A Fan from the Fans
- Thread starter Sjoerd3000
- Start date
One thing that strikes me about the CA site is this.
If a newbie posts anywhere on this forum, I guarentee within 24 hours at least 5 people will have welcomed them. I don't welcome on the "welcome thread", but if I reply to someone for the first time on another thread I say hi.
Jan posted her one and only post over 50 hours ago and even though some people have posted afterwards, NOT ONE person has bothered to say welcome.
Is that normal?
If a newbie posts anywhere on this forum, I guarentee within 24 hours at least 5 people will have welcomed them. I don't welcome on the "welcome thread", but if I reply to someone for the first time on another thread I say hi.
Jan posted her one and only post over 50 hours ago and even though some people have posted afterwards, NOT ONE person has bothered to say welcome.
Is that normal?
Probably - it's not that sort of site though is it? They're also geekier than we are and therefore not quite so good at free range socialising and topic hopping like wot we are over here.
I've actually been registered over there for almost as long as i've been on here so I've hardly been sociable over there have I?
I've actually been registered over there for almost as long as i've been on here so I've hardly been sociable over there have I?
It used to be very much like this site there. It even had the same software. But they did an upgrade and decided that all welcoming and introductions would be done in a dedicated section, The Welcome Mat.
Personally I think it was a mistake. I for one very rarely go to that section. The site became (in my opinion) much less user friendly, even if it did have more features.
There are people there who never post anywhere but on the Stamps bit. A lot of people have wandered off, especially since the site upgrade. I certainly don't post there any where near as much I used to.
It's only cliquey in that a lot of the people there regularly meet up, either in Wincanton, Wadfest or the conventions - so they know each other personally as well as online.
Personally I think it was a mistake. I for one very rarely go to that section. The site became (in my opinion) much less user friendly, even if it did have more features.
There are people there who never post anywhere but on the Stamps bit. A lot of people have wandered off, especially since the site upgrade. I certainly don't post there any where near as much I used to.
It's only cliquey in that a lot of the people there regularly meet up, either in Wincanton, Wadfest or the conventions - so they know each other personally as well as online.
Well no one actually gets invited to those events, you just turn up, or buy a ticket or whatever. I know some of the French members of this forum went to a recent Wincanton event. It wasn't by invite, you just find out when it is and arrange somewhere to stay. A few years ago, I booked a country cottage just outside Wincanton for Hogswatch and a friend from the Netherlands and one from Finland came over to share it.
Once there, everyone was very friendly even to those people who were at an event for the first time.
Once there, everyone was very friendly even to those people who were at an event for the first time.
poohcarrot said:
One thing that strikes me about the CA site is this.
If a newbie posts anywhere on this forum, I guarentee within 24 hours at least 5 people will have welcomed them. I don't welcome on the "welcome thread", but if I reply to someone for the first time on another thread I say hi.
If a newbie posts anywhere on this forum, I guarentee within 24 hours at least 5 people will have welcomed them. I don't welcome on the "welcome thread", but if I reply to someone for the first time on another thread I say hi.
http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk/forum/v ... ght=#36008
The "What was #1 on the day you were born" thread was an interesting comparison between this site and the CA site.
Both threads were started at roughly the same time in similar sections.
It was a topic that would appeal to the vast majority of people.
On this site there were 70 posts and 879 views.
On the CA site there were 38 posts and 253 views.
CONCLUSION
It would seem logical to assume that there are approximately twice as many regular members on this site compard to the CA site.
IN MY OPINION
This site should never have an upgrade because it could become less user friendly.
Welcoming newbies and making them feel at home is an extremely important part to the continued growth and popularity of a site (even though I don't do it very often).
Both threads were started at roughly the same time in similar sections.
It was a topic that would appeal to the vast majority of people.
On this site there were 70 posts and 879 views.
On the CA site there were 38 posts and 253 views.
CONCLUSION
It would seem logical to assume that there are approximately twice as many regular members on this site compard to the CA site.
IN MY OPINION
This site should never have an upgrade because it could become less user friendly.
Welcoming newbies and making them feel at home is an extremely important part to the continued growth and popularity of a site (even though I don't do it very often).
Can't say I agree with you there. Although I do think the CA site is probably more focused on Bernard and stamps and collecting stuff and events, and although I don't post as often there as I used to, it's still full of a bunch of lovely, welcoming, fun, people. My geographical location means I can't easily get to Wincanton or regional events - however, that hasn't stopped some other forum members visiting me. And, when my daughter lived on the UK mainland, people from the CA forum went out of their way to ensure she got to events, giving her lifts, arranging accommodation, looking after her, made her welcome, etc. For that, they will always have my grateful appreciation.
The CA forum was the first genuinely welcoming, friendly, DW forum I found. Previous to that, others I had come across seemed to be horribly sarcastic, patronising to newcomers and extremely offputting. I'm really pleased that now there are 2 wonderful DW forums! (Yes, I should post here more.)
I do agree with Tony though that, since the upgrade, the CA forum is not as user friendly. And the *no digression* tell us about yourself thread is a bit offputting. Is like... you pluck up the courage to post about yourself ... but ppl have to reply in another thread. There is no flow. Also, some of the original moderators from the CA site no longer or rarely post - but haven't been replaced or added to. Part of a mods job is to welcome new members and while the ones we still have are lovely (and extremely knowledgeable about stamps) , they could maybe think about adding some new mods to help with that sort of thing? - I miss Fi!
However, your cryptic clues certainly got some heads scratching and quite a few replies
And, when my daughter lived on the UK mainland, people from the CA forum went out of their way to ensure she got to events, giving her lifts, arranging accommodation, looking after her, made her welcome, etc. For that, they will always have my grateful appreciation. The CA forum was the first genuinely welcoming, friendly, DW forum I found. Previous to that, others I had come across seemed to be horribly sarcastic, patronising to newcomers and extremely offputting. I'm really pleased that now there are 2 wonderful DW forums! (Yes, I should post here more.)
I do agree with Tony though that, since the upgrade, the CA forum is not as user friendly. And the *no digression* tell us about yourself thread is a bit offputting. Is like... you pluck up the courage to post about yourself ... but ppl have to reply in another thread.
There is no flow. Also, some of the original moderators from the CA site no longer or rarely post - but haven't been replaced or added to. Part of a mods job is to welcome new members and while the ones we still have are lovely (and extremely knowledgeable about stamps) , they could maybe think about adding some new mods to help with that sort of thing? - I miss Fi!
poohcarrot said:
That's why I posted my Maskerade prize winning photo from the last DWCon and said I wasn't staying.
...but when I did what I was supposed to do and posted in the Welcome Mat, nobody (I don't include archerinwood because he's been assimilated over here) welcomed me.
...but there were four times as many heads scratching on this site.
Selkie said:
However, your cryptic clues certainly got some heads scratching and quite a few replies
