Keeping Bond And Beyond alive

Largo's Shark wrote:

Dragonpol wrote:

Largo's Shark wrote:

Quote :

The problem is that we need a new pastel banner and a new tagline as I have suggested.

While I agree that a new banner, tagline, colour and background wouldn't go amiss, it's not our main problem. What we've got is a lack of interaction, and forumgoers consuming but not producing. This has happened to B&B ever summer since it set sail.

I'm going to merge this thread with an older one, to help draw some parallels.

Thanks - sorry I was not aware that there was already a thread on this one. So perhaps it is the summer which is to blame, then?

More than anything. This time two years ago Ambler and Harms deleted their accounts and went AWOL (M has since disabled that ability) and it shook this place to its core. Only with their return in late August and a huge series of mass PMs I sent to Cb.n (that brought us the likes of AMC Hornet, Santa, Loomis, Gravity's Silhouette etc.) did we recover. Difference is, Khan, timmer and Gravity's departures seem permanent.

Quite. I'm new here, so this is all news to me, really. Well, Khan and timmer are now posting over on MI6 Community. I doubt that they'll return. Ambler seems to be gone too. I'm no lover of CBn, though I have tried to recruit a few more members here from various places.

A fair statement of intent by Khan and Timmer if they are at MI6. They shall not return.

Hilly wrote:

A fair statement of intent by Khan and Timmer if they are at MI6. They shall not return.

They are and posting like rabbits mating. That's why this place needs to attract some 'talent' to its shores before it's too late!

Harmsway wrote:

Good to see you back here, Harms. I was viewing your profile only seconds ago.

Largo's Shark wrote:

More than anything. This time two years ago Ambler and Harms deleted their accounts and went AWOL (M has since disabled that ability) and it shook this place to its core. Only with their return in late August and a huge series of mass PMs I sent to Cb.n (that brought us the likes of AMC Hornet, Santa, Loomis, Gravity's Silhouette etc.) did we recover. Difference is, Khan, timmer and Gravity's departures seem permanent.

Nobody is indispensable, just keep doing what you already do: discuss your topics with passion and reflection, keep the furore at bay and with time more people will join in. That's the trick, just take your time and don't try too hard.

6of1 wrote:

Largo's Shark wrote:

More than anything. This time two years ago Ambler and Harms deleted their accounts and went AWOL (M has since disabled that ability) and it shook this place to its core. Only with their return in late August and a huge series of mass PMs I sent to Cb.n (that brought us the likes of AMC Hornet, Santa, Loomis, Gravity's Silhouette etc.) did we recover. Difference is, Khan, timmer and Gravity's departures seem permanent.

Nobody is indispensable, just keep doing what you already do: discuss your topics with passion and reflection, keep the furore at bay and with time more people will join in. That's the trick, just take your time and don't try too hard.

This seems like sensible advise, though I believe ion being a bit more proactive.

6of1 has a point. There's a danger in us coming off as desperate or needy. That doesn't galvanise people to post, quite the opposite. It also doesn't create a good image for prospective registrees.

It's like dating. Drop the chloroform and Rohypnol and let her come to you.

Largo's Shark wrote:

6of1 has a point. There's a danger in us coming off as desperate or needy. That doesn't galvanise people to post, quite the opposite. It also doesn't create a good image for prospective registrees.

It's like dating. Drop the chloroform and Rohypnol and let her come to you.

Well, I'm all for that. We need an influx of new members. This is the least active forum of the main 4 Bond forums out there. It has great potential, but it seems to remain unrealised. No doubt the reforms like removing the adult section from view have helped, but we need more reforms to reach out to that disenfranchised Bond online fan community out there that is fed up with CBn or AJB. We don't seem to be bringing such people here in sufficient numbers.

Dragonpol wrote:

Well, I'm all for that. We need an influx of new members. This is the least active forum of the main 4 Bond forums out there. It has great potential, but it seems to remain unrealised. No doubt the reforms like removing the adult section from view have helped, but we need more reforms to reach out to that disenfranchised Bond online fan community out there that is fed up with CBn or AJB. We don't seem to be bringing such people here in sufficient numbers.

Some of the main posters were inclined to leave after recent events. The post count took a kick to the crotch.

I've lost all initiative to post bum photos, who would want to when the theme seems to be abandon ship?

Those who complain and whine (most of them nameless, they go whinging to Admin) have done all the damage, without bringing anything to the table.

Mrs Aural Sects wrote:

Dragonpol wrote:

Well, I'm all for that. We need an influx of new members. This is the least active forum of the main 4 Bond forums out there. It has great potential, but it seems to remain unrealised. No doubt the reforms like removing the adult section from view have helped, but we need more reforms to reach out to that disenfranchised Bond online fan community out there that is fed up with CBn or AJB. We don't seem to be bringing such people here in sufficient numbers.

Some of the main posters were inclined to leave after recent events. The post count took a kick to the crotch.

I've lost all initiative to post bum photos, who would want to when the theme seems to be abandon ship?

Those who complain and whine (most of them nameless, they go whinging to Admin) have done all the damage, without bringing anything to the table.

Indeed. Could you tell me of the recent events that you mention - is this to do with the politics thread?

Plus, I think that salacious pictures don't do this place any favours when it comes to getting more contributing members to join here. I've been told that by several members of other Bond forums who have come here.

We need a re-branding. I know that some here are opposed to change but, to put it bluntly, the choice has become one of "change or stagnate", or even possibly "change or die". We've no further avenues left to pursue in recruiting people here through James Bond, a situation which only has ANY chance of changing in 18 months time when a new Bond film turns up. At best, this forum will be on it's arse for over a year until a strong Bond 24 news chain wakes up whatever members we still have left by then.

Imagine this forum as a restaurant on TV's Kitchen Nightmares, if you will. The food is stale and old, the decor and the brand name no longer inspire customer confidence, we've lost a slew of once-regular customers and aren't attracting new ones. In this instance, I need to assume the Gordon Ramsay role and reverse all of this before it's too late. The time for making futile attempts and suggestions to save our Bond forum is now long passed. We need to take action quickly but smartly to attract new customers whilst keeping the ones we still have.

I'm aiming to have a re-branding set in place by the end of the month, accompanied by a masses-friendly front page layout where fans of any aspects of culture will be far more tempted to jump straight in. This forum has masses of potential to attract fans of music, news, sport, cinema, filmmaking, and of course niche markets such as Bond, Trek, Marvel etc. In short, we need to maximise our reach by focusing our "point of sale" (the name, the banner, the forum layout) on EVERYTHING we have to offer.

And I really hope that everybody here can contribute ideas and solid submissions towards our rebranding, because the members here are still and always will be the driving force behind these forums.

And, don't worry, Bond will still be as big a part of this place as he's ever been, those topics/sections are going nowhere and our Bond emphasis can always be re-emphasised in the run-in to Bond 24.

M wrote:

We need a re-branding. I know that some here are opposed to change but, to put it bluntly, the choice has become one of "change or stagnate", or even possibly "change or die". We've no further avenues left to pursue in recruiting people here through James Bond, a situation which only has ANY chance of changing in 18 months time when a new Bond film turns up. At best, this forum will be on it's arse for over a year until a strong Bond 24 news chain wakes up whatever members we still have left by then.

Imagine this forum as a restaurant on TV's Kitchen Nightmares, if you will. The food is stale and old, the decor and the brand name no longer inspire customer confidence, we've lost a slew of once-regular customers and aren't attracting new ones. In this instance, I need to assume the Gordon Ramsay role and reverse all of this before it's too late. The time for making futile attempts and suggestions to save our Bond forum is now long passed. We need to take action quickly but smartly to attract new customers whilst keeping the ones we still have.

I'm aiming to have a re-branding set in place by the end of the month, accompanied by a masses-friendly front page layout where fans of any aspects of culture will be far more tempted to jump straight in. This forum has masses of potential to attract fans of music, news, sport, cinema, filmmaking, and of course niche markets such as Bond, Trek, Marvel etc. In short, we need to maximise our reach by focusing our "point of sale" (the name, the banner, the forum layout) on EVERYTHING we have to offer.

And I really hope that everybody here can contribute ideas and solid submissions towards our rebranding, because the members here are still and always will be the driving force behind these forums.

And, don't worry, Bond will still be as big a part of this place as he's ever been, those topics/sections are going nowhere and our Bond emphasis can always be re-emphasised in the run-in to Bond 24.

Well I'm very glad to hear it, M. I look forward to the re-branding exercise. As I've said before, I'm here for the long haul on BaB and will do all I can to help this place to its feet again. It deserves that and much more. I like your retail analogy of the POS - we need the electronic equivalent of Mars, Snickers and Twix at the checkout to attract new customers and keep them coming back. A very well-written and thought out speech, M. I look forward to sharing to working with you all to renew the BaB contract and to make it more successful than ever.

Dragonpol wrote:

Plus, I think that salacious pictures don't do this place any favours when it comes to getting more contributing members to join here. I've been told that by several members of other Bond forums who have come here.

Point taken, but if they are offended by simple ass pics, what would they think of the adult board? Personally, these type annoy me and I'd block them all, I'd hate for this place to be run over by a bunch of prudes.

Mrs Aural Sects wrote:

Dragonpol wrote:

Plus, I think that salacious pictures don't do this place any favours when it comes to getting more contributing members to join here. I've been told that by several members of other Bond forums who have come here.

Point taken, but if they are offended by simple ass pics, what would they think of the adult board? Personally, these type annoy me and I'd block them all, I'd hate for this place to be run over by a bunch of prudes.

Yeah, this. We want to attract new members, but uptight bores? Not so much.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Mrs Aural Sects wrote:

Dragonpol wrote:

Plus, I think that salacious pictures don't do this place any favours when it comes to getting more contributing members to join here. I've been told that by several members of other Bond forums who have come here.

Point taken, but if they are offended by simple ass pics, what would they think of the adult board? Personally, these type annoy me and I'd block them all, I'd hate for this place to be run over by a bunch of prudes.

Yeah, this. We want to attract new members, but uptight bores? Not so much.

Yes, well fair enough. I don't want a joyless slog of a forum either that's a damp squib. Somewhere in the middle between the two extremes would be more than fine in my book. We have already made substantial moves in the removing of our perceived seedy image, I'm glad to say. As I say, I've been contacted by a few members from other boards who came here to post and were then put off by the salacious and negative content. I'm quotingg there from PMs and emails I have recieved. Their words, not mine and all that jazz...

The forums won't be overtaken by prudes. There'll be a place for adult content, so people can take or leave it at their own will.

Could Python or Hilly say hi to our new recruits? I would, but I'm busy wheeling the 300+ SF threads into the new subforums.

---

having done this I wish I knew what I was on sometimes.

Hang a tick... 

Cheers. BTW, just added that smiley.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Cheers. BTW, just added that smiley.

Good work on that. I try not to go OTT on them but a veritable buffet to choose from.

A couple of days ago things seemed to be good, forum was buzzing with newfound energy and coming home from work tonight see that as someone pointed out 'it's getting weird' again.

Or...am I just that tired?

No, you're right. Things went pear-shaped again when shark reposted James Page's comments here. It's sad that anyone in this forum should even refer to mi6 these days, but it seems some of us just can't get past it.

As for Brian, I've said it before, but he's close to the edge. He's been banned by three of the four major 007 forums including us and I have no idea why he's still here.

Quite the crusade he was on, YY/Brian, going to MI6 to recruit. New bods saying we have a rivalrly (that Stirred Not Shaken bailing as a consequence). Damned point of it all.

As I've said before, if that's what people want then we should just join mi6. What's the point of bringing them here?