Where is everyone

[fartknocker 28]

Do you guys guys have an active topics page? Seems pretty dead here ? 

[freedomflyer63 28]

I've noticed that a bit too, I've heard that the forums are really taking a hit because of facebook  I don't do facebook so I wouldn't know.   I try to get involved with some of the threads but there really doesn't seem to be an active topic page like some of the other forums, oh well I take what I can get I guess and throw in my two cents here and there.  FF

[wylde1 49]

I post a couple things here and there, but it seems most people on here just want info on how to fix their machines. For the number of members listed their is not much engagement on anything. I would love to see that change,  this used to be a pretty cool group.

[fartknocker 28]

Facebook is the culprit here i think .on hardcore sledder, the members dropped like flies due to the vertiscope password shenanigans. It also use to be a crazy busy site....not so much anymore 

[quadmaniac 64]

I think forums did take a hit a bit. We need some engaging topics I guess. I do see a lot of people coming and asking questions and then leaving. 

Facebook and Twitter take up people's "online" time.

 

[fartknocker 28]

We need to change that lol . Facebook blows 

[Admin 99]

8 hours ago, fartknocker said:

Do you guys guys have an active topics page? 

Can you elaborate or share a link from another forum? We have the activity link in the main menu, latest topics on the forum home page right side bar, and the home page when logged in. 

I can add/change/customize if we need to

 

[fartknocker 28]

This is the active topics page from hardcore sledder.  It's different software but you'll get the idea. It just takes any thread from the entire site that's actively getting replies and puts them here 

http://www.hardcoresledder.com/index.php?page=active_topics

[Admin 99]

2 minutes ago, fartknocker said:

This is the active topics page from hardcore sledder.  It's different software but you'll get the idea. It just takes any thread from the entire site that's actively getting replies and puts them here 

http://www.hardcoresledder.com/index.php?page=active_topics

It's basically an extended version of what we have on the home page and forum sidebar. I'm going to see if I can create a page similar.  Our leaderboard also shows popular content: https://www.quadcrazy.com/leaderboard/

[fartknocker 28]

14 minutes ago, Admin said:

It's basically an extended version of what we have on the home page and forum sidebar. I'm going to see if I can create a page similar.  Our leaderboard also shows popular content: https://www.quadcrazy.com/leaderboard/

Ok...I just figured that one out lol ...duh

[fartknocker 28]

Thanks btw 

[freedomflyer63 28]

I figured that out too finally by looking over the home page i guess that it is just a mental thing to see a page that says  "Active Topics."  Now that I understand how it works it might be easier to navigate.  I just wish folks would share more pics and respond to those that are posted, it makes it more enjoyable for sure to be here.

[wylde1 49]

There seem to be a lot of views showing, it's just that no one engages.  The forum topics and pictures could have a couple hundred views and no one even takes the time to hit the like on anything. That is what made it frustrating to me before. I take the time to post things and try to be as entertaining or informative as I can and the same 3 guys are the only ones to comment or even like. It makes me feel like I am wasting my time. I can fix my own quad, but know nothing about fixing other people's stuff, this cuts me out of 95% of the forum topics.

[Admin 99]

So forums that are busy have topics of interest that keep them busy, its really all about content and that content being found when someone searches for it in Google or Bing. For a while, our branded forums where members would post questions on how to fix their ATVs was a major draw and still is to some extend. Our forum is the busiest section and we get a lot of guests that read, view, but never login to engage. Content drives traffic, we just need people to login more often and engage. We've also made it easier by allowing visitors to login with their accounts from facebook, twitter, and google, so registration is very easy. I think there is something to be said about facebook taking "online" time that people have, it just really depends on what people's interests are.

To give you an idea, our number #1 visited topic that guests find on search engines and follow to this site is:

Our #2 is:

Our #3 is:

There are many more that go down the list. I am very open to creating new forums, moving forums, adding other sections if there is a calling for it. We are also open to engaging with ATV rider groups and offering up dedicated group forums if there is interest.

So in closing, if there is something the community wants to see, we will try to accommodate! In the meantime, we are going to be trying to engage existing members with contests, notifications of new content and interesting sections.

 

[wylde1 49]

Since I have come back it seems things are definitely moving in the right direction.  You will never get everyone fully engaged.  What I remember from before was that we had a pretty large "Core" group.  Once you build up that core group of people things pick up pretty quickly.  We used to be able to log in and just BS about near anything and always shared some great pictures, because we were all considering each other as friends.  Things seem to be heading in that direction again.  I look forward to getting to know more of the newer members and seeing what the older members are up to now a days.

[Admin 99]

At any given time you can see who's online logged in and not logged in by going to the Who's Online link under the Browse Menu.

 

[davefrombc 310]

Do  any  others on here regularly  check the chat room  when  they  log in ?  If   you do  and hang in there  while  browsing the  posts   you might  get  into  a live  chat  with  one or  more other  members here.

[fartknocker 28]

That would be a real bad idea on hardcore sledder. .you'd be in a fight in 37 seconds lol 

[davefrombc 310]

I can hold my own  in a debate, but if someone wants to get  nasty , I  also  know  how to  ignore them..   LOL..  Sledding , quad riding ,  bikes,  trikes or boats... all are open to  discussion for those that want to.... and the hunting and fishing  that  goes along with the riding...  Anyway ,  can't fight  if nobody comes in there  to  start  one. Gotta admit . .Haven't been  sledding since  moving  back to the  coast  from the  north...  Sleds don't  run too well  for long on wet  grass...That's all we  normally have  here  in winter.

 

 

[fartknocker 28]

I'll have try the chat option some day. Sounds like it would be fun . I'm not one for arguments myself ,but there always seems to someone somewhere wanting a challenge 

[JustRandy 27]

On 1/27/2017 at 5:19 AM, wylde1 said:

I post a couple things here and there, but it seems most people on here just want info on how to fix their machines. For the number of members listed their is not much engagement on anything. I would love to see that change,  this used to be a pretty cool group.

 

On 1/27/2017 at 7:22 AM, fartknocker said:

Facebook is the culprit here i think .on hardcore sledder, the members dropped like flies due to the vertiscope password shenanigans. It also use to be a crazy busy site....not so much anymore 

Mobile devices killed forums and any medium of lengthy discussion.  Most forums seem to have died around 2013 which occurred right as smartphones took off:

Facebook has little to do with it since it's been around for 13 years and was quite popular on the PC.

We've been handicapped by technology and lengthy discussion has been dumbed-down into pithy comments that fit onto a small screen... and coincidentally, twitter.

I don't pay attention to guys coming on asking how to fix their machines anymore.  As far as it seems, they may as well be coming to my door and asking for money because I'll certainly get nothing from the exchange.   Once they get the help, they'll be gone with no gratitude or anything.  In the past, they would hang around a while and post pics and updates on how the rebuild is going so that I at least got something out of helping them.

It was fun while it lasted, but forums are dead.

I have over 5000 posts at atvconnection, but I never ever go there anymore.  The only reason I come here is that stuff shows up in my email and I think "ah what the heck."

 

 

[Ajmboy 421]

I don't think that every forum is dead and it really depends on the topics, niche, interest levels. There are many forums that are busier, but I agree that people just don't post topics or reply like they used to. The people that visit this and other ATV forums are usually looking for something, people aren't "sharing" like they did because they are doing it elsewhere such as facebook and twitter. 

However, there are still so many visitors to this site that read and such but never login or are encouraged enough to reply or start a topic. Mobile has affected things but this site and most current sites all render well on mobile screens. I just think its a facebook/twitter world where people are used to getting notifications on their handset and unless someone gets a notification or an email that doesn't land in spam, they don't get drawn back.

[fartknocker 28]

I would have figured mobile would have helped the forums.  Almost everyone I know,including myself uses a cell to surf the forums.  Much more convenient than being tied to a putter 

[Ajmboy 421]

13 hours ago, fartknocker said:

I would have figured mobile would have helped the forums.  Almost everyone I know,including myself uses a cell to surf the forums.  Much more convenient than being tied to a putter 

yes me too, figuring people are online all the time with their phones. I think there is also the Facebook group thing going on and people post their photos on other larger sites rather than smaller sites.

[JustRandy 27]

14 hours ago, Ajmboy said:

There are many forums that are busier,

Where?  Anything to do with atvs and bikes are dead.  Gardening is dead.  On Arborday, many sections have the last post in 2012.  Same with forestry boards.  Economics, philosophy = dead, dead.  There may a couple guys hanging around (including mods), but nothing like pre-2013.  If you know of a happening place, sharing would be awesome

Gardenweb turned into Houzz, which is more like twitter than a discussion forum.  I can't quote anyone nor even address anyone unless I type their name, which makes it difficult to have a discussion.  Why remove all functionality from a forum and reduce it to mere comments if not to make it compatible with mobile devices?   Check it out  http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4577204/heirloom-tomatoes?n=2  It's really pretty horrible.

This thread is a good example http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1928060/when-do-hybrids-become-heirlooms?n=17  All the long posts were 2013 and earlier.  In 2016 they were reduced to a handful of words.

Any discussion of the length that I am typing is surely from a pc because no one is going to torture themselves to do it on a phone.  That's what I mean by "handicapping" and "dumbing-down".

Quote

Mobile has affected things but this site and most current sites all render well on mobile screens. 

Now it does, but it's too little too late.  It took so long for mobile to evolve such that people can type anything of length and it took so long for forum software to work with mobile that any desire to share was eaten up by facebook and twitter which cater to short posts anyway.  Why come back to forums now?

It was just last year that guys on thumpertalk were complaining that they couldn't embed youtube links from their phones and that was so until the forum software was updated earlier this year.  The owner of thumpertalk says it is busier than ever, but I bet if a word-tally were done, it would be less than ever.  The content is lacking and is basically just a stream of funny remarks.

Discussion forums are dead.  Witty one-liners are 'in' and that is because anything more than that is too difficult from a mobile device.  It's intellectual neutering on the altar of convenience.

Sure, on a challenge, one could do on a mobile device what I can do on a pc, but they'll work much harder at it and eventually they'll say it's not worth all the effort and the conversation will be left hanging... just like forums were abandoned for the same reason.

Quote

unless someone gets a notification or an email that doesn't land in spam, they don't get drawn back.

Yup, usually you have to quote someone for them to be notified and that's one thing mobile users never do.  They just comment and I never see it because I wasn't notified.