Let's bring in some new members!

[BarredBuff]

A Random Ramblings would be great!

 

[Joel_BC]

In relation to the topic of the thread, would a Random Ramblings section - not that I'm against it - help attract new SS members?

 

[FarmerJamie]

In relation to the topic of the thread, would a Random Ramblings section - not that I'm against it - help attract new SS members?

IMHO, not so much in "attract" but as in "retain". Internet searches on how to do "X" may direct folks here, I think there is usually a fair number of individuals reading this site anonymously.

These sites are communities, not just information repositories. For newbies, some of the topics here can be way too in depth or ambitious for their skills, desires, or time. You can only spend so much time talking about the best way to butcher a chicken before you run out of new perspectives on the topic.

Yes, I am still good friends with people who have left this site. We don't spend all of our time talking SS, although it's still part of the conversation.

 

[Nifty]

Yup, it's all a combined strategy of:

1) Retaining existing members so the forum is active
2) Increasing the discussions and content on the site so it comes up more in searches

 

[FarmerJamie]

Yup, it's all a combined strategy of:

1) Retaining existing members so the forum is active
2) Increasing the discussions and content on the site so it comes up more in searches

yep, I know a little about social media and the like...

 

[so lucky]

I don't know if you need or want any more input on why the user-ship is low on the forum right now, but here's my thoughts on it, nevertheless: When I was first getting interested in the SS lifestyle, this forum was very valuable to me. I spent hours and hours reading the threads from page 1 to the current page. Now that I am actually doing the things I learned how to do, I don't have the need to keep reading about them, very often. Also, I guess I got kind of tired of people asking the same newbie questions over and over, without trying to find the answer by doing a little reading of an appropriate thread first. Even worse on BYC. I know this is not particularly gracious of me, but it is what it is.

It has gotten to the point with me that recently, almost the only new postings were on people's journals. I usually don't read the journals, since they appear to be mostly chatty and not real informative. Also, the point has already been made here that the valuable info in someone's journal is buried deep in the friendly chatter.

I welcome the RR section. It will be perhaps a chance for us to be neighborly without needing to stick to a program.
So far, the TEG forum has gotten away with being pretty lax on sticking to the subject, on a particular thread. I like that, and someone usually brings the convo back around to the op's question. Due to this laxness, I find I read even the topics that don't appear at first to be of interest to me, because there is always the possibility that the thread will wander over to something I am interested in.

That's my 2 cents. I will try to be more active. Oh, and the new-member questionaire puts me off. I haven't filled it out. I don't think anyone needs to know most of that stuff. Perhaps prospective new members think filling that thing out is a prerequisite, and it scares them off.

 

[Denim Deb]

Personally, I like the old questions better. They don't read as something to be taken as overly serious-which is what I like about them. I've never done anything w/the new questions, I just don't feel I need to.

 

[JacksFlock]

You put into words what I was thinking. I don't read the journals either and found that the threads way back in the archives are much more "helpful" when looking for certain things. I started out here by lurking and not joining and reading the older threads and when I found I had something to ask or say I joined but there is a big difference between threads on certain subjects and having to sift thru pages and pages of journal to find posts on what it is you remember reading.
Not that I don't peek every so often and that I don't like the members who journal. I do.

Same here

Same here. I never read the journals.
I come here to learn and share ideas for self sufficiency and certainly not to read someone's personal journal. As a result I find myself checking in here about once a week for only a few minutes. In my opinion we have totally lost a great website discussion group.

Same here. I spend a lot more time on another SS site, simply because when I click on "New Posts" There's more to read because journal's don't go on that page. Recent posts here, are mostly journals and dilute actual topics.

 

[Denim Deb]

I spend more time reading the journals. Most of the threads on things like processing chickens, etc aren't something I'm going to open because it's something I already know how to do.

 

[Wannabefree]

I agree Deb. Sometimes the topics just aren't interesting to me because I already have been doing it long enough I'm completely comfortable and don't feel the need to research anymore, or I'm just not interested for other reasons. There seems to not be anything new a lot of times.