A fireside chat with Dan and Charlie

[St Helens RLFC]

Alright, so it's not quite a fireside chat with Matt Stone and Trey Parker, but this is the thread. The People's thread. The thread where you, basically get to ask any questions you have in regards to TRF.

With the takeover sneaking closer day by day, I urge you to ask either of us any questions you might have.

 

[DC]

will we need any booster shots for measles, mumps, and or robellia?

is there mandatory doping tests twice a year?

thats all for now.

 

[C A Iversen]

What are the top three things you see as being important to the development of TRF?

As a side note, you two aren't cuddled up on a rug during this fireside chat are you?

 

[getofmeland]

Well obviously the first would be converting new members into regular posters is a huge priority for myself, and possibly the most difficult...
The next would be the development of the Portal, this is the first place that New Members will see whats the point in having it there if it doesnt do anything useful.
The Final thing for the development of the forum is quality posting in the right places, this can be achieved by having a good moderating team behind me and St Helens.... Which your apart of C A Iversen...

This is my view by the way St Helens may have another but both have strong feelings for the Board and want to make it a success..

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Originally posted by C A Iversen@Jul 13 2006, 09:42 PM
What are the top three things you see as being important to the development of TRF?

As a side note, you two aren't cuddled up on a rug during this fireside chat are you?

From a totally personal point of view:

1) Members. The whole point of the board is to have people posting. And if we don't have members, then we're pretty screwed. I personally think it very important to promote the forum as much as possible. It isn't easy, and it certainly isn't cheap, but getting people to join is the most important thing.

2) Conversion rate. I might sound like a kicking coach, but we have to improve it. Members join up all the time, but hardly any of them seem to post. I don't know what it is that puts people off, but I intend to get to the root of that problem and eradicate it. Under this also comes my concern about the gaming members. I want to get them out of gaming and posting in rugby as well. This is why the forum appears a lot bigger than it is. We need to get these people into real rugby talk as well as computing. You're a convert C A, as are sambad and Woosaah. We need more of a migration, if you will.

3) Pull everyone together. It concerns me that factions could be splitting and that's the last thing I want and the last thing TRF needs. We need to all be one as we move forward. This is a transitional period and we need all of you on our side. Change is good.

Also as a side note: No! :bleh!:

 

[Gay-Guy]

Will we have a "news section " abbout the latest rugby news???? A bit like planet rugby or whatever?

The reason I say this is because if we want to grow we have to really ask ourselves "what do people want?"..........how many people are looking for a rugby "forum" compared to people who are looking for "rugby news"....or "rugby gaming"? Is the market substantially bigger in non forum contexts when it comes to rugby internet activity or is it less?

When it comes to drawing in members we need to look at what consumers want and focus our drive towards that area. However this is only if we want more members as our goal. Our goal may not neccesarily be that.

I am not saying that the "forum" should change into something else. What I am saying is that if the "forum" part has low intenet interest it may be better to have another vehicle pulling in members as a step towards joining the forum. The Portal as a result I think is a FANTASTIC idea as it can be used as the vehicle to members signing up. All we need to do is to design the Portal to cater for the needs of internet consumers where they can get things that they are looking for (needs based) and if they want to go deeper and join TRF altogether so they can post then that is good.

Therefore my own opinion for the Portal is that it should be "news and info based" as this is what I personally believe people are looking for first and foremost with internet rugby browsing. However every news item or whatever is on the Portal should be mandatorily linked to a thread for people to post in.........the linking of reports and peoples opinion has been shown to be widely successful on big sites. It will also be unbeknown to them, their "introduction" to the Forum section and thus the original heart of the site.

This however is a major task especially money wise so I do understand we have our limitations. People return to Planet rugby and such sites because of their reliability with their bigger budgets and their ability to have people on the spot all the time when rugby things happen. It is a typical cycle for success with sponshorship, advertising, quality product, more hits, and the cycle goes on. I do realise that we are just starting from scratch.

So in this respect with our limited resources I think that you guys have done a great job and that the Portal is probably in my opinion going to have a huge impact. This is the best thing that has changed on the site so far IMO........great job implemeting it. It is a bit ugly (blue is cold and......dull )...but I know it will get there.

Keep up the good work!

 

[woosaah]

i have a question

how much you pay? jking

yeah i like the rugby news idea, but would need to have to have links to original sorces etc i guess.

and how did CA get mod? i didnt even notice

 

[Gay-Guy]

Originally posted by woosaah@Jul 14 2006, 11:02 AM
i have a question

how much you pay? jking

yeah i like the rugby news idea, but would need to have to have links to original sorces etc i guess.

and how did CA get mod? i didnt even notice

:lol:

Yeah I only noticed when he deleted all my new posts on Tips that I put up yesterday. maybe he copied it all then deleted it lol!!!!

 

[sambãd5]

how big is the trf mafia?

 

[Ripper]

It goes all the way to the top.

 

[sambãd5]

i knew it!

like one of teh mites messages on the banners <strike>"dont feed the fish"</strike> "run for your lives!"

 

[C A Iversen]

Originally posted by Gay-Guy+Jul 14 2006, 11:21 AM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-woosaah

@Jul 14 2006, 11:02 AM
i have a question

how much you pay? jking

yeah i like the rugby news idea, but would need to have to have links to original sorces etc i guess.

and how did CA get mod? i didnt even notice

:lol:

Yeah I only noticed when he deleted all my new posts on Tips that I put up yesterday. maybe he copied it all then deleted it lol!!!! [/b]

I hope I only deleted all the early versions of the same post. I wouldn't want to deprive the gaming public some sage-like advice!

By the way, some good thoughts above!! :bravo:

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Originally posted by Gay-Guy@Jul 13 2006, 11:25 PM
Will we have a "news section " abbout the latest rugby news???? A bit like planet rugby or whatever?

Having a news ticker is something I've wanted for a long time. I'm not sure if the board can take it or not at the moment, but when the board is in our name, I'm sure the upgrade facility will be able to handle it.

Obviously it will provide interest to members, new and old alike, if latest news is flowing on the site.

 

[Ripper]

I'm not sure about others... but I personally rather have a newsticker then the Soapbox thing (I'm not against the soapbox mind you). Maybe see if we can use links from a site like Planetrugby.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

*makes a note*

I actually think that's a really good idea, I suppose it's a case of weighing it up. Would it be more effective on the board or on the portal?

 

[Ripper]

Probably both.

 

[dobrien7]

Why don't you guys send out some form of survey/questionnaire to the members, specifically those that don't post much, and find out why they don't? Surely that would provide answers.

If someone can be bothered with the hassle that is.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Originally posted by dobrien7@Jul 14 2006, 07:26 AM
Why don't you guys send out some form of survey/questionnaire to the members, specifically those that don't post much, and find out why they don't? Surely that would provide answers.

If someone can be bothered with the hassle that is.

We decided to do precisely that yesterday!

 

[dobrien7]

Originally posted by St Helens RLFC+Jul 14 2006, 06:28 PM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-dobrien7

@Jul 14 2006, 07:26 AM
Why don't you guys send out some form of survey/questionnaire to the members, specifically those that don't post much, and find out why they don't? Surely that would provide answers.

If someone can be bothered with the hassle that is.

We decided to do precisely that yesterday! [/b]

Thank you, thank you... *basks in the applause*

 

[QKXV]

First of Dan and Charlie, let me congratulate you on taking over ownership of the forum. I've not been here for a very long time but even in that short time alot of things have happened and changed for the good. All the best for the future with yourselves at the helm.

Second may I also congratulate you on a fine decision in making CA Iversen a mod. I had (and still do) a lot of respect for An Tarbh, and to my mind his departure spelled the end of level headed modliness et al. I feared the standard of Mod would certainly slip in his absence, no sooner had I added the words " CA IVERSEN FOR MOD" to my sig and I saw his name appear in blue. Now I'm not big headed enough to think my sig had anything to do with it as the two incidents were more or less simultaneous, CA's conduct and your fine decision to give him the responsibilty should be applauded by every member here. Best of luck CA.

Lastly my question, and it's a continuation on the An Tarbh thread but I feel I have to clear it up because I'm not sure if I did or didn't do it. Dan, on the Richard Pryor comment a couple of days ago (that you probalby didn't mean in that way anyway) I believe I - repped you. I remember completing the form, but the rep has dissapeared. Did you have it deleted and if so why if you think that it is important to know what people think? If you did not delete it then at least I am sure I did not actually complete the action and I can sleep safe in the knowledge that at 26 my memory isn't failing as I am thinking at the moment and that the TRF MAfia only is something of Lora, Sambad and my imagination.

My Bad, please don't answer that question as I just read the opening post again, I can ask any question I might have about TRF, above question is about you. Let me refrase it. Should mod's/admin be allowed to remove rep points from their own accounts if the point of the rep system is to make members aware of the way their conduct is perceived so it can be imporved/discussed?