getting lost

probably not a winning topic, but I am getting so lost with all thes new topics, we should may be have a place for us "not sure where to go's" to go

 

I agree Waco - GC is just losing its focus and becoming a general chatroom. I rarely log in and then just scan for anything new in the General gardening, Wild flowers and Wildlife corners. I don't see how anyone can read all the threads and so self selection seems to be the way forward. I gave up on the games a long time ago.

 

For me - just scanning Today's Active Topics is fine - so the extra sections don;t cause too much problem. Not sure I could visit every section. But using Today's Active Topics picks up everything posted over the day - and that'll do :D :D .

 

The forum is growing so fast there are such a lot of posts to sift through- sign of health I suppose. Would separating gardening and non- gardening recent posts help?

 

Liz, go away for a day and you're lost ... I don't know how I'll cope when I go back to the UK in October as we cut off computer connections there!

But, then again, I'll be too busy to think about you guys! :eek:

 

Yes, that's the problem- active topics is fine if you login every day but sometimes there are so many that someones' post may be buried without an answer. :(

 

Agree with you Fran (although I do scan through lots of the topics as a mod).

With almost 2500 members the Forum seems to be doing very well, and one of the nice things about it is that we are able to post friendly chitchat as well as the gardening topics.

The formula seems about right Nathan - long may it continue.

 

A forum needs to cater for all walks of life.......although the forum is for Gardeners and such, there is also the members who don't do gardening but prefer to come here to chat........

A forum is not just a place to post topics on gardening or ask questions, it is also designed for people to chat. This is why Nathan has added None Gardening topics. So members can come to the forum and join in None Gardening Discussions.


Many people choose threads to what they feel happy watch/reading/posting too. I personaly only go through a few threads......as it can become a bit of a headache as to what i want to look at. But then i don't have all day to read them and some members do.

Also it is in the webmasters interest to get as many members into this forum as possible. This way he can start to pull back the monies that he is paying out for us to be able to come to this forum. Likes of advertising...if this forum only had a few threads and not many members, then advertising would be out. This is also why when you go to a succesfull forum you see many threads and groups. With hundreds or thousands of members, and i will guarantee there is some sort of advertising going on so that they can generate some income back.

I think its unfair to say that the Forum is loosing its focus......i think 2400+ members says otherwise.

[ 15. August 2006, 11:10 AM: Message edited by: PCMedic ]

 

One of the forums I belong to has grown to about 5000 members. Rather than advertising, the organiser asked for donations monthly via paypal, as they have many members outside UK.
Most people responded with regular amounts usually of just a few pounds. If there is a problem on GC perhaps the same thing would work here.

 

Some statistics for yah!!!

Christian Forums

Posts: 26,996,298
Members: 159,291
Threads: 3,357,572
Total users online : 1331
Current members online: 476
Current guests online: 855
Most ever users online: 6,554

It averages 12-1800 members online at any one time! The number of fora is staggering - 282 qat last count and often being added to - and getting topics in the wrong thread is a constant nightmare!! Wehave a report facility and though I only mod in one forum, I still average about 6 reports a day!!! Last weekend I had 14 in two hours. I have 4 waiting for me already and it's only 1420! We also have a 'staff' of 153 including a Human Resources and Executive Teams, all voluntary of course!

As for funding, members are invited to support but it's not obligatory andf I think about 30% do.

Growth=diversity. You can't avoid it.

[ 15. August 2006, 02:51 PM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

Thats what I do Fran, Active Topics works a treat for scanning what you want to contribute to. If something doesn't interest me I just scoll on by. This aint the RHS peeps, just a huge group of people that have come together via gardening and found they quite like eachother. :D

 

One thing though that has to be born in mind, is what the newbie sees as they enter what they think is a gardening forum. Getting the balance right is important for those - we know we are gardeners do they?.

 

They can soon find out by asking a question or two, correct?

 

I think it is great the way it is, we have a great non-gardening section which a lot of the members do join in and also we can ask and get help about our plants etc the computer section also.Keep up the good work Gc doing great.