What is going on here?

Going to start this thread not as to spread negative information, but just for clarification. What is happening to ball-pythons.net? Are people just moving to Reddit and whatever? There were 11 comments total yesterday and it was a Sunday. I don't feel interest in the hobby is dwindling. Is it just that forums are kind of an old technology rather? I feel this is hanging over everyone's heads and it's not being addressed. I've never seen lack of activity like this on here...there are slow days, but the site has been very, very slow lately and I have been here roughly 10 years. I feel like mods and whoever else need to clarify. This is sad.

I've noticed the same thing. I just assumed that a lot of newer people have moved on to social media. I don't have any social media whatsoever so this is my only reptile platform I'm a part of. It's also close to the holidays so maybe people taking a little break.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Toad37

I've noticed the same thing. I just assumed that a lot of newer people have moved on to social media. I don't have any social media whatsoever so this is my only reptile platform I'm a part of. It's also close to the holidays so maybe people taking a little break.

---

Reddit, to me is a jumbled mess of misinformation and I try to avoid it. Besides that I also don't use social media. In the past it seemed site traffic actually increased around holidays. This is not normal.

I've been wondering the same thing. I've assumed it's a mix of issues- pandemic & politics that have been distracting to many, & perhaps the slow-down of forums in general. I don't use other forms of social media either, & would prefer not to, so it's sad & a little confusing to me as well. This has been a good forum, IMO, & I don't want to see it die out. WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Hello out there??? I don't think it's just the holidays, as it's been getting quieter here for quite some time.

I do check here multiple times a day...if anyone has more ideas, let's hear 'em? :snake:

I agree it's definitely slower here than it is in the BP sub on Reddit, and I would hate to see a mass exodus or just a lack of activity in general. That being said, I would rather be here any day of the week than go back to Reddit. I was on there for almost 10 years and left because of the toxic environment in the reptile and fish keeping subs. In the few months I've been on BP.net I've learned more about animal husbandry than I ever did on Reddit, or anywhere else for that matter.

I just feel like here I get a higher caliber response and overall more seasoned guidance on any issues I may have or am curious about than I do on say the Facebook groups or Reddit. Plus Reddit has this weird, attack culture. The BP sub moderator over there will straight jump down your throat if you suggest keeping a ball at under 70%-80% humidity constantly. There's no wiggle room, or room to suggest you keep animals any way that isn't in line with their care guides, and if you suggest it you get downvoted into oblivion.

So in conclusion, from a new member's point of view. Is it slow here? Oh yea. Will I continue signing in every single day to see what some of you have going on and to continue learning from you? Absolutely. Quality users over quantity of users is what'll keep me hanging out here until they shut the site down.

I've noticed the same as well. Fewer and fewer comments, threads, etc. When there are new threads it's the same questions/topics that have been answered here a million times over. I've been on here 6yrs in April and while there have been waves of higher and lower activity levels, it's been particularly sparse recently.

Surely some of that is due to folks being busy/holidays/etc, but I can't help but think that some of it is due to lack of interesting content on here and instead seeing hundreds of threads from new users asking why their new ball python isn't eating/shedding/pooping or the same people offering terrible husbandry advice without having ever owned a reptile. I imagine many members (myself included) are easily fatigued with such activity and choose to ignore the BS by no longer participating on here. Just my 2 cents.

I totally agree there has been a lot less activity and I am guilty of it. I know I am still a newbie around here, but I will try to help out with keeping this awesome place going. I don't have any social media or reddit so this is my only reptile platform and I would be devastated to see it go. Honestly, for me it was finals for all my classes that kept me from being on here, but now that the break is here I should be on a lot more.

Reddit is a hot mess, and I can never find anything over there. I prefer the slower-paced forums over here. Of course I am older, lol, so maybe it's just what I'm used to. This really is a friendlier site. People are brutal on Reddit. Also, it could be that since most younger people are into immediate gratification thanks to the "smart" phones that old-fashioned communication taking a bit longer to get your information just doesn't give them the jolt they they have gotten used to.
Also, this is a weird year. Who knows what is going on, really? :confusd:

As someone who's quite new here (only joined a few months ago) I think a major hurdle for this place is the account approval system. With most places on the internet these days it takes mere seconds to set up an account and get chatting, but here it takes a bit longer since you need to be reviewed and approved first which can take days (took about half a week for me iirc?) and in an age where people want everything NOW NOW NOW that's sadly to this forum's detriment when it comes to getting new members.

That and the interface itself has a very "old internet" look with the grays and 2000's design which could make newcomers think "Oh, this must be a dead site that's still left up for some reason" and not engage any further.

Now, I for one don't mind these things (I'll take it over the social media vomit currently infesting society any day), but put yourself in the perspective of someone looking around for a place to discuss snakes and it gets a little more obvious why this forum is sadly dwindling... Even in my relatively short time here the lack of activity has been glaringly apparent.

Snagrio, I wish I had a dollar for every time I got a private msg. from someone trying to sign up here & wondering why it was taking so long. I think you're right about that, sadly.
We need to get these ideas across to those running this site.

This forum is one of the very last remaining active reptile forums and it has been, FOR YEARS. Most other reptile forums closed their doors long, long ago. It is incredibly hard to compete with social media. That is what has caused the death of many amazing forums.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Snagrio

As someone who's quite new here (only joined a few months ago) I think a major hurdle for this place is the account approval system.

---

I agree with this. Accounts are currently manually approved in order to avoid spammers from getting through. Unfortunately when you have a high traffic site, you get hit with lots of spam.

We either manually approve accounts, or we have a lot of spam get through that we have to clean up. I prefer catching the spammers before they hit the boards.

But, what that means is that registrations are not approved instantly. It's a bummer for sure. Maybe worth re-evaluating.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on these issues, mlededee- it really helps. We all have different perceptions, for sure. I've been a long time member on another herp forum that makes this one seem quite lively. :D I do know what you mean about spammers...there have been several times when I checked in there, only to find some really bizarre or offensive spam, & it took days for it to be removed even after I msg'd...:( so I'm not sure that's a good trade off. (Nothing says "dead site" more than spam left up for days & days.) More brain-storming needed perhaps?

Another new-ish member here. I've also noticed that it's slowed down here quite a bit as of late and that there are a lot more "worried newbie" threads than normal. Perhaps it's a combined seasonal/pandemic thing? Between the holidays, the end of the academic semester, the stress of the pandemic, and a fair number of people turning their herps down for the winter, the US-side of the hobby (which seems to drive a lot of the traffic around here) may just be going into a winter lull.

I'll take forums over social media for hobby stuff any day -- there's less drama, more reliable advice, more experienced keepers to connect with, and a veritable database of hobby knowledge to search through. I'm putting more emphasis on the first two because the drama and misinformation you normally find on social media are what really drive me away from those various platforms. They're also two things that I think will ultimately damage the hobby as a whole. If I'm recalling things correctly, a couple of the major reptile podcasts (MPR and The Herpetoculture Podcast, I believe) have actually discussed the rise of social media in the hobby and the consequences of it recently. I'm going to stop on this front here, because I don't feel like typing out the long list of grievances I have against social media (or at least the companies that run it) here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

More brain-storming needed perhaps?

---

I think brainstorming some ways to improve the forum would be a great idea! It seems as though we're a bit overdue, actually. I have a few to start:

1. Perhaps we could reach out to one of the podcasts who have been lamenting the fall of forums lately and see if we could promote ourselves somehow? Getting our name out there may help generate a bit of activity. I'd also tentatively suggest the idea of sponsoring a podcast, though I'm not sure how that would actually work (particularly given the fact that we seem to have enough trouble getting people to sponsor the forum itself).
2. Consider re-branding the forum? We're not just a ball python forum anymore, that's for sure! Perhaps showing that we're also a place for boa, Morelia, colubrid, and lizard keepers would help increase traffic around here.
3. Consider updating and consolidating the sticky threads into a basic "how to" locked sub-forum a la the "BP.net Guide to Ball Python Morphs." Perhaps we could throw in a some new FAQ threads -- like "So your BP won't eat... now what?" -- to obviously answer the questions people don't feel like skimming a full care sheet for. Worried new keepers will still continue to make the same old panicked posts, but maybe this would cut down on the volume a bit.

Food for thought! I'm curious to hear what others think and discuss things.

WrongPython-

Re your point #2- we're a lot more than just ball pythons, that's for sure- so you're right, & how would newcomers know that? Re-branding might be a good idea, as our name doesn't begin to reflect our scope. As I recall though, we have a sister forum for corn snakes- I suspect it's also pretty slow, but it's been a long time since I've looked, as I only have so much time to be on here. Maybe we should merge AND re-name? Many of us do have multiple species- I must admit that even I hesitated to join here (I've kept BPs in the past but they're not my favorite snakes, lol.)

#3 Our stickies could (should) definitely be updated, & that would help to alleviate some of the annoyance factor when answering the same things over & over, lol. I think for long time members, it does get a bit "old"...:rolleyes: and that can affect the tone of our answers. We do want to keep this upbeat & friendly here. FAQ's would be very helpful.

#1 I'm not up on the podcasts, but we need to do something to get more notice. :gj:

I have moved some of the posts in this thread to a new post in the Quarantine Room, in order to keep this thread productive and helpful. I am happy for people to discuss ideas that they have for the forum moving forward.

Private message me if you need access to the QT Room.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

WrongPython-
Maybe we should merge AND re-name? Many of us do have multiple species- I must admit that even I hesitated to join here (I've kept BPs in the past but they're not my favorite snakes, lol.)

---

This is a solid idea. I came here for the ball python portion but was super excited to see a place for tropical fish, leopard geckos, and crested geckos, but then was disappointed when I saw the last posts in some of them were from 2018. If we had more people who were aware that this isn't a BP ONLY site we might could pull in some new users. I'm not sure how hard it is to change domain names on the fly, but I def. think it could help.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KevinK

Reddit, to me is a jumbled mess of misinformation and I try to avoid it. Besides that I also don't use social media. In the past it seemed site traffic actually increased around holidays. This is not normal.

---

This^
Same applies to Facebook , Instagram, Pinterest etc etc


Unregulated chaos the lot of them.

It’s so sad to see forums in decline ..
We have RFUK in the UK which is a similar site to this one but it went close to folding early this year with traffic nearly drying up .. thankfully the members rallied around and were proactive in posting new threads and replies to queries- things are looking better these days ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Rebranding/renaming/merging: Merging with a sister forum is definitely an idea we may want to keep in consideration, particularly if we both end up having trouble covering our server costs. Pooling our resources and traffic may increase our collective odds of survival as social media continues to chip away at other websites' individual userbases. I'm not sure how a merger would physically work, though -- ie. how would we port over and merge one forum's worth of posts, users, etc. to the other. We wouldn't want to inadvertently erase the years' worth of knowledge (via posts) and user activity on the "donor" forum in the event of a merger. I'm also not sure how things would work if we wanted to change our domain name/URL. From what I understand, you can't just change your website's domain name after it's registered. We'd definitely need to do more research on this front if we'd like to go that far in any rebranding efforts.

Stickies/FAQ: The more I think about it, this is definitely a way we could make the forum an indispensable source of knowledge for the hobby. Anybody can come in and read our forum, and we can probably provide more quality (ie. reliable, accurate) information in a more organized manner than a similar effort on your average social media site/group. In short, we could be one of the better "you're new? Read this" resources for new hobbyists. If people are interested in pursuing this idea, I'd be more than happy to lend my skills as a writer, editor, and organizer and help lead the effort as best I can. I'd definitely need some more experienced keepers to help provide content, though -- I'm still a novice in this hobby, after all.

Podcasts: Took a look through my podcast list, and it looks like The Reptile Gumbo Podcast is actually the one I was alluding to earlier (lol, sorry Gumbo people!) :P They have a semi-regular "this week on the reptile internet" bit that they do based on input to their FB page, as well as their own "discussion group" that's meant to emulate a forum. Perhaps we could use the "reptile internet" bit to get our name out there? ie. One of us could make a post to that request to put it out there that a reptile forum is a) still here and b) bouncing around ideas to modernize, stay relevant, attract new users, and continue to serve the hobby. I'm pretty sure that would get the hosts' attention.

Great ideas all around. I can tell you one of the selling points to me once I got on here as a new user, was how friendly everyone was and the wealth of knowledge that I immediately had access to. We could really "sell" our forums based just on that I think. Another thought on rebranding, maybe we don't change the name, we just find a way to get the message out that BP.net isn't just about BPs. I mean the banner at the top says it all, "the friendliest online community for ALL your herping needs" not just BPs.

If we can get the message out that you can come on here to talk bearded dragons, geckos, boas, fish, mammals, etc etc, maybe we can bring a whole new group of users on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I've been wondering the same thing. I've assumed it's a mix of issues- pandemic & politics that have been distracting to many, & perhaps the slow-down of forums in general. I don't use other forms of social media either, & would prefer not to, so it's sad & a little confusing to me as well. This has been a good forum, IMO, & I don't want to see it die out. WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Hello out there??? I don't think it's just the holidays, as it's been getting quieter here for quite some time.

I do check here multiple times a day...if anyone has more ideas, let's hear 'em? :snake:

---

Maybe we should all try and be a bit more proactive ??

Everyone check in a few times each day , reply to new threads promptly, start new threads etc etc


One of the busiest sections in RFUK is the Off Topic section .. .. Where we chat about something or nothing , some threads share jokes , talk about things that get us down/annoy us , or make us smile , there’s a popular boxing thread , tv series , movies etc etc .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hugsplox

Great ideas all around. I can tell you one of the selling points to me once I got on here as a new user, was how friendly everyone was and the wealth of knowledge that I immediately had access to. We could really "sell" our forums based just on that I think. Another thought on rebranding, maybe we don't change the name, we just find a way to get the message out that BP.net isn't just about BPs. I mean the banner at the top says it all, "the friendliest online community for ALL your herping needs" not just BPs.

If we can get the message out that you can come on here to talk bearded dragons, geckos, boas, fish, mammals, etc etc, maybe we can bring a whole new group of users on.

---

This ^^

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

We do not have a sister site.

I don't necessarily think that changing the name/URL of a well established, 17 year old forum is a great idea. Our slogan is "The friendliest online community for ALL your herping needs." I understand that it is clear that the focus appears to be ball pythons, and that is because it is. But we do also pride ourselves in providing information on all species, which is also pretty clear if you come and take a look around.

If were aren't BP.Net, then what would we be? We could do something like a second domain name that redirects to the same forum and tweak the graphics. But I am not sure we want to do a full rebrand.

OK, somewhere (way back, something I read) I got the misinformation that the Corn Snakes forum was tied in with this one? My bad...:rolleye2:

Agree with you about the forum name...that would add too much confusion. A second domain name with re-direct & a graphics tweak might be helpful though? (I have no idea what's involved with that, financially or otherwise, as to how feasible that would be.) We're just brain-storming here, your input is essential on this stuff, as to whether such changes would be helpful.

I think that the most important thing we can do right now is try to build up activity on the forum. Zincubus added some great ideas above. When there are less new posts, people do a quick scan and leave. If there is more to look at, people stick around and then add their own posts and content and things pick back up.

I want everyone to continue to feel free to add their ideas and brainstorming to this post. If we come together as a community, we can keep the community strong.

What about an app? I have the website quick saved to my phone home screen but people are all about apps nowadays. If that's financially feasible then you can do so many different things to the platform as well as keeping the actual website the way it is. I'm old school so I personally enjoy the actual website but an app might be something worth looking into.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Toad37

What about an app? I have the website quick saved to my phone home screen but people are all about apps nowadays. If that's financially feasible then you can do so many different things to the platform as well as keeping the actual website the way it is. I'm old school so I personally enjoy the actual website but an app might be something worth looking into.

---

I'm "old school" too, but many would probably like that. Good idea.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Toad37

What about an app? I have the website quick saved to my phone home screen but people are all about apps nowadays. If that's financially feasible then you can do so many different things to the platform as well as keeping the actual website the way it is. I'm old school so I personally enjoy the actual website but an app might be something worth looking into.

---

Tapatalk is currently the best way to go if you prefer an app type feel for the forum.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Toad37

What about an app? I have the website quick saved to my phone home screen but people are all about apps nowadays. If that's financially feasible then you can do so many different things to the platform as well as keeping the actual website the way it is. I'm old school so I personally enjoy the actual website but an app might be something worth looking into.

---

I only access this forum and RFUK via the TapaTalk app


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

Tapatalk is currently the best way to go if you prefer an app type feel for the forum.

---

You beat me to it :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks for the clarification and your input, mlededee! It's always nice to have admins weigh in on stuff like this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

I don't necessarily think that changing the name/URL of a well established, 17 year old forum is a great idea. Our slogan is "The friendliest online community for ALL your herping needs." I understand that it is clear that the focus appears to be ball pythons, and that is because it is. But we do also pride ourselves in providing information on all species, which is also pretty clear if you come and take a look around.

If were aren't BP.Net, then what would we be? We could do something like a second domain name that redirects to the same forum and tweak the graphics. But I am not sure we want to do a full rebrand.

---

This is actually a really good point. It sounds like we really need to put our status as "the friendliest online community for ALL your herping needs!" out there better and show that we're not just a group of BP people over here, the same way Kingsnake isn't just for kingsnake people. So, what Hugsplox and Zincubus were talking about earlier. The only real idea I have on this front is public outreach/advertisement -- ie. getting one or some of the popular podcasts to mention us and what it's really like here.

As far as generating more content/posts/activity: perhaps we could start some sort of special weekly discussion thread series? Maybe they could focus on aspects of things such as hobby ethics, hobby history, applying things they've learned caring for one species to another, etc. Alternatively, we could start holding some sort of weekly or weekly-ish "book club" or "podcast club" where people could discuss new herp literature or podcast episodes. I feel like Reddit groups have weekly "mega-threads" like this that are fairly active; maybe something similar could work here?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WrongPython

Consider updating and consolidating the sticky threads into a basic "how to" locked sub-forum a la the "BP.net Guide to Ball Python Morphs." Perhaps we could throw in a some new FAQ threads -- like "So your BP won't eat... now what?" -- to obviously answer the questions people don't feel like skimming a full care sheet for. Worried new keepers will still continue to make the same old panicked posts, but maybe this would cut down on the volume a bit.

---

Yes, absolutely agree with this item. I cleaned up the stickies in a couple of the off topic type forums recently, but this needs some serious work.

If anyone wants to create NEW sticky type posts, let's get that going. Anyone can create an informational type post at any time. A, "So your BP won't eat... now what?" post. New threads don't have to be questions or photo threads. Share your knowledge with a new post. It might get stickied or replace an old sticky.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WrongPython

As far as generating more content/posts/activity: perhaps we could start some sort of special weekly discussion thread series? Maybe they could focus on aspects of things such as hobby ethics, hobby history, applying things they've learned caring for one species to another, etc. Alternatively, we could start holding some sort of weekly or weekly-ish "book club" or "podcast club" where people could discuss new herp literature or podcast episodes. I feel like Reddit groups have weekly "mega-threads" like this that are fairly active; maybe something similar could work here?

---

Do it! I can supply tons of media type sources. Podcasts, YouTube channels, etc. If you want to talk about this stuff, start the discussion!

I can make a new forum/section for this type of discussion if it is warranted.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WrongPython

Thanks for the clarification and your input, mlededee! It's always nice to have admins weigh in on stuff like this.



This is actually a really good point. It sounds like we really need to put our status as "the friendliest online community for ALL your herping needs!" out there better and show that we're not just a group of BP people over here, the same way Kingsnake isn't just for kingsnake people. So, what Hugsplox and Zincubus were talking about earlier. The only real idea I have on this front is public outreach/advertisement -- ie. getting one or some of the popular podcasts to mention us and what it's really like here.

As far as generating more content/posts/activity: perhaps we could start some sort of special weekly discussion thread series? Maybe they could focus on aspects of things such as hobby ethics, hobby history, applying things they've learned caring for one species to another, etc. Alternatively, we could start holding some sort of weekly or weekly-ish "book club" or "podcast club" where people could discuss new herp literature or podcast episodes. I feel like Reddit groups have weekly "mega-threads" like this that are fairly active; maybe something similar could work here?

---

Sorry to keep harping back to RFUK but it has got a bit of life back into it by being a bit more community based .. with threads titled ‘how are you feeling today?’ ‘Coronavirus daily update / thoughts thread’ , ‘ What are you listening to these days’ ‘the what made you smile thread’ where you can upload a funny news story/ funny image from the internet/ funny thing that happened to you / cute photo of your dawg asleep or whatever ..

Anything but get people talking/ reading / replying but it doesn’t HAVE to be snake based .. just encourages more forum traffic

Edit
One I may try here is the Random photo thread ... where you can just show your silly or creative side .... or the ‘What the hell is this’ thread where you post a photo of something interesting but unusual ..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

Sorry to keep harping back to RFUK but it has got a bit of life back into it by being a bit more community based .. with threads titled ‘how are you feeling today?’ ‘Coronavirus daily update / thoughts thread’ , ‘ What are you listening to these days’ ‘the what made you smile thread’ where you can upload a funny news story/ funny image from the internet/ funny thing that happened to you / cute photo of your dawg asleep or whatever ..

Anything but get people talking/ reading / replying but it doesn’t HAVE to be snake based .. just encourages more forum traffic

Edit
One I may try here is the Random photo thread ... where you can just show your silly or creative side .... or the ‘What the hell is this’ thread where you post a photo of something interesting but unusual ..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

---

I agree- some forums I've previously experienced also had a thread for shared humor...& who needs that, right?

Presumably any new ‘off topic’ threads go in Members Forum / Hisses and Hugs section ??

Or is there an off topic area !?!?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Off Topic Cafe: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/foru...Off-topic-Cafe

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

Off Topic Cafe: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/foru...Off-topic-Cafe

---

Thanks that’s very useful... but what is the Members Forum / Hisses and Hugs then ?
Kinda confusing..


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8b5b487a87.pnghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2f65f1911b.png


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I pretty much never post here, but I check out the forums at least once a day & have been noticing the slow traffic too. It's worrying. This place is the only online forum I'd trust with quality snake advice, and I've gotten plenty of it! It's like magic-I use the advice, and bam, problem gone(and brain a bit less stupid!)

I wonder how many users are like me, where they only post if they have a snake related problem but never post in the other threads for whatever reason despite being frequent visitors. It doesn't seem like the number of guests has been dropping that much either-could be that the forums have a "for advice only" problem, and are getting overshadowed by social media platforms?:confusd:

I also almost never post here anymore either, although I do pop in most days just to check and see what's going on, and what new, interesting topics there might be. I've also noticed an influx in threads of newbies asking the same questions repeatedly, but very few posts outside of that category.

I may be speaking only for myself, but Covid has impacted the amount of time I've been able to spend on the forum, simply because work seems to have taken over my life. Changes in schedule (nights to days), facility changes, and an absurd amount of MOT have zapped a lot of my energy, and I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't the only one, especially if any of our regulars are in the medical field. Financial difficulties due to hour/paycuts and layoffs may have forced some people to either get second jobs or cut out luxuries like internet, both of which would decrease forum traffic as well.

I like a lot of the suggestions that have been put forth thus far, and I do think updated stickies would be immensely helpful. This is still my go-to forum for anything reptile related, because as some have pointed out, social media reptile (or pet) sections in general tend to be absolute cesspits. At least here we can post pictures without having people scrutinize everything in the room/enclosure to look for anything that they can criticize. :rolleye2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

Thanks that’s very useful... but what is the Members Forum / Hisses and Hugs then ?
Kinda confusing..

---

When you purchase a platinum level subscription to the forum, you have to option to create your own member forum. That is a forum created by a platinum level subscriber (a long time ago). Maybe we should consider closing the old member forums to new posts if they are confusing?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

When you purchase a platinum level subscription to the forum, you have to option to create your own member forum. That is a forum created by a platinum level subscriber (a long time ago). Maybe we should consider closing the old member forums to new posts if they are confusing?

---

Ahh .. I was wondering why I wasn’t allowed to create new threads in that section .. so yes maybe time to delete the sections that have been dormant for years


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Well this is an obvious suggestion, but most of us know other people who keep reptiles, or we meet new ones with common interests, like in pet stores & all...do we remember to suggest this forum to them? I hope so.

Here's my 2 cents after poking around....from a software engineer perspective, and someone who pays attention to usability.

The site isn't responsive, and difficult to use on mobile phones. Most of the internet traffic is mobile. Mobile first should be the new mindset.

I went to install Tapatalk, to make my life a bit easier, and it's not pulling the list of forums in properly on a new installation - so, today, it's not usable. Not sure if this is a permanent issue with Tapatalk, or not....but, I also didn't see any reference on the site when taking a quick look, to see if Tapatalk is the recommended method to use this site via Mobile.

I also come from a time when Forums were the cornerstone of the internet, before the FB's and Reddits. It does take a really good core of dedicated users to keep the activity flowing, to engage new users, and to foster discussion. From what I see in this thread, there are some people who care very deeply about that - it's nice to see.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Husbandry.Pro

Here's my 2 cents after poking around....from a software engineer perspective, and someone who pays attention to usability.

The site isn't responsive, and difficult to use on mobile phones. Most of the internet traffic is mobile. Mobile first should be the new mindset.

I went to install Tapatalk, to make my life a bit easier, and it's not pulling the list of forums in properly on a new installation - so, today, it's not usable. Not sure if this is a permanent issue with Tapatalk, or not....but, I also didn't see any reference on the site when taking a quick look, to see if Tapatalk is the recommended method to use this site via Mobile.

I also come from a time when Forums were the cornerstone of the internet, before the FB's and Reddits. It does take a really good core of dedicated users to keep the activity flowing, to engage new users, and to foster discussion. From what I see in this thread, there are some people who care very deeply about that - it's nice to see.

---

A sincere thanks to you for your input, and :welcome:too. I hope you'll continue to participate & help us grow better. Love your logo!

I find it so much easier to use Tapatalk too, like zincubus I'm on rfuk as its us based in the uk, but has been so quite also. Just so much easier for uploading pics

I check in on both forums a few times a day on my phone on break and lunch time at work to see if there's been anything new going off, but as I'm on a different time zones I'm often late to the table and other people have answered the questions. so I often just like the post to show the op that someone has at least acknowledged it

It is difficult in the middle of a world wide pandemic for people to access certain things, A lot of people have had the normal working days turned upside down, with either having to work from home and kids being home schooled due to school closures over covid, we'll in the uk anyway
Think it's the same for alot of you guys/girls on the other side of the pond too,
I'm hopeing by the end of the year things will start to feel a bit more normal
Fingers crossed anyway[emoji1696][emoji1696]

Sent from my ELS-NX9 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Well this is an obvious suggestion, but most of us know other people who keep reptiles, or we meet new ones with common interests, like in pet stores & all...do we remember to suggest this forum to them? I hope so.

---

I send a copy of the website link to loads of people ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Husbandry.Pro

Here's my 2 cents after poking around....from a software engineer perspective, and someone who pays attention to usability.

The site isn't responsive, and difficult to use on mobile phones. Most of the internet traffic is mobile. Mobile first should be the new mindset.

I went to install Tapatalk, to make my life a bit easier, and it's not pulling the list of forums in properly on a new installation - so, today, it's not usable. Not sure if this is a permanent issue with Tapatalk, or not....but, I also didn't see any reference on the site when taking a quick look, to see if Tapatalk is the recommended method to use this site via Mobile.

I also come from a time when Forums were the cornerstone of the internet, before the FB's and Reddits. It does take a really good core of dedicated users to keep the activity flowing, to engage new users, and to foster discussion. From what I see in this thread, there are some people who care very deeply about that - it's nice to see.

---

I’d certainly give TapaTalk a few more tries over the coming days ..
Maybe delete the app and reinstall it ..

Did you download it with a WIFI connection - obviously far quicker to download and less chance of any initial glitches.

As I’ve said if I didn’t have TapaTalk I simply wouldn’t bother going into all my favourite forums .

I’ve got two forums that aren’t compatible with TapaTalk and I rarely bother to log in and that’s if I even remember about them in the first place ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

I’d certainly give TapaTalk a few more tries over the coming days ..
Maybe delete the app and reinstall it ..

Did you download it with a WIFI connection - obviously far quicker to download and less chance of any initial glitches.

As I’ve said if I didn’t have TapaTalk I simply wouldn’t bother going into all my favourite forums .

I’ve got two forums that aren’t compatible with TapaTalk and I rarely bother to log in and that’s if I even remember about them in the first place ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

---

Here’s my HomePage ;)
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...795358a901.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

What would be awesome if it was easier to post pictures from an iPad without having to use tapatalk or what ever it’s called. My snakes look like anacondas compared to the photos I have posted now, lol. I would love to share more photos. 💪✌️