I love this forum, but since the end of November the site has been so quiet. I try to log on every day, but rarely see a new topic! Any reason, or is it just because of the Xmas season??

I think the problem is because most people they don't reply after they read a post.

So, i guess if people do reply to a post after they read it, more activity will be seen on this forum.

But this is just my opinion, maybe is not entirely correct.

Hi All

Chappies fact 149 did you know, that only 20% to 30% of the South African population have internet at home. So taking in to consideration that 60% of the 20% to 30% of the South African population that does have internet at home where on holiday during Xmas. Then the forum should be less active.

Another consideration is that most ppl expect the more experianced keepers on the forum to answer or reply to posts as those with less experiance try not to get stuck with theyre foot in theyre mouth with incorrect or controversail answers or iformation.

The forum was indeed very quiet, but so were most other koi forums.

Quite a lot of new members joined and there were quite a lot of browsing by guests.

Most important topics have been covered and there is a hell of a lot of info available on this forum, thanks to all the participants. The most common questions has been answered.

Health problems (a large portion of enquiries on the forum) during December and January are far less as the immunity of the koi are quite good and most spring problems has been sorted out.

Most businesses in Cape Town only opened this week and there is still a holiday atmosphere around here, as our schools only open next week.

I was on holiday and rarely logged in. I trust that the forum will pick up from now onwards.

I experienced that the interest in koi dropped a bit around here. I had so many calls from people who wants to sell their collection. Must be the economy. I suppose koi keeping is still a luxury and the promotion of koi keeping could be much better.

bubbles wrote:

Another consideration is that most ppl expect the more experianced keepers on the forum to answer or reply to posts as those with less experiance try not to get stuck with theyre foot in theyre mouth with incorrect or controversail answers or iformation.

I agree with you.

Also, i found out that the main difference between the "Western Koi Forum" and "Japanese, Chinese or Taiwinese Koi Forum" is as follows:

On "Japanese, Chinese or Taiwinese Koi Forum" everyone will replyu a topic with there own ideas, but no one will criticise if that ideas is corret or not. It's up to the reader to decide which ideas will work for him.

But on the "Western Koi Forum", when one person who is brave enough to reply to a topic anyone who disagree with him will try to criticise what he said and try to prove him wrong.

So, i think this is why people don't reply to a post, because they don't want to end up being proved wrong by another person.

But in koi keeping there are no such thing as right or wrong, somethime even the book is not entirely correct. So, as long as you achieved what you want than is good enough.

Forums are interesting developments in the koi world.

Unfortunately, koi forums seem to bring out the worst in many people.

The fact the people can post under an assumed name makes replying to a question a little more difficult - you have absolutely no idea who you are dealing with, what their true intentions are and most importantly you cannot pick up how things are said.

In real life you can get away with the most wonderfully outrageous insults because the way you say them is more important than what is said. You cannot detect this via the internet.

Another important fact is that the vast majority of forum users, such as myself are amateurs. Let’s face it even the "professional" dealers are unqualified amateurs. The vast majority of forum users are not really qualified (in terms of any recognised academic qualifications such as vets would be) to reply to many questions.

Koi Keeping is a peculiar mix of hobby, art, science, and commerce.

Having said that there are people with vast amounts of experience that would put many highly qualified people to shame when it comes to koi, water quality and filtration. ( I have a wonderful story about this - I think I mentioned it before.)

I can recall numerous times vets have consulted koi keepers about fish diseases and koi information.

I agree with the sentiments reflected in some of the previous postings on this subject - there are many solutions to a single problem. There-in lies some of the more interesting facets of this wonderful hobby of koi keeping. We are dealing with life and nature.

Some forums are successful - why? and some forums are not - why?

The first and most important thing with open forums is that the administrator or owner of the forums should never allow things to get personal or insulting. i.e. people contributing to the forum must play the ball and not the man.

Allowing insulting, derogatory, cynical or defamatory postings - especially under an assumed name - should never be allowed.

The administrator has the ability and authority to delete such posting on his forum.

What is most distressing is that many koi keepers who are beginners or relative beginners get hammered on forums. Therefore, they become "lurkers" - waiting to see what others are saying and the replies. Their simple questions get ridiculed. This is so wrong. We were all beginners. And everyone I know in Koi wants to learn.

Forums are generally very quite over December / January - all forums around the world.

It is vitally important that koi keepers keep on asking questions. Arm yourself with knowledge - not just a single point of view - get as many different opinions as possible. Select the ideas and concepts you understand and are comfortable with.

Forums such as this one are keeping a lid on personal nonsense as well as assisting koi keepers and much interesting information is becoming available. And that's great.

Kind regards,
Chris

Forum activities do fluctuate through the seasons ... it is like that on the bike forums and photography forums. When it is summer in the North the bike forums there are very quiet because everybody is out riding.

The forums that have a mixed international community tends to maintain a certain level of activity throughout the year.

This forum here is primarily South Africans and summer time is braai and beach time so forums are not the first choice for entertainment

I also think the fact the forum software "looses" your UNREAD posts so easily makes you miss many posts.

bubbles wrote:

Another consideration is that most ppl expect the more experianced keepers on the forum to answer or reply to posts as those with less experiance try not to get stuck with theyre foot in theyre mouth with incorrect or controversail answers or iformation.

Hi Bubbles
A forum is luckily enough not an examination, you can post an answer - incorrect or correct - and through dialogue on the topic thrash out were you went wrong or what you didn't take into account.

I find being active on forums are the best way to stay up to date and learn.

albie wrote:

14 January 2009 - I love this forum, but since the end of November the site has been so quiet. I try to log on every day, but rarely see a new topic! Any reason, or is it just because of the Xmas season??

Last year this forum was extremely quiet during the Christmas time. That is why Albie posted this question today a year ago.

This year we also had a drop, but we still maintained an average of more than 100 visitors per day over the Christmas period, which was far better than last year, and we are already back to above 200 visitors per day. (Page views, 2900 per day)

Almost as if not so many people went on holiday as apposed to last year?

Herewith the stats for this last December showing a big drop only on Christmas day(44 visits)

Its looks like Albie has followed the 2009 trend this year, and where is our Tanzanian friend Marius?

Keepers could also feel more comfortable with the forum than last year and act with more tolerance towards other opinions. At the end of the day one should evaluate feedback and apply what feels right.

Negative personal attacks achieve nothing, people should agree to disagree based on your own experience.

I agree, everyone has their own experiences, so better to agree to disagree.

Sometimes people dont post, because this forum is so informative, just reading a bit, you seem to find the answers you are looking for. If not, I guess there always seems to be people on hand to offer help. I've come back time and time again to read up. Its really great to find all this info on line. I never knew about the koi forums before.

Moet nie 'worry' nie Bobby, ek was een van die 44 besoekers op Kersdag te danke aan jou posts. Skuus was stil, maar het my gat af gery die laaste 2weke. Seker so 3500km se grondpad. Voel of dit 'round the world in 80days' was

Goed om weer van jou te hoor Marius, het al gedink hulle het jou in Tanzania agter gehou. Jy ry seker die vliegtuie stukkend heen en weer.