Nocturnal Forum Feedback Thread

Tragedy

I used to be a big poster here when the forum was first created, went to all the beers etc.

To be honest, I stopped posting long before the forum became quiet because
1)I just don't have the energy for chat threads and found them kind of annoying in the end(trying to keep up and whatnot).
2)The forum subculture became more nocturnal focused(rather than just being a late night forum for people who stayed up late for whatever reason and wanted a place to talk) and it didn't really interest me.

Nothing wrong with either, but both contributed to me stopping reading/posting

If there had have been more social events with new people, I probably would have held on longer to be honest!

ToniTuddle

Well do you think you will come to more social events in the future maybe?
I'm sure there is plenty more new posters that you aint met since you last stopped posting

FewFew

Right, read through this sprawling monster of a thread (which I'm quite happy to see because it only began a few days ago.)

I must say in the greater scheme of Noc things I'm but a baby, but honestly it's the first forum on boards that I've felt at home in. This might sound odd, but in other forums I'm either doing work due to a vested interest, or I'm completely on edge due to a running clique type thing. I found the noc forum really welcoming, especially in a time when I was looking for a forum to call home.

I must admit I never realised there was a strong "alt" vibe to the Noc. I took it as a forum for those who stay up late, and that is generally me, I wrote the majority of my thesis between the hours of 2am and 8am. When I saw photos of most of the regulars I was actually surprised that so many of the lads were wearing black and sporting facial hair and piercings. That's not in anyway a judgment, that's just showing how much I was oblivious to the whole "alt" vibe running through the room. So, I guess that means I never felt isolated because I was too "vanilla".

One thing that dragged me into the Noc was the various tournaments. I know this isn't the comic book forum, but I really enjoyed the tournaments and also the attitude that you didn't have to be an expert, in fact I really enjoyed LZ filling me in on the back story of comics I hadn't read in years. Also the tournaments generated a bit of banter, and I thought the "tournament discussion" threads absorbed most of the non-voting banter, I rarely noticed it straying into the Lair.

The Lair strikes me as a bit of an odd place. I always do my best to say hello in a few sentences, I never just say "hi", but many people do just say hello, and then for some reason the next 4 or 5 posts will be people saying hello back... that's a bit pointless. Having said that, the Lair is a bit of a magical place, where people can open up after a while and have a proper discussion. Unfortunately too much of the time posts are like "is there anybody there?" ... cue silence.

I've noticed a major separation between people who go to Nocs beers and people who frequent the lair. Judging from various posts about the place, I really want to hang out with the people who frequent the Noc Beers, but most of those people just appear for the Beers threads. I'm left wishing that the likes of Deki, Links or Cyber were going to the beers mainly because those are the people I've built up relations with through the lair. I'm sure all the old regulars are lovely (in fact I was really disappointed that I couldn't make the last beers) but I just don't have any reference for most of ye because you're never about.

I too have gone from a position of being an aul insomniac with no need for the daylight, to working a respectable 9-5 type job, so I can't do all nighters, but I sure as hell check this forum daily. The likes of Nocturnal Nerds keeps me going when all else fails.

I think emphasizing the "alternative" interests of the forum is a great idea, not because I'm totally alt (I usually wear a suit everyday) but because I'm interested in comics, vampires, werewolves (infact I'm in the middle of writing a trilogy of werewolf novels) and the like. So, if a square like myself has an interest in some of these alt themes, surely others will find something too.

Ultimately, if we want to attract new members we need to formulate our sales pitch. Are we saying "hey, come in here if you stay up late!" or do we say "Hey come in here if you're alternative!". We can cater to both obviously, but you'll have to figure out how to sell it.


Also, as an aside, why are Beers photos so slow to come about? I'm sure they're already in the ether, but I haven't seen any. It might be an aid to inclusion to post a few photos to say "yes, here's the Noc beers you never made it to, but at least now you have a sense of what you missed." ... I started this paragraph thinking "we should really make a noc beers video" but then realised Galvasean might be about and judge my editing skills

We've a really friendly and welcoming crew here (relative to what I've experienced elsewhere) so why not make the page really welcoming by including people in off-site activities as much as possible? I'm sure our foreign members (like Deki and Cyber) would love the chance to chuckle at photos of beers.

Doctor DooM

I really wish people would get off this seperating into "alt" and "vanilla" thing to be honest. It's destructive and devisive imo.

I don't do it in real life, I don't see why I should do it here. What good can it do? It just looks like segregation tbh, and people taking entrenched positions on either "side" helps no one.

There's always been an undertone of nerdiness and cultdom here and it's never been a church-and-state type of thing til those words were mentioned. It happens. Some people want more of it. But that doesn't mean you have to post in those threads or yer out.

It's perfectly possible for us to maintain those srs bznz threads and the light hearted "I'm just up all night, amuse me" part of the forum too.

With my mod hat on, I can see that this forum needs a direction. Simply "being a place to chat about...stuff, at night" I could see Boards not being happy with. We need to decide on that direction, but that in no way demands we exclude people. In fact, that position would be antithetical to my personal way of thinking. It's called the Nocturnal Forum and people who are simply insomniac or interested in looking at anything dark without declaring themselves "alt" should be welcomed.


Why should a thread organising, say, a trip to next years horrorthon (I missed it this year, we should deffo do it next year) affect people who just want to chillax in the lair? On either "side"?


So anyways, fewcy's post is a good one. We need to decide what we want and how we go about looking for it.

Baggly

Someone mentioned a last man standing tournament....what is that exactly?

cyberwolf77

Pter wrote: »

Someone mentioned a last man standing tournament....what is that exactly?

Something along the lines of an up all night challenge I assume.

Baggly

cyberwolf77 wrote: »

Something along the lines of an up all night challenge I assume.

Oh that would be interesting and very nocturnal themed. Kudos to whomever suggested it.

reallyrose

Oh no, Last Man Standing is different.

It is played thus:
People sign up to play (initially)
So you have a list of names and each person has 100 points (or so)

One post every 24 hours.
Subtract 20 (-20) and add 10 ( 10) the -20 can be either 2x10 or just -20, the 10 cannot be broke up.
Anyone can play, even if you are not on the list.
If you play during a game, you get on the list for the next one.


So I might go

Noc 1 - 80 (-20)
Noc 2 - 100
Noc 3 - 110 (+10)
Noc 4 - 100
Noc 5 - 100
Noc 6 - 100

Once someone gets to 0, they are removed. And the last one left wins!
I've played it on other forums and it's fun. We could change the rules about a little, make it one post every 12 hours / 2 hours / whatever.

Baggly

Who referees?

ToniTuddle

reallyrose wrote: »

Oh<li class="bb_list">Subtract 20 (-20) and add 10 ( 10) the -20 can be either 2x10 or just -20, the 10 cannot be broke up.

Don't get this bit....you mean subtract 20 if they don't post in 24hrs and add 10 if they do keep posting everyday??

reallyrose

ToniTuddle wrote: »

Don't get this bit....you mean subtract 20 if they don't post in 24hrs and add 10 if they do keep posting everyday??

No, I mean that anyone can post, and subtract or add points to people scores.
You don't have to post at all if you don't want.

So I might go

Noc 1 - 80 (-20)
Noc 2 - 100
Noc 3 - 110 (+10)
Noc 4 - 100
Noc 5 - 100
Noc 6 - 100

you might come along after me and go

Noc 1 - 70 (-10)
Noc 2 - 90 (-10)
Noc 3 - 110
Noc 4 - 110 (+10)
Noc 5 - 100
Noc 6 - 100

So you are adding or subtracting to the scores of other players.
I'm not very good at explaining things I think.

Baggly

Could you please explain using finger puppets....

ToniTuddle

So we can come along and subtract peoples scores....

But I could just keep coming back everyday and subtracting 20 from you and if nobody helped you by adding on you would then be gone!


I is confuzzled.

reallyrose

ToniTuddle wrote: »

But I could just keep coming back everyday and subtracting 20 from you and if nobody helped you by adding on you would then be gone!

Yup!

But you wouldn't be that mean to me, would you. :eek:

ToniTuddle

reallyrose wrote: »

Yup!

But you wouldn't be that mean to me, would you. :eek:

>.>



<.<


*cough*

To ma new best buddy?? Noooooo! :eek:


>.>


<.<

Baggly

'Tis been a week so here is what the collective might of the brain-power of the Noc forum has come up with;

Suggestions:

• Bigger gaps between battle threads
• New threads
• All night challenge
• Put links in your sig
• Take the remaining threads and let the forum go
• Last man standing thread
• Nocturnal Icons
• Serious threads
• Try starting a thread
• Freshen up the charter and index
• Directory of usernames and noc titles
• Too much emphasis on the Lair
• Make the place seem less close and closed
• Longer thread titles/ Descriptive thread titles
• Put read 1st post in established threads and explain what the thread is about in the 1st post
• Make the forum less daunting and make sure new posters know whats what and whats where
• Another thread for non broody emotions
• Big NOC night in!!! yay !!!!
• More social events with new people
• Define the forum better – what are we doing here

If i missed anything, im sorry. Let me know and ill add it in. Some of these have already begun. Hopefully we will see some changes around here and everyone will have a happy on their face.

Toni, your list making skills suck. -10 points.

Micky Dolenz

I haven't read much of the thread cos I wanted to give my thoughts first,uninfluenced.

When I first came on boards I was drawn here and the Zombie Survival Forum, not because I was a late night person or anything but the Liar was always such good craic. There is a core bunch of posters here that I was attracted too,sexually of course :P

When I was more active here, it was always more laid back than all the other forums on boards. I became friends with Nerin through the ZSF and had great craic at the Halloween beers of '09 with a lot of regulars. It was great to put faces to names.

I got dragged away from here because I explored boards more and more. it's a big place. A load of Noc threads are on my subs though, and just cos i don't post much doesn't mean I don't read the forum. I suspect a lot of posters are the same.

EDIT: I'll go back and read the rest of the thread but I just caught Pter post above. the battle threads, I love. fair play to all involved particularity LZ, who put a lot of work into the first one, (which I stole borrowed btw for the ZSF :P)

BaconZombie

If I'm meeting up with people I get on with and enjoy talking to I don;t mind where we meet, one the music is not to loud so we can talk and it's not to packed we can sit round in the same area.

The only place I will always object to is "The Capital Bar" since the bouncers and management are &^@£;~%@&amp;$ and I had run in with them before.

shellyboo wrote: »

Well I think metal music is shlt and I still went to Dominion and had a ball. I think the us vs them, vanilla vs alt atmosphere is making a lot of us vanilla types sick to the back teeth as Nerin said. If the vanilla people can be big and bold enough to forget wanting to go dancing to 80s cheesy pop and go to Dominion for a night, can the Alt types not make a similar compromise for the sake of the vanilla types and tolerate a bit of mainstream chat, a mainstream bar, a pub that isn't full of similar alt-types and raging doom metal music, for the sake of the forum? I'd never ever force or even suggest an 80s cheesy night out for this forum as I know most of you would hate it -- but just a normal bar? With seats and ambient music and drinks? Is that SUCH an effort, the odd time? Without complaining that it's not alt enough?

As far as I can see, people aren't willing to do that -- or at least, they're not willing to do it without complaining about it. And that just serves to make the vanilla people feel (a) guilty for making the suggestion and (b) unwelcome. As if the Alt members think of this as "their" forum and the vanilla types are merely intruders spoiling their fun. That's how I feel. I think others feel that way too.

I have quite a few time have had 2nd thought about some of the pic's I was thinking so posting on the "Nerd" thread since they maybe seen as sexiest.

I hope if anybody has a problem with anything I post they will PM me.

Edit:

Hopefully my last post with make up for it...... :pac:

Thaedydal wrote: »

It is for both.
Trust me this place has had it's fluffy and sparkly momements over the years too.



All you got to do is take part, most folks are very warm and welcoming
and happy to get to know you as much as you are willing to let them
and

I've never seen any sexist clap trap in here

it's a nice break in pace form other places on the site.

I saw this place as somewhere for people so don't want to / can't sleep at night.

I agree with the whole pretentiousness "alt" thing, and that way I've need really became part of group from the so called "Subcultures"

emo!! wrote: »

I thought the nocturnal form was a nocturnal form not a social form...

Thats just my opinion and as you are aware some people do think the same as me.

I havent stopped posting here just cause I dont like certain people, I stopped posting here for a few things, one cause if you dont go to these meets there is very little to talk about. If I stopped doing stuff cause I didnt like people and threw my toys out of the pram so to speak, Id have to permanently stay inside my house.:rolleyes:

This whole ALT thing is correct to... it has an air of pretentiousness about it lately... and it bores me

If this is a social forum then the name needs to change... cause it sure as hell isnt a nocturnal form..

peace

I know when I started posting here I tried to read back a few pages of The Lair to see what people were talking about but it was always moving to fast.

I did post it in a bit but now I mostly just read the last ~5 post and then close it.

Galvasean

More news threads.... Ones that start off with things like "Scientists ahve discovered anew type of bat..."
Oh wait, taht's my job

cyberwolf77

Galvasean wrote: »

More news threads.... Ones that start off with things like "Scientists ahve discovered anew type of bat..."
Oh wait, taht's my job

We really need to make it clear that certain types of threads are not the sole domain of certain posters to start. Galva=news threads, LZ& myself= tournament threads. Really detracts from the openness we seem to be going for.

Galvasean

cyberwolf77 wrote: »

We really need to make it clear that certain types of threads are not the sole domain of certain posters to start. Galva=news threads, LZ& myself= tournament threads. Really detracts from the openness we seem to be going for.

True that. It was a little joke at my expense. Anyone who looks at 'Threads Created By Galvasean' in my profile will notice that half of them begin along the lines of, "Scientists have discovered..."

What ever happened to that 'answer a question, ask a question' thread? Basically one poster would answer the question left by the previous poster, then ask a question for the next poster to answer (whoever it may be). I thought taht was a cool thread and good way to getto know other posters. I much prefer it to the Spotlight series, where some users simply got unluck because there werent many people around to ask them a whole lot and their thread looked comparitively 'unpopular' as a result.

cyberwolf77

beats me, maybe someone should bring it back to life.

Galvasean

Had a search there. Could not for the life of me find it.

Actually, in the spiritod current feedback I'll start a new one!

To quote that guy from Clerks II, "We're takin' it back!"

girl_friday

Galvasean wrote: »

What ever happened to that 'answer a question, ask a question' thread? Basically one poster would answer the question left by the previous poster, then ask a question for the next poster to answer (whoever it may be). I thought taht was a cool thread and good way to getto know other posters. I much prefer it to the Spotlight series, where some users simply got unluck because there werent many people around to ask them a whole lot and their thread looked comparitively 'unpopular' as a result.

Iirc the mods locked it and decided to do the Noclight instead. Not sure why that decision was made though so maybe check before starting a new one.

Nerin

girl_friday wrote: »

Iirc the mods locked it and decided to do the Noclight instead. Not sure why that decision was made though so maybe check before starting a new one.

Neither can i... Weird. Work away on it though, sounds grand to me and your right about the spotlight sometimes being quiet.

Galvasean

IIRC I dont think the mods closed it, just that interest phased out once the Noclight got going.
Anywho, new thread up.

Handsome Bob

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

EDIT: I'll go back and read the rest of the thread but I just caught Pter post above. the battle threads, I love. fair play to all involved particularity LZ, who put a lot of work into the first one, (which I stole borrowed btw for the ZSF :P)

It worked very well in ZSF I have to say, much better than it did here. Though the first 2 tournaments we did here were very popular, maybe that was just a knock on effect of the place being at its peak in terms of traffic.

ToniTuddle

Pter wrote: »

Toni, your list making skills suck. -10 points.

I've been busy!!

For being a meanie pants... -20 points

-.-

Baggly

Also:

Nocturnal Podcast.

Bagsie.

Handsome Bob

Ya, I wouldn't want it anyway, you can keep it.