A New Direction

[Linna Heartbooger]

Oooh.. interesting question, Av, and good observation, peter...

Now I'm going to go back to an earlier part of the discussion, and discuss the retaining-newbies thing...

Not to mention that, talking so frequently, you eventually have said all that you care to or can about SRD.

Nawww.. that shouldn't go in our narrative.
Speaking for myself... the main reason I've slowed down (to almost zilch) in the SRD forums is not that, but this:
It takes investment.
(i.e. time to think, review, and consider the books.)

Y'all, some of us need to return to investing in those sub-forums, though...
because the newbs who are the people we'll want to talk to for years... will want discussions & camraderie with their fellow forum members.
They can't just pop in to "How do you feel today?" and be like, "well, I injured my left elbow..." without some awkwardness.
But if they know SRD, they can talk SRD...

otoh, I kinda fail at this thing I speak of...
...so, umm, like, y'all can also encourage me to spend more time in the 1st and 2nd Chrons sub-forums?

And, of course, not -everyone- needs be investing in the Chrons sub-forums directly...
All our actions have potential to do good.

Example:
Watcher1 keeps up interesting and engaging conversations elsewhere with Watcher2... which helps retain Watcher2's participation.
Even if Watcher1 never sets foot in the TCoTC subforums again, but Watcher2 or Watcher3 goes back there eventually...
That Prime Newbie Territory has still gotten a boost!

[Avatar]

Oh sure, sometimes something will grab my attention and I'll join an SRD discussion, but for me it's everything else that keeps me here. No need for other boards really...the Watch has it all. And of course, the quality of discourse is so high.

As for retaining new members...I think it just happens naturally. We can't make somebody stay. But from every 10 or 20 who post once, we get a Wosbald or a Rune or somebody else new who sticks around and contributes.

Sure rapid growth is likely behind us, at least until a new series comes out reviving SRD interest, but as long as we maintain a core, accretion will occur.

--A

[kevinswatch]

The last Chrons polarised opinion to an extent that it became actually quite hard to discuss them in the way the first two sets of books had been. It is to be hoped that in a period, when the dust has [to a degree] settled, there are some really good topics yet to be mined.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

THOOLAH FOREVER

I mean, no idea...



-jay

[Avatar]

You need to read the last chrons again Jay.

--A

[peter]

What we need is Cail to read them for the first time.

[kevinswatch]

You need to read the last chrons again Jay.

--A

Oh god, I barely made it through the first time!

I'm not sure I could suffer through another 4 books of grass-stained jeans metaphors.



-jay

[peter]

As punishment for that grossly offensive remark you are sentenced to read the entire Shannara series back to back........

[kevinswatch]

-jay

[sgt.null]

What we need is Cail to read them for the first time.

I have read the first trilogy a couple times.

I have read the second trilogy once.

I have heard there is a third trilogy.

[Cord Hurn]

Oooh.. interesting question, Av, and good observation, peter...

Now I'm going to go back to an earlier part of the discussion, and discuss the retaining-newbies thing...

Not to mention that, talking so frequently, you eventually have said all that you care to or can about SRD.

Nawww.. that shouldn't go in our narrative.
Speaking for myself... the main reason I've slowed down (to almost zilch) in the SRD forums is not that, but this:
It takes investment.
(i.e. time to think, review, and consider the books.)

Y'all, some of us need to return to investing in those sub-forums, though...
because the newbs who are the people we'll want to talk to for years... will want discussions & camraderie with their fellow forum members.
They can't just pop in to "How do you feel today?" and be like, "well, I injured my left elbow..." without some awkwardness.
But if they know SRD, they can talk SRD...

otoh, I kinda fail at this thing I speak of...
...so, umm, like, y'all can also encourage me to spend more time in the 1st and 2nd Chrons sub-forums?

And, of course, not -everyone- needs be investing in the Chrons sub-forums directly...
All our actions have potential to do good.

Example:
Watcher1 keeps up interesting and engaging conversations elsewhere with Watcher2... which helps retain Watcher2's participation.
Even if Watcher1 never sets foot in the TCoTC subforums again, but Watcher2 or Watcher3 goes back there eventually...
That Prime Newbie Territory has still gotten a boost!

I think Linna has identified the problem with our retaining most new members. They are attracted to this site because it gives them a unique opportunity to discuss SRD, but most of the veteran members have a jaded "been there, done that" attitude about discussing SRD's material, so the new members usually get discouraged by the lack of interest among the veteran members and leave this site after a few posts. Would it really be that much of a hardship on us longer-term members if we all contributed at least a few posts a month (say, 3-5) to an SRD-related topic? You never know, sometimes new insights on the books can occur to you, even though you've been on the Watch for years and years!

I've noted that some longer-term members that have been absent can be encouraged to come "out of the woodwork", so to speak, when we start discussing SRD material in new posts. For example, when new posts are made in the Mordant's Need forum, it brings back more posts from shadowbindingshoe, who loves to discuss this series. And when discussion picks up in the Covenant-related forums, it brings back people like DrPaul, Innominate Theurgist, and Horrim Carabal to comment. Just increasing a bit more participation in the SRD forums could generate more participation from new members and MIA veteran members.

And yes, we probably shouldn't expect brand-new members to be drawn into discussion of "How I Feel Today" or other threads which presume familiarity among the participants. It just wouldn't be comfortable for newer members. And the Think-Tank is combative enough that new members that go there without having developed a thick skin for facing disagreements with their opinions could be quickly scared off, as what happened to "revel". Honestly, I really don't think the Tank is for newbies.

When MIA veteran members like Zahir and others come back to the forum, it's important to not ignore their posts, to let them know you're paying attention. That is, if you're really sincere about encouraging more participation on KW. That's my "two cents".

[Avatar]

I don't think I've ever seen a topic on SRD by a new member left unanswered. If somebody starts a topic on a related subject, it does get answered.

Otherwise, fair points perhaps.

--A

[peter]

And that's a very good 'two cents worth' Cord Hurn. I was a long while on the Watch before I even thought about posting anywhere other than in the Chros forums, and at that time [what six - seven years ago] the Chrons forums were buzzing with activity. There was no 'jaded feel' to any of the discussion, whether I actually started a thread or joind an already active one. I for one love seeing a new perspective getting a hammering... I mean an airing [ ] in the Chrons forums and thoroughly approve of trying to get some more activity back into that area of the Watch.

[MsMary]

Jay's posts in this thread are cracking me the heck up.

Anyway, I agree with this part:

THOOLAH forever!

[Avatar]

Yes well, that was in the middle of the last chrons...of course its going to be active.

BTW, this clears up something for me. I'm always surprised when I see your join date. It always feels like you've been here much less time than that. If you spent the first few years in the Chrons forums, that probably explains it. )

--A

[peter]

I think I joined around the release date of Runes, but it might have been before. I was only active in the Chrons 1 and 2 forums originally - I remember that much, and they were indeed busy places.....but I didn't get the impression that this was because of the third series, though it might well have been.

[Avatar]

Well, another series revived interest in all of them. The 1st & 2nd were republished as well.

--A

[sgt.null]

we could offer pie.

that would get people to stay.

I would love some blueberry pie right now.

[peter]

Oh it always comes back to food doesn't it! (Go on then -cut me a slice while you're about it. )

[sgt.null]

already working!

[Menolly]

I would recommend dropping in to the Galley, but y'all are already regulars there..