Gary Posted November 29, 2020 Report Share Posted November 29, 2020 As facebook was almost the death of this forum and probably killed off many more - I am just interested in gauging feedback from our loyal members on how they view the forum over facebook. I know the adverts are a bit of a pain but they are the only way we can keep going as 75 per cent of our usual income streams have been lost. I have often wrestled with the thought of closing the forum down as it costs circa £60 plus VAT a month to keep going for around 20-30 regulars - but the fact Bill is now back and putting up with the adverts has given me renewed hope. Also any ideas on how we can attract new blood - as most of us, especially the ones who have been around 20 years, are not getting anyone younger. We also seem to have lost tough with ex-pats (who used to be our lifeblood) and the ladies! Even Dizzy has all but disappeared! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted November 29, 2020 Report Share Posted November 29, 2020 But Gary ,how many people actually know about the forum ? I am sure many letter writers whose life goal is to moan about anything & everything would love to join the forum. Is it accessible from facebook ,for instance ? Is so , is it a public group or a closed group ? Closed group are not much use for attracting newcomers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted November 29, 2020 Report Share Posted November 29, 2020 This forum is where i can come and have a bit of banter and some(but not much) serious discussion, have a chuckle at reactions to some posts. I class the people on here as friends although i have only met one or two to my knowledge. Facebook is where i go to play angry birds and see who is whinging about their life or lack thereof, T get hold of relatives if i need to without having to call them up or send a text. I did have several people who were "facebook friends" but after one started posting every single detail of their life in great detail i decided that i would have a cull and stick to a select few. I do follow the posts from this website and share what i feel people need to aware of. I do not mind the ads on here as they can be useful or amusing in some cases depending on what your mood is. whereas the ads on facebook tend to be boring and overly repetitive despite adblockers and i do not need facebook to tell me what i like or don't like for that matter. I have a wife for that sort of thing....🤫 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted November 29, 2020 Report Share Posted November 29, 2020 I tried face book - utter trivial nonsense imo. At least on here we can discuss the issues of the day and do it with more than one sentence. As for ads. my ad blocker keeps them away. Keep up the good work Gaz, you probably get more spectators than players though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 29, 2020 Report Share Posted November 29, 2020 The good thing about the forum is that say for example we are discussing an issue or some local history it has its own topic, comments follow on from each other and the topic remains and us easy to find again. The downside of Facebook is you can have a really good topic or photo and lots of comments and info but after week it's disappeared way down the page and gets forgotten about. I do use Facebook a lot but it's not as good as the forum used to be in the good old days when there was more of us. I tend to use FB as it's quite quick to look and post but it seems to take me much longer on here. Maybe that's cos I only really use my mobile now and adverts take up more of my viewing space lol I agree that a lot of people probably don't know it exists and some are probably also wary of having to sign up and give their private email addresses etc 😢 Ps sorry for being AWOL for so long oops. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted November 29, 2020 Report Share Posted November 29, 2020 I come on here at least once a day, just being nosey you understand, but only on Facebook a couple of times a week if I'm bored. I don't know how you would attract any one else to the forum other than by word of mouth and as I'm Billy-No-Mates there's no-one I can tell 😔🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted November 29, 2020 Report Share Posted November 29, 2020 Twenty odd years ago, WWW forum was the only place where the public could have a say online so membership was high but there’s no doubt that when Facebook appeared, it caused many of the regulars to jump ship. I know back then that Gary was worried about liable issues, bad language etc when everyone was forced to share one forum. These days though. there are multiple sites that are more appealing, especially to the younger generation, so forums like this don’t require constant policing. The problem with forums like this though is that it’s difficult to achieve a good balance between having so few that it’s boring, and too many that it becomes a free for all. At the moment, we’re borderline boring and could really do with some new blood just to open up the discussions a bit more. I doubt we have any input from anyone aged less than sixty and certainly no females, it’s all a bit Darby and Joan without the Joan and it’ll remain this way unless something is done. I have my own thoughts but let’s see what others can come up with. Bill 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted December 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2020 On 11/29/2020 at 6:11 PM, Bill said: Twenty odd years ago, WWW forum was the only place where the public could have a say online so membership was high but there’s no doubt that when Facebook appeared, it caused many of the regulars to jump ship. I know back then that Gary was worried about liable issues, bad language etc when everyone was forced to share one forum. These days though. there are multiple sites that are more appealing, especially to the younger generation, so forums like this don’t require constant policing. The problem with forums like this though is that it’s difficult to achieve a good balance between having so few that it’s boring, and too many that it becomes a free for all. At the moment, we’re borderline boring and could really do with some new blood just to open up the discussions a bit more. I doubt we have any input from anyone aged less than sixty and certainly no females, it’s all a bit Darby and Joan without the Joan and it’ll remain this way unless something is done. I have my own thoughts but let’s see what others can come up with. Bill 😊 Maybe time to share your thoughts as the older statesman on here - of course quite a few or a regulars from the "good old days" are sadly no longer here. But facebook has taken over the world at the moment when it comes to a place for people to sound off - but to a very limited audience with their thoughts and comments long gone after 24-48 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted December 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2020 On 11/29/2020 at 11:55 AM, Davy51 said: But Gary ,how many people actually know about the forum ? I am sure many letter writers whose life goal is to moan about anything & everything would love to join the forum. Is it accessible from facebook ,for instance ? Is so , is it a public group or a closed group ? Closed group are not much use for attracting newcomers. I don't really want to share it on facebook as it would somehow defeat the object and if we got some of the characters from groups like "The Peoples' Forum" (That's what I used to call this place!!) it could become quite hostile again - and that is the last thing I want. Another half a dozen to a dozen active posters would be good - we do get people joining still - but we can be a bit slow accepting them and then the moment is gone - isn't it Dizzy? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted December 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2020 On 11/29/2020 at 3:08 PM, Dizzy said: The good thing about the forum is that say for example we are discussing an issue or some local history it has its own topic, comments follow on from each other and the topic remains and us easy to find again. The downside of Facebook is you can have a really good topic or photo and lots of comments and info but after week it's disappeared way down the page and gets forgotten about. I do use Facebook a lot but it's not as good as the forum used to be in the good old days when there was more of us. I tend to use FB as it's quite quick to look and post but it seems to take me much longer on here. Maybe that's cos I only really use my mobile now and adverts take up more of my viewing space lol I agree that a lot of people probably don't know it exists and some are probably also wary of having to sign up and give their private email addresses etc 😢 Ps sorry for being AWOL for so long oops. Hope to see a few more posts from you young lady Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 2, 2020 Report Share Posted December 2, 2020 Gary I could share my thoughts here, but it's probably better to speak with you when you’ve got a bit of spare time. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confused52 Posted December 2, 2020 Report Share Posted December 2, 2020 The unique feature of this place is the universal ability to raise any topic at all. The problem I see with Facebook is that the ability to raise anything new is constrained by the material and the context that is already there. There is heavy censorship on many places other than Facebook, such as the Warrington Guardian site. Over there the recent limitations are stifling and the ability to comment and inform have been completely broken by the inability even to provide links in posts. This place is for all our faults and its limitations the most free place to comment in Warrington. That some choose only to be led by the comments of others is a reflection of their own personalities and leads to news stories being dogged by the same kind of comment over and over again, because there is no space for folks to say what they want to get off their chest without a pile on. I find the whole experience on Facebook to be extremely depressing. I would be Interested to hear Bill's comments because I see him dabbling in both places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 2, 2020 Report Share Posted December 2, 2020 Gary says Facebook has overtaken the world but that’s only how it seemed when it first appeared because it was quite unique. These days there are multiple sites all doing the same but focusing on specific targeted audiences. Facebook may still be the biggest, but it’s lost its monopoly, and many would argue it’s going backwards. The pie is only so big. I used to use it to chat with friends and family but lately even that’s dried up leaving little more than www news and an endless stream of adverts. If I hadn’t registered on the www group, God only knows what it would look like. But it’s easy to comment on things provided you don’t try to say too much. Messages are not always in time order which I find is hugely confusing, not that it matters too much as they disappear into obscurity after a day or so. I’ve never noticed any censorship as such but it’s clear that at times that even local topics are targeted by outside groups all sharing a common theme. One final point to mention is the Facebook group that labels itself as something like Warrington Peoples forum. I mistakenly joined the group thinking it was Garys attempt to move the forum onto Facebook, it even looked like the old forum with the golden gates at the top. Turns out it’s nothing more than a load political activist ranting and raving which is not my cup of tea and I doubt many others. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted December 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 On 12/2/2020 at 5:53 PM, Bill said: Gary says Facebook has overtaken the world but that’s only how it seemed when it first appeared because it was quite unique. These days there are multiple sites all doing the same but focusing on specific targeted audiences. Facebook may still be the biggest, but it’s lost its monopoly, and many would argue it’s going backwards. The pie is only so big. I used to use it to chat with friends and family but lately even that’s dried up leaving little more than www news and an endless stream of adverts. If I hadn’t registered on the www group, God only knows what it would look like. But it’s easy to comment on things provided you don’t try to say too much. Messages are not always in time order which I find is hugely confusing, not that it matters too much as they disappear into obscurity after a day or so. I’ve never noticed any censorship as such but it’s clear that at times that even local topics are targeted by outside groups all sharing a common theme. One final point to mention is the Facebook group that labels itself as something like Warrington Peoples forum. I mistakenly joined the group thinking it was Garys attempt to move the forum onto Facebook, it even looked like the old forum with the golden gates at the top. Turns out it’s nothing more than a load political activist ranting and raving which is not my cup of tea and I doubt many others. Bill Believe it or not The guy who runs the Warrington's people Forum actually kept mithering/almost demanding me to advertise his forum and made the mistake of telling me he had already been in touch with the Warrington Guardian who were going to run the story which never appeared - although I am a silent member ( to see what is going on) I don't contribute. I see a few old forum members participate. Moving on I used to upset people on here by trying to keep things under control - so in the end I let a few people moderate which is a thankless task when we all have different tolerance levels. I know some people find the adverts a pain on here and on the main website now but they are our main source of revenue these days, generating considerable revenue to keep us going. If you want to be advert free I would have to charge circa £500- £1,000 a year membership each to replace the lost revenue - the local paper struggle to get people to sign up for £5 a month to be advert free - and guess what - our viewing figures have more than doubled since they started charging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted December 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Typical isn't it - I try and generate more interest - and the insecure warning issue crops up - but from what I can see by the number of people who get their facebook accounts hacked - facebook is far more insecure than this forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 18 hours ago, Gary said: Typical isn't it - I try and generate more interest - and the insecure warning issue crops up - but from what I can see by the number of people who get their facebook accounts hacked - facebook is far more insecure than this forum! What insecure warning issue ? I've never had a warning on my mobile and for once I'm actually on my desktop pc and I've had no warning on here either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 11 minutes ago, Dizzy said: What insecure warning issue ? I've never had a warning on my mobile and for once I'm actually on my desktop pc and I've had no warning on here either. Ignore my post...I've just seen the topic about it on Forum Problems. Catching up is proving to be much easier using my desktop pc (that I've not used for months) instead of my mobile phone that I have been using. The adverts don't fill the whole screen on my desktop so I can actually see stuff at the moment for a change lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Some of us oldies only come here for the sexy underwear adds. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Or the Russian dating site....🥰....🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Strangely, all the ads seem to have disappeared now 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 The ones between posts seem to have gone but the ones at the top and bottom are still there. Watches at present. Was some body modelling shiny pale blue lace up the back thigh high boots earlier......😳 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 I can only speak from personal experience and say that I have left this forum about three times and then tried again. On every occasion it was due to an obnoxious poster who hogged the forum and had extreme views and was dragging me to a point where I was being obnoxious, so I had leave for peace of mind. It all came off the rails when it became a political forum, news is news, but it ain't life in general. Remember the old days when Harry told his old policing stories and Algy covered all the old pubs? I have tried to introduce things like " What is modern art all about", and " Do you and your wife laugh a lot" or " Bacon butty, fat on or off", but one Brexit argument wiped them off the front page. Gotta face it Gary, the good guys are dying out, I thought it would be a good idea at our dinner club, to take the stage when the band took its break and sit at the keyboard and do a medley of "Let me call you sweetheart", "After the ball is over" and "Tea for two" , not good, never saw so many pained faces in my life ! Ex Pats tune in to discuss and keep up with Warrington, they are not interested in Boris's latest vote. It's a local website, keep it local and keep it light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Stalard Good post and I fully agree with what your saying. It's not too bad at the moment, I don't think there's any idiots about and we're all that fed up with the restrictions over here at the moment that we've done each and every topic to death. Even I get a bit miffed off at times as I did a while back when a pair of knickers prevented me from posting a long rambling post that took me about an hour to put together. I ended up have a three month holiday in Facebook land but it's getting just as bad on there. At least here you can have a conversation on a proper page rather than a little restricted message box and where anything more than six words is too long for most to bother reading. Beer times late tonight, wasn't watching the clock. Just one bottle of weak pale ale and a bit of telly to wind me down before hitting the sack. Take care. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 18 hours ago, Bill said: Some of us oldies only come here for the sexy underwear adds. Bill That's so funny (cant get the laughing emoji to work for me but I am laughing lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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