New Posters

[Play Angry]

We are past the midpoint in another amazing hoops season, and the most recent member to join the board did so on December 12, 2016. He turned out to be a troll.

What's up with the growth rate of SN? What can the board do to be more welcoming to its new members and encourage lurkers and new readers to join?

This is some late Smithson era level of stagnation.

[shocka khan]

We are past the midpoint in another amazing hoops season, and the most recent member to join the board did so on December 12, 2016. He turned out to be a troll.

What's up with the growth rate of SN? What can the board do to be more welcoming to its new members and encourage lurkers and new readers to join?

This is some late Smithson era level of stagnation.

Perhaps its all the 'peace', 'love' and 'understanding' extended to those who don't necessarily buy into the libertarian and/or republican worldview. Perhaps if everyone (and not just the ones I'm thinking about) would refrain from making overtly political comments (even on the non-political threads), you might get more lurkers to join.

Another good suggestion might be to have some media outlet (local TV station, Eagle or perhaps the WSU daily newspaper) do an article about Shockernet. Free publicity never hurts.

[Play Angry]

I too wonder if the Off Topics/Politics forums have outlived their useful purpose. We have lost some good posters in the past several years from both sides of the ideological aisle because of those forums.

That said, I don't know that they are keeping folks from joining in the first place. For example, why do we never have more than a couple active student posters? Wheatshockers isn't exactly gorging itself on them either. They just don't post or read, anywhere?

I think I am a bit out of touch but it blows my mind that the inflow has slowed to its current pace.

[jdshock]

First, I imagine "Shocker Nation" has slowed its growth this year due to Fred and Ron leaving. Not just because it's a "rebuilding" year, but also because they were such great champions for the university.

Second, I think your question about students is the big one. Do other message boards have student involvement or do they talk in person and message board chatter is left to the individuals putting off work? If other message boards do have student involvement, do we have less here because WSU's students are less involved period (e.g., the re-hashed student support at games)? If it's not because of that, is it because we're particularly unwelcoming to new posters? Personally, I imagine it's all of these issues. I don't have numbers to back it up, but I'd imagine message boards are mostly not students. Student support at games leads me to believe we should expect less support on a message board, too. And, I have seen in discussions here, we can be incredibly unwelcoming to students.

[Cdizzle]

Well maybe if the students would actually show up and...

Oh.

I see.

[RoyalShock]

I don't think message boards are the preferred form of community for those who grew up on facebook/twitter/instagram. Message boards are for us ol' fogies.

Which means it can be summed up in one word . . .

Millennials.

They need to start adulting.

[WheatShock]

I don't think message boards are the preferred form of community for those who grew up on facebook/twitter/instagram. Message boards are for us ol' fogies.

Which means it can be summed up in one word . . .

Millennials.

They need to start adulting.

I think your first two sentences are spot on. I'd be willing to bet that i'm in the younger third of members here (late 20's). Message boards were a much bigger think when I was in high school than they are now. Perhaps what Shockernet needs is its own facebook and instagram accounts to reach out to the younger generation. Another possibility would be to reach out to Marshallville and invite them to not only join, but see if there's anything we can do to help them.

[Play Angry]

I don't think message boards are the preferred form of community for those who grew up on facebook/twitter/instagram. Message boards are for us ol' fogies.

I think this is right and it encapsulates what I'm afraid of - that the board is starting a slow, inevitable decline.

The median age of a poster here in, say, 1998 (all 30-40 of us) had to be, what 30? 35?

Now it is probably close to 50? Maybe older?

Not sure how to loop in fresh blood going forward, or if it's really worth pursuing.

[Cdizzle]

Another possibility would be to reach out to Marshallville and invite them to not only join, but see if there's anything we can do to help them.

Teach them how to read, change browsers, type, find meme's.

Edit: I see it now. I may need to stop.

[Dan]

I joined around age 29 and am now 46 if that tells you anything. I miss dissing on Roosevelt Overstreet and Carl Lemons.

[Cdizzle]

Why would you bring up Lemons? Why?




Why.

[SHOCKvalue]

I don't think message boards are the preferred form of community for those who grew up on facebook/twitter/instagram. Message boards are for us ol' fogies.

Which means it can be summed up in one word . . .

Millennials.

They need to start adulting.

This is correct, IMO as well.

Many message boards/discussion boards/forums (whichever term you like) are in decline, being replaced by interaction on facebook and twitter. It's a completely foreign phenomenon to me, because I think forums are a much more organized, logical, and sanitary format to hold focused or themed discussion (not to mention an archive of information), but I'm just an n=1 with that take. It seems like the reverse of evolution, but whatever.

[Eric]

I think a closed/moderated Facebook group would definitely be fun and useful.

[ShockdaWorld]

Don't be dicks. Don't allow those who spend the majority of their time being dicks to continue to do so. Message boards are on the decline in general. Message boards where a few people are dicks all the time are declining at a faster rate. I've had people tell me they left this group because of so much negativity and getting "internet bullied" by posters that don't agree with their opinions.

[jdshock]

I think a closed/moderated Facebook group would definitely be fun and useful.

I'd have to make a fake Facebook page so I could continue to spout my nonsense anonymously.