a few suggestions

1 the needs a forum reshuffle weed out the those mods and admin who arent doing anything tbh theres no need for them
2 i think all new members should have to post at least 2-3 times lets face it theres loads of newbies with nothing said
3 the founder should be seen to be active as its their forum if theyre not about why should the members bother
4 the friendly atmosphere has gone its just a forum now all the daft banter as been replaced by apathy even the chatroom doesent get used anymore this was a great wee forum what happened?
5 i know we all have lives that takes us in different directions but we all have ferrets that was the common bond we came here to share experiences
these are my views right or wrong

I am going to stick my six pence worth in too.

1 I kind of agree, but in fairness to Kel, she seems to do the thankless job here well. She constantly posts and tries to sort out crap.

2 I agree new members should be given a period of time to post if not go. Maybe an introduction post from themselves to start. Bit like an AA meeting... My name is and I like ferrets blah blah.

3 I agree I have forgotten the founder

4. Friendly atmosphere is mostly gone, I also have seen disagreements about posts start to look nasty in the past. Nobody agrees with everybody, but school yard arguments about personel opinions should be kept away from the forum. Thats personal, this is public. I feel it could make members not want to voice their own opinions. People should learn to agree to disagree.
Time to move this forum forward.

Chatroom starts to late for me, pointless going in earlier.Now its pointless going in at all.
Maybe chatroom style could be made clearer in a post, so new members understand what its about.
Make a point of letting new folks know in a post, if general chats okay, or is to be only about ferret issues. Maybe pick a few nights for chat and mods take it in turns to be in the chat room between certain times. Yes it is boring if nobody is there, yes it is your time you are giving, but its part of running a forum. That way if people wander in there WOULD be somebody there to welcome them and encourage use of the chat. If not whats the point?

5 Other than ferrets as the common bond, I am sure several of us must like other things to chat and post about,!
TV, reading, sport, dreaded polotics, whats on the news, blah blah.
Maybe open new threads on different topics, so new folks wander in and see something other than ferrets to post about as well.........................Just a thought.
What about the old style ferret photo comps? Winners win a star next to their name or something, compete who gets most stars.

Just a personal thing from me. I freaking hate these warning badges next to peoples names down the side.
Too Good
Warnings,
That is a personal thing between admin and the person imo. If you dont know what it means it could be seen as intimidating. Eileens ...Too good, I mean I could take that as she knows so much about ferrets I feel to embaressed to offer a comment to her, Too good for what?
You put red flags against people for your punishment for bad behaviour. Thats admins opinion and could make people wary of having friendly chat with these people in case the warnings incase they are a mental case or something. Or worry what they say incase they get the badge of shame. Surely as admin have their own space thats not public these warnings could be kept in that bit.
That is just my opinion and I will await my warning badge and wear it with pride.

Okay folks, flame me or agree with me or come up with some ideas of your own, after all if we all get warning badges we could become a club of our own (joke)

New ideas, joint efforts or a stick of dynamite is whats going to move this dieing forum forwards.

I agree the warning badges are not particularly relevant/appropriate but have to disagree with some of the other points.First of all the founder is a human being like everyone else and as much as the forum is very important to him he also has a life offline and I think people should give him a little more credit. Over the last few months he has been frantically applying for and attending interviews for new jobs as he was so unhappy where he was but refused to quit and get benefits paid by other people. He has supported me through several weeks off work with stress and depression as well as through the very serious illness of my mother and the loss of my brother in law. He may not take in new rescues any more but he still has 15 ferrets that need caring for and attending to which surely is more important than simply being on here typing about them!! Added to that,as he has already explained we are having to share a computer at the moment and as we don't live together its tricky for either one of us to be on as much as we were previously.
As for making members post a certain number of times surely that's like saying they're only welcome if they have time to be constantly on here! Yes its nice to have regulars and stories and pics but why should it not equally be ok for people to see us as a back up just sometimes should they need help or advice. I don't think its fair to dictate or people will feel pushed away and not come back at all.

Also getting rid of admins or mods who seem quiet would be detrimental as at least there are people in the background for support. Its daft if people are saying its not fair that one person is doing all the work but then get rid of all the back up!!

As said i have been trying to get a job else where and as have in my post i have now got a job else where. I do come on the forum to sort things in the back ground. Im sorry im not here 24/7 but thats not possible and as for the mods they do a great job when there on here and they also have a life of there own to.
Im sorry people think that its not like it used to be the only thing i can do is try and get things like it used to be but all forums are quiet at min. Kel salso got uni stuff and is doing alot on here also.

Members should enjoy coming on here as and when they choose and they shouldn't feel obliged to come on a certain number of times.

Hi Elf and Dean, I am sorry to hear of your personel problems. So many people are having them of one sort of another, and I do appreciate that it takes most of your time. But I can read nowhere in my post where it states you need to be here all the time, so sorry if thats what your take on it was.
I also suggested new members made a few posts, I cannot see where that means I expect them to be here all the time. They could at least make an intro post.
Some folks are happy the way it is I guess.
I was only trying to make suggestions to liven it up here a bit and get it back to how it was. I was suggesting not dictating. I appologise if thats how you see it.

its ok jenni i know what you mean i was just explaining my self as some people say i dont lol. hope your well im hoping to get forum goin again and will hope new members will post

I'm sorry if I came across as stroppy. Wasn't just aimed at your post,was the thread as a whole. Just feel like theres lots of criticism, however constructive. It happens everywhere not just here. People quick to pass judgement and not so quick to notice the good parts. I think its still a great forum. It's just that lots of people are busier at the moment. I'm sorry if I came across wrong. Deans been so good to me lately when many blokes would have run for the hills. I saw the founder stuff and felt the need to defend my man! I'm sorry my issues have taken him from you all for a while :) x

It wasn't meant as personal from my point either.
I think positive criticism can be a good thing. I think the forum was a great forum and now is a good forum. I would like it to be great again.
Maybe it is quiet because people are busier, maybe its quiet because it needs some fire breathing into it.
I was only making suggestions to try to put fire back.
I will stay out of it now.
Nice to see you defending your man.

im sorry you seem to have taken this as a personal criticism its was my general view that things have been left to slide

as for the founder stuff as you put it Dean is the founder and i therefore was giving him his place

there really was no need to give us an insight to the personal side of both you lives thats your business

nor was i expecting Dean or the new members to be here 24/7 just a little effort form Dean and a bigger effort form new members like asking questions/advice etc after all thats what a forum is about

tbh if you join something you dont bugger off you stick around and join in
with the forum being over subscribed with mods & admin i stand by that statement

if theres no-one posting much then theres no need for all the mods or admin mods cant really do much in the background bar lurk

admin does a bit more but the theres only one admin doing anything
the forum is for a bit of light relief away form the mundane aspects of life
i like the idea of a mod/admin taking turns to sit in the chat room to try and encourage old & new members in for a chat

if by becoming a mod or admin your accepting that you are willing to give some of your time to help in the running of the forum if your not willing to do that then you should step down form that roll

the we all have lives doesnt really cut it tbh its like you want the title with none of responsibilities that go with it
im using the word you as a generalisation and not amied at anyone person

Is it hurting anything or anyone or costing anything to have mods in the background for support? Really can't see the problem there. As for the personal stuff sharing it is the last thing I wanted to do otherwise I would have done it weeks ago. Just illustrating that there's more to life sometimes. Not sure it's necessary or appropriate for members to 'put the founder in his place' especially in public. If the other admins have a problem they can use pm or staffroom as normal.

All the forums are much quieter than they used to be, this one is far from unique. FeFo introduced a system whereby people had to post an intros thread which had to be approved befire they posted elsewhere in the forum. It was done to sto spammers and Bots joining but it does also make sure they post at least once. It doesn't necessarily mean you get more than one post though.

I must admit to joining forums myself and only posting a few times. For example I joined a forum when I wanted help with a computer problem. I rarely post as i'm not a computer nerd so I would probably count as an inactive member but I do go back when I have a problem to sort out. I'm sure we have members like that too.

As for mods I am here at least once a day, I don't post much, To be honest i've said practically everything there is to say about my ferrets over the last few years. There's only so many times I can bring myself to post ''look I took a photo of my ferret''. But I do look everyday to see if there is anything happening that needs a mod help.

beth my love you have miss read the bit about giving Dean/founder his place that means i was giving him the respect his title commands
if i or other members were putting him in his place that would mean we would be telling him off which wasnt the case
wilbur i take your point i wasnt dissing the mods in any way

right i have taken on board all thats been said and thanks for your views. lets hope we can get the forum busier its a shame its gone quiet finger crossed things will change

1 The staff always respond to me with in hours of me posting to them or messageing them, There is littraly just no work unless there is a fight.
2 we do send out in-active account emails every sort of 6 mounths, when people don't come back their account gets deleted. Sometimes its not every 6 months because we are all so buisy.
3 Some times life just gets in the way.

4 The fighting happend, people are too scared to post unless they get jumped on. Even in the past when people have posted a picture of a new ferret or new hutch its turned in to a fight.

5 People go on to facebook anyway to talk to family and friends, to do ferrety things at the same time suits them better than coming hear.

Even fefo has seen a drop in activity. I remember from years ago even when you were mod we had this issue.

I spoke to the staff the other day about how inactive the board was. I looked back in the staff room about how often this comes up, for the last 3 years its come up a lot! so I guess its just a sign of the times. I know its not just us, I'm a member of 4 other boards and they are having the same issues.

I tryed to start the chat room a few times, no one took me up on it, I ran a poll of times and tryed twice. Also a new member asked so I arranged to be there and no one turned up.
The members just end up talking to me on facebook. I actually keep in almost daily conract with 5 of the members though facebook.

We went though a stage of some members of staff posting stories about their own ferrets or tv and their lives and those were the only things being posted offten with no replys but we can try it, again..

I hate those warrning badges, said that at the time. the old ones were better. Unfortunitly the forum soft ware keeps track of those, so we can change the graphic but its still there. As for not using it and just keeping it between staff. That is a good point, but members demand to know what has been done when there is a fight. They want to see action ( in my expearance) they want to know there has been sanctions. Also we would forget who had warnings for what and when I think. Though I relise we forget to turn it off again. Its not idea, but I think all forum soft ware has its strengths and weaknesses.

We got rid of inactive staff before and they then shouted at as and were really unhappy. Turns out they were off for health reasons and had been unable to be hear.

I come in once a night and have the page sitting in the back round while I'm studying.

I like having as meany staff because we can then vote on issues. If there are less staff there is not enough veration of opinion or support at one time. Since not everyone can be around at the same time.

erm... I think I coverd everything..
I don't know why we have had about 7 people join this week and none of them say anything. They get a welcome pm as well as the welcome message..
I don't know what else to suggest.
I think people are really buisy these days and are just not willing to spend time talking to strangers.

I will go in to the chat again if thats what people want :D
*steps of soap box*
someone elses turn to speak now lol

in the time it took me to type there were 4 other posts!! eepp.
I agree with Wilbur.
I have joined a snake place, and a rat place, and a computer place, and yahoo answers, and the answer bank.. etc and never visit them lol ooops. The only things I do daily are facebook, email and hear. Only come hear because I have to or I might not bother :/ lol sorry but yeah only so many times I can post stuff about my ferrets its all been said and I could post pictures. But the effort it takes and then the dissapointment where there are no views and only two or three comments.

I was saying in the staff room last week, emotive subjects get people talking ,but they also cause fights.

I don't really watch tv but maybe a topic on popular stuff like xfactor, or austraialn master chef.. or erm come dine with me lol what do people watch these days :D

I can't really think of anything else.

firelass wrote:1 The staff always respond to me with in hours of me posting to them or messageing them, There is littraly just no work unless there is a fight.
2 we do send out in-active account emails every sort of 6 mounths, when people don't come back their account gets deleted. Sometimes its not every 6 months because we are all so buisy.
3 Some times life just gets in the way.

4 The fighting happend, people are too scared to post unless they get jumped on. Even in the past when people have posted a picture of a new ferret or new hutch its turned in to a fight.

5 People go on to facebook anyway to talk to family and friends, to do ferrety things at the same time suits them better than coming hear.

Even fefo has seen a drop in activity. I remember from years ago even when you were mod we had this issue.

I spoke to the staff the other day about how inactive the board was. I looked back in the staff room about how often this comes up, for the last 3 years its come up a lot! so I guess its just a sign of the times. I know its not just us, I'm a member of 4 other boards and they are having the same issues.

I tryed to start the chat room a few times, no one took me up on it, I ran a poll of times and tryed twice. Also a new member asked so I arranged to be there and no one turned up.
The members just end up talking to me on facebook. I actually keep in almost daily conract with 5 of the members though facebook.

We went though a stage of some members of staff posting stories about their own ferrets or tv and their lives and those were the only things being posted offten with no replys but we can try it, again..

I hate those warrning badges, said that at the time. the old ones were better. Unfortunitly the forum soft ware keeps track of those, so we can change the graphic but its still there. As for not using it and just keeping it between staff. That is a good point, but members demand to know what has been done when there is a fight. They want to see action ( in my expearance) they want to know there has been sanctions. Also we would forget who had warnings for what and when I think. Though I relise we forget to turn it off again. Its not idea, but I think all forum soft ware has its strengths and weaknesses.

We got rid of inactive staff before and they then shouted at as and were really unhappy. Turns out they were off for health reasons and had been unable to be hear.

I come in once a night and have the page sitting in the back round while I'm studying.

I like having as meany staff because we can then vote on issues. If there are less staff there is not enough veration of opinion or support at one time. Since not everyone can be around at the same time.

erm... I think I coverd everything..
I don't know why we have had about 7 people join this week and none of them say anything. They get a welcome pm as well as the welcome message..
I don't know what else to suggest.
I think people are really buisy these days and are just not willing to spend time talking to strangers.

I will go in to the chat again if thats what people want :D
*steps of soap box*
someone elses turn to speak now lol

says it all really we can only do what we can

just in lots and lots of words lol sorry for the wall of text.

The wall of text was great Kel, it has got people talking. Apart from a few comments being misunderstood ( which is often a problem with written words and not taking face to face). I feel valuable issues have been raised and explained.
From my part as an outsider, I dont know staff are contacting you about posts and you are dealing with issues. It just looks as if in the main you are doing all the work. Now I understand.

I know what you mean about the other topics and sometimes no response; from when I ran a forum a while back. I just thought some posts are better than none to keep the forum ticking along. But it was just concern that the forum was dieing, if everybody is happy the way it is, then no drama, I dont come often enough for it to effect me.

I don't belong to lots of forums, mainly this one and my skunk one ( which is normaly very active) so hadn't realised that most forums are quiet.

If nothing else this thread has shown that people can find time to post

ferretwumun5 wrote: 1 the needs a forum reshuffle weed out the those mods and admin who arent doing anything tbh theres no need for them

Can you give us a list on which mods and admin you feel need to be weeded out?

2 i think all new members should have to post at least 2-3 times lets face it theres loads of newbies with nothing said

Seen this tried on lots of fora, it doesn't work. People register for lots of different reasons. Some for information, some to post, and others join with their mates for a wee spying mission for whatever their own personal reasons happen to be.

3 the founder should be seen to be active as its their forum if theyre not about why should the members bother

This simply holds no ground whatsoever. Some of the best forums I take part in, you wouldn't know who the forum owner is.

4 the friendly atmosphere has gone its just a forum now all the daft banter as been replaced by apathy even the chatroom doesent get used anymore this was a great wee forum what happened?

Please feel free to liven up the forum with banter.

5 i know we all have lives that takes us in different directions but we all have ferrets that was the common bond we came here to share experiences
these are my views right or wrong

John B wrote:
This simply holds no ground whatsoever. Some of the best forums I take part in, you wouldn't know who the forum owner is.

That's true, I've been a member of, and moderated on, FeFo for years and it is only quite recently that I have found out who Admins real name is and even more recently I've found out who the forum owner is.

Neither of them are active on the forum at all. 99% of the day to day admin on there is done by the Mods, it's only the major stuff, when the forum goes down, that Admin has to deal with.

listen guy as the title says "a few suggestions"
im sorry if a few of you have taken it the wrong way
as dean said hes taken on board whats been said

as you all can see from the side bar dean started the forum
on the 12/1/2008
jenni joined the same day
i followed the the day after
form that day till roughly the start of 2011 dean has been there or there abouts so you see john it does hold ground imo

on the weeding out of non active mods/ admin thats not my call thats a staff issue i just aired my views

i still think new members should have to post to get a foot in the door so to speak

was that a request or an order to liven up the forum with banter as your tone suggests an order any new member reading that would feel intimidated by that remark

Dean started this forum, taking members from a forum I was running. I knew I was not able to give the forum the input and time it needed. I was happy and encouraged Dean to start the Hutch forum and offered help and ideas back then. Eileen and Kel were both members of my old forum, and moved here too.
I pop in and out of here as I want this forum to thrive. Dean and others worked hard to get it up and running. I have a pesonal interest in seeing it stay that way.
I have in the past offered thoughts and suggestions to keep this place alive. NOT to put down Dean and staff but to try and help. I am sure Dean knows this.
My idea's may be crap, but they are just suggestions take them or leave them.
Two things amaze me.

The apathetic " Oh all forums are quiet so lets just leave this one quiet too without even trying"

And John B. Eileen was not the only one to post suggestions, so why only pick on her comments. I posted too.

I will no longer post suggestions, Dean says hes taken comments on board, thats all I wanted. Good luck Dean.

I have to agree with jenni some are using this thread to pick up on old personal issues thats sad
as for what jenni said about wanting the forum to thrive was spot on i gave my thoughts as i see a dying forum other forums are ticking along this ones ground to a halt despite new members joining
instead of having a go at me for speaking out
use what was said as motivation and do something to save the forum not kill it