Encouraging joinees to post

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Encouraging joinees to post

Downsizer Forum Index -> Site guidelines, Announcements, Problems and Suggestions

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Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 6:34 pm Post subject: Encouraging joinees to post

Just wondering, what happens these days after a new member has successfully joined - what's on that page and can we change it?

I thought that it might be handy to have:

a) a poll on where they found us - or a link to such a poll on the forums so existing members could take part too. I see a couple of recent joiners are from search engine searches and that's very interesting (and pleasing that we were worth staying for)

b) more importantly a way to get them to join in...is there a link to the forums, perhaps not to a specific introduction thread, but to some of the boards...like "See what's going on and perhaps introduce yourself on Chat, see how you can join in and share your knowledge in Authors Corner, get advice on burning issues in Does it Really Matter".

I'm just thinkiing about something that prompts them to do something after the joining process. Or is this all already there?

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 6:35 pm Post subject:
And if any quite new members are reading this, what could we do to encourage you to join in with the forums, articles etc?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 6:36 pm Post subject:
I think we need the views of some "joinees" here

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42223
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 6:37 pm Post subject:
Tahir made me do it...

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 6:38 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

Tahir made me do it...

That's what they all say, funny enough they used to say that at school too, no wonder I got so many detentions

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28262
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 6:43 pm Post subject:
We can certainly change things about the joining process. The text would be easy, polls and stuff harder. Excellent idea jema

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 6:56 pm Post subject:
Oooh. Normally my ideas prompt a glazed look, and a sudden need to catch a bus. Well, if it's easier the poll could just be a common or garden forum poll...which we can start now...and have that as a link from that page. Two or three enticing options should be enough - one of them definitely to "have you tried" articles on the main site.

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 7:12 pm Post subject:

As a new member I haven't needed any encouragement to join in on the forums (I'm not known for being shy!). However, I'm also happy about being able to sit back, keep quiet (hard!) and hear what you guys have to say and learn from you.

I guess wherever you have new people coming on board some may feel a bit shy about joining in and letting their guard down (if you know what I mean).

When you have people registering you are asking what their interests are - what about widening this a little - if they are able to give you some more information you can encourage/coax them to share their views.

P.S. re my profile, it's a bit sparse - will eidt mine now for you.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 7:25 pm Post subject:

Thanks Gertie, know exactly what you mean about not being encouraged to post - I felt the same way myself once, now I think they'd like to put a cork in me some days

I do think (and this'll sound a bit hippy and huggy) everyone's got stuff to learn from each other, and in fact people who know a great deal can learn a lot from beginners' questions and experiences (I hope so, anyway, cos I have a lot of beginners's questions!).

By widening the bit about interests...do you mean asking for more specific information? I found the interests bit very hard to write - I like Tahir's though.

If it's possible to add stuff there as well - we could have: which is your favourite forum (eg I think I'd plump for Growing Your Own...or maybe Poultry and Livestock) - which would give us an idea of people's interests, a bit to say what livestock you've got, what downsizing have you done to date...what "level" of downsizing are you at now...what else? I@m not very inventive with this kind of stuff.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 05 10:44 pm Post subject:
evening, don't normally leave comments or join in as i tend to make mistakes as i am very "computer illiterate".I tend to use these forums as a pool of information. This one and the river cottage one take up far more of my time than is probably healthy but its good to escape from life occasionally if you know what i mean.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 05 10:58 pm Post subject:
Hi Bernie, that's exactly how I started out. I have learned so much from people on here, and other sites, just by "lurking". I think we have all been sucked into the vortex of the forums, it's Friday night for heaven's sake!! Bugs, we'll only bung a cork in you if you start spouting garbage

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28262
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 05 11:02 pm Post subject:

Bernie66 wrote:

evening, don't normally leave comments or join in as i tend to make mistakes as i am very "computer illiterate".I tend to use these forums as a pool of information. This one and the river cottage one take up far more of my time than is probably healthy but its good to escape from life occasionally if you know what i mean.

Good to see a first post

I see this sort of community as one that helps us all encourage each other, so it is nice to see people posting and not lurking, as each poster reassures us we are not alone

jema

Deedee

Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 05 11:56 pm Post subject:
Can I just add as a newbie I think you are a lovely bunch who have made me feel welcome.I have felt encouraged to post and have already learnt so much from this site.Thankyou to all involved

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 7:50 am Post subject:

Bernie66, welcome

, and I hope you will continue to post as both of yours so far have been interesting points (and don't think you sound conputer illiterate either...no more than many of us here...

).

I was a lurker meself once and used to spend ages rereading my posts thinking, "will they think that, does that sound right". The good thing about forums is if you say something wrong people will generally let you know

(round here they'll do it nicely) and you have a chance to correct yourself. But I don't think that'll happen to you so do join in

Nettie..you'll have to start looking for a cork big enough, to deal with the inevitable

And Deedee, that's a really lovely comment, I'm really glad you feel welcome. Hope everyone else does too (and if anyone doesn't, please say...you can even make your suggestions and comments by PM if you're really shy - no need to be though

)

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28262
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 9:05 am Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

I was a lurker meself once and used to spend ages rereading my posts thinking, "will they think that, does that sound right". The good thing about forums is if you say something wrong people will generally let you know

(round here they'll do it nicely) and you have a chance to correct yourself. But I don't think that'll happen to you so do join in

there are indeed different types of forums. I recall making my first post on a certain gaming forum with what was actually a perfectly legit intelligent question, and the first reply being totally abusive

Other people did come in to the thread, with intelligent responses, and condumnation of the first idiot. But all the same it didn't encouage me to make those forums a home

Round here I hope we can help each other and debate issues, but even with a debate we have strict rules about personal attacks etc.

jema

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