Monthly Best Post Competition Launched

[Kiwi Cruiser]

The new forum software provides us with the ability to encourage and reward the best of the best amongst the many great Posts and Trip Reports that are posted each month.

Details are here:
https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/entries/7-Monthly-quot-Best-Post-quot-Competition

 

[pee]

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[Champasak]

Ok, lets re-phrase it then - would "Award" be better??

The goal was/is to encourage more reports. Thats pretty much why I've been burning the midnight oil for the past week and a half, eliminating the posting headaches and enabling lots of new features. There's now an excellent mechanism in place to easily provide feedback on Posts - we have an opportunity to put in place a positive acknowledgement of the extra efforts that some people, yourself included, have put into their posts / trip reports etc.

In the past, some people have lost interest in posting precisely because no one bothered to acknowledge the trip reports they'd so painstakingly assembled and published.

The "Rate This Post" feature now provides an instant, anonymous and effective way of giving the authors some feedback. It also provides a means of attracting our viewer's atttention to the posts that others rate highly.

As always - happy to hear your thoughts. There should be brighter ideas out there, and we'd be pleased to consider them! My own thoughts are, lets try it for a month, and see what sort of response we get.

If I can figure out how to set up a Poll, I believe I'll run one and let this be decided democratically

Ok - see Poll above...

Depending on the interest in, success of, and reaction to this - we might even consider hosting a Monthly Best Photo Award...

 

[Ally]

Admin001;262727 wrote:

As always, we're happy to hear your thoughts. There should be brighter ideas out there, and we'd be pleased to consider them!

I share the same view as Ron & Eric.

We have ideas that illuminate and shine but maybe not necessarily representative of people who desire to win a race or achieve the highest point on a scale. I enjoy sharing information and various items of interest. If however the principle of competition and awards for having contributed are introduced, I personally would stop contributing altogether.

Ally

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

I've got to go along with what is being said by the above posters. I did a post a long time ago encouraging readers to acknowledge that they had read an interesting post and perhaps say a kind word or two. This goes a long way. Some are better writers than others, some use English as a second language, that doesn't mean one post is any more relevant or informative than another. I already feel that there is photo contest going on at times.

Leave it to the readers to offer a kind word now and then, we don't need a competition.

 

[pee]

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[Champasak]

Hi Ron

Anyway, who would be making these value judgments?

Well, YOU would... and everyone who else decided they liked a post enough to click the "Rate This Thread" button.
- seems like a fairly democratic process

Here is my Challenge!
You said;

I think it is sufficient to encourage riders to submit reports as often as possible.

So.... Can you give me a list of ways that we can do that on this website?

Wet blankets are fine for putting out fires - but what I actually NEED from you guys is nutrients!

In the past 3 year's we've carefully tended and nurtured the website and forum seedlings from a modest 6000 visitors per month to a towering 55,000 visitors last month. My goal is to ensure we provide our viewers with more of what they like, and at the same time, give the members of GT-Rider more oportunity and encouragement for participation...

Let's hear your suggestions! Hey, maybe I should run an award for the best ideas to make GT-Rider.com better?
:lol-sign:

Regards

Ben

 

[Champasak]

Hmm... that's very odd indeed.

"You may not vote on this poll"

I've just checked your forum "permissions" and its "Registered User" - just like the 4 other people who have already voted... Can't see any logical reason for it to preclude you from voting, and I can't see any user Profile settings that would prevent access. If we can't get it to work for you before its over, I'll be sure to add "1" to the option of your choice at the end.

Ah ha - I see you figured it out already! :thumbup:

 

[pee]

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[Champasak]

Thanks Pee

Any chance to know who are these people, where are they (overseas or South East Asia based), profile, etc...

Yes, we've a good overview of the demographics available, as you can see from this chart.

So, there is a really broad geographic spread.

Have they expressed any complaints, wishes...

The forums have always been public, so that the content can be accessed by anyone, including search engines. Only registered members can make posts / comments on posts.

Of the Registered Members, I guess the most common requests / complaints have been;

• Event Calendar - now available, so you start adding information on upcoming events!
• Images in Posts - "How to?" questions, and "Why can't we upload them?" etc
• Avatars - How to add them etc
• Video - How to add them etc
• Google Maps - is it possible to add to posts. Obviously, that one is a little awkward on a business site which exists to sell hard-copy maps.
• New Comment Details on Subscribed Posts - way back in phpBB2, email notifications included the full text of any new comments made on the Posts we'd started or subscribed to. Thats now back!

Ideas

Adding editorial content could be one way.
Chronicles, informative reporting about current affairs related to riding environment (extended), interviews, etc
It will provide fixed weekly, monthly appointments to viewers. And allowing them to react, etc

Your "Editorial Content" idea is good; chronicles and informative reporting would be excellent.

We've discussed this previously. One idea was maybe offering Blog sections to travel writers and journalists to post regional stories (or excerpts of them) as a way of gaining additional exposure for them, and new content for us.

Feel free to volunteer!

Regards

Ben

 

[Captain Wally]

I'm an active member of 3 or 4 other forums. One, which I've been a member of for ~ 8 years has a 'thread of the day' button that I've known about but never used.
Another forum I've been on for ~ 4 years, appears to use the same software that's now in use here. It has a 'rate this thread' button that, until today, I hadn't even noticed.
I'm going to vote "HUH" although I see no harm in the button being there.

 

[johngooding]

Hopefully it is not considered that one must be a wet blanket because one does not like an idea. Have to agree with others above that awards, prizes or rating of my posts will not encourage me to make more posts, possibly may even have the opposite unwanted effect of reducing the number of my posts.
How to encourage more reports and posts. You are already doing that, make it easier to post and include pictures. There will undoubtedly be a time lag before this is seen. Some people, eg Dave Carroll has just told me on Facebook that he cannot log in to the site. I guess he just got back to the USA and may have missed the posts on the old forum about the change. Hopefully not too many people facing this and so put off the site. So there will be a settling in period as we all become accustomed to the new facilities and features. After that one should be able to judge wether the move has encouraged greater participation, or wether some other initiatives are needed to do that.

 

[pee]

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[Champasak]

kun Pee

Thanks for the "Euro's eye" view of this, I really do appreciate the thoughful consideration and careful outline you've provided. All the more impressive when you've got to simultaneously type and translate!

Please allow me to invest in a beer for you by way of thanks, next time we meet.

Now I'm off in search of the elusive U.K. to put some international balance into the site... I may be a kiwi colonial, but I believe you make yet another valid point...
:lol-sign:

kun John
If you look back at the 2nd post in this thread, you'll see the source of the "wet blanket" quip was not me - 2wheels apologised in case he seemed to be carying one around. I merely repeated it in a (forlorn) attempt at jest! :lolno:

Re Dave Carroll - can you give him the link to the access instructions, please?
https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/content/5-forum-access

 

[mbox999]

hi Ben, well done for the new forum install !

I find the effort in getting more Forum activity good. But as seen by feedbacks perhaps not the best of things.

I am just trying to suggest something else. How about making something like a Photo Contest?
It should have some topic(it doesn't really have to do with bikes- but should be about Thailand or S.E Asia), and the first 3 ( elected by forum members - maybe by poll) get some Price ie GT-rider t-shirt...
A Photo is easily taken it doesn't need anyone to go for a trip and make a fat report to be pressured or challenged ...a photo can be done from anyone , not particular on the bike but even those who are just Motorbike interested and that may widen the participants .

As said this is only a suggestion ,

mbox

 

[pee]

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[Franz]

Agree with Eric & Ron's first post. We are not a corporation where competition exists everyday and it is a pain i.t.a. Keep this away from the forum please. On another note, like the new forum layout but need to get myself familiar with it first, right now no time as yearend is nearing and every customer wants to clear up his act, that means, things that haven't been done for 11.5 months now must be done in a blink of an eye.......cheers, Franz

 

[LivinLOS]

I fully understand the desire.. And can see how 2+2 appears to = 4 but would just chime in that I have seen this forum mod (post rating and user rating) go awfully wrong on another forum.. So much so the whole system had to be disabled.

What happened was some users had good ratings.. This then became something they were 'proud' off.. and then any time they got a neg it was.. Who negged me for that post ?? All I said was etc.. Plus people had public and private spats, and some members went around non stop negging that person, no matter the post content, hounding them round the forum marking everything they said down. In retaliation people did it back.. Groups appears that divided and were semi battling with plus and neg ratings for their clique.. The whole thing became an out and out disaster and in the end was disabled in forum software.

Now I admit this was a 'nightlife' board.. And possibly a bit less mature than here.. But still the same issues are there even if not as seriously abused.

 

[KZ]

I believe the rating of posts will backfire and maybe even achieve the opposite of what it’s supposed to achieve. Most posters like what they post and expect an “Excellent” or at least “Good” and may feel disappointed or discouraged when they get an “Average” or even feel insulted when they get “Bad” and “Terrible” and turn their back on the site. Grading in any way would aid the process of forming an “Elite”, a bunch of “better” participants compared to the average poster. Looking for #1 will always produce a jealous second, an unhappy third, a disappointed 5th and a discouraged last.
I’ve left other forums because there seemed to be a group of insiders who ruled “their” forum, often flaming newbies or not taking them seriously. GT-Rider has never been like that, people just posted what they felt like posting, attracting more or less responses. I fear the possibility of judging posts may make people think twice about posting while giving certain posters a feeling of superiority over others.
The site has grown from 6,000 to 55,000 – a clear indication that things have been on the right track. I say: Don’t mess with success, don’t experiment with the taste of Coke Classic, don’t change things around too much.
Let’s get used to the new format and talk about more changes in the time to come.

 

[Champasak]

The members have spoken... and democracy triumphs.

The "Rate This Thread" option is deactivated, and the "Post of the Month" concept consigned into oblivion... Actually, this reminds me of an amusing quote on the subject of comittees!

A committee is a place into which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled...

So, any thoughts on the "Photo of the Month' then, as proposed by mbox999? :lol-sign:

How about making something like a Photo Contest?
It should have some topic(it doesn't really have to do with bikes- but should be about Thailand or S.E Asia), and the first 3 ( elected by forum members - maybe by poll) get some Prize ie GT-rider t-shirt...

 

[Captain Wally]

If people are worried about petty jealousy, dummy spits etc, perhaps it would be best if you Ben, or David selected an outstanding photo every month and awarded a prize.
A simple policy of "The judges decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into" would ensure that there was no whingeing about 'stacked votes' or similar.

I really don't see it as being a potential problem on this forum but clearly others do.

 

[LivinLOS]

Somehow the idea of a photo contest would provoke less acrimony.. No idea why as the basic concept is the same but just feel that way.

If my 2 satang counts it should also be about the photography more than just being in a good view.. EG a good depth of field and a bike in shot, rather than just stunning N thailand views as to be honest thats more about being there rather than the photo. Of course double points for a top photog INCLUDING a great location.

 

[HTWoodson]

I agree. I really didn't like the idea of rating the posts, but a photo of the month sounds good actually.