New user focus group

ecksor

Hi,

As part of our expansion and continuing quality control we will be starting a focus group for new users away from the regular forums where it is felt that the older members and moderators sometimes "shout down" the opinions and views of new users. In this way we feel we can best pay attention to our most important user. You.

Anybody who registered between July 1st 2005 and August 1st 2006 is eligible to participate. Giblet is the moderator of the private discussion forum dedicated to this, so please PM him if you are eligible and wish to participate.

Thank you,

boards.ie admins.

Hobbes

Great idea! Although you should of put this as an announcement.

Beruthiel

Fantastic idea Eck.
Boards.ie, now you're helpin'

Ruu_Old

At last, some of the new users can have their voice heard, thats something I have longed to see. Well done.

hullaballoo

Damn, only 2 and a half months shy of making the grade! Any exceptions?

mike65

Newbies are like the poor - to be ignored.

Mike.

hullaballoo

hullaballoo wrote:

Damn, only 2 and a half months shy of making the grade! Any exceptions?

Given your new SMod badge, I guess not!

The Sweeper

Okay, I said this offline when the decision was being taken and I say it again here - boards.ie has no place for an elitist forum that segregates one section of the user base from other sections.

We were all n00bs once - being a n00b is how you learn the appropriate etiquette for boards.ie. There's no need to have a separate forum for more recent posters. And using them as a demographic for your advertising statistics is just poor, frankly.

ecksor

To be quite honest, considering that you had your little spiel offline already I don't see why it bears repeating here.

The Sweeper

ecksor wrote:

To be quite honest, considering that you had your little spiel offline already I don't see why it bears repeating here.

Oh I'm sorry is this not the feedback forum?

ecksor

And another thing, you were quite happy with our plans for the drinks type forums when you were going to get a few free cases of booze out of it so I think you should bear that in mind the next time you consider getting up on your high horse.

The Sweeper

Well I'll tell you this for nothing, if you're going to rope the n00bs into your experiment, you can take "not for profit" out of your website description.

ecksor

I'll pass your criticisms onto the person who wrote that particular gem.

scojones

n00bs are people too you know.

zAbbo

A fresh meat forum with the Giblet in charge, ho hum

amp

ecksor wrote:

Hi,

As part of our expansion and continuing quality control we will be starting a focus group for new users away from the regular forums where it is felt that the older members and moderators sometimes "shout down" the opinions and views of new users. In this way we feel we can best pay attention to our most important user. You.

Excellent. After all marketshare and boards.ie's stock price are key to gaining a more profitable userbase.

Yes, those that just arrived here, sometimes direct from TEH CLLGE OV TXTSPK is far more important than say the people who moderate boards or the people who've been here since the start.

Here's an idea, moderate the Feedback forum. If there's stuff you don't like then ban the people involved. Pretty soon the only people you'll have left are those important newbies who read feedback.

ecksor

I'm not about to stifle comment here (and rarely have) and the newbies can continue to post here and interact with the established regulars and admins as normal.

Perhaps if the newbies felt like they had a safer and more cuddly environment to express their views we wouldn't feel the need to take this step. I'm not looking to blame anybody in particular for this atmosphere.

flogen

I can only imagine the kind of money spinning crap this forum might lead to; the kind of stuff that the longer serving members would scoff at and get uppetty about... testing the waters to see if the n00bs are willing to pay a premium for a daily/hourly boards.ie text with all the latest posts or something stupid that the people who made boards.ie, the foundation of this site, would be disgusted to see happen.

That alexa ranking has really gone to your heads, hasn't it?

BuffyBot

It does seem like a strange, and not particularily helpful idea imho

Sparky

Not a bad idea at all.
It may gather new users to the site also.

Tar.Aldarion

It's not that they are new, it is that they post like they are six, just like I did when I started. In fact, nearly everybody does. Coming from an online gaming background, 'txt spk' was what was used and bad insults were all that was known, in terms of internet typing. I think people need a good kick in the arse to use grammar and to express a proper opinion, at least in a recognisable fashion, like I got from friends.
Why would somebody shout down an opinion because of a date?
It's usually because of their views being rather, hmm, idiotic - and it would help if people could read what they were typing.
Protect them from the big harsh boardsters(nerds with words), or more accurately from themselves, if you want. I guess.
I don't see the point.

Some form of 'orientation' or will the forum cover all fora, with new people starting a thread on any topic?

monkeyfudge

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

Some form of 'orientation' or will the forum cover all fora, with new people starting a thread on any topic?

I guess you could give people top tips on what to do if Whitewashman shouts at you.

And let them know that Pighead isn't actually a moderator.

Sarky

I mean no disrespect, ecksor, but are you nuts?

I disapprove, frankly. If you offer people the option of either jumping in at the deep end or having themselves a little fluffy shallow spot shielded from the "evils" of the internet and its "ever so mean" more seasoned users, they'll likely stay there and never grow up or learn any proper conduct. It'll be nothing but lol and omg and ur cute!!!!!!!!! and all manner of crap that the old school beats out of newbies. Yes, it's sometimes cruel, but it has to be.

And anyway, isn't there a "newbs/FAQ" forum already?

monkeyfudge

You could also end up with a macrocosm of boards.ie with the July 2005ers shouting down the August 2006ers.

therecklessone

Not a bad idea in principle but only if its used to guide n00bs as to what expect/not to sexpect from boards. Smother the "what happened to free speech" ideas at birth, that would be a good start.

I'd rather boards didn't get all touchy feely, but that doesn't mean new posters have to be left to the jackals. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar...

And I thought people acted differently on the net? All I can see is a load of old timers whining about how they had to walk to school in their bare feet carrying a lump of coal for the teacher, and they were never spared the rod, so why should all these whipper snappers get special treatment...;)

Dub13

Not a bad idea in principle but only if its used to guide n00bs into the sea.

monkeyfudge

therecklessone wrote:

Not a bad idea in principle but only if its used to guide n00bs as to what expect/not to sexpect from boards.

Yes. Their sexpectations must be quelled.

flogen

therecklessone wrote:

Smother... at birth, that would be a good start.

I agree.

But seriously though, this is just going to create even more little gangs on boards.ie which IMO is a bad thing.

grimloch

Assuming they're all herded into their little forum, what's going to stop the older members shouting them down when they come out their cosy safe haven? Presumably they can't stay tucked away in some corner of boards forever.

Sid Deuce

ecksor wrote:

Hi,

As part of our expansion and continuing quality control we will be starting a focus group for new users away from the regular forums where it is felt that the older members and moderators sometimes "shout down" the opinions and views of new users. In this way we feel we can best pay attention to our most important user. You.

Anybody who registered between July 1st 2005 and August 1st 2006 is eligible to participate. Giblet is the moderator of the private discussion forum dedicated to this, so please PM him if you are eligible and wish to participate.

Thank you,

boards.ie admins.

Hi Ecksor,

That seems like a really good idea. Just to clarify, you are creating a new forum for a specific groups/new users (who have to ask for access) with the purpose of it being a focus group? E.G ask them questions and suggestions as "new to the site" users and you are keeping out older members as you only need the input of new ones? LIke newbie marketing analysis!

Well considering how half the fukwits on this thread read your post as "new forum for only newbies to post in so they are all safe and cuddley'd up" I'd say you are bang on the money. Were the focus gruop to be an open forum they would only miss read and fuk that up to.

Best of luck with the focus group.

therecklessone

monkeyfudge wrote:

Yes. Their sexpectations must be quelled.

Unless they subscribe, then they can sexpect all they want...