I've not posted on here much for a fair few months but that's not due to the forum, rather some positive and negative changes that have happened in my life recently.
I did notice you'd been quiet @poopscoop and wondered how you were getting on...
@sirromj is it? Who expects it as a convention? It would seem that at least two of us didn't know that.
|I didn't know it either. OK boomer 🙂
When I first started frequenting the forum (was a refugee from SDH when they did a revamp) there were multiple "I have £xxxx help me build Y" threads that were interesting to read through, comment on etc.
To me it seems since bikes have got more expensive in parts and as a whole, these threads have disappeared. I haven't bought or built a new bike since 2016 and 2019 respectively and new bikes are just mental prices these days.
I also used to ride 2-3 times a week, eat-sleep-breath MTB, now it's more like 1-2 a month and my interests are elsewhere as I've grown up.
As a first time user I have not paid, yet! But that said it’s not a great experience. If people think it’s had its day do something to improve it.
A very interesting observation.
Good to see you Poopscoop, I enjoy your adventure threads.
I'm another who had no idea about the text box expansion thingy.
I posted recently about this in a similar thread on the bike section.
TLDR. New forum software is crap/bloated with unneeded features/photo hosting doesn't work properly/entire site too slow.
Have wandered off as I just cannot be bothered here. Not worth paying for STW having experienced free forums elsewhere.
Shame. Hope it gets sorted as it's been good.
Who expects it as a convention?
I do, sample size of one 😄
The forum experience as a whole seems to be working pretty well for me now to be honest.
Maybe it's quieter because I've stopped/CBA winding the frothers up so much 😉
I think the text box expander was around for a long time on Macs before it became a thing on PC and other platforms in the last 5 years or so. (I speak as someone who uses both and gets confused as to which features are on which computer) - but yeah I expect it as a convention.
But I don't actually have to use it on this site, as I find the box just merrily increases in size as I type, anyway...
The little icon at the bottom right of the text box would be more obvious if the (useless?) gif icon wasn't there.
Half a million people come to this site a month?
If those numbers being bombarded by ads is what keeps you afloat. Then fair play while it lasts.
But you have to wonder what percentage of those "people" actually percevere with closing pop up after pop up, user agreement notices and resizing their screens to even be able to read anything when after all that it's surrounded by a ridiculous amount of badly placed intrusive ads. And of those who do. How long is a new user even likely to stay once they realise all the content is only really relevant to a tiny demographic and certain type of middle aged and older man?
A few years back I heard a friend refer to the STW forum as "Same Twelve ****ers" .
Twelve is probably generous these days.
Also kinda begs the question. Why do a bunch of old men need protected by a swear filter
Been a free member on here for years, back in the day the forum was alright, but littered with sexism at times. Last few years its been really good, sold stuff, brought stuff, posted a bit. Very grateful to have access to it.
I know things change but my experience is that the forum is now clunky, difficult to navigate, and has too much going on. I commend the people running it, cannot be easy.
I definitely visit far less 🙁
It’s not even worth posting on any of those threads any more, due to the utterly Joyless, humourless, sanctimonious, self-righteous, holier-than-though, virtue-signalling ****s all competing in their Taliban-esque way, for some inexplicable reason, to signal how idealogically pure they are .
I reckon the thing that will do for this forum is the monumental lack of self-awareness of some posters. 😉
That and people taking it far too seriously.
The little icon at the bottom right of the text box would be more obvious if the (useless?) gif icon wasn't there.
Useless? Useless?!?!!
The forum experience as a whole seems to be working pretty well for me now to be honest.
Same, it's fine - and I'm sure the few niggles are being sorted out.
It feels like the tedious bickering and political threads generally have dropped off a bit, or have I just tuned it out?
Forum is a bit quiet, but I also think it's got a bit less negative and nicer - and it's still a great place to read and share riding-related info.
There are lots of great people on the forum and for me, everything works as it should, no complaints here and I get loads of useful info from the forum. Like anywhere else on the internet, I don’t engage with the nonsensical and rude. 🙂
It’s not even worth posting on any of those threads any more, due to the utterly Joyless, humourless, sanctimonious, self-righteous, holier-than-though, virtue-signalling ****s all competing in their Taliban-esque way, for some inexplicable reason, to signal how idealogically pure they are .
I reckon the thing that will do for this forum is the monumental lack of self-awareness of some posters. 😉
That and people taking it far too seriously.
That's been implied on this thread several times already
In order for the forum to progress and expand, it's imperative that some of the STW staff downgrade their membership settings to Free User so they know what the experience is like.
Can I just ask all forum members with a lack of self-awareness to raise their hands?
In order for the forum to progress and expand, it's imperative that some of the STW staff downgrade their membership settings to Free User so they know what the experience is like.
+1
The saying "if you can't see the price then you're the product" is true, but this place is getting quiet. And if it's quiet then why pay for the add free version.
These days I probably start more discussions on facebook or watsapp groups. If I've got some niche technical query then it's more likely to get a correct answer, and if it's a geographical group then someone might even have the specific tool / part to solve it too.
In order for the forum to progress and expand, it's imperative that some of the STW staff downgrade their membership settings to Free User so they know what the experience is like.
A poor first impression is unlikely to make anyone want to subscribe, so they'll never know how well the forum works as a subscriber. If there was some way of providing a trial/demo period of full membership, that might help? There are undoubtedly some logistical/technical problems to be overcome for that though.
An alternative might be an occasional day where everyone gets subscriber level access to the forum. Only @Mark would be able to judge the cost of that (though I think it has happened in the past).
In my OP I was really trying to determine what type of forum content was missing / had reduced. The discussion wandered off into technical issues and how folk interact but I guess both of those factors reduce engagement as a whole.
In order for the forum to progress and expand, it's imperative that some of the STW staff downgrade their membership settings to Free User so they know what the experience is like.
A poor first impression is unlikely to make anyone want to subscribe, so they'll never know how well the forum works as a subscriber. If there was some way of providing a trial/demo period of full membership, that might help? There are undoubtedly some logistical/technical problems to be overcome for that though.
An alternative might be an occasional day where everyone gets subscriber level access to the forum. Only @Mark would be able to judge the cost of that (though I think it has happened in the past).
In my OP I was really trying to determine what type of forum content was missing / had reduced. The discussion wandered off into technical issues and how folk interact but I guess both of those factors reduce engagement as a whole.
that's a massive thing for me. If i go to a website and it's 'pop-up' 'advert' etc i'm closing the site within seconds... Simple as that. It's just a deal breaker and i doubt i'm alone.
Of course i can see WHY they need the income from adverts here.... but that doesn't mean i'd accept it.
I don't pay subscription because i like the place, want to support the staff/owners, i pay subscription to remove the adverts, it's honestly that simple in my world.
I don't pay subscription because i like the place, want to support the staff/owners, i pay subscription to remove the adverts, it's honestly that simple in my world.
Completely agree. I’ve had the odd moment when I wasn’t logged in and it’s awful with pop up ads everywhere.
It’s not even worth posting on any of those threads any more, due to the utterly Joyless, humourless, sanctimonious, self-righteous, holier-than-though, virtue-signalling ****s all competing in their Taliban-esque way, for some inexplicable reason, to signal how idealogically pure they are .
I reckon the thing that will do for this forum is the monumental lack of self-awareness of some posters. 😉
That and people taking it far too seriously.
That's been implied on this thread several times already
And yet Daz still managed to miss in his quote the most glaring example of a lack of self-awareness ! 😂
they’re just permanently angry and unpleasant
I don't pay subscription because i like the place, want to support the staff/owners, i pay subscription to remove the adverts, it's honestly that simple in my world.
Completely agree. I’ve had the odd moment when I wasn’t logged in and it’s awful with pop up ads everywhere.
Same here.
In order for the forum to progress and expand, it's imperative that some of the STW staff downgrade their membership settings to Free User so they know what the experience is like.
As far as I can tell I don't think anyone in the office uses the forum at all. Certainly not casually, or joining in with general chat or what tyres threads
The forum is dying because it's a bike forum where it's taboo to talk about expensive new bikes or tech.
'Sanctimonious Track World' hits the nail on the head.
As far as I can tell I don't think anyone in the office uses the forum at all. Certainly not casually, or joining in with general chat or what tyres threads
They're too busy using actual real mountain bikes 😉
Mark and Hannah do post occasionally, not only for website related stuff or under articles.
With the amount of work gone into this site recently, I think it's a bit much to say that they don't know what the performance/experience is like for non-members. Mark's posted about this in detail (though not recently, I think) and it basically boils down to them making most of the revenue from ads so it's impossible to get rid of them, much as they'd like to.
I don't pay subscription because i like the place, want to support the staff/owners, i pay subscription to remove the adverts, it's honestly that simple in my world.
Completely agree. I’ve had the odd moment when I wasn’t logged in and it’s awful with pop up ads everywhere.
Same here.
see im the opposite. i pay the sub as i think the forum is excellent, theres a wealth of broad and niche experience in every field, theres always someone that can help me save a few quid here and there whether its hundreds of £'s on something important (pension advice say?) or just a few quid or handy things to know.
this place has saved me a lot of money over the years and broadened my knowledge, also challenged my views in some respects which is healthy. its also a great place for everyone pulling together in someones hour of need, thats happened time and time again.
to me its worth its weight in gold, im on here multiple times per day and thats what i pay for.
if i didnt value that and just wanted rid of the ads, well theres er.... other ways of doing that that mustnt be mentioned 😉
itll be a sad day if it does ever die.
When i joined this forum in my 30s i think the STW demographic was a great representation of what UK mountain biking was. I'm now in my 50s and it feels like UK MTB and the STW demographic are now in quite different places.
Next time you pass through some woods and see some young guns building jumps and berms on the steepest part of the hill, then sessioning them on a nukeproof ebike (without some boring old man calling them a cheat), ask them why they are not on here. Bet they've never heard of it.
The forum is dying because it's a bike forum where it's taboo to talk about expensive new bikes or tech.
Cobblers
When i joined this forum in my 30s i think the STW demographic was a great representation of what UK mountain biking was. I'm now in my 50s and it feels like UK MTB and the STW demographic are now in quite different places.
Next time you pass through some woods and see some young guns building jumps and berms on the steepest part of the hill, then sessioning them on a nukeproof ebike (without some boring old man calling them a cheat), ask them why they are not on here. Bet they've never heard of it.
I think you’ve nailed it. Demographic on here remains unchanged that’s why it’s dying. Look below.
Urban Dictionary Singletrackworld
The forum is dying because it's a bike forum where it's taboo to talk about expensive new bikes or tech.
Cobblers
There is an element of truth to that, I’ve had plenty of snide comments off the back of my adventures in ridiculous, shiny, expensive bikes and parts.
Not that IGAF, but it does happen.
There is an element of truth to that, I’ve had plenty of snide comments off the back of my adventures in ridiculous, shiny, expensive bikes and parts.
Fair enough. Whenever I look at the bike forum there seems to be plenty of posts about tech bling and expensive (to me) bikes. I've seen snide comments about people riding old or budget bikes too. In fact, if we are honest, we sometimes get snide comments on threads on just about any subject! I very much doubt that there is a "taboo" about tech and posh bikes. It's just as IRL, there are sometimes a few knobbers willing to chuck their oar in.
Age demographic for the last month in ranking order. Date from Google Analytics and based on a sample size of around 27% of all users.
When i joined this forum in my 30s i think the STW demographic was a great representation of what UK mountain biking was. I'm now in my 50s and it feels like UK MTB and the STW demographic are now in quite different places.
This is it for me. And the high likelihood that a lot less riding is done these days by us older folks.
The forum is dying because it's a bike forum where people talk about expensive new bikes or tech rather than interesting stuff like actually riding bikes
FTFY]
