Kiss of life?

[PiesAreGood]

Two thoughts.

Facebook is so pervasive these days, although like PeteS I refuse to use it, I suspect that the majority of people looking for fell running information or online interaction probably gravitate to facebook (or should that be meta) and don't even give the forums a second thought.

Another forum I frequent does not allow any political or religious discussion. Specifically to avoid any ugly arguments on those topics. General chat about anything else (unrelated to the main forum topic is no problem) flourishes. The no politics or religion is actively moderated with polite notices from the mods and threads locked where necessary. I think this rule is a real benefit to maintaining a (mostly ) friendly and harmonious community there.

[PiesAreGood]

I lurk now and again on this forum, dont run now apart from parkruns following bowel cancer in 2018. I organize a couple of fell races still though. The forum has so much on-line competition now,I bet most new to fell running dont know of its existence.

Sorry to read about this dnf. Hope that you have managed to make a good recovery. Getting to the parkruns is a good sign.

[Graham Breeze]

... that it's an increasingly minority sport with a disproportionately and increasingly aged, blokey participants?

I don't have recent data on the average age of FRA members but, off the top of my head, the % female members is as high as it has ever been (20%?), the % of females on the Executive Committee is similarly at a peak (when I joined in 2002 it was zero) and of the 16 FRA Chairs, two of the last three have been women.

[Fellbeast]

I’m really in favour of being able to easily upload pictures, having a like button and a real name policy. But there again I’d really like the forum to grow and become a thing again. Most of the points being made here not to change are probably because those forumites are quite content with the way things are - a cosy little chat with people they sort of know. The lack of female members (millepede excepting) on the forum or indeed any of the front of the pack in any fell race speaks volumes. A no religion and no politics rule would be fricking excellent too

The forum really needs a full on makeover I think and it’s great to see that the FRA are really considering this. One things for sure though is with Brett retiring surely it will be the new way or the no way?

[Marco]

Part of my point is that to an outsider, there is no indication of who anyone is, how old they are or where they are based. It would be far more welcoming to potential new members of the forum, if all contributors were open about their identity.

As someone of mixed-race I know what abuse is. I also know that everywhere on the internet there is a small percentage of trolls, bigots, racists and worse. For this reason I will never use my full name or a photo on the internet, especially in a format that is open to the entire world. In a sport such as ours, which is predominantly white, I think this is the way not to go if we want to increase diversity (in all its forms).

Anonymity works both ways. Yes, it can offer protection to trolls and worse. It also protects those on the receiving end of abuse as they can report it, (and log off if they feel necessary), but feel safe in the knowledge that they can't be traced

[Llani Boy]

You'll be easily traced Marco, whether anonymous or not.

We just need to look for a bloke, hanging around HS2 building sites, on his bike!

[Graham Breeze]

You'll be easily traced Marco, whether anonymous or not.

We just need to look for a bloke, hanging around HS2 building sites, on his bike!

Ha ha.

And any Forum that makes me laugh gently can't be all bad.

[JohnK]

I admit I have never felt any need to look at facebook mainly because I have never enjoyed wasting time trawling through dross before finding what I am looking for and that is how this forum used to be and when I first joined the forum I could quickly find what I was looking for and if not I was confident that if I asked a question then a quick friendly response would be forthcoming.

However I feel that the forum is no longer like that when a newcomer novice fellrunner first opens the forum they are confronted with a bewildering menu that to a novice with quetions to ask the menu offers no starting point just the oppurtunity to randomly click on threads that may offer some answers but more likely than not wil intimidate and confuse them.

As has been said the whole forum requires a shake up and made more welcoming with a much less busy opening menu, so that novice users can feel their way around without trawling through threads they find confusing or intimidating.

Another specialist subject forum I subscribe to achieves this by having a a two tier membership system i.e. a novice registers on the forum and then when they decide they like it then they apply for full membership whereby they are sent an online membership form on which they record their details and then when the form has been processed they are given full membership and a membership number (which is displayed on the thread with their forum name etc therefore if need be the forum administrators should know the true identity of the member even if they are using a pseudonym on the forum). and gain access to the members only section of the forum where there is an even greater centre of knowledge and experience + members discounts for goods from various suppliers of products of interest to the members.

Plus one on no politics or relgion, I really see no point in like buttons etc much nicer and more friendly if you like something to just say thanks.

On the subject of photographs I think a link to photographs would be preferable to cluttering threads up with pictures that may or may not be of interest.

[Travs]

John i think just about all your points are very good in the post above.

However when i joined the forum, i was impressed by the layout... i think it's fairly simple and navigable... not sure how much more you can simplify General/Races/Training/Equipment/Other Races/Off Topic/etc.... there's even a sub-heading for Beginners. That all seemed very helpful to me at the time.

[Wheeze]

Interesting thoughts about "no politics, no religion ". Those items have bruised us and turned people off the forum. And yet I have greatly valued being able to have debates about non fell running topics with like minded folk. I would never post thoughts about such subjects on an open platform like Facebook. But being able to chat and test positions within a closed group has been of value to me. However, the great repository of experience and advice about fell running is perhaps to valuable to risk on the face of the acrimony that such debates can engender. Thoughtful moderation would be key to managing this. Buts it's a thankless task. Who would want to do it? I salute those who do, and have stood on this barricade.