Habbox is dying

[Inseriousity.]

I have decided to resign and leave Habbox. I'll still pop on. When I say leave, I mean more active involvement like being staff or writing lengthy feedback threads (this is my last one, promise). I have been staff for a long time now. My first job as a News Reporter was back in April 2008 and I've only had roughly 4 months since then where I haven't had any Habbox job. Before Habbox, I had been involved with another fansite called HabboNation and -[H]- (a Habbo Hogwarts, yeah don't judge lol). I mention this because I stayed at them both until they closed and so I think I know the life cycle of a successful online community very well. Admittedly, this cycle applies more to -[H]- than it did for HabboNation (I know some of them lurk here) but generally speaking, it works.

1. The founders open the new community and work their socks off to make it a success.
2. The hard work pays off and the community becomes a success. Attracts hundreds, thousands of people to its site. Management do not have to work their socks off and their efforts (yes, ofc they still work hard but their focus tends to shift) focus on pleasing the community they've got because recruitment of new faces is not really an issue. People are willingly joining.
3. Over a long period, that changes as the community's popularity drops. More and more older users leave but not enough newer users join. Management are now back at number 1 but still have the mindset of number 2 and are not really equipped to deal with the issues.
4. Management are aware of the issues but make little changes here and there which do not really address the problem. The community closes.

I believe Habbox is between number 3 and 4 in this scenario. I know that these 'Habbox is dying' threads have been happening for a long time, even during its peak years for some reason, but Habbox is quite unique in that its community is often split into two groups: Habbo and forum.

- the Habbo community.
Usually younger, more likely to enter competitions, attend events, listen to HxL but not necessarily use the forum. Will give feedback more spontaneously and via discussion rather than the rather rigid feedback forum. Also more banter, gossip and ********.

- the forum community
Older, don't regularly use Habbo, less likely to get involved with Habbox activities and stick to discussion, using Habbox more out of habit than because they're active on Habbo or care about creds etc. Active around the forum.

I've copied that from a previous feedback thread where I said the same thing. Whenever anyone said 'Habbox is dying', I'd disagree with them because even if the forum community was decreasing (older faces leaving), the Habbo community usually stayed strong. I am aware that there is overlap but actually, I do think that is the issue. The overlap has got too much. Habbox's Habbo presence is usually just the old faces who are already part of the community using Habbo to talk to other members in the community. This did not used to be the case. There were also a lot of Habbos who attended events, hung out in the help desk but rarely used the forum.

When I say Habbox is dying, I mean Habbox's Habbo community is wilting down to very little. I think the only reason the forum community is still looking fairly stable (although there's been a noticeable decrease here too) is that there hasn't been such a big exodus of older faces as would be expected. We just can't help but stick around!

The effects of this are plain for all to see:

- Fewer posts around the forum.
- Recruitment is more difficult, practically impossible. I think it's obvious that there's been a lot of recycling going on with regards to staff appointments. The same faces cropping up everywhere.
- Fewer events
- Competitions getting less entries (personally, this has been depressing to watch. Comps used to get 10-15 entries with little effort at all now you're lucky to get 5 even if you're practically begging everyone to enter).
- Help desk almost empty at peak times. It can sometimes get to 15+ if you're lucky.
- HabboxLive off for most of the time and when it's on, very few listeners.

I wish I had a magic wand to fix everything as it's been super depressing to see the fansite I've put so much time into go out with a whimper like this. What would make me feel better though is if it felt like general management were doing something, anything, that they had even some semblance of a plan or a vision to improve things and make Habbox better. I know it's become a running joke that I ask for an action plan all the time but truthfully, I never expected one. I do not believe management have any clue what to do. Chris is best suited to rules, regulations and bureaucracy (the staff AGM role was a perfect fit for him) but he has little creativity or ideas of his own. His ideas are often just rehashes of what other people have suggested and he tends to tread water until one comes along he can jump onto. If they posted an action plan, it would expose that they are working on nothing of any substance. If you want proof of that, I posted the last action plan thread in November. It is now July and I can name the number of new things they have released on 1 hand (Community Challenge or Arcade Tournaments, for example) and that's not to say they're bad things but they are not really about attracting new users and more about improving the current community slightly. I'd have never needed to ask for an action plan from Oli or nvrspk4 or Sammeth. Those guys knew what they wanted doing even if you didn't always agree with them.

On that note, I think the issue with Habbox as a whole (some members are included in this) is that it is believed that things can be fixed with structural changes. If you ask AGMs what they've done, their list will normally be overwhelmingly based about reforming departments (and often behind the scenes which has little impact on what the community sees). As if tinkering around with a department - changing job titles or introducing new rules - will improve things. That's not to say that doing these things should be ignored but bigger picture, they have little effect on the community. I will also include hosting big events in that too. Aside from HxSS, where the high energy often attracts newer users to Habbox, most big events are also about pleasing the current community rather than attracting new people (the Habbox Pokemon event included although I have to say the event planning has been the best part of the job).

So what is the solution? Habbo, Habbo, Habbo. Events like Hx in the Park are a good idea because it gives Habbox an opportunity to showcase what it can do. I am actually writing this thread before the event has even started so we will see what comes of that but big events are short-term, Habbox needs to start thinking long-term. For the last time, I will be suggesting an action plan filled with long term ideas, not as some sort of promise or tying things down, but just to show the community that there is a plan, there are ideas and if you want to be a part of that, you can get involved. A message to general management, you do not have to do everything alone. Chances are you will have to lead and do the bulk of the work (The Box being a good example of that) but those big long-term projects are not easy and there is nothing wrong with turning to the community to help if obstacles are too much for 1 person rather than brushing it under the carpet. Maybe they will fail but at least the community will be able to acknowledge that general management are not sleepwalking through Habbox's problems. It is currently too easy to just drop a project if it gets too tough because no-one knows about it. How many good ideas have fell by the wayside?

But what should the action plan contain? I believe strongly that offering a service that Habbos can flock to is the key to attracting new users (like when rare values was that service). Like most entrepeneurs, most of these schemes may not work but all it takes is one service to hit jackpot that it would hopefully improve things. In my experience, money tends to be a good motivator. I think it may be worthwhile for Habbox to open up an SS/army type place with ranks and pay. Those rooms seem to be really popular with newbies and we need to get them to our side. From there, we can attract them to the forum and the wider Habbox community. Now that we have Room Builders, we have the skills to do this (my lack of room building skills hindered me, I really wish I'd thought of this) and it's not like Habbox hasn't done it before (Habbox Hogwarts, anyone?). It wouldn't be easy but basically, any rooms that can be made to attract newbies need to be on this list.

I know I've often been accused of being negative. Judging by the long thread so far of doom and gloom, that is definitely true so I'd like to end on a high note. Habbox has taught me so much. I have learnt about managing a team of volunteers, office politics, standing up for myself, debating skills, events planning and organisation blah blah blah. I take Habbox super seriously sometimes because I care about it, want it to succeed and it has some amazing talent here that should be reaping the rewards but is being let down by others not pulling their weight. I have met some wonderful people that I hope to keep in touch with and keep track of how you're getting on in life.

While I think if Habbox continues on its current path, it's going to end up closing, I also think that that moment is still a while away from now and there is still hope that things can pick up if the community works together. I really hope you do even if I am no longer a part of it.

--------------------------

I decided to resign about a month ago. I wrote this in advance (about a fortnight before the Habbox Pokemon event started) and some things have developed since then so instead of editing, I'm just going to add these footnotes to address them.

1. Hx in the Park hasn't been released as expected so that little section of my huge essay doesn't make much sense but I decided to leave it in because it was mentioned in the HabboxOaks video. I give Kelly permission to edit that part out if she wishes.

2. Speaking of Kelly, I have been impressed with what I've seen so far. She has a lot of good ideas in motion so perhaps the message above does not apply to her as much as the rest. The problem remains, however, that if I were not party to this information like a lot of members are not, it would appear that general management were not working on very much. This has an impact on staff/member morale (see point 4).

3. I noticed in MattG's interview that a) he sort of proved the point I made about rules above - I swear, I wrote this in advance - and b) he mentioned a battleplan. I didn't cream my pants lmao but similar to point 2, I believe that it needs to be made public. The problem with working as an AGM is that it's isolating. Even if the team talks constantly, the work is still ultimately one person's responsibility and it doesn't have to be. There was a time when someone at Habbox could revive a department alone with hard work, effort and perseverance. That is no longer the case. The Events Manager can't "revive" the Events Department single-handedly because the problems that it faces are much bigger than the department manager can control. Anyone that does it alone will often feel like it's been one step forward and then two steps back. I am sure many department managers will know what I'm talking about here. It requires a co-ordinated effort with everyone playing their part. That means that these battleplans/action plans/ideas need to be public, they need to be communicated to the public: this is what we are going to do but we can't do it alone.

4. My final point is this. Like Empired mentioned, I was surprised at how defeatist a lot of people were in the recent 'What made you join Habbox' thread about improving Habbox. Yes, it is true that Habbo is not at its peak and that means neither is Habbox but I think people use this as an excuse. There are other fansites that are on Habbo and do well, there are Habbos that never use fansites, there are Habbos that don't know what Habbox is. They are out there and we're doing absolutely nothing to go get them. People aren't stupid, they can see the troubles Habbox are facing, even management are openly admitting these things and yet they don't see action or any sense of vision/ideas to improve things. I really hope this "battleplan" (come on guys, just admit I was right and call it an Action Plan ) works out.

Good luck.

[wixard]

well we have met our monthly quota for 'habbox is dead' threads *ticks box*

sad to see you go, hope you stick around
i am pumped for hxss tbh i hope it increases activity on habbo, i have no other reason to log in for the time being

[FlyingJesus]

Could have written a bit more mate, come on put some effort in

Most important part of all that is "So what is the solution? Habbo, Habbo, Habbo" because it's absolutely bang on. I've been on the client a lot more recently and it's so easy to see the difference between people who really want to be actively pushing for community growth and those who seem to just grudgingly do a job for a bit in order to enjoy whatever perks they feel they get from the position and then sit back. We've got a few new faces recently who've flung themselves right in which is really great, but it does seem that there's a big disconnect in general between forum and client still

Anyway, bets on that you'll still be making these threads years down the line even if you don't hold an official position once a Habbo always a Habbo

[Danny]

HxSS may boost activity on Habbo, but only for a short period of time.

[Becca]

habbox been dyin for ages this is nothing new it was gr8 when xxmattgxx was general manager but someone took over n it got rubbish! apparently people can't express their own opinion in this community without being threatened to get banned

[lRhyss]

habbox been dyin for ages this is nothing new it was gr8 when xxmattgxx was general manager but someone took over n it got rubbish! apparently people can't express their own opinion in this community without being threatened to get banned

the problem doesn't lay with the general management changes at all

It was going downhill when Matt was still GM, and it had been for a while before that,

[Samantha]

Understandably, some members of General Management might not seem to do a lot (which I do agree with), but how can you criticize them when you've had 1 member of staff in your department for God knows how long?

I will reply more in depth later after I have another read through, but your comment about not being able to revive a department on your own is ******** and that's coming from someone who has actually done it before (and a few others have to be fair, more recently). Also, yeah, it would be great to revive most departments at Habbox currently, yeah it can be hard to do it on your own - you are not on your own though, you have (well had if you're resigning) Shoned since she stepped down from AGM!

[Becca]

the problem doesn't lay with the general management changes at all

It was going downhill when Matt was still GM, and it had been for a while before that,

no one invite u u ferret

Edited by mdport. (Forum Super Moderator): Please do not post pointlessly or be rude to others.

[Danny]

I think it would help if you had an overhaul of General Management if I am honest.

[Kardan]

Understandably, some members of General Management might not seem to do a lot (which I do agree with), but how can you criticize them when you've had 1 member of staff in your department for God knows how long?

I will reply more in depth later after I have another read through, but your comment about not being able to revive a department on your own is ******** and that's coming from someone who has actually done it before (and a few others have to be fair, more recently). Also, yeah, it would be great to revive most departments at Habbox currently, yeah it can be hard to do it on your own - you are not on your own though, you have (well had if you're resigning) Shoned since she stepped down from AGM!

What departments have been revived recently?