The New Forum Style...less content, more chat

General
1

anyone noticed how little real knowledge of unicycling is being posted/discussed?

this new style format is a breeding ground for chat and quick meaning-less posts.

yes there is a small amount of informative threads but over all…the possibility of getting sound expierianced advice is on hold for the most part.

the vets of these fora are almost non-exsistant, only coming out in a pinch of really bad advice.

i dont dispute the search function as of 2006 being able to answer almost any question but the spontanious-ness of new discovery seems to be on the losing end.

2

Jagur, at the risk of not providing any unicycle specific advice :wink: , why do you think that it is the new forum style that is influencing the content of peoples posts?

As far as I can see, it looks more flashy, but the underlying mechanism is the same - you post a question, maybe with some pictures or a link or two, and then you wait for a reply.

I myself have never used the chat function, but I’ve “overheard” posters saying that it does not function. Could this be the cause?

Maybe this thread (and others) should be moved to the general conversation section - it would be ironic:) .

What do you think, Gilby?

Hooked

3

I’ve noticed that the threads and general content these days are of far less interest to me and aren’t as meaningful in unicycling terms.

I’d love to know how you think the new forum style is affecting this though…that’s got me completely stumped.

Andrew

4

as I participate to other unicycling forum I would say that such a thing is happening everywhere so the reason is not form.
That the interesting topics come in burst is not surprising: once a topic has been debated, hotly debated, rebated,… then the “search” function provides all you need.
the chaotic nature of our forums create up and down in interesting topics. But optimists are waiting for new things to pop up :slight_smile: .

the other thing to consider is personal point of view: things are interesting when new but when you have been a long time on the field things can get boring: I have been a science-fiction buff in the sixties… new themes popping up all the time but during the 80ies I lost interest in the field because I have found few new challenging ideas (I still like S.F. but I dump 9 books out of 10).
being a newbie in unicycling I dump only 9 posts every 10 posts … :o

5

I think when he says “forum style” he means the style in which it’s used, rather than the forum software. I’m probably wrong though…

6

I would think that as a relative minority sport, unicyclists just like to chat to other unicyclists. It may be that there are more beginners than previously on the site and therefore they fill up with chat where they lack the ability to make expert contributions. Surely this is a good thing as it may indicate greater take-up of unicycling.

Perhaps, Jaguar, as your ability increases, your perception of the forum changes and you are only interested in the more ‘expert’ posts? Who knows.

For myself, the majority of posts on RSU are way beyond anything I could contribute effectively to, but that doesn’t stop me wanting to contribute in my own little way and to be a unicyclist amongst other unicyclists. Hence this post.

Cathy

7

I find that there are many more useless posts too.

I think some reasons are more beginners, and the season might have somethign to do with it??? This is my first “winter on the forums,” so I don’t know what it’s usually like in this season of less riding.
I do miss all of the posts from summertime though when people had new vids all the time, new tricks/techniques always being discussed, cool product review stuff, and cool rides being discussed.
I found that even durign the “good ol’ times” though, there were lulls in interest, but right now it’s just sort of one big lull.

We’ll see what it’s like in the spring when more people start riding again and start trying new things!!

8

it seems to me that in the summer there were a lot more new threads but now with less riding in the winter it seems that there are barely any new threads about rides or movies so people make pointless threads to pass the time, so i think we need some high contraversial thread topics to get our brains working in non-pointless mode.

9

I understood it to mean the “quick reply” option in the software.

10

maybe its because every time someone asks a question they are told to use the search feature. that pisse me off. and speaking of non uni stuff why is this in rsu?

11

I’ve noticed that trend as well. I’m not sure whether it is laziness or crazy, overloaded schedules, but the trend in more mainstream media has also been going to quick soundbites versus deeper, more meaningful content. In the past year, two mags I subscribe to–Backpacker and Bicycling–have altered their formats to cut back or eliminate deeper articles, and instead have an endless series of little 1/4-page or 1/8-page “interest stories”. Wilderness survival content has been replaced with “put a hot rock in your sleeping bag to keep your feet warm”. Ugh.

In RSU, it may also have something to do with the average age of participant, which I sense has been decreasing steadily. No dis to the kids there…it’s a good thing for the sport, as it means more younger folks are saddling up and riding. But it’s not necessarily a good thing for deep content or good spelling and grammar.

12

I don’t get the idea of people complaining that topics have been mentioned before either. If we all searched through the old threads every time we wanted a question answered, we would have a very quiet forum.

All forums go through stages where they go quiet, or lots of new people change nature of the threads. If you use forums, you just have to accept it.

Just keep posting, allow others to post without complaining that it has been discussed before, enjoy the fact that we can communicate with other unicyclists throughout the world ever day.

13

The average age of the forum members has dropped, and the corrolary to this is that the maturity and content has done so as well. What does it matter, though? For me, it just means I check the forum about 1/3 as often, and post about 1/5 as often.

As for the search function, I used to reccomend it because I’ve given detailed writeups on things like SIF sidehops easily 10 times. The technique isn’t changing, so I just tell people to look for previous posts relating it. I’d rather have no activity than repeat how to hop, wheelwalk, or crankflip over and over again.

Now i don’t tell people to use the search function because i just don’t care, and rarely click on threads like “how do I hop?” in the first place. Stupid threads like “WTF???” get passed by as well. If a person can’t title their thread, they also won’t be able to get any content into it.

14

I’m definitely one of the guilty parties. I’ve had a slow winter with sloshy conditions and having just moved, I’m haven’t yet developed a social network in my new digs.

Edit: I guess you guys just said this: there is already a lot of information on the forum available with searches. i would often post but I get the answers by looking there. There are quite a few folks who are always reminding peolple to “Search the forums first.” if peolpe do that, they are less likely to post, especially if rep is on the line for asking an old question.

I promise I’ll post more about riding soon.

15

that is it! i hate it to when people say “use the search button” If everyone used the search button(and most of the time its useless anyway) there would be no talking on the forum.

16

Which part, the re-asking of common questions or the being told to search?

People who ask without bothering to search (excepting the minority of those that aren’t aware they can) are being lazy. Instead of using a little effort to find answers that have already been written, and commented upon, and added to, and discussed, they would rather try to get someone else to repeat that effort, and wait for a reply instead of looking for themselves.

The search feature can be clunky, and is not always guaranteed to find you what you’re looking for. But this does not mean one should not use it. If your purpose is to “have a chat,” no searching is needed. But if you’re looking for actual useful information, it’s probably already been written. Rather than repeat the same or similar information in dozens of threads, wouldn’t it be more useful to find one master thread that covers all aspects of the topics with writings by the most experienced people in the community?

Musketman came in with a response to unijesse’s quote while I was writing mine.

The search function is useless some of the time. If you never get anything useful out of it you may not be using it right. There are always plenty of new topics to discuss, or new angles on old subjects. Besides, do you think people are suddenly going to all start using the search? :stuck_out_tongue:

But I have noticed a gradual increase in “juvenile” threads. These are ones that are somewhere around a junior high level of sensibility. I don’t even get involved in those. Also, as the forums get more popular, as well as easier to use, the audience gets more casual.

Back before we had this easy Web-based forum, we actually were a much more productive group. We thought up ideas for things and then did them. People seemed to be more involved in their local unicycling organizations, including groups putting together conventions, coming up with rules, levels, written information, etc.

Not that I’m saying I would rather go back. I just miss having a group of people who were seriously committed to growing and building the sport, not just asking casual questions or letting us know they haven’t received their new unicycles yet.

17

Yes, that search button is quite an annoyance. I do so detest doing things on my own or finding out more about a topic independently. Why don’t people jump at the opportunity to tell me how to fix a flat just because the thread above my own is one that deals entirely with fixing flats? I don’t want to have to go looking up there with my scroll wheel.

When I get into a horrible fix and can’t figure out how to hop or ride backwards or which color pedals to buy, I just ask an old hand like JAGU-A-R how to do it. I know he hasn’t explained these things enough times to satisfy himself.

18

Hi John,
I want to tread lightly, because in all honesty I have a great deal of admiration and gratitude for your unicycling achievements and your contributions to the sport. When I learned (early 1970s) I was the only unicyclist that I new, except for the few folks that I taught. I didn’t stick with it. Looking at what folks like you and the others have done, like Burton of snowboarding, you guys stuck by your guns and MADE the sports a popular and accessible activity. Surely you know that all these teens that are learning at a quadruople of the pace we adults learn are standing on the shoulders of giants (as yourself). When you started on your quest to further unicycling didn’t you hope one day that there’s be generations who latch on to the concepts and play withought having to fight for understanding, commaradarie, and knowledge? You’re looking at that in this efflux of posts! On many levels, you are suceeding in your quest! These kids wouldn’t be doing what they are doing today if it weren’t for folks like you.

I know unicycling has a long way to go before it’s exactly mainstream and in the olympics etc, but evolution of this forum shows it is getting there.

Many of the guys that author the less concequential posts are beginners, but many of them live for the sport, too, and this is where they go to hang in the unicycling culture. In time, they will have friends in their 'hood to shoot the breeze with, thanks to the dedication of folks like you!

Another solution, because there is a difference among posting styles, is to have a forum titled Unicycling theory and practice. Maybe it could even be strictly administered to keep it on track.

So any how, John. THANKS. :slight_smile: You’re making a difference. Try to enjoy that some of us less dedicated will just dance (on our unicycles) in the wake of your trail breaking! Now that’s a mixed metaphor, :stuck_out_tongue: !
Blake

19

When I first started unicycling a few years ago, and started posting here too, there was nothing KH out there, and muniac was inventing hubs, and the Coker wheel was a piece of limp spaghetti, and even the Profile hub was fairly new, and air seats were in their infancy, and there wasn’t even a CF base to be purchased, and there was no Big Apple tire, and Universe (I) was hot, and the European tour was just about to happen…

In these brief, intense years, all those cool problems and situations have kindof gone away, and in many areas, there’s nothing for the community do but to buy unicycles that are already done. While this isn’t true deep in some twisted minds… :roll_eyes: , for the community sense of problem solving, there hasn’t seemed like a lot to debate or explore lately.

I find, too, that with my little business (LiveWire), I can’t speak as freely as I used to, because it’s too easy to be construed as having a monetary, financial stake in what goes on, though I might hem and haw.

However things have changed, I find that things like Owen’s latest video are hugely and satisfyingly contributory. I’ve watched that thing many times. It’s amazing that he has made a real artistic statement with the background of such fine riding! And the breakthroughs in BC wheeling are historical.

Still exciting times, just a little different flavor.

20

Hardly. I can’t even count the number of noob questions I’ve answered through a quick use of the Search button. People could play their own librarian easily enough…they just choose not to, and there are plenty of folks willing to enable them by writing up the same answers over and over.

Would it be so bad if traffic decreased due to a lessening of the endless “How do you do something that was just asked yesterday but I didn’t see because it moved off Page 1 and I just joined the forum today” questions? I’d rather see those drop, and hope that the same folks that took an extra minute to do their own research before posting would then take a couple additional minutes to document their experiences…like dudewithasock did.

We can get better…