Recently, in the Mods' Forum among all the velvet upholstry and half-empty boxes of chocolate liqueurs, we've been having a moment of existential angst. Here's the thing:

1. It costs suprisingly much to host this thing.
2. And while our core posters are still around the audience hasn't grown.
3. So we've been thinking of trimming things back to something a lot less sophisticated - free software + free/cheap hosting. It might involve a change of address, we're not sure yet.
4. In this we're taking our inspiration in many things from one of LN's other boards - Livestupid Outlaws, which is an invitation only place for people banned/over-moderated elsewhere. We wouldn't necessarily go that far, but it's a cheap model and faces the same basic issues as us, so it's an interesting example.
5. I think that our big problem is advertising. I don't post anywhere else with any consistency and daren't risk the news spreading among IRL people that I am Zichao, so I can't really spread the word. I think that a lot of us are in the same situation.
6. We also had a sort of vague idea about setting up a Paypal account for donations, but this hasn't been done yet.
6. Questions, comments, suggestions?

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The remark I would add is that, even amongst our 'regulars', people drop off radar for long stretches. Of course, given that we have few regulars to start with, a couple of people dropping off for real life reasons translates as a meaningful lack of posters.

So while I would obviously agree with Z about the general problem of lacking enough 'regulars', I was wondering if said regulars did not feel that TNT was also missing something else.

For example, I suspect that having a couple of 'naive'/extremists people is actually a strength on a political forum... Of course, you don't want the lunatics to be running the asylum but a few of them give spice to a place. We haven't really had any of those...

So, yeah, comments and feedback welcome...

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Unless otherwise specified, I am posting as a regular poster. When I will act as a mod, I'll make sure you're in no doubt.

Originally Posted by Zichao

Recently, in the Mods' Forum among all the velvet upholstry and half-empty boxes of chocolate liqueurs, we've been having a moment of existential angst. Here's the thing: 1. It costs suprisingly much to host this thing.

Welcome to my world....Furthermore monetizing a political site, is near next to impossible.

Originally Posted by Zichao

2. And while our core posters are still around the audience hasn't grown.

Gaining organic traffic is not easy. But I did tell you that.

Originally Posted by Zichao

3. So we've been thinking of trimming things back to something a lot less sophisticated - free software + free/cheap hosting. It might involve a change of address, we're not sure yet.

Good luck. However see your second point

Originally Posted by Zichao

4. In this we're taking our inspiration in many things from one of LN's other boards - Livestupid Outlaws, which is an invitation only place for people banned/over-moderated elsewhere. We wouldn't necessarily go that far, but it's a cheap model and faces the same basic issues as us, so it's an interesting example.

See above

Originally Posted by Zichao

5. I think that our big problem is advertising. I don't post anywhere else with any consistency and daren't risk the news spreading among IRL people that I am Zichao, so I can't really spread the word. I think that a lot of us are in the same situation.

Unless you have $00,000 to throw away on adwords and yahoo sem, is not going to help. I could have told you that from the outset. In addition no amount of traffic you get, is going to encourage people to sign up if they see no activity on a forum. I speak from experience.

Originally Posted by Zichao

6. Questions, comments, suggestions?

Whilst on the other hand P & CA is going from strength to strength. Averaging over 20,000 unique visitors a month and more importantly an active forum.

BTW you are all welcome to return. I am just very pleased that your attempt to hole it ( P & CA )below the waterline, didn't quite work out as you planned.

I am also glad you now finally realise that running a bulletin board in the age of Web 2.0 and social media media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter et al is not an easily achievable task.

Originally Posted by Hellothere

I am just very pleased that your attempt to hole it ( P & CA ) below the waterline, didn't quite work out as you planned.

It never was the intention, tbh.

Quote:

I am also glad you now finally realise that running a bulletin board in the age of Web 2.0 and social media media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter et al is not an easily achievable task.

Very true indeed. OTOH, while saying we're welcome back to P&CA is very nice, how would that change the underlying issue of why we left? No offense and all that but quoting P&CA numbers doesn't actually impress me. I am far more concerned about the quality of the discussions to be had. As I said myself, a few, errr, naive people is good fun and might be necessary to sustain interest but I do want some adults to talk to as well...

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Sorry, I have been busy with another project lately, but haven't jumped ship at all, i.e., I have not moved on to other pastures, and I'll surely be back more regularly once my other project (non-political, non-events, no competition whatsoever to TNT) has settled down a bit. It won't be long - big promise.

I would be perfectly happy to chip in a few bucks once in a while, i.e., before moving the board to a cheaper venue with dubious software, I'd much rather help to keep this place up and running ... and I agree with Gilles: it has never been the aim of TNT to sink P&CA.

I have spent far too many hours on P&CA myself to wish that board anything but the best of success. I left personally (more or less -- I still maintain my P&CA account and answer direct questions that are being addressed to me) because I didn't agree with the management style of P&CA any longer.

I am quite happy here at TNT. The more cordial and and much more civil communication style that we were and still are able to preserve here at TNT suits me just fine.

Thus, tell Psyche to set up a PayPal account, and I'll gladly contribute my fair share to help ensure the future existence and survival of this board ... not as a threat or even serious competition to P&CA, but simply as a place for civil and in-depth discussion of political events.

Originally Posted by Francois Cellier

Sorry, I have been busy with another project lately, but haven't jumped ship at all, i.e., I have not moved on to other pastures, and I'll surely be back more regularly once my other project (non-political, non-events, no competition whatsoever to TNT) has settled down a bit. It won't be long - big promise.

See, that's exactly the problem with just a handful of core posters. If two of us are taken away from posting on internet by real-life pressures (and, well, that has happened to Psychee herself, ironically enough) - the forum starts to feel like a two-way conversation between Z and myself...

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Unless otherwise specified, I am posting as a regular poster. When I will act as a mod, I'll make sure you're in no doubt.

Actually, it wasn't even "real-life pressures." Those I get all the time and handle quite well. They may keep me busy for a few days, but not for weeks in a row. No, it was another hobby of mine that was in the buildup phase, and therefore consumed lots of time resources. It is close to reaching steady state now, i.e., I should be back posting on TNT more regularly fairly soon.

I understand what you are saying. We need a critical mass of different posters who have interesting ways of looking at politics; otherwise our readers get bored and walk away ... yet a cheaper software won't solve that problem at all. It will most likely make it worse.

Originally Posted by Francois Cellier

Actually, it wasn't even "real-life pressures." No, it was another hobby of mine that was in the buildup phase...

Fair enough. Ben had the same thing a while ago being diverted into another 'hobby' about radio, iirc... It's all fine, of course. Neither Z nor myself want to give the impression that TNT ought to be our members' only hobby. But...

Quote:

I understand what you are saying. We need a critical mass of different posters who have interesting ways of looking at politics; otherwise our readers get bored and walk away.

Exactly!

Quote:

Yet a cheaper software won't solve that problem at all. It will most likely make it worse.

A good point. OTOH, it's understandable that Psychee whose footing all the bill (and not even here much) as well as the moderators are considering the options, given the relative lack of success of the site.

I mean, your offer to chip in was very generous and is really appreciated. I am not really doing very well financially these days but a 4 or 5 ways split should be OKay with me and could suffice to get us going another year...

That being said, even more than the money, I'd like to know what drop-in, drop-out posters feel this site is missing...

Basically, like you, I am willing to pay my share but, ideally, it'd be for a successful website...

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Unless otherwise specified, I am posting as a regular poster. When I will act as a mod, I'll make sure you're in no doubt.

Originally Posted by Francois Cellier

and I agree with Gilles: it has never been the aim of TNT to sink P&CA.

Really?

Quote:

Thanks Dave, and we wish P&CA all the best, we really do. It's a big blow loosing most of your best posters in one fell swoop, but I suppose there's always forumboosters. We have some exciting plans to grow TNT and I'm quitetly confident they'll pan out. See you in six years

http://thenewtopical.com/384-post21.html

Which was in response to this post I made:

Quote:

I wish you luck, I really do, as you are going to need it by the bucket load. No organic traffic = no new posters.

http://thenewtopical.com/377-post19.html

Now nearly 18months on, let's see who has been on line in the last 48 hours.

Benjamin, - From P & CA
Francois Cellier, - From P & CA
FredFredson, - From P & CA
Gilles de Rais, - From P & CA
Hellothere, - Me
josefporter, - Spammer
LiberalNation, - From P & CA
Optilianafnax, - Spammer
PostmodernProphet, - From P & CA
roadkill, - From P & CA
Zichao - From P & CA

Makes my comment about organic traffic seem like a prophecy now doesn't it.

Tell me is Psychee still quietly confident?

Sorry but yes, I am very happy at your predicament. Telling me that the plan wasn't to destroy P & CA is possibly true. But I bet Bunkum and co would be laughing their socks off, ( like I am now ) if they had managed to pull it off. After all your core members all came from P & CA.

Wait... I post a thread about switching to free phpBB something like five hours ago and you're straight in here with a bunch of huge long posts?

I'm no psychiatrist, but it doesn't seem very healthy to let your issues fester this way, Miss. Haversham.

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