DISCUSSION: Activity Requirements

Hey all! So as we have been going through feedback from our survey, something that really stuck out to us was the multiple mentions of Canis Major's activity. After speaking to some of you more one on one, the Canis staff has made the decision to update the site's overall activity requirements.

Canis & You

Being lax and laid back on activity is a double edged sword — While it offers members a lot of wiggle room for life and the things that come up, it also can (and has, for many of us) lead to plots stalling, members losing interest, and a general slowness that hurts the site overall. So what can we do?

Well, that's where you come in. We want to hear from you, and see what you think is best! Do we continue as is? Or do we tighten the reigns juuust a smidge? Tell us your thoughts, even if you may have already shared them in the survey! Discuss here amongst yourselves, or ask staff direct questions by tagging the @Canis Major account. Feel free to go into as much detail on any ideas you might have! Canis staff will consider all thoughts and ideas, though we may alter here and there to keep it within the realm of Canis' vision.

Some things to keep in mind throughout this discussion:

• While discussion is encouraged, we require that everyone speaks to each other with civility and respect in mind.
  
• Each suggestion made comes with someone's personal reasoning behind why it might be a good solution. Do not criticize someone else's idea simply because you don't agree with it.
  
• A poll may or may not follow this discussion, depending on the feedback we receive here. As always, the Canis staff will keep you all updated on where we're at and what we're thinking.
  

We will close this discussion in two weeks, or on 6/8/2026. Thank you, and we look forward to hearing what you have to say!
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the staff team luvs u

I agree with Minxy's suggestion about smaller site plots. Sometimes larger, BWP-style plots are fun. Sometimes they can be intimidating. Personally, knowing that every month a few small, random small plots are rolling through would be comforting because I would feel less pressure (not that there is any, just my brain working here) and the whole procrastinating thing for me wouldn't be so bad. Just some thoughts from maybe not a neuro-typical standpoint. Smaller plots seem safer.

I think once every 3 months for a check-in for the site sounds reasonable. Once a month might be daunting for staff to keep up with. Sometimes not a lot happens in a month. Three months seems doable from an outside perspective, and we might have more insight that way.

Pushing activity requirements tighter might help bring people towards posting more. I understand the relaxed pace of Canis is one of its major perks, but like Minxy said (sorry, your post was just so thorough now I am referencing you a million times) sometimes there is such a thing as too casual. 

Final note: love Canis and it's been my permanent home for years now. I appreciate those that haven't given up on it, and want to continuously improve it. I hope activity can pick up with these suggestions and I hope others reading this thread genuinely sit down and take time to think and comment. Canis is a home for a lot of people and it's for good reason. It weathers storms like no other. The original purpose and goals of Canis I feel like still hold true today.

I know staff are eagerly waiting, but from a lil voice in the member crowd: please take time to discuss with the rest of us what you need from Canis in order to feel at home writing here. I for one am fully vested in this place and want to see it prevail and grow.
the staff team luvs u

I think the largest thing for me is not knowing whether or not my stories will continue moving, if a writing partner is or isn't going to come back, or if they will continue to use the character/s I'm engaging with. While the comforting flexibility in activity is warm, it also leads often to procrastination, letting things sit for too long, and then having no muse by the time I would think I'd be ready to come back to them. For me, board wide plots are nice to know that they'd be happening, but they never really get me personally engaged, as the problem still remains of long-term worries for personal development in my stories/characters. While I know Canis has emphasis on taking your time, I have seen activity checkers encouraging bringing in a healthy amount of stress to remind you to keep your character going and keep trying, and it doesn't mean that they can't be reactivated, but it does let other people know that they can safely move on from a dead thread or plot if they see the character fall off. Canis is full of amazing writers and storytellers. I just think we've maybe gotten a little too comfy with having so little pressure. I think there's a thing where having too low cortisol actually makes you bored or something like that LOL. Maybe we just need a little stress, and some new faces that are excited to get their characters going.
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I'm/We're loving the responses so far, and I don't wanna respond to any of them specifically just yet because we're still gathering your opinions, but even with just three responses so far, it sounds like an activity check would be quite beneficial. CURRENTLY, characters are only set to inactive/hiatus if they haven't been logged in to (not necessarily posted) in 60 days.

SO That being said, here's an additional question (for everyone, including those that have already responded). Keep in mind that it's not a poll, and the options below it are simply thoughts. Feel free to add your own!

Additional Question:

If we implement an activity check, how often do you think it should be?
- 1 post/month per player
- 1 post/month per character
- 1 post/2 months per character
- ??? your own suggestion
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