Only 22 to go to make 5000- lets get there ASAP!
We must have friends who aren't members??
NGS claims nearly 6000 - how long before we are the biggest N Gauge group??
Nick R
How many of the almost 5000 are active?
Quote from: railsquid on March 20, 2016, 12:06:27 AM
How many of the almost 5000 are active?
Active posters or active browsers? There are probably a lot of folks like me who lurked for awhile before plucking up the courage to go public!
If you look at the list of members there are quite a few in red
denoting no posts made. They could be inactive, doing other hobbies
or dead, difficult to tell. Looking at the lists possibly approx 30-40%
have not posted.
Many people are quite reserved when it comes to putting something out there for others to view. They probably have a fear of saying things that may end up with them looking silly/having the proverbial ripped out of them. This is though a friendly forum where moderators intervene if posts risk causing upset, or subjects that are or become overly controversial.
Having worked in further education I know there is a lot of dyslexia that can deter people, plus of course people who find it daunting to compose an article.
There is a wealth of knowledge amongst members of this forum, whereby we can all learn something...long may it continue and grow!
I think back to 5 years ago when the forum was in its infancy. At the time I was a moderator and I remember we were all very excited on the prospect of gaining 1000 members.
We royally achieved that milestone and I'm personally very pleased that the forum is about to gain 5000 members.
Over the last few years the forum has gone from strength to strength. It has commissioned rolling stock and even an MPV model kit, the list of merchandise such as mugs and other goodies is vast, and the subject matters and topics covered is huge.
It's purely down to one man..... Tank (founder and chief moderator)
Regarding the NGS, it's no surprise that their membership is floundering. The current editor's (Grahame Hedges) attitude and obvious deliberate disclusion of listing the N Gauge forum in the recent N Gauge hobby supplement proves the jealousy he has on the fact that that this forum is far more popular and a lot better than the NGS.
When my subscription to NGS finishes next year (I signed up for 3 years in 2014) I doubt very much that I will re-new, mainly down to the short sighted appointment of an editor who I feel is no up to the job and speaking to many other n gaugers this is a widely shared sentiment. It's a big shame as I have been a member of the NGS for the last 16 years. The forum delivers more on a daily basis than the NGS has since the new editor took post. ::)
Very well done NGF :ngauge:
I have been on several forums (fora?) over the years, and this is easily the friendliest and least intimidating of all the ones I have experienced. There doesn't appear to be any cliques that can often scare off new users.
I disagree just a bit, with that, Steve, based on what seems like many threads get locked by Tank because they get contentious. The previous post from Owl is a prefect example of what makes them go that route.
The thread was about reaching the 5000 member mark, but Owl just had to throw in a hack at the NGS and Graham. The last I read, the NGS is not floundering, but still growing. As for the Journal, as I have said before, I think Graham has taken what was a great magazine devoted to N gauge and made it even better.
I also don't find the negative attitude many spout out on here regarding the 2mm folks done in reverse on either the 2mm section of RMWeb, or the 2mm VAG.
Just my opinion.
Jim
I think it's great the NGF will soon have attracted 5000 registered users throughout its existence, but utterly pointless bringing the NGS into the discussion (where there are 6000 current fee-paying members, and going by the allocated membership numbers over 25000 over the course of its existence.
Now, is there a button to ignore this thread, I'm going back to messing around with N gauge :beers:
Quote from: trkilliman on March 20, 2016, 08:14:51 AM
They probably have a fear of saying things that may end up with them looking silly/having the proverbial ripped out of them.
How right you are ! I have just been chastised, mildly, elsewhere, for buying cheep servo testers in China but fractionally more expensive servos in theUK !
Ye canna win, aka ymmv.
When pimping the forum at shows or wherever, I always find our membership statistics impress whoever I am talking to so 5000 will be a great number to reach.
It's just a shame the NGF is not really taken seriously by the main manufacturers as, collectively, we are a very good source of 'what our customers want/don't want' so could provide some fairly instant market research to the likes of Dapol and Farish. We have run polls in the past similar to the RMWeb one, and results have been sent to them but nothing came back. We are, I venture, the best source of data for anyone interested in making/selling N gauge as opposed to any other multi gauge fora but I feel we are 'under used'. However, polls and market surveys really need a greater percentage of our membership to partake rather than us rely on the core of members who regularly post.
Well said Mick. I totally agree.
I'd also agree with what Trikillman says. I met a couple at a show a couple of years back who are very regular visitors to this forum but never post a single thing (it's just the way they want to use it and it suits them).
When Tank first set up the forum, I didn't register straight away.. I was thinking it would be a "flash in the pan"..
After about 6 weeks I took the plunge and registered.. I found there are other people who like N gauge as much as me!
It took a long while for me to post because basically I didn't think I could contribute to what I saw the "experts" talking about...
Slowly my confidence grew from trying to help others with simpler questions and I always try to share newsworthy items I come across.
I'm glad to be part of this forum now and look forward to seeing posts from the next 5000...
Cheers
Mark
I too took a long time before I first posted, but I'm glad I did. I'm not the worlds best modeler, a long way from it, and I certainly don't feel intimidated here. I have one complaint though, I spend too much time on the forum when I should be modeling!
Many thanks everyone. I'm certainly not on here as often as I used to be in the beginning (due to some long term issues at home), so I can't push the ideas forwards as quickly as I once did, or spend too much time on projects - not even my own layout. I'm so happy that the forum has brought so much joy to so many.
Oh blimey! :doh: Please don't start another debate about the NGS Editor.
Quote from: JimF on March 20, 2016, 12:24:58 PM
...based on what seems like many threads get locked by Tank because they get contentious.
I'm sure you weren't meaning to be literal, but there aren't many threads. Probably one every few weeks.
Tank, no, was not literal, and not any sort of criticism of you, my apologies if it came across as such.
I was just meaning that, the fact that there are locked threads is a sign that this is not the 100% friendly forum a few seem to want to make it out as. No forum with more than one member will ever be that :)
And I'll also add a Thank You for you, for setting it up and maintaining it.
Jim
We are the friendly forum. We are also very family oriented and are very aware of any words, phrases or other innuendos that may jeopardize that.
We obviously cannot be the 100% "friendly" vehicle. :thumbsup:
But we try our best. :beers:
Quote from: OwL on March 20, 2016, 09:52:42 AM
It's purely down to one man..... Tank (founder and chief moderator)
Regarding the NGS, it's no surprise that their membership is floundering. The current editor's (Grahame Hedges) attitude and obvious deliberate disclusion of listing the N Gauge forum in the recent N Gauge hobby supplement proves the jealousy he has on the fact that that this forum is far more popular and a lot better than the NGS.
Chris (Tank) has done a great job and deserves lots of praise for getting it all going and continuing it when it may often seem like a thankless task!
For a point of clarity - the NGS membership isn't floundering and has been remarkably stable given the shop/kit related issues we have had.
The very personal attack on Grahame has absolutely no place on this or any forum (particularly on the same thread where people are extolling the friendly virtues of the forum and I hope that OwL will reconsider his words. I reluctantly concede that some don't like Grahame's style or messages but no need to make it personal (or imply he does a poor job - the overwhelming feedback is the opposite of that).
Cheers, Mike
(NGS Product Development Officer)
I think there are many reasons that a thread is locked apart from the obvious ones with strong language ,some times a thread just goes on and on and on round and round in circles ,some times the reason is the thread gets a little bit personal ,I think that as a rule the moderators are doing a great job ,If I was a moderator I would have locked a lot more threads than they do ,on the whole we all have freedom of speech on here but we all have to be carefull of what we post for the above reasons and we must abide by the rules and at the end of the day agree with the moderators decision.
I say THANKYOU to all the moderators and especially to TANK who started this wonderfull Forum and I'm very happy Tank put me on the forum because I've made so many friends and even though I've been into N gauge for a very long time,my first loco was a Farish pannier tank at£3-7-6d brand new, Ive learnt a great deal and I am still learning now ,we really do have some great members with so much knowledge and allways ready to help with things we can't do ourselves such as Ozy making my Alfie nameplate and Woodbury22Uk printing me the signs for my expanding catering company see my media if you don't know what I'm talking about .Must shut up now Val will be home and I havent done my household chores.
Bye for now Bob
Only 13 newbies to go!
Quote from: Bob Tidbury on March 21, 2016, 03:04:20 PM
I say THANKYOU to all the moderators and especially to TANK who started this wonderfull Forum
First off, I agree wholeheartedly with Bobs sentiments about the moderators. :thankyousign:
Secondly, £3-7-6d. I do not know when you are talking about Bob, but when I started work in May 1967, (a few days before my 16th birthday), my wage should have been £5-17-6d, but the bosses who interviewed me were so impressed with me, (at least that is what I like to think :)), that they gave me a half a crown increase before I had even started. So your £3-7-6d was more that half a weeks wage for me :hmmm:. David.
While 5000 members is certainly impressive and puts us ahead of most other specialised model railway fora, as others have said not all of those will be regularly active, though for me it is the quality rather than the quantity of both members and postings that matters...
Looking at the member list, when I joined on 11 September 2011 (the 571st member apparently) it shows there were 12 members joined on that date but of those 12, 3 have not yet posted and only 2 have reached a double-figure post-count (though we two are both into 4 figures!) The member list doesn't show when members last signed in but I would not be surprised if half of those 12 had not signed in since 2011... If that is typical, you can extrapolate maybe 4000 individual members who have actually posted, but around 2000-2500 who regularly view the forum and no more than 1000 regular contributors...
Comparing to other fora I'm a member of, there are possibly fewer regular posters, but the quality consistently shines through. Just about every poster either offers good advice or asks sensible questions from which others can also learn. I don't think there are any names I can think of who have you rolling your eyes at the mere sight of their screen name.
As with any forum, it is what the members make it, and in this case it is helpful, informative and inspiring, with very little of the 'self-promoting show-offs' who dominate some forums.
:thumbsup:
Quote from: PLD on March 22, 2016, 12:48:28 AM
it is the quality rather than the quantity of both members and postings that matters...
That is so true and there is certainly a lot of quality on this forum.
you can extrapolate maybe 4000 individual members
Sounds painful :goggleeyes:
the quality consistently shines through. Just about every poster either offers good advice or asks sensible questions from which others can also learn.
Apart from my woodworking skills (?), just about everything I have learnt about n gauge and modelling, has come from this forum - :thankyousign: to all who contribute
As with any forum, it is what the members make it, and in this case it is helpful, informative and inspiring, with very little of the 'self-promoting show-offs' who dominate some forums.
:thumbsup:
Totally agree :beers:
Quote from: PLD on March 22, 2016, 12:48:28 AM
The member list doesn't show when members last signed in
Search for a member, find their profile and you can see when they were last active on the forum (i.e. were logged in).
Nov 2011 for me and not many posts to my name but I always look in and try to support and help where I can.
But I think back to the number of votes on the 'What do we want from the manufacturers this year" poll. For a forum of nearly 5000 members I seem to remember that the overall voting numbers were quite low.
Just think what we could do if we all got together a mighty force indeed..
Wot.... more toothpaste tubes? ;) :beers:
Quote from: Bealman on March 22, 2016, 07:57:39 AM
Wot.... more toothpaste tubes? ;) :beers:
Toothpaste is the new black..... :laugh:
Quote from: Greybeema on March 22, 2016, 07:33:16 AM
But I think back to the number of votes on the 'What do we want from the manufacturers this year" poll. For a forum of nearly 5000 members I seem to remember that the overall voting numbers were quite low.
Just think what we could do if we all got together a mighty force indeed..
My point entirely in reply #10.
Our membership at the time of the poll was nowhere near 5000 but the number of members who voted was very low percentage wise.
Maybe that's why we are not taken seriously by the manufacturers :hmmm:
Quote from: newportnobby on March 22, 2016, 09:43:21 AM
Our membership at the time of the poll was nowhere near 5000 but the number of members who voted was very low percentage wise.
Maybe that's why we are not taken seriously by the manufacturers :hmmm:
Almost certainly - manufacturers want data :D - X000 members is no good to a manufacturer if only 100 answer a poll.
I think there is also an important difference in communciation methods between say the large manufacturers and the small enthusiast-led companies - for example Ben and I can pop in and out of here when we have time (given we do this in our spare time and we need good communications to potential customers (and to help improve our products)); that is not the same as the traditional manufacturers who may not have a staff member dedicated to social media etc.
Cheers, Mike
If people do not want to contribute to posts it's a pity but that is their choice...for whatever reason/s.
I do believe when there is a poll it will benefit all of us if people take part. Besides the large producers there are some emerging small producers who are using 3D printing...they could also benefit from having an insight into what potential customers would like to see produced.
It's like political elections, people have a chance to vote but the turnouts can be incredibly low. As my late father a Merchant Navy officer would say... "empty vessels make most noise"
If you have a chance to vote on future products please consider taking part. If you don't vote can you really moan about what you are dealt?
Up to 4993 so only 7 to go. :)