Maybe you could attract new members and encourage activity..

[ivo]

this is definitely a fantastic forum with good experienced advisors whom are doing their best to offer their time and dedication to the forum. the operating of the fourm itself is good. i think the falling of it's popularity or other Australian discus forums, IMO, is largely due to the lack of supply of quality discus and new strains.

we, as hobbiest, we get excited when we see forum memebers post their new discus photos or we post our own when we get new fish, or when we see sponsor posting pictures of new shipment. unfortunately we don't have sponsor posting new shipment pictures or even importing new discus anymore. the lack of supply disenable us to buy new discus, etc. we are stuck in a two years lag and we start to lose exciitment and interest of forum. this is something that it is totally out of the forum's owner/admin/advisors control. it is a real shame and hopefully discus industry will turn around one day soon.

[TW]

I think there is a lot in what ivo says. I agree fully that most of what might cause a lack of interest in the forum is totally outside of what the owner/admin/advisors can control.

[Mattzilla]

I think the addition of a 'view new posts' button/icon would be good. it just shows all active posts since your last visit in one page. i use it on some other forums and it exposes me to just the newest content from ALL forum subsections. i have found that i learn more and are introduced to subjects that i know little about.

it means that each day or every few days that i visit i can see what has been happening without having to surf through each subsection individually.

i want to also thank Proteus for the ongoing and tireless dedication to discusforums. none of this would be possible without you mate

perhaps we need some of the more low key breeders out there to step up and become advisors.

i understand what ivo is saying about the lack of new variety and availability of qaulity stock at the moment. is there perhaps some interstate importers that want to jump on board as sponsers?

i'm happy to do whatever is asked of me to help this forum keep growing cause i have a lot to thanks it for
_________________

[Proteus]

i understand what ivo is saying about the lack of new variety and availability of qaulity stock at the moment. is there perhaps some interstate importers that want to jump on board as sponsors?

One thing I have decided is no more sponsors in the conventional way of thinking of a sponsor.

Going forward, businesses will be invited, or able to request posting privileges based on them offering members here specific discounts on products or services. That way it not only gives them added exposure, but a wider variety of choice for the members here. (I should stress that current sponsors will always get priority exposure due to the support they have provided to date)

There may be a chance that some old faces may pop up as we need to look at the big picture, and any differences or conflicts in the past have long been put to bed, and why should members here miss out on certain offers or livestock just because of a fallout between myself or one of the other admins or advisors.

At the end of the day this site belongs to the community members here, so speak up so we can make sure you are heard and can look at all suggestions with an open mind.

<I promise to stay off my soap box now>

[Old Dave]

I think the addition of a 'view new posts' button/icon would be good. __

Matt,
I use the link under the "Latest News" on the top bar.
Yes, it might be easier to use from the top bar.

The search which gives you the posts for the Last 24 hrs, Last week etc is a bit dodgy under some IE versions but seems to work well enough under Firefox.

Proteus,
I have a bit of a problem with all the censorship and criticism but something I think the forum really needs is a "Tongue in Cheek" Emoticon

Thanks to all for making it a pleasure to learn and grow as a fishkeeper.



Old Dave

[Proteus]

Proteus,
I have a bit of a problem with all the censorship and criticism but something I think the forum really needs is a "Tongue in Cheek" Emoticon

Thanks to all for making it a pleasure to learn and grow as a fishkeeper.



Old Dave

Censorship, Criticism... nooooooooooooooooooo

New emoticon's... consider that to be a certainty

[Matt15]

I think the addition of a 'view new posts' button/icon would be good.

One better from Old Daves suggestion Matt is here:
http://www.discusforums.com/
TOP LEFT HAND SIDE - POSTS SINCE LAST VISIT.


I also agree with Ivo's comments. The market has really slowed given the global recession but it will pickup again soon.

[TW]

I use "Latest News" but don't find it as good as the "New Posts" on some forums I visit. Some forums have better version of "New Posts" button than others. Some some show the "new posts" only for the first time you log on. If for some reason you have to log off before you can check out all the new posts, when you log on next those post are no longer on the list.

One forum I visit has a system where, whilst it recognises that you have visited the forum since those were posted, it also recognises that you have not read all posts. So, they are still there, but have now moved below a new sub heading "The threads below have not been updated since your last visit but still contain unread posts."

Just my opinion, but I like that system best and think it would be great to see it here.

[Merrilyn]

Yoo hoo ..................... ...................... Aunty's back

Hello everyone

Yeah I know, I've been absent for a year, but sometimes ya just gotta take a break or you go nuts

As many of you already know, I own a furniture shop in Richmond Victoria, and what, with the downturn in the economy, and the need to spend more time in the business, I just haven't had time to visit you guys at Discus Forums.

Gotta say, I missed you all terribly, and now that the economy is beginning to look up, I've got a bit more free time on my hands, so you'll see me here a lot more often. I might even be able to talk taksan (aka Mr Cool) into contributing a few posts too

We both still have our fish. I've still got the ten foot Jebo full of wilds and altums, another tank with 10 altums (yep they're all still going strong) and the 7 x 3 x 3 with "Jimbo" the biggest saratoga you can imagine, along with some huge plecos and several large pairs of Rivulatis (green terrors) who have been busy breeding and still manage to raise fry even with Jimbo on the prowl

I'm down to just 4 large tanks, and of course the heated pond, instead of the 17 I used to have, but the urge never really goes away, and I'd like to get back into some of the wild bettas again, an maybe set some of these wild discus up in breeding tanks again and see if I can raise a few spawns. Seems like the importing of wilds has really dried up. Maybe we can do something to get things going again.

I'll give the tanks a good clean and take some new photos, so you can see what's been going on during the last 12 months.

Great to see so many members still into discus, despite the recession, and a big welcome to the many, many new members.

Time to start a new "welcome" thread I think, so we can all get to know each other again, and have a look at some of those gorgeous fish you've been keeping.

[TW]

Hi Merrilyn, great to hear your latest news. Look forward to those new photos.