Section activity inquiry

[antemortem]

Hi guys. Bear with me if I edit this thread a few times. I've thought about this day in and day out since the day I was promoted almost two years ago. That doesn't seem like a very long time compared to some other staff, but to me, it's been long enough to effectively gauge what kinds of things are successful in my sections and what aren't. Most of these things were tried through trial and error, some didn't weigh on the side of err before proving successful, most proved unable to stay afloat at all. I like to experiment a lot, personally. I like having an open mind, not just so I can say "I'm an open minded person," but so that it looks like my sections aren't being controlled or moderated (despite the job description) and instead guided. I think this is how every moderator should see their section, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, I'm not going to give my personal testimonies here. What I want to know is this: why do YOU, as a contributing member of PokeCommunity, not post in any particular section? If your answer is along the lines of "it just doesn't interest me," I understand, but I don't necessarily want these answers. The majority of you follow this line of thinking - if the subject matter doesn't interest me, I'm not going to post. That's fine, but you're not whom I'm referring. I want to know why you don't contribute to the sections that aren't necessarily geared towards on aspect of... well, anything. There are tons of "general" sections on the forum that don't have a very specific focal point. These are the forums that give those of you that lack an interest in Pokemon a break from that monotony. However, my concern is that some of these sections get less activity and limelight than they should and for no good reason. Or, at least, that's how I perceive it because that's how it's been for years.

For those of you that don't know, I moderate Culture & Media. This is a forum that has had many shapes in the past. It was once a place for just movies, books, music, and television, separate from an entity known as "Japanese Entertainment," which was for just that. Now, in its current form, it's for anything ranging from western media, to sports, to regional cultures, and more. That's a pretty broad range of subjects, isn't it? You'd think that, with PokeCommunity's astounding ~15,000 active members, that section would get an OVERWHELMING amount of posts on a regular basis. That is, unfortunately, not the fact of the matter. The section has very few regulars and each thread accrues, on average, 15-30 posts before dying, "dying" being defined as no longer receiving new posts consistently.

That sounds completely backwards, right? That's how I've felt for months, and you know what? I have yet to get to the bottom of it. That's why I'm making this thread. I know that it seems like I'm asking solely for reasons why the populace doesn't post in Culture & Media - that's only partially my motive - but I really want to know why some of you don't go near sections like this. In my mind, everyone watches movies. Everyone listens to music. Everyone reads something; not necessarily books, but online articles, periodicals, humor/advice columns. A good portion of people enjoy watching or playing sports... so where are you guys? Is there something intrinsic that makes you turn your nose up the thought of replying to and/or starting threads like this? "What are you listening to?" is an easy thread to come post in and leave, which is what tons of people do - that's why the thread gets 500 replies in a few days - but what about things that challenge you to actually provide insight on the subject matter? People do that in D&D all the time. People do that in General Chat all the time. The latter is incredibly laid back, the former isn't. Sections like Culture & Media are very much in limbo there, with no fine line between either. It can be easy to post there and it can be difficult, but many choose not to even try.

So I leave you with this: What draws you toward a particular section on the forum aside from it being an "interest" of yours? There must be something else. What else turns you away from a particular section? Being a lurker sometimes myself, I look at sections to see if they've got some threads that I'd be able to write a constructive response to, and if there aren't any, I don't post. Is that the kind of thing you guys look for? Or is it something else? Is it really all based on interest? Do movies and television and... the entire world as we know it not interest the majority of the userbase? Or does Culture & Media overlap with General Chat/Discussions & Debates somewhat, or so much so that they can't share user engagement?

Let me know your honest thoughts, because I come to you as a genuinely interested - and concerned - user.

 

[Her]

david darling it's been a puzzle that not even jon could solve :( i don't think there's ever been any particular reason as to why people treat that section like it doesn't exist, given the various tactics that have been implemented by yourself, myself and other regulars to try spice things up. all the staff rearrangement in the world when it comes to where the forum is actually placed hasn't brought an increase in activity either.
i know these are all things you're aware of but i suppose i'm just rambling to try make a point about the futility of the puzzle.
c&m has never had a Post & Beware atmosphere like d&d, and it's simultaneously never welcomed spam like forum games and near-spam like general chat, it's always been a middle ground when it comes to 'welcoming' people. i don't think you need to change anything in terms of perception either as there's not really anything that can be changed - the place is supposed to thrive on one's enjoyment of anything to do with media bar video games, there's not really much that can be adjusted about that.

i wonder if it's just going to be the eternal question that annoys us both

 

[Fun Size]

Well for me personally I came here for Pokemon related stuff and I think most people here did too, so I feel that when people register and make an account they only go for the topics that relate to what they signed up for which is Pokemon. And conveniently enough that's what you're greeted by when you look at this site. What I mean is when you click on the link that teleports you to this site you see the:


Official Forums
Special Forums (if you're a member)
Current Generation Pokemon Gaming
Pokemon Gaming
Pokemon Discussions
Rom Hacking

The four things in bold are the ones (in my opinion) that most people come running to and everything below that is sort of just like... trade fodder. It's just extra stuff that people might once in a while post in if something catches their eye.

 

[Mana1]

I don't really post in C&M as of all the sub-topics, the only one I really commit to are TV shows.

I don't want to discuss a film beforehand, really, in case of spoilers - yet afterwards there isn't much to discuss... films these days tend to wrap up well, or they're based on a series (which means you're still not safe from spoilers even after watching)!

Looking down the C&M page, I see very few TV-related threads. With one or two specific ones - neither of which for shows I watch. Even popular shows like AHS don't seem to hold a thread up. People don't really seem up for dicussing TV show threads or talking about the latest episode. In fact, I think I've talked about TV Shows more in Fan Clubs (ie The Avatar clubs) than actually in C&M ><.

 

[Dragon]

Well.. I'll give you my opinion~!

As mentioned before, I do think the problem right now is diversity - or rather, the lack of diversity of the topics discussed in C&M.. As you've said, the C&M section is really diverse when it comes to media, and a lot of people enjoy it, like music. But.. looking at the whole board lately - the last 6 threads, not including the 'post and go' game threads have been about songs and other forms of music, which is good, but, those are typically the threads that are bumped up to keep on the discussion; I don't see that sort of initiative done for movies, books, or heck, topics about T.V shows often. But, there is an effort; like, topics about movies are brought into the spotlight, and the interest does show, but it just have to be put under the radar more.

As for you other question... What draws you toward a particular section on the forum aside from it being an "interest" of mine, I'd say it's the nature of the board. How does it treat the members that venture to the board? Do they treat you like strangers.. or regulars, even if you haven't post there once before? I'd say a good, welcoming nature is important, and of course the general interaction with the member base, which is kinda a stable, but yeah.

Another thing I wanna mention is, if the board in question is dynamic... meaning, the board doesn't stick with regular tradition, like maybe the same events, or topics? It.. gets pretty tedious to see. Could there be something you haven't tried yet? Maybe something new for the members who visit there? That sort of thing. I've had that sort of problem when I was moderating Video Games before, since I only come to know nintendo games and little PC games, so... there were only people that visited there who only loved nintendo, and.. I couldn't really gather into everyone's interest to minecraft and such. That was, until Matt and Klip came by to patch things up, and so, I think it's safe to say we have more of a diverse userbase now that likes a whole bunch more gaming-related topics. Well, take this as you will, just sharing my thoughts. :3

 

[moon]

I feel sometimes like people know too much for me and for example in the DCC talk about actors or artists I don't even know of. So I can't join in :( I guess I could start my own threads buuut...

It clashes a little bit with FC&G also. I'd talk about Doctor Who in my DW fanclub rather than in C&M, for example. Same with other TV series I was continually interested in. Homestuck idk, could that be discussed (as a webcomic) in C&M? But there's a fanclub for that too. So yeah. Where's the line meant to be drawn between a thread in C&M and a group in FC&G?

 

[antemortem]

I feel sometimes like people know too much for me and for example in the DCC talk about actors or artists I don't even know of. So I can't join in :( I guess I could start my own threads buuut...

It clashes a little bit with FC&G also. I'd talk about Doctor Who in my DW fanclub rather than in C&M, for example. Same with other TV series I was continually interested in. Homestuck idk, could that be discussed (as a webcomic) in C&M? But there's a fanclub for that too. So yeah. Where's the line meant to be drawn between a thread in C&M and a group in FC&G?

I've always kind of spited the very nature of FC&G for this, mainly due to the fact many clubs are for topics that could otherwise thrive in C&M. but it's not like this is a barrier we can remove.. fan clubs are a well-integrated part of PC.

 

[Tek]

Now that you mention it, there is a Culture and Media forum!

Point being, there are a few places I'm used to going and I tend to skip over everything else. I think increasing the section's visibility would be a good idea. I've been getting into Japanese culture lately, and now that you 've brought to my attention (by posting in VIP forum, one of my regulars) that there's a place that I can talk about that stuff, I may just take a trip over there!

That said, I would think that lack of diversity in threads could be easily solved by, well, creating more diverse threads.

 

[Her]

That said, I would think that lack of diversity in threads could be easily solved by, well, creating more diverse threads.

the problem with this is that it's been tried for like 6 years and it always come down to no matter how diverse the threads are people just don't put activity into the section :(

 

[antemortem]

thread diversity still comes down to pre-existing regulars and new people, of which there are few, posting those threads, which also happens very scarcely.

 

[Tek]

Interesting. If people don't post in threads regardless of diversity of topics, then the problem might simply be lack of interest. Counterintuitive given the nature of the forum, but that's a logical solution if both assumptions are correct.

 

[Arylett Charnoa]

Oh, it's not just in this place that I'm not interested in that section.

It's every in place a section like that appears. Every forum I've been to, I avoid the "Entertainment" section, as I will call it. Why? I've never really thought about it, but I will attempt to break down my thoughts. They may be valuable, but some are might be so specific to me that it isn't. I don't really know. Other humans are a mystery to me, so we'll see.

I don't think that the problem is that people aren't interested in media, first off. They're just not interested in talking about it. Now, on to me personally.

One of my reasons is due to the fact that I don't want to talk about media with others at all. I consider everything I consume to be sacred, and by speaking of it with others, their opinions will taint and influence mine. It's just something that I don't want to share with people. Don't want them tainting the purity of my experience with their conflicting thought noise. Particularly since I am always fearful of an argument breaking out over some aspect of media and people disagreeing with my opinion. (Even when I know it won't happen. I'm quite paranoid) That's the reason why I watch reviews and read articles if I want to get other peoples' opinions - I'd just rather not engage in the pointlessness of opinion-discussing.

To comment on something I've watched/played is just really difficult for me to do (typically I spout out incoherent nonsense) and not something I particularly enjoy in the context of discussing it with others. Others may be the same way in that regard/ Posting a blog about why I like a video game? Sure, that's all right. Blogs aren't really discussions. But posting in a thread? Would really rather not. These things are just so highly subjective to talk about as well. Everyone's standards of quality are different. I find music the hardest of all things to talk about, because I honestly cannot voice any feelings I feel towards a song beyond: "This makes me really emotional and I love it," "It is forgettable," or "I hate this jumble of noise."

Contrast that to the General Discussion, which I find much easier to talk about. You're asked questions about things like the way they wash their hair and such - questions about what you DO rather than think. And the Debate section is for basically serious matters. Everyone has an opinion on those things and people, as I've said, just love to dispute with one another. (Though I personally avoid that section because as I said, I hate disputes of any kind)

So in summary, I just dislike sharing any aspect of media with others. It is something I prefer to enjoy alone.

Yes, I know I'm on a Pokemon forum, which is for sharing thoughts about a piece of media. But I'm honestly not too active in any section except General Discussion and Forum Games, because I have the same issue discussing my thoughts about Pokemon as well. It's just because I know loads about Pokemon and have a lot to say about it. It leads to another problem that the section is too broad. So many different types of media can be discussed, and since I don't keep up with the latest things (especially music), I often have no idea what anyone is talking about. (And if I am watching the latest thing, I don't want to be spoiled.) Being too broad usually isn't a problem, but it is for media. This is why people make forums based around specific things - because in order to know what everyone else is talking about, you must have a knowledge of the subject matter. Media requires reading, listening, etc. It requires a lot of context to talk about. More context than anything else. That tends to alieniate a lot of people.

Also, as has been discussed, the fan clubs section kind of renders this forum redundant in some ways. There are specific topics for pieces of media, and people can discuss all aspects of that media in these mini-communities.

So what draws me to a forum section? I like very broad sections, about things I actually know a good deal about. Ones that are full of threads where I can just dump my ridiculously elaborate opinion to a question posed and move on, to be honest I don't think that forums is a very good medium for actual discussions because of the disorganized nature of posts. To me, I see forums moreso as places where I say what I think and I see what others' reactions are to it. And if I have anything to say to their reaction, I will respond. But that's the most direct interaction I'll get with other uses outside of PMs, VMs, or Forum Games. I will also absorb and read others' peoples, and say something about them if I really feel like it.

That's another thing that draws me to a section. Lurking around and caring about others' opinions. But as most of the topics in these forums are about things I don't really know anything about, I don't really care to see others' opinions.

So that's just my few cents there. It's kind of incoherent, as I don't quite know how to word it precisely, so I apologize for that.

 

[Her]

luckily arylett i think your main issue with the forum/related forums is something of a very small minority, as i don't believe i've ever heard such an opinion before
it's certainly something to take in but i don't think it's a widespread explanation for why members aren't posting in c&m

though i find the thought of fanclubs considering culture & media irrelevant interesting, as i've always considered fanclubs irrelevant myself

 

[moon]

I love to be able to head to the fanclub for fandoms I like and just rant or talk about it somehow. I could just as well do it in a dedicated thread in C&M, but maybe the fact that you sign up and get put on a members list in the clubs makes you want to go back and post if you've forgotten about the thread for a while, something you might not do in C&M unless there would be a [Fanclub] prefix or something.

Actually, is there anything in FC&G that could not fit under either "culture" or "media"? Not saying we should merge them, just thinking here.

Although, making FC&G a subforum to C&M... 8)

 

[Salzorrah]

coming from a regular in FCG, my 2 cents here, but I think that fanclubs are more centric to their fandoms, I guess making a club for let's say, Legend of Korra, is more enticing to post in, than a simple thread in C&M, since what's lacking in the threads are the closeness of each fan, that's what makes FCG unique.

I could say that it does give a hard time for FCG to grow, since not only C&M overlaps with it, but VG as well. Looking through the list of active clubs in FCG, the only one I see that isn't related to culture, media, or video games is the PC Fanclub. In my experience, I find it hard to make clubs, since you want a fanbase that is pretty large, active, and interesting, and the hard part is maintaining it.

But, what do I think of FCG merging to C&M, I don't think that would be better, but it would just make things a lot worse, since FCG is centralized as it is, splitting up the groups to their respective sections does make things a lot cluttered, besides it would be dominated by the threads, therefore finding the club, difficult.

Being a subforum wont be advisable either since it's not only in C&M, but VG as well. Think FCG as the lovechild of C&M and VG :3

But what the problem with C&M is that I think that it's too general imo, maybe separating them into Music, Books, and Media? I don't know if that would make things worse, since you are just limiting what you are able to post in :x

 

[moon]

Can I just say, I love this thread, it's like a staff forum thread but with nonstaffers talking. More love for the VIP forum.

Also I'd never seriously suggest doing anything with FC&G without Axeliira being part of the discussion, we're just speculating on why C&M's status is what it is here :3

 

[Her]

merging/moving fanclubs into c&m is just going to result in mismanagement and confusion and i highly warn against it
no reason to kill two sections in an attempt to fix one stagnant one and an active if frozen in time one

 

[obZen]

I think the problem with C&M (and the "Entertainment" sections on every site) is that they're too broad. I just browsed the section, and see:

• Sports
• Comic Books
• Music
• Movies
• TV Shows
• Radio
• Books
• Specific themes from each

Now, if each of these were to get separated, each forum would probably yield minimal activity. However, I'm wondering if the problem is the specific topics. The broader topics seem to get pushed out by specifics like 1982 by Taylor Swift, or Hunger Games (Mockingjay Pt. 1), Parks & Rec, whatever.
What about a subforum for specific pieces? These threads are bound to go dead (eventually), due to their nature. People aren't still talking about The Godfather 30 years later, or not so much that it warrants a dedicated thread.
To me, these come off kind of like clubs, but not quite. There shouldn't be a club for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1; but a Hunger Games club would make sense. See the descrepancy?
A "Drive-By" entertainment subfourum might be possbile, for the current sensations and /or specific movies and whatnot.

 

[Meganium]

I just came to this thread with three question marks on my head. Then I just asked myself...what did I do?

I'm just...particularly confused by this thread in general. I read it through and and then I saw that FC&G was brought up and I got really anxious about it. come on guys i was gone for one whole day wtf

To me, FC&G is like the opposite of Pokemon Clubs. Pokemon Clubs serve as a place for Pokemon-related clubs, while FC&G serves as a place to create other clubs. Both sections allows members to create our very own little space where we can discuss what we like about a particular subject, as well as bring members a little closer, like what Rika had mentioned. That statement remains true as I enter 11 months as FC&G mod, and I want that tradition to continue.

The fine line between a thread in FC&G and a thread in C&M (or VG or C&T since we have few of them) is the discussion flow. A club in FC&G would have discussions that go deeper in a subject. For example, Rika mentioned the Doctor Who club, I've seen some discussions about Classic Who several times and I've seen peeps who are still loyal to them, which is really good. In a thread in C&M, it's more of a "HAY DID ANYONE SEE LAST'S NIGHT'S NEW EPISODE??" than actual, deep discussion on it. Sure, we do seem to have that in my clubs once in a while, but we always tend to go back to the true meaning of it ("sure last night's episode was great, but can we also talk about Clara and how she's freaking amazing tho?")

So, maaaaaaybe that's something that needs to be pointed out. But wait, I'm not done yet.

Bringing back the subject of "creating our little space", yes...maaaaaybe my section does feel a bit...overlapping the main three, but it doesn't have to be that way. Another reason that may also makes FC&G more unique was because it brings loads of fans together, eventually creating new friendships. In a thread in C&M, C&T, and VG, I feel that there's something...missing. I don't know. If I bring up a thread on Apple in C&T, and I want people to discuss it, instead of people actually going deep into the subject, the responses will pretty much get "oh, apple is cool. I got an iPhone. Nothing special. I like the apps too."

To not make this a longer post than I intended, I still don't see what FC&G has something to do with all this, when all Dave was just asking is why don't we post in a particular forum. We all just have different interests, maybe we don't have much to say in a particular thread. Maybe we're too...shy on what we want to say? Or maybe we're just not on top of what's currently going on in the world of entertainment, technology, and games. I'll admit that I am one of those people, but I try my best. As a strong memberbase, we all have the right to say how we feel on a particular subject, and I always encourage people to not be shy about it. There's a potential for the outcome to be okay! I want to discuss Football and sports (particularly NASCAR) with a few peeps. But the fanbase is very little as far as I know. That's another reason why things are the way they are.

tl;dr: every section is different. We have to accept the fact that people just...come and go.

 

[Dragon]

I dunno, I think the discussion at C&M is pretty healthy, as lately I see that members go back to topics they are discussing rather than post and go.. maybe the thing is, there's some fundamental stuff you can do in fan clubs like, make mini-events within clubs, or even create emblems for clubs, stuff like that~

Eh, well, you can try some minor stuff too, like, showcase the emblems that people can earn in C&M, because I seriously think that award systems have been sorta.. underrated lately? Maybe there's not much initiative in terms of actually trying to create activity within threads? Again, I really think the interest in the section is already there.. it just needs to be brought out somehow. D: