Board Activity

[Owl]

I was just thinking the same thing. ( Great read btw)


Here are possible reasons behind the non-use of these forums:


1. 80% of the time (for me on high-speed DSL) the pages are incredibly slow to load. At times, they will not load at all and I have to close the page and start over.
2. Most active networks I see related to patriot activity use facebook, Ning communities, etc. and not traditional message boards.( Why this is so, I have no idea because other forums on fishing, photography and firearms that I visit are hopping.)
3. Perhaps no one knows about it. I will admit that I have not told as many people as I should about the forums, although I do tell everyone I can think to tell about the actual website. Maybe they don't realize the forums are here? ( hard to figure since most websites like this have some form of message boards or forums these days)
4. The color blue makes people think of democrats. lol
5. People like Springer and myself are running people off.
6. you can tell I've run out of ideas about this, can't you?


I just honestly don't get it. We're dead as ever, and with spring coming and everyone getting excited about 2010 and tea parties, etc. it doesn't make sense. I suppose I don't have to say that I'm frustrated about how dead it is here, and I hope A, M and B are as well. Springer is 1000% right - it is a great tool, not only for education and conversation but for recruitment and social bonding over issues we all care about. If we have 5 or 6 chapters all over north georgia, where are those people? Surely most of them are online and could find their way to the boards here. Maybe we aren't interesting enough with our posts?

I am a veteran of message boards, and I cannot tell you how long I've mulled over the idea of what makes one board successful and another die a slow death. And, sadly I still to this day cannot tell you what causes this to happen.


The only other reason I can think of that more people don't visit and contribute is they come here and see it's dead. A lack of posts by various numbers of people may tell them that it's not worth their time to get involved here. I have a website that I run for conservative fishing and hunting guys and it's running about the same as ng912 right now. A handful of people posting once or twice a week. I cannot tell you why there is no growth - we are all wonderful people over there. LOL I have asked time and time again for people to fess up and tell me why they are leaving, or don't post actively - or to members still there, what they think the problem is and no one has anything to say about it.

So, unless it's one of the things( or more than one) that i've mentioned above I have no idea how to get people more involved. Also, I've noticed that we seem to have lost people that were coming to the meetings regularly last year. Maybe that will chance now that spring is almost here, but I think the change of venue from Shane's may be putting some people off. As one member told me, some people are religious fanatics( or something like that) and I have to say that what most people would consider "overly religious people" includes my wife and I. We simply have no problem with the new venue because a. we don't have small children, and b. we are willing to go to a place we would not normally go because we believe in what NG912 is doing). If we had children, we would still go and bring them if we had to...but not everyone is like us.( and that's important for everyone to remember - too many people go around assuming that everyone is just like them. Just because you see nothing wrong with something, doesn't mean everyone feels that way - and that's a two way street - just because someone sees a problem with something, doesn't mean you have to - and it doesn't mean either of you is right or wrong. Just don't assume that everyone involved in this new patriotic movement is just like you, nor do they have to be for us all to get along and move forward. I hope that made sense.)




Please don't think I don't appreciate the work that is going into NG912 because you know I do, and I think we are blessed to have everyone involved and so motivated - and giving so much of themselves to this effort.....but I do feel that we could be doing more. Sometimes I think I know what that "more" is, and sometimes ( as with the message board use) I don't know what more we could do( outside of dealing with the things above maybe?).

Anyway, I didn't mean to hijack the thread Springer, but you're point about the non-usage of the boards just got me on a roll.


To sum it up:
I think the people involved in NG912 are some of the greatest patriots and finest people I have ever known.
I think the website is outstanding.
I think the message boards are graphically and technically great, but slow as Christmas.
I think the change of venue for the meetings is limiting some members from attending( by their own choice).
I think there has to be more that I can do to help you guys out, and I'm sure I'm not the only one - LET US KNOW what we can do to help this thing grow!
I think we are going to make mistakes, and we can learn from them and move forward.
I think we all need to understand that everyone, EVERYONE involved is new at this and we should all cut each other some slack( we generally do, but just saying...)

....and finally....


I think that 2010 is going to be the Year of the Patriot, and that we are going to make a huge difference in Georgia for the Cause of Liberty.

Now, let's get together and brainstorm about how to move forward, and let the people outside the leadership circle help you guys to put some fire under this thing.

[Whrlwnd13]

Owl,

I moved your post because i didn't want to distract from SR's topic. Hope you don't mind.

You have some good observations/suggestions. while I usually don't have probs w/ the boards (there are occassional times when they have issues) i'll see if there's a way I can speed them up. Possibly by purging some old threads/messages or fine tuning. We are due for a version upgrade of the php so i'll get that done as soon as possible.

I think part of the problem with readership is that there are only a few folks active. i've been trying to get more involvement from our more active members but it's been an uphill battle. I think that if more people were posting we then it would snowball.

Behind the scenes we are working on better communications with our member base and getting people more active on the boards is part of that effort.

I hope that both you and SR, and other occasional posters won't give up on these boards (i enjoy reading all that you contribute). I hope that we can get them rocking again.

Whrl

[Owl]

No, that's fine - I almost copied it and backed it out into another post myself - but seeing as how most threads only get 1 or 2 replies, I left it in. But it's fine...and I hope no one took it wrong - I'm not faulting anyone for anything and I know you guys are working hard on having lives, real jobs and doing everything you do for us. So I hope no one thought I was complaining about the boards themselves or the way their run or anything like that. Not only is this your house, but you run it well( all of you that help). It's just frustrating(as I'm sure you know) to want it to grow and with me - I always want everyting NOW, NOW, NOW anyway. LOL

I was thinking about the tea party movement( mostly fiscal, at least technically) and the 9-12 movement - and really, I think the 9-12 movement is much more comprehensive and relevant to ALL the problems we face in America. And the thing is, at the Tea Parties - there aren't just signs about fiscal issues....the folks involved in that side of it also realize that we have issues with the problems that the 9-12 principles address. At some point I expect two things to happen:

1. The Tea Party movement will embrace more than fiscal(tax) issues.
2. Both groups as a whole will drop the use of "non-partisan."

IMHO, there is no way that a conservative values based group, whether it's tea party or 9-12 or any other group, can really say things are non-partisan. I have yet to meet a real liberal who would agree with the 9 and the 12, and if they did that would make them anything but a liberal. We have to realize that what we need in America is not a "non-partisan" government. What we need is a 100% partisan conservative Constitutionally minded government.

ok, i'm done. LOL

[SpringerRider]

Sadly, I do know what makes boards work. And the answer is not that palatable. But it is the same as the rest of the market. Trash sells.

I frequent a lot of boards and Online mags comment sections. Those that are very active are trashy and allow anything. For example, the other day their was a post about a prom that was shut down in Ms when a school refused to allow two lesbians to attend. Actually, it wasn't the lesbians but the fact that one was going to wear a tux. She was in violation of the dress code. Of course, the ACLU got involved and the court ordered that they permit the girls. See, it got you interest already. It was on Yahoo news online and by the time I logged on, they had over 8000 comments. Yahoo does not suppress ANYTHING and flames are abundant.

Now I do not argue that we turn NGa9-12 into National Enquirer Online. But we may reconsider some of the limits and forum areas. For a source, think of the things we find ourselves talking about in the parking lot after our meetings. Those are the things WE are TRULY interesting in. Those are the topics that we gravitate to!

I belong to a Harley message board. Not too long ago, the board's charter did not permit discussions on politics, gun rights and religion. In truth, the board was a front for the online ordering site that they promoted and the owner said he did not want to deal with any controversy. About two years ago, I posted a long post that essentially said that I had trouble visioning Harley Riders sitting around a campfire singing KuByYum. I was threatened with expulsion and told to go somewhere else. But several members chimed in behind me, saying they were bored to death and felt like they were attending a romper-room class. I began to have a private e-mail discussion with the owner about alternate topics. Before long, we added politics, gun rights, inter-sex issues(problems between girl and guys pertaining to riding) and a section labeled, you got it, religion. The board took off like wild fire and the areas I just mentioned took on a life of their own. You know how many Harley riders wanted to talk about Islam in religion? The Guns forum has a continuous debate about whether riders should carry. The InterSex forum is the most active with "my old lady don't understand why I like to drink bear and watch naked women" stories.
The point is that they are now talking about what they want to talk about. My job was finished there and SpringerRider barely logs on anymore. btw - that is where SpringerRider was born.

Politics is really about our culture and not simply winning elections. It is also about differences. I have different views with other members of NGa9-12. Differences are where the tectonic plates of the human race meet and that is where the action is at. At the last NGa9-12 we had an argument whether we should pursue the "birther" issue. He became heated. This is the discussion that grows legs.

For instance, I see the republican party as our only hope to winning back out country and have no interest in appealing to democrats. That might not be worth a flame but I know someone can at least flick their intellectual bic!

[Owl]

what he said ^^^^^^^


If we wanted to appeal to democrats, we'd have to lose every conviction and ideal we now hold dear. IMHO, the "non-partisan" thing was a mistake from the beginning. Who sees us as non-partisan? The media? The socialist statists? Ourselves( tea party and 912'rs). I get the idea behind the fact that we say that if they can wrap their heads(anyone) around the 9 and the 12 then they are on our side...but seriously - how many Nancy Pelosi's do you think would ever be able to agree with 1 or 2 of those principles in their hearts - much less 7 or 8 of them?

Democrats, statists, liberals ...they are not on our side and never will be. We can wish all we want, and give them the benefit of the doubt until the cows come home. The truth is, they are out to kill liberty, individual freedom and personal responsibility and we - by our insistence that we are "non-partisan" are simply letting them off the hook. Being partisan forces the issues on them, and to the media( which isn't going to give us a break for saying we are non-partisan anyway).

The moden day definition of "non-partisan" goes something like this:

To democrats/socialists: "non-partisan" means that the rest of the world gives us what we want."
To conservatives/liberty lovers: "non-partisan" means that both sides of an issue can agree on a common goal/idea/value.


If the socialists could agree on the principles and values of 9-12 movement, or those of the Tea Party movement for that matter, they wouldn't be socialists! They'd be patriots, conservatives and freedom-lovers. But they are not, and they never will be. They are bound in slavery to the idea that government is their god, and is the only way they can survive. "Give us what we need" they cry! " You owe us!" " We deserve everything for nothing!"

They are fools. Fools who will never, ever see the light of day on a mass scale. That's not to say that individuals can't be swayed and enlightened...but even then, it would take a total transformation of that individual for them to "see the light" and realize that too much government is the problem and not the solution. Converting an agnostic to Christianity might be easier than making someone raised a leftist see the light of liberty and it's benefits.


We must come to terms with the fact that liberals/democrats/socialists are not our friends, DO NOT WANT WHAT WE WANT for our country, our families and our future..... and are not part of the tea party/912 movement. Any democrat/liberal that considers themselves to be in line with our side, well....they either aren't as liberal as they thought they were, or they are liars. period. I think I'll scream if I hear one more person declare that "well, we all want what's best for America..."

LIAR. We do not all want what is best for America, unless you can't decide what is best and think it's all relative. ( It's not.) What's best for America is the Constitution, freedom, smaller government, fewer taxes, and liberty for all. Name me a socialist that wants that!? You can't, because they don't exist! They say they want social justice, but their idea of that is racial quotas, union rule, and reverse-discrimination. They don't want "justice." They don't want "equality." They want to RULE with an iron fist.


I can only hope that Glenn Beck's plea that we all find a way to feel those feelings we had on 9-12 again was a litmus test for the left. He had to know(or should have) that there is no way that, even on 9-12-2001 that the democrats were on America's side. My guess is that the only thing they were thinking about was how they could capitalize on what happened...while the country mourned the deaths of innocent people, the leaders of the leftists in America spent their time trying to figure out how to use the attacks to advance their agenda. Now, mind you - I'm not sure that there weren't people in the Republican party doing the same thing but I have no doubt that for every Republican that thought one single thought about how this might affect elections, or other issues, there were 20 times that many liberals thinking the same thing.


We are non-partisan in the sense that we are against all things unconstitutional, whether by liberals or (RINO) conservatives. But the idea that the tea party or 912 movement can be made up of liberals and conservatives......not in a million years. Just not possible....

...because no liberal is ever going to want the things that you do, dear reader.

All Americans do not want liberty, individual responsibility, lower taxes, less government involvement, reliance on the Constitution, and responsible, accountable politicians.


And so, I say all 912 and tea party groups drop the "non-partisan" wishful thinking and face the media and the world as unapologetic defenders of liberty.


for alot of folks I'm preachin to the choir, i know...what can i say...i got on a roll. sorry.

[SpringerRider]

Good stuff, Owl.

[Owl]

Even today. Dead. Dead. Dead.


We'll see if anyone checks in tonight I suppose...

Whrl, just out of curiosity - what are the ratios of visits to posts? Are people viewing and not posting? Or is it just that no one comes to the forums?

We seriously need to find a way to fix this problem......

How many members do we have now on paper? We have what? 5 or 6 "chapters" - surely we have more than 10% of our members owning computers?

Perhaps Springer and I scare them all away. LOL


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruNrdmjcNTc

[Owl]

9:30 Pm on a day like today and it's dead as a dead horse around here.


I tell you what I'd like - I'd like for just one of those people that signed up here and never makes a post to come on JUST ONCE and tell us why they are reluctant (or afraid or whatever) to use this resource.

Of course, that would mean they'd have to make a post, I suppose.

I'm surprised by the lack of online activity by NG912 members. I cannot understand it. Maybe you are all too busy reloading and cleaning. I don't know.


If I agree to stop posting, would that make members sign on and converse online?

I just don't get it.

[Whrlwnd13]

I think a big part of the problem is that people are busy and it's much easier to post a quick blurb on facebook then to get involved in an actual conversation on the boards. People aren't used to this medium and they also have limited time. Sometimes I find I only have time to read posts, but then I try to come back later in the day and post about what I read previously. It could be the amount of posts is overwhelming to some people.

I don't think that they're getting scared away (though SR does have a scary avatar...lol). One would think with all the intelligent discussion that happens on this board that we'd have more activity.

I am working on getting more people to join in the discussuions. Even If I have to start paying people to post, we will get more active people in here.

[Owl]

ASTROTURFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Well, I don't think it's the amount of posts....if you look at boards like GON or GeorgiaPacking they have tons of posts and tons of members. Maybe it's just what we're talking about isn't fun!? I know I'm sure not having any fun talking about this garbage this week.

I was just wondering what the hit count is for the forums?

Like my post here about the vote tomorrow to kill the PG laws......2 views.

I came back here tonight and thought...................really? TWO views?

Maybe we have to get people here on a regular basis before they'll post or reply to something. OR even look at it!?

If you're going to start paying people, I'll take that job. LOL


I love you man.




not in that way.




seriously.








PS - I am going to be out of touch for 1-2 days. Be back with you probably Friday. HOLD DOWN THE FORT!!!