Mark W Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 I'd say that the age difference/alternatives available is a large part of it. I'd imagine that most people on here know who/what TartyBikes is, but most of our customers I speak to on the phone have no idea what Trials-Forum is. To sort of quantify that a bit more, I'd say that about 95% of people here know about TartyBikes, but less than 20% of the people I speak to on the phone know what TF is, so it sort of suggests there's a large portion of riders out there who haven't really looked for somewhere like this online. I get people adding me to random trials-related groups all the time on Facebook, and it just seems like because they can contact their friends directly now (which wasn't really possible when TF first started) they don't bother looking for a general messageboard. It's been disappointing to see the few members who actually added interest and colour to TF gradually get sidelined and marginalised through decisions made over the past few years, as well as seeing older members who were able to impart knowledge and help for people disappear as well. No doubt the influx of fascinating threads we already seem to be getting will make up for that though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 To be fair even if chit chats dead, the other sections have been lively-ish with fun! The whol james peter fraser thread, hardman jack snipes or whatever hes called. Also the ongoing video arguments which we had, that haven't been on for ages though when i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 When the weather's good, the forum's seemingly less active in terms of people chatting/talking shit/arguing. When the weather's shit, the forum's seemingly more active in terms of people chatting/talking shit/arguing. It's been that way for years, and it's a fairly normal way for things to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomturd Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 It's been disappointing to see the few members who actually added interest and colour to TF gradually get sidelined and marginalised through decisions made over the past few years, as well as seeing older members who were able to impart knowledge and help for people disappear as well. I don't know what decisions you're talking about (care to enlighten me? edit: you being demodded might be it, not sure - I assure you thats just because we don't want any conflicts of interest since you started with TB, nothing more), but whatever they may be I don't think you can blame them for members getting older, stopping riding trials, buying houses, having kids etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 The ones I'm specifically thinking of don't have anything to do with those other aspects (getting older, etc.). In that they're in the past there doesn't really seem to be much point going into detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG Drew Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 Not posted for ages - but stick my head in every so often and use to read through the happy / angry / car threads pretty regularly. Yes- they did turn into 'status updates' but the more interesting points generated discussion, and it was nice to read it all in one thread. Some of the posts had me in tears laughing which probably wouldn't have been posted if not for the mentioned threads.. (Poopipe and Anzo in the GF trouble thread in particular). If it is size of the threads that caused trouble could they not be archived and a new one opened. As someone has mentioned this happens on piston heads. For example: ]www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1096095&mid=0&nmt=Best+Smoker+Barges+-+1+-+5+Large+[Vol+3] I've not read all of this thread so points might not be valid / already covered.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skoze Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 In my opinion, the happy/angry (and "the" threads in general) are fairly cliquey places where generally only a select few old school members post. If I was a new member I wouldn't want to 'butt in' on a thread thats been going for the past 7 years, and nor would I want to start a new topic when there's already one that applies to what I'd want to post about. Very good point there! I think Mark makes a good point too, i met a few riders pretty local to me who've never heard of TF a few weeks back, maybe times are changing? I'm in no way saying this forum's redundant, maybe it's just a matter of us as riders/ forum regulars ourselves actively trying to steer people in this direction. With no validation system anymore, i can't see how anyone would really be put off by it like they sometimes used to be. When everyone's got over the fact things have changed and start putting up some real topics as opposed to shit about washing machines i think it'll start to work back toward how things ought to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 I think Marks point about social networks / tartybikes makes the most sense than anything else that's been posted in here. You need help on anything technical, why find a forum when you can just call tartybikes? Why find a forum to discuss a meetup when you can just use facebook. I suppose it's a testament to what TF was pre-2007, a solid website ahead of it's time, but it's just become a little redundant. Which is a shame because there's no easy fix... in fact it's not even a case of a fix because it's not like it's broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted May 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 I think Marks point about social networks / tartybikes makes the most sense than anything else that's been posted in here. You need help on anything technical, why find a forum when you can just call tartybikes? Why find a forum to discuss a meetup when you can just use facebook. I suppose it's a testament to what TF was pre-2007, a solid website ahead of it's time, but it's just become a little redundant. Which is a shame because there's no easy fix... in fact it's not even a case of a fix because it's not like it's broken. I think that's basically my point - I just didn't put it across as well as you two have combined to do. I'll have another stab at it: Using myself as an example, it would scare me to think of how many pageviews and posts I give this place basically every single day of every single year. I also know there's plenty of others in the same position. I can see why these changes are to be made, but the people who will actually like them and would potentially become the new users of the site are already scratching that itch elsewhere. Somewhere where all their riding buddies already are: Facebook or in person. They're not finding Trials Forum because they don't need or want it. So why piss off the people who do want it, and have supported the place since it's inception? There's ways of increasing the traffic and engagement without reversing some of the things that make this forum great - organisation and respect of the 'feel' of the place being the two main ones that this move will completely f**k up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 One good thing I've noticed recently is the lack of replies from people saying use the search bar. I know when I joined almost every question asked in NMC got referred to the search which completely defeats the object of what Tom's trying to achieve, and if you did search and drag up an old thread you'd get flamed for ressurecting it! As for myself using the forum now I largely use it as my job involves long stretches where not much happens so I like to drop random comments on certain threads, I'm almost at a point now where I barely ever have a question to ask and only really do when I'm bored. Since the 'the' threads have gone this seems to be the only thing of interest in off topic at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 (edited) Just to add to that, it's weird when you go to competitions and you see loads of people (mainly young teenagers) on Montys and after conversing with them and their parents, you mention trials forum and they just have no clue what it is. Saw so many people running magura black pads too. edit - not to add to Daves post, he snaked me and posted just before I did Edited May 20, 2012 by dann2707 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted May 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Just to add to that, it's weird when you go to competitions and you see loads of people (mainly young teenagers) on Montys and after conversing with them and their parents, you mention trials forum and they just have no clue what it is. Saw so many people running magura black pads too. edit - not to add to Daves post, he snaked me and posted just before I did There you go Tom - you just need a 'brand advocate' at each comp getting in front of all that lot. Boom. Bring on the "The 'Which Comp Did You Get Told About Us At' Thread" thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 A lot of people who I speak to at comps either are members who only ever use the forum to buy and sell stuff or know of the forum but don't use it because "it's full of dicks" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 But even if more new members do join the forum theyre pretty unlikely to be posting in Chit chat section anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 (edited) It'd be a whole new wave of kids trying to figure out who the f**k Jim is?! Edited May 20, 2012 by isitafox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Haha who the f**k is jim? I dont see the point of having so many split topics though, like the Family guy one below. I know it was originally in another thread but its got one reply. Just seems so pointless! I dont think it will catch on. Why would I want to make a thread saying "Happy because I just had a nice drive home" Gotta move on with the times I think man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomturd Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 "Happy because I just had a nice drive home" Why would you want to post that at all? No offence, but the vast majority of people simply don't care whether you had a nice drive home. A post like that would have lasted about 5 seconds before it got deleted for being spam a few years ago, and I think facebook is to blame for people slowly losing any sense of what is interesting to talk about. I don't think you can say it 'wont catch on' when you don't need to look far (ie, trials chat, for sale, wanted) to see that it does work. You'd think it was crazy if there was a 'brakes for sale' and a 'frames for sale' topic, wouldn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Because that's the sort of stuff that filled the happy thread! The majority of the stuff posted in there no one cared about. That's kind of what I was trying to get at. Pointless topics aren't going to solve anything imo. Sorry if I came across as hostile, didn't meant to sound like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 I do agree with Tom though that Facebook is to blame for people posting more and more garbage. The happy thread for example 4 years ago held only things like, "Just passed my driving test, only 2 minors!" which lead to more people replying to say well done. Now those posts are getting lost amongst things like "Just settling down to a nice pizza with some beer and watching family guy, how lovely!", which nobody cares about. If a mate of mine passed his driving test, it makes me happy and makes me want to pat him on the bottom, whereas if he tells me he's enjoying his tea, I want to stab him in the face because I can't afford nice food. People have learnt that it's OK to sprout garbage no-one wants to read, somehow it needs managing. It makes sense to me that the level of shite needs to be controlled, but I'm not sure killing the happy/angry threads is the right way to do it though. They had a community feel to them, I'd say most people I know through trials I met because of those threads. I was in regular contact with Dan270707277007027024712570 for about a year before we actually met. I don't think we ever went on a ride together, but I have done unspeakable things to his old neighbours bedroom. If this was just a regular chit-chat area like every other forum, I doubt we'd have ever met, but the community feel that the TF chit-chat had because of those threads meant we did meet. In fact, I've never ridden with Dan, Revolver, JD, Kev, Shucksmith, Ogre and many more besides, yet I keep in touch with them all, and I'd put money on it being because of the last 6 years I've spent chatting shit to them in the happy/angry threads. Trying to chase new members by killing those threads and "livening up" chit-chat will not keep me here and in touch with those people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Exactly. Pretty certain I posted in the happy thread about me having a few bottles of wine and you commented and I was like, come over. Then we played counter strike and trashed my mates room as he was away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 It was more along the lines of "I feel so lonely, I hate Sheffield, wish I'd gone to a real uni, just sitting here with a few bottles of cheap wine on my own. " in the angry thread, but yeh, all I heard was "Free wine". But, if you'd posted a topic about it, I'd have thought, "Wow a whole topic about being down? Bet he's gonna top himself, f**k being around that shit, free wine or no free wine." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 I actually remember that as I was working! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Hahahaha you dickhead!! I need to find this in the angry or happy thr..... oh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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