12/18/24
March 12, 2003
I wasn't trying to be a dickhead in this post. But I was trying to make a point...(more inside)
posted by vito90 to navel gazing at 09:47 PM - 10 comments
I tried encouraging comments with some fun ideas earlier and ... sigh ... look how I got shot down. And so it goes. It's OK, tho, as long as we don't take it personally. Keep on keepin' on, vito.
posted by worldcup2002 at 11:35 PM on March 12, 2003
I think your hearts in the right place vito. I've made links that I thought were great chances for interesting discussions, and then...nothing. I've made links that I thought were of interest but would go completely unnoticed, like this one, and discussion ensues. You just never know. I thought your link was a good one. Speaking for myself, sometimes I like to think about the topic for a while, see other viewpoints before giving my own. Only problem with that is many times by the time I do write a response the post is halfway down the page and I get the impression I'm talking to myself. I also find some links interesting but simply have nothing to add, and I hate hearing myself talk just to hear myself talk (or write). But a good link is a good link, while the resulting discussion seems more like a crap shoot. As the site grows, hopefully the odds will grow in our favor.
posted by justgary at 11:48 PM on March 12, 2003
Funny - I vaguely remember reading that...the first thing that struck me was the first comment that said your idea would intimidate new users (the same mentality that allows parents to start little leagues that don't keep score so every game ends in a tie). What always intimdated me at first before I ever posted were posts that received zero comments. Nobody wants to get shut out. It's like a total rejection. What we really need is some of the 740 members who have never posted to post. Then if they get a few comments they will gain confidence and be more encouraged to post. And by merit of the fact that most of them are at least lurkers, they know the gig and are likely to post well. Hey lurkers! Ollie ollie oxen free!
posted by vito90 at 11:54 PM on March 12, 2003
justgary - that's good stuff...your admonition kind of spurred people to take up the conversation. I think people wait for the "0 comments" to change to one because nobody wants to be first to fire a salvo. As for me, I'm on record as being pretty negative on women's hoops and I didn't want to steer the conversation in that direction. But everybody has an excuse for not being the first to post.
posted by vito90 at 12:01 AM on March 13, 2003
What we really need is some of the 740 members who have never posted to post. I think a lot of those who first signed up will never be active members. A lot of them are taken up by those who are very active in the community, find out about new community sites, and snap up the early membership numbers, regardless if they have an interest in the site's purpose (this is my personal opinion, and backed by nothing more than that opinion). I can think of several very popular net personalities (without mentioning the guilty) who have low membership numbers but have never posted and probably never will. Some of our most active members are numbers 400 plus. I think we're past the point, for the most part, of people joining to just join, and are getting more active members. I think what I'm saying is we will probably get more action from numbers 800 to 1000 (when we get them) than we do from 100 to 300 now. think people wait for the "0 comments" to change to one because nobody wants to be first to fire a salvo. As for me, I'm on record as being pretty negative on women's hoops and I didn't want to steer the conversation in that direction. But everybody has an excuse for not being the first to post. Yep, I agree, the ZERO can be kind of intimidating. And for what it's worth, I can't think of a sport I'm more bored by than women's college basketball. I was just hoping my opinion wasn't the consensus =)
posted by justgary at 12:44 AM on March 13, 2003
I hope this isn't in reference to the comment I made in the thread, as I was simply joking. As for "0 comments" being a sore sight for an FPPer, I agree. When one finds something of interest, posts it, and then sees it be ignored, it can be a pain. I've been guilty of trying to get a comment string going myself.
posted by bcb2k2 at 10:05 AM on March 13, 2003
I was also trying to make a (bad) joke. If anything, I was a dickhead for messing up that link which should have pointed at two comments above mine. I definitely agree with justgary in that many in the first several hundred probably joined more for the act of joining a metafilter-related blog than for participation in sports-related discussion. I also think that SportsFilter seems to be coming into its own and although discussion doesn't always occur in every post, it seems to be coming closer to that point.
posted by pfuller at 10:34 AM on March 13, 2003
pfuller and bcb2k2...I was in no way offended about your comments, so no worries there. I'm sensitive, but not too sensitive!
posted by vito90 at 11:43 AM on March 13, 2003
Vito, I just thought it was funny, and hell, your comments were more insightful than anything I would have contributed. I think a solid idea might be to try to direct our newer members a little more in post and responding. All of the inside information is in The Locker Room, but it took me nearly three weeks to wander here and then realize, "Crap, I should have been reading this stuff first!" Maybe a little more guidance? As for the bagel? Screw it ... if I think something's interesting and no one else does, I'm still right. :P
posted by wfrazerjr at 10:34 AM on March 14, 2003
I think it's pretty evident that comments beget comments. I don't really care if I post something that nobody is interested in - we all take that chance whenever we go out on a limb and post (not suggesting I liked looking at that donut all day though :) ). But I think there are often threads that interest people that they pass over because maybe they don't interest them quite enough to type an anecdote, post an ancillary link, or make a general comment. And that's too bad, because post growth is exponential, and each person that takes the time to post a comment in a thread makes the likelihood of that thread's expanding much greater. So my point is...if we like the slow-growth approach, like the current feel and make-up of the community, but do wish for more discussion, then take just a moment to comment in a thread that holds even passing interest for you. Who knows...what you say might trigger three, four, or five other people to get on board!