Why are these forums so dead?

[wsea98116]

Well, this thread is getting some play.
@miws- right, Mike, you don’t know- but I appreciate your perspective, and I love the blog- Tracy is an amazing whirl of activity- and I don’t disagree with any or your assertions.

In general- I’m not having the same user experience, but hopefully things will pick up. Login is wonky for me, and I do miss the forum index dealio.

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[Jeannie]

I agree that the new design is awfully busy, what with the CNN-style rotating headlines at the top, the Twitter feeds, the FB news, etc. I do like the ads on the left – I think people are more likely to notice them. And I am grateful there’s no more spam; e.g., messages from szmxxxzzzzq with subject lines like “Ugg Boots Floor Nose.”

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[SniperKitty]

I noticed this too. I really do not like the new site. Way too busy and hard on the eyes. There is so much stuff everywhere I’m not sure what to focus on. The forums used to be easy to scan through quickly and post to, but now everything requires an extra step and is unnecessarily complicated. It also seems like everything is all spread out with lots of blank space between each news item or forum topic. That may not seem like a big deal, but it just is more annoying to scroll down through all that stuff on a tablet or phone if you just want to quickly browse the site. I miss the old site and I’m just not that motivated to keep visiting this site.

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[JoB]

still…
i keep checking in.. even when i don’t have the energy to post

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[Smitty]

Sometimes I think “less is more” when it comes to news sites. His politics aside, Drudge Report gets it right.

This new site user experience – for me – is worse. Spam posts are gone thank god, but for whatever reason(s) I don’t frequent as often as I use to.

I am guessing WSB has web analytics that will tell them the same thing eventually.

Please know that everyone LOVES this blog. The quality and quantity of reporting is outstanding and so, so appreciated.

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[bertha]

I miss the forum post index. I don’t check in as often as I once did, which is probably good for my productivity.

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[dcn]

I wouldn’t mind getting rid of the categories in the Forums and only having one (i.e. only a Latest Discussion). I think I’m a fairly typical user in that I don’t browse “Lost and Found” on my own, but if I saw a post about a lost cat or dog on the “Latest Discussions,” I would keep an eye out for it. Same thing for Rants and Raves, and the For Sale section. Since the reboot, I’ve been sticking to the Open Discussion category, since it’s most similar to the Latest Discussions.

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[Greystreet]

I’m personally disappointed with the whole makeover, while there were many complains about the old design it was much more user friendly and not as busy on the eyes. I’ll be honest in saying I don’t even make this a daily check-in anymore because I find the forums to be completely non-user friendly, I was not able to log in on my mobile device and had to resort to my laptop (which is fine). I’m not sure what I’m looking at with tweets and Facebook and trending titles, etc. I think the ideas were in the right direction but it’s just not something I care to read anymore :( and it sucks, this was a morning coffee read for me–instead I only look here if there is an emergency happening or I’m curious about something that is going on.

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[Jeannie]

Yes, we really don’t need sections like Rants and Raves – they’re fun to read, but why not just incorporate them into the Open Discussion?

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[anonyme]

I think dcn is on to something. The forums really don’t need categories, but they desperately need the expanded list of ‘latest discussions’.

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[JoB]

i think the categories came as the result of two things.. the number of posts and the first political season .. i seem to remember a lot of complaints about having to wade through all of that.

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[Talaki34]

Keep the different categories. What does a question about a service provider have to do with a recommendation for a school? I would guess that most people would rather not have to wade through rants/raves/pets/reader recommendations/lost and found/jobs/politics just to find out what experiences someone had at a particular school.

I like the new format. Cannot view sponsors on the left, but that is my choice since I blocked ads. Facebook/Twitter don’t even notice since I don’t use them much. Love the archive by category. It is is a little different to move around in, but I think it is great.
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Why don’t I come here as much?

It is because I am weary of the same comments on the same topics. Redundancy is usually an accurate indicator that an individual or group is not interested in anyone else’s thoughts.

These forums have never been about discussing ideas or looking for solutions. It is more about how to force others to one’s own position. I would think having some of the best technical minds, engineers, doctors, environmental scientists, academic institutions in the country right here in our backyard would mean lively, inclusive and inspirational discussions. Unfortunately, it usually is just the opposite. An opportunity to learn usually spirals into “I am going to show you.”

If you want participation in these forums, then consciously make the choice to participate as equals and accept that life experience brings differences in how everyone relates to the world around them. Welcome opposing views because it is through these earnest discussions that change happens.

Recently I posted the following article in another thread. The content directly speaks to this forum and I feel presents material of importance. It talks about career success but the application of an Open Network is vital to so much more.

http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/this-is-the-biggest-predictor-of-career-success.html?cid=cp01002mentalfloss

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[JTB]

Talaki34 I disagree with your point about the forums never being about discussing ideas or looking for solutions. I recognize there have been some long, rambling posts which often entail obvious extractions from other sources with little sense of context or perhaps the effects of a third cocktail. But also there have been many thoughtful exchanges on a number of topics which have served to highlight the root differences on issues and even a basis of agreement or mutual respect. In any case, I’ve learned a lot from the discussions here.

The Stillman piece is interesting, but in my view not particularly in touch with what’s actually happening in business when you talk about individual success. True, an innovator will be very successful, but it is the minions devoted to making operations work who are are successful in greater numbers and often greater compensation. Most businesses have something in the realm of R&D, business development, process improvement and the like to identify innovations and improvements. But those typically represent a small part of the overall operations where people can in fact become very successful individually by being adept with utilizing the familiar. In my experience the people who are skilled in making operations work well are prized and rewarded for that performance.

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[Talaki34]

JTB,
Thank you for your thoughts and I will give them consideration.

After reading “Scalia…whatcha’ got?” I think I will just follow the news.

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[Author]

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