Our Forum is Growing to Fast...

What is the objective of this forum is there one?

 

Exactly. Pros, for the most part don't need to join forums. People will follow them on Facebook and other social media sites. So if one of the goals of CFF is to attract pros then a specific strategy needs to be considered and I doubt it is to limit the number of members on the forum.

 

I was invited to join this forum by a member in good standing,this is how going forward that any new members should be allowed to join,we have a outstanding core group now and the discussions have been amazing,guys and gals that are into a specific type of activity tend to hang out with people that do the same,closing the forum and making it invite only will make this place better and attract even more hardcore anglers.

 

With regard to "pro's" I say let anyone interested come to this forum, no need to recruit. Invite is good too - but lets not isolate those that, for example, just moved here, or don't know any members here, but are really good, sound, moral sport fishermen ... New members maybe have a 10-20 post probationary period??
Remember, there could be good young anglers (that are caught in the quagmire) that may fit in here well, and have the most to learn - i wouldn't think we would want to deny any good, keen, mature (regardless of age) person...
However, shit disturbers be gone, regardless of anything.
If the goal is to keep it growing under the same premise/format, then carry on as is - if it aint broke, don't fix it! The people here are smart and generous with their knowledge to keep it moving forward! It is growing as is!
I will say tho that we were all beginners at one time, and we probably all had mentors that helped us get to where we are.
BTW, good work Ernie!

 

If there are guys or gals that don't know any members on here perhaps there could be a email address that they could make their request to Ernie and he can decide if they would fit in with the group.

 

well if it is a opinion you want then this is mine...i an generally new to this forum stuff..like a little over 2 years now in total..and social media is a lot bigger then i realized ...now there are close to 400 members...and i will agree that there are mainly 50 to 60 posters...and the rest to pipe in once in awhile or so..or not at all..and it shows...but this was the same on the other site..mainly the same people posting..but having 11,000..members there is going to be a lot of lukers...now i do see that after those members left that site..there is not much to talk about over there and in a way of saying it might be drying up...yes the members are what keep a forum together and strong...and i dont see that changing a whole lot..i am comfortable hear and see no need to move on...and will post as i normally due...as far as drawing some pros..or other outfitters/guides...i believe they will come when they feel this site is cut out to what we want it to be..and that is where grown up men can express there fishing outings and share tech..and knowledge threw out the fishing world..and the whole province..i believe that almost all of our members that contribute are from the wpg area and most of of posts are based on that..red river/lake wpg..and i think the content on that is second to none..but we need more from around the entire province...and also into sask/alberta..i am working on a few guide buddies from sask..to see if they will join in...biggest thing there is some guides are very poor on the computer..but are priceless in the field..

as far as some that dont post..or contribute..i think as well as for myself that it will take some time and people will contribute..so i see no panic to jump ship or even give warnings out..let the new members introduce themselves and leave them the way the are..and lets see what happens in a few months...i do see if the members start to grow over 500 ish to 1000...and we still have the same 40 to 50 posters ..then we should look at other ways to control ..(lukers )...maybe then a private invite is the way to go..or a section that allows private members to talk on...just some thoughts...

i dont see anything at the moment that needs major attention...you are doing a great job..(ernie )...and keep it up..

 

Agreed on keeping the size manageable for you as the sole moderator to ensure quality control and to maintain the comfort level for the awesome members that are exchanging and sharing ideas. This is the highest quality fishing group I've been part of. While reading some of the really good threads it has the feel to me of being in a room listening at the edge of my seat to some people I know talk to each other at a high level about something I love to do.

I also think that at this point in growth of the forum you should have an invite process prior to you considering whether to activate a new member's access or not to activate it. Maybe the current member inviting the new member states why they think the new member would be a good fit here as part of the process like an application as previously stated.

I"m guessing you have an idea of size of forum and types of members you think you want in this group to optimize it for the members and keep it special (not short bus other forum special) for everyone. An idea could be to have a waiting queue for new applicants' requests when you think you already have an ideal size then bring them in as new members when you cull existing, non contributing, bad fitting, people who have out fished you on an outing types of members?

 

Im not really sure how to comment on this topic, primarily because I seem to fit into the category of the posters that you are trying to "avoid" (for lack of a better word). I joined 4 1/2 months ago, and yet I have only 16 messages to my name. I will say that I feel my comments have been entirely worthwhile and contributed to the discussion in each topic that they were posted.

I am an avid and enthusiastic fisherman, but due to my young children and work commitments Im usually lucky to make it out in the boat 6 times a year. I use this forum in the hopes of making those six trips as productive and enjoyable as possible. Due to these few trips though, I also dont have a lot of "fishing updates" to provide, those same stories that members cherish so much. What I chose to do instead is read the forums very often, and comment only on the topics that I think I am personally knowledgeable in. Unfortunately this has resulted in 15 posts in almost 5 months.

You may feel that the approach Ive chosen to take is somehow harmful to this community, however I might say the opposite. If Im not an expert at something, I sit and wait for someone who is to chime in. When a question comes around that I feel I can contribute to, I certainly make sure to help out the very best I can. Sometimes I wish that there were more people who followed this strategy, instead of simply making comments because the "community encourages it". I think we all can find examples where some obviously uniformed members chose to answer questions like an expert.

Like I said before, I still don't know how I would implement the change that Ernie is proposing. I certainly see the importance of having an active forum full of contributing posters. I also can appreciate that not everyone who posts as infrequently as I has the positive intentions that I do. I will say however that I don't see the harm in having forum members who behave in the manner that I do.

Finally, what Im uncertain about is whether a small forum where everyone posts their opinion on every topic is better than a larger forum where people post according to their specific interests and expertise. To me that sounds like a coffee shop full of retirees, rather than a fishing forum (I jest....partially).

 

^^^ excellent.
Regardless of how may times you were out, you learned from a forum and implemented what you learned.

 

That's a good point about mandatory posts being of less value. There would be even more "let me google that for you" or "the internet says..." posts, which I'd consider less valuable than no post at all

 

This is how I feel as well. I don't have the experience as many on here but truly enjoy learning from their posts. I try to post when I am qualified to do so. Life is busy and the only real time I get on here is during the week when a break at work allows it. Weekends are jammed with family and trying to get out on the water or ice. I am not sure how Ernie can police this site without potentially losing valuable members that can and will contribute when they can. If my low post numbers mean I am not a valued member then I am not sure what to say. Tight lines!

 

I say have limited access to certain forums. A new member would have to contribute 5 or 10 comments to unlock these forums. Kind of like unlocking areas in video games by accomplishing acheivements.

 

I like the invite idea @Ernie. Another option you could consider is adding a dislike or negative vote option which could limit a persons access if they passed a certain threshold. I've been a member at sites in the past where this was public but I'm sure there's a way you could make it private so only the moderating team (you ) can see them. You can then use your judgement as to who is a valuable member or not.

I'm a huge fan of the site and contribute where I can. I'm all ears when I'm here and am constantly picking up tips and techniques. Hope the quality continues mate as I don't plan on going anywhere.

 

<<< or at least add a display picture.

 

Ernie has become the Donald trump of forums. People want to monitize forums to make money. They don't gives shit about members or content; only ads and page clicks( the current shithole that shall not be named.)

( my opinion only on the above statement.)


Since money is not the object, your focused on members and content. New members should not be scared off because they don't contribute much, that's not the point. I suggest they post a little bio in the intro section. But when you get 10,000 plus members, and only 100 or so are active, that's a problem. And that's a real stat for the dark side.

I have discussed with Ernie the idea of having someone like gord pyzer, Izumi and guys like that answering pre screened questions. Not q&a, but these guys are willing to share and would bring a lot of content to the forum. Ever wonder what happened to lee and Rogers section on the dark side? They offered to share and help the forum, and they got swamped with retarded questions over and over.

 

Wow, where to begin. Great job Ernie on the forum. Has it been 5 months already?
Reading all the posts, I think I agree a little bit with all of them. Initial reaction to invite only was no. As much as shutting the door and only having 'knowledgeable' anglers around sounds like a good idea, it singles out (as @chrism mentioned) the potential for new people who want to learn and contribute in the future. Nothing is more of a slap in the face than a 'great' angler brushing someone off like they don't deserve to learn what he/she knows.
In my head a quick strategy going forward would be:

1. On the sign up page there could be a referred by space. Person could say who they were referred by. If no name is entered Ernie could follow up in an email and ask how they heard about the forum and why they wanted to join.

2. 1 post required (preferably in the new member section re: bio) to view pictures and attachments

3. 5 posts to send a PM

4. Amend the rules if necessary, but lay down the law on the big red flags.
Asking for GPS, poor hold, frozen eyes, that's my spot, and all the other 'comments' that are clearly meant to stir the pot. That said, I'm an expert pot stirrer and know it when I see it lol. Those members and comments need to be dealt with swiftly and harshly. If new members don't see crap on the forum they won't post crap.

5. If a member does want to 'educate' another member about fish holds, frozen eyes etc then encourage members to make those comments via PM.


I wouldn't define to Lurkers how many posts they have, but encourage them to participate where and when they can. Whether it's tips on Equipement, fishing reports, sales etc, Everyone has something to contribute but maybe they don't know what that is yet. Alienating them for not posting will hurt in the long run.

 

I don't want to put words in these fella's mouths, even tho I call 2 of the 4 good friends, and am in contact semi-regularely with the other two.....but I would not waste my time trying to get these guys on any forum. I would say the main reason---they are just plain too busy for fishing forums and dare i say, generally not interested. Even tho "fishtalk" is met with big interest, higher profile anglers cannot be bothered to get into the mix.

When you have several sponsors, you have a responsibility to represent them in a positive light, and this forum aside, forums generally are known for having many members that are in the genre of hiding behind anonymous internet avatars and throwing stones at "the big know-it-all Pros"....call it jealousy or what have you...... more or less, someone will have a problem with something they say and they will have to bite their tongue, rather than speak their mind. Basically what it comes down to---what's in it for them? They educate and promote through TV, seminars and meet and greet sessions that their sponsors often book for them....it's their duty as promotional staff...hence the "too busy" part.

As far as the direction of the forum, it's good as is in my opinion.

Further to that--this is where I stand in a nutshell---- it's good here because I'm familiar with most members. I feel free to post pics, give tips, and generally speak freely because I don't feel the info I share here is going to be viewed by some half-assed donkey that will use and abuse the info I give or make some idiotic, ill-informed comment.

When there's respect, there's good discussions. I think the real root of why this place is great is--there's respect amongst members....I've fished with a few and have seen and met others at ramps/accesses...basically, this place represents local talent that is truly interested in fishing, not just shithawking locations to fill the freezer or play hero on the net.

I've said it many times, I'm a self admitted FishSnob...the more disrespectful part-timers that are "in the room", the less I will give up from real life fishing....negativity is contagious....talks become less about fishing and more about why so-and-so is a fool....maybe it's a character flaw of mine, but i can't sit idly by while some fool gives out ignorant info.

I may be a fishsnob, but I enjoy offering what I have learned to folks new to the sport that approach with respect. We all started somewhere, but if you're an asshole, you don't deserve to be given a thing. To be blunt, if disrespectful fools start showing up, I will post less and less about fishing, and revert back to the sarcastic dick I'm known to be on the the shit-show over there. Aside from a very few--those idiots don't deserve a tidbit of info I've learned...they can all go convoy to lockport and bitch about litter til they have an aneurism for all i care

To any new guys feeling sheepish about asking "newbie" questions--- don't feel sheepish. Ask. And ask with respect of a genuine thirst for knowledge in this incredible sport. Fishing is about learning. Every time on the water, if I learn even a little something new, it's a good day. So, if you don't get much time on the water, asking is ok...just leave the "what lake?" comments at the dock.

Great job Ernie, keep it up.

 

After I reading my long-winded post, I could've just quoted Cam---Welcome to the adult's table.

 

Well, I was well into typing a response, then the notification came that someone else posted and Mike pretty much said what I was going to say (minus the part about the Pro's)... Perhaps a bit more eloquently put, but generally the same theme and a few of the same points that I was getting into.

I've not been shy since joining with warnings about large member bases and their effects on the tight knit community feel that's developed here.

I think an invite only forum is fine. Some sort of personal connection to someone here isn't that strict of a guideline in my opinion.

Failing an invite only forum, I would suggest at least some form of closed off area where only reputable members can access and converse.

 

Participation! anyone with zero posts is deleted after 1 week of sign-up
everyone with less than 5 posts after a month is suspect.
minimum post requirements (quality posts, not jokes)

Create a 'members' section where you allow only those 'trusted' in, and you can have a discussion thread about newbies. You can not be expected to keep tabs on everyone here, but between all the regulars, most of the comings and goings of people are noted, use the resourses available to you (the membership) to keep an eye out.

You already have the trophy system in place and it should not be hard for anyone to get 8 points quite quickly, if they are posting. Anyone with less, should be subject to cancellation.

All that said, keep in mind the transition time over to hardwater. where some wet fishers may come and lurk, but not have much to offer, but like to read.