Critical mass...

[quodec]

Looks like gubu.ie could be hitting critical mass again after two years of hardly any postings. I was an early poster, mainly soccer, weather etc and I too lapsed eventually, so it's great to see all the activity again. Well done Guburnor for keeping the flame lit!

[Dubit10]

It's a good easy to use site.

[RoaldDahl]

I wish it well and there’s a simplicity to the design that is appealing. Two observations:

1). An admin having to approve accounts. I know it’s probably to stop spam, but it also stops a visitor from engaging. Attention is the currency of the modern internet and you will lose a lot of casual posters who might pop in to have a read and maybe contribute if there’s a delay in doing so.

2). I’ve been accused of trolling for raising this before, but I’m not. Having the same 10-15 lads here and on discussions complaining about wokeness, Greta Thunburg, trans people, social welfare recipients, lefties, immigrants etc is poison. Message board kryptonite. It may give the site the appearance of being busier than it was, but it’s pure poison for casual readers coming over for a look from boards. It’s the same on that discussions site. It’s incredibly boring to read and it’s not like there’s anything new or interesting being said. It’s just negativity. It’s boring. Very boring.

[ceannairceach]

I wish it well and there’s a simplicity to the design that is appealing. Two observations:

1). An admin having to approve accounts. I know it’s probably to stop spam, but it also stops a visitor from engaging. Attention is the currency of the modern internet and you will lose a lot of casual posters who might pop in to have a read and maybe contribute if there’s a delay in doing so.

2). I’ve been accused of trolling for raising this before, but I’m not. Having the same 10-15 lads here and on discussions complaining about wokeness, Greta Thunburg, trans people, social welfare recipients, lefties, immigrants etc is poison. Message board kryptonite. It may give the site the appearance of being busier than it was, but it’s pure poison for casual readers coming over for a look from boards. It’s the same on that discussions site. It’s incredibly boring to read and it’s not like there’s anything new or interesting being said. It’s just negativity. It’s boring. Very boring.

So those items that are important should not be discussed because you don’t like them??

Self important much ??

[Guburnor]

1). An admin having to approve accounts. I know it’s probably to stop spam, but it also stops a visitor from engaging. Attention is the currency of the modern internet and you will lose a lot of casual posters who might pop in to have a read and maybe contribute if there’s a delay in doing so.

I have changed this based on the feedback. For the past month or so new users have been activating their own accounts, but there is a higher automated spam protection, I'm trying to find the right balance.

[RoaldDahl]

So those items that are important should not be discussed because you don’t like them??

Self important much ??

No, they can be discussed all you want. I’ve no skin in the game at all. I’m just saying that having all the top threads just be about 10 lads complaining about the usual 6 or 7 things that irritate them from early morning to late at night isn’t going to attract the necessary amount of causal posters to achieve the network effect needed for a site to become organically popular. It’s what happened in AH. Gone was the light hearted threads and we were left with “who do you hate” threads. It’s boring, and it won’t capture eyeballs.

I’m just saying it like it is.

[Return of the Mac]

It's great to see more activity on the site and that traffic is no longer been driven by just one poster with somewhat eccentric views. Seems to be 10/15 regular posters with a half dozen more semi regular. Not at critical mass levels yet. But a big improvement

[Statsman]

I'm new and finding my way, but on the whole the functionality is good, post appear quickly after clicking 'Submit' and I like the 'Thanks' button.

[knownunknown]

I wish it well and there’s a simplicity to the design that is appealing. Two observations:

1). An admin having to approve accounts. I know it’s probably to stop spam, but it also stops a visitor from engaging. Attention is the currency of the modern internet and you will lose a lot of casual posters who might pop in to have a read and maybe contribute if there’s a delay in doing so.

2). I’ve been accused of trolling for raising this before, but I’m not. Having the same 10-15 lads here and on discussions complaining about wokeness, Greta Thunburg, trans people, social welfare recipients, lefties, immigrants etc is poison. Message board kryptonite. It may give the site the appearance of being busier than it was, but it’s pure poison for casual readers coming over for a look from boards. It’s the same on that discussions site. It’s incredibly boring to read and it’s not like there’s anything new or interesting being said. It’s just negativity. It’s boring. Very boring.

Just on point number two: the people that are posting are posting about the topics that interest them. Let’s not place any importance on what mystical people that aren’t posting here might want to post about.

The most negative topics here by far are the Israel and Ukraine thread. There has been more anger and negativity and accusations of trolling there than anywhere else.

If you want to go down the boards route of banning these topics of discussion they have an even larger board to avail of, but unfortunately it seems to be on its last legs. The strategy of belitting everyone who engaged in these discussions didn’t work very well over there, so maybe best we were to avoid it.

[knownunknown]

I’ve no skin in the game at all. I’m just saying that having all the top threads just be about 10 lads complaining about the usual 6 or 7 things that irritate them from early morning to late at night isn’t going to attract the necessary amount of causal posters to achieve the network effect needed for a site to become organically popular.

This is what the last active topics looks like right now, what should it look like exactly?

[ceannairceach]

No, they can be discussed all you want. I’ve no skin in the game at all. I’m just saying that having all the top threads just be about 10 lads complaining about the usual 6 or 7 things that irritate them from early morning to late at night isn’t going to attract the necessary amount of causal posters to achieve the network effect needed for a site to become organically popular. It’s what happened in AH. Gone was the light hearted threads and we were left with “who do you hate” threads. It’s boring, and it won’t capture eyeballs.

I’m just saying it like it is.

And again, you say complaining - we say necessary pushback on the woke idiots.

[Boardsie Exile]

Would be nice to see the return of posters that have drifted away over time.

Whatever happened to setanta? One of the hardy few that kept the lights on before vanishing just as it gets busy.

[Guburnor]

And again, you say complaining - we say necessary pushback on the woke idiots.

Please don't prove the point by turning this thread into more of the same.

[RoaldDahl]

Has 3’s IP address range been banned? As in the mobile operator? Get a message saying the IP address has been banned. It’s fine when I connect back to WiFi.

[Guburnor]

Has 3’s IP address range been banned? As in the mobile operator? Get a message saying the IP address has been banned. It’s fine when I connect back to WiFi.

Can you try and connect now on the mobile and see if it connects?

[p.ie man]

How about opening a twitter or facebook accojnt to publicize the site?

[Nullzer0]

I have changed this based on the feedback. For the past month or so new users have been activating their own accounts, but there is a higher automated spam protection, I'm trying to find the right balance.

Have you thought about a subscription option? Probably best not to detail where the money goes when people pay, seems to be the way these things work.

[Guburnor]

Have you thought about a subscription option? Probably best not to detail where the money goes when people pay, seems to be the way these things work.

I'm still working on how to optimise the begging bowl approach. Obviously we don't have the critical mass for the "pay up or the site gets it" approach, so I am just trying to establish if the "pay up or cute puppy gets it" strategy is legal.

[GrowlerG]

...
2)...., but it’s pure poison for casual readers coming over for a look from boards. It’s the same on that discussions site. It’s incredibly boring to read and it’s not like there’s anything new or interesting being said. It’s just negativity. It’s boring. Very boring.

I made the same point a long time ago here and I agree this is what has stalled Gubu and is starting to stall Discuss etc. TBH is also what caused so many issues for boards. These sites were created from the same pool of users. So you're going to get the same topics over and over.

There are worse forums than those above though. Some forums (not boards) just delete every post that has a different opinion.

But I no longer think it's fixable. Time to turn off the news log off from forums and take up gardening.

[Dubit10]

These forums still have a place, the problem is moderation. If mods are unbiased and let conversation flow it can work. If they don't it just ends up like Boards slowly dying. I think the reason this place hasn't seen numbers sign up is that Boards is still seen as a leftist leaning safe space and posters seem to like that type of unchallenged forum. Anybody wanders in and attempts to discuss anything they disagree with on Boards and they get banned.

Gubu could fill the void but i don't know if those type of posters value the basic pillars of free speech anymore.

[GrowlerG]

Its no longer just an issue of moderation. Small alternative forums are no longer attracting a diverse user base.

[Dubit10]

Its no longer just an issue of moderation. Small alternative forums are no longer attracting a diverse user base.

Not true. Boards attracted plenty of different viewpoints from posters over the last few years that just led to those posters being banned. There's no traffic there because people just got fed up with an echo chamber. Same will happen here unless all viewpoints are accepted even if you don't agree with them.

[Statsman]

Has anyone else ben seeing SQL error messages?

[Socthesecond]

Not I.

[Dubit10]

No not for me.