Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself? [Threadbanned users in 1st post]

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993722#Comment_121993722

For me, there’s definitely a habit there. But I wouldn’t say that it’s the only thing. There are some forums that I genuinely enjoy posting in, there’s others that I would love only for some low-level trolling (which I blamed on me closing my previous account, although I don’t keep track of that stuff nowadays), and there’s other topics that I must avoid as I don’t handle confrontation very well.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993985#Comment_121993985

But can we get some suggestions of things we can do to boost the good sides? We know about the issues with trolls and moderators. I suppose what I'm looking for is what positives can be built on. What can we do to promote the funny, helpful side etc. As mentioned above there's so much more to the site than just CA, AH and soccer.

Is there something particular forums or mods can do (without mentioning trolls and power trips!) to boost activity?

There are good suggestions about streamlining forums. There are lots of dead forums that make navigation difficult so cleaning those up into an 'Archive' area would be worth exploring.

Maybe make more use of the Facebook/Twitter accounts for promoting the site and particular threads? (Stay on top of the social media cranks who will jump straight to complaining too!!)

Anything else?

Vote4Squirrels

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994011#Comment_121994011

Maybe have an “posters choice” - one day a week the Moderators choose a poster and they get to suggest a topic they want to discuss.

Say 25 “thank yous” and it’s there for a day?

Patrick Mahomes

Trying to find a way of bringing back post of the day and thread of the day and pinning them to the front page. Post of the day usually brought me to forums I wouldn’t normally frequent and I would end up reading and view more of those.

Then using the Twitter account to link those posts or threads.

Regards,

P.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993952#Comment_121993952

There are almost too many positives to list. Discussions on hobbies from gardening to shooting to angling, sailing and board games. To get so many topics on one site is a huge bonus. Interests as diverse as motoring, fitness, music, sport and nature studies all under one roof. Then there's all the very useful advise to be found on topics like finance, consumer issues, DIY and parenting. It's a great resource.

You'll always find more traffic on a thread looking at negatives but the relatively few individuals posting here doesn't really compare to the numbers posting across the myriad of forums and threads elsewhere on the site.

The one thing to improve usage, or encourage new users, is perhaps to tidy up the number of forums and sub forums. It can be difficult at times to find a topic among the plethora available at present.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994011#Comment_121994011

Let threads naturally evolve without a Mod instruction to get back on topic.

If someone finds a topic offensive and reports posts to beat the band they should be told to stop reading it and let everyone else get on with it. Put a note in the OP to let posters know to engage with the topic or leave.

Merging forums would definitely help, but good luck getting a consensus on what should go where. 😄

Bring back the AH wokeism thread (please refer to my second suggestion). I could guess the posters who reported posts there like it was a full-time job, and I'd guess very few were actually genuinely bothered.

Vote4Squirrels

Sorry to go on the negative again but when you have a perfectly valid post removed with no warning or message - you do start to wonder about motives!

tom23

Give a pardon to all banned users on threads. A purge anarchy without the anarchy! 😎

z80CPU

What I DO like about boards.

. The accurate opinion about RTE Radio 1 and Newstalk 106: Car crash radio.

. The opinion of Fine Gaels performance at the present time

More lighthearted threads like " Say something from the past wihtout context!

What I do NOT like

The coverage of the Israel Palestine war is acrimonious: a sh|tshow with no middle ground heard out.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994094#Comment_121994094

Wokeism of the day as it evolved wasn't really wokeism of the day anymore though… it became a contentious discussion thread for the rare 'wokeism' that was actually posted. In your scenario above, that is what would happen again. Either it becomes an echo chamber or it becomes a battleground.

So perhaps it could be a link dump thread, not to opinion pieces but something like 'dispatches from the culture wars (was wokeism of the day)' … so news articles highlighting absurd wokeism, or absurd counter-wokeism, as people see it. But without discussion. Similar to the political satire pictures thread.

Just have some limited rules like no re-posting and no spamming so someone doesn't flood it with lots of posts at same time.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994145#Comment_121994145

But some of us enjoyed it, I don't criticise threads or fora I've no interest in.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994145#Comment_121994145

A thread like that one would have been better served in the “Current Affairs” forum. Some users just want to turn “After Hours” into a place for attacking trans people.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994011#Comment_121994011

please get more mods in food forum chips. It’s a fab spot but can be ruined a bit by silly arguments and whatnot I find.

I think if it was possible maybe we could do like a monthly recipe (take something someone posted in the forum and throw it on the front page or something?) idk something like that could be fun. 😎

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994150#Comment_121994150

I imagine the people criticising it or reporting it or whatever had an interest in the subject too, but coming at it from a different angle. If opinions can be expressed then so will counter opinions. So unless you want an echo chamber thats what you will get cos thats how it evolved last time too.

I enjoyed it at the start when it was actually about reporting absurd 'wokeisms' from the media. Then it just became a to and fro, and given the contentious topic... posts get heated. Mods get busy. After Hours is supposed to be more light hearted.

So keep the thread as a place for posters to reference the absurdity of the extremes of the culture war. But no opinion or commentary. Similar to the political satire pictures thread.

You should still get your quota of wokeisms of the day to read.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994094#Comment_121994094

no.
jk, I’ll talk to the guys about it and see what they say Legend.

Edit: posted in AH mod forum I will come back here with any updates

TheChrisD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993722#Comment_121993722

Honestly, I'm only still here because I've been here for ages. If I was a new user, I'd far prefer Reddit for sheer amount of topics with dedicated discussion portals.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994169#Comment_121994169

The thread as it evolved into contentious debate yes it would have been better served in CA.

knucklehead6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993722#Comment_121993722

the everything and anything

when I joined boards I had been a member on a different site that ended up dying after a turkish hack.

And this place had been slagged to high heaven over there too.

Anyway, I joined and found that there are a huge amount of forums catering for every itch you can think of

I’ve asked questions to do with work, I’ve been helped out with the journey from non biker to everyday rider. I’ve a fairly wide range told interests and they’re reflected in my followed forums.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994254#Comment_121994254

I've been threatening to learn to ride a motorbike for a very long time....

I might have a look through your posting history 😉

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994011#Comment_121994011

I posted the following Saturday night, I posted it immediately after my post in which I listed issues I have with moderation that did get some commentary and reaction. I posted this as I felt there were 3 unique elements relating to discussion around the site that I was curious to see whether or not they would provoke conversation.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121986528#Comment_121986528

I've also said on here that the 'Best' threads that one poster used to run were fun. Or the same type of threads about various tracks within different genres of music. I enjoyed some of the AMA threads also and appreciated the effort the site made in organizing them.

There used to be fun nonsensical threads amongst 20-30 frequent posters who'd just comment on their day and so on that usually seemed like a nice little community. That was probably 30-50 people who logged on casually just to see how the thread was going and maybe they dropped in to other threads too and left a post or 2.

I remember a couple years ago, someone started a thread about a Cardi B song in the music forum. It had multiple posts from multiple users within a few hours. Then it was closed. I messaged the mod and asked why and they said that the question asked in the OP was answered. That conversation died right there. In my view, threads like that should never be closed unless there's been zero posts added in 24 or 48 or 72 hrs or something. On a site struggling with numbers, to be shutting down discussions because of the pedantry of questions asked and answered is madness. Move the discussion elsewhere if you wish, but don't silence it.

I used to enjoy reading the soccer threads but the views in there were too partisan for even me to tolerate so I never requested access to the forum which would have allowed me to post. I don't think I've seen a soccer forum thread since the changeover, it's obviously hidden away in some corner.

In terms specifically of improving activity I mentioned threads in the past (mostly in AH) that I would find and would spend a long time catching up on them and really loving the content. Completely pointless threads in terms of the content but they would be entertaining and give you the type of warm fuzzy feeling that would bring you back. Stories about funny incidents dating, or house sharing, or random work colleagues or friends/neighbors or whatever. But they were heavily influenced by the vibe around here and I think we can all agree that vibe just isn't there right now and it can't be forced unless the environment is right for it.

I think Boards could help launch threads at times to promote conversation, same way as people who get together at the same time to watch a TV show and comment it on here. A Thread on the Thursday before a Bank Holiday weekend called 'Jesus, I remember one time…..' when the OP swore they wouldn't go out to save money but ended up on a ferry back from the UK 3 days later would lead to funny stories from others who are happy to reminisce without having to deal with the 7 day hangover that most of us would have to consider if we went on a Bank Holiday session now.

Aside from using Facebook or Twitter or the like, make use of the email function to tell users that a conversation on a topic is gaining traction is a simple thing to reach people who already have accounts. Or to let others know who had accounts, but haven't used them in a long time that they are missed and the site is active and they'd like to be welcomed back. Blanket emails sent to whatever database is holding log in details could have a significant impact. One thing I should say, that during the period of about 2015 to 2021, I often thought that Boards was worth a lot to me in terms of the amount of hours entertainment I got from it. I never recall seeing the likes of messages Wikipedia or the Guardian or Donald Trump put out reminding people of what they offer and asking for one off donations.

But, as I said it my post above, what do those who own/run/hold sway over the site think can and could/should be done to help promote the right sort of activity on here?

Backstreet Moyes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994105#Comment_121994105

It really depends where you are posting and if you are a regular you will know yourself.

I had a post removed about a trans dart player being in 3rd position and if he finishes second he will qualify for the world championship.

I said I hope he doesn't because nobody deserves abuse from drunk idiots and It would mentally scar him.

Now the reason it was removed is because i called a biological man a he.

Now if that persons body was ever found with skeletal remains they wouldn't be looking for information on a women for obvious reasons, so why is a mod deleting posts that are the truth.

If you look, it's the same mod who is the mod of the lgbt forum.

An apt comparison would be a moderator and fan of a man United forum being tasked with moderating a combined thread on Liverpool vs. man United.

I am sure the mod might do their best to be impartial, but it's like telling me santa claus is real.

A mod with a conflict of interest should have no business modding threads, its the reason the 6 or 7 posters everyone talks about who get away with murder are allowed to get away with it.

AAdding a new mod to CA to oversee such threads would make a very big improvement.

knucklehead6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994269#Comment_121994269

dammit!! Now I’m on the admin radar!!

farewell cruel world. I’m about to be banned from the internet in its entirety!😜

Vote4Squirrels

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994290#Comment_121994290

I don’t know for sure who removed it but there is a moderator who is on there from that forum so it might be the same person.

I didn’t use anyone pronouns - there was a post about an adult biological male competing in swimming against teenage girls and my exact post was “Jesus wept how is that allowed??”

I really don’t get why it was removed but it does strike me as rather underhanded.

nachouser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994301#Comment_121994301

It always comes back to the trans stuff. Would you post it in a work chat? Nah. But folks will do it on here and then complain about Boards.ie moderating them. Yawn.

pjohnson

Ah this thread had a decent run before the trans guff started.

Big Bag of Chips

Lads I don't want to start deleting posts on this thread but as always if you have a problem with a moderator or action taken please contact the moderator or C-Mod.

Back on topic here please.

Thanks

Backstreet Moyes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994369#Comment_121994369

This is a feedback thread and my feedback is that a mod who is a mod of the lgbt forum cannot be expected to be impartial when modding threads about trans related or lgbt topics.

It's not that I have a problem with the mod, I am sure they tŕy to be unbiased.

It would be better for the mod and discussion if someone without bias would oversee those type of threads.

Big Bag of Chips

I'm not discussing specific cases or moderators on this thread. If you have a complaint please make it through the correct channels.

nachouser

The two main yokes on the Criminal justice thread having a go at trans people joined on the same day within 8 mins of each other.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993952#Comment_121993952

Well I pop in for a variety of reasons: to learn things in both current news but also re hobby/ diy etc, read other people's views, discuss some views, help some queries if I can, share a thought. That's about it.

What helps that is light moderation, that would boost the positives. It's not a school playground, most people here are of an age to be responsible. So silly unwarranted warnings, posting limits and bans can undermine the positives quickly.