News Attention everyone

[cHodAX]

Question: would "they" do the same for us?
If - say - the WoW section was the most active section on FH and this OT would be dying.... would they move to another forum area just to make it easier for us to find a new home?

Not a new home, just a new address, OT stays intact with all the posts that make it what it is.

 

[cHodAX]

Your going on as if they have to climb 5 mountains and wrestle a tiger to post

Everyone else can jump between the 2 easy enough. I read General everday i may not post all the time but i do read and i have no problem at all going there and back. Can do it on the one travelcard

And yes i think the OT vote is more important as its our home thats being asked to move no-one elses

No Sparx, this is a misconception. I will explain.

Alot of general forum users have DAoC forum turned off, they cannot see our forums. Why? They used it to block out all the RvR rants and grats threads coming from the DAoC boards that dominated the 'new threads and posts' section of the front page. To see us, nevermind get to us they need to enable DAoC again and live with the spam. That is why alot of them don't even know OT exists or what they are missing out on.

 

[Thorwyn]

You make a good point but think of it this way, Deebs has been running this forum for a bloody long time, some of his best friends are General forum users. If that forum dies and Off Topic is slowing dropping in numbers then what is the incentive for him to continue paying out of his own pocket to keep this place going?

If FH is going to die, it´s going to die. There´s nothing we can do about it. We can merge everytihng together and it still won´t change anything unless Deebs manages to find a way to re-ignite the multi-gaming-platform-thing that FH used to be.

If you think that this place not dying off anytime soon couldn't happen I fear you might be wrong, Deebs has the traffic stats but I bet numbers of active users is down 50% on the numbers of 2 years ago. Off Topic is not dying but without very active members such as Ezteq, Ch3tan, myself, Thot and a dozen or so others (sorry not to name more names but you all know who you are) this part of the forum would be dead on it's arse.

So.. .this section isn´t dead, but without X and Y and Z and A and a dozen others, it would be dead? I think you´ll spot the flaw in your argument.
Just look at todays post updates. Not too shabby for a sub section of a sub seciot of a ...
I don´t know if that´s enough for Deebs to keep it alive, but that´s a different matter.

 

[Sparx]

Because being tucked away we have a feeling of security and can be a little more fun with our posts. I know me personally if we are in the front page i would be vetting my posts more.

This is one of the few places i can really relax and be stupid, i may hide behind name Sparx unlike Facebook where its all real names. Pushing it to the forefront of the site may push me away as its another site i need to be careful with what i say for fear of people googling it and stumbling into OT. Im talking RL friends etc, i like this place where my RL arent here and no GF or family etc. I have to behave on FB but not here

I may just be rambling but i hope that makes a little sense

 

[cHodAX]

If FH is going to die, it´s going to die. There´s nothing we can do about it. We can merge everytihng together and it still won´t change anything unless Deebs manages to find a way to re-ignite the multi-gaming-platform-thing that FH used to be.




So.. .this section isn´t dead, but without X and Y and Z and A and a dozen others, it would be dead? I think you´ll spot the flaw in your argument.
Just look at todays post updates. Not too shabby for a sub section of a sub seciot of a ...
I don´t know if that´s enough for Deebs to keep it alive, but that´s a different matter.

You don't think getting more people posting more often won't help the forum survive?

That is what the move to main page achieves.

 

[Sparx]

No Sparx, this is a misconception. I will explain.

Alot of general forum users have DAoC forum turned off, they cannot see our forums. Why? They used it to block out all the RvR rants and grats threads coming from the DAoC boards that dominated the 'new threads and posts' section of the front page. To see us, nevermind get to us they need to enable DAoC again and live with the spam. That is why alot of them don't even know OT exists or what they are missing out on.

Deebs said in the other thread taht the DAOC thing was disabled so thats not the case anymore

 

[cHodAX]

Because being tucked away we have a feeling of security and can be a little more fun with our posts. I know me personally if we are in the front page i would be vetting my posts more.

This is one of the few places i can really relax and be stupid, i may hide behind name Sparx unlike Facebook where its all real names. Pushing it to the forefront of the site may push me away as its another site i need to be careful with what i say for fear of people googling it and stumbling into OT. Im talking RL friends etc, i like this place where my RL arent here and no GF or family etc. I have to behave on FB but not here

I may just be rambling but i hope that makes a little sense

You know the mods for this forum are the same mods for the rest of the site? A couple of them are former DAoC players as well, we are not losing any sense of identity or at risk of more censure by moving. Infact some of the stuff in General is alot nearer the knuckle than what you usually see in OT.

Honestly bud I do understand your concerns but Deebs is a good bloke and I don't see him allowing anyone to change what fundamentally makes OT different.

 

[Sparx]

You don't think getting more people posting more often won't help the forum survive?

That is what the move to main page achieves.

But it wont though thats the point. Just by moving the forum wont suddenly increase unique hits. It'll still be the same people posting no more

 

[megadave]

lets move and be called Off Topic-Ywain2

 

[Sparx]

You know the mods for this forum are the same mods for the rest of the site? A couple of them are former DAoC players as well, we are not losing any sense of identity or at risk of more censure by moving. Infact some of the stuff in General is alot nearer the knuckle than what you usually see in OT.

Honestly bud I do understand your concerns but Deebs is a good bloke and I don't see him allowing anyone to change what fundamentally makes OT different.

Im not talking about the difference between OT and General im talking about OT and other websites. OT is easier to relax in for me as it does feel more tucked away

 

[Thorwyn]

You don't think getting more people posting more often won't help the forum survive?

That is what the move to main page achieves.

No, because FH used to be a platform for gamers, who wanted to talk about their game. All those grats threads and RvR whining, that made other people block the DAoC section, is originally what this forum was all about (and what created the traffic). Today, it´s going down because people found new ways to communicate, the leagues (Q3, CS etc) are basically gone and the entire gaming scene has changed. FH OT is a relic and will remain a relic as long as it´s not being crushed by a futile attempt to mend what has been broken long time ago.

 

[cHodAX]

Deebs said in the other thread taht the DAOC thing was disabled so thats not the case anymore

Disabled by default for new members though right? Alot of the older General members will still have it enabled though right?

If I am wrong on that then apologies.

The point remains though, for historical reasons alot of older members (especially those who have been with these forums since the mid to late 1990's) have never entered or did not want to return to the DAoC forums for a number of reasons. First they are not MMO players, second they weren't made welcome in the early days and OT did not exist in thier minds because DAoC was not a desintation for them. Geniunely alot of them did not know OT has existed and been vibrant for so long. Not to overlook the whole sub-forum thing either, being hidden away just makes it a bit more awkward for people and I can not see why we are so desperate to hang onto that.

 

[Sparx]

then surely they are being just as stubborn. So why are being forced to change cause others are more stubborn?

 

[cHodAX]

Im not talking about the difference between OT and General im talking about OT and other websites. OT is easier to relax in for me as it does feel more tucked away

Ok but that is your perception of the place, I respect it but I would hope you respect that it being tucked away actually makes it more awkward for many of us to use and also limits it's lifespan nevermind it's chances of growing.

 

[Sparx]

You havent had a problem up till now is it really that hard to bookmark OT ive had a bookmark on Firefox bar for years

 

[cHodAX]

then surely they are being just as stubborn. So why are being forced to change cause others are more stubborn?

No it is not stubborn, coming to Off Topic is just alot more awkward than it needs to be and that is what keeps this community split. We are hidden away and not seen or heard, being hidden might keep OT cozy but it also keeps it kind of elitest because we are all used to each other but not with newcomers so much.

 

[cHodAX]

You havent had a problem up till now is it really that hard to bookmark OT ive had a bookmark on Firefox bar for years

For us it is 100% natural we have been here for 6 years. For those that have never been here, well why would they bookmark somewhere they know nothing about nevermind somewhere they might not feel welcome.

Moving to main page eliminates all the hurdles, it is open accessible and more welcoming because the perception of being a niche group is lifted to reveal a friendly welcoming community of eccentric nerds.

 

[Sparx]

Where are these magical new users you keep mentioning?

 

[Sparx]

General is right at the top of the main page and its dying. So clearly moving to the front page wont suddenly increase userbase or else General would be too busy

 

[cHodAX]

General is right at the top of the main page and its dying. So clearly moving to the front page wont suddenly increase userbase or else General would be too busy

General is dying because it was used by a dozen or so users who have been around for over a decade and said almost everything they ever needed to say to each other.

Go and have a look, when someone new post something interesting it usually sparks up a good thread and warms up the cold corpse that is General for a while. I will be honest, I don't want to see General die off, partly because it can be a fun place but also because if General dies then Freddyshouse is not a healthy entity when the primary forum where it's oldest members reside has died off due to lack of interest.

New users? People drop by all the time, a few mates of mine check in every now and then, never make accounts but check out game guides or the console forum. Slap OT bang in the middle with a thread like 'pokey bum wank' sticking out and I promise you they will be in to have a look.

 

[cHodAX]

Deebs probably has all the traffic stats, I wonder if he can dig out numbers of how many people drop by but don't have accounts?

 

[Sparx]

But can you see my point? you keep saying moving to the main page with have an increase in users. But that same theory General should have loads of users as its already there.

Moving us to the main wont increase userbase at all

 

[megadave]

i wonder how many lurkers there are, as in people with accounts who read often but don't post

 

[cHodAX]

But can you see my point? you keep saying moving to the main page with have an increase in users. But that same theory General should have loads of users as its already there.

Moving us to the main wont increase userbase at all

Sparx I do see you points and some of them are well made, General doesn't have an army of users for a few reasons and one of the main ones is that in years gone by it wasn't as friendly as a General forum should be. It was also far too serious at times, that has changed somewhat now but it definately isn't Off Topic.

New people looking in there found alot of threads about politics, cars, photography etc but not a whole lot of laughs. For that reason not many stick around, especially if they didn't get a warm welcome on the first few posts.

Now put Off Topic up there with 'Have you ever shaved your balls thread?', I am telling you (young or old it doesn't matter) new people will have a look and be tempted to post.

 

[cHodAX]

Deebs might have the numbers and it will be more than you imagine I reckon. From personal experience, Fell, Pinvan, Cabbage, Slainyou and my nephew Terence all pop by here every so often but haven't made accounts because they didn't find anything beyond what they were intially looking for. They didn't end up in DAoC forum because it is a dead game for them and I bet they have no idea what Off Topic is nevermind why it is hidden away in the bowels of the forum.

 

[cHodAX]

Here is a telling statistic, just spotted this current users...

Currently Active Users: 57 (15 members and 42 guests)

42 guests! People are using this place but not making accounts and contributing, why?

 

[Ch3tan]

It's no real surprise that parties like UKIP and the BNP get so many votes. Just look at the basic inability of people to understand what they are voting for. IN the most simple case as well. This thread had a link to a thread, which should be used to discuss this. Instead we've got off-the cuff rants from people who clearly have not even read the OP.

I've lost respect for a great deal of you. All I see is fear, stubborness, close-mindedness. It's quite shameful that you all hold OT up to be this fun, unique place, when all you really want is a closed old boys network. Pathetic, most of you.

 

[Ormorof]

what does UKIP or BNP have to do with OT?

its nice to have seperation as theres the Generalites and the Offtopic...err...ites...

makes for interesting banter

in reality though it would make little difference to me as i usually click "new posts" and post in anything that interests me!

 

[Thorwyn]

It's no real surprise that parties like UKIP and the BNP get so many votes. Just look at the basic inability of people to understand what they are voting for. IN the most simple case as well. This thread had a link to a thread, which should be used to discuss this. Instead we've got off-the cuff rants from people who clearly have not even read the OP.

I've lost respect for a great deal of you. All I see is fear, stubborness, close-mindedness. It's quite shameful that you all hold OT up to be this fun, unique place, when all you really want is a closed old boys network. Pathetic, most of you.

Yeah, your usual way to deal with anyone that doesn´t agree with you: personal attacks and insults.
Mabye it´s this kind of argumentative atmosphere that most of those "pathetic" people want to avoid.

 

[Deebs]

Ok ok ok. I will reset the vote and add the remaining option, make it live off the main forum index as "Off Topic".

You will need to recast your votes.