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Post by Randle-El on Feb 6, 2021 22:54:37 GMT -5
Spinning out of a separate conversation about how to get more active members to join the community, your responses to the following questions would help us better determine why folks come to the CCF and how to attract new members more purposefully. So... 1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?) 2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that) 3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time? 4. What keeps you coming back? 5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
1) Found it through CBR, which itself was not hard to find. I think if you did any searching back then on comic news or related topics, CBR was usually one of the top hits. Funny story -- I think one of the first threads that I discovered on the CBR CCF was a bunch of photos you posted of your comic and toy room (what a great set-up!).
2) I started posting back when the board was on CBR. Though I do have an affinity for classic comics, I wouldn't say classic comics was what attracted me per se. I started participating because the discussions on CCF were, for the most part, not full of all the normal garbage that you find on Internet forums. People were civil and respectful, and even though everyone was a nerd (because let's face it, if you're into comics and discussing them online, you're a nerd), there wasn't that toxic nerd/fan culture that exists elsewhere online.
3) If you're talking social media or other online forums, I use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all for different purposes. Facebook is mostly for personal friends, Instagram is mostly for following artists, musicians, actors, performers, and other creative types, and Twitter is mostly for news, journalists, and pundits. If you count any kind of online content -- streaming sites take up the most time by far. Between podcasts, music, and video, I consume a lot of streaming content.
4) I've taken a few breaks here and there, but I keep coming back for the same reasons that drew me here in the first place -- decent folks who discuss topics that interest me in a friendly, respectful manner.
5) Nothing much to add... I'd like to just encourage people to keep starting interesting threads. I know I'm not the biggest thread starter so I should take my own advice... but I'm always interested in seeing what new topics people come up with.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Feb 6, 2021 23:27:12 GMT -5
Funny story -- I think one of the first threads that I discovered on the CBR CCF was a bunch of photos you posted of your comic and toy room (what a great set-up!). Oh wow. The attic setup! I'm honored. Moved out of that house four years ago. In the new place, my stuff is more spread out across the house. Far more fun for me, but a little less exciting to post pics of. |
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Post by MWGallaher on Feb 7, 2021 8:01:28 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
I'm another CBR veteran, invited here at the onset of the forum.
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
Scott Shaw!'s forum at CBR was what first drew me there, and his Oddball Comics forum was my primary area of activity. At some point I discovered the Classic Comics forum, and found I fit in very well with the kind of content, membership, and attitude there.
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
I spend most of my other online time at twitter, youtube, and various synthesizer-related sites. CCF ranks in my top five non-professional-related destinations.
4. What keeps you coming back?
We've mostly maintained the congenial, respectful tone that I recall many predicting, years ago, would some day disintegrate here as it seems to everywhere else. I admire and respect the knowledge, insight, and well-formed and well-defended opinions here. The focus tends to be on the kinds of things that I find most interesting about the hobby: the content, the creators, the trends, the history, rather than condition, collectability, fanfic, etc. Although there have been some discussions on those latter topics that interested me here as well.
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
I don't know what can be done about it that we're not already trying, but it really pains me when members leave after an unpleasant event, whether in their personal lives or something that went on here. Somehow I always manage to miss precipitating events in this forum, and am left in shock when a member announces they are leaving because of something that happened in some thread.
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 7, 2021 17:09:26 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
The first day I had Internet access back in '97, I typed the phrase "comic book resources" into Yahoo and CBR was at the top of the list of links. The rest is history.
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
I was actually out of collecting at the time, and missed talking about them with like-minded people. It was CBR that reignited my passion for the medium, leading directly to my current gig as a working comics historian.
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
CCF is one of four sites I visit daily, the others being Facebook, newsfromme.com [Mark Evanier's blog], and my Century Link email page. I also spend beaucoup time on YouTube, Disney+, and (when in research mode) the Grand Comics Database.
4. What keeps you coming back?
The community. I've known many of you for more than 20 years and some, like Rob Allen, are among my closest IRL friends. CCF is truly my home away from home.
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
Nope.
Cei-U!
I summon the good place!
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Post by Batflunkie on Feb 7, 2021 20:59:42 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
I think I literally just typed in "classic comics forum" in google
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
Well, I wanted a genuine place to talk about and further explore my love for comics. Didn't feel that way about other places
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
4chan and Facebook mostly. Also, very high
4. What keeps you coming back?
Believe it or not, the people
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
Just keep doing what you're doing, because if it was enough to rope me in, it might be that way for someone else
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Post by tartanphantom on Feb 8, 2021 1:19:23 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
I found it while searching for information on a couple of comics titles-- just plowed through the search engine results, and next thing I knew, here I was! Had no idea this place existed until November 2019.
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
After finding the information I was looking for, I scanned through a few of the general threads in the classic area, and it looked to be a pretty civil place with knowledgeable like-minded (comics-wise) folks. What I didn't want was to join yet another comics forum that focused on modern/current stuff, and was obsessed with values, slabbing and speculating-- none of which interest me. I'm a history buff. Talk to me about comics history-- that's the sort of thing I can engage in.
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
Gretschpages.com Gretsch-talk.com mandolincafe.com Comics.org/my.comics.org scotchhunter.com scotchwhisky.com
Youtube archive.org (internet archive) Ebay and a smattering of others. I also visit a lot of history and architecture (especially mid-century) sites for reference purposes. I also spend more time than most simply doing virtual globetrotting on googlemaps.
CCF is one of the few sites that I visit every single day if possible, along with the Gretsch guitar forums and Youtube. You won't find me on any of popular social network platforms, as I simply don't need the "noise" in my life.
4. What keeps you coming back?
The everlasting hope that Icctrombone will eventually collect every issue of JIM/Thor ever published. I wanna be here for that epic post. Seriously though, it's a combination of the knowledge (although I don't usually comment within them, I read a LOT of the series synopsis/overview threads). I also enjoy the cover contests, and I LOVE to see what people have purchased recently. I also don't particularly care for places which are drowning in political, religious or ideological tribalism. Fortunately, that's not a huge thing here. "Live & let live" is such an easy guideline to live by. I come here for comics discussions, not ideological death-matches.
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
This is the part I'm not very good at, since I don't really have any complaints and I don't see many shortcomings in general. Getting people to visit is one thing... convincing them to actually engage is something else altogether. Personally, I'm a fairly quiet person by nature... until you ask me the right questions. After that, you'll probably be wishing for me to shut my trap.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2021 1:40:54 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
I'm pretty sure it was a link in Rob Allen's signature over at CBR that brought me here. I guess I was at CBR as it was the last man standing so to speak. I spent some time at the Wizard message boards, as well the early DC ones. I ended up on a few different smaller one with a much smaller membership. As those fell away I spent more time on CBR.....after the reset I lurked a lot, but posted little. Too many posts/members made it really hard to have actual discussions.
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
When I "moved" over here, I took the plunge to jump into some of the book discussion and branched out from there.
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
Facebook, You Tube, The Paperback Warrior, Goodreads. The CCF. I don't post every day, or even login ever day but will usually follow along on discussions.
4. What keeps you coming back?
The good almost always outweighs the bad. I enjoy most of the discussion here. Even when I disagree with stuff, I love that everyone is mostly civil.
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
I guess I might implore some members of the community to let some stuff go. It's like I get that you don't like something, but do we need to have page after page of bashing something? Probably not. I mean, it's possible that somebody really wants to talk about something and perhaps fears to join/or be a part of said discussion.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,201 
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Post by Confessor on Feb 8, 2021 4:16:23 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)I'm one of the old guard from the CBR days too. I joined back in 2005 and frequented most of the main sub-forums, although I initially spent most of my time in the Spider-Man sub-forum. As time wore on, I began to spend the majority of my time in the Classic Comics forum because I liked the people and the friendly atmosphere, and I was into old comics. I made many online friends in that sub-forum and thankfully, most of them came over here too. For some reason, after about 7 years frequenting CBR, I began to lose interest in the community and drifted away. I hadn't actually checked in there for two or three months when the great implosion of 2014 happened. I had no idea that the community had moved over here until Dan Bailey messaged me on Facebook a couple of months later and told me. Of course, I came here straight away and signed up, pleased to see that so many old friends had also made it across, and I've never looked back since. 2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)For CBR, I'd been back into reading comics since the late '90s, but I was beginning to get a hankering for discussing comics with people who were as into them as I was. In my real life, most of my friends are musicians and music fans, but very few of them are into comics and none of them are into comics to the degree that us folks here are. So, initially I was actively looking to fill that void in my life and chat with people who were passionate about Spider-Man comics in particular and all comics in general. 3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?1. eBay 2. Reddit (music-related or geek-related sub-reddits mostly) 3. Wikipedia 4. Facebook The CCF is probably the place I spend most time on, especially as I'm a moderator, with eBay and Wikipedia being close behind. 4. What keeps you coming back?The opportunity to wind Icctrombone up with my space-bunny avatar. That never gets old.  Seriously though, it's the opportunity to interact with a handful of people who I genuinely think of as my friends, despite never having met most of them in person. The high level of intelligent, knowledgable comic-related discourse is a draw too, obviously, along with the friendly atmosphere. 5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?Not that I can think of.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,867
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Post by shaxper on Feb 8, 2021 6:15:56 GMT -5
So, initially I was actively looking to fill that void in my life and chat with people who were passionate about Spider-Man comics in particular Somehow, in all this time, I'd never learned this about you. Dare I suggest... a review thread? |
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Post by MDG on Feb 8, 2021 8:27:31 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
IIRC, I was using my lunch hour to try to figure out who Warren artist Tony Williamsune was, because I was pretty sure it was a pseudonym, and my search led to the Oddball Comics forum on CBR. That was basically the only part of the CBR forums I frequented, but eventually found the Classics board there as well.
After Scott Shaw! split off the Oddball Comics board to it's own site, I found it too unfocused, so dropped off of that, but still frequented the Classics board on CBR.
(BTW--Tony Williamsune is actually a pseudonym for Tony Tallarico.)
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
I lurked on CBR for a while, but there was a kerfuffle about whether a gag in For Better or Worse where the daughter is pulled into a fire hydrant by the dog was inappropriate. At some point, I felt I had to respond to one post with a joke.
Was invited over when the forum got booted from CBR.
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
FB, Slate, Reuters, YouTube, ebay. A lot of on-and-off during the day, 5 minutes at a time. Daily visits to newsfromme and The Bleat.
4. What keeps you coming back?
Not many other places talking about older books, and the clientele tends to be more knowledgeable than other places. I used to hang out on an original art group, but I stopped buying when prices went nuts, so it became irrelevant.
(TBH, I really only look at the main classics discussion most of the time.)
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
I got nothin'
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Post by Rob Allen on Feb 8, 2021 11:41:41 GMT -5
(BTW--Tony Williamsune is actually a pseudonym for Tony Tallarico.)
Sometimes it was Tallarico solo, but more often it was Bill Fraccio pencilling and Tallarico inking. |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 8, 2021 13:34:22 GMT -5
(BTW--Tony Williamsune is actually a pseudonym for Tony Tallarico.)
Sometimes it was Tallarico solo, but more often it was Bill Fraccio pencilling and Tallarico inking. Oh, man, Tony Williamsune was the best they could do? When something like T-Bill Fractalls was just sitting right there?! |
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Feb 8, 2021 15:11:02 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
I know most of the people here from CBR. I discovered CBR from Bendis' message forum back when it still existed. I think I joined both around 2005.
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
I hadn't posted in a good while on CBR so I missed the atomic explosion that wiped out CBR. I don't remember how someone did, but one of the regulars from classic comics on CBR extended me an invitation in my email I think. I'm terrible about checking my email so it was 2-3 months after you created CCF that I joined. As to what made me decide to join here I saw the Meanwhile thread in the community section and got nostalgic about the old CBR Meanwhile thread and decided to give it a try.
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
As of late, not a lot. I have been drastically cutting down on my internet presence. For many reasons that have nothing to do with anyone I know online. But I feel it's been for the better for me. I do check in here often, I am just not logged in. The only other places I go is Pintrest (it's like digital hording without the physical clutter) and am a member of a handful of discord servers.
4. What keeps you coming back?
Many of you I have know for 15 years now. I've only ever met Hondo in person, but I consider many of you to be my friends, and in life I have many times lost contact with friends out of nothing more than laziness and apathy. And I don't want that to happen with ya'll. It's unfortunate enough that we have lost members/friends here.
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
Reading what you and MRP were discussing, I don't think there is really anything more we can do. We can be as inviting as we want but if people have their reasons for not joining, leaving, or just turning inactive, that's just the reality of it. As I have said personally, I am changing my internet habits. Plus the whole world went through a ringer of year in 2020 and it doesn't seem to be loosing any momentum in 2021. As long as can keep getting along and respecting each other I think we can weather it as a community. One of the reasons the CCF didn't get on the cut list of my internet activities is precisely that. I've never been a member of online community that is better than this one.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,201
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Post by Confessor on Feb 8, 2021 15:57:37 GMT -5
So, initially I was actively looking to fill that void in my life and chat with people who were passionate about Spider-Man comics in particular Somehow, in all this time, I'd never learned this about you. Dare I suggest... a review thread? I do have one planned, just need to muster up the energy/commitment. Spider-Man is my #1 favourite superhero though. |
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Post by tarkintino on Feb 8, 2021 17:13:32 GMT -5
1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
Through friends who recommended the board as a place where fans "go deep" about the older "Ages" of comics.
2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
That recommendation. Other boards (which I will leave nameless) have classic comics discussions, but there's not much in the way of in-depth analysis. Its the same sort of surface-y, regurgitated information one would see on a random Youtube channel about comics.
3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
Due to work, my online time is purposely limited, so I tend to spend more time on sites/apps I really enjoy, as opposed to living on Facebook or Twitter around the clock, if you take my meaning.
4. What keeps you coming back?
Interesting discussions and perspectives (even those I may not agree with), and a genuine appreciation for the classic era of comics.
5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
None that I can think of a the moment.
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