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This has been discussed in a few other Metas (namely DIY and Gaming), so click on those links if you want some backstory. If not, here goes!

We would like to provide printable promotional flyers for our community members to put up in the places they frequent, if the places have a space for them. The goal is to spread the word of Stack Exchange to your peers and your local community. The flyer would include:

  • the Sci-Fi & Fantasy design (which is still on the way)
  • the site's URL
  • a brief description of what the site is
  • perhaps a few sample question titles
  • a catchy slogan (please, suggest slogans below! This site has a ton of great writers, so put your skills to work!)

Another aspect to this flyering program which I just came up with and would like to run by the community, is possibly putting your Stack Exchange username on it and declaring you the "mayor" (but not the "mayor" because that term is already taken; perhaps "ambassador") of your area. As in, the flyer that you put up at your local bookstore would have your name/username on it as the local representative, for people to use if they want to talk to someone about the site. This might even be something like a Big Brother system (again, another term that is already taken) where you would help this new user ease into the site and make them feel super welcome. And another idea; you as the local Stack Exchange authority/mayor/leader/etc could probably be given stickers and shirts to give out as well.

What say you, community? Once we get the Sci-Fi & Fantasy design up and running, are printable flyers for local promotions something that interests you? And is the mayor/Big Brother/other term idea interesting?

6 Answers 6

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Wouldn't it be more sensible and effective to try to put up "flyers" on the internet, in places that other scifi nuts hang out?

There are an awful lot of practical issues around flyers in the real world, and I think it'd be much easier to reach people that ...

  • are already in front of a computer
  • already on the internet
  • participating in a related scifi internet site

... rather than random people in the world, at some random physical location.

However, if you have an event that a bunch of scifi nuts will be at, I find that cool stickers are a lot more interesting and useful and fun than stuff printed on Ye Olde Paper.

(remember magazines? they're like blogs, but printed on dead trees!)

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  • You have a point about this site and flyers. But what about Math and Physics, SO, etc... I know that if I didn't know about those sites and I saw a poster for Math.Stackexchange.com posted in the Math lab or Math department at school, I'd be all over it ;P
    – OghmaOsiris
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 5:30
  • There are places that the geek population often congregates at, say at the release of a sci-fi movie or big tech companies etc. I tried placing Google ads for the site, and I tell you, it ain't easy.
    – apoorv020
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 5:35
  • Is there a budget for banner ads? We can do scifi-themed banner ads fairly simply.
    – Goodbye Stack Exchange
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 6:00
  • I agree that this can be used on the internet, yes. But I don't think we should limit our scope to JUST the internet. Real world communities spring up in these locations. I think that having a presence in these places, with an ambassador in house and ingrained in that community, could lead to actual committed, long term users. I think that new users are more likely to commit if they have a real life peer to discuss Stack Exchange with.
    – Brett White
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 13:42
  • 1
    @brett just a gentle reminder that only 30% of our traffic is from the USA -- these sorts of "do work in the real world" efforts don't scale, and our audience is extremely distributed worldwide.
    – Jeff Atwood
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 22:59
  • I want stickers.
    – MissMonicaE
    Commented Feb 17, 2017 at 20:26
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We should have posters that are kind of vintagey with questions like:

  • Is Soylent Green really people?
  • Is the Force really with me?
  • When will my Hogwarts letter arrive?
  • Why haven't I regenerated as a ginger?
  • What should I do if my friend is possessed by a Goa'uld?
  • Is it really a game of thrones? Isn't more of a lottery?
  • As the hero of my story, does this mean I get the girl?

And other such "gag" questions that wouldn't really be on the site but make it clear who our audience is. Thoughts?

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Let's run with the Big Brother angle. After all, the term does originate from the classic SF book 1984.

We can clone some of the classic posters:

enter image description here

And otherwise make classic SF and Fantasy references.

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  • Anyone by chance know what the font on this poster is?
    – OghmaOsiris
    Commented Aug 31, 2011 at 22:43
  • I couldn't place it on identifont, it came up with FF Netto, but the edges are too rounded on it. ITC Conduit is closer.
    – DampeS8N Mod
    Commented Aug 31, 2011 at 23:55
  • It's pretty close to Haettenschweiler. Have a look at this thing I did in Freehand, the one on the left is the original, the one on the right is editable text. What do you want it to say? "Big Brother reads Scifi/Fantasy at Stack Exchange" is a bit of a mouthful.
    – Goodbye Stack Exchange
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 5:40
  • the G and R have tails that aren't in the other Typeface. But it is close too.
    – DampeS8N Mod
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 13:03
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I like this idea. I can see these flyers for this (and other SE sites, too) being popular at bookstores and schools.

I know that the Math.SE, Physics.SE, and SO.SE sites would get HUGE boosts in traffic if there were flyers in our Computer Science/Math department at my school.

If a poster/flyer were posted in community areas of my school as well, then I know the geeks would be all over our site.

I'm not a fan of the Big Brother is Watching you slogan, as it seems to make the site into a tyranny, lol.

I think if we could design a poster with retro 50's style sci-fi cover looking art, then it would be a great attractor.

Just my 2 cents.

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Here are a couple of images based on DampeS8N's idea of using old sci-fi images. Would be happy to entertain alternate wording, but keep in mind that it has to be very, very short. These would both have additional text on the back or along the side.

My thought is to promote the network, with a sci-fi feel. (At least for the first one.)

Big Brother reads Stack Exchange

Where everyone can hear your questions

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  • In regards to the second one. Does anyone know the rules about what counts as parody?
    – DampeS8N Mod
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 13:04
  • That wouldn't be parody as it's not making a statement about Alien as commentary on anything. It would be considered infringement. From Wikipedia: The Supreme Court of the United States stated that parody "is the use of some elements of a prior author's composition to create a new one that, at least in part, comments on that author's works." Which that doesn't lol.
    – OghmaOsiris
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 13:17
  • OghmaOsiris - Yeah, these are only intended as mockups.
    – Goodbye Stack Exchange
    Commented Sep 2, 2011 at 15:40
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Instead of flyers, it would be great to be able to print greatest questions and include a QR Code that link to the question, so the peoples interested in the answer would be introduced to the site.

It would be a good way to win a Announcer badge.

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