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w22dheartlivie 
"Kitty Lover"
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 Posted - 02/05/2014 : 05:29:00
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| I'm still quite interested in this site, but it's been discouraging lately to have submitted reviews back in November, December and the first of January and they are still sitting in my pending pile. It's the acceptance of reviews that drives my participation and when they just sit there, it's kind of deflating. I still aspire to eventually hit the magic 5000 reviews point, but I'm not keen to have a long list of pending. I still actively watch new films on my too big list of movie channels and would write new ones if it felt like they had a chance of being vetted. I realize that people's lives take them elsewhere, but I am quite happy to pimp the site on my Facebook timeline like I've done in the past if it remains active. |
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Conan The Westy
"Father, Faithful Friend, Fwiffer"
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Posted - 02/05/2014 : 07:59:35
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I was the etc in Josh the Cat's comment. 
quote:
I would like to think of my time here fondly, I went on 3 meet ups 1 in London, the book meet up. 1 in Baftababes house and 1 in Australia where I was fortunate enough to meet some amazing people like thefoxboy etc.
I showed a disturbing level of obsession in 2003 when I achieved my first 1000 reviews in 26 days but slowed down after I discovered the Fourum. I have spent many wonderful hours involved in wordplay with world-class punsters. I eventually trailed off in 2008, with occasional visits, but still maintain links on FB with the many fantastic friends I've made on the site.
Thanks for the heads up about FYC #1000 Salopian.  |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 02/05/2014 : 10:00:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Improper Username
I should have placed my remarks about Facebook's tenth anniversary under this topic. Facebook has caused the death of many forums, I think.
I think you're absolutely right. I used to be very active in several Yahoo! groups about small far-flung islands (going back even before I started here) but as far as I can see most Yahoo! groups have been pretty dead for years, and Yahoo! has now ruined them in a misplaced attempt to mimic social networking. |
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Chris C 
"Four words, never backwards."
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Posted - 02/05/2014 : 23:04:46
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Thanks for the invite. I shall be along for the 1000th, although my reviewing rate is currently zero. I'm sure there's some old favourites of mine that I've previously overlooked.
While I'm here, could I ask for lurker votes for this weeks FWTO? Click here to find out more.
Thanks |
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chazbo 
"Outta This Fuckin' Place"
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 00:33:16
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Thanks, Salopian, for the invitation back to the fourum.
I discovered the site in 2003 and was fairly active for a number of years (often submitting reviews of questionable quality). But after I began my second stint in grad school, I had to give up fwiffering. I returned for a short time last year but had to stop again. I still pop in from time to time to submit a new review, if I can think of anything mildly clever.
As long as people are still eager to create and submit fwfrs (leaving to the side the MERP issue), I think the site has value. It has always been a kind of creative escapism for me, even if reviews go unnoticed. As Demonic writes, the nature of the English language allows for a wide range of creativity in writing reviews, and it's always challenging and fun to try to think of something new. It's also satisfying, of course, to receive the approval of other fourumites, but I don't know how essential that is to participation on the site.
I guess I'm a little unsure about whether it is FYCTH that is in peril, or the whole site that is coming to an end (as Salopian's message suggested).
Regardless, I will make the effort to join in FYCTH #1000.
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demonic
"Cinemaniac"
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 06:54:25
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| Regardless of the how things turn out, may I say how lovely it is to see so many old faces in this thread... makes me hanker for those busy days... |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 07:10:52
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quote:
Originally posted by chazbo
I guess I'm a little unsure about whether it is FYCTH that is in peril, or the whole site that is coming to an end (as Salopian's message suggested).
I didn't mean to overstate it -- I just meant that various people have thought for a while that participation in the site has decreased dramatically. I don't think that the site will stop existing (although is Benj always going to want to pay for it as it gets less and less active?), but with one of the long-running spin-off games having expired and another having just had its big-number round, I don't see many significant Fourum events on the horizon. That said, I see that F.W.T.O. 500 is coming up, so hopefully people will join in that too. |
Edited by - Demisemicenturian on 02/06/2014 21:11:02 |
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benj clews 
"...."
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 15:36:21
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Well, this is a cheery topic 
Not really sure what to say right now or what aspect of the site to concentrate my efforts on. I know I've been largely absent from the site for a while now- my job has been in flux for some time and I've needed to get busy learning new skills in preparation for my impending search for a new employer. I still have many ideas for the site but as my last attempt at a revamp doesn't seem to have really taken I'm wary about where we might go from here.
I'm ever the optimist though and believe the site could also be appreciated by a whole new audience if we were to make it far more socially connected and streamline the layout in general. |
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benj clews
"...."
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 15:51:00
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In some good news: I'm currently working my way through the review backlog so you should all have the reviews you want for FYC 1000*
(*Subject to approval ) |
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Sludge 
"Charlie Don't Serf!"
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 18:07:40
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quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
Well, this is a cheery topic
Not really sure what to say right now or what aspect of the site to concentrate my efforts on. I know I've been largely absent from the site for a while now- my job has been in flux for some time and I've needed to get busy learning new skills in preparation for my impending search for a new employer. I still have many ideas for the site but as my last attempt at a revamp doesn't seem to have really taken I'm wary about where we might go from here.
I'm ever the optimist though and believe the site could also be appreciated by a whole new audience if we were to make it far more socially connected and streamline the layout in general.
I hear you! And this is why I hadn't said anything before. I didn't feel right saying anything out of the gate, taking more of a "time will tell" position - overall site participation being paramount (vs. my own failure to adjust to the new look). But since it has come down to a conversation about site participation, I felt it was time to chime in and perhaps I did so a little bluntly.
If it is at all possible to view the site and metrics as a "business", though his is truly a counter-profit venture, I am hopeful that enough time has passed to step back and take a dispassionate view and see what the numbers are saying. This is why I said it ought to be studied. It does suck to even consider it, because the new design wasn't a tweak but a SH!T TON of work!
If it's any comfort, my dad is going through this with a community/civic association which now has TWO dedicated sites both of which the majority of members do not like (after someone took some initiative and built the second one on their own).
In your case, Benj, I don't feel any right to call or think of FWFR as a "democracy". I felt you did a terrific job of setting that tone, with the FAQ explanation as to why a review may not be approved and why it is in poor taste to try to leverage the Fourum to override decisions.
(And yet, here I am, in the Fourum...)  |
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w22dheartlivie
"Kitty Lover"
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 18:34:36
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quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
Well, this is a cheery topic
Not really sure what to say right now or what aspect of the site to concentrate my efforts on. I know I've been largely absent from the site for a while now- my job has been in flux for some time and I've needed to get busy learning new skills in preparation for my impending search for a new employer. I still have many ideas for the site but as my last attempt at a revamp doesn't seem to have really taken I'm wary about where we might go from here.
I'm ever the optimist though and believe the site could also be appreciated by a whole new audience if we were to make it far more socially connected and streamline the layout in general.
 YAY!!! Like I said, I'm not bothered by the format changes and once I searched around, I found the things for which I was hunting. In case the whole point gets lost - I still love and appreciate this site, Benj, and I do recognize that life takes its toll. In case it wasn't clear in what was said, I (me, an individual, a committee of one) think I speak for everyone when I say that we appreciate your "baby" here and no one want Baby put in the corner. Thank you for FWFR and all you've done to keep it going. I meant what I said when I said I'd be happy to "pimp" the site on Facebook like I've done in the past and now that I've got new reviews approved, I'll start in a new rash based on the new films I've seen (although I must say that This Is The End sucked big time, it does give opportunity to bash Franco et al). The only thing I can think to suggest is that the link for the top voted reviews be much more visible at the top of the home page. |
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demonic
"Cinemaniac"
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 19:41:47
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quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
Well, this is a cheery topic
Just to be clear my intention was to raise concern about the decline in FYC, not FWFR itself - I have no idea what the traffic is like on-site, but I do relate the two because new reviews tend to get shared, and if there are fewer reviews being submitted there are very likely fewer players in FYC (...maybe).
One other thing - please *don't* highlight the top voted reviews (unless we are talking about "of the week" not "all time"). Frankly, those very old reviews don't need any more pimping. |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 02/06/2014 : 21:38:00
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Thanks very much for processing so many of those pending reviews: it's a relief to have some available for round 1,000 and others. Thanks also to whoever gave me a bunch of votes.
Is there any way to get Facebook likes or Twitter retweets to be registered as votes here? I also think that an app (hate how I have to use that word) would be a good idea, even a basic one to start with of 'Review of the Day'.
The F.Y.C.T.H. is the flagship of the Fourum as far as I'm concerned, but it's not just that -- this whole part of it actually to do with the site is a ghost town. It used to be buzzing with different threads. On top of that, reviews certainly get far fewer votes and thus I assume views than they did. So while round 1,000 is not a death knell, there is the risk of its being the last hurrah that I described it as to many people.
I appreciate the work that went into the new design, and I remember that part of the motivation was to make it more flexible for future changes, so it was well worthwhile. But I do find it hard to find things I want and avoid ones I don't (accolades that I don't care about, for example).
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/08/2014 : 09:10:07
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First of all, I love this site. I've made some good friends here - several I've actually met in Real Life! I'd hate to see it shut down and agree that there are still many great reviews yet to be written.
Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way of my being active here lately. And while I have to agree that FB has killed many forums, getting involved there might inject some more life into the review side of the site - maybe.
In any case, I will try to join in the 1000th round of FYC - and thanks Sal for letting me know about this. |
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randall 
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 02/09/2014 : 20:11:08
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| I will be back for #1000. |
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FYC in peril.
