shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Feb 6, 2021 14:47:27 GMT -5
Mind you, I don't do any of the traditional social media outlets (FB, IG, Snapchat, Twitter), so I am probably one of the more-Ludditic members here, so there may be things that can be done that are out of my scope of understanding. The unique situation we are in is that there are a ton of people already coming here and just not posting, so we don't need to advertise. The question is whether there is anything we should/can do to draw them in once they're already here.
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 6, 2021 16:54:31 GMT -5
Mind you, I don't do any of the traditional social media outlets (FB, IG, Snapchat, Twitter), so I am probably one of the more-Ludditic members here, so there may be things that can be done that are out of my scope of understanding. The unique situation we are in is that there are a ton of people already coming here and just not posting, so we don't need to advertise. The question is whether there is anything we should/can do to draw them in once they're already here. If our content isn't enough to draw them in, why do we want them? Not being snarky; asking a serious question.
Cei-U! I summon the puzzler!
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Feb 6, 2021 17:42:05 GMT -5
The unique situation we are in is that there are a ton of people already coming here and just not posting, so we don't need to advertise. The question is whether there is anything we should/can do to draw them in once they're already here. If our content isn't enough to draw them in, why do we want them? Not being snarky; asking a serious question. Cei-U! I summon the puzzler!
Oh, I think our content is absolutely drawing them in, but they're reading and then not contributing anything of their own. Maybe they have nothing to say. Maybe, if we found a way to draw them in, we'd find they had a lot to add. At the very least, having a wide-eyes newbie asking questions about the history of comics would be fun around here.
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Post by codystarbuck on Feb 6, 2021 18:18:13 GMT -5
It's probably as simple as they are curious about some of these old characters and books and this is providing them with info; but, they don't have a frame of reference for the discussion. I don't really frequent the New Comics forum, as I don't collect anymore and don't encounter many new books that grab my interest. I'm also pretty far out of the loop, since I'm not a bookseller, anymore. So, I don't know what contribution is like there. It would seem that a newer crowd would frequent that portion more than the Classics Forum.
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Post by Icctrombone on Feb 6, 2021 22:08:22 GMT -5
This site is a history lesson in many ways. Unfortunately, many people only care for today and the things we discuss hold no interest for them. It might depend what age you started reading comics. I personally have no interest in the Golden age comics. I lack a lot of knowledge on the subject of the DC golden age stories. The same way, maybe the new reader doesn't have an interest in the Silver age of Marvel.
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Post by Randle-El on Feb 6, 2021 22:32:51 GMT -5
There may be several reasons why people are not posting.
1) I could see there being an intimidation factor. There are some really knowledgeable folks on this board, and if you're someone who has an interest in the topics discussed here, but don't feel like you have a lot of knowledge to contribute, it could be that you feel more comfortable reading and learning from others instead of chiming in yourself.
2) Folks could be reading for purely informational/educational reasons, and might not be interested in the community aspect. We do have quite a bit of "banter" on these boards.
3) I would argue that writing always takes more effort than reading. It's fairly easy to check the boards, skim through some threads, and move on. But sitting down to write a reply takes a little more thought. Is it a big investment? I'd say not... but there is a certain inertia that you have to get over.
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Post by Batflunkie on Feb 7, 2021 21:02:44 GMT -5
The same way, maybe the new reader doesn't have an interest in the Silver age of Marvel. *shudders* The horror!
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Post by tartanphantom on Feb 7, 2021 21:29:09 GMT -5
See? All these young 'uns are on the right track-- I avoid facebook like the plague as well... too many "old people" on there.
Attracting new members is a challenge for any board. You could probably offer a free POP! figure with each new signup, and skimmers still wouldn't post. What's the old adage about leading a horse to water? Activity requires some level of committal engagement, however small, and lots of people just don't have time for that.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 8, 2021 11:05:31 GMT -5
One thing that crossed my mind was the post threshold to start new threads, I know we have it in place to stop spam but could it be pushing some people away? Would it be worth dealing with spam if it was more new user friendly?
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Feb 9, 2021 3:57:29 GMT -5
One thing that crossed my mind was the post threshold to start new threads, I know we have it in place to stop spam but could it be pushing some people away? Would it be worth dealing with spam if it was more new user friendly? It thwarts so many spammers on a weekly basis. I just can't imagine the trade-off would be worthwhile. We'd probably have to double the mod team.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 9, 2021 6:04:06 GMT -5
One thing that crossed my mind was the post threshold to start new threads, I know we have it in place to stop spam but could it be pushing some people away? Would it be worth dealing with spam if it was more new user friendly? It thwarts so many spammers on a weekly basis. I just can't imagine the trade-off would be worthwhile. We'd probably have to double the mod team. What is the post threshold? I thought it was five - doesn't seem like that big of a hurdle to overcome. E.g. a new member can say 'hi' in the 'introduce yourself' thread, respond with a few thank-yous when folks say 'welcome to the forum' and then they're basically set.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Feb 9, 2021 7:46:50 GMT -5
It thwarts so many spammers on a weekly basis. I just can't imagine the trade-off would be worthwhile. We'd probably have to double the mod team. What is the post threshold? I thought it was five - doesn't seem like that big of a hurdle to overcome. E.g. a new member can say 'hi' in the 'introduce yourself' thread, respond with a few thank-yous when folks say 'welcome to the forum' and then they're basically set. Yes, it's five. I see thwhtguardian's point: perhaps someone who has something to share right off the bat will be turned off and leave, but I would hope asking them to introduce themselves and respond to a few other threads first wouldn't be too unreasonable a barrier to participation. I know I spent a long time responding to others before I felt ready to launch my first thread (back at CBR). I've been assuming our lurkers are coming from the other perspective: too shy to share. "What if my thoughts are stupid?" "What if folks attack or mock me?" or even, "Do I really care what a bunch of strangers think?"
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Feb 9, 2021 9:48:30 GMT -5
It's probably as simple as they are curious about some of these old characters and books and this is providing them with info; but, they don't have a frame of reference for the discussion. I don't really frequent the New Comics forum, as I don't collect anymore and don't encounter many new books that grab my interest. I'm also pretty far out of the loop, since I'm not a bookseller, anymore. So, I don't know what contribution is like there. It would seem that a newer crowd would frequent that portion more than the Classics Forum. Even as a regular that's been talking comics with ya'll for 15 years now, can attest to this. There is a lot of content on this forum. I read a lot more than I contribute to, as there is some things that I either have no knowledge of or am just content to read for a point of reference. Like I read the classic movie thread a lot. Mostly to find new movies that I have not seen before. But rarely contribute because I don't feel posting "that movie was good" is worth posting. I read the "read" and "purchased" threads a lot but don't contribute much unless I have a legitimate question to ask someone about the comic(s) in question that they read or purchased. That said I've never felt that participating in any thread on here, whether I am knowledgeable about the topic or not, is going to get negative response from any of the posters there. I'm not much different in life than I am online; I much rather listen than speak.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 9, 2021 10:26:46 GMT -5
One thing that crossed my mind was the post threshold to start new threads, I know we have it in place to stop spam but could it be pushing some people away? Would it be worth dealing with spam if it was more new user friendly? It thwarts so many spammers on a weekly basis. I just can't imagine the trade-off would be worthwhile. We'd probably have to double the mod team. Probably right, maybe a thread that you get a link to when you sign up about asking a question, for those who might be looking for a quick answer about classic comics. Something like, "Ask the CCF"
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Feb 9, 2021 10:38:23 GMT -5
It thwarts so many spammers on a weekly basis. I just can't imagine the trade-off would be worthwhile. We'd probably have to double the mod team. Probably right, maybe a thread that you get a link to when you sign up about asking a question, for those who might be looking for a quick answer about classic comics. Something like, "Ask the CCF" Did you mean Ask a quick question here - and let the CCF help you? The problem is that they aren't registering, but perhaps we can somehow promote that thread as a means of getting more people to sign up and participate?
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