The Contingency Plan/Exit Strategy

SGR · 07-12-2022, 07:56 AM

I used to frequent the online Fall forum - they used to have an old school forum but a couple years ago, they upgraded/moved to Tapatalk hosting. In doing some very light googling, It appears they do free forum hosting and have a free mobile app. In using it for the Fall forum, they do have notifications when others reply to you or threads you've engaged in - they have more custom configuration settings, etc. They do support it with ads, but I've never noticed because I use an ad blocker. Here's what that site looks like if you're curious.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thefall/

I can't speak extensively about the app - I did download it and it does work well - being a dedicated app, you don't have to worry about browser compatibilities - it works and it looks clean.

rubber soul · 07-12-2022, 07:59 AM

Stay away from Tapatalk. At my old forum, newbies that used Tapatalk would get hijacked so Tapatalk could sneak their ads onto every post they made. Sneaky buggers they were.

SGR · 07-12-2022, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul

Stay away from Tapatalk. At my old forum, newbies that used Tapatalk would get hijacked so Tapatalk could sneak their ads onto every post they made. Sneaky buggers they were.

Fair enough.

Guybrush · 07-12-2022, 08:21 AM

Why wouldn't you just register a domain like busicmanter or something, get some webhosting and set up a WordPress frontpage and a phpbb install at /forum?

I realize this solution may sound a little 2006, but it probably still works and in a way that's moved with the times?

No ads or anything.

SGR · 07-12-2022, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

Why wouldn't you just register a domain like busicmanter or something, get some webhosting and set up a WordPress frontpage and a phpbb install at /forum?

I realize this solution may sound a little 2006, but it probably still works and in a way that's moved with the times?

No ads or anything.

Probably because no one wants to pay out of their own pocket for the backup/alternative solution to Music Banter, no?

The Batlord · 07-12-2022, 08:51 AM

Can I post pornography and call jwb the n-word?

Trollheart · 07-12-2022, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

The community at large here has always opted for keeping the status quo, seemingly opting for the devil they know rather than take any risk.

For myself, hosting a forum isn't magic. It's not hard and doesn't have to be expensive. The community are the posters, not this blue and outdated junk from 2003. Moving could open up a lot of new exciting possibilities. Staying is slow death.

I like MB a lot, but it's only getting duller as the years go by. Take a risk, people.

I'm happy to move if that's the majority consensus. My main worry is the history here. There's literally no way you could move all of, say, Your Day, to a new forum no matter how many unpaid YTS trainees you roped into it, and that's just one thread! I shudder at how long it's going to take me to move all the entries (well, all the ones made by me) in my personal journals over. So any new forum is essentially starting almost from scratch. Those who have an attachment to certain threads could move them over if they wanted to, but it does sound like it could get messy. Look at my "Love or Hate?" thread. I could move my reviews and comments but not those of other people, and these are what gave the thread its real life and interest.

If we decided to begin from Day One, then yeah, but if we try to port the forum over, as it were, I see that as being a big headache. Unless there's an app for that? Is there an app for that? Tell me there's an app for that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

I think we spoke about this before. Forums are dying anyway, the advantage of this one I guess is that it has a vast library of discussions that potentially keeps new people signing up (every now and then they stay and contribute). Back in the golden days of forums I've joined more than one and have seen the majority die because of lack of activity.

How do you make sure a new forum succeeds in attracting new people?

Set up containment centres for new members, subject them to 24-hour indoctrination and then release them into the community.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

Not sure, but the musicbanter community could have a presence on various social medias if that's your thing and perhaps some place or way to tie it all together. Maybe someone could find musicbanter from Instagram

A more phone optimized forum and features like notification when someone tags you could be nice. It might not make more people discover the site, but maybe it helps up activity or make people stay.

I don't know: social media and I don't even see each other at funerals and weddings these days. Personally, I'll have nothing to do with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul

Post nude photos of Batty?

The question was how to we attract, not scare people away!

Just as an aside, the one thing you can do with a forum you control as opposed to this one here, is add stuff you want. Last night I added sections for artists and pets, and had this idea of a private chat room, which might be something. Also if you don't like the colour (bloody Philistines and Eirephobes!) you can just change it.

And no, it's not going to my head, how dare you!

Guybrush · 07-12-2022, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGR

Probably because no one wants to pay out of their own pocket for the backup/alternative solution to Music Banter, no?

Like 30 bucks? I'd do it. I'm sure many would.

Edit:

One could also set up a patreon or something so more could chip in.

SGR · 07-12-2022, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

Like 30 bucks? I'd do it. I'm sure many would.

More power to you. Not me. At least, not until we have some kind of consensus about how we want to proceed moving forward. I don't think we're there yet.

The worst part, as others have pointed out, about losing this place is losing the history. If we're just going to start from scratch, I don't know which evil is lesser - using a free forum hosted by some other company or spinning up our own custom one and having the fate be in the hands of (likely) one person - and banking that they'd maintain interest and pay recurring domain/hosting fees.

Guybrush · 07-12-2022, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGR

The worst part, as others have pointed out, about losing this place is losing the history.

A problem that grows bigger every day and will make it hurt more when this site suddenly goes offline.

07-12-2022, 08:21 AM	#44 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	Why wouldn't you just register a domain like busicmanter or something, get some webhosting and set up a WordPress frontpage and a phpbb install at /forum? I realize this solution may sound a little 2006, but it probably still works and in a way that's moved with the times? No ads or anything. __________________ Something Completely Different

07-12-2022, 07:56 AM	#41 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,327	I used to frequent the online Fall forum - they used to have an old school forum but a couple years ago, they upgraded/moved to Tapatalk hosting. In doing some very light googling, It appears they do free forum hosting and have a free mobile app. In using it for the Fall forum, they do have notifications when others reply to you or threads you've engaged in - they have more custom configuration settings, etc. They do support it with ads, but I've never noticed because I use an ad blocker. Here's what that site looks like if you're curious. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thefall/ I can't speak extensively about the app - I did download it and it does work well - being a dedicated app, you don't have to worry about browser compatibilities - it works and it looks clean.