is everyone on vacation ?? no activity here since the 19th

[dacflyer]

have not seen any activity here since the 19th, where is everyone ???

[CeaSaR]

I'm here, but have been very busy. Still checked for new every day, like always.
The plus side is that it seems like they finally got a handle on the spam. (YAY!!)

CeaSaR

[MrAl]

Hi,

I was beginning to wonder too there for a while
There were a few interesting discussions going on and then none ha ha.
I thought maybe everyone was tired of hearing about my stupid remote control problem

[gerty]

I check in several times a day, just don't have anything to say....

[sghioto]

I'm currently on the road traveling and have been for the last 5 weeks.
I check the site when I have internet but like gerty haven't had anything to contribute lately.

Steve G

[dacflyer]

ok, just wanted to make sure everyone just got up and abandoned the site
all the topics were dead for a few days.. really unusual for here..

[Dean Huster]

All six of us are here. What's the problem?

I don't understand why this forum is little-used considering that it has the backing and subject input of the magazine. Maybe not enough folks are using the forum for their article questions. With the forum running, one wonders what's the point of Reader-to-Reader Tech Forum in the back of the magazine?

[gerty]

[quoteWith the forum running, one wonders what's the point of Reader-to-Reader Tech Forum in the back of the magazine?
][/quote]

I wondered the same, come to think of it the forum doesn't get a lot of press, does it?

[haklesup]

Some print outlets have very sucessfully bridged the print-digital gap. NYT and Time for example even CNN if you considert the Digital-Video gap but they were huge before the internet and had a natural pressure to follow. That dosen't seem to be the case here. There are probably many reasons but I suspect it that some print readers will never followup on the internet, they read for entertainment when the internet is otherwise not being used.

If you want to get the editors attention, start a topic on how N&V can increse readership and attract readers to the website and this forum in particualr. I think there are a bunch of other users of the forum who use other sections and are not frequenters of the General forum. Projects and kits is a fairly new addition and seems to be picking up steam.

[dacflyer]

i am surprised that the "tech forum" and "Q&A" is not incorporated in here yet..
would be a lot faster at answering post to put in the magazine.
or ?

[CeaSaR]

'If you want to get the editors attention, start a topic on how N&V can increse readership and attract readers to the website and this forum in particualr.'

Well, I see at least 1 reason why there aren't many new people here (other than spammers ,
who seem to have been curtailed with the last board update - YEA!! ). Looking at the header of the
index page, there are NO KEYWORDS or DESCRIPTIONS listed. It's awfully hard for a search engine
to rank you without them. Hint to the programmer (I'm not sure if that's MK or not) - Tag the site so
it gets better listings.

Here are the META tags:

Code: Select all

 
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
<meta http-equiv="content-language" content="en-gb" />
<meta http-equiv="content-style-type" content="text/css" />
<meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no" />
<meta name="resource-type" content="document" />
<meta name="distribution" content="global" />
<meta name="copyright" content="2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group" />
<meta name="keywords" content="" />
<meta name="description" content="" />
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=EmulateIE7; IE=EmulateIE9" />

You have to fill in those blanks!!! While you are at it, promote this forum in the
print version. I know I look at the ads to see what's new, why wouldn't other
people do the same? I understand that Q&A and Tech Forum are supposed to be
print exclusive so that the non-computer literate / internet underprivileged can
enjoy the same things we members of the forum do, but a little promotion never
hurts! I promote N&V and this forum whenever I can over at Instructables. I have
no idea if any of those people over there have joined here. I hope so. Besides,
Tech Forum responders who get published recieve a small compensation for their
participation and Russell Kincaid (and all the previous Q & A editors, HI Dean!) is
paid to write his column. Why remove the incentive for these wonderful people to
contribute? And once something is in the print version, it should be responded/updated
in the print version for all to see.

I say thank you to all the authors, editors, and contibutors of both N&V and this forum.
Your collective work and knowledge has enriched my life and allowed me to help others.

CeaSaR (here, Quercus austrina [Qa] at Instructables)

[Dean Huster]

Hey, hey!! Let's not be killing off the "Q & A" column. I don't want Russ Kincaid as an enemy! Us "Q & A" writers have to stick together, for you never know when you'll be out of a job.

[CeaSaR]

Hey Dean,

I'm pulling for the paid writers. Where would any publication be without them?
Those of us here do so for the love of it. That's why this is a forum and not
a publication. Besides, it does take at least some talent to write a piece that
other people want to read. And your (sic) knowledge is a big draw.

CeaSaR

[MicroRem]

I'm still around also, I have been on the road for a week watching my daughters team play in the NCAA D-3 Softball World Series. I still try to look in almost every day, but haven't had much to contribute lately.

best

Tom

[Dean Huster]

I think the inactivity is why we're seeing a lot of old posts being drug up from the distant past.