Is the Forum on Life Support??? - Page 4

 

Bryan was one of the posters who resurrected the thread. Does he get thanks or condemnation? Personally, I think some of the recent posts have been interesting and worthwhile.

 

Sorry, but whatever your expertise might be, it doesn't extend to what I "know". 

 

Here's something I do know: In addition to the "active members" you've listed, there are also over 1000 other users currently browsing HTF. This is almost always the case. Those users you so casually disregard support the forum financially with their presence. Indeed, without them there would be no forum. So before wiping them out of the picture, perhaps it's worth considering (as others in this discussion have wisely done) what efforts can be made to encourage their further participation. Some of the thoughts that have been floated here are genuinely worth pursuing. 

Edited by Michael Reuben - 9/7/10 at 4:58pm

That's quite interesting. Assuming they are repeat viewers, they aren't "hit-and-runners". I don't "lurk" the Honda forum; I hit-and-run with technical questions. I go there, get info, and leave for months or longer, until I have a new question.

 

Those who routinely hang out, read, but don't post are the interested, curious, but either shy about posting or afraid of not being welcomed. There's a political site I'm this way with: I now regularly read the essays, read the comments, but never post because I feel I'm not in the same league as the regulars. (Obviously, I have no such hangups at HTF :D)

 

Those are definitely the folks you want to bring in from the outside and encourage them to join the conversations.

 

Just look on your home page, Dave at the "Who's Online" module in the right-hand column.  It tells how many members and how many guests are currently looking at the site. 
 

As for encouraging folks to participate...we're working on it.   All the time. 

I hadn't really paid attention to that box. I've learned to block such displays out from years of various forums, since "who's online" never had any apparent useful value to me as a user :)

Even as a member, I always found it interesting to see who in the community was "online" at any given time.  Might shoot 'em a PM, etc.

I think a side note to this is that the anonymity of posting in any forum gives people this strange desire to act like jerks.  It makes posting something to dread because it's not like having a conversation face to face, where being polite is generally the rule.  Posting in forums is more akin to people yelling their opinions without fear of needing to listen to anyone or retribution for anything they've said.  Certainly, it's not always like that, and these forums have done a great job of keeping that to a small minimum, but it's always in the back of my mind.
 

STALKER!!!!  =)

Back when I was a "cop" here, we (the cops) were having discussions about how HTF posting activity was slowing. We hit on many of the topics discussed in this (interesting) thread.

 

The Internet, with more people than ever before, is changing, folks. It's changing. Facebook, Twitter, and other such places are booming. Meanwhile, if you will notice, the print media (where I work) seem to be dying. But they aren't; they're sharing what is now a smaller slice of the pie.

 

And that's what's going on: With more people than ever before, the Internet is catering to so many different tastes. Long-threaded discussion fora are no longer the only game in town. Too, face it: Hobbyists' voices are being a bit drowned out. No big deal, except that Home Theater Forum, as always, wants to grow. (Michael and Mike: I hope you guys are cooking up some decent ideas!

 

Look, the Internet -- or, more specifically, the World Wide Web -- is no longer new. It is now a part of most people's lives. No longer is the Internet just a bastion for tech hobbyists. Those hobbyists will be able to get their jollies online as usual, but the Internet itself is just so much larger.

BTW, on the previous page, the following claim was made:

 

 

I hope the author won't consider it a "cheap shot" if I note that there are indeed threads about 3D TV, including these:

 

RealD 3D in the Home Theatre

Toshiba developing no-glasses 3-D televisions

 

Breaking News: Panasonic gets Avatar 3D Blu-ray disc

 

AVATAR 3D Blu-ray ..."2011 or beyond."

 

Panasonic Press Release: Panasonic Introduces New GT25 3D Plasma Screens with 2D to 3D conversion

 

Press Release: Polaroid Premium 3D Eyewear

 

How to Train Your Dragon 3D will be exclusive to Samsung

 

Blu-ray 3D Videos vs Standard 3D Videos?

 

Samsung Announces 3D Blu-ray players

 

Panasonic 3D Plasma is in the house

 

3D???

 

Please help.. Its about what i need for 3D

 

Samsung DLP and 3D

 

A few words about...™ Monsters vs. Aliens - 3D -- in Blu-ray

 

Any Soccer Fans in LA wanting to watch a live World Cup broadcast in 3D?

 

3D Movies

 

3D Questions

 

HTF Exclusive: First look at Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Coraline on 3D Blu-ray

 

3D Projectors - do they exist and are they any good

 

As for TiVo Premiere, I agree there isn't much discussion, but I suspect that's because most TiVo users have reached the same conclusion that I have, namely, that the Premiere boxes aren't a "noteworthy" upgrade justifying a switch from a TiVo HD or Series III. In any case, there's a review in the product db and a thread by a new owner.

Quote:

Mylan, as a TivoHD owner and occasional poster / reader at the tivo community forums...I'm not sure even Tivo fans care about Tivo Premiere  So I'd give a pass to HTF on that one.

 

 

What I used to like about after hours lounge was that there was a diverse group of highly intelligent and knowledgeable people.   I always felt there was no question that couldn't be answered by someone here.   Astro-physics, physiology, electronics, whatever - someone had the answer.  It was this forum which encouraged me to build my first PC and coached me along the way almost 10 years ago.   I totally appreciate that.

 

Many years ago it was decided to tone-down the topics in AHL.  Politics was always banned, but it was decided that topics of a personal nature would also be prohibited.   It was then that the AHL participation started to decline.   Certainly there were some people who went a bit too far - but it was certainly interesting and I'm not sure that it helped to let it go.   It was a membership draw and anchor.  

 

I've also wondered if there might be a way to have an 'anonymous' room where any topic can be discussed.   This way members cannot hold a grudge in the official forum, yet it could be a draw to people who might be interested in discussing (within reason) anything.   I do sorta miss people posting for relationship advice and other salacious stuff.  The advice was usually just as good as in official forums - with a few crackpots thrown in to keep it interesting. 

Yeah, that exists...  It's called /b/

 

It's far weirder than you can imagine.

(Emphasis added by me.)

 

Eric,

 

I'm not aware of a restriction like that.

And it's certainly not in the rules of this forum (see link in my signature to read those rules).

 

Occasionally, we have felt a need to caution a member not to reveal too much personal information on-line and we have asked one or two members kindly to clean-up their language. We also forbid personal attacks and other disturbing behaviour.

 

But topics? Apart from politics and religion, I don't know any restrictions, or even the sort of restrictions you seem to refer to. As far as I know there aren't any, unless there's something really escaping me now.

 

 

Cees

 

Eric, you seem to have missed the "Xenia" thread. That's about as personal as it gets.

 

Even 10 years ago, I remember politics and religion being verboten. I don't know that the forum history goes back that far anymore, so it may be uncheckable.

Dave, very early on, when the World Wide Web was young, politics used to be discussed at Home Theater Forum. When the Web's Wild West nature expanded (as did HTF), it was decided to "ban" political or religious talk. There were many rude people who haunted this environ way back then.

 

Now, with HTF really seeming to fade somewhat, I wonder if perhaps political discussion might be appropriate. And this is coming from a former admin here.

 

Cees, what do you think? Imagine a carefully moderated political discussion occurring here. It could happen; it has at other moderated discussion boards.

 

What's to lose?

Right. I joined in 2001, and my -- perhaps incorrect -- recollection was that ban was in place at that time. But Eric, who joined a year after me, recalls things differently. So I don't know.

 

(That "gentlemen's club" atmosphere was part of what attracted me, compared to the banality of e.g. Slashdot, which I also read from time to time.)

 

Cees has actually been here longer than I have, but for as long as I can remember and more importantly as of today there are only three things that are not allowed to be discussed on HTF: politics, religion and bootlegging.  Other than those things you can share whatever you want.  As Cees pointed out we don't allow personal attacks, but you can post your disagreement with anyone or any opinion here and occasionally we caution people from sharing too much, but that is more from a common sense perspective.  A good example is I see people leaving their email address and phone numbers in the classifieds section.  I usually erase those and suggest they be exchanged via PMs.
 

 

Just to clarify: Under HTF Rule 5, it's not so much "bootlegging" (although that's included) as it is any copyright violation. Which is why, when the Rule is enforced to prevent discussion of defeating copy protection on DVDs and Blu-ray to make "personal" backups, there's no suggestion that the people doing such things are "bootleggers".

Good lord, I love that these particular rules are here, and are enforced.  It lets HTF be not only informative and stimulating, but a safe haven of sorts.  None of that is needed or missed.

 

Which is a constantly annoying rule to me. I buy DVDs and Blu-rays. And then I <transmission garbled> to watch at my convenience.

How shall I put this...on this matter I'd wish for great forum independence from the studios to allow practical conversations about how we use what we legitimately purchase. :)

Agreed. There's not one facet of modern life that isn't infected with politics, and it has become increasingly hyperpartisan, bitter and ugly out there. Except here. Here, we can just be friends enjoying the common interests that bring us together. Sometimes we slip up (and I'm sure there are some who see my name and think, "Oh, not this f'in' guy."). But, thanks to the mods, that gets reined in pretty quick. I like it, and don't miss not talking about how much of an idiot politician A is, and whatnot.

Indeed I forgot to mention illegal topics and the promotion thereof as topics we don't allow here (as I didn't consider those specific). But indeed they are prohibited (except, under conditions, when discussed in direct relation with movies specifically being about such subjects).

 

I think we will still be hesitant to relax restrictions on those three (politics, religion, unlawful) categories. This is a Home Theater forum and the preservation of the opportunities to discuss HT matters freely here, and in a relaxed atmosphere, is our main goal when setting and enforcing "the rules". In my sincere opinion, it would only lead to unhealthy, difficult and confusing situations in many cases when we would try to allow some of those no-no subjects "to a degree".

 

And (Jack may remember that as well, as a former moderator   ), we're not particularly waiting to further complicate our policing jobs and/or increase the private discussions with members who either feel unjustly reigned-in when starting or entering a particular discussion or on the other hand think someone else went too far and should be halted.

 

Increasing the traffic on the forum only to the extent of what basically are off-topic subjects will never be our goal, I guess. Nor take more chances to scare away members who came here in the first place to participate and take their pleasure in discussing the on-topic ones.

 

 

Cees

 

 

You know its slow when you find this fascinating reading. :)

 

But then again, i am easily entertained sometimes.

If Steve Christou is still posting, then the reports of this forum's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

LOL, loved reading some of his older posts/threads....

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/380/20-scenes-from-future-director-s-cuts

...aah good times. 10 years ago? Wow. I was just a kid back then. ;)

 

In those days I used to start a new thread every week, now maybe, one a year.

 

But I can't complain, I have the longest running thread on the forum, on the internet?

Hush

 

We can't have a thread like like languish in the read only area....I moved it to After Hours where it is open for business again.  There are a lot of movies out since then.  Surely someone can think of something to add to it?

 

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/380/20-scenes-from-future-director-s-cuts