Can we PLEASE discuss MOCs?

LuciusMalfoy7 · December 2011

I really don't understand why we cannot do this on this forum. MOCing is as big a part of the hobby as collecting, if not - and I might be banned for saying this :D - *more* a part of the hobby than collecting. Isn't this what LEGO is all about, creativity and building? Also, frankly, there is an enormous overlap between collectors and MOCers.

There are many wonderful people on this forum, but I had a bit of 'Dark Ages' with the forum itself. There were too many topics, for me, about buying, sales, and reselling. Getting the most for your buck. While I understand it is extremely useful to post news of sales and new set appearances here, the forum became almost too focused on money. I don't mean to offend anyone, least of all the incredible staff (and top contributors, for good measure) who keep this forum running, but I became disinterested with the spirit and tone of the forum.

I would love to celebrate all of the aspects of LEGO, and I don't think there's a reason it should be disallowed... there is obviously a clamor for it, and those who don't want their collecting forum populated by MOC threads could just turn the MOC category off, of course. A certain thread in particular became argumentative, even mean-spirited, and I can't help but think that MOCs would bring a little more joy to the wonderful people at this forum.

mr_benn · December 2011

Yes please! I don't think there's a risk that this forum would become overrun with MOCs, and I really like seeing what other people build - with a different community on every forum I'd look forward to seeing some different things!

cbaker1974 · December 2011

Is there any rule stated anywhere that you can't post about MOCs? I've never seen anyone say that you can't...

Odindusk · December 2011

Is there any rule stated anywhere that you can't post about MOCs? I've never seen anyone say that you can't...

Pretty sure Lucius is just saying that there are rarely MOC threads on here... so someone do it. lol

Silber334 · December 2011

Agreed! :) It's an excellent way for the less experienced MOCs to get building ideas from more experienced MOCs, as well as be more motivated to try and create something.

LuciusMalfoy7 · December 2011

Yep, I believe they mostly get deleted - it's highly discouraged. I believe one admin recently said (not to paint him in a poor light, said very genially, of course) something to the effect of "There's something for everyone here... except MOCers!"

brickupdate · December 2011

I definitely want a well-rounded community where everyone feels welcome and represented. My gut is that because of all the recent sales - anything finance related is fast-paced, thus all the posts and updates about buying. (plenty of those were from me) MOCing can be a slower endeavor, so I imagine those posts would seem more "lost in the shuffle."

But I would also point out that there is a specific "Building and Techniques" subsection of the forum. So maybe if that is your primary interest, ignore the discussion view that shows all posts, and go directly to Building and Techniques:

http://www.bricksetforum.com/categories/building-and-techniques

This wipes out all 'collecting' and buying related stuff.
Anyhow - thanks to everyone on this forum for their contributions!
-Dan

Odindusk · December 2011

Personally, I don't MOC. I admire MOCs and marvel in the builders' greatness, but I don't have a ton of Lego and of the stuff I do have I cannot bring myself to part them out and split the sets up. I have aspirations to MOC, but it won't be for years.

LuciusMalfoy7 · December 2011

I'm with you there! Splitting up sets is hard, but whenever I look at things people do online... it inspires me to smash those I'm less attached to.

LuciusMalfoy7 · December 2011

^^Didn't see your post! Thanks, I wasn't completely sure if MOC topics were technically allowed or encouraged - though I still think it would be Brickset's benefit to create a separate category for MOCs, some of those topics are concerning building regular LEGO sets, which can be confusing for those searching for one or the other. Agreed, thanks to everyone for their wonderful contributions!

avoiceoreason · December 2011

I would love to see more discussion of MOCs. I don't tend to do it very often primarily because the kids steal all the Lego! But also b/c I just don't think I have developed the skill yet to make really good ones. Seeing other peoples creations is something I really look to for inspiration though, so I for one would welcome it.

Lambringo · December 2011

Firstly, I am a collector rather than MOCer. I could not stand to see all of my sets bricks mixed up. I even make sure any tools or figure placement is as per the instructions, and I couldn't imagine trying to sort nearly 100,000 bricks in preparation for some MOCin' but I do enjoy the occasional viewing.

as per admin

"While we don't forbid MOC-centric topics, they are strongly discouraged as there are already a number of great places to discuss those"

I agree with this statement to the extent that I would not like to see brickset end up with MOC content to the extent of Eurobricks, MOC pages etc, with new topics posted for every LDD someone does or a competions to see who can build the best thing with only 3 bricks. Collectors have different preferences to MOCers but I do think there is a void to fill on this site for the regular users/part time MOCers who would like to discuss their MOC's or techniques with other people that they feel part of a community with. There is even a forum topic "building & techniquies".

Maybe the MOC topics could be admin approved prior to going public, or some guidelines set as to what is and is not acceptable.

dougts · December 2011

I would welcome this as well - the challenge would be in somehow limiting the number of posts. go to Cuuso or Eurobricks or something and you have to sift through endless amounts of MOCs being posted. it becomes too time consuming to sift through all the content and hone in on interesting stuff.

perhaps rather than a free-for-all approach, you could have a "moc thread of the week" or something, and invite everyone to post directly into that thread, and somewhat focus the MOCs in some way, whether by theme, size, color, etc. perhaps even just elements that get the creative juices flowing - like a "challenge of the week" - i.e. Design a spiral staircase or a rocket engine or a sliding glass door, etc, etc. people can post pictures of their ideas along these lines, which can inspire others and/or give them ideas to work into their own creations.

LuciusMalfoy7 · December 2011

I think they just need to be more heavily moderated. Obviously we don't want excessive threads saying "hey look at this it's a new contest!" and KFOL rainbow MOCs need to be limited.

LegoFanTexas · December 2011

Yep, I believe they mostly get deleted - it's highly discouraged. I believe one admin recently said (not to paint him in a poor light, said very genially, of course) something to the effect of "There's something for everyone here... except MOCers!"

I think that Admin was joking...

I would love to see more posts about MOC, I have never read anything on here to say that it wouldn't be welcome.

If I'm wrong, someone important please correct me, but I vote for more posts about MOCs. I can't promise I'll have much to offer, I'm not very creative, but I like seeing pictures of what other people do create. I still want the instructions and parts list for that huge 10,000 part AT-AT I saw posted awhile ago. :)

krklint · December 2011

You mean like taking the purple windows from the HP triple decker bus, and combining them with the framework from a passenger train car, and building a passenger car MOC for my Minnesota Viking football team as an addition to my Emerald Night train :) ... which is the reason I purchased a second Emerald Night... stuff like that?! ;)

tdhbr · December 2011

When I first found this forum several months ago, I remember threads that included MOC's and discussion. I even posted a photo and received a few constructive comments that I really appreciated.

I know that within the last week or so I read a comment from an admin (and I think I remember which one) on another thread that said something very close to "MOC discussions are strongly discouraged on this site."

I would very much love to see more MOC's and related discussion. I've seen on other MOC sites too many comments of "Hey that looks great" about something that looks like my 7-year-old put it together. Over the last few months I have come to value the comments and opinions of the Brickset members, who are able to have discussions without being argumentative. I would enjoy giving and receiving concise, constructive feedback about original designs. With few exceptions, I think those who do MOC's want advice and suggestions (and those that don't can choose to keep their photos to themselves).

brickmatic · December 2011

Well, this is interesting. I was expecting that at some point people would clamor for a MOC and building ( versus collection ) area of the forum. I am more of a collector than a MOCer, but I really do hope this forum evolves to include that aspect of the hobby as well.

To give a bit of perspective, the creators and maintainers of this site were initially very wary of having a forum in the first place. They didn't think there was a need because of the preponderance of other places that had LEGO forums. They were afraid It would be yet another LEGO forum. But you see, the creators and maintainers of this site are at heart collectors. They enjoy expanding their collections, take pride in comprehensiveness, and become experts on the product offerings of TLG. And they noticed that the forums that existed did not have much discussion about the collecting aspects of LEGO. So they decided to give a forum a shot. A forum focused on collecting.

Skip forward to the present day and the forum is a huge success. People have a hard time thinking back to the pre-forum days. The forum has attracted a large following despite all the initial skepticism.

I would suggest to those that are skeptical of the need for MOC discussions on this forum to think back to those frontier days of the Brickset forum. This forum, this site, has lots of room to grow. I think we can accommodate MOCers in the Brickset community without detracting from the quality of the forums. In fact, I think engagement with the MOCing subset will only enrich the forum. IMHO.

StuBoy · December 2011

I would welcome discussions on MOC's, in fact I've seen a few recently that involve displays that members have set up, and the responses to them were very enthusiastic. It also seems a bit strange that there is a topic about building and techniques, but discussing how people have implemented those techniques is discouraged.

bellybutton290 · December 2011

I like the collecting focus on the forum and would like to see it stay that way however I often find topics seem to repeat themselves overtime on here so for me opeing up to moc discussions will keep the forum interesting (for me personally anyway). If introduced/allowed and it then goes crazy with MOC discussions and the original focus of the forum begins to get lost, surely it can always be returned by the admins to it's current guidlines? Or what about one masterthread for MOC's similar to the site updates etc. and no/limited others throughout the rest of the forum so that we have clear areas for both?

Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK · December 2011

As a 'soft start', we could think about Mods - Modifications or adaptions of sets. That seems true to the brickset ethos. Can you imagine if, in a few years's time, you looked at a set on the database, and there was a 'mods' tab, with modified versions of the set. I for one would jump out of my chair with excitement about that.

By mods, I mean like this one ..
http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/899/10217-diagon-alley-as-a-modular#Item_15
(@Lucius.. based on your username, you might like that one)

bor2112 · December 2011

Naive maybe, but can't we just have a MOC discussion category? And if you are not interested, don't read. I am new here so maybe this has already been addressed,,,I apologize if that is the case

andhe · December 2011

I think it's best to try and do one thing/topic well (ie collecting) than try and encompass everything lego.

If I want to look and discuss MOCs I'll go to eurobricks or classic-castle, whereas I enjoy the collecting focus on here.

bor2112 · December 2011

^makes sense

tdhbr · December 2011

If I want to look and discuss MOCs I'll go to eurobricks or classic-castle, whereas I enjoy the collecting focus on here.

I disagree. I would rather find everything in one place, instead of visiting several sites. Especially with the quality of discussion that comes from Brickset members.

What if there was a trial run of MOC discussions? Provide a separate "Discussion" group, and some basic guidelines, and see how it goes for 2-3 months. Guidelines might include things like:
- size of MOC's posted is not relevant (you don't need a 10,000 piece masterpiece to post)
- MOC's posted do not have to be complete ("rough drafts" looking for advice & suggestions are fine and encouraged)
- MOC's posted should have some time and thought behind them, and that should be apparent (don't post whatever you and your kids threw together in 15 minutes)
- images and designs posted remain the property of the original designer
- maybe a limit on number of images of a particular MOC (we can always provide a link to flickr, brickshelf, etc. for more images)
- constructive criticism is encouraged and welcomed, within the bounds of normal courtesy and respect (if all you want is hollow praise, don't post it)

I'd be happy to be a guinea pig ... I don't have anything awe-inspiring, but I have a couple MOC's that I'd be willing to put up for comments (and as a former architect, I'm used to hearing lots of very different opinions about designs from colleagues).

tdhbr · December 2011

P.S. perfect example of what an MOC discussion can be:

http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/2501/roof-technique-help-inside-concave-corner-w-33-45-slopes#Item_20

Yellowcastle · December 2011

I'm sorry it's taken us so long to weigh into this thread but we first wanted to discuss the issue amongst ourselves.

It is important to note that, in principle, MOC discussions have always been allowed via our "Building and Techniques" category. We have, however, consistently discouraged them as this forum is focused on the "Collecting" aspects of LEGO while there are already so many great places online devoted to MOCs.

In order to better clarify our position here, we have decided to post a new FAQ. Please review this FAQ and let us know if you have any questions. Thanks!

bor2112 · December 2011

I should think some discussion of MOCs would help those that collect as investment. Wouldn't it be helpful to know waht pieces are being coveted by the builders?

kylejohnson11 · December 2011

LEGO has created a pretty good new site for MOCing and such http://www.brickset.com/news/article/?ID=2079

LuciusMalfoy7 · December 2011

Wow, thanks for the great discussion, all! Thank you, Yellowbrick, for clearing up this matter. I'm happy that the forum is able to move into new, exciting directions without sacrificing its integrity and intentions.

madforLEGO · December 2011

It would be a bit nice to have forums on certain things like SNOT, building decorations(like terra cotta type fxtures)/furniture appliances etc... Techniques like the Town Plan Gas station window, etc...

thebrickster · June 2012

are we allowed to share youtube channels here to show our rooms and mocs?

Yellowcastle · June 2012

@thebrickster .....here's the FAQ verbiage:

FAQ: "Can we discuss MOCs here?

December 2011

This forum was created to cater to those "collecting" and "buying" aspects of LEGO, which we felt were being under served in the online LEGO community. That being said, MOC discussions are indeed welcome here so long as they bring value and foster discussion. However, threads created to simply publicize or showcase your own or even someone else's MOCs are not. While there is some grey area in the above distinction, final determinations will be entirely at the staff's discretion.

I think it's self explanatory but definitely let us know if it's not. As an alternative, you could also add your channel link to your profile.

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