How to make the Forum lively again

I was once approached by authorities on this very forum, to get some of the ideas out there ,to see how potentially improve Forum rules.

I did spent quite some time on it, thinking i may be able to help.

Unfortunately have got zero feedback from the very source, asking me to make recommendations.
Kind of discouraging, at best.

Lets try once more-different approach:

OOD has many contests-photo,big game ,draws for membership renewal : you name it.
There could be many more contests i am not aware of.


Forum authorities can introduce a Forum contest:
Few ideas-

Most quality threads started in a year by a member
Most quality posts in a year by a member.
Most quality pictures posted to any topics ,by a member.

Make some nice,easy and simple rules like :
Moderators "moderating"posts/threads do not count-but moderators participating in posts/threads do.
Simple yes/no is not a quality post.
Maybe for sale threads and posts are excluded(while they make for traffic-they are simple money making vehicle)
Maybe Off topic Threads/posts are excluded-but i think they should not be(as long as we have them,they are part of the Forum)
Etc
Etc
The list can go on,and on.

Rewards-i leave it to the Imagination of the Authorities and the Wallet of OOD, but same ,similar ,even better rewards ,as we have seen ,could do it.

No one will get rich thru that system,but maybe and hopefully could improve Quality threads/posts,and bring back life-and perhaps get us some much needed active new members.

Decent idea.

Also keeps things on track.

GBK good idea, but I doubt this would encourage people to post more (but I have been wrong before), There are a large silent majority that are very quiet on here and have always been quiet. I assume they just read the posts to learn from them and for some laughs. There were probably 20 very active posters at one time and most of them will not be coming back.

I think we need to look at a way of growing the site to attract new blood and hopefully some that are knowledgeable as well as new hunters / fishers I don't believe gifts would work.

I do believe strongly that Mods need to tone it down a few turns (will I get a demerit for that comment, I honestly think I might).

Those who left (not just from Ottawa) have told me each time it was because of the Mods. Yes there are some who were rightfully kicked off the site including people I knew and they did deserve to be kicked off. But many did leave because of the severe crack down.

I'm sure your asking why I am still here then, well I don't allow anyone to tell me what beat to dance to, I didn't know those people when I first came to this site and still enjoy this site and will continue to.

I have been on here a long time and I can definitely say with out hesitation that the activity on the site has dropped to the lowest it has ever been during my time at one time it was probably the most active in Canada.

Anyways to early in the morning for me to write much, going back to bed now it was a long 3 days with managing Fiscal Year End at work and I am tired.

IMHO I think the site needs to look at it's self in the mirror.

Social media has killed forums for the most part. But there's something that forums still allow that social media sites have banned. Advertising firearms.

This forum could be advertised as one of the few remaining places where Ontario hunters and sport shooters can still safely buy/sell/trade firearms.

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gbk

I was once approached by authorities on this very forum, to get some of the ideas out there ,to see how potentially improve Forum rules.

I did spent quite some time on it, thinking i may be able to help.

Unfortunately have got zero feedback from the very source, asking me to make recommendations.
Kind of discouraging, at best.

Lets try once more-different approach:

OOD has many contests-photo,big game ,draws for membership renewal : you name it.
There could be many more contests i am not aware of.


Forum authorities can introduce a Forum contest:
Few ideas-

Most quality threads started in a year by a member
Most quality posts in a year by a member.
Most quality pictures posted to any topics ,by a member.

Make some nice,easy and simple rules like :
Moderators "moderating"posts/threads do not count-but moderators participating in posts/threads do.
Simple yeas/no is not a quality post.
Maybe for sale threads and posts are excluded(while they make for traffic-they are simple money making vehicle)
Maybe Off topic Threads/posts are excluded-but i think they should not be(as long as we have them,they are part of the Forum)
Etc
Etc
The list can go on,and on.

Rewards-i leave it to the Imagination of the Authorities and the Wallet of OOD, but same ,similar ,even better rewards ,as we have seen ,could do it.

No one will get rich thru that system,but maybe and hopefully could improve Quality threads/posts,and bring back life-and perhaps get some much needed active new members.

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Floated this idea abut a year ago to admin. Can't remember exactly the response was but something about a concern that it might create more ill will with claims of favoritism.
Think the main focus is trying to create a safe environment for people to post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by greatwhite

GBK good idea, but I doubt this would encourage people to post more (but I have been wrong before), There are a large silent majority that are very quiet on here and have always been quiet. I assume they just read the posts to learn from them and for some laughs. There were probably 20 very active posters at one time and most of them will not be coming back.

I think we need to look at a way of growing the site to attract new blood and hopefully some that are knowledgeable as well as new hunters / fishers I don't believe gifts would work.

I do believe strongly that Mods need to tone it down a few turns (will I get a demerit for that comment, I honestly think I might).

Those who left (not just from Ottawa) have told me each time it was because of the Mods. Yes there are some who were rightfully kicked off the site including people I knew and they did deserve to be kicked off. But many did leave because of the severe crack down.

I'm sure your asking why I am still here then, well I don't allow anyone to tell me what beat to dance to, I didn't know those people when I first came to this site and still enjoy this site and will continue to.

I have been on here a long time and I can definitely say with out hesitation that the activity on the site has dropped to the lowest it has ever been during my time at one time it was probably the most active in Canada.

Anyways to early in the morning for me to write much, going back to bed now it was a long 3 days with managing Fiscal Year End at work and I am tired.

IMHO I think the site needs to look at it's self in the mirror.

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Good post GW unfortunately people who post on here and love the forum are simply taken for granted.

You and I and everybody else are just a number and we get disciplined like 6 year old children.

They are not going to make the forum lively again by issuing demerit points and censoring everything as of late, they will simply discourage participation and run the forum into the ground.

The EVIDENCE for low participation is directly related to the so called crack down and as they continue the participation drops of correspondingly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

Good post GW unfortunately people who post on here and love the forum are simply taken for granted.

You and I and everybody else are just a number and we get disciplined like 6 year old children.

They are not going to make the forum lively again by issuing demerit points and censoring everything as of late, they will simply discourage participation and run the forum into the ground.

The EVIDENCE for low participation is directly related to the so called crack down and as they continue the participation drops of correspondingly.

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It saddens me to here such things for as a beneficiary of the so called crack down where there were multiple daily cries for your expulsion and was defended as long as you followed the rules. Guess you can't save those who can't save themselves

Quote:

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

It saddens me to here such things for as a beneficiary of the so called crack down where there were multiple daily cries for your expulsion and was defended as long as you followed the rules. Guess you can't save those who can't save themselves

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The multiple daily cries for my expulsion have been going on here since I joined and openly declared I was a LIBERAL supporter, pro gun registry, pro gun control, anti racist and so forth. The only reason I have not been expelled is that I do follow the rules and CONTRIBUTED
to the forum. While your getting calls for expulsion (by the usual suspects, many now AWOL) I was getting Private Messages of Support.
Funny how that goes.

FFF there were also cries to get rid of me mostly by two or three people who went as far as claiming I had threatened them on the site, until I sent copies of the messages.

One thing for sure I can say is I have never ratted on anyone on here nor have I advocated to throw anyone from the site.

I was probably Gilroys biggest adversary over the past few years, him and I duke it out many times, but I have never seen Gilroy say anything that warranted him being kicked off this site. I disagree with him on many things.

There will always be Politics on this site and personally I think it is healthy I am sure many will agree with me on this.
But as I have said on several occasions the site is dying and I have as well as a few others have tried to keep it going.

but let's call a spade a spade here. The site is less then 1/10 of what it was.

Now your probably asking why do I keep coming back to the site. Easy answer most of the members reside in Ontario and I feel I have a bigger connection to them then I would to others on other sites. Over the years I have had the privilege to meet some of the members on here. Most being from Ottawa, but others as far as north of Sudbury and some down near Kingston as well as a few visiting here.

Gilroy is on my list some day unfortunately he lives in a direction I rarely travel, but some day.

IMHO from what I am seeing and what I am hearing Mods are coming down so hard your actually going to start to scare off new members and the old members.

Someone else alluded that social media platforms such as FB have caused participation in forums to plummet and I agree. I can think of at least 3 or 4 forums that I was a member of that folded. A commonality on all of the forums was the polarization of the membership and personal attacks. People can’t stop calling down a member instead of debating the issue.

Another reason for the decline in participation is the lack of fresh topics and discussions. For example, I’ve been deer hunting a long time and my mind was a sponge when I was younger. I’ve hit a plateau as there isn’t a lot that I haven’t tried, heard about, or read. I like to share my knowledge and will chip whenever an opportunity comes about.

I don’t use FB, Twitter, Instagram, or whatever else is out there so this forum is pretty much it for me to communicate with other hunters and anglers. One thing that I like about this forum is that it is Ontario-based and that I can relate to a lot of the discussions. I’m not sure who I would talk to if this forum folded.