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Apocalypso -> RE: What can we do to retain new posters? (12/17/2013 4:53:49 PM)
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Hoom.
CM has always had a bit of a reputation for being abrasive for a lot of newbies. I think that's probably accurate, though it's hardly the worst forum out there. (It's no Something Awful, let alone Brawl Hall). My advice to anyone who can manage to pull it off without breaking the rules is to respond in kind. If someone goes for you, go for them back. Faster. Harder. Funnier. It's certainly what I did when I was a new poster and it seemed to have an effect quickly. I accept that's not for everyone though.
Practical ideas for what can be done.
The suggestion of a newbie forum is an excellent idea. Especially if it's moderated in a similar way to the intros forum. At the other end of the spectrum, I think there's a lot to be said for "No Holds Barred" forums as well; gives people somewhere to get their snark out.
Not only would I remove the "Vanilla" title, I'd remove post count all together. I've seen this done on other forums and it can make a real difference. Because, when you think about it, post count is utterly irrelevant anyway. It's what people say that's important, not how often they've said it.
People could chill out a bit on the necroing old threads issue. It's one thing when there's already a thread on the first page covering the same subject. But you can't expect people to find a thread from three years ago where it's been discussed. And there's no harm in it being brought up again. If you're bored of the subject, don't post.
Also, chill on the "CollarChat is an entirely different place then CollarMe" meme. It's not even true; they're owned by the same people and the owners of CM have final say on what goes on here. It's also counter-intuitive to claim that when there's a link from the CM site. If you must parade your inability to come up with original thoughts of your own, at least try to do it on an issue where there's no argument.
All that said, I do think newbies have a responsibility as well. "LURK MOAR" is not unique to here. It's standard practise on most Internet forums. Newbies can be validly expected to familiarise themselves with a forum before they post.
We should also recognise that we want to retain good newbies, not all newbies. If someone's only interest is one-handed typing about their fantasies, they really don't have anything of value to add and them not sticking around is no great loss.
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