Re-examining How We Post

[Eric]

Recent events have once again shown light on an issue that has caused some friction here before. I’ve discussed this matter with several members privately, but it is a continuing concern. I am talking about posting habits. The posting guidelines I have always followed really boil down to nothing more than asking everyone to be considerate with each other. That means being considerate with your posting habits as well.

Posting so much content in another member’s thread, or in one of the forum’s community threads (like Random Posting, Doggos, etc), that everyone else’s content gets buried by pages of your posts is inconsiderate. If you want to post that much content, start a new thread. You can start a new thread that you will use on a continuing basis for your content, or you can start threads that are specific to a given topic. Or you can do both. New threads make the site show better in search engines, it allows members to find content they want to see more quickly and easily and it allows other people’s content to still get some attention, in other threads.

Memes have been around a while and they are here to stay. Many people enjoy them. Many do not. Posting them provides very little benefit to the site. They do very little for our search engine placement and they do even less to encourage conversation between members, which is the natural goal of a site like this. The only value they have is that many people here enjoy reading them, so they will always have a place here. That place really shouldn’t be in other people’s threads or in community threads that are not set aside for them however. Not in any numbers, anyway. Having pages and pages of such content in threads like Random Posting chokes out the content that the thread was really intended for. 
 

This is an issue I should have addressed decisively sooner. All the memes being posted in threads like that do not belong there. We need to set up a thread(s) specifically for memes and/or members should start new threads to contain the ones they want to post. They people who want to see such content can easily seek it out and the people who do not like such content can easily avoid it. 

The problem isn’t only with memes though. Recently, there have been dozens of pages of knife and firearm content posted in the Random Posting forum. We have a knives thread running that could use the knife content and if you all want, we can start a similar thread for all the firearms pics and such. I realize that this is a firearms site and we gave plenty of forums for knife/firearms content, but I also realize that we don’t have enough traffic here yet so that it is worth the effort for many to post such content in the regular forums. I have no problem with it being posted in this forum, but I would like to see it organized into dedicated threads, for everyone’s sake.

If people want to post memes, I say post memes. Same for gun pics and knife pics and dog pics, etc. let’s just start doing a better job of organizing it. I understand that there are those that don’t like memes, or other types of content and I am willing to try to make changes here to accommodate you all, but if you have a problem with any aspect of the site, including other members’ posting habits, please contact me directly and personally, so we can discuss them. 

I want this place to run smoothly and I want to make it as good a fit as possible, for as many of you as possible. I need everyone’s help to make this happen though. If any of you have anything constructive to add, please feel free to do so below. If you have any suggestions on how we can structure things to try to make this a better place, I would love to hear them. Truly.

For now, those of you that post large amounts of anything, please start posting in fresh threads, or in existing threads that are set apart for that sort of content specifically. I am going to set up a memes and firearms threads right now.

[Eric]

FWIW, an occasional meme, or knife pic, or gun pic, or anything that is germane to any thread is welcome to be posted there. The issue is one of volume and moderation. Too much of anything can be a problem. 

[railfancwb]

I have tried to launch specialty threads from time to time, and they often surprise me. Some because they seem to take on a life of their own. Others because they fall flat. 

[Eric]

It can be hard to predict which way some threads will go, but starting a new thread will usually get a post better visibility. 

[MO Fugga]

It's 90% meme. Needs to be corn teen'd.

[LostinTexas]

[Dric902]

Nothing

forget it

Edited April 9, 2021 by Dric902

[crockett]

19 hours ago, Eric said:

...everyone else’s content gets buried by pages..

I thought about bringing this issue up several times in the past but I know how taxing it can be, trying to make a forum work for "everybody".

The way I approach all forums a few times a day is by reading the Topic section on the home page. If anything new looks interesting, I go into the thread, read it and usually post my opinion or content. But if I see 10 posts lined up from the Random Post or one of the other big threads, which are always full with memes or just images, I lose interest 9 out of 10 times and come back later.

At times these threads looks like a posting contest with only one goal: who makes it on the "Popular Contributors" list on the home page.

Potentially new members may do the same and check out the forum's homepage with the same approach as mine, and never sign up, thinking that this forum is dead since the "only" content seems to come from the same 4 or 5 members, and all that is basically meme sharing and political bickering. As the saying goes: The first impression is the last impression.

If possible, I'd exclude those huge threads from the Topic listing on the home page. That alone will change things and direct more readers and members to other threads and more variety.

My second suggestion aims at the members, and that includes me: lets share a little more personal stories and firearm content, in exchange for the same ol same ol political ****. I said this before, we are in an echo chamber when it comes to our frustrations with political issues. We would do much better - in the sense of the 2nd Amendment - if we would share new ideas how to save our rights, what groups to support, when to call representatives, etc.

Edited April 9, 2021 by crockett

[Hook]

If i have been part of the problem then i apologize to you Eric. I know i come down hard on a certain member that i dont like but i will stop doing that. You run a great site and i do not want to drag it down at all. I like this place some damn good folks here. Even though that Crockett dude is strangely hairy like a bigfoot. I really enjoy the memes that are posted. But i do agree we should just bullshit with each other instead of memes.

[LostinTexas]

Joking aside, and I put one up there. If you start over modulating, you will alienate the members, sooner or later. 

This forum has done a good job of not doing that. You aren't going to make everyone happy, an I only count 5-10 regulars, along with some who come and go, and a maybe one or two who are becoming regulars.

Someone is always going to whine. Someone is always going to kiss the ground you walk on, someone will agree, someone will argue. Someone will just stay silent, and those are the ones who will just eventually stop coming around.

You run a nice page, and the folks here are pretty good people, even the one or two that I just tolerate.  Most are fun loving and helpful when they get the chance.  If it hasn't stayed within the guidelines of your vision, and it was your vision, that isn't necessarily bad.

I have seen two forums with recent facelifts and effort put in. One is doing a little better, but was so slow it is painful, the other found this Crack Admin who took it upon herself to correct peoples posts, placement, and several other things. People complained, and slowly stopped coming around, and they didn't have the active membership to lose either. I don't know if the powers that be had a come to Jesus meeting with her, or they invited her to leave, but the damage was done, and done in less than a month. Don't be her.

Perhaps an alternative 2¢, but you throw stuff like this out there, you should expect it .

Cheers

[crockett]

That's what I mean. The majority of recent posts and threads is just full with meme or photos spamming. That's when I walk away right away. There's only so many good looking girls or pollical nagging I want to see on any given day.

If the Post section on the home page would excluded all threads with more than 50 posts, it would show more variety, newer content and make people hang around longer, and reply to other topics. Bots would also see more links to new content.

A simple SQL ..WHERE post_count < 50 filter in the SELECT statement should do.

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by crockett