Forum Update

The former peterdalkey

dudara wrote: »

What basis do you have for this statement?

It was but an observation or opinion, if you prefer, based on post #27 and the lack of any indication that this time around calls for change/improvement will result. I hear the bees but don't see the honey. if I am wrong, I am sure you will clarify.

duploelabs

I think a format guideline to asking a question in the charter/sticky would be essential that details what the current state of play the questioners business is in.
For example, there's so many single posts like 'I want to open a cafe, what do I do?' followed by a load of replies that try and second guess what condition the OP's business is in.
I have no idea how this format would take but it would set a more direct line of questions asked by these posts, chisel a more precise series of replies, and cut out the chaff.
I also think people need to cut down on the salty responses that have been the replies here on many a thread. Yes I'm all for a black or white response but we were all young and starting off on our own for the first time once and there's nothing worse than someone who cuts you to sh!t without asking the right questions first.

tacofries

sysprogrammer wrote: »

The main reason for me to be here in E&BM is access to the 2 Pedro's , Antonai O , El Rifle, Rudolph and a few notable others.

Have to agree with this post. Whenever I asked a question, I was really hoping to get a response from the posters mentioned above, as well as Dukket, Jimmi and Peter Dalkey.

The idea of having some method of identifying 'experienced' posters is good in theory, but just am wondering would it scare of a lot of newbies? I know a lot of newbies do ask the same questions over and over however it is a public forum and so it may be bad to scare them off.

StupidLikeAFox

The "dragon icon" idea is ridiculous. You should be judged on the quality of your input to a discussion, not somebodys arbitrary opinion of how great a business person you are

beauf

smash wrote: »

It's the site itself Peter, not the market. Forums are becoming harder to find with the new menu system..

That's the issue for me too. I just don't bother finding forums anymore.

duploelabs

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

The "dragon icon" idea is ridiculous. You should be judged on the quality of your input to a discussion, not somebodys arbitrary opinion of how great a business person you are

No, because then there's no gravitas behind someone's input. The same happens on the Cooking threads and you get absolute gobsh!te spouting complete and utter bollix with the caveat of 'well it worked for me', there has to be some way of quantifying someone's input. Otherwise you get a bunch of keyboard warriors who rehash anything that comes up first in a google search as bible rather than having a professional working knowledge to back the post up with. There would have to be a quantifying accreditation behind the 'flair', as mentioned earlier a link to a linkedin profile (however that does expose said person to doxxing).
Yes, boards is meant to be a cross-section of this on-line society where everyone is equal, however if I come here to ask a question, it would be to get an experienced professional response rather than someone who is 'quickest on the draw' as I don't know the answer to my question I can't qualify 'the quality of your input' and the only other people who do would be the other seasoned members and that ends up as a discussion between those posters and OP doesn't get an answer to their initial question.

beauf

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

...You should be judged on the quality of your input to a discussion, not somebodys arbitrary opinion of how great a business person you are

I would share this opinion. Also its about a consensus of opinions across different people.

I would be wary of Linkedin in my limited experience its often like a grossly inflated CV. I'm not saying its not useful but, you often meet people who are nothing like their profile on Linkedin would suggest.

The template idea has merit, that seems to work well for specific subjects on some forums.

daveytheravey

Its true having seen a decline in this thread is sad. A lot of posts on hear are random ideas often not viable but are just thrown out there to test the waters.

These people often receive slightly negative feedback from various people and i would imagine it would result in them becoming unmotivated. This should be a more positive form more interaction from people and more positivity. Offer a solution don't just automatically identify the problem!

Entrepreneurship is all about spirit, having the drive and determination to succeed where most people wouldn't dare to dream of! Life is hard enough without getting a knock on social media too

rolion

A quick one: if "boards.ie" does not adapt to the needs of its members AND some of the members feel like they can do more...why not create a new website/boards type and take it from there as a new beginning, with some of the ideas mentioned already above !?

I learned a lot from here but lately is just peaking and moving on...
Regards

daveytheravey

daveytheravey wrote: »

Its true having seen a decline in this thread is sad. A lot of posts on hear are random ideas often not viable but are just thrown out there to test the waters.

These people often receive slightly negative feedback from various people and i would imagine it would result in them becoming unmotivated. This should be a more positive form more interaction from people and more positivity. Offer a solution don't just automatically identify the problem!

Entrepreneurship is all about spirit, having the drive and determination to succeed where most people wouldn't dare to dream of! Life is hard enough without getting a knock on social media too

God this makes me cringe. Are people really that soft that they can't take a few tough comments on a business forum? If it would really be the difference then the offended and unmotivated person was simply not cut out for business in the first place.

In 2008 I remember launching a web business that a bunch of 'regular' posters with no business acumen or experience absolutely trashed. It didn't stop me in the slightest, made me try even harder in fact.

Bandara

I used to try to help out here as this name (but mainly under a previous username) a lot when people were querying things that were in my area of expertise. My posts would be informative and I'd put a lot of effort into trying to help, I assisted several posters offline via phone and pm and even met with two to advise / answer their queries/assist them.

I just found the place became flooded with people who were tyre kicking with no real intention of doing anything and the same question would be asked ten times a month. They couldn't even be bothered to do a search

It just died off.

Also the aggressive nature of some posters on this forum in the last two years or so has been very much negatively affecting the forum and moderators have not done anything to address it imho.

jmcc

Deleted User wrote: »

God this makes me cringe. Are people really that soft that they can't take a few tough comments on a business forum? If it would really be the difference then the offended and unmotivated person was simply not cut out for business in the first place.

Some people might use the forum for a kind of emotional support. Not everyone is cut out for business and most are really just prospective employees rather than business owners. It is a harsh truth but people don't want to hear it when they come up with what they think, typically without any market research or any research, is going to be the next big thing.

In 2008 I remember launching a web business that a bunch of 'regular' posters with no business acumen or experience absolutely trashed. It didn't stop me in the slightest, made me try even harder in fact.

How did it turn out?

Regards...jmcc

Bandara

Bandara wrote: »

Also the aggressive nature of some posters on this forum in the last two years or so has been very much negatively affecting the forum and moderators have not done anything to address it imho.

This is quote from yourself a few weeks ago Bandara, not really in line with what your saying here!

"If I knew where you were trading I'd report you to the HSE without any hesitation. What your going to do is dangerous, extremely dangerous and not a bit responsible.

Your an absolute disgrace."


@Jmcc started well but didn't go the distance. Made a few mistakes which have stood to me well for the current business so I see it as a very positive experience

[*]

jmcc

Deleted User wrote: »

@Jmcc started well but didn't go the distance. Made a few mistakes which have stood to me well for the current business so I see it as a very positive experience

The main thing is that you learned from it. The hardest lesson that every entrepreneur has to learn is when to walk away. Sometimes it is the business idea that doesn't work out. Sometimes it is the market that changes between the idea and implementation. But you gave it a try.

Regards...jmcc

duploelabs

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This is quote from yourself a few weeks ago Bandara, not really in line with what your saying here!

"If I knew where you were trading I'd report you to the HSE without any hesitation. What your going to do is dangerous, extremely dangerous and not a bit responsible.

Your an absolute disgrace."


@Jmcc started well but didn't go the distance. Made a few mistakes which have stood to me well for the current business so I see it as a very positive experience

[*]

There's different business practices and then there's the law. If said poster came up with 'I'm going to employ my staff at 7 quid an hour with no contracts, would the response be different?'
And Pedro, please stop dragging up old threads that I've posted on cooking threads on thinking your opinion on food trumps my professional experience, you're just proving the point on the negative attitude here

pedroeibar1

Deleted User wrote: »

God this makes me cringe. Are people really that soft that they can't take a few tough comments on a business forum?
.

Cringe-worthy, no, stupid, yes. But what would one expect from a Leaving cert student (one who, I suspect, was formerly Daviecronin and pontificated at length (to applause and hugs) some time ago on this forum. What is cringe-worthy is the post was thanked by someone holding out as an ‘expert’.

@Duplo – I gave you the respect of looking back at some of your posts and when I disagreed with one (correctly, IMO), you made a vulgar response and ignored the key issue (one does not sear foie gras from a jar, as any professional would know;)) and have still failed to produce your source for a recipie. Bringing that over here is OT so respond (if you can) in the correct place.

pedroeibar1

Deleted User wrote: »

This is quote from yourself a few weeks ago Bandara, not really in line with what your saying here!

"If I knew where you were trading I'd report you to the HSE without any hesitation. What your going to do is dangerous, extremely dangerous and not a bit responsible.

Your an absolute disgrace."

Tnx El R, now that is a very funny response:D:D:D

daveytheravey

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Cringe-worthy, no, stupid, yes. But what would one expect from a Leaving cert student (one who, I suspect, was formerly Daviecronin and pontificated at length (to applause and hugs) some time ago on this forum. What is cringe-worthy is the post was thanked by someone holding out as an ‘expert’.

@Duplo – I gave you the respect of looking back at some of your posts and when I disagreed with one [/URL](correctly, IMO), you made a vulgar response and ignored the key issue (one does not sear foie gras from a jar, as any professional would know;)) and have still failed to produce your source for a recipie. Bringing that over here is OT so respond (if you can) in the correct place.

keyboard warriors back at it again, somethings never change hahaha! yes did change my name for future endeavours on this website. Cant be holding onto the past forever.

Also would love to meet all of you in person it would a funny experience, because it will be sad when i can't see your faces when i prove ye wrong heheh

pedroeibar1

daveytheravey wrote: »

somethings never change hahaha! yes did change my name for future endeavours on this website. Cant be holding onto the past forever.

Thanks for the warning.

daveytheravey

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Thanks for the warning.

Thanks for the continuous negative and sarcastic comments, I missed it!

Bandara

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This is quote from yourself a few weeks ago Bandara, not really in line with what your saying here!

"If I knew where you were trading I'd report you to the HSE without any hesitation. What your going to do is dangerous, extremely dangerous and not a bit responsible.

Your an absolute disgrace."


@Jmcc started well but didn't go the distance. Made a few mistakes which have stood to me well for the current business so I see it as a very positive experience

[*]

I don't see anything aggressive in my comment

A person knowingly, and without consideration, intending to sell unsafe unhygienic food stuffs to the public is something I would have assumed everyone would want to be report to the relevant authorities.

Why anyone would support support such an idea is beyond my understanding ?

It was and still is an absolute disgrace.

Which I fully outlined exactly why in the rest of the post you took that quote from

The former peterdalkey

It now seems clear that nothing is going to change, perhaps it should be just left to wither away along with the other sub-sections

Accountancy (7 Viewing)
Accounting for businesses.


6,454 69,209

Entrepreneurial & Business Management (7 Viewing)
Entrepreneurial, Commercial entities, the economy and finance for businesses inventions


13,397 109,838

Event Management
Advise and discussion on event management.

133 490

Marketing [CLOSED]
How to market your business. This forum is closed for posting, you cannot make new threads or reply to old threads.


997 6,555

Public Relations
How to promote your business.

.
272 1,178

The former peterdalkey

The former peterdalkey wrote: »

It now seems clear that nothing is going to change, perhaps it should be just left to wither away along with the other sub-sections

Yep, nobody really cares in the boards hierarchy it seems. Pedro no1 was right about the unpaid mods being the problem. They really need to be paid in order to be motivated to make change and improve things.

pedroeibar1

Deleted User wrote: »

Yep, nobody really cares in the boards hierarchy it seems. Pedro no1 was right about the unpaid mods being the problem. They really need to be paid in order to be motivated to make change and improve things.

TBH El Rifle, I believe it is much more than that.

Boards does not give a flying f@rt about content value (what experts think/advise), or who posts what (once it is legal), it is the view / post count that matters to them. The elephant in this room is control. It’s a danger for Boards when this forum becomes dominated by a few random ‘expert’ posters, whose blunt (however accurate) comment could deter new posters and shrink traffic. Also, when those experts leave, those who have followed them disappear too. That is a Boards.ie problem and why the unpaid Mods have run for cover. Boards is between a rock and a hard place on this issue, and IMO has yet to figure it out. If they don't do it soon the good guys will leave (as happened on History) and they will be left with poor content and a dwindling post/view count.

Sadly it is too infrequently recognized that a bit of controversy is good, it makes posters ‘prove’ their arguments through sources (History Forum Mods are good at that), and it makes people follow a thread. That is why a more professional level of modding is needed and regularly is lacking (in fairness, sometimes due to nobody clicking the ‘report’ icon.)

How pro-actively visible are the Mods? They are not, generally, which is not a good thing in a community. Dumb-a$$ posts (and schoolboy comments) remain unsanctioned and when the few who critique them do so they get smacked down. Also, Mods wait until a thread gets a little too controversial. They are somewhat like the teacher in the school yard at breaktime, sitting unseen reading a book and when a row breaks out wading in with infractions and bans. An earlier intervention would be more effective, appropriate and advisable.

Much of that could be avoided/prevented were the Charter fit for purpose. It needs to be rewritten, as the other Pedro has been saying for yonks. How often does that need to be repeated?

pedroeibar1

Bandara wrote: »

I don't see anything aggressive in my comment

A person knowingly, and without consideration, intending to sell unsafe unhygienic food stuffs to the public is something I would have assumed everyone would want to be report to the relevant authorities.

Why anyone would support support such an idea is beyond my understanding ?

It was and still is an absolute disgrace.

Which I fully outlined exactly why in the rest of the post you took that quote from

It is aggressive, but it also is 100% correct. The point is that were I or a few others to write in response to a stupid post on corporate governance "You really need to study 'Director's obligations' as you are totally ignorant of them" I would be jumped on by the huggy people, probably told by a Mod that I should tone down my comments, and be regarded as a cruel negative bully. That is where the problem lies.

Mr Clonfadda

I have followed this forum for a good few years. I don't post regularly because giving away free advice is ultimately competing with my business where i charge for my experience. If i don't contribute regularly doesn't dimish my advice if i ever do give it.

I do find some of the answers negative at times but being a business owner is hard and if you are put off by the first person who express some negativity then running a business isn't for you. my favourite Quote is "Opportunity is often disguised by Hard work. Ultimately i prefer an negative, experienced answer than an positive unqualified one.

The former peterdalkey

It is now populist to label any challenge/contrarian view as a negative. Good entrepreneurs, or at least those cut out for it, should relish a challenge and focus on veracity rather than prose/tone. It is symptomatic of the entitled section of society whose total lack of any personal responsibility for their own fate/situation is fueled by the looney left. Apparently, we now have a new sub-species, " The Most Vulnerable in our Enterprise Society". Like all other wasters, they will devote their efforts to moaning about their fate rather than any proactive measures to improve their lot. Joe Duffy should give them a slot every week.

I fear Pedro is correct, Boards.ie is about quantity, quality of content makes no difference to their revenues and is thus irrelevant to them.

dudara

I've caught up on this thread, and last week I have kick started several discussions in the mod forums where we will review the suggestions made. Due to the voluntary nature of modding, things can take a while to happen and I patiently ask you to give the team time to discuss. In the meantime, please feel free to continue to share your constructive thoughts.

In my experience from moderating over the years, the best forums have been the ones where the posters were engaged, and actively policing their own forum. What I mean is that posters kept threads on topics organically, and used the Report Post function to alert mods to threads that needed an active hand. If posters here find responses to be aggressive, baiting, trolling etc, please report to the mod team who will review and determine if action is needed.

DubTony

I stick my head in from time to time. But I usually leave after I've read the thread titles.

"How do I register for tax?"
"Can I be locked up for selling popcorn outside a McDonalds?"
"Is there a way to build a web site on a mobile phone?"
"Can I operate as a sole trader or do I have to form a company"

Yeah I'm being facetious. (The last one was real upon clicking the link). But in all honesty, that's what many of them look like at first glance. And when I have clicked a link, many of the questions are outrageously ridiculous.

Personally I think it's due to a gradual dumbing down. The ability to think for oneself seems to be a rare trait these days. My 11 year old asked me the other day why a road sign gave directions to a particular place. When I told him "That's the way to go to get there" he asked me "Why?" If I didn't see physical characteristics of myself in him, me and the missus would be having a serious conversation.

I'm of the opinion that there's a lot of spoon feeding and hand holding going on. And not from just parents and teachers, but from technology. We don't remember phone numbers anymore, there's no need to ask for directions and give the brain a bit of exercise trying to put it together, and the most complicated thing many people do is select the toppings on fourstarpizza.ie (I actually just use the "same as last time" button :rolleyes: )

Now I'm no technophobe. I think tech is great. But I do despair somewhat when simple tasks and requests are handled by a smart phone or tablet. My son won't look up a dictionary at home. "The teacher does it on the big screen on dictionary.com", why do I have to go through all those pages?" I suppose it's so much easier to right click and select "define" or "Look Up".

The forum looks like a place for non thinkers. If a google search delivers a complicated or lengthy result, it's not read and the question is asked here. Construction of questions and answers could be an issue as well. Text-speak and bad or no punctuation can be off putting for many. And the bit of crankiness back and forth probably doesn't help. (Yeah, I've been involved as well).

My last post here was September 2014 according to a search, and it was hardly meaningful. Sorry. It'll take some amount of work and a lot of serious contributions to bring it back, but there's the possibility that boards.ie is just not as attractive a place as it used to be.

StupidLikeAFox

Tbh, its a bit tiring that people are giving out about the "newbie" threads. Of course a business forum is going to attract its fair share of people with no prior background in business. I do think there is merit in having a "New Business" sub-forum, but unless the seasoned posters here start kicking off some meaningful conversations the main forum will continue to slide. Its not as if there is loads of top threads getting lost in a sea of crap - there are no top threads/discussions being started anymore.

For instance, here is a list of the threads that the artist formerly known as peterdalkey started - proper discussions came out of those, even the ones that didnt grow to be huge threads were useful and gave some decent tips, but those type of threads arent being started anymore.

DubTony wrote: »

I'm of the opinion that there's a lot of spoon feeding and hand holding going on. And not from just parents and teachers, but from technology. We don't remember phone numbers anymore, there's no need to ask for directions and give the brain a bit of exercise trying to put it together, and the most complicated thing many people do is select the toppings on fourstarpizza.ie (I actually just use the "same as last time" button :rolleyes: )

Ah will you give over - every generation thinks that the next generation are useless and lazy. You have admitted that you don't contribute here anymore - maybe if you and others kicked it up a notch the forum wouldn't be in such a poor condition?