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

Boards badly needs to prepare for the future by slimming down. A lot of dead forms need to go, After hours and Current affairs/IMHO should be merged into an new "General Discussion" forum. The covid forum should be deleted

I only recently discovered the "bad parking" thread in the Motors forum, it's worth a follow if you haven't already seen it. Some very amusing posters on there.

Also, the "what did you have for breakfast" thread if you like arguing about whether or not toast should come pre-buttered with your breakfast. The jury is still out on that one.

I think the post just above this one is right and the poster has the right idea. Boards has become very bloated with sub forums that no uses anymore for its current user base. So many dead sub forums that could be blended into main forums. I think that would/could help a lot

Boards could do with going back to basics a bit, Boards has always been helpful that is what brought lurkers in to post and maybe it would help out a bit.

Regards,

p.

With chat:-) I found it to be a very funny thread.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

dammit!! Now I’m on the admin radar!!

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

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.

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.

Yes, let zombie threads run if someone is interested, I think I've already said that. A mod note telling someone not to post in an old thread looks awful, especially if it's a new poster who probably found the thread via Google.

I’ve got some really good advice from people on certain forums, mainly about the house / garden some people went out if their way to send personal mails with their recommendations / experiences and that is most helpful. I also like the food forum and love watching what others cook and the recipes.

There is a need for more positivity to drive traffic through the site, the Wokeism thread was just negative bashing people and even here, the trans digs are painful and not necessary.

I also feel “don’t be a dick” is subjective and open to interpretation from everyone’s viewpoint.

It was here but as you said it vanished. https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058194469/driving-test-cancelled-due-to-the-disc-strip-is-faded-from-green-to-blue/p2

These are examples of low level trolling of another poster imo , discussing them in a cowardly way.

How is their threadban being lifted any of your business ,?

Others have been similarly reversed for worse infractions .

I know who you are referring to now and so do others It's very unfair on them . where is their right of reply ?

And people then wonder why they get actioned for trolling? Beggars belief ..this is just the sort of bullying that is driving good posters from boards !

Posting it here to get a dig in at someone who is unaware they are being discussed like this , hopefully without getting sanctioned .

It seems this thread has descended to complaining about the mods by the usual suspects with a persecution complex.