Boards is becoming a Ghost Town

KERSPLAT!

Candie wrote: »

Well the difference is that the threads like the crime one don't become de facto chat threads based on the posters who contribute. I know attempts are being made to stop the OD and TA threads from being too chatty, but by their nature they still turn out that way, and more so the OD one.

Chat threads that centre around a core of posters always become cliquey, that's just the nature of people and it's not an accusation. I think they can be quite divisive really, and as I say they funnel peoples contributions into one or two threads instead of making wider contributions.

I've definitely read this before somewhere...

Candie

Candie wrote: »

But what if I have no interest in online dating or only a passing interest in people trivial annoyances? Why would I join in?

Then you don't join in. My point was in regarding to 'cliques' maybe being viewed as a barrier to joining in if a person wanted to.

Perhaps the Gangland thread should be moved to Politics and Kneemos' thread moved to the Cuckoos Nest and the What are you reading now thread moved to Literature and that fun one about guessing the movie should be moved to Movies.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

But there's a more suitable place for most of the AH topics . If you don't like a topic, just ignore it, surely?

LexieOnRale

LexieOnRale wrote: »

But there's a more suitable place for most of the AH topics . If you don't like a topic, just ignore it, surely?

This is it exactly Lexie.

kneemos

Karsini wrote: »

That's exactly what mods have said in the past about chat threads, hence them being referred to as cliquey. So they weren't wrong!

Doesn't make sense to close a thread because it has become cliquey.
The people who didn't feel they could join in still can't join in and the people who were enjoying it are deprived of a thread and royally pissed off.

Anyhoo I find it amusing that the furniture is being arranged when the building is on fire.

LexieOnRale

LexieOnRale wrote: »

But there's a more suitable place for most of the AH topics . If you don't like a topic, just ignore it, surely?

Well I do, but I'm not talking about whether or not I personally like them, I'm talking about them funneling traffic away from the rest of the forum. And the forum is slowing down substantially, some of the threads on the first page have last posts several hours old.

That's a relatively new phenomenon and the best indicator of how the forum is ebbing away.

It's just my opinion, but I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking those threads are fun for the contributors, but not in the best interest of keeping the place lively as a whole.

kneemos

kneemos wrote: »

Doesn't make sense to close a thread because it has become cliquey.
The people who didn't feel they could join in still can't join in and the people who were enjoying it are deprived of a thread and royally pissed off.

Anyhoo I find it amusing that the furniture is being arranged when the building is on fire.

Apologies to you Kneemos for using your name in my examples, it's just that the thread is your name

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

This is it exactly Lexie.

Not really Persepoly, because the other threads don't become cliquey regardless of where they're hosted.

It's not about not liking the thread and so ignoring it, it's about whether or not those threads deprive the rest of the forum of traffic, and in my opinion they do.

Again, thats just my opinion and I've nothing against anyone who feels otherwise.

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

kneemos wrote: »

Anyhoo I find it amusing that the furniture is being arranged when the building is on fire.

With regards the funneling of traffic the online dating thread is now on page two of the touch site and has been quiet today. I believe it will fizzle out in its own time.

KERSPLAT!

Candie wrote: »

Well I do, but I'm not talking about whether or not I personally like them, I'm talking about them funneling traffic away from the rest of the forum. And the forum is slowing down substantially, some of the threads on the first page have last posts several hours old.

That's a relatively new phenomenon and the best indicator of how the forum is ebbing away.

It's just my opinion, but I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking those threads are fun for the contributors, but not in the best interest of keeping the place lively as a whole.

I might ask admin to confirm or deny but I remember looking at the stats last year, maybe 12-14 months ago, and posts per day seem to be in and around the same in AH as they were back then. If it is slowing, it is doing so very very slowly, if I remember right that is. Boards as a whole may be different.

Candie

Candie wrote: »

Not really Persepoly, because the other threads don't become cliquey regardless of where they're hosted.

It's not about not liking the thread and so ignoring it, it's about whether or not those threads deprive the rest of the forum of traffic, and in my opinion they do.

Again, thats just my opinion and I've nothing against anyone who feels otherwise.

But how do they do this?? I just don't understand it. People are going to post in whatever thread they are interested in. Some threads are busier than others.

KERSPLAT!

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

I've definitely read this before somewhere...

I don't follow, unless you mean it's your own experience?

In that case, I definitely agree. I think there's a danger of people taking this personally, but there's nothing personal about it. As someone with no particular interest in those threads, I can see it slowing down the rest of the place and think it's bad news overall.

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

Candie wrote: »

and as I say they funnel peoples contributions into one or two threads instead of making wider contributions.

do they though? does it have to be one or the other

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

But how do they do this?? I just don't understand it. People are going to post in whatever thread they are interested in. Some threads are busier than others.

Those cliquey threads monopolize some posters, or posters make more contributions to a single thread instead of reading the rest of the forum and getting involved in multiple threads or even just one or two more.

I just don't see the problem with restricting online dating discussion to the online dating forum? A whole forum devoted to the topic!

I'd leave the TA thread put, but only with strict observance of the no chat rule. It was a very cliquey place beforehand.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

With all due respect I think it's slowing down due to bigger problems than a cliquey thread. I do agree that it might be off putting to people as I'm sure a mass thread about gangland is off putting to people.

Wonzy

A lot of resonable and good posters have left and will continue to leave. Main reason I think is there is there is so many high horses and so much snobbery in some forums (motors and accomadation come to mind).

Also moderation has taking the biscuit, can barely open your mouth and if a moderator disagrees with you its a yellow card.

KERSPLAT!

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

I might ask admin to confirm or deny but I remember looking at the stats last year, maybe 12-14 months ago, and posts per day seem to be in and around the same in AH as they were back then. If it is slowing, it is doing so very very slowly, if I remember right that is. Boards as a whole may be different.

A couple of years ago it would be unusual to see a post more than 45 minutes old on the first page, during busy times. Now it seems par for the course to have posts several hours old on the front page. I think it has been slow, but still quite notable.

Maybe I'm wrong and have some bias blindness, but the overall feel is slower too - to me.

KERSPLAT!

Candie wrote: »

A couple of years ago it would be unusual to see a post more than 45 minutes old on the first page, during busy times. Now it seems par for the course to have posts several hours old on the front page. I think it has been slow, but still quite notable.

Maybe I'm wrong and have some bias blindness, but the overall feel is slower too - to me.

It definitely seems so to me too but stats say otherwise. I'll have to look into it further

Turtyturd

Skylinehead wrote: »

Realistically, what harm does it do?

What's the justification for it's existence?

Wonzy

Also serious topics should not be discussed in after hours like rape etc. , Should be a seperate forum like "News" or "Issues today".

Candie

Candie wrote: »

Those cliquey threads monopolize some posters, or posters make more contributions to a single thread instead of reading the rest of the forum and getting involved in multiple threads or even just one or two more.

I just don't see the problem with restricting online dating discussion to the online dating forum? A whole forum devoted to the topic!

I'd leave the TA thread put, but only with strict observance of the no chat rule. It was a very cliquey place beforehand.

We each make a decision regarding what threads we would like to post on and what ones we would rather avoid. I see it in simpler terms. Some threads are busier and more popular than others. That's just the way it rolls.

Wonzy

Wonzy wrote: »

Also moderation has taking the biscuit, can barely open your mouth and if a moderator disagrees with you its a yellow card.

I hear this a lot but I've been here for 13 years without a single card or ban to my name. And I've surely posted something during that time which a mod disagreed with. I can't really say why but I do know that there have been times when posting in more contentious threads that I have to stop and think "could I get infracted or banned for this?" before I hit the Submit button. In recent times I've just avoided such threads altogether.

Wonzy wrote: »

Also serious topics should not be discussed in after hours like rape etc. , Should be a seperate forum like "News" or "Issues today".

Agreed here. Serious topics like abortion or immigration are probably more suited to Humanities than AH. That's the thing with AH, it doesn't know what it is or wants to be.

Wonzy

Also the prison forum makes ye like look like snobs and bullies making fun of people ye banned. Cop onto yourselves

Karsini

Karsini wrote: »

Agreed here. Serious topics like abortion or immigration are probably more suited to Humanities than AH. That's the thing with AH, it doesn't know what it is or wants to be.

So then the lighthearted fun threads with their potential for chat and cliques remain? Your last sentence is spot on Karsini. Some people want serious others want fun. After Hours needs to figure out can it offer both.

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

Wonzy wrote: »

Also serious topics should not be discussed in after hours like rape etc. , Should be a seperate forum like "News" or "Issues today".

what we need is more mods and more rules, no fun threads, but also no serious discussion, and rules, about everything

Wonzy

Wonzy wrote: »

Also serious topics should not be discussed in after hours like rape etc. , Should be a seperate forum like "News" or "Issues today".

Well, no, in my opinion. Because current events and hot topics create dynamic and relevant discussion, but threads based on things like dating and centering on a core of posters just become circular and cliquey.

Proper discussion threads draw all kinds of opinions out of people, and they run their course. The circular threads are just an endless iteration of the same issues, and become based on the personalities posting in them.

Another issue with TLL, again in my opinion only, are threads like the 'One word' and 'Things you want to say' ones. They're not about discussion, and I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I find them quite self indulgent. A discussion forum isn't really the place to make a diary entry, a blog would be the appropriate place for most of those contributions. I simply don't read them, but most of the time there's nothing else in the forum to read anymore.

And yes, I know it's all about making threads, but it's got to the point where traffic is so slow outside the chat and introspective threads that there's little point in doing so.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

So then the lighthearted fun threads with their potential for chat and cliques remain? Your last sentence is spot on Karsini. Some people want serious others want fun. After Hours needs to figure out can it offer both.

Personally I don't know. I mean, why have the other forums if serious discussion were just to take place in AH anyway?

When it comes to chat threads, I'm on the fence. I can see both viewpoints but I haven't leaned towards any one in particular.

Candie

Candie wrote: »

Well, no, in my opinion. Because current events and hot topics create dynamic and relevant discussion, but threads based on things like dating and centering on a core of posters just become circular and cliquey.

Proper discussion threads draw all kinds of opinions out of people, and they run their course. The circular threads are just an endless iteration of the same issues, and become based on the personalities posting in them.

Another issue with TLL, again in my opinion only, are threads like the 'One word' and 'Things you want to say' ones. They're not about discussion, and I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I find them quite self indulgent. A discussion forum isn't really the place to make a diary entry, a blog would be the appropriate place for most of those contributions.

Not every single forum needs to be filled with interesting and serious discussion on current events etc. What makes boards special in my eyes is the inclusion of threads like 'things you want to say' and threads where you can form connections with the other posters.

I can be a sentimental divil the best of times but it is the sharing of experiences and being able to have a bit of craic which gives this place its sense of community.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

We each make a decision regarding what threads we would like to post on and what ones we would rather avoid. I see it in simpler terms. Some threads are busier and more popular than others. That's just the way it rolls.

Is there any reason why the posters can't have the same fun on the online dating forum though?

I'm not trying to deprive you Persepoly, but I think feedback is important from all sides.

Surely a compromise is to use the online dating forum for chat about online dating?