A new style forum, but it looks as if everyone has deserted it. I look at the main page, and see that the last post on almost all of them are some days, or even weeks ago.

Are TGOs readership perhaps in the main just not forum orientated?

I think many on the forum like myself tried to highlight this last October when the first deadline for the new forum passed without any changes. TGO Towers lost intrest as well and despite a renewed intrest in the forum from "The Managment" I agree it is to little too late.

Yes, I agree, we did lose some forum users during the transition from the old platform to the new one but we are confident the numbers will grow again. As I've said on this forum before we are trying to balance time between a print magazine and a new website. Our print magazine is doing very well, almost a 10% growth in circulation over the past year, which is very much against the national trend. We've also completely re-vamped the website and traffic, in terms of unique users, has risen significantly. We are confident the forum, a very small part of the whole TGO operation, will also grow.

I hope it's not too late and I don't think it's too little. I am disappointed in the low posting rates here, although as has been said before I wouldn't want to see the type of postings I've found on other fora - Trail to name names is one - doubtless Trail's forum has plenty of good content but to have to wade through so much 'twitter' level bumph to find it puts me right off.
If we're interested in keeping this forum active and interesting we need to keep finding things to post - if a handful of us keep posting subjects regularly then hopefully this will provide points of interest for others perhaps looking at the forum and encourage them to join in - adding to the postings - and I I believe, given the quality of the posts from the regulars here, that we can manage to continue to create new subjects that ARE interesting to others and increase the number.
A forum is as good as it's usage. We've got some good users - just need more usage.

Thanks Dave, we really appreciate your support.

Too little, too late

I hope it's not. I post on both the LFTO site and this site [and buy both magazines] and there is defiantly a marked difference in the number of readers and contributors. However, one thing that does bring me back to this site is the articles on the front page. There appears to be a more regular supply of new and interesting content generated on the TGO front page. Perhaps we should be looking towards these leaders as the seeds for discussion topics.

Picking up on Dave's point, the lack of activity in the community forum is frustrating. I agree about the need for regular creation of new content. However, I find it difficult to judge what other people find interesting and am reluctant to post when I see that my picture appears repeatedly on the forum front page as last contributor. I think to myself - "you need to shut up now Mark."

Bugger I've just done it again, haven't I?

Mark

PS - Red dots sad, Green dots HAPPY!

I don't really see how anybody can complain. It only takes two people to keep a conversation going.

John

Edit. Although, as I've said before, what's the point of Cameron, Emily and Chris having blogs on the site when whatever it is they've got to say could be just as easily said on the forum with the advantage that they'd get some feedback. It gives the impression that either the forum isn't being taken seriously by the editorial team, or the blogs have just been bolted on because it's the done thing. It'll be Facebook next. :-)

John, I think the blogs are for posting longer pieces than a forum post. Also, some people prefer a blog to a forum. I think there's room for both. My TGO blog at present consists of my backpacking column pieces from the magazine. I have my own blog elsewhere, as you know! Plus Facebook and Twitter!

I can see the value of independent blogs, although I'm surprised to hear you say that some people prefer blogs to forums, but that's because I prefer forums to blogs! (It seems to me that forums offer a more level playing field).

I'd be interested to hear what you get from Facebook and Twitter. I realise that that request could sound scathing, but I am genuinely interested.

Mark, keep posting, it's good to have you on board. JH, I find Facebook useful to keep in touch with friends, and TGO has a Facebook page too, and a Twitter page but to be perfectly honest I'm not sure what Twitter does, that's Emily's domain.

I think if you go down the route of saying why have a forum, why have a blog, then you have to question why we have a website at all. Curiously some people (so they tell me) are interested in the thoughts that go into a blog and as Chris has pointed out the posts in a forum tend to be shorter and more reactive. As I've previously mentioned I'm well aware we have lost a large number of forum users when we were changing website platforms but I'm afraid our concentration was fully on developing the new website and bringing the print magazine to a level where our circulation is on the rise. At the end of the day the print magazine is our bread and butter - if that doesn't work there won't be a TGO or a TGO website.