Why are we here?

Following on from SteveMonkSeaton's post earlier I thought I would ask you all what brings you to a forum about Italy (not just this one).

For those that didn't see Steve's post he was suggesting a page or pages for useful information about Italy. Things like buying a house, tax information, building rules etc. A kind of one-stop-shop that you would normally need to visit many different sites to find out. It's purpose would be multiple: to inform, to give us a uniqueness, to raise the number of hits to our forum and therefore the number of members.

So, please vote and let me know how you feel about Steve's suggestion by responding to this post.

Are we allowed to only vote for ONE option?

Well the idea is your primary motive......

My answer would be all of them!  I suspect that most people's prime reason is either general or specific information.  What I find most useful is the things I didn't know I didn't know!

After a time it becomes more of a social activity punctuated by gems of information.

You mean like the unknown unknowns (to quote the devil incarnate?)

I think that there is a possible choice missing:
"I am a masochist"  

I think I'd agree with that Gala.  I met a friend in the supermarket the other day and she said 'no-one told me retirement would be such hard work!'  She thought she had retired for a 'lazy' life in Italy.

Yes I can see this would be a great idea. I can also see that it would be quite big so rather than being a sticky or whatever it might be best to actually construct a sort of book from various contributions.  Stage 1  suggestions for chapter headings. Stage 2, contributions collated under same and so on. It might go on to become an e-book - who knows  but it would be good for the forum for sure.

Sagraiasolar wrote:Yes I can see this would be a great idea. I can also see that it would be quite big so rather than being a sticky or whatever it might be best to actually construct a sort of book from various contributions.  Stage 1  suggestions for chapter headings. Stage 2, contributions collated under same and so on. It might go on to become an e-book - who knows  but it would be good for the forum for sure.

You can only do so much in a book and where as it has an advantage of being able to carry it around, that is fast becoming old hat with the advent of e-books. Where as a number of pages that can be edited and kept up to date I think would be a big attraction, but as stated the keeping it up to date would be uite a bit work, unless of course it's like a wiki where many can edit it...

.... agreed ... I wasn't thinking of a physical book but more of a forum book. So a formal set of chapters with editable contributions attached.

That sounds like a good idea 

I think with some of the stickies already here e.g. Tax etc... and the likes of the post on water, there is a lot of it started, but not too sure how it can be pulled together...

Perhaps all this important info could be repeated in a special section which could be called "Useful information" or something like that. I know of a British/Spanish Forum that dida similar thing with a little twist: that section was not open to the general public, but it was a "members only" who had contributed a minimum of 5 posts to the other threads or topics. It certainly increased active membership.

Is active membership important? If so, in what way apart from keeping the forum "alive".
I don't know about the previous forum that's been mentioned in a number of posts on this site but I gather it didn't operate efficiently and was rather, shall we say select regarding postings and tolerance of others?
It's often a pain to have to register merely to glean a little information that's been posted on a public site so should be available for all and sundry without committing to membership.

logitech wrote:Is active membership important? If so, in what way apart from keeping the forum "alive".I don't know about the previous forum that's been mentioned in a number of posts on this site but I gather it didn't operate efficiently and was rather, shall we say select regarding postings and tolerance of others?It's often a pain to have to register merely to glean a little information that's been posted on a public site so should be available for all and sundry without committing to membership.

... to have to be a posting member to access is a disaster ....

Most of the comments regarding the"good old days" refer to the original forum and we should go back in time to a few years ago. Then, there were certain problems (that I would not like to mention... they should be buried) and the forum was replaced by something with a different name that was not quite as satisfactory as before. Finally, new owners... and a complete change that made many of those who are here, in this brand new forum, less than happy. This is the story in a nutshell. The old forum was very much alive and had plenty of participants. Everyone has something to contribute, even the right question at the right time that may help others who do not "dare" to ask questions. A Forum is basically communication, so it does need participation to stay alive.

I think Steve's suggestion is a very good one.  It's often difficult (or impossible) to track down a useful snippet of information that was posted weeks or months before.

(Incidentally I'm on this forum for all the above reasons except 'to meet people').

I agree you shouldn't have to register to access information.  I don't usually want to register for something until I know what it is and that I actually want to belong.  If I cannot see the information without registering I won't bother.

However, if I think I desperately need information quickly I may register quickly just for that visit, which usually means I forget my password and never revisit!

To generally have a chat with the people of Italy and other who want to know more about italy.

I also like to gain knowledge on auctions and property as this is my business. I might start adventuring over in Italy, if it seems like a good market to tap.