Boosting membership.

First topic message reminder :

Hi guys as we struggle around the 40 mark for members is it about time to go on a membership drive to open up the Forum to new members?
I have just Tweeted details of our new Forum to my followers, why not do the same with yours or can you use any other means to wake up the Italian Loving Community to the Best Italy Forum yet (Probably)

Certainly, Penny. You have already done more than could be expected in such a short time. Perhaps you could get more help from those who know more about this topic. Sorry, I am a total ignorant, I can't volunteer

Think Penny is doing an excellent job... but these excuses about 2 yr olds and a job..., well the holiday we can all understand as they take time... Thanks Penny, will continue to try to find you some help/info...

Well, the good news is that we have reached 50 members!!! Welcome "Il Salmone"

Well done Penny, as they say 'slowly slowly catchee monkey'; well at least we've caught a Salmon.....

Thanks for the love

I'm not offended. Feedback is great - keep it coming.

Re: Membership.

Just wondering if there's any mileage (or kilometrage if you prefer) in PMing the odd member OTR now that we have access again? Rickardo for example looks like he might be ready to jump.

I think it is almost impossible to start a new forum these days. Certainly if it's aiming at such a big subject as'Italy'.

I don't know about the rest of you, but almost all of my social interactions with people I only know virtually (hurling abuse, arguing and sharing jokes, very occasionally information) now happen on Twitter - and if I used Facebook I'm sure that'd be the place I'd go to for people I genuinely know.

I use forums to get very specific information (like where are the hidden screws so I can take an iPad apart), and I either get an answer by googling the model number (and a hit on a forum thread) or by asking a geeky question and getting an instant answer. Then I'll probably never visit that forum again.

When the Italymag forum realised that it wasn't going to cut it with the social traffic side of stuff, and when there aren't a lot of people (at this point in the economic cycle) who want to know where the screws are hidden, it really isn't any kind of asset to the magazine any more. So it's utterly pointless for them to keep it going and I can't understand why they don't just bin it.

This forum (though kudos for giving it a go, despite Chillout's lack of enthusiastic response to his past efforts to get a very similar forum going) serves me only to keep an eye on the opinions of a few virtual friends who don't figure on the abruzzo forum. Now that abruzzo forum is a bizarre success because it seems to perfectly reproduces the local pub atmosphere, coupled with the remarkable number of foreign newcomers to that region who ask bits of questions just as they would do in the local bar.

It doesn't plese me to be negative, but honestly I think a dead horse is being flogged!

Lax, I have to agree with you - but only to a certain degree. This type of forum isn't just about asking/getting answers - you already know that.

The interaction between members builds a comfort zone and although most of us have "been there and done that" (Lord knows I don't really want to write yet another "Naples" thread - but I will if others want me to) so there is a need for the type of forum where people "get to know" each other.

It's the personal stuff that makes a forum like this interesting on so many levels - including the arguments, disagreements, support and of course, the practical help. You have a lot to offer - perhaps not to those of us who are long in the tooth, but certainly to the new members we all hope we will attract in the near future.

Perhaps we need more time and visibility. I reckon that we will get more members in the next few weeks.

Time, yes that is certainly part of the answer. I also partly agree with Lax, in as much as forums have seen their day as a social beast, but I do not think that this is the case regards specific "Italy" information (mainly buying me thinks). The abruzzo forum is great, and yes different, but it's specifically "Abruzzo", where as I often want a broader "Italy" view. There are a few hard core members here that make forums because of their in depth knowledge of the subject. The latter is where this forum can make it, but it will take a determination by everyone to keep it going if it is to do so. The Abruzzo forum does not have a massive membership and very few that often take part. Is number the only measure of success of a forum? I think this forum is doing ok in it's infancy..

.. oh dear I should have read the points post first.. I take it all back!

Good to see a few more joining on here now, hope it continues

Great to see numbers growing. A warm welcome to all recent members 

Currently 53

Correction, we are 54! Welcome Rachel68 

And now, 55 with Smeralda! Welcome, neighbour 

I just posted a reminder about this site to Rickardo. 

On a different note, has anyone requested and gotten the contents of their e-mail at the It. Mag?  I have requested it four times now as I have some info saved that I need, gotten one response that it was being worked on, but still nothing sent.

You wont get what you have asked for Lisa.  Either create a stink by posting again over the road (post it in a NEW thread) - or forget about it

Will write another new post if they don't respond within two days.  I had posted once in a new thread as well as sent 3 e-mails. Ugh!

I'll take anyones money - who wants to bet they wont respond?

Miss Demeanor wrote:I'll take anyones money - who wants to bet they wont respond?

Well, who would have believed it?  I just received a zip e-mail with all of the contents of my inbox attached.  Along with it was a note that they had originally sent everything May 30, but I never got that one.

This is a first for me - I posted a reply to Rickardo today and let him know about this site and voila - the entire thread that he started has disappeared.  Enough said - tried to do my bit to help promote our new forum.

They don't seem to understand that people would be likely to frequent both. Instead they ban people for even mentioning us which hacks them off and they don't go back! Very childish.

Seems to be that they do not like adverse comments. I saw the posts have gone as well ...... obviously run by a load of self centred kids, who love to throw their toys out of prams.
Must be the most petty site I have ever visited now, but they obviously have to make their mark!!!!
Thanks for trying Lisa

I thought about reposting the link to this Forum on the What is happening with the IT Community site? post section but am afraid if I do so that they will delete the entire thread and then would be no mention of us on the site.  Oh well...

I just tried to reply directly to Geotherm's quote but it wasn't working properly.  His quote came up but then it appeared that I would just be adding to it.  Perhaps there is a glitch in the system?