FAO: All "Guests"

[DAL767-400ER]

You are free to join the site if you feel the desire to participate .
Maybe it's just me, but seeing 10 users only vs 48 "guests" reeks somewhat of an imbalance. We know you read these boards.

So folks, go ahead and register, the mods don't bite! (or at least so I've heard)

[Greg Wilson]

And what do they get involved in Colin
The off topic forum where threads rarely go past ten posts. You need to have members with the ability to discuss or debate.

[DAL767-400ER]

So what are you suggesting, that they just continue staying around guests instead of maybe participating and getting a discussion going themselves?

[Greg Wilson]

Well to be quite frank, for this forum to be more active it needs a more mature approach, and more member involvement. For anyone looking that likes to be regularly involved in paticipating in forums, this one just does not have the numbers.
The forum serves it's purpose as a way of contact, between the few regular members, screening rules, and those few that require help in the photography section.....but when all said and done, with the thousands of photographers registered, look how many visit regularly.
And that in itself is a problem.....regularity. I am not suggesting that members must post daily, but there are those here who post on the run, and do not return to read or finish a discussion.
And once again being totally honest we have a good number of members that only post in the photo milestone...look at my photo type of thread.
Mabe this forum will not,or is not destined to be bigger (although AD, and Key seem to do ok)...but it can only do so by members interacting, and perhaps responding to each other.
Now does that get the ball rolling?

[scramjet]

I think a lot of guests are members who are just browsing and haven't signed in. I often do that when I just quicky check the forums when I'm doing something else like working on a paper.

[Alex - Spot-This !]

There are so many forums in the net that's it's hard to get a big participation when you get as specific as plane photography. Yes there one forum on the blue side working well but I'm not sure I want JP.net become like this with 90% of :
- Boeing vs Airbus
- NW DC-9
- Who's gonna order the 748 ?
and in the non-av forum
- Who's gay ?
- Reasons to hate Chavez
- Paris Hilton life

And I'm pretty sure that a lot of people (kids?) are only participating to "put some oil on the fire" there...
I really enjoy JP forums in general 'cause most of people seem to have understood what respect means. Also we should not forget that many photographers have the language problem.
But YES let's hope for a big participation in the forum in the near futur, and let's keep it positiv.

Alex

[magic48]

Well to be quite frank, for this forum to be more active it needs a more mature approach, and more member involvement.

What would be a more mature approach? Are you saying that age average among posters is too low? Maybe. Even so, you have no idea in what way the relatively large number of visitors might contribute to the forums.

For anyone looking that likes to be regularly involved in paticipating in forums, this one just does not have the numbers.

A statement that further endorses Colin's request for more visitors to join.

.....but when all said and done, with the thousands of photographers registered, look how many visit regularly.

I've been under the impression that the forums are not solely aimed at photographers?

And once again being totally honest we have a good number of members that only post in the photo milestone...look at my photo type of thread.
Mabe this forum will not,or is not destined to be bigger (although AD, and Key seem to do ok)...but it can only do so by members interacting, and perhaps responding to each other.
Now does that get the ball rolling?

No, because you are suggesting that only visitors who are willing to post on a regular basis should join. In my oppinion, every additional member could possibly make a positive contribution to these forums.

[Greg Wilson]

I really enjoy JP forums in general 'cause most of people seem to have understood what respect means. Alex

I would not use the word respect really.......most members here, even after years hardly know one another.

But YES let's hope for a big participation in the forum in the near futur, and let's keep it positiv.Alex

I agree that the forum should stay away from rubbish and not be seen as another internet war zone but sometimes discussion needs to be passionate, heated etc for involvement. Communal hugs and dished out lectures are stifiling a lot of discussion here.

[Greg Wilson]

Gianluca
If you want to read into what I wrote things you would like to believe I said......your choice.

[magic48]

Greg

With all due respect, all I am trying to say is that there is nothing to be said against the request for more guests to join the forums.

Communal hugs and dished out lectures are stifiling a lot of discussion here.

Totally agree with that.

[Crunk415balla]

I would not use the word respect really.......most members here, even after years hardly know one another.

I wouldn't say that. I'd say most of the regulars know one another well. Infact, lots of us make frequent contact outside of the forums.

As for Colin's request, I agree. I don't think we should compare ourselves to Airliners.net. We aren't them and never will be. We are, however, something different, more of a tight-knit community it would seem, without thousands of random one post members all over the place. I like it here. I like the people here. I think the off-topic fourms have their moments with pleanty of humorous posts. And the avation fourms here keep everyone informed, I'd rather there be less replies to a thread about an airline getting a new aircraft than 100 stupid "OMG why didn't they get an Airbus?! I wonder if it'll come to my hometown airport!".

But maybe its just me.

[screaming_emu]

I wouldn't say that. I'd say most of the regulars know one another well. Infact, lots of us make frequent contact outside of the forums.

As for Colin's request, I agree. I don't think we should compare ourselves to Airliners.net. We aren't them and never will be. We are, however, something different, more of a tight-knit community it would seem, without thousands of random one post members all over the place. I like it here. I like the people here. I think the off-topic fourms have their moments with pleanty of humorous posts. And the avation fourms here keep everyone informed, I'd rather there be less replies to a thread about an airline getting a new aircraft than 100 stupid "OMG why didn't they get an Airbus?! I wonder if it'll come to my hometown airport!".

But maybe its just me.

Cheers to that!

I agree that there could be a bit more activity here, but while everyone can't possibly have the same priorities, mine is to have a good time. Don't get me wrong, I love planes and flying, but I like having a good time more. That is why most of my involvement is in the off topic forum. If I can combine having a good time and talking about flying, bonus.

As for what would make me enjoy these forums a bit more, I'd love to have a more active "Briefing Room" forum but I guess it's not meant to be. The aviation discussion forum seems to be filled with mostly people posting news stories and then people giving short responses of "cool" or "I don't like that".

Don't get me wrong, if I didn't like it here, I wouldn't still be here, just a few things I've noticed.

[Crunk415balla]

Ya, I got to admit a lot of senseless rants from members who don't seem to be with us these days, and some who for sure are gone (ahem, KCMH) were pretty funny. I sort of miss them.

[Star Alliance]

I agree wholeheartedly with what Joe and Chasen said. I like the community of a hundred active ones or so of us that makes up JP. I like knowing the names of everyone here, and being able to address them/refer to them by it. There are people on here who I don't agree with, hell, there are some that I don't even like. But I do respect everyone who posts here, no matter how farfetched I think their thoughts may be. I also know that I've met, and maintain relationships with members from this forum outside of this forum, like Sam Hampo, Christian Sullivan, Scrammie, etc. I can also say that there isn't one person on here that I haven't learned something completely new from, be it Chasen telling me that there is a good passage on Jet Train in Dereg Knockouts: Round Two, or Will Malinson explaining why it is advantageous to leave jet engines with the reversers unlocked sometimes. So what I'm saying is that I never would trade our quaint, yet knowledgable, little community for the massive, commercialized, impersonal Airliners.net.
I think I've said my peace(piece? which one is correct? anyways...)
Cheers,
Mitch

[JordanD]

Cheers to that!

and then people giving short responses of "cool" or "I don't like that".

Yep, I've noticed that a lot too. Gives the impression they either have nothing to contribute, or they're just trying to raise their post count.