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How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Printable Version

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How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Skean Dhude - 2 August 2016

The main site has always been quiet while this site has dropped off significantly since I had the downtime a couple of years ago. People thought the site had closed and went never to come back. It didn't help that I was slow to fix the problem for which I hold my hand up. This left the sites with a few core supporters who have kept the threads going. Lately though the posts have petered out as the few contributors have gone on holiday or lost interest talking to themselves and a few pals.

Sites in the UK like mine have few followers anyway as we just don't have the people with an interest in the wilds and having few places to hunt and get out and about that is not rigidly controlled or very expensive. Most of us are stuck behind the TV and are watching the latest soaps. It's the same in the US but the percentages are different as they do have large areas where you can hunt and camp and a lot more freedom. There are still those that watch TV but there are plenty interested in prepping and survival sites to make the US based ones viable businesses.

Interestingly enough I still have a lot of browsers looking at the posts on both this site and the forum while I have a regular few downloading from the files site. Some look like they are downloading the entire site which isn't easy.

I'm after suggestions on how to get some of those browsers into commentators or contributors. How to get some fire back into the site and not just have me putting a post up about something else I am doing that isn't that exciting. People are doing things, how can we get them to say what they are doing so we can all learn. There must be something we can do that will attract people to the site and get them involved. I've always said that it is the users that keep the site going, we need to get new users here, those that will contribute or we will just stagnate as we appear to be doing now.

If however we think that the site is fine, nobody has anything to add as they are happy with what is already on here or it is crap and nobody is interested then let me know.


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Mistwatch - 2 August 2016

Hi Skean

I posted the following on the main site but will double up here for good measure:

From my perspective such that it is. There is nothing wrong with the site. In fact its been invaluable to a newbie prepper such as myself. I haven't contributed much as of yet as still rifling through the vast volume archived here, but catching upto speed pretty quick. This has been compounded by the fact that I'm putting what I'm learning into practice. When I catch up I will be able to help out a bit more.

One thing of note, I noticed there seems to be an element of tit-for-tat in the forums, mostly historical by the looks of it, so that may now have run its course. Whilst I can cope with such, it may put some people off. Please note I'm not sure what the answer is to that one however. Also maybe it will get busier in the winter months as the rainy days start to return? I don't know as not been on here that long.

As to answering you question, how to breathe life? My thoughts are perhaps we all descend onto the site one evening a week to start with. If we can get it active one night, then that should build piece by piece organically.


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - MaryN - 2 August 2016

I'm inclined to agree with Mistwatch, SD. I don't think there is much wrong with this site, as such. At the moment I suspect a lot of people are busy out and about in the Summer, and they just pop in to have a look round at anything new (guilty!). I think it will pick up again when the days get shorter and folks have more time indoors. We do appear to have lost a few of the senior members, for whatever reason, and that is a pity, but I guess things move on. I don't know if anyone else agrees with me, but there seems to be a bit of a lull post-referendum.......


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Mortblanc - 2 August 2016

I have learned much more than I ever expected to find on this forum.

Most of it about the British nature, habits and inclinations.

Nothing about survival that I had not acquired by the time I was 10.


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Straight Shooter - 2 August 2016

I also posted on the main site and also agree with MW however i am now on with the new build and firing on all six....time is scarce and the days will get shorter...on another news bombshell, today i picked peas ,broad beans,runner beans, carrots and raised some spuds.....boiled them up....fried up some bacon, then plated up ...butter on all of it ...followed by some fresh milled black pepper.....placed the bacon on ...then poured the bacon fat over everything ......oh man ! as i finished licking the plate.....i knew i should have cut another slice of bread....life can be such a cruel bastard sometimes .


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Lightspeed - 2 August 2016

SD,

I know its against your ethos, but I propose you put a use it or lose it condition on access.

What I mean is this: If people don't post comments and contribute (hopefully constructively), deny them access.

Certainly the download section of the main site should only be available to people who are actively taking part in discussions.

Is there a way to create tiered membership, with more rights and access available depending on how much has been contributed?

If you lety people have valuable stuff for free, they'll just take it without so much as a thank you. And in this case the thank you is joining in.


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - harrypalmer - 2 August 2016

Mistwatch said " If we can get it active one night, then that should build piece by piece organically." and that is right, Webber and Durkheim talked about 'organic growth' and solidarity in society and a forum is just that, a small society.

When I see posts aimed at frightening folk, you know the sort, county X has done this so country Y may get involved...I get peed off.

Lets get back to basics, talk about prepping, living outdoors, food storage et al and when we are PREPPED we will deal with what comes along. Having your head stuck up your ass in a dark place will not enlighten you in dark times...your preparedness will do that.


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Stewart - 2 August 2016

lightspeed if you deny access people will go elsewhere


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Devonian - 3 August 2016

I'm with LS on this, if you allow free unrestricted access, people will simply take what they want whenever they want and have no incentive to contribute.

I've said it before that I think large parts of the forums should only be visible to members, that should encourage 'genuine' people to sign up and then to sign in when they want to view new posts, that immediately gives them a sense of membership and in turn they are more likely to participate in discussions.

Furthermore with the Download sites I would suggest, that only forum members are allowed access to the downloads and additionally that they should have a minimum of say 10 or 20 posts before they can access/download any of the files. I know you probably won't like this, but if you want to increase participation, this may have to a compromise that you have to make.

The only other suggestion I would make is perhaps to have an 'off-topic' forum where anything and everything non-prepping can be discussed, including general banter, again the purpose of this would simply be to develop more of a community among the forum members, as at the end of the day, we all need to relax and we all have other concerns, issues and responsibilities that are non-prepping related......


RE: How can we put life back into the Survival UK sites? - Skean Dhude - 3 August 2016

All,

Thanks for the responses. I've also had some by email and I'll be looking at them all and working out a way forward. Seems to me there is actions that can be taken and I'll do a post on options at some point in the next week.

Any further input supporting or with alternative views are going to be useful.

Regards,

SD