Author Topic: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum  (Read 27669 times)

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Offline Barbiroli

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #15 on: July 30, 2011, 01:51:20 pm »
Although I`m not a big computer user I would hate to see this Forum close, please keep going.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #16 on: July 30, 2011, 02:57:50 pm »
In the Summer months I don't spend as much time on the computer as I am out walking or gardening or doing other outdoor things but I always log on to this site on a daily basis and enjoy reading postings even if I don't post on a daily basis.  I don't bother with other sites, facebook or twitter as they don't appeal to me.
The Administrators put a lot of time and hard work into this forum and their efforts are appreciated and not taken for granted.  You only have to look at the items under  Research to see how people with local connections appreciate the quality of the site with the pictures and information that has been  provided for them.  In fact the picture gallery of the forum cannot be beaten. Everything is there if you want to look for it.
Hope that this good work will continue. 


Offline Pendragon

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #17 on: July 30, 2011, 03:45:50 pm »
I love this forum its informative, interesting, full of local news and caters for just about everyone.  I would gladly pay a subscription to keep it going  ;D
I know sometimes posts have been heated but when you have a member who goes out of their way to antagonize fellow members it inevitable we will bite back.   
when something affects others, then I do become defensive, I won't apologise for that.
I am on this forum everyday and it does hit a lull when the weather is good but that's to be expected I suppose.  I noticed more new members started posting when the number of posts were no longer displayed by the Avatar.
It would be a great shame if the forum closed you both do a fantastic job behind the scenes  :-* :-*
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Offline hollins

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #18 on: July 30, 2011, 04:05:19 pm »
I love this forum. I had never looked at a forum before and this is the only one that I have ever posted on.
DaveR, you ask what we like and what we don’t like?
I think this becomes a personal thing about what your own likes and dislikes are.
For me the things I like about the forum are,
The ability to find out information and help about almost anything.
The photographs both old and new relating to the area.
Being able to keep in touch with what is happening in Llandudno and the area in general.
I also like to read people’s reactions to your own posts.
Once you get over the initial fright of leaving a post it becomes more fun but I must admit I do still worry about upsetting someone for whatever reason.

The things I dislike about the forum are not really dislikes but more things that I am not interested in such as politics. I have absolutely no interest in politics or local government.
This is my personal preference. I would not expect Ian to be interested in crochet but I do think that there is a place for every one’s interest however diverse they maybe.

I am completely ignorant about the work and cost that has to go in to run a forum.
I imagine that it is time consuming and am grateful that others are prepared to put the effort in on our behalf.
I would, like many others have said , be happy to contribute to the cost of running the forum.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #19 on: August 01, 2011, 08:01:20 pm »
I would like to thank everyone for their comments - if anyone else would like to comment, please feel free to do so. All views are welcome!

The cost of running the Forum is not really an issue - last year, the hosting costs were £167 and for that we do get a very good service from Heart Internet (we've used 118gb of bandwidth so far this year) .

Personally, I'd just like to see a few more of our members posting, so that we get some more varied opinions & ideas on whatever topic is being discussed.

There is also, perhaps, potential to expand into other areas - blogs, for example, such as Wordpress can easily be hosted on this website at no extra cost, so that members could have their own free blog here. Or maybe we could have one main blog and members could contribute their own posts as and when they felt the urge?

I've mentioned before about having more local news items on the front page - perhaps there is scope for local amateur journalists to contribute articles etc.

Perhaps a proper 'recommended businesses' section?

I'm also interested in building a 'Visitors Guide to Llandudno' mini-website, similar to the one that Noel Whalley did and which is sadly becoming a little out of date since his untimely death. There is a truly excellent guide to Chester at http://www.chesterwalls.info/ Perhaps a Llandudno version could be constructed?

There's also potential for us to have a historical guide to Llandudno, making use of all of our knowledge and old photos to have a street by street guide, similar to an online version of the Ivor Wynne Jones guidebook.

A few ideas there...anyone have any others?

Offline Michael

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #20 on: August 01, 2011, 09:05:28 pm »
I read the forum virtually every day but I have missed whatever happened on July 29 and R-E-S-T mentioned b Yorkie. Perhaps someone could guide me in the correct direction, although, perhaps, I might be happier in my ignorance. But I happened to meet face to face with one person who is closely connected to the forum and he was obviously fed up forum wise. What on earth has gone on? Mike

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #21 on: August 01, 2011, 09:14:17 pm »
I agree there are too many "readers" and not enough "posters" - however providing both sides are getting satisfaction from the Forum does it really matter?  The contributors will grow, albeit a lot slower than the lookers but that is just the nature of the devil!

I think that expanding the Forum will be a mistake - it is not possible to be all things to all men (and women) and by creating a plethora of subjects and threads you do, in fact, give too much choice, which leaves the lookers just moving through the subject matter.   A good range of popular subject matter should keep everyone happy and new subjects can be introduced if a "real" need arises and not just because someone wants to talk about his pet foible.  This may encourage more people to contribute.  It is interest in the subject matter that will encourage folk to post.  

One thing I personally find a nuisance and put off are the posts that just contain a smiley relating to the previous post or a comment such as, "I agree!"  etc.  Without qualifying words they may as well be blank pages.  Just by adding the word "because" would lead them to making a positive contribution.  Others I have spoken to get put off by threads being reduced to personal conversations which is of no interest to them and does little to enhance the contents of the thread.

A good severe pruning of old unpopular subjects can also leave the space clear for new material and keeps the whole Forum fresh with something new to read and comment on every time one visits.  An analysis of past threads should give some indication of what to keep and what to discard.

These are just my initial thoughts hope it helps.    ££$
Wise men have something to say.
Fools have to say something.
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Offline mull

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #22 on: August 01, 2011, 09:58:49 pm »
Please keep things going.
 $thanx$ $thanx$ $thanx$ ££$

Spent a lot of my childhood in Penrhynside and Llandudno and I am still very interested in what is going on in the area.

Now live a long way away and only able to visit every other year or so.

With no family left living in the area the forum helps me keep in touch.

Please keep up the good work and dont let a few "idiots" spoil it for those of us trying to keep in touch from the other end of the UK or abroad.

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #23 on: August 02, 2011, 09:09:34 am »
Please keep up the good work and dont let a few "idiots" spoil it for those of us trying to keep in touch from the other end of the UK or abroad.

Personally I haven't noticed any "idiots" on the Forum - everyone's opinion or comment is of value, even from those who are possibly a little less articulate than some of us!    WWW
Wise men have something to say.
Fools have to say something.
Cicero

Offline Blodyn

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #24 on: August 02, 2011, 12:07:25 pm »
Sorry if this is a bit late but here are my comments. 

I was introduced to the Forum by Bellringer and since joining in November I have apparently spent the equivalent of more than three days online.  I don’t know if that’s good or bad but I certainly enjoy the Forum and would definitely like to see it continue.  I think it’s sad when members are upset or fall out but as I don’t have experience of any other forums I have nothing with which to compare this.   However, I’m sure that the Administrators’ jobs are not easy ones as obviously “you can’t please all the people all the  time” and I hope that the current dissatisfaction over the “R word” can be sorted out amicably (Mike, see this thread).   

I think that the Forum provides a valuable source of local information, both current and historical, and it’s a delight to see the “happy customers” who’ve had their questions answered by the very helpful Forum members.  There’s a wide range of topics, though I don’t follow them all, and I like DaveR’s suggestion of a proper “recommended businesses” section.  The late Noel Walley had a nice selection of local information websites including the Great Orme and the history of the Great Orme Tram, in addition to the visitors’ guide to Llandudno and it would be good to see a successor to these – the Forum would seem to be a good place for this, as it’s accessed by so many people. 

The Forum at present may not be quite what the Administrators envisaged when they set it up but there appear to be plenty of people visiting it, even if only a small proportion are posting, so that still seems pretty successful to me.  Amongst those posting I feel that I have now “met” a group of very nice people – thank you folks.  If some of the “silent” members would like to join in with a post or two everyone would be pleased to hear from you. 

Many thanks for all your hard work, Ian and DaveR, including the recent update.  Keep up the good work! 

 $thanx$

Offline Llechwedd

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #25 on: August 02, 2011, 12:54:26 pm »
I've only been away a week and what happened? Please keep the forum going as it has been most helpful in answereing questions etc.  I'm happy to give up to £10 if wanted.

Offline Fester

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #26 on: August 03, 2011, 12:15:03 am »
I've only been away a week and what happened? Please keep the forum going as it has been most helpful in answereing questions etc.  I'm happy to give up to £10 if wanted.

Ha ha... Dave R, I think you should accept Llechwedd's offer of £10,  and let him take it off your hands...  L0L
Fester...
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Offline margo

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #27 on: August 03, 2011, 07:10:24 am »
I don't post regularly on this site but i do visit frequently, as i no longer buy the NWWN the forum keeps me up to date as to what is going on in the area, it also gives an insight into what the locals think about the area and how it could be improved. Maybe we can't change the way the shops are closing in the town, and the traffic problems in the area re parking, but at least we can make our views known and maybe one day someone will take notice as I am sure some of the councillors look at this site. I for one would be sorry to see this forum fold as it gives varied views of local issues. Keep up the good work you have my support!

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #28 on: August 03, 2011, 09:43:43 am »
This forum does do a remarkably good job, perhaps it's evolved away from the original intentions (I can't remember what they were  :laugh:) But a forum can become like a living entity, sometimes it's happy and sometimes not  :-X  But what a great job it's doing in informing us all of past and present times in this area! We've met good friends through it too  ZXZ  So many thanks to DaveR and Ian for all that hard work, long may it continue.  D)
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Offline Fester

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Re: Your Views Required: Future of the Forum
« Reply #29 on: August 03, 2011, 11:31:44 pm »
Merddin, I can confirm that the original purpose of the Forum was to give us all a cost-free mechanism to mess around wasting time with jokes, endless games and quizzes about song titles and Portugal.
It had a another, no-less important mission, which was to provide me with new acquaintances to go drinking with.  Z**
As an added bonus it has led to my wife not having to make small talk with me after 10pm in the evening.

All these missions have been fulfilled, but now it seems that sadly the Forum has been corrupted into becoming something of a noticeboard and information stream for a massive amount of people in the 3 towns area and beyond.
It educates us about the past, and also about current events and ongoing issues.
It unites people in common causes, designed to improve the area we live in.
Recently it has even begun to rebuke and remind local authority figures of their responsibilities.

Thats all well and good, but every night now I am having to wade through and dismiss lots of information and local issues, to get to the best bit where I find out if anyone is going to go boozing with me!

Seriously though, it seems that the general concensus is that the Forum is excellent, despite the odd good-natured spat that we have. So,are we getting back to normal or we are we paying a few bob to Ian and Dave's slush fund,  (sorry I meant contribute to the annual subscription?)

If you close the Forum I might have to lapse back into an even deeper state of ignorance, and maybe turn tee-total.
Don't make me come over there boys, to Forum Headquarters I mean,.... wherever that is.  8) 
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -