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Ideas to get more people participating in the modelling/scale sub-fora?

2K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  cv_acr 
#1 ·
Since the change of platform/edition a few weeks back, the level of activity in the lower sets of fora has dropped off a high cliff. I'm sure we are all aware of this, and probably privately rue the fact.

I'm not going to offer an opinion as to why this is so, but do any readers care to offer suggestions about how to get 'business' started down there again? I could think of a couple. Some of the more experienced members/modelers could offer some tips, post a video how-to or three, ask questions in general and start discussions about techniques, or ways to put some life back in a seldom-used part of a larger layout?
 
#2 ·
I agree with Mesenteria, the recent home page change hides
many of our Forums. Maybe the folks who made the
changes can explain why the ENTIRE list of Forums is
not displayed as the Home Page. The 'selected' Forums
are not necessarily the ones many would want to watch.
For a while there was an OBVIOUS 'button' that, if clicked,
did display the entire Forum menu...it vanished a few days
later...and only by accident, later, did I discover that by clicking
on the series of lines next to my ID in the header I could again get the
full menu of Forums. This should be changed back to
the ORIGINAL home page configuration.

Don
 
#5 ·
It's true a lot of new. But then ho. Sometimes o. Rarely union. Equally not really looking further but some. Example I stuck a pic up today of a real hopper I saw in Baltimore in prototypes. I know they are there.

yet a lot funnels into ho. You get both engines, cars and all that. You get the DC DCC stuff sometimes. You get some layout things ...

Here's a suggestion... Allow a topic to be essentially "double" posted. For example a DCC question and ho because it's about DCC but have involving an ho item. Etc...

Make one the primary the others secondary (ies).... Does that mean anything... Not sure. You guys think about how itd really work.
 
#9 ·
Here's a suggestion... Allow a topic to be essentially "double" posted. For example a DCC question and ho because it's about DCC but have involving an ho item. Etc...
No, then you just get completed separated conversations.

Make one the primary the others secondary (ies).... Does that mean anything... Not sure. You guys think about how itd really work.
That's not really how things work. While covering a similar topic they're completely separate posts/threads/conversations.
 
#6 ·
This (see picture below) may be obvious to some, but not others?
Make it a favorite in you browser.
Always more than one way to skin a cat.
As for activity in forums and double posting, there are a gazillion ways to build a forum menu, just like a file directory on a computer or file cabinet. Put everything in one drawer or organize it into sub-files, sub-folders, silverware drawers, etc.
Everyone will have an opinion.

None of these, in my opinion, will generate more activity if that is the goal.
543412
 
#7 ·
A new guys opinion. The new forum is fine. The old was also. Both were/are easy to get around in and, easy to find where to post questions.
Lack of, or drop in participation on these forums has far more to do with the other changes in peoples lives in the same time frame, as the change in format.
Model trains have dropped on many peoples list of priorities.
I am also of the opinion that people will return to or come to these forums when they feel more comfortable about there own future.
 
#10 ·
No the idea is the post is "mirrored" on the secondary threads but you can only respond to the primary. It sort of "imports" you over if you want to respond -- otherwise you just get a view of it. that's what I mean. avoiding everyone spamming all the forums would be an obvious problem. so maybe limited it to one secondary forum.
 
#13 ·
Ok let me clear up this suggestion by example. You post on DCC and select a secondary forum for it to appear -- say HO. Someone on HO sees it and wants to respond -- they are either directed to manually or possibly automatically respond on the DCC forum to that post. if no one views or bothers with it at all on the HO forum, it fades off of it say over a day. that avoid (maybe) cluttering up all the forums. perhaps there needs to be more rules -- maybe you can only cross post so to speak outside of the gauge oriented forums. you would not be able to post O and HO. that seems kinda weird anyway. but you could post HO and DCC for example.
 
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