Forum going down hill?

[hah]

Rare values, as has always been stated, are based on what the reporters see them selling for. Habbox doesn't set prices, it just calculates averages and trends for what items are already going for on the hotel.



Going to have to outright disagree with you there I'm afraid. A little while back there were a couple of threads about what to do concerning the dwindling activity on forum, and having looked through what figures I could (obviously I can't see all banned members and deleted posts when I do my searches) I found that we aren't really getting much less in terms of new membership, but posting has decreased massively nonetheless. Conclusion was that getting more people to join wasn't the problem at all, but rather making those who are here stay. Something horrific like 67% of members signed up in the first half of October (when I did these checks) hadn't even posted once, while only 6% had made 10 or more posts. These figures are likely to be different now because it's a new month and things like this obviously don't stay static, but it's obviously not looking good.



This should help hopefully, I agree that presence on Habbo needs to be stepped up. Most of us older lot don't go on any more and as far as I can tell a large number of upper management are no longer regulars. A bigger show from the bigger names (and behaving properly, here's looking at you HxHD if you haven't improved since the times I complained ) would be useful in terms of making sure we're still the foremost in fansites and community. Maybe a Christmas panto where Sam does front of house in the foyer would be a good idea or something along those lines



Because you're bl

oody gorgeous mate



Post approval as far as I'm aware is there just to stop spam bots, but surely for this only 1 post needs to be approved? Just a thought and I may be wrong on that. Arcade isn't a massive issue for me but if it really would bring more people in then perhaps it ought to be opened up to a few more people than just donators/VIP and whatever userranks can use it at the moment. Maybe allowing comps to make, well, comps for it would be a good step, especially as I believe there's been a drive recently for forum-based competitions of late.



This is something I've spoken about time and time again without much happening. Social cliques are a part of humanity as we all like having friends and feeling like we're a part of something, and our own downfall here may be that the forum is now (and has been for some time) too big for just membership to feel like inclusion. I'm going to just copy&paste what I put in another thread because I don't think it really needs rewording and it's easier for me to do it this way. To wit:

In the forum's history there have been plenty of secular activity from the old spam crew and the Runescape fanatics who used to invade each other's area every now and then to KKK and whatever various rivals have sprung up and all the other more general divides (new spam, tech kids, Habbo players, graphics... just basically divides based on where you spend most of your time here). What I'd suggest is something that's come up before but not been implemented - more groups that people can actually join.
Currently we only have pixel artists and IT crowd as public member groups, which doesn't really do a lot for bringing people together as far as I know because they're rather too general. I'm not at all suggesting the system CH have where anyone can make any stupid group like "we like food", but allowing people to apply for having a group of like-minded friends could be to the benefit of the community. Of course, it sounds like it would just further ostracise new members who aren't part of a group, but the reality is that people like being accepted and like being part of something, so even a "new members" group could be made so they at least can get to know the users that are going to grow to be their peers, and when they're no longer so new they'll have whatever friends they've made there to make a new group (or stick around to welcome the even newer people if they so wish).

The truth of humanity is that no matter how much you try to be individual and promote individuality, we always look for a way to connect with others and it feels good when you do. HxSS is a popular and very successful example of this - the teams are still up on group memberships page btw - so a community driven group system could if left unabused and properly managed help strengthen the forum's sense of belonging.

This is of course in direct opposition to what some others say about getting rid of elitist and closed-in group mentality, as I firmly believe that trying to fight such a fundamental part of human nature would always be fruitless



I've thought for a while now that comps and events ought to be merged. They'd be able to get more done and not require two sets of management for what are essentially smaller jobs. Events I know can require a lot of planning, especially for Christmas of HxSS and the like, but comps really just put out a couple of threads a month and sit back waiting for it to finish. A large backlog of possible competitions could be written up in half an hour of thought and then just picked out of the vault as and when needed - an entire team isn't particularly necessary. To be fair there are more now than there were previously but it still hardly warrants a separate staff, not to put anyone down.

I agree with you to an extent in that events aren't always that great in that there are limits to what games you can do on Habbo, but that said there's nothing anyone can do about that. I think events staff do a great job of it generally, and seem to manage to make it popular enough even if it is very samey - what events would you rather see here? Not attacking you of course, just making the point that there's not a lot that can be done.

Can't really comment on Matt's work as I don't really know what he does - maybe that says a lot in itself but I know better than to judge a management job from anywhere just by what you can see. Who knows, maybe management as a whole need to be a bit more public, them being in essence the face of Habbox as it stands

on the bold part, Roxy PM'dd me and i sent her a few ideas

[FlyingJesus]

Good times, nice to see people actually giving ideas instead of just straight criticisms

[Hecktix]

Good times, nice to see people actually giving ideas instead of just straight criticisms

When he's in a good mood there's a lot more to Graham than meets the eye I think

[Mentor]

Need more arguments.

Somewhere along the lines, someone got it in to there heads that arguments and conflict of opinion were somehow bad for the forum. On this basis habbox has worked to remove the members who caused and entered in to arguments - now its starting to win, the forums dieing....

why? because coming to a forum to say, "ya i agree" to everything is a waste of time and downright boring. People need to be able to disagree, have totally conflicting views and discuss them without threads being closed because "arguments are teh bad" - people see these threads, have opinions and join in, some members will even join just to join in. Arguments that consist of "u sux" are pointless, sure. arguments that consist of two differing opinions over an issue on the other hand, even if it becomes heated are not bad, and are the lifeblood of most successful forums.

Make this forum a good place to talk, to discuss, to debate, people will talk. make it one where any real discussion is met with closed topics and banned, people will just go somewhere else. simple as that really

That said, this thread (more aless) is a yearly occurrence, and my reply (more aless) is a yearly response to it - and as far as i can see, the forums still here and chugging along, so i doubt it'll be all that different next year

[Jamesy]

I am agreeing with garion to be honest. The best antidote to this is a rather large shake up to get this forum motoring again. Controversially I think relaxing the forum will be a step in the right direction.

[Inseriousity.]

God know how many times competitions said they are going to change yet no one has seen this, there comps are still 1000 word essays that only get people who hardly post entering them because they have nothing else to do.

Surely to make this assumption, you are actually looking at them? If you did, you would notice that competitions are becoming a lot more varied in their approach. In the past 2 months, we have had a forum quest, for example. Please go through the 'Competitions that have ended' and post links to the '1000 word essay' competitions recently. I can assure you that you would find very few of them. Start backing up your points with actual evidence rather than baseless assumptions.

Post approval as far as I'm aware is there just to stop spam bots, but surely for this only 1 post needs to be approved? Just a thought and I may be wrong on that. Arcade isn't a massive issue for me but if it really would bring more people in then perhaps it ought to be opened up to a few more people than just donators/VIP and whatever userranks can use it at the moment. Maybe allowing comps to make, well, comps for it would be a good step, especially as I believe there's been a drive recently for forum-based competitions of late.

There's an Arcade Tournament atm. I think this is a pretty big forum-based competition. The Arcade is open for everyone at the moment while the tournament is ongoing and once it closes, it will be only open for those who manage to have the right number of posts/Donator/whatever other requirements it takes. This I don't agree with


This is something I've spoken about time and time again without much happening. Social cliques are a part of humanity

I agree but that doesn't really mean that they should be mean to new members and shut them out. Humanity is not always so bad.

I've thought for a while now that comps and events ought to be merged. They'd be able to get more done and not require two sets of management for what are essentially smaller jobs. Events I know can require a lot of planning, especially for Christmas of HxSS and the like, but comps really just put out a couple of threads a month and sit back waiting for it to finish. A large backlog of possible competitions could be written up in half an hour of thought and then just picked out of the vault as and when needed - an entire team isn't particularly necessary. To be fair there are more now than there were previously but it still hardly warrants a separate staff, not to put anyone down.

The Competitions Department are currently sorting out christmas competitions, some of which require more than just 'posting a thread.' My main aim as manager was to move away from the pointless routine that the Competitions Department had put itself in and I am pleased to say that we are slowly moving out of that.

[The Professor]

Disagree with jamsey and mentor ^ The rules aren't an issue for the most part apart from what I outlined in my earlier post, lots of other forums have similar rules and are fine, most are just common sense stuff anyway there isn't anything outright mental in there. I think the pointless posting edit is used FAR too draconianly now, especially by a certain smod (I hate to call people out but yknow) and that might be putting people off posting.

Relaunch sounds good, maybe some sort of reform committee can be set up with a few of the older members and a few newer ones to get some ideas bouncing around and refined and stuff? Like the old council was but actually given some power and disbanded once the relaunch is over.

[Hecktix]

I think the pointless posting edit is used FAR too draconianly now, especially by a certain smod (I hate to call people out but yknow) and that might be putting people off posting.

If you are referring to me, most of the 'pointless post' edits I leave come from reported posts by Forum Management, only doing my job there m'fraid

Relaunch sounds good, maybe some sort of reform committee can be set up with a few of the older members and a few newer ones to get some ideas bouncing around and refined and stuff? Like the old council was but actually given some power and disbanded once the relaunch is over.

I like this idea.

[Dentafrice]

I agree. The forum is dying. I visit the forum almost everyday, and see fewer and fewer posts.

I used to post like crazy, now there really isn't anything to actually post in that interests me.

I think the generation of us that was the "founding" members of Habbox are just going, and have grown up.

As we grow up, we expect the environment around us to change with us. Kinda selfish, but that's the way it works. As we grow up, we don't stay in the same size bed forever.. we grow out of it.

When we grow up, we get more social.. we expect the environment around us to be more social also, like the rule about pictures of us in our avatars.

That's stupid. We're allowed to link to our facebooks, myspace profiles, and anything else.. which surely has a picture of us on them?

Sure, you can argue that "they don't have to click on it'. I don't think Habbox should be the deciding factor when it comes to safety. You can do everything you can to "protect your users", but it's really not your job.

It's the users decision to come on this forum, same with the users decision to upload a picture of him or herself. They do the same thing on Facebook, MySpace, and any other place where they are allowed to upload a picture of themselves.

I agree with Garion when he says the forum needs a overhaul. Things have died. The D&D used to be amazing.. now it's boring.

Saddens me. I've been here since 04.. and have seen the forum go up and down.. but never this far down.

[Dentafrice]

Sorry for the double post, I know it's "against the rules" (infraction coming probably, this goes along with my post above about how strict it is.. if something has reasons behind it.. why should it be infracted?).. but I wanted to separate my post into two separate things. Better organization
------

Anyways, I think that the best thing is to form a committee. Older members, who have seen what has happened.. and have been around through all the changes.

Set up a private forum on HxF for those users to discuss in, polls.. threads.. and we can get some ideas going. Some ideas to bring the community together again, and ways to make Habbox appeal more popular to the current users of Habbo, and those Habbox members who have "gone on" from us.

Edited by invincible (Forum Super Moderator): Please do not double post within the fifteen minute edit time.