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NWR Feedback / Re: Why do you think NWR's forums rarely get active new members?
« on: December 16, 2016, 11:48:19 AM »
I will write a truly heartfelt and really serious reply, no drama, no false characters, just the truth, if that is okay.
I love this site, and the people. Why else do I keep coming here? But I have to say that the one thing that turns people off is also the one thing that makes this community work, the funhouse.
Newbies come here and can be turned off by the funhouse because it can be intimidating. When I was new I was confused, as was Lucario and I know others who have had a hard time adjusting. When you get it in your head everyone is a jackal who is sometimes kidding, and sometimes serious, it makes for a weird personality mix where you have trouble separating the two.
I had a hard time adjusting for the longest time, the aftermath is still present in totally inncent posts being taken as rants when they are not meant to be, and the real rants being taken too seriously. I tried working through that, but I lost interest. As I stated, the bullying turned me off. What some didn't realize is they might not have been intending to be bullies but newbies don't know when you are being legit and when you are being asshats for the fun of it, because like it or not, it's hard to post in the funhouse as a goof ball not to be taken seriously and then leave that behind in the funhouse. Either you make it anything goes, freeforall no rules, or you get rid of it entirely as there is already a general chat forum and the fun house is the thing that turns the most people away.
The long time community is also a big part of it. When I came here I was a newbie but I fit in early on with friends who looked past the rough exterior and helped me grow as a person, but it took several resets because the bullies dominated the site. Most of the real bullies are gone, moved on, grew up or realized they were in the wrong. Most of the people *I* mistook as bullies, to be honest, weren't and I see that now, which is why I am trying real hard to be positive and engaging, at least when I care, which is the point. I lost interest in caring because of the damn funhouse and all the shenanigans. It's something the long time regulars don't get because they are used to it.
So my first piece of advice is either reform the rules to the fun house to make it CLEAR to newbies what it is, after all there is not post or thread that spells out the rules or the intent it's just the wild west in there and newbies can be confused, easy, and then when told it is a fun house but the name changes all the time it can also confuse newbies.
Either make it clear it's a place where the rules are loose or be VERY clear that the shenanigans that take place in there are NOT to be spread across the rest of the forum. Or get rid of it entirely as it really serves no useful purpose. It used to be the forum for Mafia games and now there is a Mafia section which also confuses people and reduces the need for the fun house. Make a 'forum games" section and dedicate it to that but make it CLEAR that is what it is.
Next up, I concur general house cleaning is in order. I would suggest getting rid of sub-forums that aren't used as often or do it like www.blu-ray.com does, check out how clean their forum is and how very active their community is. Blu Ray is a little more mainstream than Nintendo as a whole, but it's also very niche in a lot of ways. That is a very active community, yet it is hyer focused on ONE topic, Blu Ray movies, and it attracts movie lovers of all walks, this is a Nintendo focused site, but Nintendo is not as small as people might like to think, at least the core fan base. Many of them have moved on to social media, so let's address that.
Social media is a tool, not a platform. Use it. Use it extensively. Maybe have the writers or the mods who post stories to the site Tweet links to those stories on their twitter feeds associated with the site.
Those are some of my suggestions. But the real reason this site has trouble keeping new posters is trouble-makers like me. So consider this my farewell once and for all. No big blow out, no rant, no "meltdown" just a subtle, I am moving on in my life to better things. Yes, my final answer and a true good-bye to those that care and a good riddance to those that don't.
No I am not angry, or hurt, or depressed, or anything, I just don't care anymore. I literally found a happier life elsewhere and I only came here to rant because I wasn't happy in my life. I don't suffer from depression anymore, I am a more well rounded person and I have a good job, a very good prospect and I need to cleanse myself of this old life. Thanks to the friends I did make and everyone else, no worries, I forgive you all and I beg your forgiveness those I was a true jerk to. Thanks for the memories, good and bad. No need to ban my account but if you decide to, that would be fine. I truly won't be back. Ever.
Good luck in the future.
I love this site, and the people. Why else do I keep coming here? But I have to say that the one thing that turns people off is also the one thing that makes this community work, the funhouse.
Newbies come here and can be turned off by the funhouse because it can be intimidating. When I was new I was confused, as was Lucario and I know others who have had a hard time adjusting. When you get it in your head everyone is a jackal who is sometimes kidding, and sometimes serious, it makes for a weird personality mix where you have trouble separating the two.
I had a hard time adjusting for the longest time, the aftermath is still present in totally inncent posts being taken as rants when they are not meant to be, and the real rants being taken too seriously. I tried working through that, but I lost interest. As I stated, the bullying turned me off. What some didn't realize is they might not have been intending to be bullies but newbies don't know when you are being legit and when you are being asshats for the fun of it, because like it or not, it's hard to post in the funhouse as a goof ball not to be taken seriously and then leave that behind in the funhouse. Either you make it anything goes, freeforall no rules, or you get rid of it entirely as there is already a general chat forum and the fun house is the thing that turns the most people away.
The long time community is also a big part of it. When I came here I was a newbie but I fit in early on with friends who looked past the rough exterior and helped me grow as a person, but it took several resets because the bullies dominated the site. Most of the real bullies are gone, moved on, grew up or realized they were in the wrong. Most of the people *I* mistook as bullies, to be honest, weren't and I see that now, which is why I am trying real hard to be positive and engaging, at least when I care, which is the point. I lost interest in caring because of the damn funhouse and all the shenanigans. It's something the long time regulars don't get because they are used to it.
So my first piece of advice is either reform the rules to the fun house to make it CLEAR to newbies what it is, after all there is not post or thread that spells out the rules or the intent it's just the wild west in there and newbies can be confused, easy, and then when told it is a fun house but the name changes all the time it can also confuse newbies.
Either make it clear it's a place where the rules are loose or be VERY clear that the shenanigans that take place in there are NOT to be spread across the rest of the forum. Or get rid of it entirely as it really serves no useful purpose. It used to be the forum for Mafia games and now there is a Mafia section which also confuses people and reduces the need for the fun house. Make a 'forum games" section and dedicate it to that but make it CLEAR that is what it is.
Next up, I concur general house cleaning is in order. I would suggest getting rid of sub-forums that aren't used as often or do it like www.blu-ray.com does, check out how clean their forum is and how very active their community is. Blu Ray is a little more mainstream than Nintendo as a whole, but it's also very niche in a lot of ways. That is a very active community, yet it is hyer focused on ONE topic, Blu Ray movies, and it attracts movie lovers of all walks, this is a Nintendo focused site, but Nintendo is not as small as people might like to think, at least the core fan base. Many of them have moved on to social media, so let's address that.
Social media is a tool, not a platform. Use it. Use it extensively. Maybe have the writers or the mods who post stories to the site Tweet links to those stories on their twitter feeds associated with the site.
Those are some of my suggestions. But the real reason this site has trouble keeping new posters is trouble-makers like me. So consider this my farewell once and for all. No big blow out, no rant, no "meltdown" just a subtle, I am moving on in my life to better things. Yes, my final answer and a true good-bye to those that care and a good riddance to those that don't.
No I am not angry, or hurt, or depressed, or anything, I just don't care anymore. I literally found a happier life elsewhere and I only came here to rant because I wasn't happy in my life. I don't suffer from depression anymore, I am a more well rounded person and I have a good job, a very good prospect and I need to cleanse myself of this old life. Thanks to the friends I did make and everyone else, no worries, I forgive you all and I beg your forgiveness those I was a true jerk to. Thanks for the memories, good and bad. No need to ban my account but if you decide to, that would be fine. I truly won't be back. Ever.
Good luck in the future.
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