Greetings!

A while back, I threw out the idea of getting modders to use http://www.twitter.com/ to announce thier updates. As some of you may recall, the reception was not all that hot despite a few positive posts. And that's OK... true, I thought it might be a bigger hit, but such is life.

But then I got to thinking about it, and it occurred to me that if one of my primary points in the whole thing was really true (ie: that it doesn't take much time at all), then perhaps I should put my money where my mouth is and do it myself! So I did...

Announcing http://twitter.com/TES4ModUpdate on Twitter!

Here is the idea: I have a number of files I am tracking at Nexus, and will be tracking more at TESA. I also try my best to keep up here. When I get an email about an update, or just see one talked about here, I'll tweet a quick announcement about it. These won't have links in most cases, as thier purpose is just to inform you that there has been some action with a mod. And while there is nothing stopping you from replying, it will really be a waste of time to do so as I will not be responding to replies. This is meant as a one-way announcement system, so if you have comments please put them here in this thread where they belong, OK? OK!

If you have never used Twitter, I can tell you there are not many things simpler. All you really need is a browser, though there are tons of apps that can optimize your Twitter experience. Go to the website, sign up for an account (it's easier than GMail, seriously), and then start following @TES4ModUpdate! Or, once you have your account, click the @TES4ModUpdate link above to get to the page, and then click the little "follow" box. Simple... really, I wouldn't lie to you!

NOTE: While @vegtabill is indeed my personal Twitter account, there won't be much in the way of Oblivion there. Be sure to follow @TES4ModUpdate for the updates!

Also, thanks to Lady Nerevar's idea, I am going to try to establish #OBMods (not case-sensitive) for tweets about Oblivion mods. Lady Nerevar actually recommended #OBModding for Oblivion, #MWModding for Morrowind, and #FOModding for Fallout. I will leave the other two up to someone else for now, but I do like #OBModding... I just shortened it to save some characters. So my tweets will have the #OBMods tag, and hopefully in time it will become a decent topic to search for mod announcements.

Updated List - 2010-07-18

• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31773
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11256
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13437
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22962
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19628
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16513
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20516
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=30154
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21104
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=28977
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8273
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15777
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31855
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25023
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25078
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21562
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22410
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12249 and http://www.4shared.com/file/144608444/c47efc89/ufcom.htmll
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24647
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=30000
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9769
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18715
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3979
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2037
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26389
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17784
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24646
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20218
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16622
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21102
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13841
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31464
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16360
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=33003
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15256
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=32266
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20053
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21862
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16417
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22401
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10400
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12466
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4387
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11536
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8665
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15781
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9655
  
• Under the Sign of the Dragon*
  
• Unique Landscapes + Patches**
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24936
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27710
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=32365
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26643
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18305
  
• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22368

* There are a number these. Please let me know if you are looking for one particular.
** There are so many of these! I'm tracking most all of them now, but if there are any specific ones you are looking for let me know.

This is not a very large list yet, and some of them on there have not been updated in some time (some might never be updated again). And naturally, these are mods that I have used, am currently using, or am interested in using soon.

But this list can certainly grow, and it will. I will add to it as I go along... but if you have some mods you'd like to get updates about via Twitter, please let me know and I will add them as well. All I ask is that the mod is hosted somewhere that I can track it without having to go there manually. A tracker, or subscription, or something that will update me when the files change is all I would require.

Ah, but this list can also shrink... I know from my previous post that not everyone is into Twitter (or any kind of social media, for that matter). While I see absolutely no harm in what I am doing here (least of all to the modders themselves), if any of you do NOT want me to include your mod(s) in my list, just say so. I will take it off without question, and with no hard feelings. You all are the geniuses that make the mods, so if you don't like this I will have no problem taking your mods off. Sound reasonable?

OK, well I think that's about it. Give it a try and see what you think... it really might come in handy, you know?

Thanks!
veg

OK, I admit this is a shameless bump, but if you check out the link you will see there has already been some activity to tweet about. It will also give you some idea what the updates will look like.

Just in case you're interested...

I prefer they use this forum for such notices..like always.

<--despises tweeter..

Well I certainly have no issue with tweets made for my stuff, I just won't be getting a Twitter account of my own for it

?OOO Geomancy Gem Dust OBSE

This mod would only get updated once OOO version get updated ..

no need to watch something like this that has not been updated since 2009..

OK, now I am going to pick on you! Ha ha!

Just kidding, of course, but your post does give me an opportunity to address one of my reasons for this. I know many people follow threads... I do myself. But it can get tricky when a thread reaches the 200 post limit (by the way, I'm sure there is a good reason for that, but what is it?). If I'm following, say, the Wrye Bash thread, and it hits 200 posts, there is nothing that will automagically switch me over to following the new thread when it gets started. I have to keep an eye on it to make sure I don't miss anything when a new thread starts. Now with WB, that's not a huge deal because it's thread is updated so frequently. But think about the threads that don't get updated so frequently. It can take some searching to find them, and as we all know this software's search component leaves something to be desired (heh... yeah)

This could help that problem. Just some food for thought.


Well, I didn't figure you'd rush out and get it, Arthmoor! But I am also not surprised in the least that it's OK with you if I do it. Thank you, sir... you are a gentleman and a scholar! :foodndrink:

True, true. Some of these I just grabbed as examples, and that's one of them. Frostcrag Reborn hasn't had anything done with it in some time either, but it's on the list.

Really, these were just a few to get started, and to see what the modders' reactions would be. If it's going to gain any traction at all though, I'll need help from people that have mods they'd like to hear about. That, and I'll have to stick with it for a while so people know it's not going to suddenly disappear.

Thanks again Core, I appreciate it.

No Rimmen? might be something to watch... good idea, though i can certainly say i wont be signing up, i have enough trouble trying to figure out faecbook right now and i dont need twitter confusing me as well.

All you have to do is ask... Rimmen shall be added as long as it meets the criteria!

And man, if you can do Facebook, you can do Twitter... seriously, Twitter is kinderspiel!

i cant do facebook... somehow i get lost and confused everytime i sign in. oh well lol as long i just have to look at this ill be good

And there is nothing wrong with that. However It merely me view of twitter itself as it promotes laziness. I don't wont to go to the site or whatever just to be constantly hunting down the update status of mods I'm looking forward to. Stuff like that is easy to miss IMO when we are all accustomed to coming here and checking threads.

Also for Wyre Bash, all new changes if any are in the first post anyway o_o. For me, most threads I know wont get dragged down to page 4.

I like the idea. It seems more like an RSS feed for mod updates then a regular twitter thing (which are fairly useless IMO). I'd also suggest you start following:

All Natural
AWLS
Companion Vilja
Tamriel Travelers
Unique Landscapes + Patches

I could probably think of more. Thanks for doing this .

I'm going to sign up to twitter now. I said I would never do it but Oblivion is just too important.


Edit: Mod Suggestions

I would also add

Hammerfell
Under the Sign of the Dragon
and
Deadly Reflex(s)

Thanks again for making this!

Thanks very much for the positive feedback! I'm in a hurry, but be sure to follow @TES4ModUpdate! My personal Twitter acct is @vegtabill, and you're more than welcome to follow that, too, but the Oblivion updates will only be at @TES4ModUpdate. Just to clear up any confusion!

I will add these a little later this evening. Sorry... it's an unusually hectic day... I just got a new job! woot!

awesome, followed! Glad this finally happened.

I already check TESNexus updates on a regular basis, so not sure how often I would check this, but a suggestion... instead of just telling me there is an update how bout giving me a link?

Two things about this:

1) The idea here is that you don't have to check it on a regular basis... just get a client (TweetDeck is great for Windows users), follow @TES4ModUpdate, and the updates will come to you automagically! Really, the whole point of this is to bring the updates to you, not to bring you to the updates. Make sense?

2) As I said above, providing links is not the purpose for this. This is purely an announcement system. The assumption is that you already know where to go, but you might not know that an update has gone out. Tweets are limited to 140 characters, and links tend to be pretty long, so I will not be providing them except in certain unique situations. Besides, as everyone has told me again and again, everyone already knows where the sites are, right?

Ehh... I still think a link would be a better use of space then telling me to "get it while it's hot". But whatever.

You're missing the point. Most of the time the update text does not leave enough room for a link (some of the Nexus links are really long, you know). Every once in a while, like today's BOSS update, the text will be short, but in most cases it will not be. I think it is far worse to be inconsistent (ie: to include links for the short ones only) than to just not provide the links.

And besides, providing links is not the purpose of this.

If I remember correctly, twitter automatically resizes urls. If not, use http://tiny.cc/ or a similar service?

Anyways, good luck with this. I personally think its a great idea

It's for the moderators' sakes. Things around here are hard enough to handle as they are; could you imagine trying to sift through a 5,000 post thread?

I see. That's interesting, though I know plenty of other moderated forums don't limit threads. Besides, don't moderators get digests of the new stuff? Maybe not... I'm not familiar enough w/ the software behind this forum.

Nevertheless, each new thread is a break in continuity. It is unfortunate, and definitely makes things harder to find.

Gah! I was hoping no one would mention TinyURL! You are just too savvy, m'lady!

Seriously though, thank you very much. I'm going to try to make it stick; time will tell. For now I am still figuring out how these things are going to look on a regular basis. Things could well change as I see what I need to say each day. So yeah, links might work their way back in... but for now I'm just doing announcements.

Part of that is the fact that, until I set up this account yesterday, I had not visited a Twitter sight in a very long time. I get tweets on my phone or on TweetDeck, not from the web pages. So typically I get a tweet and think "Ah, I will have to look at that later", as opposed to going to the site immediately. But it's easy to forget that the way I use things is not the only way things are used.

I'm sure they have quite a few tools at their disposal, but I also know moderating all this is an almost impossible job as it is. They're not paid for it, you know, they're only volunteers. The boards you are familiar with, I wager, are not as well moderated, not as large, have paid moderators, or some combination of the above.


It is true, and frustrating, but it's not going to change.