Avidgamers
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Avidgamers ([link]) is a popular and free community hosting system which hosts websites from a MySQL-backend with common features such as Forums, Messaging and Applications. The system was created by Norwegian Jon Valvatne in 2001. The site came to be when owner Jon Valvatne made a website for the Utopia clan 'Barduvian'. Later others enquired about having a similar site and thus the system was born.
Avidgamers 1.0
Avidgamers was conceived on the principle of creating a free and easy way to create clan websites for online games such as Utopia for those without the necessary knowledge of Server Side Languages or the money to buy hosting. The site quickly grew in popularity and now has thousands of hosted communities and a large and active community of users.
Since Avidgamers was created, its main function has changed slightly and it now primarily hosts 'Roleplays'. Public board moderator, Michael Sinclair introduced the idea of using the system for these types of communities with his role-playing website, Temporal Sands. With its easy to use customisation options and system of the administrator having to review a potential member's application before registering them Avidgamers was suited to this format of community, and many more were created.
Members can customise their website either by simple layout options such as colours and fonts, or the powerful header/footer system, which allows users to create more complex designs. Every one of the default pages can be edited, and new pages can be added with no limitations creating a similarly powerful content-editting system. Avidgamers also has its own rudimentary scripting language in the form of 'AG Variables'. These allows certain variables to be used from page to page, such as the user's username or userlevel.
The system ceased to accept new communities in 2004, when Avidgamers 2.0 was released. At this point the Community Directory also ceased to function. Administrator Jon Valvatne had said that the Avidgamers Public Boards would also be closing in the near future, however he has sinced stated he will keep this open indefinitely. The original system, however, continues to be popular - though the amount of available communities is fast decreasing.
In order to keep the number of sites on Avidgamers alive, many members have resorted to "selling" their sites which are not used for the original roleplays, also called dead sites, via the Advertisements board on Avidgamers. However, to make sure the sites do not become active again, the "sellers" request to be kept an administrator on the site so that if their site ever becomes inactive, they can put it up "for sale" again.
Avidgamers 2.0
In March 2004 the next version of Avidgamers was opened - after a long period of development and testing. The system differed in many ways, primarily, due to massive hosting costs and a lack of donations the full-featured system now cost between USD$3-5 a month (depending on how many months were purchased). Also, the system was now object based. Every piece of content was an object, these objects could be organised into blocks and put onto pages. However, raw HTML and CSS control was only available in the paid version. Similarly, images were disallowed on free sites and they did not have a "Users online" feature. Paid sites however now had both a built in "Users online" feature (Not available on AG1 - externally hosted PHP scripts had to be used) and 2mb of space to store images (Again, this was not available on AG1, external hosts had to be used).
There were mixed reactions to AG2. Some accepted the system as more powerful and generally an improvement. However, a large portion of the AG community were hostile to the change. The system is indeed much more difficult to understand for first-time users. The crippled free version also proved unpopular at first, as it seemed there was little to be done with it. Others simply preferred the original system.
The popularity of AG2 has improved over time, after a year of operation users have been able to show what can be achieved on both free and paid systems. Users have learnt that subtle changes to things such as fonts, colouring and margins in free sites can make a community look unique - and have also focused on clear and well-structured content. Many more experienced scripters and web designers have shown how the powerful template/block system of AG2 can create more advanced features that AG1 ever could, though there are still groups of people fighting to restore the original system.
The Community
While still primarily a hosting website, Avidgamers has developed a massive user base in the form of the two public boards (AG1 and AG2). The two public boards are the main way of advertising an Avidgamers community to fellow avidgamers users. Each also offer forum areas to get help from other users and for general discussion.
Because the "General Discussion" areas of the public boards are so active and vibrant, many members stay on there long after they have 'grown out' of the AG community hosting system (IE, gone to more traditional hosting). The 'General' board on AG1 especially is a community in its own right, often scorning those who still use the Advertisements forum, and newbies in general.
There is a sort of hierarchy or caste system in Avidgamers. Those who have been there the longest are forgiven for whatever they may do, whereas (if you are what is called a n00b) you will be flamed for basically everything you do. One case, for instance, involved a user who used a different font colour. She/he was promptly accused of being a "fontee" (someone who changes their font color/face/size) and flamed. However, if an elder AGean had chosen a different color, it would have been accepted.
Avidgamers' administrator, Jon Valvatne, remains mysterious to the majority of members. He seldom posts on the public boards and almost never discloses details about himself to the general AG community.
External links
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