Our Forum is Growing to Fast...

I think one focus that has been a success of this forum from the beginning is not to segregate the members into separate forums? Correct me if i am wrong.

Part of allure of CFF is that we members are (again to quote Cam) "adults", and are all treated the same.

I dont give a phuk about your walk of life or who you are or any of that stuff - i (personally) like to and want to share fishing ideas with everyone unless (as MikeB said) they are disrespectful... And i will say as soon as any member or members feel they are above anyone else, then we lose the initiative of why Ernie made this place, and shame on that member(s).

Knowledge is made to be shared.

 

I agree, if you don't want to share your knowledge/experience why are you here.

 

On topic of "number of posts"...in my opinion this is a little more complicated than it seems. As an example, Stearns only posted every couple weeks...if that..when "the other forum" was still decent.....so, high number of posts doesnt always equal a "contributing member". In fact, it's sometimes the opposite. I could list several names of "active posters" from the other site that post 5 times a day, and .02% of it relates to actual fishing or anything remotely interesting for that matter....

The saying (and I've said it)- "we all have something to offer" isnt really accurate with some folks. Some people just plain suck. Most do have something to offer, however.

Having said that--different people find different threads interesting.....so how do you define quality of posts...?

....I dunno....to be repetitive-- it's about respect.

I could go on and on about what i like about the dynamic here, but it is summed up with the members. I could go on and on and on and on about what i like about each member here, but in a nutshell, you guys are out there fishing, you know what's going on and intelligently discuss and present the reaches of our fishing region beautifully....y'all know your shit, and that's what it comes down to for me. We've got representation from the North, West, East and South...it's cool to see what's happenin around the Province and not have to sift thru 14 "Litterbugs at lockport" posts...I couldnt give a fack about that shit.

 

You know... There are members here with more experience than a lot of us. I can think of ten off the top of my head that spend countless hours fishing and specializing in species and areas. We have members in the north, parkland, guys who fish lotw, whiteshell. If they would be willing to do a short article for example, on lakers, or smallies, whitefish etc. The knowledge base of the current members is deeper than we think.

 

And I agree that a "pro staff" section wouldnt work here. I think this whole site has a "pro staff" (more like adults) feel, so, i don't think it's necessary.

 

That's the problem with large communities! Most people who join a forum aren't there to share, they're there to take in the information and not give anything back. That's a huge part of this entire conversation.

I have fished pretty hard my entire life and I am still continually learning things when having conversations with other experienced anglers. That's where I find value in a forum. Speaking with like minded anglers who share my passion for the outdoors and like to talk about it.

What's wrong with being a bit of a fish snob?

 

I think some people may be undervaluing what they could contribute, too. You don't have to be an expert to say "I had this problem and here's how I fixed it" or even asking questions - a good question, to me, is one that prompts a discussion and that's valuable. So I'd encourage people on the sidelines who want to improve their systems of fishing to speak up, because asking is better than waiting for something useful to float by.

 

How many times has a simple question on this forum developed into a 4 page useful discussion,I would say quite a few,thats why I like it here,dont be hesitant to ask,someone will respond.

 

The old expression "The only stupid question is the one you never ask" is true to a point. So long as it's not a shithawking question on gps coordinates or 'name that lake', it should be fine. As we've seen on that other forum, there's a lot more stupid comments than there are stupid questions. As mentioned before, so long as the poster asks a question with respect there shouldn't be any issue.

I've gotten so much out of forums over the years by asking questions on electronics, rigging, mechanical issues, etc. Forums are invaluable for the exchange of information. What's second nature and basic info to one angler might be new to me and vice versa.

 

In all my ramblings, I forgot to make a point I intended.

Usernames. this ties into respect in my opinion. I don't necessarily have a problem with using a made-up name, but I find if someone is using at least part of their real name, then they will act more like themselves on the internet, rather than a character of anonymity.

Example--I know when i comment on one of ChrisM's posts, I'm talking to Chris....a man, not "some dude at a keyboard". This goes a long way when having a conversation--- forums are far more valuable when you know your audience, and like Ben said, your audience is of like-minded individuals that you respect.

Sad to say, but I think even in spite of Ernie's best efforts, a fishing forum is destined to follow the path of outgrowing a tight-knit audience.

Many over at shitshow central know about it here. The more that come, the more this place will become shitshow central....and how do you filter the good ones...i guess that's really what Ernie's question is....i don't have a good answer to that question. Sorry

 

In my opinion it may be time to think about an invite and or reference system. Right now the forum is great, excellent members and content...but word of this forum is spreading. It is only a matter of time before the "shit hawks" infiltrate. An invite system may...hopefully ...keep it on the right track.
I would hate to see some of the experienced members stop posting or leave because it turns into a gong show like some other forums
I'm not too worried about the number of posts someone makes (unless it's zero) as it's been stated above there are members like me that won't post just for the sake of posting. If I don't have something helpful to say I'm not going to comment. So if someones post count is lower it should not mean they are potentially a bad member.

All that being said, excellent job on the forum Ernie. Thanks for all the work you do put into the forum, it is no small feat to manage a forum by yourself.

 

Its about quality NOT QUANTITY. Nobody cares that somebody has posted 3058 times if it has zero value. Thats what makes me not even open the posts and skip over many things when reading. Local is also the key here and familiar faces or at least places. People writing articles and such are for magazines, not fishing forums. As huge as say walleye central is and how rich it is in content and info it just does't have the local flavour that interests us and I'm only going over there usually to find a specific problem on a specific boat because there are 1000's of people in the same situation. Funny that Ernie put this post up as I was thinking the same thing lately with all the new users and possibly some drivel coming into context. I like the real name thing as well. It keeps things more respectful. In the end it should be entertaining that could possibly lead to actual better fishing entertainment.

 

Pledging, hazings and keggers sound pretty good to me....

All kidding aside, I can see why you'd want the 'big names' to post here but as others mentioned it's tough for them to want to be involved given all their obligations. I think we have enough guys here who know their stuff that contribute things on a regular basis.

Quality over quantity matters for sure. I'm kind of bad for just blabbing on here with random thoughts so I'm trying to post less with more words to make sure I capture my entire thought instead of just blurting the first thing that comes to mind.

I dont know if there's a fair way to regulate the user base without accountability. For that reason, I think an invite or sponsor system is the best way to go. Give out invites at your discretion and make an open forum for people who aren't in the 'inner circle' who are looking to start out. I was that guy not even a year ago. Fished a long time but didnt bother with the online circuit.

After 6 months of it I'm already tired of the bullshit I see regularly on other sites and facebook groups. Just the other day I made the mistake of commenting on some kids post which just resulted in a little pack of friends trying to 'dig stuff up' on me on facebook. Laughable but kind of eye opening. I don't want to be associated with those mooks I'd rather be the quiet one in the corner here sponging up good information.

As for the fish snob thing, I don't see a problem with it. I don't expect a hand out from anyone. I have to earn my way and figure things out myself. I'm slowly moving from the student to the teacher depending who I'm fishing with and am starting to finally see things from the other side. You boys put in the years and hours to get the experiences you did and it would be foolish to think you should just share all of that to joe public.

 

I like my name. Honestly because it was a shot at a mod at MFF who said hiding behind a username was A-ok in his book, so I signed up as Inmate to show how a person can be both helpful and an asshole all at once hiding behind the username. If anyone wants they can go over there and read my posts. There should be more positive than negative (or at least I hope). The whole Inmate name has grown on me, I enjoy telling ppl around the campfire or at the launch that I'm Inmate. I've had some interesting responses. If anyone wants to know who I am, please just ask. Going forward if the name thing is an issue and if Ernie wishes members use their real name I will comply.

 

Full disclosure,my first name is Pete,Riley was my old German Shepard,best dam dog I ever had!!! he hated both my ex live in girlfriends,turns out he was a lot smarter than me!!!!

 

The difference with you, Inmate, is that you've been around long enough and been genuine enough that when I talk to you here, I know who the audience is. I don't find you actually act as a character, but yourself, just thru an online persona.......if that makes sense. Same as BIGGAMEFISHER....i know who I'm talking to. Same goes with many others. It's all good in the hood.

There's also the issues like ribbie mentioned...there are losers out there who will make things personal after not liking what you say online, and try to affect your personal life....even go as far as contacting your employer to defame your character!

 

Ernie first off what you have with CFF is good.

I don't think much of the invite system. I think some of the purpose of CFF is to welcome nubies to angling and a place like CFF is a great place to do this. When I joined my first fishing forum about 4 years ago I was a born again angler and would have had trouble getting invited.

I think your past decisions have been okay and the bottom line is "you gotta do what you gotta do". I wish you all the best in the future with your challenge of maintaining quality within CFF.

 

I've been glennie_rapala on 3 forums now. It's a variant of my real name and a nod to a certain lure mfg. I haven't always behaved myself on forums or in real life, but those who know me have learned to tolerate me. I'm generally not a turd on forums and I think my enthusiasm for fishing shows in my posts. I've met quite a few forum members over the years and the encounters have all been positive (shout out to Riley234 for helping me at Selkirk Park this fall when I broke a trailer bunk).

As for the requirement to use one's real name, I don't know. It should be a personal choice as to what information is disclosed online. I don't have a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account, nor do I own an Android phone due to the inherent privacy breaches they entail. I don't give up a whole lot of personal info to the interweb. Again, it's my choice. What other people choose to disclose should be up to them.

 

^^^ Agree about the online disclosure totally. Now thinking about things I will request a username change to Dave which is my first name.

 

I dont have a facebook, instagram, twitter account etc... or any social media. I only participate in this fishing forum, and lurk on some other fishing forums. I dont usually post about my outings, but I fish very often all year long. For me, its a privacy thing mostly. When I first joined MFF, I posted reports, then I soon found out that reports can be spoiled by others comments. I was actually embarassed to even be associated with that crap. I am glad this place is moderated by a level headed person (Ernie), and the members on here seem to respect his home unlike on MFF where its a shit show. I mostly like the gear, electronics and mapping talk. I have met a few of you out there fishing and you know who I am.