(Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself?) Any update?

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509666#Comment_122509666

So it's essentially a safe and supportive space, in a way that an open forum like this can't be as the internet landscape has changed.

I do agree with you that it would be lovely, I just don't think it's possible now.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509702#Comment_122509702

God only knows. IRL, people who bring up certain things that don't remotely affect them always come across as at least a little unhinged to me. Same people will inevitably go on and on about "cancel culture" with no capacity for self-reflection.

Worst was some lad obsessed with putting up pictures of dead children on Facebook. I asked him to stop and he issued a series of death threats. A few mods here took the time to calm me down but it's insane. Sussex police didn't care one bit.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509673#Comment_122509673

Buy her something shiny. That may help but I'm not expert.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509702#Comment_122509702

How or why does anyone think that is rational behaviour?

Think of it in the context of some of the more heated threads, say the Gaza one for example. I 100% believe people would contact employers and claim certain people were being anti-Semitic online if identities were disclosed there. 100%.

And they would think they were being rational, and in some cases, they might be!

But, it would 100% happen in many many cases. The vast majority for no other reason than a conflict in subjective opinion.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509687#Comment_122509687

I said before that one of the thing Boards could have done to attract new users was to give a summary to the likes of Sean Moncrieff or Ray Darcy of hot threads or fun conversations that they could refer to once a week for 3-5 minutes.

I'd imagine radio stations would view that as sponsored content or advertising and want appropriate payment. That will never happen.

You used to see Boards mentioned in media and newspaper articles, along with quotes and usernames. That doesn't happen anymore because the site is nowhere near as popular or relevant as it once was.

We used to be with it, then they changed what it was.

Caustic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509687#Comment_122509687

Boards had it fairly good before the change over people still came here purely out of habit a well ingrained habit due to it being the biggest forum in Ireland for a long time.

Once that was broken people drifted off to never come back they are still using the Internet, there are many options now for all ages. And all more addictive or appealing then boards.

Boards was on a down curve for sure before but would have hobbled along for a long time in an ok state once it didn't do exactly what it did. And chop it's own legs off.

And frankly it's too late now there would need to be a lot more advertising put into it which is never going to happen and as you say there isn't anything particularly interesting to read as it's mostly just the same people bickering all the time. Which is absolutely mind numbing to read but they don't care, it's a never ending race to have the last word for them.

The place is dead we just haven't reached the end yet

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509754#Comment_122509754

I don't doubt it would happen, I just can't imagine how someone thinks it's rational.

"Someone didn't agree with me on the internet so I'll show them!" It's simultaneously infantile and displays a level of spite and malice only an adult could be capable of. It's beyond disturbing.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509718#Comment_122509718

I find it so bizarre that people here (honestly, no dig at anyone!) think that a website where my identity is mainly concealed, is potentially more unsafe and supportive than Facebook, where my picture and real name is available to members of that community.

I just find it mad that we've had to surrender the site to people we don't trust.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509782#Comment_122509782

I don't know, many of us who had expressed differing opinions are now having a cordial discussion and agreeing with each other, in principle only in some cases.

We might yet reach a middle ground!

EmmetSpiceland

Is the site dead? Judging from all the complaints about the “Regional” forums access issue they seem to be motoring along nicely.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509798#Comment_122509798

Again, you're talking about a niche forum.

You're proudly very left wing and have posted about disagreements with others here. Yours views are polar opposite to theirs and you'll never agree.

What if one poster was to take that very personally and try to move that venom off Boards? Maybe contact your employer, doxx you, threaten you or your family, turn up at your door?

If you knew everyone was genuine and wouldn't hold a grudge that wouldn't happen, but we know this kind of things happens. It's a shame, but we are where we are and none of us can change the internet back into what it was.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509774#Comment_122509774

I'd imagine radio stations would view that as sponsored content or advertising and want appropriate payment. That will never happen.

Or, they might see it as filler that would lead in to conversation for them. Particularly in the case of Moncrieff. He used to have a slot on his show (like other shows) where they'd call out gigs/events that were on this weekend or whatever, I wouldn't think they were getting paid for those, it seemed to be just 'content' that they figured their listeners would appreciate.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509827#Comment_122509827

On the contrary, I have nothing to hide to any of those people. My online life here is the exact same as my offline life. I carry the same thoughts and opinions, and my friends and employers would be aware of them.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509859#Comment_122509859

Maybe it would be possible, but that would have to come from the owner …

Maybe @Boards.ie: Mike might be able to give a more definitive answer (if he ever gets the chance).

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509813#Comment_122509813

Of the regional forums I follow in Dublin, they aren't dead but the activity is a fraction of what it was.
And the most active thread is arguably a CA because it impacts more than Dublin.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509798#Comment_122509798

I don't use facebook but maybe I'm not best placed to comment but I think people feel not that it is unsafe as it is, but that it could be, because of the types of discussions that end up happening.

Is it the same on Facebook? Or are people more guarded to begin with because they know it is public.

In a weird way, Boards users might actually reveal more of themselves (their ideology) than FB users purely because they don't reveal their name here.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509866#Comment_122509866

I'm not suggesting you're dishonest here, but would you seriously want that hassle of some disgruntled poster invading your offline life? Would your employer and family?

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509882#Comment_122509882

Man, there is all sorts of groups on Facebook.

Here's some I'm in:

There's support groups for dads (the bluey group is an incredibly wholesome place for great male support).

There's a support group for bereaved fathers which has absolutely saved lives as it gave men a place to seek support in the darkest times.

The aforementioned chronic illness group.

Then there's the ADHD groups to share knowledge, support each other (and memes... So many memes)

Basically if you can think of it, there's a group out there for it. It's up to each individual to weigh up the consequences of joining a group Vs what they get out of it.

The bigger groups (over 100,000 members) have very strict rules, and if you don't follow them, you possibly get a no posting ban, followed by a temp ban, followed by a permanent ban. Depends on the group, and the rules are way more stricter than Facebook's general rules.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509891#Comment_122509891

Well no one would want that, but it would be a case of getting the police involved at that stage.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509927#Comment_122509927

Or avoiding it by guarding your anonymity. The loss of community is an unfortunate byproduct of that.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509922#Comment_122509922

Yeah, but you're going in to those groups knowing that everyone knows who you are. And you know them.

Quite different to how Boards/Reddit etc are set up.

You could argue that society would have been better off if at the very outset, the Internet was regulated so that anonymity was not built in to it. A conversation worthy of its own thread on its own to discuss in detail.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509935#Comment_122509935

Apologies, I think you're missing my point. I'm involved in all these groups on Facebook, that have my real name and picture. Yet I don't feel unsafe in these communities because of the care and commitment to the rules and the owners (moderators) really put the community first and foremost over anything else.

What I'm saying is, I don't believe boards cannot mimic that, but the owners/management needs to tell us

What is the mission of boards.ie?

What is their metric for success?

Will the rules of the site be formalised, and stickied in every forum so everyone knows where they stand?

Every forum should have their forum specific rules stickied as well.

If people wanted to be a part of that community, great. If they don't, great. If they f*CK around, they find out.

Anyway, it's all moot as I have no idea what boards is anymore. All I know is it's a pure waste of potential right now.

Backstreet Moyes

Boards has turned into a place where a vocal minority make some threads hard to read.

Imported US nonsense of left and right and if you don't agree with me your against me.

Their are still some great posters around, but their caught between people who come here to argue.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509878#Comment_122509878

I think regional forums are quieter because every town and village has a Facebook group and there are a lot of WhatsApp neighbourhood groups. It's not just because of a smaller userbase.

The regional forums here are very pleasant and posters genuinely try to help others, I'd be more likely to trust a recommendation here rather than Facebook where people spam their own business or that of their relatives and friends.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509999#Comment_122509999

Imported US nonsense of left and right and if you don't agree with me your against me.

This is something a lot of people will agree with you.

But the reality is that the division between Left / Right ideologies has fueled major events in society since the term originated in France.

A lot of the terminology around it is cringe inducing but the ideals and their impact are real and surround us to varying degrees. People like Rupert Murdoch and Nigel Farage and many more have significantly used narratives around this divide to change the world in which we live. That's a fact, and the ideals (as they are broadly understood) are something that most people have an opinion on only maybe they wouldn't express it in typical right/left phrasing.

These are conversations that need to be had, there is a heavy US influence on Boards (for various reasons) but to try to imply that a lot of the conversation here is imported from the US is misleading I feel.

archfi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509999#Comment_122509999

I agree except I'd leave out the pseudo 'left v right' shtick

It's liberalism (actual liberalism, not progressivism) vs illiberalism

Ahwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509687#Comment_122509687

Sorry, I can't see that working. The Radio forum was first place I really noticed how the internet was changing. Almost overnight it became all about wokeness and political correctness gone mad. It became a battleground. A mini-CA forum, before the CA forum even existed(I think).

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122509999#Comment_122509999

Yes, thats largely true.

Outside of CA I think Boards is great, there are alot of excellent forums and people are helpful and there is very little bickering.

I often think straying into CA was the worst mistake I ever made, politics and religion are two highly contentious topics.

Most of us gain nothing from political discussions, apart from the emotional feeling of being ‘right’ or being in the contrary position. We lose time, and time is the most precious commodity, with little to show for our efforts.

Political discussions make enemies but not friends.

The more people become educated about the alternatives in politics, the more they become indifferent to either extreme. Trying to sway their opinion largely wont work. 

Studies have shown that most people don’t show their true political feelings—only extremists do.

In effect, when people with extreme political views feel that they are in the majority, they make a visible showing of it. 

The flip side of that is that people who dont want to be perceived as extremist, with-hold their political opinions.

You can't rationalise with Extremists.

So what am I saying after all that, probably that posting about politics or religion online is a waste of time for all involved.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122510421#Comment_122510421

The radio forum doesn't really have anything to do with what I said though, but yeah, the moderators of the radio forum were the first to leave the building.

And you're right a lot of the tone is similar to CA.

But that forum and Television always struck me as weird in that I'd say70-70% of posts were motivated from a position of disliking something or complaining. Was always weird (to me anyway) to see people seek out something they then complained a lot about. I've various thoughts on why they do this, but thats not for here.

Ahwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122510713#Comment_122510713

Yeah, I can see now that I misread the Moncrieff and D'arcy references.

Arghus

Weirdly enough I think boards has been gutted to such an extent in the last few years and so many posters have left that it's nearly - bizarrely - becoming a community of sorts again.

A dysfunctional one, but one nonetheless!

I don't mean it in the old way of people meeting up for social events or whatever, like 10-15 years ago.

I mean it more in the - perhaps slightly depressing sense - that there's a lot less people around, so, you can sometimes feel like you almost know everyone again: at least their online personas. I'm sure we all find ourselves running into the same posters again and again across the place.

I don't think anything is really going to change in terms of how the site is run etc. There's obviously no interest or care from the top. Mods and admins can only do so much.

Having said that, a good deal of the site, while quieter, is still pretty decent. Most people are nice, most forums are civil. It's still a pretty good site, despite everything.