The Basilisk Cafe


B.L.I.P. 2009

Those of us who have been around the site for a while might remember the Basilisk Largely Improvement Poll - yes, the acronym pun is intentional - which we ran back in 2006 in order to find out just what our members thought of the Cafe, and to give them the chance to contribute ideas on what direction we might want to take the future development of the site.  On the whole, it worked out pretty well, even though some of the new features we discussed never really made it to fruition.  But since it's now been three-and-a-half years since the last one - and we have had some fairly major changes since then - we felt the time was right for another snapshot of the insights and feelings of our audience...

As such, we created a new poll to gauge how people feel about the new-generation incarnation of the Cafe, which was run in December 2009.  If you're reading this page, chances are you already know that, and have come here to see the results of the voting, so without any further ado we'll start posting them!  Please bring any thoughts about the results to our BLIPs: The Next Generation thread - our first reactions will probably be there by the time anyone reads this...

1. Were you a visitor in the old, HP-only days of the Cafe?
 Yes, regularly. 83% (5 Votes)
 Yes, occasionally. 17% (1 Vote)
 Yes, but I hadn't been back in a while. 0% (0 Votes)
 No. 0% (0 Votes)
2. What do you like most about the Cafe?
 The friendliness of the members, the ease of using the site, and most importantly, the overall fun atmosphere of the entire website.
 The forums
 Fellow members, the general tone of the place.
 the people who are drawn to it
3. What would you most like to change about the Cafe?
 Can't think of anything I'd want to change, other than just bringing in more active members.
 The activity levels - we need more posting on the forums, and more fanwork in the archives!
4. At present, we have four 'featured' fandoms - do you think we need more, less, or is this about right?
 More - 7-10. 0% (0 Votes)
 More - 5-6. 0% (0 Votes)
 About Right. 100% (6 Votes)
 Less - 2-3. 0% (0 Votes)
 Less - Stick to just one. 0% (0 Votes)
5. Which of our current 'featured' fandoms do you follow?
 Harry Potter 100% (6 Votes)
 Heroes 50% (3 Votes)
 Supernatural 17% (1 Vote)
 Whoniverse 17% (1 Vote)
6. If new fandoms were added, which would you like to see?
 Not sure of any other fandoms at the moment.
7. Since the multi-fandom relaunch, the weekly LJ Updates have been abandoned. Would you like to see these return?
 Yes, I would. 83% (5 Votes)
 Not particularly. 17% (1 Vote)
8. Of the following features lost in the forum upgrade, which would you most like to see return?
Basilisk Village 50% (3 Votes)
Member Map 17% (1 Vote)
The old-style design 17% (1 Vote)
I'd rather see the work go into all-new features. 17% (1 Vote)
9. Which of the following new site features would you most like to see added?
More images on the main website. 17% (1 Vote)
More 'Fun & Games' activities. 0% (0 Votes)
'Fanwork Workshop'. (A series of essays to encourage quality fanwork.) 33% (2 Votes)
Villainpedia. (A series of profiles of fandom villains.) 50% (3 Votes)
10. Which of the following would encourage you to use the Fanwork Archive more?
Separate archives for fanfic and fanart. 17% (1 Vote)
A single login for the forums and archives. 50% (3 Votes)
More content in the non-HP sections of the archive. 0% (0 Votes)
More regular fanwork contests. 33% (2 Votes)
11. In 2010, we intend to re-launch the Golden Basilisk Awards as a multi-fandom event. Which of the following formats do you prefer?
Best Site awards in each fandom, and multi-fandom awards for Best Forums, etc. 50% (3 Votes)
Awards for Best Site, Best Fic and Best Art in each fandom. 33% (2 Votes)
Awards for Best Fic and Best Art in each fandom. 17% (1 Vote)
12. Do you think the site should consider changing it's name, to something a little less fandom-specific?
Yes, basilisks have too many Harry Potter connotations. 17% (1 Vote)
No, an evil mythical creature is fine with me. 83% (5 Votes)
13. Would you like to see an official mascot for the Cafe?
Sure, should be fun... 67% (4 Votes)
Nah, what's the point? 33% (2 Votes)
14. Finally, do you have anything you want to say about the Cafe - anything at all. If you have any comments, suggestions for new features, or opinions you haven't mentioned above, please do so here. (Criticism is fine, but please make it constructive.)
 <3
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