Future Of The Forum

[Thorolf]

Hi everyone,

I've been doing some work on the forum, and have a few things to report.

First, there is a new version of the forum software we are currently using which is in beta, meaning that it is not yet ready for "prime time," but getting closer. It includes some of the features that have been requested, including a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface - but it is likely to have some issues with integrating with the rest of the site.

I'm looking at another option, which is to switch forum software altogether. The other product I am currently considering is a very nice board, but carries some extra licensing fees and a few conversion headaches. One of the headaches appears to be the likely requirement for users to re-set their passwords.

This is not, IMO, a significant hindrance to making the change, but if we decide to go that route I will let you know at least several days in advance.

[river]

Geez, I was just getting used to this one.  Don't know if I could wrap my non techy mind around something else.  What's wrong with it now?

[Thorolf]

Geez, I was just getting used to this one.  Don't know if I could wrap my non techy mind around something else.  What's wrong with it now?

Nothing's wrong, but there are a couple of features that I'd like to be able to implement (like a WYSIWYG text editor) that are a bit... complicated to run with this software.

I'm not prepared to make that change just yet... it's more of something that is currently under consideration.

Don't worry - *IF* we change, the differences are not as dramatic as it may sound.

[Faithfulee]

Hope the changes ae not too great,  I am getting used to this one.

I do miss the profile box that had the option to bring up topics that I had posted too.

I don't know of another way that I can be sure that I respond to al the topics I posted to and especailly those that I authored.

Lee

[Thorolf]

If you look up a bit to where your avatar can be seen, you will see a link that says "Show new replies to your posts."

It's very good for tracking threads in which you have been involved...

[Faithfulee]

I just learned that I must of minimized my profile.  It was put back by clicking on the small + in the area to the right of the current time/date.

I am back in business.

[Daldianus]

Nice to hear about these changes.

But the forum is definitely slow and needs some more users to get some traction ...

[Thorolf]

Nice to hear about these changes.

But the forum is definitely slow and needs some more users to get some traction ...

We have a few things in the hopper to try to bring in more users, but honestly - the best way to do that is word of mouth by users of the forum.

So please feel free to consider this as a request - we're doing what we can to grow and bring in more people, but we need everyone's help in that department. 

Thanks!

[Daldianus]

Nice to hear about these changes.

But the forum is definitely slow and needs some more users to get some traction ...

We have a few things in the hopper to try to bring in more users, but honestly - the best way to do that is word of mouth by users of the forum.

So please feel free to consider this as a request - we're doing what we can to grow and bring in more people, but we need everyone's help in that department. 

Thanks!

It also depends on what kind of debates you want in here. If you only want the kind of debates (and debating styles) that are going on right now (and that seems to be what acumen was implying at one point) then you won't attract a lot of people ...

I'm sorry but there's no action

[allthegoodnamesweretaken]

Sometimes quality is preferable to quantity.

all

[Daldianus]

Sometimes quality is preferable to quantity.

all

Agreed. But it seems that only a quite narrow sort of questions are dealed with here.

[Daldianus]

There is a lot of action over here.  I have been around BNet for almost 8 years and they don't have much more, if as much, meaningful debate than Beliefcorner has managed to create in just 6 months.

I for one don't miss antagonizers and faith haters.  I challenge anyone to go on the Catholic Debate board on BNet and tell me it's not just a handful of Catholic haters talking to themselves...it's pathetic.

This board has and will continue to attract bright posters, with a knucklehead or two thrown in for fodder.

Are you speaking of the Evangelicals that hate Catholics on Bnet? Yeah, there are a bunch of them there ... I find this intra-Christian bashing quite ironic by the way.

But how can any real debate come up without antagonizers or people who put 'the finger into the wound'? Or are you just all more or less Christians discussing the details of your faith?

Pure haters are crap, I agree. They're not any more intelligent then the radical fundies on the other side.

[Faithfulee]

There is a lot of action over here.  I have been around BNet for almost 8 years and they don't have much more, if as much, meaningful debate than Beliefcorner has managed to create in just 6 months.

I for one don't miss antagonizers and faith haters.  I challenge anyone to go on the Catholic Debate board on BNet and tell me it's not just a handful of Catholic haters talking to themselves...it's pathetic.

This board has and will continue to attract bright posters, with a knucklehead or two thrown in for fodder.

Good points.  I have disdain for all the "haters"  It is a debilitating disease, no matter whom or what is the object of your hate.

[Daldianus]

There is a lot of action over here.  I have been around BNet for almost 8 years and they don't have much more, if as much, meaningful debate than Beliefcorner has managed to create in just 6 months.

I for one don't miss antagonizers and faith haters.  I challenge anyone to go on the Catholic Debate board on BNet and tell me it's not just a handful of Catholic haters talking to themselves...it's pathetic.

This board has and will continue to attract bright posters, with a knucklehead or two thrown in for fodder.

Good points.  I have disdain for all the "haters"  It is a debilitating disease, no matter whom or what is the object of your hate.

How do you define 'haters'? Where does 'hate' begin?

[Faithfulee]

How do you define 'haters'? Where does 'hate' begin?

Interesting question, but I will accept "when people use the word"

[Daldianus]

How do you define 'haters'? Where does 'hate' begin?

Interesting question, but I will accept "when people use the word"

So if one criticizes Christianity but doesn't hate it then that's ok? Or how do you mean this?

[Acumen]

I'm sorry but there's no action Wink

Dald, it takes time.  BeliefCorner was started last October by three guys busy with full-time jobs who decided one day, "Hey, let's start a discussion forum and see what happens!"

Bnet is a million dollar corporation now in the custody of Fox New Corp.  They are a mega monster in  terms of multi-faith forums.  We can't compete with them concerning volumes of posts, but we can certainly knock the socks off of them with quality posting and intelligent posters. 

[Daldianus]

I'm sorry but there's no action Wink

Dald, it takes time.  BeliefCorner was started last October by three guys busy with full-time jobs who decided one day, "Hey, let's start a discussion forum and see what happens!"

Bnet is a million dollar corporation now in the custody of Fox New Corp.  They are a mega monster in  terms of multi-faith forums.  We can't compete with them concerning volumes of posts, but we can certainly knock the socks off of them with quality posting and intelligent posters. 

There are no trolls here (yet), true. The quality of the posting is quite high and the posters seem to be mostly intelligent but most also seem to prefer the 'rather easy' questions.

But hey, I'll give it some time to grow and see

[Faithfulee]

How do you define 'haters'? Where does 'hate' begin?

Interesting question, but I will accept "when people use the word"

So if one criticizes Christianity but doesn't hate it then that's ok? Or how do you mean this?

Sure, I am prepared to discuss Christanity with anyone, anytime.  As I said,  anyone who "hates" Christianity only defines oneself, and give me an advantage in the debate

Thanks for asking

Geez, I was just getting used to this one.  Don't know if I could wrap my non techy mind around something else.  What's wrong with it now?

Nothing's wrong, but there are a couple of features that I'd like to be able to implement (like a WYSIWYG text editor) that are a bit... complicated to run with this software.

I'm not prepared to make that change just yet... it's more of something that is currently under consideration.

Don't worry - *IF* we change, the differences are not as dramatic as it may sound.

I second the text editor.  Am I losing it, but did this at one time have a spelling check??

Overall I like the icons giving different ways to make our posts _interesting

I just don't use many.

[Daldianus]

Use Mozilla Firefox as a browser, it has a spelling checker in it!