Retaining new members

[Cheryl]

TBH get the events team bigger and get a few events (if possible a day), advertise in Habbo, by making an event, and as new people come to the event just advertise the Forum and HabboxLive, as if the like Habbo, and most people like to listen to music or watch TV whilst on Habbo, they would listen to HxLand maybe find their way eventually to the Forum

[Immenseman]

Is it bad if i post saying that others only post here for the post count? (in the welcome threads).

It's not bad because it's your opinion. However, it doesn't affect you in the slightest. I know my first thread on any forum determines my opinion on the forum altogether. If people are posting welcome just to get their post count up. The new member won't care and just be happy that many people are welcoming them.

I personally make a thing of trying to +REP them as a form of welcome to the forum. I do it when I see new users post in feedback also. They may not understand the ins and outs of Habbox but they're still trying to contribute and their efforts shouldn't go unnoticed.

[AgnesIO]

It's not bad because it's your opinion. However, it doesn't affect you in the slightest. I know my first thread on any forum determines my opinion on the forum altogether. If people are posting welcome just to get their post count up. The new member won't care and just be happy that many people are welcoming them.

I personally make a thing of trying to +REP them as a form of welcome to the forum. I do it when I see new users post in feedback also. They may not understand the ins and outs of Habbox but they're still trying to contribute and their efforts shouldn't go unnoticed.

I'm new!

Well I was 3 years ago

Anyway. I do think the biggest problem for those who do post is they are not welcomed very well. I mean, very often I see a new user (normally under 50 posts), post something, then first reply he gets is 'yeh but you are a ****' or something. Io that is not needed, and when thins like that happen there is absolutely no wonder why new members leave.

[nvrspk4]

I think the majority agree that a big problem is elitism, rudeness to new members etc.

I happen to agree.

Now...how do we fix it?

[AgnesIO]

I think the majority agree that a big problem is elitism, rudeness to new members etc.

I happen to agree.

Now...how do we fix it?

Instead of going through the:

'Usernote; Kind PM; Warning; nfraction' process just warn then infract straight away?

Like only if a member has <50 posts or using the forum for the first month.

Would cut down, as if people end uip with 6 points, they normally stop to let them expire.

I know some users won't like this as apparently they cannot contain themselves. But still

[Jamesy]

Instead of going through the:

'Usernote; Kind PM; Warning; nfraction' process just warn then infract straight away?

Like only if a member has <50 posts or using the forum for the first month.

Would cut down, as if people end uip with 6 points, they normally stop to let them expire.

I know some users won't like this as apparently they cannot contain themselves. But still

Problem is any increase in force will a: drive the older members away or b: make us look incredibly harsh and put off the new members anyway - that and at least the pm -> warn system gives us moderators some breathing space incase of a mistake - and you've seen the threads that come about from simply mistakingly editing a post .

Elitism on the internet is always hard to get rid of - perhaps we can have a greater use for the forum specific bans in keeping those who are rude and disrespectful out of the problem areas. This doesn't disrupt the other areas where older more confident members hang about, while keeping their hostility away from the places new members go.

[Nixt]

I agree that the above would be a good idea. Excluding members from the Forums in which they target new members would, theoretically, make them think twice about doing it in the future. Again though, that would be seen as quite harsh. Perhaps you could expand on the "bullying" rule, adding that it is against the rules to target members specifically because they are new and have the Moderation team really drive this home through the use of the usernote > warning > infraction process. If the individual in question turns out to be a repeat offender in a particular Forum then the specific bans can be used. This way you are not being any more harsh than normal but you are establishing the targeting of new members as against the rules.

There is a massive grey area here, though. For example in the Sports Forum you see quite a lot of banter and it can be difficult to establish between banter and bullying sometimes. In retaining new members, we don't want to piss off the older members! So if such a rule could be implemented and appropriate punishment exercised properly without pissing off new members too much, something like this could work.

[Immenseman]

What's wrong with the days when you tried to speak to people first! I'm sure if you as in nvr (it won't be half as effective if anyone else produces it) made a thread in announcements telling everyone you're having an issue with retaining new members and outlined the reasons why. We believe this is due to elitism, whether it is or not remains to be seen. If you then asked the members to rally and try and prevent doing this I personally think you'll seen an improvement - especially with older members.

However, it's going to be the people who are established on HxF but not quite 'senior' members so to speak that are going to cause the issues. They don't really respect management in my opinion. Although I often disagree I fully understand the last word is with the General Management team and they're only doing things to make Habbox better. Anyway, try talking first then if that fails implement other ideas.

I don't believe elitism is that much of an issue anyway. If you all believe it is then try and speak to all members first. They will listen.

[ihatehash]

One thing to boost numbers could be instead of events on habbo do events on the forums. I noticed they do this on habbable and i believe thats where alot of our members will go if they dont like hxf. you could do things like a trivia, or a quest etc. that way when a new member sees these events on it will make them want to continue checking back to see when the next forum event is on.

[Inseriousity.]

There was a recent HabboxForum quest (feedback was that it was quite difficult and we will take that on board but if it was too easy, it'd be -yawns-). They'll only remain on the forum if people stop pointing their noses up and start treating newbies as equal. Get tougher on the people who post simply to abuse members who are 'beneath' them.

'Nooby not snobby'