Has the Forum gone downhill?

[Blue5]

By becoming too popular, no not a wind up, a genuine question.

I normally turn on when I get in from work and I used to find 6 or 7 new posts now I am finding up to 20+ this means I scroll through a couple of pages to glance the new stuff and pick out any worth a look, trouble is after 24hrs any posts outside first 3 or 4 pages seem to receive very few if any replies.

So I guess the question is because of popularity does the the Forum need splitting into various sub sections. I enjoy the technical questions but fear that they are not visible on the "first page" long enough to attract the expertees they perhaps deserve.

thoughts!! (even from the management)

 

[No Regrets]

While one appreciates the comfort of having old familiar friends posting all the time, you need lots and lots of new members in order to keep a forum alive.

Most forums peak after two to three years, some die as a result, some keep plodding on.

Part of the reason is, apart from the topical and newsworthy stuff, the same old questions keep getting asked, and in the end nobody can be bothered to reply.

For example...(a selection)

1/ Osmosis.

2/ Antifouling

3/ Volvo parts prices

4/ Best Marina South coast

5/ Marina prices

6/ Kipor vs Honda

EDIT: 7/ what oil should I use in my ***** diesel?


You see, once you know all about these subjects, there's little else to know /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


Seriously though, it's not far short of the truth...

On a bright note, the forum is incredibly helpful to nooby boaters such as I was a couple of years ago, and accelerates the learning process by an incredible amount, if people can be bothered to trawl (No pun) through the forum.

A few more posts and photo's from the more parasitic members would help to make the forum a brighter place though. There are a few guys who post spectacular images and details of lovely boaty days or weeks out, but nowhere near enough.

How about it? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[reeac]

Another favourite: what oil should I use in my ***** diesel?

 

[No Regrets]

Done! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[savageseadog]

No such thing as downhill on the sea.

 

[vyv_cox]

Well, you can't have it both ways. I have, and still do, participated in forums where only two or three people post per day. The exchange of views and information is so infrequent that it is barely worth looking for a new one.

Here, the posts come thick and fast, particularly at this time of year when people's interest in fitting out and getting things moving is at its highest. I have just scanned down the first page of posts and find an enormous variety of questions, expert answers, humour and entertainment. OK, people do sometimes ask the same question that was answered yesterday, but nobody forces you to read them.

I think it would be very difficult to find a resource such as this anywhere, where virtually any technical question will get a good answer. Especially for free and with the understanding that many posters don't even buy the magazines.

You just have to learn to be selective in what you look at. Definitely not in favour of sub-sections, it would kill off much of the value of the present arrangement.

 

[demonboy]

Must admit though, the liveaboard forum is getting a little frustrating. There may be more posts but so many of them are the same question where users have not bothered to search first.

The other thing I've noticed is new users, e.g. people who joined within the last 12 months, who have over 2,000 posts to their name. I think some people just see posting comments on a forum as a competition. It doesn't matter what they post, as long as they post. This quite often results in questions not being answered. My latest thread on Red Sea Authorities took nine posts before I finally got an answer because too many people were not reading the original question and just posting for the sake of it. This has been happening more and more over the last year or so.

That said, my questions almost always get answered so there is a lot to be said for 'new life' coming into the forums.

And... in answer to your original question (he says sheepishly, realising he has done exactly what he has crisitcised other people of doing), no the forum should not be split into sub-sections. Quite often I like reading posts on subjects I would never have dreamed about discussing. It's a good way of exposing yourself to stuff you wouldn't normally read about.

 

[demonboy]

Sorry, just an after thought: some forums I use allow a poster to give a respondent a purple star as a kind of 'thank you' for the information received. Since some people use the forum as a competition, this kind of incentive might make them be a bit more considered in their responses. It works quite well.

 

[Babylon]

[ QUOTE ]
Part of the reason is, apart from the topical and newsworthy stuff, the same old questions keep getting asked, and in the end nobody can be bothered to reply.

[/ QUOTE ]

This statement isn't true and needs a little unfolding.

First of all the ybw earch facility isn't at all good (or takes a great deal of patience to use), so its a lot quicker to ask exactly the question you have rather than trawl through scores of old threads - which might revolve around the general issue but don't necessarily answer your particular question.

Secondly, it depends which forum: this PBO forum is the most technical of the lot, so there'll always be loads of specific questions being asked, and sometimes only an informed answer or two is needed. The YM forum has a different nature, with some interesting or controversial threads running to many pages - there is often no black or white answer - and similar questions posted time and again result in different debates.

Thirdly, as an active forumite for about a year now, I've found plenty of 'old hands' as willing as ever to answer the same questions from different newbies time and again. What wonderful generosity!

 

[samwise]

A motorcycle forum that I use is split into a number of sub-sections and it can be quite confusing, although it does help to have the touring and technical areas separated.

The YBW Forums, as constituted have a very good arrangement to split out the broad discussion / information request strands with Reader to Reader, Scuttlebutt, Liveaboard Link and The Lounge. The problem is that posters often post in the wrong place or, an an insurance against not getting any response, file the same post across a range of forum sections.

Perhaps a better description of the areas covered by the individual forums would help newbies ( and others) to effectively target their posts.

Of course, an efficient search facility would help enormously and cut down the repeat queries. Forumites have been complaining about the very poor and clunky search facility for ages and the operators are clearly disinclined or too budget-strapped to do anything about it.

 

[dovekie]

Agreed. Precise technical questions - often accompanied with photos - get succinct answers. Common questions often get a polite pointer to a previous thread I too am astonished at the generosity in time taken by some forum members to post replies.

 

[fuss]

The star system sounds like a very good idea and I would like that, but it should exclude places like the lounge.

 

[mortehoe]

Nope ... It\'s like Gardening Magazines

You've got to go round the 3 year treadwheel yet again for the nth time. I started posting on ybw when it started its first forum .... Yes there was Twister Ken and Vyv Cox. It's amazing that we didn't quite precede JJ (Bow Bow Bow)

It's still a great place. I hardly ever post here as I can't contribute anything much new ... to show you how much I've gone down the drain I've even bought a Rocna!!! ...

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

As a relative new boy, I find this site extremely valuable and accept that we'll have jokers, but long may they continue in moderation as they usually bring a smile on.
I find that by using the 'user options' and setting my page up so I can see 99 of the last postings, it is easier to differentiate between those postings of interest and those that are not, quite quickly.
I'm still a fan of www.sailers.co.uk which is surviving after the debacle of themainsail.com .
Perhaps some of you could lend it a hand to survive and grow by posting a few things on there?

 

[Moscowman100]

As a long term lurker who has only just plucked up the courage (cash) to buy, can I plead for the forum to remain unchanged. Yes, there are some questions that could have been addressed by searching. However, unless you know the answer it can be hard to formulate the question/search! My thanks to the forumites who answer stupid questions intelligently and even to those who do the reverse (provided they are witty)

 

[aitchem]

Needs automatic forwarding to a "comic" section for the drivel.

 

[bluedragon]

My biggest gripe is the search system. I know the old one had problems, but at least you could find what you wanted. The new one through Google is almost useless IMO and I wonder how many users now just post and don't bother with a search. That is resulting in many more posts I suspect. Forum Admin please take note!!