Have all the "Official X Threads" hurt forum participation?

[Forlorn Drifter]

I'm not really sure what can be done. I know the last couple of times I did one off threads, there wasn't much traction so I kind of let them go.

I do think something needs to change though. I've said this previously in a similar thread, but I think there's too many sub forums. For example, we should either drop the console specific ines, or drop the genre specific ones.

I also think the forum itself needs to be pushed more, but I have no idea how. I learned about this site through an article, but I stayed because I got involved with the forums.

Don't know what else to say, really.

[Nemoide]

Those threads can be so large that I'm personally inclined to ignore them, but I'm not sure I'd be posting more without them. I know for as bloated as the Random Gaming Thoughts thread is, I appreciate it because I sometimes just want to share some not-so-important thought. It MIGHT be worth making a new one, but I can't imagine a newer/shorter thread being more user-friendly.

Honestly, I think the biggest change I think these forums could use would be cutting down on subforums. I love Sega, but I don't want to scroll down to the Sega section every time I check the website, especially when it feels like when I *do* check it, there's only one new post and it's in a thread that doesn't interest me. I think all of those platform subforums have low-enough activity to warrant getting folded into General Gaming. Or maybe based on console Generation rather than specific platform. Or maybe just subforums for "current consoles" and "retro consoles" - there's a big difference between NES collecting and the latest Switch news, do they really belong in the same forum?

[marurun]

I think the future of forums is in:

1. small, tightly-knot communities of interest
2. content sites with news teams, like Giant Bomb
3. places where industry insiders gather, like Giant Bomb, ResetEra, or RPG.net

It used to be more amateur content sites could sustain larger communities, but the kind of articles we provide have been pushed out by larger sites (Polygon, Kotaku, Buzzfeed) doing the same or similar content or by junk sites that post similar. We’re stuck in this hanging-in-there middle place, somewhere between 1 and 2. The internet is ruled by larger organizations, now. Many of the fan sites have moved to wikis hosted by a couple large providers, and news sites have always struggled to remain solvent.

[Ziggy]

Let me also just state that I'm not trying to be snooty or even disapprove of the posting habits of anyone here. I just want to point out that our current posting habits are not hospitable to new users, and changing that might help the forum regrow. Of course, there are other contributing factors to why participation has diminished. So it makes sense that there should be multiple contributing factors to help growth. This is one such factor, and it's an easy one.

If I want to talk about good memory cards for the Switch, I would prefer to have a topic dedicated to it, rather than going through a thread of 250 pages.

Same here. I guess I've always sort of felt this way, but I went along with the "official" threads anyway. But that's OK. Identifying the problem is the first step to fixing it.

People can create new threads if they want. Those monolithic threads are places to put one-off thoughts. Maybe the problem isn’t the threads themselves, necessarily.

Right. And again, I like the "official" threads for the one-off comments. You're right, the problem isn't the threads themselves. The problem is that we've gravitated toward using these threads for the vast majority of our posting.

Maybe some others should simply post by example. Post the way you want to read.

That's what I've been doing myself for some weeks or months now. But I can't reignite forum participation by myself, and that's why I posted this thread.

The other place people have moved to, and I don't necessarily want to point it out, but, it's over at the Hardcore Retro Gaming (Exhuminator's) forums. I can count on roughly one hand the number of times I've poked around over there, but it seems to regularly have more activity. It doesn't appear as though the number of users is larger, necessarily, just probably that they're posting more.

This is a good point, because the user base there is around the same as what the active user count is here right now (maybe even lower) and yet that forum is doing alright. Proof that the Racketboy forums don't have to die a slow death.

I made that NWC post, I wasn't really sure if it was confirmed 100% yet so I didn't make a thread.

I didn't mean to call you out or anything, it was just a good example.

I know the last couple of times I did one off threads, there wasn't much traction so I kind of let them go.

Yeah, I've had that happen myself. It's definitely disheartening. The "Tiger Handhelds and Long Lasting Batteries!" thread I had actually posted in the Random Gaming Thoughts thread first, but then I deleted that post and decided to create a new thread instead. It got 2382 views but only 4 replies. The GTA3 thread I just created, 43 views and 4 replies. My Super Mario Maker 2 thread, 221 views and 2 replies (although this one might pick up after the game releases). Point is, we're getting the views but we're not getting the posts. I've been guilty of this myself for the past few years now. Reading a lot of posts, but not posting. The more we all post, the more likely that others will join in. Like being in a hall with music playing, if we start dancing then others will be more inclined to start dancing as well.

I also think the forum itself needs to be pushed more, but I have no idea how. I learned about this site through an article, but I stayed because I got involved with the forums.

I agree. I think one way is to make the "Active Forum Discussions" more visible on the front page. Right now it's all the way at the bottom of the page.

Those threads can be so large that I'm personally inclined to ignore them, but I'm not sure I'd be posting more without them. I know for as bloated as the Random Gaming Thoughts thread is, I appreciate it because I sometimes just want to share some not-so-important thought.

I will ignore them at times too. If I haven't been on the forum in a while and one of the random or official threads has grown several pages since I last visited, it's really too much to catch up on. But, if there were a few new threads created instead, that would be easier and more convenient. And again, I totally agree that those threads are great for those one-off thoughts that you really don't wanna make a new thread for. But some how our posting habits as a community evolved into over using those threads.

Or maybe based on console Generation rather than specific platform. Or maybe just subforums for "current consoles" and "retro consoles" - there's a big difference between NES collecting and the latest Switch news, do they really belong in the same forum?

That's a really good point. I don't know about condensing (not that I'm disagreeing, I just don't know) the sub forums, but I agree that they could stand to be rejiggered. And the Racketboy forums have always been talking as much about current gen as it has retro. At least as long as I've been here.




All in all, we need to change some things. That much is obvious. We could simply say "that's just the way it is" and watch it die, or we could shake it up and try to turn it around. My suggestion was to lock most or all of the "official" threads for a certain amount of time and see what happens. Now my other suggestion is that we all make sure we're posting more, and not just reading without posting.

PS, I typed this post up while at work and had been distracted several times, so sorry if any of it isn't worded all that well.

[J T]

I just wanted to pop in to this thread to say "Hi guys. Long time no see."

[dsheinem]

Mods, can we please move this discussion to the proper thread?

[Ziggy]

I just wanted to pop in to this thread to say "Hi guys. Long time no see."

JT, what's up!

Mods, can we please move this discussion to the [url=<span class="skimlinks-unlinked">http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 2069</span>]proper thread[/url]?

LOL, I was actually thinking about that as I was posting this thread.

[Nintendork666]

I do think something needs to change though. I've said this previously in a similar thread, but I think there's too many sub forums. For example, we should either drop the console specific ines, or drop the genre specific ones.

I think the future of forums is in:

ResetEra

I post on ResetEra. It's my new home, tbh.

What Era has is a gaming section, off topic section, and then hang-out (or community) sections for both so four total. Era has a buttload of traffic.

There's no reason Racketboy should have more than this tbh.

Solid thread which addresses a prevalent point. Racketboy is one of my first homes online, I'd love to see a rebirth.

How can this site reclaim its glory? People are obviously still playing old games.

[Anapan]

I have to admit, I saw those threads as the same as a chat, and since I wasn't involved in the ongoing conversations, I never read any of it, or if I tried, it was an ongoing thing that I was an outsider to. Once in a while I posted a random, tho I was lost after and never saw any replies. I think they are definitely a thing that only regular members can access.
Still I never though it deterred from the forum. I still use this forum as I would any forum. Those topics are more like a private chat IMO.
Once in a while a specific google search will point me to a random page of one of them, as it does for the shmups.system11 forum, neogaf, Famicomworld, Atariage, and various others. This forum has a huge repository of important posts. Just like the other forums for any subject, the monolithic threads are where the best gems of knowledge crystallize.

[NotLuke]

No.
The lame discussions for the past seven years on this entire board has hurt participation.
Has forlorn made friends? Is repo making donuts today? Did noise make a black friend? DO TELL.