Future of the footy forum

[DJC]

1)  Is there still a place for the anonymous forum like ours or are we a dying breed?

I think there is if you want generally well-informed debate or critical opinions.  The Carlton Facebook pages are extremely lightweight in comparison.  Is anonymity important?  I imagine that it may be for some folk.

2)  Do we need to change to remain viable in the current climate?

It seems to me that some aggressive, blokey responses may put people off.  The diversity of the active posters seems to have declined more rapidly than the number of posters.

3)  What changes would people like to see?

Zero tolerance of personal abuse but banning to be a very last resort - I still miss PI2C 

That could involve more active intervention by mods at the slightest hint of personal animosity creeping into a thread.

Restructuring the forum to simplify where new topics should go may help folk to kick off discussions.

4)  What other Carlton sites do you visit/ are a member of?

I am a member of a couple of FB pages.  As mentioned above, discussion is usually shallow but they are often where news is broken.

5)  Is there anything in particular you don’t like about the site in its current form.

Kruddler!  Only joking; I generally enjoy his contributions   

One thing that does get up my goat is the tendency to attack posters' credentials as supporters of the Mighty Blues.  It happened to me when I expressed a pessimistic outlook during the Malthouse disaster and I considered giving the group the flick.  I think it should be up to the mods to weed out any trolls and other posters should keep their opinions to themselves.

6)    What do you like that keeps you posting/ viewing here

The informed and differing opinions of posters, interesting and robust discussions/debates, camaraderie, the shared support for the best football club in the universe, and the opportunity to cr@p on about any subject that takes your fancy.

[Micky0]

I'm not a prolific posterbut I really enjoy it here.

I feel like the majority of posters are knowledgeable So I learn rather than a site like big footy which is just, as someone said about fb pages, just a mass of people and trolls and you can't follow anything really.

I don't go to other sites.

Only thing I can think to fix is an upgrade on emojis!

[LoveNavy]

1)   Is there still a place for the anonymous forum like ours or are we a dying breed?

He'll YES. I'm not dead yet. I hope I get to bang on about our beloved Blues for a while yet.

2)   Do we need to change to remain viable in the current climate?

No.

3)   What changes would people like to see?

I personally enjoy reading posts that encourage the opinion of others.  As opposed to those that discourage it. I guess it comes down to inclusive values, which I believe fosters discussions.  This is only a small matter as posts are generally good. On the whole I don't see the need for much change. 

4)   What other Carlton sites do you visit/ are a member of?

None.

5)   Is there anything in particular you don’t like about the site in it's current form?

It took me a while to get familiar with how to find threads not on the 'latest list. I still haven't worked out how or if I should start a new thread. This is probably reflective of my forum ignorance but I'm probably not Pat Malone ????

6)     What do you like that keeps you posting/ viewing here

Unquestionably the sense of community.  I love that I can rant on until I'm all out of puff. If I did that in real life with nonbaggers, it could end badly. I love the passion we share and the immense wisdom of other posters. Without this forum I'd be relatively isolated, living in a state that is rather Blueless???? This might seem a bit weird, but what I learn from others enhances my experience watching our games.

With gratitude to those who keep CSC alive and entertaining. LN????

[Lods]

Without this forum I'd be relatively isolated, living in a state that is rather Blueless???? This might seem a bit weird, but what I learn from others enhances my experience watching our games.

That's one of the things I found in the early days of forum life.
It's good way for interstaters to connect with the club.
Through forum interaction you come across bits and pieces of information that don't always make the mainstream media....especially in places like Sydney and Brisbane
Yep... You sometimes have to make a judgement on it's validity but over a period of time you tend to work out the reliable sources.

Some of the training reports and VFL reports that members post up are also things you wont find reported extensively elsewhere.
The club tends to portray these in a positive light on the club website whereas our guys give a more critical (in the sense of negatives as well as positives) evaluation.
Thanks to those folk that provide them they're much appreciated.

[northernblue]

I like the place generally, but I wonder how we benchmark against Talking Carlton ?
I think most people aren’t interested in reading a site like this, but I dumped all the FB pages 2years ago, found them to be full of of snot nosed figjam twats, imho ????
Personally, forum use peaked during an unhappy marriage, hunting took over as a preferred pastime when I was single ???? and I’m now engaged, but I’m happy with my current level of lurking/contribution

[Navy Maven]

Having been here for over 10 years now I've seen a lot of changes that have happened on the site as well as the rise of other social media platforms. To be honest, I actually like that we're a little smaller than we once were. We've seen a lot of dic*heads in here over the years that would dominate every thread with their BS agendas, but I have a lot of respect for the opinions and insights of our current posters.

I'm on a couple of FB pages, but as other have said, there isn't a lot of depth in those. I also post on BF but that site infuriates me more than anything, with it's illinformed posters and slack moderating.

I love our little community here and can't think of too many changes off the top of my head 

[Phillipwh]

i love this site
I post less these days 
I guess I  found it depressing that we were so far out of it
that is until Bolts and SOS came along

[sandsmere]

Lods, answering your questions in order :

1. Yes there is a place, and no this type of forum is not a dying breed. The figures you quote are to be expected in an era where there are so many platforms to voice opinions. They all tend to cannibalize each other to an extent. I'm guessing a forum like this may appeal to older folks, and the young ones may use twitter etc. This may mean footy forums become a little more "niche." A forum like this certainly gives you the chance to expend and elaborate on ideas, thoughts etc., something not possible with "instamedia".

2. No changes than i can think of. Just keep the moderation balanced so that people can have sensible and sometimes heated discussions in a mostly civil manner.

3. see 2



5. Generally happy with the site. Everyone who is involved with the site, past and present, should be appreciated. It's a good place to hang out.

6. It's just like a virtual online pub or bar, where you see familiar faces, and you know the lay of the land. And occasionally it's like hanging around on a notorious street corner knowing that some fireworks are just around the corner.

^^^^  This for me.
I do go to Bigfooty and TC now and again but CSC is much better than either of those.

There is plenty of differing opinions and that is good.

Apart from the odd troll visiting now and then ( and most of us know who they are ) our members seem to be a damn good lot of Carlton supporters .

I reckon our moderators here do a pretty good job too.

Please keep it going.

[Wet Willie]

I really enjoy this site and believe the posters are treated with more respect here than other sites or FB pages.

I think the figures might be down because everybody seems positive and united about how the club is rebuilding.  A few years back we were angry about the way the club was run, the way it was coached, the finances, the deals et etc.  We were far more outspoken...  See this as a positive development!

[Woodstock]

Having been here for over 10 years now I've seen a lot of changes that have happened on the site as well as the rise of other social media platforms. To be honest, I actually like that we're a little smaller than we once were. We've seen a lot of dic*heads in here over the years that would dominate every thread with their BS agendas, but I have a lot of respect for the opinions and insights of our current posters.

I'm on a couple of FB pages, but as other have said, there isn't a lot of depth in those. I also post on BF but that site infuriates me more than anything, with it's illinformed posters and slack moderating.

I love our little community here and can't think of too many changes off the top of my head 

My sentiments exactly. Big footy is a school yard, full of egos and the occasional revelation from a respected source or two. CSC is where the grown ups come to talk.

Think of that classic TV show: Cheers...Cliff (EB), Norm (Lods), Frazier (Kreuzer), Sam (Crashlander) from Cheers. Oh and Carla (Brettie  > )

Good times my friends, good times. Wouldn’t change a thing. Better now than ever. It’s maturing like a good wine.