Our Forum is Growing to Fast...

I used to use "Alpine Mike" on forums years ago, to be honest, real reason why I just go by my real name is people I knew would sometimes call me "Alpine" .....I always thought it was lame in real life.....super lame actually.

Just to be clear, i agree it's 100% up to the member on what their name is, fake or real....I'm not typically one to give up personal info on the net either, but if I trust most around, and they know the real me, conversations flow more naturally, and i tend not to say shit i wouldnt say if they were standing in front of me.

 

I agree with inmate , if someone wants to know my name just ask. Internet can be a scary place, with enough skill and digging around you could probably find out where a person lives pretty easily.

We all know the questions and posts that we don't want on here , there hasn't been many, but it's simple. See one of those posts and hit delete.
If someone asks where to fill the freezer, simply no one reply.
The good questions will get answered, poor ones should be left to die and get deleted.

 

My opinion- you have a really good thing going here.
I would be hesitant to segregate current and potential future members before they've had the chance to prove themselves(as decent members, or as someone that needs to be removed).
Some members might need to feel more comfortable and confident before they post/contribute, and others might simply be lurkers... Time will tell, and you can make the call to remove the member (or not) when it does.

That having been said, You could maybe set up a bit of a screening process for new members, just to make sure they are legit, and not trolls. Maybe a short questionnaire would do the trick. Their membership would be pending your approval.
Also, current members should be able to recommend or invite new members.

Mandatory posting might do the opposite of what you want it to on this forum. As mandatory posts might not necessarily mean quality posts.

Getting the big wig fisherman on here is a lofty goal, and I admire that you have set it. However, i don't think it should be the main reason for any major decision you make on this forum.
Keep building it the way you have been, attract respectful members who are serious about fishing and it will become a place the pros might take the time to come and visit.

 

Screening process is simple. People can be let into the group as long as they answer these three questions properly--

1) How many walkers have you killed?

2) How many people have you killed?

3) Why?

 

lol, it has my vote

 

A lot of good suggestions in this thread and I agree with most of them. I like the "invite" idea to keep it for "real" anglers but also wonder how people in more remote places (north of 55 for example) would be eliminated by that option. I don't personally know many of the members on here because of where I live and fish. I was fortunate that Cheebers gave me an informal invite from another forum and I found this place and feel like I have been accepted as somebody who actually fishes more than I read forums.

Having said that,,,I think there might be danger in using # of posts as a reason to remove people from here. Some people aren't very eloquent around a keyboard but can put on a real show with rod and reel in hand. They have knowledge but aren't sure on how to share it (confidence with public forums thing). It also may encourage people to make "for nothing" posts to meet some required criteria which I feel would water down the great content on here. I would lean more towards removing people for bullshit/nothing posts after having been warned about it.

Really I have more questions than answers on this topic but wish you well Ernie on whatever path you head down and think if this forum maintains its current level of content (which is excellent) you can consider that as having done the right thing.

 

Ribbie is my nick name since I was about 20 amongst my buddies. I got black out drunk at a golf tournament and puked up a bunch of prime rib in my buddies car (he came to pick us up and that's how I repaid him). Ever since then I'm Ribbie.

True story.

 

The invite idea would be good to keep it smaller and also help to maintain good members, but would not be good for someone such as myself, I don't know anyone here so never would get an invite, I was never part of the other forum in the good days, so a place like this is invaluable to me. It's a tough call to make

 

Ernie - if the invite option is available, I see a time where invites can be sent by forum members in good standing direct to email addresses of invitees. Those who wish to join but are not known by current members could submit an online application for membership. I also like the idea mentioned earlier that forum sections become unlocked as member's activity goes up and time with good behaviour passes.

Thoughts?

P.S. This thread is on its 4th page of civil discussion - this ain't your regular Manitoba forum.

 

Holly smokes, one day away on the lake and I have 4 pages to read with a ton of good suggestions. I really don't have much to add, we are all adults here and I really like the forums direction now.

btw my name is Bryan and I more often than not return with a empty stringer.

 

I'm not sure which way is the best for the future of this site. There was a "pro" section on the other site that was done by invitation only. Honestly not much got posted there. There is a few members here that were part of that section as well. Granted that section started after that sites demise imo.
Being burned on the other site makes me really hesitant to post reports anymore. An odd picture here or there, maybe. If I can add anything to someone's question of value I'm happy to help. Reading about AEM mapping and more technical stuff here is what I enjoy lately.
I have 2 close friends on this site, one rarely fishes anymore but could tell you more about lakes in nopiming than most, he knows how to catch the odd fish or 2 as well...the other well he just never shows up on boxing day when it's time to fish.
Invite only may be an idea?

 

Wouldn't be a certain BB would it?
Personally I'd rather have someone on here who might not post a lot but at least posts respectfully and non antagonistic. I'm all for banning those type of people like cyberbullies and a-holes as they're just like a parasite sucking the life from a forum. Dealt with those kinds of guys on other forums and so far it's good here. Often it's the same guys bouncing from forum to forum changing their webname. Maybe one good reason to at least of part of your real name.

Not everyone is great at expressing themselves but I think everyone should contribute even a little bit now and then whether it's a question, fish picture or whatever. I think anyone is capable of that.

 

I like the idea of an application. It would allow people that don't know anyone from here personally to get in, and would weed out the people that do a google search on a certain lake with the intent of shithawkery and find this site and sign up because it takes less than 5 minuets. A small questionnaire and a quick bit about yourself and I bet a lot of the lurker, info hoggers couldn't be bothered.

Also think it's a good idea to contact people that have not posted in a certain length of time but still are actively viewing the forum, just to see what's up. I'm sure if Ernie got a response back like, "sorry I haven't had much time to get out lately, but reading about the adventures on here keep me sane, I will post my own as soon as I get out to my fave lake again" he would probably give them some more lurk time. No response would be a dead giveaway it's a lurker at it's finest so ban the sucker.

I don't post much on any forum, manly because I'm a slow at typing, and as much as it probably doesn't seem like it I find myself spending to much time thinking about what to type. I am going to make more of an effort to contribute on a regular basis around here, as this place has a lot of the people that I really respected from other forums and next to none that I couldn't stand.

Had been thinking a lot about my name for awhile for the same reasons. I have just always used Kilroy, and think I would kinda miss it if I had my handle changed so I might just add my name in the signature.

I think this site will do well with whatever path Ernie decides to go down with it, because he obviously has his best members in mind when making dissensions about the direction of the site.

 

well first i have no problem disclosing who i am....my name is phil...and alot of members due know me...i am new to the social media thing..i dont have facebook..or instragram...but since i joined into this world..i used my outfitting name...which is ..y0-fishermen..( hwm )....and i dont have anything to hide..over the last 7 years i have built my clients up to the like of 600...and this is all done by trade shows ..word of mouth and travel manitoba...

when i came about these forums there was only one thing i wanted to do and that was share info..and fishing tech..and presentations etc..and i understand that some people only get out fishing maybe once twice a year...but posting something shows that you are learning from others...and in my mind that is what forums are about..we may have different opinions but in most cases they are all good...

now i for one can be on the hard water 100 straight days and i know it sounds extreme ..but it is my business..and i love my job..i love to teach and talk to the cows come home..its what i do..and i really like this place..and sharing its a givin for me....and i have lots to share...

 

On my introduction thread here, I said that I hadn't found any forums to be "worthy of my presence until this one". I was of course being completely facetious when I said that, but there is truth in that I am very selective to the type of anglers that I correspond and share information with. For several years now I have turned to almost exclusively using Facebook for posting as it allows me to filter the audience. I'm hoping this forum will change that. I haven't posted much here yet, but that's just mainly because most of my topics of interest and angling preferences are pretty obscure. As @Mike B. called me, an "out of the box" angler. (btw, you been creeping on me or something? )

I'm a definite believer in quality > quantity. I was a bit leery myself seeing a large influx of members, so the fact that we are having this discussion is comforting. Whatever route you choose @Ernie , I'm cool with it.

 

I'm cam. Use to be upnorth on the kids forum. I refused to use that name here. I'm just cam, who ice fishes as much as he can, buys way too much tackle according to his wife, and enjoys the adult conversation without the bullshit.

Ernie has given us a great forum. He could have monitized it, but didn't.

And I thank him for that.

 

There's lots of great suggestions here so far. And this forum would not be where it's at with out all of us. By the way my real name is Trevor. I picked parklandwalleye as I live right in the heart of the parkland and the main fish I target is walleye so that's why I pick parklandwalleye for my screen name. And what ever you decide to do Ernie well be best for the forum and members in the long run.

 

I think this place is great, and that Ernie has done a pretty damn good job in both the layout and management of this forum!!!

A few points I'll touch on, first would be the invite only/pro section... Pro section, It's been tried and a few of us know the results, I wouldn't bother here, it's not needed... I don't mind the idea "contributing post" minimum to access some areas, but like has been stated already, post count doesn't always reflect the quality of the posts either!!!

User names IMO should reflect the user, I've been patty on every forum, and called patty for as long as I can remember, hell some guys have been calling me patterdink since high school, but legally I go by James Patterson... It's the guys who call themselves Crappieslayer17 then post "how do I catch crappies" that I would try to stay away from... As was said before a lot of the respect here is due to the fact that a lot of us know each other, or we know the personality of the user we are conversing with...

As far as the lurkers go, it's safe to say why 90% are lurkers... Hot bites, and easy picks (pun most definetly intended lol)... They don't add any value or bring anything to the table, turf em!!! those with low post counts should be reviewed by the staff, if a guy has 10 posts and they are all "where did you catch those" etc, might be worth sending them on their way... Guy has 10 posts seriously trying to get help with something or learn about a technique etc, keep em around and let them learn... That said, there is probably a great number of people with knowledge or seeking knowledge that never post, and they should be encouraged to feel welcome to post... We're all here to learn, I don't think there is anyone who can honestly say that they haven't learned shit from here, we all have in some form or another...

In the end, this place will be what we the members make it, it's off t0 a damn good start!!!