Australasian Skeptics

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bindeweede
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Australasian Skeptics

Post by bindeweede »

One of our newer members, Orphia, mentioned that she runs her own forum, but didn't mention its name. Well, here it is.

http://australasianskeptics.info/index.php

I like the idea of two forums on opposite sides of the world forming friendly links.
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bindeweede
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by bindeweede »

Sorry to read on FB that the Australasian Skeptics Forum is to close on July 24th.
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Abdul Alhazred
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by Abdul Alhazred »

Yes, that is unfortunately true.

Why not invite them over here?
Yes, that one.
Croydon13013
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by Croydon13013 »

Abdul Alhazred wrote:Why not invite them over here?

:thumb: :beer :wel :beer :lo
thIS sIGnaTure iS an
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polomint38
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by polomint38 »

Fixed post
Croydon1313 wrote: ImageImageImageImageImage
chaggle
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by chaggle »

polomint38 wrote:Fixed post
Croydon1313 wrote: ImageImageImageImageImage
:sh Very clever...
Don't blame me - I voted remain :con
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bindeweede
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by bindeweede »

Well, it looks like the ASF has gone, a little later than originally indicated. Orphia's view is that Facebook is doing the job of providing means of communication much better than all the forums she once participated in are doing now, and it is just a different way of keeping in contact. She's a big fan of FB, but I know a few people who will have nothing to do with it for various reasons - data collection issues, privacy and so on, and others who also dislike it but use it as so many friends and relatives do.

I was wondering what the thoughts of members here are. The larger discussion forums seem to be keeping active, but is the writing on the wall for smaller ones?
Tony.Williams
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by Tony.Williams »

No interest in getting involved with Facebook.
chaggle
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by chaggle »

Yes - forums do seem to be in decline - probably because of FB and Twitter and the like.

Shame because they aren't the same and don't provide the same facilities - you can't really discuss in the same way on these other media.

Don't know what's to be done about it.
Don't blame me - I voted remain :con
JonDonnis
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by JonDonnis »

Nothing can be done, the forum type system is dead, sadly facebook and twitter have killed it.

Reddit works due to the sheer amount of content, but that really is the exception.
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by Abdul Alhazred »

Oh don't be so gloomy.

There are still even people who read books on paper.

Surely internet forums will be around for a while. 8-)
Yes, that one.
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bindeweede
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by bindeweede »

Abdul Alhazred wrote: Surely internet forums will be around for a while. 8-)
It's interesting that JD, who has not visited this forum for "quite some time", makes three posts, and yet says, "The forum type system is dead."

Well, he might be right. I am not so sure.
JonDonnis
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by JonDonnis »

bindeweede wrote:
Abdul Alhazred wrote: Surely internet forums will be around for a while. 8-)
It's interesting that JD, who has not visited this forum for "quite some time", makes three posts, and yet says, "The forum type system is dead."

Well, he might be right. I am not so sure.
I can only speak from personal experience as someone who has run forums for over a decade.
The original BadPsychics forum had over 18,000 members, and I needed about 10 moderators to keep up with all the posts etc.
I spent hours and hours every day trying to keep track.
The rebooted BP forum has a few thousand members, and very little postage per day, now that can be put down to various things, I know that I am a victim of my own success, by exposing psychics, and their methods, less people will watch the shows and believe, so there are less questions about it, but I also see more posts on my facebook group, despite the fact I never pushed it, never advertised it, rarely look on it myself, yet people who have not heard of me or my site find it.

I used to get 50+ emails/Forum messages a day from people asking for help, obviously i get less now, but the ones I do you could say are 80% through Facebook, and 20% through email.

So yeah my own personal experience in this specific genre of forum, to me it is clearly dying a slow painful death, where as Facebook and Twitter have taken over when it comes to the discussion aspect of the paranormal, psychics and so on.

Is the forum system dead? No, but it is not far off. Much like the Skeptical podcast that hit is boom period about 5 years ago, that is dying a slow death now, as you have maybe 5-10 good ones that get a lot of listeners, and then thousands that get barely a hundred. Waste of time in my book.
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Re: Australasian Skeptics

Post by Abdul Alhazred »

The original BadPsychics forum had over 18,000 members, and I needed about 10 moderators to keep up with all the posts etc. ...
Way too big for my tastes, but International Skeptics (formerly JREF) is still of that order.
Yes, that one.
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