Myths, mistruths and a well oiled publicity machine

[iSon]

I'd liken it to something more like a bonfire where we can throw effigies of the members we hate on to the blaze and clap as we set off fireworks and eat pork and stuffing sandwiches.

What? Not the image you're looking for?

[Stuart*]

Well, a bit of charm yeah, but mainly cause the people on TVF were sound enough and Metro looked like a laugh so yeah, fears were Stuart makin me join other forums, the Nazi Appreciation Society, you know.

That sort of comment doesn't award you an Iron Cross, Herr McG!

[Chie]

Here's what I think are the biggest problems with Metropol, in order of importance:

1. It's a clique.

2. I think most of us are much younger than the averge TVF member. I can't see any old people here, apart from Nick.

3. There's only one forum - The Lounge. Ergo, Metropol doesn't look or feel like an established forum.

4. Metro is billed as 'the forum discussing the forum discussing television', but the problem is there are only two threads about TVF. So that doesn't make sense to casual passers by either.

[Mr Q]

1. It's a clique.

And?

2. I think most of us are much younger than the averge TVF member. I can't see any old people here, apart from Nick.

I would have thought Metropol's average age might even be older when all the 12 year olds in the mocks forum are accounted for.

3. There's only one forum - The Lounge. Ergo, Metropol doesn't look or feel like an established forum.

One forum, apart from the Birdsong that is.

4. Metro is billed as 'the forum discussing the forum discussing television', but the problem is there are only two threads about TVF. So that doesn't make sense to casual passers by either.

Well, I've always taken it as a bit of fun - a clever way to refer to the site's relationship with TVF. I assume most people would.

[Alexia]

1. It's a clique.

Sweeping statement based on your opinion which isn't backed up with any evidence.

2. I think most of us are much younger than the averge TVF member. I can't see any old people here, apart from Nick.

Who is this average TVF member? Know them all, added them up and taken a mean have you?

3. There's only one forum - The Lounge. Ergo, Metropol doesn't look or feel like an established forum.

Well DS is an "established" forum and the Daily Express is an "established" newspaper, and look how much dross they are. As for how it looks, well, it looks like nothing else around.

4. Metro is billed as 'the forum discussing the forum discussing television', but the problem is there are only two threads about TVF. So that doesn't make sense to casual passers by either.

Sorry you've lost me... when judging this site and its contents, they're going to ignore the 20-or-so lines of forum postings and look at 2 lines of grey 12pt text in the footer?

[Pete]

1. It's a clique.

You can't just say that without qualifying it.

3. There's only one forum - The Lounge. Ergo, Metropol doesn't look or feel like an established forum.

Do you suggest we have sixteen empty forums for no reason? We've had splits before and the site works best with as few forums as possible, and as has been mentioned, there are two.

4. Metro is billed as 'the forum discussing the forum discussing television', but the problem is there are only two threads about TVF. So that doesn't make sense to casual passers by either.

well in theory, we should get most passers by FROM tvf, therefore its more aimed at them, and people with a sense of humour.

although what do i know, i'm an ugly reject from a sudanese refugee camp IIRC mr sherman

[Nick Harvey]

I can't see any old people here, apart from Nick.

I think DVB Cornwall is a tad over twenty-one.

[Nini]

Everyone else is doing it.

1. It's a clique.

Yes, that is nearly true but unsubstantiated.

2. I think most of us are much younger than the averge TVF member. I can't see any old people here, apart from Nick.

Who's this "us"? I mean, you do skew the graph below 15 but I doubt any of us being younger than most is true, I doubt many TVF members are out of their midteens whilst quite a few of us are older than 15.

3. There's only one forum - The Lounge. Ergo, Metropol doesn't look or feel like an established forum.

One is good, remember the splits of years back? That didn't work so well so one is all we got and seeing as we don't deal with a fractured list of things one is good. There's always Birdsong, that's two isn't it?

4. Metro is billed as 'the forum discussing the forum discussing television', but the problem is there are only two threads about TVF. So that doesn't make sense to casual passers by either.

In-joke.

(BTW, lovely new avvie there Hyma, what supermarket were you in?)

[nidave]

I love reading the forum - the humour is my cup of tea (hot strong and milky - no sugar please)- some people find dry humour intimidating and a quick read of any thread shows thick spread of dry wit and sarcasm.

I soooooo want a Joey armchair. Speakers in the seats and little cubby holes in the arms. That would be the perfect addition to my living room.

I wonder if Hyma could buy us all one of these:


They are currently on offer at £800 odd quid. Never tried one but its expensive so it must be great.
If there is not enough money in the budget for everyone you can just start with me as I suggested it

[cdd]

(BTW, lovely new avvie there Hyma, what supermarket were you in?)

I've already given thought to this question and it's tough but the presence of orange labels makes me think Sainsbury's.

[cwathen]

3. There's only one forum - The Lounge. Ergo, Metropol doesn't look or feel like an established forum.

There was a flirtation with trying to have several different forums on Metropol a good few years back. It started as a (IMO sensible) way to split off the (once common) PC/Technology queries into its own place, then became seemingly an obsession to have as many separate bits as TVF (I may, now the ripe old age of 25, being going senile. But ISTR an occasion when it was decided to add a new forum with no subject matter in mind and we were asked what we thought it should be used for). It's probably better that this policy ended.

As for the bounce rate/general popularity, well its hard to see how that can be improved without trying to promote outside of TV Forum. Metropol started as a result of the decision to close TV Forum's The Lounge. It's initial membership was comprised entirely of people from TVF and to this day that's still the bulk of the people registered here, with few people discovering this site first. TVF itself is decidedly less interesting these days, as TV pres has become duller and duller, leading to less people posting less often with less interesting posts, and Asa himself has made no secret of the fact that whilst he'll maintain what has allready been created, TV Home/TV Forum is no longer any sort of priority project for him and he has no interest in evolving it further (hence why the only updates that have happened for the last 6 years is to amend the homepage to allow for changes at Metropol).

If the primary recruitment machinery of this place is a site which itself seems to be somewhat in a state of decline, then its hardly suprising that this place struggles to recruit new blood.

But, does it matter? Even if there is a 25% bounce rate, and even if there are days with only a few new postings, I don't see any real problem with the site or the group of core people who are here, nor any particular reason to seek to change it.