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Post by Hermedy on Feb 15, 2009 11:31:33 GMT -5
I am not worried. 667 Dark Avenue is in no immediate danger (at least not until June 22, 2012). But I wonder if we are fulfilling our potential as a forum.
On an average day, about 45 registered members log in. At least two new members join every day. We have a good mix of new, young members and older fans who have been around for years. There is a decent amount of ASOUE and non-ASOUE posting daily. We have two listings on LemonySnicket.com. We have had a lot of success, making personal contact with Daniel Handler multiple times. Dante keeps us exceptionally well updated on Daniel Handler news. We are home to the best Snicket fiction and art on the internet. This is all great. We are undoubtedly the most successful Lemony Snicket fan forum in a number of respects.
In the meantime, LS.net and UE.net disappeared years ago. More recently, UE.com shut down its message board and The Quiet World lost its forum. This means that, as far as I know, we are the last remaining major Lemony Snicket discussion forum.
So why haven't we seen an acceleration of growth? Can anything be done? Or is the fact that the Series is over the cause of our stable but unspectacular activity levels? Please analyze and discuss.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2009 11:41:38 GMT -5
Or is the fact that the Series is over the cause of our stable but unspectacular activity levels? This may be the reason. But I'm glad to hear that 2 new members join every day - I'm a new member myself, and it would've been great if I had discovered 667 before the series ended so I could discuss things about the books. But I joined on Feb 09, a long while after the 13th book ended -- and still, I'm having a great time here. I guess interracting with people with the same fascination is great. And other new members who didn't know about 667 before now have a chance to discuss about asoue or get their questions answered here. But like you said, maybe because the series had ended, things are a bit slow.
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Post by Sixteen on Feb 15, 2009 11:46:00 GMT -5
I think we're doing quite well when you consider how long the Series has been over. The Burdensome Books section has gotten an unusually high number of posts recently and the newer members all seem to have a dedication that most older members have lost. Without new content, there's bound to be a lull in the discussion and there's only so much to be said about theories that will never be resolved.
As for the non-ASOUE posting, well, there's been a lack of it. MMisc used to be a hub of activity but now only has a few new posts every day. I'm not sure if there's anything in particular that can be done about it, other than on a personal level. People just aren't as interested in 667 any more. It's a shame.
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Post by VKSB on Feb 15, 2009 12:22:23 GMT -5
I don't think that the older members have lost dedication necessarily, though it may be the case for some. But I've been here since Feb. 2003 and I took time away from the site. It wasn't a conscious effort to leave, more the fact that I started college and had to get a job. It was really hard to find time to get online. The other members may just be too busy with work/college or other things to be able to get on the forum. I also think that sometimes when older members come on they don't really recognize anyone and so they don't know how to get involved. I know when I came back I only recognized maybe 2 people and I only remembered them vaguely.
I do agree with Sixteen, I think we are doing very well. I have noticed that new members have started posting in the book section which hopefully will stir up some activity.
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Post by Mijahu on Feb 15, 2009 17:20:53 GMT -5
I myself don't post in the Burdensome Books section much, and I'm a bit surprised. I love the series and still hold an empty hope for another book, which we all know won't happen. As you said, theories can only take conversations so far. It is a very strong site, though. I mean the series ended nearly three years ago! I wasn't here back when the series was still being written but it is a very lively forum in spite of it's main subject being in discontinuation.
So I think most everyone can agree that no more content will mean no more 667 eventually. I suggest a push for more fanfiction, I mean it's the only thing that relates to aSoUE to really keep the forum going. Maybe we can hold some sort of contest (the prize being a magnificent banner, of course) in which people are inclined to write a story not essentially about the Baudelaires, but in their universe.
*IDEA THING!* We could have a contest for each book. The prompt is to write a short story that happened during the same time frame as TBB, or TPP, etc.. The stories cannot be from the point of view of the Baudelaires, but they have to connect to them somehow (even if they just bump into each other at the supermarket with Justice Strauss, for example). Also, if people are inclined to write mysteries like aSoUE, we will have more to debate and theorize over, while still relating to the main subject of this board. Just an idea, not sure if many would participate, though.
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Post by Sora on Feb 16, 2009 1:28:31 GMT -5
Only in the last year have I lost my regular daily posting - but largely because there isn't a lot to say. Really. I'll pop on, and they'll be some injoke "theme of the week" threads (does BSAM have a Butt? Is Libby a Harry/Hermione shipper from Montana?). I don't really have a lot to imput in to this. And the discussions in BB are repetitive and I commend Dante for his fortitude, but I just can't keep writing about books I last read three years ago.
What can we do? I don't know. ASOUE isn't like Harry Potter. We don't have WROCK or a raging fanfiction community. But maybe we need to invest more time into these things - finding a way to revamp our own little fandom - podcasting is a big thing I think we should attempt now Skype is so accessible. Simple discussion won't sustain us. We need something fresh to wake us up.
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Post by Mijahu on Feb 17, 2009 1:49:28 GMT -5
Podcasting? Would be interesting but I can't imagine much more content being there than on the boards. The bottom line is that without new content, the fandom will surely flicker out soon.
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Post by Alice Wilde on Feb 17, 2009 3:36:14 GMT -5
What's missing from 667? Drama of course (despite the the clearly marked THEATRE thread). Back in the good old days, Tyler Quagmire was pissed off at half the forum, Kobolos started a fillion wars, slash fics abounded both in CC and FF. The forum has simply fallen into this glorious sort of harmony and it's boring.
Seriously, though. If anyone's to blame for the decline, it's my very own laughing god, Daniel Handler. The only surefire way to bring people back is to have him publish something as Snicket that rivals the Series. Maybe the Composer is Dead will bring us some people.
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Post by Hermedy on Feb 17, 2009 8:37:11 GMT -5
52!
"10 Staff Members, 42 Members, 967 Guests."
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Post by Hermes on Feb 17, 2009 11:57:32 GMT -5
I think there is still room for discussion about the books (well, I would, wouldn't I?); after all, some works such as Lord of the Rings and Sherlock Holmes are still being discussed many years after they were written. Obviously, now that new books are not appearing, discussion will be slower, but new readers discovering the series may still bring new insights. Certainly new work by Handler and/or Snicket will help to stir up discussion once again.
I do agree with mijahu, though, that more fanfiction would be a good thing - after all, it is something Handler seems actually to approve of. I do intend to contribute some myself, but am waiting till I have a bit more free time. (I guess we are all thinking that.) The idea of a contest sounds a good one; I hope it's taken up.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2009 12:00:54 GMT -5
I do intend to contribute some myself, but am waiting till I have a bit more free time. (I guess we are all thinking that.) You're right. I'm currently writing one, but can't seem to finish it...
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Post by Trikip on Feb 18, 2009 17:59:56 GMT -5
LOL this thread's funny. Don't forget to check out MM for all my funny threads.
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Post by Mijahu on Feb 18, 2009 20:36:42 GMT -5
Love your new sig, tk!
Yes I'm also conjuring up a fanfic but I don't see it being posted for a long time, until I graduate this summer maybe.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2009 20:53:17 GMT -5
Love your new sig, tk! Yes I'm also conjuring up a fanfic but I don't see it being posted for a long time, until I graduate this summer maybe. Thanks, mijahu! I'm starting chapter 1 today, and I hope I can continue writing...my long holiday may end this very month or in March... so I'd better write whenever I can!
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Post by Hermedy on Feb 19, 2009 13:54:46 GMT -5
Active Users In The Past 24 Hours 14 Staff Members, 40 Members, 1,033 Guests
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