Forum (in)activity

[FredFromOssett]

Culled from the Board Index at 14:55 today:
Who is online
In total there are 16 users online :: 4 registered, 0 hidden and 12 guests (based on users active over the past 5 minutes)
Most users ever online was 178 on Sat Sep 14, 2013 12:59 pm

Does the forum ever reach anything like the September 2013 activity? I suspect not, but I know not why.
It seems a shame, but I have no idea how interest in the forum can be stimulated, or even maintained.
Looking (and thinking) back to a year or 3 ago, there seem to have been a lot of previous contributors, some of whom were very prolific, who seem to no longer be on the forum.
I know that I don't post a lot myself, (and most of what I do is probably rubbish), but it does seem a pity that so many of the clan seem to have disappeared.
Posted in sorrow, not anger.

[Monika]

I do agree, Fred, and can think of two possible reasons:

After the 're-hash" of the KG website, I had quite a problem finding the forum page. This may have been resolved, but perhaps it put people off at the time and they never returned?

I wish this forum received more prominence in the magazine - not just with the occasional snippets from it, but actually telling people: there is an active forum and you, the reader, are welcome to join it!

[Geoff]

Perhaps we know it all or are we supposed to change to the inanity of Facebook and Twitter?

[Pa Snip]

Funny this subject should come up now as something along these lines has been mentioned in a few private conversations recently I am told.

I could really say exactly what I think but that would no doubt lead to my getting booted out. (some wouldn't mind that).
Actually since every day is 'extra time' for me does it matter if I am booted out, I think not but I also hope not.

I was looking only this morning at the 'newly registered users' group which goes back to Nov 2015. There is 171 names on it and the vast majority have never made a post, so why did they bother joining the forum.
On the same tack the board index claims Total members 3587 •. Of course since that list probably goes back to the forums inception many have moved on. But have so many moved on that we are reduced to the 20 or so names who contribute on a regular basis.

Fred, I suspect the figure quoted for Sept 2013 is a figment of the actual boards cyber imagination. Over the years I have been active on a number of hobby forums and have been admin on two. All of those forums had outlandish 'record number online' figures that just did not compare with the current usage. Not something I would hold any faith of it being accurate.

Monika I think you are right. I think the main magazine misses out on material for articles and features that could be gleamed from the forum. I don't know about others but I get the impression the main magazine editorial staff, and contributing writers, hardly, if ever, look at the forum. There are people on this forum who obviously have many years experience and they could provide a wealth of stories and helpful hints in the magazine I'm sure.
The snippets that are used strike me as going back an age in some cases, there are names sometimes quoted who I have never seen on the board and are of no recognition.

As regular users whose name do we see most performing moderator functions, peter and he is a volunteer. There are other moderators listed but I've rarely seen contribution posts from them or from editorial staff.

I suspect this forum is of little interest to editorial or management staff, maybe it continues to exist because competitive magazines have forums.

As a final question in this particular post, am I right in thinking that people can become members of this forum who do not actually subscribe to the magazine. I have been given this impression by some very weird 'one off' postings that I have noticed, particularly in the recipes forum.

[peter]

Life outside the forum for Tigger and Chantal has changed and they are rarely on here.

Anyone can join this forum, no purchase required.

I got co-opted by the above ladies some years ago as a trainee moderator and am now de facto flying solo.
I'd ask for an assistant, but the posting volumes don't warrant it. About once a week or fortnight I ban a new member who has joined purely to advertise their (or others) wares.

You lot are so stroppy, argumentative and downright rude that I haven't had to rebuke any of you for years.

Frankly I wish it was busier, even if it brought in inanity.

[Westi]

Interesting post Pa!

Hopefully you don't have to be a subscriber as that would exclude so many of our international, interested growers who can give us advice, recipes, tips & hints! I also note the forum does't get supported much in the magazine Monika, no exciting invitation for them to join in & ask questions! We have so much experience on this forum - OH, JB, Peter, Robo etc (& us girlies of course - PP, Primrose, Pawty, Monica - in my case disaster is my middle name & I could offer much from the blonde perspective)! Others I have missed apologises in advance!

Why would it be subscriper's only????? Hope someone in charge actually answers this bit!

Pa - it's general chatter - post away! We cleared that - no nonsense in the real post answers but let it off our chests in General Chat!

Westi

[Westi]

Hi Peter - thanks for clarifying that!

You are the tiller steering the ship then! Any ideas what we can do to get more people posting? Have you any influence? Loads of folk out there must have kitchen gardening questions. I have to admit I look at the competitors site & so much more activity but our mag is much better for true facts. Is the site run by the mag or the company who prints it?

I know too many questions - but have warned you before! There has been an attempt to upgrade but they didn't engage with the forum members - just confused us one day when we opened it! What are your thoughts?

Westi

[robo]

Bloody bell westi how did my name get mentioned when you said experienced I must admit I shy away from giving advice in case I make a fool of myself or should that be clown as it seems the in term at present, I cancelled my subscription for the magazine as I was getting very disappointed with the content of some months now I browse at the newsagents if there is nothing new in it will leave it on the shelf now pa snip ill probably get booted

[peter]

I think I'm more the Serjeant at Arms or bouncer.

Ensure the rules are followed and eject the unruly.

I have no ideas or suggestions, other than keep asking and answering questions.
If the magazine and its staff showed more interest in the forum and displayed that in the magazine I think the forum would liven up.

[Primrose]

I do subscribe to the magazine as well as the forum and am another person who thinks it's a shame that forum is so little mentioned and publicised in the magazine. I'm not a user of social media myself but it seems to me this is the way the world is going and it's a great shame not to capitalise on it and encourage both new and regular magazine readers to engage more proactively to share their own views and experiences.

Perhaps the magazine editors could publicise a topic of the month section in the magazine to encourage new, or even regular readers to come aboard onto the forum and debate it there further. For those who have little computer experience, maybe the magazine has to go back to basics and give step by step instructions on what to do to sign up. Those of us who are regular users can forget how daunting it can be to plough through a new techie procedure to try something new. These perhaps are the enthusiastic new forum participants we should be encouraging to join us.

[Pa Snip]

I think I'm more the Serjeant at Arms or bouncer.

If the magazine and its staff showed more interest in the forum and displayed that in the magazine I think the forum would liven up.

Ok I am going to be completely open and say I honestly did not expect you to say that Peter, three cheers for doing so.
I have thought that for a while. and I would lay odds that others would also agree.

robo if you get booted for that then others wont be far behind, my renewal is due up soon but I am having thoughts about whether I should bother, and that isn't because of health reasons. I cant say I have done more than page skim the last 3 issues, certainly have not read them because as far as the mag goes I admit to losing the enthusiasm.

What's that three mudketteers stuff about !!!!! (rhetorical question)

[Pawty]

Hi,

How about if KG don't come to the forum, we go to KG?

They appear to like letters (they give free seeds for them!) - Darren Hendley (as our KG contact) - please can you let us know the KG editors address please (not the Morton's email.....) (postal or email is fine)? I (as I'm sure everyone here) would love to provide some constructive advice on how the magazine could (should) be supporting its on line community. The editor might like to see what's being discussed here for example ???? Darren - please can you share these posts?

I love the KG mag so I don't want to sound mean, but they really aren't doing enough to support its readers through the forum or reach out to people who want support and encouragement in growing (and don't know where to go to ask questions). Example being, that they don't update the 'this week on the forum' on the website! If they did, maybe more people would visit the forum.

Thanks

Pawty

[alan refail]

Here is editor Steve Ott's e-mail address from front of KG magazine.

[email protected]

[Pa Snip]

Just a word of warning friends

IF management /owners /editorial don't feel the forum is worth supporting more then it would be very easy for them just to pull the plug on the forums section. Less than a couple of minutes and it could be game over for the forums
However as a result they might well lose part of their customer base.
I for one would not be interested in the magazine if it wasn't for the forum and the people regularly in it.

Pawty
Good Call.

[Primrose]

Perhaps the magazine owners/editor are worried that if the forum becomes too successful people will feel they can stop buying the magazine and get all their knowledge from the forum, which would obviously mean lower revenue. Surely the ideal solution would be for people to enjoy a combination of both but foR that to happen there surely has to be more inter-relation between the two.