How can we revitalise this forum?

[difflock]

I never used/use Facebook, I did not/dont use a Smartphone either, nor will I now I am retired, hence my presence on here.

BUT!

Having been very mildly involved with Forums over this past few years, I get the impression that "specialist" forums "wax and wane", and all its takes is the forum to be down due to software issues, and it can "die" inside of a month.

Life is SO fickle.

[trigger_andy]

Depends how you use the forum. If you use "Todays Posts" then some days the Brexit threads are always up the top.
 

Not if you click ignore.

[JonnyRFT]

6 hours ago, wisewood said:

 

Going back several years when I was first dabbling with this artform this forum was a font of useful information. Fellow newbies and masters alike were posting regularly, showing us their recent works. Job opportunities and carving logs were advertised and queries were asked and answered.

I check in two or three times a week, sometimes more and it can be months before a new thread is posted.

I guess the majority of us are content with Facebook and Instagram and don't feel the need to share on here anymore.

It would be nice to inject some more life into this forum though, not everyone does Facebook. I follow the milling forum as well and that doesn't seem to have suffered the same fate.

So what do we do?

Q&A?

Tips and techniques?

Simply posting pics of your work isn't enough, but it's a start lol

 

Making it more educational would be nice. There’s so much knowledge that everyone can offer. The Facebook Arbtalk seems to be a mixture of penis comparison, stone throwing and fails which to be honest, is every other part of social media. I’m constantly trying to learn as I’m constantly making mistakes. I rely on this forum for criticism on my work and good feedback from fellow arbs too as I find both equally important. I’m now in the realms of mostly survey work and admin and it’s pretty new to me as it’s more in-depth. More discussions on detailed risk assessments, method statements and general job specifications could be nice as it’s something that constantly changes for me. Most of you guys are pretty damn good at the technical/physical side of arb but, maybe dedicating some threads on step by step guides, detailed assessments all the way to works being carried out, to future management etc would be of interest from at least me...

 

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by JonnyRFT

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

It’s nothing to do with argumentative sorts like Andy, that has been used years ago about other peeps (I was the pantomime villain here once) when the forum was at its peak.

 

I am on another yankee forum where it’s the same story.

 

As has been said it’s down to FB groups, younger tree blokes gravitate toward these groups. Why? I don’t know, but then I’m not young.

 

It’s the way it is.

 

 

Bring back the Mountain Man! 

[Mick Dempsey]

6 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Bring back the Mountain Man! 

He was a laugh!

[Luckyeleven]

As somebody said, it may not have been the content of the political threads themselves, but all of a sudden you realise the company you have been keeping may not have been what you thought.

[stihlmadasever]

18 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

He was a laugh!

I saw this mick and thought of you...

 

[trigger_andy]

30 minutes ago, Luckyeleven said:

As somebody said, it may not have been the content of the political threads themselves, but all of a sudden you realise the company you have been keeping may not have been what you thought.

I know right? Who'd have thought there was so many here who whole heavyhearted support Labour and their IRA and other Terrorist organisations loving leader? Others openly wish to see the demise of democracy in the UK as it aligns with their own political beliefs.

 

 I just pull up my big boy pants and dont let it bother me. But if someone wishes to introduce politics into a completely unrelated thread them Im all over that.  

[Steve Bullman]

11 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

I know right? Who'd have thought there was so many here who whole heavyhearted support Labour and their IRA and other Terrorist organisations loving leader? Others openly wish to see the demise of democracy in the UK as it aligns with their own political beliefs.

 

 I just pull up my big boy pants and dont let it bother me. But if someone wishes to introduce politics into a completely unrelated thread them Im all over that.  

Enough of it in this thread now, thanks

[Steve Bullman]

6 hours ago, Woodworks said:

Facebook was in full flow when this forum was still thriving. Did we simply not lose loads of members around the time of the Brexit debate? Seeing core forum contributors being down right aggressive with their right wing leanings was pretty off putting. The majority of craftsmen I meet are simply far more laid back and dont stick around when macho cow dung is being flung about.

True facebook was in full flow, but groups didn't exist for a long time, or at least weren't adopted as much as they are now. That really became noticeable around 5 years ago(ish). To suggest the brexit debate is responsible for the lack of posting I think overlooks the actual issue, and that is that many people gravitate to facebook as their first port of call now, whereas it used to be google, or whatever their favourite site might have been. I'm not sure the larger percentage of the people in this industry are than soft skinned that they can't handle people with opposing view points to theirs, but then again I could be wrong. At the end of the day its 1 or 2 threads on the forum, that people don't even have to open if they don't wish.

 

2 hours ago, Woodworks said:

I felt the Brexit debate showed some peoples true colours that prior to it we would have been blissfully unaware of. IMO it drove many away so it seems pertinent to Wisewoods question so I mentioned it. 

drove many away to where exactly...Facebook? Out of all the social media sites Facebook is by far the most toxic and poisonous. I can't scroll down my feed without seeing something about Brexit or any other political posts. In face it probably takes up 50% of my feed at some point