Bring back the titty board

[lukethebandgeek]

Haha! Good one!

[spectre]

Originally Posted by Ustwo

Since I have had a few moderators tell me that THEY started comming to TFP for the titty board, I think its safe to say it has a very usefull purpose and brings in good people.

To deny this is to deny the truth of the situation.

I'll be the first to admit that the titty board is what brought me here, but I don't think that a lot of you were here when the decision was made to make the EZ unavailable to rookies. There was a point where we had so many lurkers, that you couldn't look at more than two pages without getting an error message because there were too many people putting too heavy of a load on the server. So, membership became required to view the titty board. That got rid of some lurkers, but the same thing started happen again. I can't even begin to describe how annoying it is to type out a reply only spend 10-20 minutes hitting the submit button only to get a white screen with the "there was a problem with the database, the admins have been contacted" (or however it goes) message every time.

Here are our options:
1. EZ open to all, and have contributing members constantly getting errors because we're overrun with lurkers
2. Leave it as it is so that we can continue viewing and posting without getting frustrated by the dreaded "white screen of death"

Personally, after having seen the WSOD one too many times, I prefer the second option.

[Marvelous Marv]

Originally Posted by uncle phil

it's refreshing to note that 10 (well, 11 now) donors have posted to this thread...

Make that twelve, but somehow I never got my badge of honor.

[Marvelous Marv]

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

Actually it's been slow during the summer as a historical fact.

We also don't have as many thread starters that post something that is discussion worthy. I was actually going to comment on this after locking the Mate's Fart smell thread... I mean that's a discussion?

I've seen more disgusting topics than that, but for future reference, would that have been locked if it were in Tilted Nonsense?

I'm just trying to get a feel for what's going to be locked.

[sbscout]

came in thru fark, and have never left... I know I can find lively debate whenever i want... that's why i'm here now... but of course, I'm a male and was initially drawn in by the TB... mea culpa, mea culpa

[keyshawn]

There shouldn't be any concern among the TFP if the post count drops a bit. In fact, I think that's it somewhat positive, if that's the case. We, the members, are spending more of their leisure time outside of the computer/internet with the opportunities that the summer brings [for us, northern hemisphere users ]
I laude that the users are logging off with what we learned and gave to the TFP and do the evolution outside

Allright, back to the outside...

catcha back on the flipside,
keyshawn

[Psycho Dad]

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

the Mate's Fart smell thread... I mean that's a discussion?

Very good point. ANY board is going to have its fair share of stinky threads (no pun intended). And what keeps many people coming back here I think are the good posts not the lack of bad ones.

Also I don't think the titty board makes or breaks this forum. In fact when I read the subject line before reading this post I thought perhaps the TB was gone again due to Halx finally saying to hell with all the TB debate. I click through the TB as much as the next guy. But what is there that one can't find anywhere else on the Internet?

I have some opinions about how some people reply with in the Tilted Exhibition forum but I won't get into it because it has nothing to do with this topic and apparently does not bother those who are willing to share in that part of the board.

[Fire]

I came for the porn, and stayed once it was no longer open to just anyone- I feel that it is like anything else, the net brings all kinds, and eventually some will drift away, (good and bad) - thing is though, the lure of free pron brought a hella lot of people- thus, just through sheer volume you get some people who are gonna stick and give a damn about the place- question is, is it worth it to the mods to sort through the shit that comes with a jillion virtual pilgrims come to visit the shrine o' pron- to me bringing in new members is important, I have pitched it to a bunch of friends, and to me if even one out of a hundred yabo seeking yahoos sticks around and says intellegent and interesting things, then its worth it, and improves the community... course I don't have to play traffic cop on this lost highway either.....and I can only immagine how much shit the mods must have had to put up with back in the day.....

[lurkette]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

Redlemon and I seem to be the same person...

I've suspected this for some time But WHAT a person!!!

On the topic at hand, I get frustrated too sometimes that the forum seems to be slower and less interesting than it used to be for me, but really I think that might be just the normal evolution of any "relationship." When I first started posting here, I found all kinds of interesting threads. I'd post all the time, and check back frequently to see how the discussion was going. But after a while I realized there were really only 3 conversations that happened in Tilted Politics and I got sick of having them over and over again. And there are really only 2 or 3 conversations that happen in Living or Sexuality, and how many times can you say "communication is important" or the like? I don't feel like I always have anything unique to contribute to a thread, so I kind of follow it but don't necessarily chime in. It's kind of like a relationship - at first, you're interested in everything the other person has to say, but eventually you've heard most of the stories and you know most of the arguments, and it becomes more of a companionable presence and a support than an exciting whirlwind of constant discovery.

I also realize that for me there are a lot of untapped areas of the forum. I hardly ever post in literature, entertainment, music, etc. Also sort of like a relationship - you never know what you're going to find around the next corner.

I think the most important question for each of us to ask is what are we, personally, doing to make this the kind of place we want it to be? I don't think it has to do with traffic or new members or dynamism. I think it has to do with what your expectations are and what you're willing to do to shape the place.

[bernadette]

i didn't even know there was the TB when i registered here. hahaha
maybe twice since i was given access have i bothered to even sneak a peek. i've seen boobs & all other body parts, big, small, beautiful & ugly. there's so much more to life than naked bodies. i suppose it boils down to how you want to spend your valuable time.

actually, i enrolled in the nonsense forum firstmost & foremost & my hat still largely hangs there. i've made some nice friends in the nonsense forum.
but i also venture into the creativity forums & occasionally when i'm really bored, i'll look elsewhere on tfp, such as tonight. hello! here i am in general - omg!
but i'm not a big serious discussions kind of person. i'm the ignorant wise cracker & the art appreciater.

anyway, most boards are always slow in summer, over holidays & weekends. it's just the nature of the beast vs people have lives to live outside of sitting in front of a computer. personally, i don't see any need to draw in a bunch of new boobie lurking bandwidth wasters. what do i know? not much.

[Ishmal]

Originally Posted by Bern

i didn't even know there was the TB when i registered here. hahaha

me either!!!

well seeing as its winter over here...

the Aussie board is plodding along at its usual pace!!!

and people like Bern are keeping the nonsense board moving, so no complaints from me.

[d*d]

There seems to be a common theme of 'I came for the boobs stayed for the love' or variations along that theme, also a lot of people have said that despite coming to see tits they rarely visit the titty board now (sure, I believe you).

From that it's obvious that the board works fine as a standalone disscussion board without the porn. What it needs is another way to attract new members-assuming this will freshen and speed things up around here.

I have noticed a slow down but is it typical to the tfp or are other boards noticing this problem?

I think to dangle porn as a recruitment drive is to exclusive -it can only be a good thing to try and introduce the tfp to people who aren't just looking for free tits, this would encourage a braoder range in the type of person who signs up. Since it's the broad range available for discussion and the moderation standard which are the tfp's main appealing factors (once you've got past the titty board) this seems to make sense.

So keep the titty board as a perk and focus on getting a broad a range of newbies as possible. If this were a company I would suggest a rebrand and a marketing drive

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by lurkette

I think the most important question for each of us to ask is what are we, personally, doing to make this the kind of place we want it to be? I don't think it has to do with traffic or new members or dynamism. I think it has to do with what your expectations are and what you're willing to do to shape the place.

I can't stress how strongly I agree with this statement.

I have personally been thinking about this aspect. I feel I have become quite lazy... sitting back and just waiting for a thread to motivate me to post in.

Cynthetiq also stated "We also don't have as many thread starters that post something that is discussion worthy." While I agree with this I have trouble deciding what is and isn't a 'worthy' topic. I know I am not totally stupid but I do feel limited because I would prefer some direction. What makes TFP different to other forums and what is the main agenda? What topics will express this?

I realise the Magazine project helps to get the message of TFP out there to the others that are not searching the internet for porn... I found this site by finding an archive list of philosophy topics. I am here to grow and expand my thinking and perceptions... I'm just having a hard time doing this on my own... I don't know how to ask the questions, but I do want to learn.

I think if our purpose is more in mind, and we don't get lazy, the site will continue to grow as it originally did... do we need to get back on track, or am I missing something?

[Ustwo]

I've been involved with a lot of online community type things and I've seen them die.

The fastest way to die is to stop appealing to new members. Porn is a universal advertiser. Any race, education level, country, age, political affiliation, etc likes porn. This diversity of thought is part of what makes TFP unique. Most other ideas here are more specific advertising.

I can understand server load issues, but perhaps a happy medium, bait and switch is what we need. Open the titty board up a while and like (in the past) slam it shut for those who don't look beyond it.

[tecoyah]

Originally Posted by Ustwo

I've been involved with a lot of online community type things and I've seen them die.

The fastest way to die is to stop appealing to new members. Porn is a universal advertiser. Any race, education level, country, age, political affiliation, etc likes porn. This diversity of thought is part of what makes TFP unique. Most other ideas here are more specific advertising.

I can understand server load issues, but perhaps a happy medium, bait and switch is what we need. Open the titty board up a while and like (in the past) slam it shut for those who don't look beyond it.

......Not a bad Idea....not bad at all

[Zeraph]

Personally, I was drawn here because it had a philosophy section. Then the TB made me want to post, and now I've stayed for the community. Maybe he could open up the TB on the first monday of every month or something to help get new people.

[pig]

You know, I'm really of two minds about this. On one hand, I think the addition of new personalities could very likely enrich the community with new perspectives; at the same time, I've had a feeling since I've been around these boards that those attracted to such an on-line community would most likely eventually find it, through word of mouth or playing on the internet - or else they would find some equivalent group. It's interesting to think about, but I've not really had any feelings of stagnation above and beyond what I would consider to be largely unavoidable in such a medium. Perhaps it's from not being around as long as some. I certainly think that the same themes are going to continually present themselves in the various forums, but that's just life. Sometimes I find the wrinkles interesting, sometimes I don't. Etc.

[dy156]

Ustwo- that's a damn good idea. Everyone loves porn, and the slamming it shut part will weed out those that love porn but are lazy moochers. (That's how I started looking around-trying to get to those 250 posts, dammit.) Lurkette has a point about the same threads and not being quite so "involved" after one gets jaded to the same discussions. But I think we should not forget to dance with the one that brung ya. (Hell, our founder was/is in the porn business) Porn brings in a great cross section of society, and I'm not sure that the TFP would be the same if it continued to evolve into a forum populated by people that were interested in a cool online community.

As an analogy- think about Gilligans Island. Bimbos, sailors, intellectuals, (loan officers, dentists, goth girls, etc..) Now think about a different island populated mostly by polynesians that had grown up there after their ancestors migrated across the ocean, and maybe a few beach bums and people looking for an enlightening online community. The second island, while nice, is not nearly as interesting or entertaining as the one with all the different characters.

I say open the flood gates for a month or so, and for every 100 moochers that flee after slamming the door shut, hopefully we'll get a good one or two interesting characters to stay.

[wolf]

There are a lot of sites out there which taylor to sex. Movies, links, pictures. Name your fetish there is a forum out there devoted to getting you your fix for free or pretty close to it.

I come here for the friends and the great conversation. Ok, and I do occasionally sneak a peek at the EZ, but that is not why I come.

[Esen]

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

Actually it's been slow during the summer as a historical fact.

I agree 100 %, every year we go through this don t we?

I came to the tfp for the beer!

[snowy]

Indirectly, I came because of the titty board (the member who introduced me to TFP joined because of the TB). Still, I don't think having free-for-all TB access would attract the kind of member TFP wants or desires; I would rather see new members come because a friend invited them, or they heard about it on their campus, or they were looking for something unrelated to porn. While I don't have a problem with people coming here for porn, if that is their only reason for being here and their only reason for posting, they need to reconsider their committment to this community. Fortunately we have a great group of mods who keep the ship tight.

My only worry is that new members turn into lurkers I don't like lurkers.

[Redlemon]

I think I tracked down one of the "open, then shut periods" that closed in July 2003:

Tilted Forum Project - Updates: 7/23

Originally Posted by Halx

Disabled a big part of our site. For those who are affected, please don't make a big deal out of it. Remember, we're a free site and all of our staff are volunteers. We have enough trouble with the site without every 5th person posting a new thread asking what happened.

He also gave a "heads up" about a month before in Tilted Forum Project - Important: Titty Board readers, what YOU NEED to KNOW.

I'd love to hear Halx's thoughts on Ustwo's proposal, since ultimately it would be his decision.

[Yakk]

I came here because someone who came here because of the TB was "bait and switched" with the TB, and convinced me that this was an interesting place to read/post. I don't even know if I've opened a single TB post.

I do not believe this is a discussion of "should we keep TB open at all times", but rather "should we bait-and-switch to see if more members can be drummed up".

Some of this is wheat-and-chaffe. I'm certain that the friend-of-a-member who posts here will be of higher quality than a random TB drawn fly, but if an open TB brings in more high quality members, and TFP is capable of filtering out and dealing with the 'chaffe' that the open EZ would cause, the result is positive.

[mr sticky]

My experience is a little different. I heard about TFP through a friend who frequented the TB. I came when the TB was restricted, and have been here ever since. The funny thing is, I lurk more than ever in the discussion forums. It's odd- I guess I'm more of an intellectual voyeur than a sexual one.

I'll make a note to be more interactive!

[Ustwo]

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

Indirectly, I came because of the titty board (the member who introduced me to TFP joined because of the TB). Still, I don't think having free-for-all TB access would attract the kind of member TFP wants or desires; I would rather see new members come because a friend invited them, or they heard about it on their campus, or they were looking for something unrelated to porn. While I don't have a problem with people coming here for porn, if that is their only reason for being here and their only reason for posting, they need to reconsider their committment to this community. Fortunately we have a great group of mods who keep the ship tight.

My only worry is that new members turn into lurkers I don't like lurkers.

So in other words you don't like many of our mods, admins, and current posters? (Yes I know I'm putting words into your mouth)

Think about what you are saying, YOU would not be here if it weren't for the TB. Directly or indirectly, you would have never heard of TFP. Yes it would be nice if only 'quality' people were to join, but the titty board is a giant neon sign.

[The.Lunatic]

progression... 4 me

hardforums (general mayhem)
->>
fark
->>
TB
->>
here

[Redlemon]

Well, looks like there's an uptick in Rookies. Right on time for the start of the fall semester.

[analog]

Things should start picking back up... colleges are back up.

Also, I came for the boobies, linked from somewhere. Not sure where, but it wasn't fark.

Anyhow, I looked at the first page of boobs and realized it was a whole forum, not just a porn thing... so I registered, started posting, and the rest is history.

[strcrssd]

I think that it'll naturally pick back up.

I haven't been posting recently (in a good while) because of the lack of solid threads on which to post, and not having any real new thread ideas.

I think we're just going through a slow period.

[Strange Famous]

just my two cents.... I can take it or leave it.

When it was here I looked at it every now and again, but I havent noticed thats its been gone.

[eotlemac]

It's just you.

[Ustwo]

So school is back in session........

Has posting gone up? So far it seems less posting to me, not more.

Maybe its time to loosen up that titty board after all?

Cry Havoc! And let loose the boobies!

[raeanna74]

I guess I must post enough or have been here long enough or something cause I have no trouble being able to view the TB or any other boards for that matter. Thing is I rarely go to the TB. I post here pretty much daily in just general discussion as well as a few other of the discussion boards. Just post, get involved and before you know it it won't matter if there are many people here or not. You'll have access to all that you desire to see.

[Ustwo]

Originally Posted by raeanna74

I guess I must post enough or have been here long enough or something cause I have no trouble being able to view the TB or any other boards for that matter. Thing is I rarely go to the TB. I post here pretty much daily in just general discussion as well as a few other of the discussion boards. Just post, get involved and before you know it it won't matter if there are many people here or not. You'll have access to all that you desire to see.

The problem isn't for active posters, because if we had more active posters it wouldn't be a problem.

The problem is bringing in NEW people to become active posters. The titty board attracts people, many of which become active posters.

From a personal stand point, I don't really care about the titty board, my sex life is better than most porno's , but I do see a decline in QUALITY posts on tfp and thats kinda sad, I think there is a good thing going here, and unlike most internet message boards its not dominated by one school of thought or group.

[denim]

I came in because someone I liked interacting with elsewhere told me she liked this place. She's banned now, for unknown reasons, as is her mate. The TB is a nice frill, but the board could live without it. There are so many other free sources of titty pics, after all, USENET being the most obvious.

[Ustwo]

Well the good news, I guess, is that you only have to check tfp once every other day and you won't fall behind.

[tecoyah]

Originally Posted by Ustwo

Well the good news, I guess, is that you only have to check tfp once every other day and you won't fall behind.

One would think, having been here as long as you have Ustwo, that you would know of the lull we get during the summer months. Although I have seen an influx of rookies in the past several weeks (we can actually see things you can't), and I have upgraded more members this month than any other month I can recall. Opening up the tittie board to everyone will , in my opinion, not greatly increase the quality, or quantity of posts in these forums.
You might consider that the staff here pays relatively close attention to these things, as it is actually our job to do so. We very much appreciate the comments and recommendations of the membership to make this a better place, and many of the ideas in the "Suggestion" forum are implemented. But, when we need to comment continuously in a thread to explain the obvious (to us), it serves little constructive purpose.