IAC forums traffic

[FredD]

Wouldn't it be nice if 'loads' more IAC and non IAC members, used these forums ?
I wonder why they don't ?
Kind regards,
Fred D

[Peter B]

Yes, Fred it would be nice if more people used the forums. I've no idea why they don't, but it's a similar story on a couple of other forums I'm on, it's always the same handful of people who post and when they've nothing to say the forum goes quiet.

[Dave Watterson]

It is odd.

We have 374 signed-up members of the forum who took the time and trouble to go through that fiddly registration procerss. Occasionally I meet some of them in person and ask ... the usual reply is that they are content and interested to read items, but feel no need to write themselves.

[Chrisbitz]

I suspect it's due to the IAC management not really believing in the new fangled internet, and not really believing it's going to catch on, and so don't give this forum the publicity, plugs and mentions it deserves in their membership communications.

That's the main reason why I left a couple of years ago. Any club that doesn't make it its business to wholeheartedly understand and embrace the internet is going to dwindle in the face of competition that does appeal to the younger film-makers.

I'd be fascinated to be proved wrong, but my feeling is that the forum traffic is much the same as it was 2 years ago.

if I became god of filmmaking tomorrow, the number of new forum members and/or forum traffic would become an indicator of the success of the IAC! Then they'd make it their business to bring the club into the 21st Century!

[Chrisbitz]

It is odd.

We have 374 signed-up members of the forum who took the time and trouble to go through that fiddly registration procerss. Occasionally I meet some of them in person and ask ... the usual reply is that they are content and interested to read items, but feel no need to write themselves.

As administrator of this board, are you able to see that reflected in the stats compared to last year or whenever?

[Willy]

I think that the forum is one of the best things of the IAC and its website. You make friends and it gives a good feeling to meet them at the BIAFF. Sometimes friends disappear on the forum for some time. Then I miss them.

When writing messages, however, you may take risks. Words may be misinterpreted. Sometimes I regret the things that I have written. I wanted to express my feelings, but it appeared that I didn't use the right words.

Another thing: everybody has got his own character. There are friends who always say things very frankly. Other ones prefer to keep some distance. They think it is wise not to communicate on the IAC-forum. Actually forum-friends sometimes give themselves away. Everybody says/writes something stupid in his life. Nobody knows everything. Nobody is perfect.

I don't think that the discussions on the IAC-forum are overheated. They are always very friendly. Some years ago there was a heavy discussion about a Canadian film, one of the successful BIAFF-entries, but eventually everybody calmed down. To be honest I enjoyed that discussion. It was very fascinating. There were more friends who wrote something. Thanks to it I adjusted my own view about an aspect of filmmaking.

Anyway, I think that communication on the forum is always very important. It makes the IAC even more lively. It means socializing. Some days ago I saw a short speech by one of our relatively new forum-friends John Ingham. He had filmed himself. You could see him. That was something new on our forum. I enjoyed it.

[Dave Watterson]

A very quicK 3am glance at the stats reveals that:
200 people have written at least 1 message
159 have written at least 2 messages
56 have written more than 10 messages
18 have written more than 1000 messages

These are slightly soft figures - for example some people lose their old access details and instead of contacting me through email on asstweb@theiac.org.uk, they rejoin under a slightly different name.

As for IAC National Council members - some years ago they decided not to respond to forum items on policy issues for fear of getting stuck in a possibly heated debate when they (as individuals) could not definitively speak in the name of the whole Council. I understand but regret that decision since it reinforced the notion that Council members are aloof and uninterested in serving the membership. I know the opposite is true, because I know most of the people on Council. I would far rather Council be seen to listen and respond to the membership.

That should not prevent Council members taking part in other topics but very few do.

Dave

[Michael Slowe]

Dave, what on earth did Jan have to say about you slogging away on your computer at 3am? See everyone, how hard our administrator (regulator?) works on our behalf?

I do agree that Council members and other bigwigs should partake on the forum, we often wonder whether it's just us children playing, with the grown ups elsewhere.

[FredD]

"...I do agree that Council members and other bigwigs should partake on the forum, we often wonder whether it's just us children playing, with the grown ups elsewhere."

Mmm.. I wonder if we let the 'grown ups' take part in the forums, that they will have enough of a grasp of the 'death of the 1950's club model', to be able to give us any useful guidance ?

[TimStannard]

I'm inclined to agree with Fred. Forums work best when they are inhabited by those who want to play. Forcing the grown ups to play would have a similar effect to what used to happen when I was forced to play football at school - the whole team suffered.
We have one or two grown ups here who are very welcome and we know they feed comments back to the NEC (or whatever they call themselves)

[Chrisbitz]

I'm not sure that anyone's asking for them to be "forced" to take part, It's just in my opinion, I'm sad and disappointed that they're burying their heads in the sand regarding the inevitable future of their organisation.

Of course, that's just my personal opinion, and it may well be that I'm wrong and they were right all along. But I've given all my reasons for feeling this way, and it would be interesting to hear theirs.

I don't know any of them personally, but I can only presume that they're from a different era, and they run the IAC as well as they can, and as long as there are members willing to pay their subs, the IAC will continue as it has done for many years...

[Dave Watterson]

Should I mention that the national President of IAC is in your club, Chris?

[Mike Shaw]

... and was praised (by Chris) as being one of the reasons for the club's success ...

The club also boasts other leading lights ... Chair of SERIAC ... Chair of the Kent Film Festival ... organiser of the North v South ... plus members of all sorts of film-related councils (like the Rob Knox Festival).

I always reckon if you don't like a way an organisation you belong to is being run, leaving it is only one of two options ... the other is to get elected and start making (the necessary?) waves.

Of course, you have to be prepared to devote considerable time and energy ... and bear a lot of the costs (travelling e.g.) - which many not yet in their dotage cannot afford (time nor money). It's so easy to be judgemental without experience and without seeing the entire problem. Ask any taxi driver or barber how to run the country (its always so 'obvious') - and then ask yourself - so why aren't they?

It's even worse (changing the subject to a real hoary old chestnut) with those who criticise judges on the grounds that they (the judges) don't know what they're talking about, but sadly they (the critics of the judges) aren't prepared to put forward their patent skills (?), time and energy to themselves perform the tasks they desperately cry out for. Invariably so doing throws a completely different complexion on things. And can even highlight diffrerent problem areas...

But I digress, and rant. Again. And its sunny out there ... how silly can one be?

[john ingham]

I run a little forum, we talk about anything from filming, fishing gardening in fact anything and everything,
i sometimes need to feed the forum as it has been posted here , many enjoy reading but not writing,
i do believe its not just the web masters job to keep the forum buzzing along, but also the members

many years ago I belonged to the fuji photographic forum...fuji ran a monthly comp..everyone was asking how they picked the winners, as some of the pictures were just awful, and seriously !!!thats me being kind

a couple of us wanted to learn how to photograph better, so we introduced a weekly comp where we set a subject and got others to vote,they could only vote if they took part..

we had 12 in the 1st few weeks by the end of the year over 100 were taking part every week...

so far i have found this forum priceless, the help and advice have been fantastic, may be the forum could do with a little uplifting but how, and by who, and would others want this to become a faster flowing forum