Marketing the Forum

[verismissimo]

How will the Forum continue to recruit members?

The Other Place had continuous presence on Radio 3's much-visited website.

Any ideas?

Seems to me that presence on FaceBook might be a good start.

[french frank]

A first approach to Radio 3 for a permanent link to the forum on the R3 website has been turned down. I'm studying the BBC's editorial guidelines and am confident that we can soon fulfil the necessary requirements. Perhaps it's not unreasonable to see how the management and moderation works out, and whether the forum can handle the kind of difficulties which arise (and, in fact, do so better than the BBC did!) soon or later on most messageboards. We can then ask again. The R3 site is obviously the best place to attract the people we want - mainly Radio 3 listeners - and thus keep the forum on track.

Getting regular links on other sites is also a good idea, and in newsletters. Facebook, eh? A foreign land ...

[johnb]

ff, one of the amazing (?) things has been how well behaved everyone has been here and I haven't seen any posts that needed a moderator to step in (admittedly it's early days). I suppose that people are very grateful for the new forum and ff's work but it might be that people also have a different attitude when posting on a 'private' forum to that they have when posting on an institutional site.

I suspect that any future problems that arise might well involve new members, not people from the old BBC R3 MB.

PS What's Facebook?

[doversoul1]

It’s good to see new members joining us but does this forum really need to ‘market’ itself in order to ‘recruit’ more people? Is there any advantage in being a large forum?

[Mark Sealey]

It seems at the moment that we hardly need to: there has been a steady stream of between half a dozen and a dozen new users every day since we launched :-)

We have literally hundreds.

[french frank]

Is there any advantage in being a large forum?

Not particularly to being a large forum. But verismissimo's point is well made. People gradually drift away from posting and as long as we were on the Radio 3 website the drifters-away would be replaced by new arrivals who discovered the MBs when they were browsing the site - or perhaps heard one of the occasional mentions of the boards by a presenter. The Radio 3 audience is, ideally, where we want to get our new 'recruits' from. Providing a better facility for Radio 3 listeners than the BBC provided, and at no cost to the BBC, should - I would have thought - merit a link on the website. Simply targeting classical/jazz/world websites doesn't necessarily attract Radio 3 listeners.

[salymap]

FF I know you have been congratulated many times for your work with this Forum but I HATE changes and the fact that I feel so at home here in just under a week says it all for me.WELL DONE {but I still don't want/can't get an avatar].

[Panjandrum]

{but I still don't want/can't get an avatar].

Salymap, a slight contradiction there I think. If you don't want one, what are you doing trying to get one?

[Alain Maréchal]

There may be more need for marketing than you expect. I have been out of sight for some time and find that in my absence R3 had the temerity to close the boards without my permission. Moreover, all reference to the boards has been removed from the BBC website. My memory told me that this Forum existed, but being unable to see any posts which might have led me to you, I had to use my negligible research skills - i.e. emails to colleagues on non-work related subjects (which theoretically could have us all disciplined).

There are probably many who just want to read rather than become regular posters. I'm pleased to have found you. (by the way, do orthographic marks work ? I need one in my name).

[mangerton]

(by the way, do orthographic marks work ? I need one in my name).

Oui. Maréchal? Hold down the "alt" key, input 130 using your numeric keypad, release the "alt" key.

List of available characters here: http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/ALTchrc.html

[mangerton]

Salymap, a slight contradiction there I think. If you don't want one, what are you doing trying to get one?

It's called "Stop it I like it!"

[french frank]

(by the way, do orthographic marks work ? I need one in my name).

Yes, they do. Use whatever system you usually do, M. Maréchal . Your memory slightly deceived you as this forum didn't exist until a couple of days after the announcement by Southendian. I/We then bombarded the old board with links, but for those who were away for that crucial week, we may be lost.

The old boards are still mainly accessible - if you use the Your Discussions link, still live on the largely denuded homepage. That allows you to get back into the boards themselves. And Russ has posted here the links to each of the individual boards.

But you're right - the casual browsers who were wandering about on the R3 website will be lost unless we can get a link there.

That will depend, I think, on how much serious, informative on-topic posting is done

[french frank]

Yes, they do. Use whatever system you usually do, M. Maréchal .

Actually, I have to change your name in the database. When you confirm that you would like me to do it, I will, because - of course - you will need the new name in order to log in.

Edit: Also, for further reference, click on my name and then choose 'Private message' if you want to send me a ... private message ... about administrative matters affecting things like account settings &.

2nd Edit: Done.

[Anna]

I don't think that any refugees will be left wandering around in cyberspace trying to find this MB. If you put Radio3 Message Boards into google it firstly comes up with the closure, then a link to for3's homepage and this forum (I imagine every poster on the MB will know of frenchie's connection!) plus there are further links down the page, from John Wright on digitalspy and Philidor on his BrightCecilia website. As I said before, some may not be ready to venture onto another MB, still feeling upset and bruised at the sudden closure. Others, dare I say it, may know they will have to be rather more well behaved than in the past if they do post.

A suggestion to french frank. If you look at the members list it is really out of date as it contains many who haven't posted since the original for3 forum some years ago. Have you considered a Round Robin email to those absent posters to say you are now up and running?

[french frank]

A suggestion to french frank. If you look at the members list it is really out of date as it contains many who haven't posted since the original for3 forum some years ago. Have you considered a Round Robin email to those absent posters to say you are now up and running?

Yes . When time permits that will be another area to clean up. FoR3ers have just been separately informed and the forum database has to be updated for address changes. I have to sort out the people who haven't been informed by any other route yet.