Where to Post?

[Guest fountainhall]

For many months, there has been a directive at the top of every Forum asking for posts to be made only in the main Gaythailand Forum. Threads not directly dealing with subjects appropriate to that Forum would, we were informed, eventually be moved over to more appropriate ones.

 

From what I can see, no threads have actually been moved. Since posting volume is up, and with many of the subjects posted being more appropriate to the other Forums, may we now go back to deciding ourselves in which Forum posts should be originated?

[TotallyOz]

I have no problem removing the pinned request. I would like to see more input from others on this. What do other posters think about this? Is it time to open up the other forums?

[Guest]

I find it useful if all the informative posts about (for example) hotels in Cambodia are moved to the appropriate forum. Then anyone planning a visit can go straight to the correct forum.

However, I guess no one will be particularly interested in most of the threads in 2 months time, so it probably does not matter much.

 

Whilst I like to see threads in their correct place, the downside is posts in sub-forums tend to receive less attention. The solution could be to give some moderators rights to move posts & agree some ground rules for how this might happen.

[Bob]

Up to you (how's that for a "Thai" answer?). We don't seem to usually have enough posts to worry much about whether on one or more forums. Doesn't matter to me one way or the other but, if some desire it, that's fine.

[Rogie]

. . . may we now go back to deciding ourselves in which Forum posts should be originated?

I would prefer that too.

 

The main Gay Thailand forum gets most views and that's fair enough because those readers who initially come to the home page, perhaps after using a search engine, accessed via:

 

http://www.gaythailand.com/

 

and who want more information or who wish to post an enquiry such as the recent one from Manforlads, are presumably primarily interested in gay issues and so make a beeline for the forum headed Gay Thailand. There is also the Articles on Thailand forum. If they have time to hang around and to check out the Beer Bar, fine, but most likely they will not bother.

 

The way I see it the Beer Bar forum is mainly catering for regular posters or readers. These people can decide for themselves, when starting a new topic, which forum to place it in. We should not have to ask or rely on a mod to do that for us. If a 'newbie' slips up and posts in the wrong forum then by all means step in mods, but by and large leave it up to us to decide where it should go.

 

One other point, which was mentioned in passing by Fountainhall in another thread: casual readers of this Message Board are wondering why all-and-sundry topics are being lumped together in the Gay Thailand forum. I think if we put ourselves in their shoes it is easy to see it doesn't make a very good impression.

[Guest kjun12]

My belief is that there are too many forums and some appear to be repetitive . Additionally, I think it is convenient that all posts appear in one forum and one does not have to search around to find new things. Frankly, I have never even opened any other forum than this one.

[KhorTose]

Up to you (how's that for a "Thai" answer?). We don't seem to usually have enough posts to worry much about whether on one or more forums. Doesn't matter to me one way or the other but, if some desire it, that's fine.

 

I feel the same, but if I was made to vote I would pick to stay in one forum. I say this because Newbis hardly ever look in a particular forum when they want advice, but just come on and ask. However, what ever is the easiest for you and the mods and/or other posters is fine with me.

[Guest fountainhall]

I say this because Newbis hardly ever look in a particular forum when they want advice, but just come on and ask.

My main concern is less about those who actually post (although it would be great to see more), than it is about those who merely hear about the site and decide to take a quick look (and, hopefully, will eventually decide to post). For example, since a lot of posts really belong in a general discussion Forum like the Beer Bar, maybe we lose some readers who are attracted to the site expecting to read about specific Thailand and gay Thailand issues. I really don't know.

 

I also think it must look odd to any new reader that there have been no posts in several of the Gay Asia Forums for around 6 months – e.g. Bali, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore. Regular posters know there have been posts covering all four countries (I believe) in recent months – yet, try locating them in the Gay Thailand Forum! You have to sift through around 20 pages of topics and hope that the country name is actually in the thread title - which it sometimes is not). I suspect that most people can’t be bothered doing that.

 

So I just wonder what is the point in having several Forums and sub-Forums when most are effectively ‘dead’ and much of the information they contain is by now virtually out of date?

[Guest]

I also think it must look odd to any new reader that there have been no posts in several of the Gay Asia Forums for around 6 months

[PattayaMale]

It seems if the site is "Gay Thailand", posts that are about Gay Thailand should be separate from other posts that have nothing to do with Gay or Thailand.

 

When people other than the very few posters that post on this board see topics such as IMF Chairman, Zimbabwe and Gold, Bin Ladens accuse US,...it seems like these should be in another forum. They may be very interesting topics and long time members may enjoy the discussion, but if they know that they can be found in another forum (Beer Bar, Non Gay topics, ???) it is very easy to click on that other forum. It is just a "click", does ot take much effort.

 

But a person searching for information about Gay Thailand has little use for that stuff.

 

Opinion

[Guest xiandarkthorne]

I vote for separate forums and posting in the appropriate ones as I have found them particularly helpful whenever I have needed advice or information on anything other than Thailand.

 

I would dread having to 'search' or scroll through hundreds of posts to find a single nugget of information about Laos for example.

[Guest fountainhall]

It seems if the site is "Gay Thailand", posts that are about Gay Thailand should be separate from other posts that have nothing to do with Gay or Thailand.

PattayMale sums it up nicely. Lumping everything into one Forum probably steers potential readers and contributors away, if only because the Board seems not to deliver what it promises - information about Gay Thailand. And anyone who stays to browse other Forums will quickly leave when they notice how out of date the posts are.

[KhorTose]

I vote for separate forums and posting in the appropriate ones as I have found them particularly helpful whenever I have needed advice or information on anything other than Thailand.

 

I would dread having to 'search' or scroll through hundreds of posts to find a single nugget of information about Laos for example.

 

I will vote for separate forums also, if you will contribute more often. You have been missed. I see from your picture you are keeping yourself in good shape. Errrrrr, am I jealous,

[Guest voldemar]

For those who arguing in favor of separation of forums you need to take into consideration

that the only person who is posting on Thailand systematically on this message board is Fountainhall. Thus, if (God forbid) he will stop doing that, the forum will be dead.

I do not want to belittle the contributions of others but they are not systematic...

[PattayaMale]

For those who arguing in favor of separation of forums you need to take into consideration

that the only person who is posting on Thailand systematically on this message board is Fountainhall. Thus, if (God forbid) he will stop doing that, the forum will be dead.

I do not want to belittle the contributions of others but they are not systematic...

This point is valid, but please consider that if new posters searching for information on Gay Thailand become posters,instead of going to other sites for information, they may someday also become prolific posters.

 

Right now I believe what I consider the 3 main boards (GT,GBT and ST) are becoming irrelevant as updating informational boards. The new Nicky newsletter does a better job of letting people know what is going on.

 

GT does a good job of providing trip information, although some is out dated. I feel

[Guest voldemar]

 

Right now I believe what I consider the 3 main boards (GT,GBT and ST) are becoming irrelevant as updating informational boards. The new Nicky newsletter does a better job of letting people know what is going on.

 

GT does a good job of providing trip information, although some is out dated. I feel

I I agree. I noticed that first time last December while in Pattaya. I tried to find information about New Year Eve events on message boards and there was none. That is where I recalled GP information letter...

I do not know why it is happening. Perhaps, people are no longer willing to participate

in internet forums. I read recently a prediction of a very smart man that social networks

(like twitter etc) are bound to decline because they cannot substitute live communication

and very artificial in nature... In light of this "highly philosophical remarks" it is perhaps better to relegate informational component to letters like the one you mentioned? (www.nickysgaypattaya.com)

[Guest anonone]

It seems if the site is "Gay Thailand", posts that are about Gay Thailand should be separate from other posts that have nothing to do with Gay or Thailand.

 

When people other than the very few posters that post on this board see topics such as IMF Chairman, Zimbabwe and Gold, Bin Ladens accuse US,...it seems like these should be in another forum. They may be very interesting topics and long time members may enjoy the discussion, but if they know that they can be found in another forum (Beer Bar, Non Gay topics, ???) it is very easy to click on that other forum. It is just a "click", does ot take much effort.

 

But a person searching for information about Gay Thailand has little use for that stuff.

 

Opinion

 

Very nice summation by PattayaMale. I agree with this.

 

This point is valid, but please consider that if new posters searching for information on Gay Thailand become posters,instead of going to other sites for information, they may someday also become prolific posters.

 

Right now I believe what I consider the 3 main boards (GT,GBT and ST) are becoming irrelevant as updating informational boards. The new Nicky newsletter does a better job of letting people know what is going on.

 

 

The new newsletter is great. I really hope it continues.

[TotallyOz]

I have removed the pin at the top of the forum. I will also work this weekend on getting all the unrelated posts over to their appropriate forum.

 

Feel free to post in this or other forums. If a post is in the main forum that is not about Gay Thailand then we will move it over when it falls off the page. I heard from the moderators that they don't have the ability to move topics and I'll give them this ability when I hear back from Invision Support.

 

I am very happy that so many are posting and that the forum is active and lively!

[Guest]

Well, I've started moving some of the posts that are not on the front page AND obviously belong elsewhere, particularly country specific posts that have a sub-forum.

 

There is some way to go.

 

Then questions arise over definitions. Should we aim to move all non-current reviews on hotels etc to the appropriate sub-forum? e.g. Pattaya Hotels to the Gay Pattaya sub-forum etc? That appears to be the most appropriate sub-forum. Such information is also more likely to be of interest to people in a few months time, so it should be accessible.