TASA Members Participation and Retention

Here is my two cents - I would not be a moderator if you paid me - too much hard work and damned if you do damned if you dont. I think the new mods are doing a great job and the forum is returning to its former glory.

Forums are for information about a specific topic - this one is general enough to cover almost all the freshwater bases, if you need really specific info on a certain species there are other forums to go to. If you need info on motorbikes or sex this is not the forum to be in.

I know that this forum has been instrumental in bringing a number of people into the hobby and that is what it is all about. The rules are there to stop it degenerating into a bitch shop.

Newbies want to feel welcome and most would like to learn something. So be nice to the newbies - no matter how simple you think the question is - remember we were all beginners once. Once the newbies have been here for some time and their general personality is recognized then maybe you can be more personal, but remember a newbie does not know the relationships between members, so the newbie might think a fight is going on, where it is actually just personal bantering. This is the problem with all forums, so use emoticons wisely and try to stay on-topic..

So all in all - Kudos to Rory and the Mods.....

 

Well said Zafgak. Totally agree.

 

alot of users just browse through the forums and view threads. I have noticed this in the 'replies' and 'views' counter; where views are much higher compared to replies.
I think maybe people are just looking for information or new ideas or just too shy to reply. Or perhaps whatever they wanted to say has already been said.

But i think that every user should atleast try an reply constructively to other members threads and perhaps encourage or promote a true fishkeeping society attitude if i may say so through discussions.

Most of the members on this forum have first hand knowledge on fishkeeping and give good advice, and I hope that they continue to do a good job and even if you are new to the forum there is probably some experience you can share with the rest of us.

So get posting already! just my 1.5 cents

 

Can't agree more old Fart! (-:

Many a people left or stopped being part of a forum I was involved in previously because of "too heated" discussions or remaks missunderstood.
But i also think we should become more specialized otherwise the same questions coming up over and over again, (which driftwood, what food..) etc and the people who are more on the forum are not getting new info or stimulie.
Maybe we could get more breeding reports, a fish/plant base (keeps members involved and we all wonna "show off" contribute at times.
TASA is still the best and most personal /friendly forum i know!!!!!

 

I totally agree with Zafgak. There is a place and time for everything and one of the reasons why I went AWOL was because of all the fighting and 'bitchyness' that was happening. I also find that I am snowed under with work and when logging on to read the new threads I had to go through pages and pages of comments which were not related to the thread at all. That being said, I also feel that a little fun and games within a thread has it's place but should not extend to pages and pages of unrelated banter. Perhaps a happy medium can be put in place whereby a little banter is acceptable but when the mods see that the thread has taken a MAJOR detour with ten comments of banter, then they should perhaps gently remind the members to get back onto topic and not necessarily delete the posts.

Being a mod is hard work and you walk a very thin line, but the mods that have now been chosen are all very ethical individuals who are great with their people skills. I take my hats off to them and wish them good luck in keeping the peace here on TASA. This is after all the best freshwater forum around!!!!

 

yes i totally agree veegal and here's hoping

 

A forum is only as good as the collective knowledge base. Chase away the experienced hobbyists and the forum might just as well be shut down. I would like to see more respect for the experienced guys on the forum.

 

I'm brand new to the forum. I haven't even been here a month and I only have a siamese fighter, but the wealth of knowledge I have learnt here is incredible and priceless. I mean, I thought angels were marine! So I agree with Vis when he says:

Its hard to reply when you have no idea what people are talking about especially when you're at the awkward stage between knowing enough to run a successful tank and knowing enough to answer older members posts, like I am right now.
I do post things like encouragement and questions and just general comments based on what I know and I think thats how newbies get by until they have relationships and their personality is recognised.
Also, speaking as a newbie I really appreciate the new rules. I REALLY don't want my thread being hi-jacked by a personal conversation about things I know nothing about.
So to the moderators, I say thank you very much because your rules are protecting the people who are new and don't have relationships with other members.
I don't want to step on any toes, but I thought this thread could have a newbie's perspective.

 

Absolutely! There should however be mutual respect no matter what your experience level.

 

I think that the older members at the moment are incredibly knowledgable, but if others chase them away with immaturity and fighting, then new members will have no-one to help them and consequently leave.

 

Kel-Sol - many of the experianced members have stepped back....

 

if a tree falls down in the forest and nobody hears it fall,did it fall?chase away the newbies and you'l have a forum filled with very knowledgable moderators and thats all.

 

Sorry man had to edit slightly, however I agree with you. I dont feel the need to participate in the threads any longer as apposed to when I just joineed, solely as to what has happened over the last month. However I would still like to be a member just for the contacts, and probably when I have a problem one day that I cannot resolve(highly unlikely), then I would possibly be a bit more active, just tired of people running other people down, I am guilty too but mainly in defense

 

That's a pity. If I look in the older threads there are alot of people I have never seen or heard of before.

 

I must say thank you to all who have taken the time to comment and provide invaluable feedback...

Thus far we've identified many of the concerns/issues/problems experienced and I'm glad that this thread has given everyone an opportunity to have a good discussion without any mud slinging...

Please now take a moment to give your input on how to make this forum attractive to new and old members...
- what will make people keep coming back?
- what will make people join?
- what will make people refer others here?
- etc etc

 

ok to make people join ie people who are fishkeepers already should be easy as this is just about the only site like this available for this country.the issue is how to keep joined up members and get them to want to refer people.

should we open up a new thread?

 

Look at the first post! This is still ON topic! No need to open a new thread!
This is very informative and helpful - keep posting here.

 

I think in order to keep members there should be a greater response to threads. It's disappointing to new members when 3 people look at their thread and 1 person replies. Even if you guys say similar things, IT DOESN'T MATTER! It means alot when you have Big Bosses and Mods giving encouragement and advice (Sorry, I know you guys have alot on your plates already).
Also I opened a thread asking for more tank shots. If people see that section is active (which it hasn't been in about 2 months), then new members will be encouraged to share what they have done. Even if its 2 fish and a plastic plant, we should encourage because critism will get you NOWHERE and is often discouraging and unhelpful.
Hope this helps. Tried to keep my opinion practical.

 

Are all the threads public?
Why not make certain threads for members only so that if you want to read, you need to join.
I also thought of printing small cards and leaving them at my LPS for people to take when bying fishy stuff.

 

Good suggestion there!

Perhaps TASA can put out a calendar that will go to all the Petshops? MASA does this?