Reform the Forum! Could it be better?

[Seth=L]

How do we get this forum to increase activity, or do we not want that?

It just seems that this forum should be more exciting. I realize that Audioholics hasn't been around for a long time like the once reputable Home Theater Forum. I had heard of Audioholics before HTF, so it surprises me there aren't more members.

Make no mistake, I think this forum is great. It has valuable members with much more experiance than anyone I know, especially more knowledgeable than myself. We don't have many troll problems nor spam. We don't have many brandwidth issues either as far as I can tell.

I am sure I am not alone in my feeling that these forums could be much more than they are. How does one expand a forum? I know these things cost money, ha, I wish I had some.

I think this thread is a great way to put you ideas down and maybe some advancements could be made. So anyone with any ideas what-so-ever, this could be the way to make the forum better than it already is.

 

[Seth=L]

It has been twenty minutes and no one has replied, I am shocked. I am just trying to be funny (failure because of acute nerdism)...continue.

 

[Audioholics]

I wasnt aware you could really do anything to artificially boost it, but the new website we are launching should attrack new readers - and with tighter integration of the forums into our website that may result in more membership.

 

[Nick250]

I wasnt aware you could really do anything to artificially boost it, but the new website we are launching should attrack new readers - and with tighter integration of the forums into our website that may result in more membership.

I may be in the minority and I realize you guys have to make a living, but I am very happy with the size of AH as it is. You can stay on top of most threads and you know the regulars and you know who is full of it and who is not. Try that on AVS, especially the full of it part. Yuck!

Nick

 

[majorloser]

I like things just the way they are. There are quite a few forums that are just jam packed with "know-it-all" experts that pipe up at any topic.

 

[emorphien]

are we broken in some fashion?

 

[JoeE SP9]

I wasnt aware you could really do anything to artificially boost it, but the new website we are launching should attrack new readers - and with tighter integration of the forums into our website that may result in more membership.

What new website?

 

[stratman]

I just pass the word along, whenever I'm at the stores, I just tell people go to Audioholics.com, best website without the bull, I know of at least 8 persons that have visited because of that. Now if everyone here did that (impossible) can you imagine the traffic and the possible memberships?

Hey how about bumper stickers?

 

[f0am]

I just pass the word along, whenever I'm at the stores, I just tell people go to Audioholics.com, best website without the bull, I know of at least 8 persons that have visited because of that. Now if everyone here did that (impossible) can you imagine the traffic and the possible memberships?

Hey how about bumper stickers?

Funny you mention stores. When I go into my A/V shop here that sells Audioquest high end cables, I always catch one of the guys looking a the AH forums. Pretty entertaining.
I personally feel that this forum is better then any of the others because of its smaller size.
For some reason it seems that AH attracts a more level crowd. Ive read threw other audio forums before and always shiver at what I read. I personally try to only post advice that I am able to give, LIMITED. But when I see a thread with a more complex question, I leave it alone and wait to watch to see who has a good answer. Usually within 1 hour there will be a good answer.
There are very knowledgeable people in these forums, plenty of reading every day.
I am just glad we don't have to pay for such a service

 

[Seth=L]

What if Audioholics had it's own instant messenger?

Hey another thing, we could get a mascot!

 

[emorphien]

What if Audioholics had it's own instant messenger?

What good would that do?

 

[Seth=L]

What good would that do?

You could directly converse with someone that has a problem, and they would know that you are giving them you time. It also takes much less time than PMs and you can't have to many IMs. We can only hold 30 PMs total, at least that is all I can hold.

 

[MDS]

If two people want to converse using IM they can exchange their IM contact info using a private message. I see no need for the forum to host it's own instant messaging service.

 

[Seth=L]

If two people want to converse using IM they can exchange their IM contact info using a private message. I see no need for the forum to host it's own instant messaging service.

Not everyone has IM.

 

[emorphien]

Not everyone has IM.

and what makes you think they'd get an audioholics IM program (unless you're talking about one of those flaky web interface ones) if they don't already have some other form of more useful and widespread IM?

 

[masak_aer]

I am happy with the size AH has right now. Quality over quantity..

 

[Jack Hammer]

What I like most about this forum is that the members tend to stop BS from being spread about too much. A few of the other forums I had gone to seeking information were full of too many highly opininated people with little personal experience.

There also seemed to me to be a bit of snobbiness from many members. They didn't really want people to grow into this hobby, if they weren't willing to or couldn't afford to buy the most expensive equipment out there.

I got started by buying a pair of decent bookshelf mains to go with my HTIB setup. I read a lot of good advice on setup and equipment here before I ever posted. Nobody has ever made fun of me or told me to get rid of something I had because it was cheap equipment. They helped me to setup that crappy stuff to get the most from it until I could afford better.

I'm all for new members and improvements, but I don't want it to turn into those other sites. Why fix it if it ain't broken?

Jack

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I assumed the forums were 'just for fun', as they don't really bring any ad revenue into play.

 

[Seth=L]

Ok, I guess the IM thing is kind of lame, but we could use a mascot. We could get Carman Electra.

 

[mike c]

we already have a mascot ... sheep!

all he needs is a costume