her.' I think the big exception was Nier, and that release started a furious debate over their decision to make them with SD style heads.

 

It's been similar with the outfits too. Lots of people just weren't into the themes these last two years.

I picked up the software last night! ^^

 

When I get a good moment I hope to read though this thread and pick out the suggestions for the new site and make a list of what is doable and what isn't etc.

 

Right now I'm thinking of locking new posts from the Marketplace so current listings can hopefully finish before the move, which I could begin working on next weekend (the start of March), unless there is a reason to hold off.

 

As for the name, I, of course, like it, but I can understand the comments made on it. No name will be perfect unless it's just a simple descriptor. I don't know much about those "other" types of dolls, but I'm pretty sure they aren't made of vinyl (I think silicone and PVC). In any event, I didn't register the software to a domain yet, so there is still time. If a better name comes about that is not taken I can look into it. The sooner the better, though, unless we wast to wait on moving etc.

A bit late but on the name suggestion, sorry if it has been given before it's just the thread is so long there's no way I could read all of that, would "Vinyl Dreams" be an option? I really loved the name of this website so I figured that could be an option.

Regarding a name, after considering it a bit, perhaps it's the inclusion of the word "vinyl" so directly that might lead to consumer confusion regarding music records or an entirely different kind of doll. What about naming the forums after a different aspect of the on-topic dolls' construction instead? Is there something we could use?

 

Here are some potential ideas I thought of, brainstorm-style, just to throw out there, both serious and kinda cheeky:

 

Unstrung Dreams

 

Unstrung Heroes

 

Frame Arms Dolls

 

Internal Frames

 

Armature Science

 

Dollfies Etc

 

Dear Dolls

 

Cast in Vinyl {for a thought including the word}

 

Another Yourself

 

Angelic Ether

 

And there are of course more we could think up. I guess what we choose depends on what message we want to convey. DollfieDreams as a name was simple, a nice pun, and clearly communicated what the site was about. It was also easy to find by name and know it was interesting if you went looking for DD things in a search engine. Just keeping the name as-is could be another possibility, too.

 

Unstrung Dreams

 

Unstrung Heroes

 

Frame Arms Dolls

 

Internal Frames

 

Armature Science

 

Hmm, I do like Vinyl Darlings, it sounds sweet but I agree that it might give the wrong impression - I occasionally buy fashion dolls from a French doll shop missvinyl.com and every time I type the name in I think what an odd choice it is.

 

I like the idea that the name could refer to how the dolls are held together - and I guess that Dollfie Dreams, Smart Doll, Obitsu and AngelPhilia all have similar internal skeletons so something like that would be quite inclusive.

What about Unstrung Darlings or Internal Frame Friends?

This is verry exciting! As SK mentioned earlier, a big part of why I, at least, have been far less active is that for quite a while I,ve been computerless and this site is just not made for phones. Even though I've recently gotten my laptop back up, it would be wonderful to be able to pull it up on my phone during my lunch breaks at work.

Also love the idea of having a bit more social media integration.

Really excited, though, about having more vinyls represented beyond just DDs. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my DD girls, and they could never be replaced, but so many others have been added to our family, and its always a bit stressful worrying whether I've put in enough DD specific content to make a post that includes Pure Neemo girl "ok" enough to not be off topic.

 

So, again very excited by this news, and we will certainly be throwing some money your way soon.

here are some names i thought of:

 

Dollie Dreams

Dolly Dreams

Dollie Dreaming

Dolly Dreaming

(and then you can reverse it, like DreamDollie or DreamDollies, etc.)

 

DollieDarlings

DollyDarlings

 

it seems people don't like the word vinyl since it reminds them of other things, so maybe only that word needs to be changed?

 

one that i thought of that i kind of liked was BJDarlings, but i'm not sure if anyone would see it as a sexual connotation with the abbrevation of "BJ"

 

i'd also be happy with like dollfiedreams.net or something like that too if you did not want to create a new identity.

 

i'm fine with the name it has now, but i do understand the comments people made about it. like it possibly being related to the "other" types of dolls. or being related to vinyl records. i can easily agree with those opinions, but overall the website's name doesn't bother me

I think the other main thing as SakuraSylph pointed out is that this forum is one of the first page search results when searching for info on Dollfie Dreams, which is extremely convenient.

Then again, that will continue to happen and there will presumably be a link to the new forum where the 'goal reached' thing is currently to direct people coming here, so people will still find it by searching Dollfie Dreams no matter what the new name is, just in a less direct way.

 

unfortunately i have no creative name suggestions because my pun game is 0. TheVinylClub? The VinylLounge? Those still sound more like music-related forums.

Mega Suggestions/Questions Reply

 

Okay, I reread the whole thread and took notes of suggestions/questions (took me a few hours. Huff huff.) I'll try to respond to what I can. Obviously not every wish will be met with the move/new site. Of course all effort will be made to make things as enjoyable as possible. There will likely be some bumps and hiccups or just things people don't like. It will take some time to get used to the changes and new features. So your understanding and patience is appreciated. ^^

 

These are in no particular order.

 

 

No Social Integration (sinclair/SakuraSylph/cfx/mizya/mayaiincho)

This feature was specifically referring to login integration from social sites. It's a feature I never use, personally. I have no problem disabling this feature, so no issues here.

 

No Tags (sinclair)

This is something that people can use to help searching for topics etc. I think it's a useful feature, personally. It could be used to tag something nsfw, or what type of dolls are in the topic etc.

 

No reputation stuff (sinclair)

The reputation system is meant to encourage people to reply and be helpful. I'm not sure how much of it I want to use yet. So we'll see.

 

No Mobile site (sinclair)

The site is designed to change its shape (basically) dependent on what is viewing it. I tested this personally and on my phone things just scaled so things weren't super tiny. On my iPad (in landscape) it looked like the full site. There won't be a mobile version. It will be the same site that just scales.

 

Loss of data in the migration (Poofiemus/Torino/PlasticFantastic)

As long as everything works out all of our base phpBB content should be moved over fine. Such as user accounts, posts, topics, attachments, ranks, private messages, ignored users etc. Modifications/add-ons like our Gallery and Feedback system is a different story, which is why I decided to keep DD as is and just put it into "archive mode".

 

Bigger photo uploads (mizya/cfx/Noxxbunny)

Photo uploads will be much larger, and in most cases the original size will be kept.

 

Amount of uploadable photos? (Torino)

Since the photos can be stored in much larger sizes I might have to include some caps on things, but we'll see how that works out.

 

Easier image uploading/no need to edit/resize (Noxxbunny/TechnoHornist/Pink-Yoshi)

On the desktop you can drag/drop an image into an attachment section when making a post and then add it to the post itself. You can then double-click the image to change its size and alignment. On my Android phone and iPad (yes, I have mixed ecosystems XD) when you click to attach an image it will bring up options to use your camera or select from any number of sources your device has access to, such at your gallery, dropbox etc. It will upload the photo from said sources and then you put the image in the post, etc, like the desktop.

 

As an aside, no more BBCode! It's a fully WYSIWYG editor.

 

Ability to resize/crop photos (Wolf)

Far as I know there is no cropping feature on the forum and I can't find a plug-in for it either, sadly. I agree it would be a nice feature.

 

Link to Google Photos for posts? (Sister Kyoya)

A direct connection isn't possible, but, as I stated above, when you use a device, if you have Google connected to your phone you should be able to upload to the forum from that source.

 

Move the feedback to the new site? (mizya/Jezrah/archangeli/amber)

We will have a completely new feedback system, but it works very similarly to what we have now. I do plan to look at the database structure for both and see if I can figure a way to move them over. It really depends on how different they are. The big issue might be user IDs (the number associated with each user account). If those stay the same in the migration then it might be possible. I won't know till I see it in action etc. This is also likely something I'll look into after the site is put up an running. It will be a lot to just get the basics going first. ^^

 

Add splits to feedback (finnleo)

I actually think this is a good idea. The only thing is that there is no way to organize the feedback into what the feedback is for. It's just a running list. It would basically be an overall feedback of dealings with a user, whether with the marketplace or any sort of trading.

 

Feedback issues after thread is deleted (cfx)

This is a good point. I'm not entirely sure if there is a way around this with these sort of feedback systems. We'll have to see how the new one works out. We might be better to not delete a post, but maybe just edit the post instead if needed.

 

Cleaning up the forum/reorganize/clearly define what is what (mizya/cfx/HazelMaze/RainbowNanaki)

Yes, the forum needs a good cleaning, reorganization, and clearification. Another reason for keeping DD as an archive so I can move things around and clean house a little bit on the new site.

 

Keeping sub-sections for specific doll brands (Wolf)

Yes, this is the plan. Though the question becomes what brands and how many specific sub-sections for each. It can be a little unruly after a while. We'll need a cutoff.

 

NSFW tagging! (RainbowNanaki)

We can use the tag system for this, which would work well with the search function, or I could find a plug-in that would allow for image tags, like we have now. Enforcing this would certainly be a good idea. Another option would be to have a NSFW sub-section or something, but that might be getting too granular.

 

Dispute/Paging/Transaction Review sections (Gunter)

I think a paging section to get a hold of people could be useful. I'm not 100% on a dispute section. A section for deeper/longer reviews might be nice. It could be a boon to sellers if they link good reviews on their listings. Of course negative reviews could cause an issue where people will want to argue their side. My first thought with this would be to disallow replies to reviews, but that's rather one-sided. I do think that leaving something like this exclusively to those involved would be needed, though. So, "maybe" a paging section so people can try to get in touch with "missing" people and "maybe" to a review section with strict rules. Not so sure about a straight up disputes section. I feel those should be left in PMs for the most part. If things go sour there then that is what the feedback system is for. As someone said "When I talk to people who have negative experiences and feel INTIMIDATED to post negative feedback it really hurts me to see that." If people don't want to leave feedback for some fear of retaliation what are the chances they would be more inclined to leave a negative dispute post either?

 

Allow mixed doll brands in non-specific doll brand sections such as photos (UnderOrange/jemmilly)

Yes, this seems to make sense to me. Especially when you consider how crazy our sub-sections would get if we had one for each brand. Again, this would be a good use of the tag system where users could tag what dolls are in the post etc.

 

Open the workshop/photo/photo story/database to all on topic doll types instead of having sub-sections for each (jemmilly/sinclair)

Like above, seems logical to me.

 

Specific brand customization threads (sinclair)

Yeah, this could be a sub-section for each brand.

 

Don't shut down the marketplace (Katiazza)

Nope! In fact it's going to have its own section on the site with store-like listing features and categories. There may be some other features I'll have to explore when I get to look at it. It should be nice.

 

More moderation/less repeated topics (mizya/sinclair)

Yar. Once the new site is up and running, and things settle down, adding more mods should be on my list.

 

Image attachments included in the move? (mizya)

As far as I know attachments should be migrated. And since DD will be archived any posts that link to an image hosted on DD should still work on the new site. At least that is my hope. ><

 

"Like" posts (Jezrah/Noxxbunny)

Yup! We'll have "Like/Heart" - "Haha" - "Sad" - "Confused" and "Thanks." Those that leave one will be listed in a pop-up window and below the post.

 

SSL! (Poofiemus/Wolf)

I added an SSL certificate to vinylDarlings.com already.

 

Specific sections for on topic dolls (Cauldroness/sinclair/cfx/Torino)

The ones I see listed the most are: DD (of course), Smart Doll, Azone, Angel Philia, Obistu, SMD, and dollce.

 

Decide how wide of a vinyl net we want to cast. Example: 11cm Obitsu/Obitsuroids? (HazelMaze/Sister Kyoya)

As with above's listing, this is something we need to figure out. My thinking is that they would need to fall under the category of a doll that has a skeleton of sorts with a vinyl "skin." As for which get their own unique section, I'm not 100% on that yet. I might need some help as I'm not knowledgeable on all the brands out there. I think we should try to keep it to, maybe, the 5 or so most well-known/common ones. Then we can have an "Other Vinyl Dolls" section for the rest that would fall into the on topic category but are not that common/popular?

 

No Recasts! (Wolf)

Yeah, certainly not.

 

"Personalized Activity Stream" - Something akin to a Twitter feed? (TechnoHornist)

Pretty much. It's similar.

 

"Status Updates and Replies" - Also like Twitter? (TechnoHornist)

Yup!

 

"Topic starter flag" - So... the first post of a thread? Not sure what this means. (TechnoHornist)

Basically the person that started the topic would have a tag/badge that identifies them as the topic starter whenever they reply to the topic.

 

Obvious notice/direction from DD to the new forum (Torino)

Yup! Certainly something that would be needed.

 

Disable DD registration (Torino) - Link DD registration to the new site (sinclair)

A great idea! I'll have to see if I can do that.

 

Multi-quote function (Wolf)

Yup! We will have that!

 

Mascot naming contest (Pink-Yoshi/Baldylox)

Haha. I wasn't expecting such a positive reaction to the logo. We can do this. Maybe as a way to christen the new site.

 

Doll Profiles allow all types of dolls?

We maybe can do this? I believe we will have categories. So we can have ones for each brand that are on topic and then maybe an "other" or some such. This system might need some modification for our use. It's a "collections" system, so I'll see when I get it up and running. Here's hoping!

 

As in each one gets their own [doll profile] page? (Sister Kyoya)

Yup! That's the plan.

 

vinylDarlings name (SakuraSylph)

While I understand the concerns (records and "other" dolls, which personally I don't see the connection since they are made out of different materials), when people refer to our type of dolls people say "vinyl dolls." In fact I saw people say that in several replies in this very thread about DoA and BJD etc. So it's clear to me that in our hobby people know that vinyl is a descriptor to our type of dolls. As for basing the name on their internal structure (unstrung/frame etc), personally, again, it's not really my first thought when I think about these types of dolls, even as someone that owns a couple lovely BJDs. And I don't see why we would need to basically say "we're not BJDs!" by pointing out what they aren't. Unstrung sounds like someone that is unhinged or something that is loose or not put together well. I'm not saying vinylDarlings is the best name in the world, but I don't think it's so out of the ballpark either. I think we are hitting a case of everyone will think something different with different words. Personally I like "darlings." I don't associate it with those "other" dolls either. Where is your mind at!? (I'm teasing, forgive me). Darling to me is an endearing word or something precious.

 

VinylDreams? (CuteOne)

This was suggested. It's already taken, and see below...

 

"Dream" based name suggestions

I think if were going to include other dolls it's a good idea to move away from "Dream." It's what Volks uses to distinguish that type of their doll brand etc. As someone else said, it might make people feel that non-"Dream" dolls are inferior somehow, especially those that know where we are from (this site).

 

 

Anyway. Hopefully that covered most things up to this point. Again, nothing will be 100% perfect and there will be adjustments need to be made, but I think the ends justify the effort.

 

Keep the questions/feedback coming! Again, thank you all for the support!

I have high hopes on the customized activity feed ^^

About ontopic, may the macho Vindolls be added to the list of brands?

 

And about the webtitle, well, darlings is sweet in my thoughts, but when my bf heard vinyldarlings went to the dark thought of sexual dolls for humans...different point of views xD

 

I also think that dollfiedreams is very easy for SEO matters, we could keep that too and adding the rest of brands subforums. OR we can move to the big sea of dolldreams etc ending with .moe, it may be cheaper.

Sorry, didn't read through the whole twelve pages, but as someone who comes here mostly for the Smart Dolls forum part of this site (and wander through the others from time to time), what I would like to add would be to allow Smart Dolls and accessories in the Marketplace. Right now the only sales allowed are Dollfie Dreams, if I'm not mistaken.

Also did you list a suggested donation if someone is going to donate via paypal?

 

Otherwise- I think it's great as it is, but understand the technical need for updating. I don't personally use mobile devices, so that's not important to me either way.

 

Thanks for all of your hard work and effort on maintaining and improving the site!

Averis said:

vinylDarlings name (SakuraSylph)

While I understand the concerns (records and "other" dolls, which personally I don't see the connection since they are made out of different materials), when people refer to our type of dolls people say "vinyl dolls." In fact I saw people say that in several replies in this very thread about DoA and BJD etc. So it's clear to me that in our hobby people know that vinyl is a descriptor to our type of dolls. As for basing the name on their internal structure (unstrung/frame etc), personally, again, it's not really my first thought when I think about these types of dolls, even as someone that owns a couple lovely BJDs. And I don't see why we would need to basically say "we're not BJDs!" by pointing out what they aren't. Unstrung sounds like someone that is unhinged or something that is loose or not put together well. I'm not saying vinylDarlings is the best name in the world, but I don't think it's so out of the ballpark either. I think we are hitting a case of everyone will think something different with different words. Personally I like "darlings." I don't associate it with those "other" dolls either. Where is your mind at!? (I'm teasing, forgive me). Darling to me is an endearing word or something precious.

100% agree with Averis here. I think VinylDarlings should definitely be kept! The "unstrung" part also made me uncomfortable in the wording as well. Honestly, anyone who is outside the hobby viewing the forum can think what they will about what the name means to them. As long as we know what the name intends, that's all the matters.

(And if said person/persons are curious to what our forum is all about, they can just read some forum posts; problem solved)

Averis said:

No Tags (sinclair)

This is something that people can use to help searching for topics etc. I think it's a useful feature, personally. It could be used to tag something nsfw, or what type of dolls are in the topic etc.

I also second that we need tags. This definitely helps out in many different ways and would definitely help the search engine be more efficient! Some posts don't even have certain words in the description to show what the main post is about so tags would eliminate the problem (as long as users know how to properly tag, that is).

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I definitely second moving the feedback to the new site or at least having a main link to the previous feedback for proof of sales and reliability! Feedback is very important (at least to me).

**Also, I think that maybe we should be able to delete certain posts of ours, especially if there's old pictures that have been deleted, person has sold their doll, etc. Or at the very least, be able to mark the thread or post for deletion and have it approved by a mod. Probably the latter would be more efficient and less suspicious. I believe this could help clean up the site and delete irrelevant, unnecessary, or unwanted posts from users.**

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cirquemom said:

Sorry, didn't read through the whole twelve pages, but as someone who comes here mostly for the Smart Dolls forum part of this site (and wander through the others from time to time), what I would like to add would be to allow Smart Dolls and accessories in the Marketplace. Right now the only sales allowed are Dollfie Dreams, if I'm not mistaken.

Also did you list a suggested donation if someone is going to donate via paypal?

Smart Doll was added to the Marketplace awhile back in September '18.

Here is the link to it: viewforum.php?f=52

It is only in a different sub-forum of the Marketplace since the original Marketplace is restricted to Dollfie Dreams, currently.

Also, donations are now closed via Paypal since the goal has been reached. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure it is only Patreon now. My apologies if that doesn't answer your question. >///< (If asking how much money to donate/how much one would suggest you to donate, I do not think that has been answered)

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Congrats to the upgrade/website being funded! Wishing all the best!

Edited March 21, 2019 by Pickle

I'm glad cirquemom brought that up actually -- as of now, in the Marketplace only Volks DDs and SmartDolls are allowed in terms of selling actual dolls and parts, right? Would the new forum allow for buying/selling of similar on-topic dolls and parts, such as Obitsu/Azone/Parabox? That's something I'd definitely like to see. As someone who doesn't buy and trade on Facebook or Instagram, it feels like there's not a great place to sell or trade those kinds of dolls currently.

Thanks Averis, all the changes sound great! I think VinylDarlings sounds the best of all the options suggested so far.

Everything sounds fantastic!

Thanks for the feedback on all those topics, Averis! Interesting reading, and I can tell you put a lot of thought and care into reading everything that everyone has written so far. That's awesome.

 

To answer your implied questions about the name...

 

Why an IF

It doesn't have to be based on an internal frame by any means, but the reason I thought of that distinction might be worth noting. That was because the frame pairs nicely with Volks and Den of Angels. DoA has "strung" as a criteria for on-topicness, so if we want to be a forum for not just Dollfie Dreams but also similar dolls, contrasting with DoA's policy to become the big site for internal frame dolls seems like one possible avenue to go. And, with Volks' two lines of SD and DD, having two major doll forums as a way to keep things organized kind of fits. It has nothing to do with "not-BJD" in a disliking resins sense, because I don't dislike them and hadn't considered it could be read that way. Interesting to see a different point of view.

 

It's About Context

In naming a website, context to the uninitiated is so important, and that's what I'm hoping we consider about vinylDarlings. I don't hate the sentiment, but I do think it doesn't belong as a website. In the context of a private sentiment, thinking of your own dolls as darling daughters made of vinyl who you dote on, it's downright adorable and perfectly great. (I do, too.) In the context of a website name, it has unfortunate connotations to newbies and an unfortunate acronym, which is why I think it would be misleading and a poor choice -- no matter the sweetness of the private sentiment.

 

The Panic Button

I'm hitting this pretty hard. I didn't want to be so blunt about it originally, but if we're to go forward with vinylDarlings -- which is absolutely your perrogative to do and I'm under no illusion whatsoever about that -- it needs to be done in full knowledge of the severity of the opposition. The proposed name skeeves me out so much that I, personally, would no longer feel comfortable participating in the community, not feel comfortable directing others to the forum or even talking about its existence, and not even really want my old posts from DollfieDreams and all that knowledge to show up on vinylDarlings because I wouldn't want to be associated with a community called that. I can't say whether my old contributions have value, but in any case, if I feel that way there's probably a non-zero number of others who do too. For a community that wants to be seen as "welcoming", alienating people by choosing an unfortunate name would be an inauspicious start.

 

I don't think you have to pick any of my first batch of names, or anything to do with an internal frame either, although you can if you like them. The community could even help brainstorm other ideas or hold a naming contest. I just implore you to forego vinylDarlings.