Have a ganders further down.Plenty of constructive technical suggestions on simple things for Rob to do to help the site regain some of its old spark.
(
Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...",
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 10:33,
archived)
hello fella, I'm not sure I follow about b3ta having a successful advertising stream and whatnot. To me this place has always been about the everyday users just slapping up pictures for shits and giggles, not the people that created the framework leading the artwork. And I think that's what Rob intended.
Getting advertising money always goes down like a lead balloon full of Pact coffee, we don't want this place being run by investors. Although obviously it would be nice to see the occasional prize for the image challenge.
As monkeon and many other people have said, social media has reduced viewing numbers and attention spans everywhere. A lot of people prefer to just watch Twitter than pick up a pen or mouse and attempt the slow painful task of photoshopping something, especially when they think it will be received with silence or abuse instead of the jovial w/y/h :D of old.
But it's good that people complain, it shows they care. The only solution I can think of is do a picture and post it up to try and start a ball rolling. You never know, your next picture could be the next fucklift meme ;)
(Getting advertising money always goes down like a lead balloon full of Pact coffee, we don't want this place being run by investors. Although obviously it would be nice to see the occasional prize for the image challenge.
As monkeon and many other people have said, social media has reduced viewing numbers and attention spans everywhere. A lot of people prefer to just watch Twitter than pick up a pen or mouse and attempt the slow painful task of photoshopping something, especially when they think it will be received with silence or abuse instead of the jovial w/y/h :D of old.
But it's good that people complain, it shows they care. The only solution I can think of is do a picture and post it up to try and start a ball rolling. You never know, your next picture could be the next fucklift meme ;)
HappyToast Groat froth,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 11:23,
archived)
I'd be interested to know why people who actually make stuff leave.I've seen Sheep express that he can't post stuff with the restrictive gif size limit, for example. That could easily be changed.
Ultimately, I'd say /board needs to focus on people who make pictures, not lurkers. Photoshopping jokes isn't a fashionable hobby nowadays (the kids make videos), and it is good to have a place where people who share your hobby hang out.
If you focus on lurkers, then you start adding things like down vote buttons, and that takes away the encouraging environment which is what made this site stand out - people don't want to be told their work is shit, offensive or they are a spamcunt, they want to play and find out what works.
Focussing on getting lurkers subscribing to the Twitter feed seems sensible - presumably that is where most of them have gone already - and the more users on that, the more an fp is 'worth' (though I'd quite like it to post higher voted popular posts, too).
(Ultimately, I'd say /board needs to focus on people who make pictures, not lurkers. Photoshopping jokes isn't a fashionable hobby nowadays (the kids make videos), and it is good to have a place where people who share your hobby hang out.
If you focus on lurkers, then you start adding things like down vote buttons, and that takes away the encouraging environment which is what made this site stand out - people don't want to be told their work is shit, offensive or they are a spamcunt, they want to play and find out what works.
Focussing on getting lurkers subscribing to the Twitter feed seems sensible - presumably that is where most of them have gone already - and the more users on that, the more an fp is 'worth' (though I'd quite like it to post higher voted popular posts, too).
monkeon schmonkeon,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 12:19,
archived)
the ones I've kept in touch with changed job and/or had a family that made being online so much awkwardI agree the gif limit is restrictive and feels old (especially if we want to be in any way a cutting edge comedy site!), but I've never understood why not just post a thumbnail and link to Youtube?
the main problem with saying 2mb gifs are ok is when that is applied to every throwaway reply gif or a dance party happens with 100 replies.
(the main problem with saying 2mb gifs are ok is when that is applied to every throwaway reply gif or a dance party happens with 100 replies.
HappyToast Groat froth,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 12:41,
archived)
Moving the "I made this" videosfrom /links to /board would perhaps be a solution. I like the idea of an all-encompassing "I made this" board, anyway.
( monkeon schmonkeon,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:02,
archived)
CDC thread 3 trillion MB! I would bloody love a 2mb gif rule. But as a thread starter. But as you said I could do one and link it.
(
Frogbeat,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:31,
archived)
I can't imagine why people who make stuff leaveThere's no-where else I could post my crap - nor get the inspiration/image challenges to make it.
( ferret -> twitter.com/syfyautocorrect <-,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 12:42,
archived)
and they make you feel so welcome!
(
ferret -> twitter.com/syfyautocorrect <-,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:17,
archived)
I find the size limits difficultsometimes, and losing B3tards was a blow. I know it is my fault, but I lost a lot of work there; I changed computer a few times and lost the origionals, but could always link to them on B3tards. Now they are gone forever. Not the biggest tragedy the world will ever see, but mattered to me because I don't post anywhere else but here.
(
TheSundaeLunch I'm a fucking shrub, alright?,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:21,
archived)
Oh, thanks for thatalthough some of the links ask me for money, which I do not have.
( TheSundaeLunch I'm a fucking shrub, alright?,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:50,
archived)
Click the link and then click the blue circle around a date.The money thing is just fundraising and not part of that site's content - you shouldn't have to pay to see anything.
( monkeon schmonkeon,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 14:00,
archived)
Clevah!Ta muchly. Got a few back.
( TheSundaeLunch I'm a fucking shrub, alright?,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 14:34,
archived)
Good postMy tupenny's worth, as a previous frequentish and criminally underrated poster who now almost never posts anything, is very much as HappyToast said - I've changed job and I've got damn all time free at the minute at all, which is exacerbated by working in an open-plan office where photoshopping (well, gimping) things wouldn't go down at all well even if I can't do anything while compiling anyway. Back in the past I was in an office shared with one or two people, a wall to my back, and no-one who'd care checking what I was doing while things were compiling or running.
I totally agree I wouldn't spend time trying to appeal to the lurkers. Those like me are lurkers for a reason - grown too fat, too old and too tired - and that's unlikely to change; and others are unlikely to swap from lurking regardless. Any that do, I'd suggest would have been likely to at some point anyway.
We could do with changing the colour scheme, having a board that's more searchable (search is a perennial issue on B3ta), having a board of variable length that we can set ourselves, and having collapsible threads. Since no-one seems to be maintaining the codebase though, that's unlikely to happen. (If the keys could be opened, I'm sure some on here are good enough at whatever the hell the backend is written in - PHP would be my guess - that they could get something better hacked together. But the keys won't be opened not least because, for whatever reason, Rob doesn't give a flying fuck about B3ta anymore and robtoo hasn't been spotted in a long while too. I've no idea if anyone else would ever have had access.)
(I totally agree I wouldn't spend time trying to appeal to the lurkers. Those like me are lurkers for a reason - grown too fat, too old and too tired - and that's unlikely to change; and others are unlikely to swap from lurking regardless. Any that do, I'd suggest would have been likely to at some point anyway.
We could do with changing the colour scheme, having a board that's more searchable (search is a perennial issue on B3ta), having a board of variable length that we can set ourselves, and having collapsible threads. Since no-one seems to be maintaining the codebase though, that's unlikely to happen. (If the keys could be opened, I'm sure some on here are good enough at whatever the hell the backend is written in - PHP would be my guess - that they could get something better hacked together. But the keys won't be opened not least because, for whatever reason, Rob doesn't give a flying fuck about B3ta anymore and robtoo hasn't been spotted in a long while too. I've no idea if anyone else would ever have had access.)
boris the spider,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:32,
archived)
Memes are fine, but they won't keep the place alive.The impression I'm getting is that those who could do something either can't be bothered or that the current situation suits them.
It's no good blaming twitter and facebook if this place appears moribund from the top down.
(It's no good blaming twitter and facebook if this place appears moribund from the top down.
Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...",
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:19,
archived)
I must say that I agree!Having started to post a few images years ago and getting in to the spirit of the site more I started uni and from then on (including now I work) I just don't have the time to fire up Photoshop or paint to make anything worth posting. I'm always disappointed when I log onto /board nowadays but I do feel that people like me not actually contributing anything is also a problem. A busy bar gets busier and a quiet bar gets quieter of course. So they, whoever they are, told me when I worked in pubs at uni.
Before uni I used computers for fun, now I use them at work and I just don't want to sit in front of a screen all evening as well.
I also think as a member of 11 years, and unregistered viewer for a few years before (2001 or 2002? I can't remember when the site started!), that the internet has changed significantly since then. Back when the site started people like Joel Vietch and Jonty, among many other talented folk, were cocking about with their sites and promoting their material on here which inspired others to post and so on. This isn't meant as a slight on them but a few years down the line, maybe 6 or 7 years ago these chaps started appearing on news channels being interviewed about the internet and stuff. The people that started and really gave b3ta a kick up the arse have used it as a platform to build on and gone on to other things. With the advent of social media there seems to be fewer people around with the time or ability to knock up amusing pictures in Photoshop etc. I may not have chosen the best examples, as I say I'm far too busy now to spend large amounts of time on the internet. I'm mostly typing this to delay having to go out and be disappointed by a not-starting motorbike, but it is something I feel, with rose-tinted glasses no doubt, passionate about.
/rant over
God I'm boring.
(,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 14:05,
archived)
Before uni I used computers for fun, now I use them at work and I just don't want to sit in front of a screen all evening as well.
I also think as a member of 11 years, and unregistered viewer for a few years before (2001 or 2002? I can't remember when the site started!), that the internet has changed significantly since then. Back when the site started people like Joel Vietch and Jonty, among many other talented folk, were cocking about with their sites and promoting their material on here which inspired others to post and so on. This isn't meant as a slight on them but a few years down the line, maybe 6 or 7 years ago these chaps started appearing on news channels being interviewed about the internet and stuff. The people that started and really gave b3ta a kick up the arse have used it as a platform to build on and gone on to other things. With the advent of social media there seems to be fewer people around with the time or ability to knock up amusing pictures in Photoshop etc. I may not have chosen the best examples, as I say I'm far too busy now to spend large amounts of time on the internet. I'm mostly typing this to delay having to go out and be disappointed by a not-starting motorbike, but it is something I feel, with rose-tinted glasses no doubt, passionate about.
/rant over
God I'm boring.
"You never know, your next picture could be the next fucklift meme"
noooooooooooooo, for pity's sake noooooooooooooooo
i've never been a high volume poster, work, laziness etc. means even less time to make images than i used to have, but every now and then i nip back and add something and this'll probably continue as long as i'm able
personally i found fuck/flan unfunny/uninspired/repellent right from the start, ditto fucklift, and the sheer volume of them has made me less inclined to even lurk, maybe that's just me, i'm sure others find them funny/inspired/attractive given their prevalence
b3ta also seems less fluffy these days
/sigh
(noooooooooooooo, for pity's sake noooooooooooooooo
i've never been a high volume poster, work, laziness etc. means even less time to make images than i used to have, but every now and then i nip back and add something and this'll probably continue as long as i'm able
personally i found fuck/flan unfunny/uninspired/repellent right from the start, ditto fucklift, and the sheer volume of them has made me less inclined to even lurk, maybe that's just me, i'm sure others find them funny/inspired/attractive given their prevalence
b3ta also seems less fluffy these days
/sigh
empire of the pussycat requires more champage,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 14:14,
archived)
FUCKLIFTS are JUST for Friday's. Friday's are normally quiet. Always have been
Frogbeat,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 14:45,
archived)
I agree on Fuck and FlanGone on way too long. The Fucklifts are fine, but with so little else posted they do seem more than they are. I can't really complain because my stuff is only borderline B3ta anyway, but I like to think a nice little diversion from the norm.
( TheSundaeLunch I'm a fucking shrub, alright?,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 15:09,
archived)
hah, i'm the oppositedon't get the fucklifts thing (soz atomic/frogbeat), but a good freebase makes me laugh
(
alpaca muffalo bozzerella,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 15:42,
archived)
i do like your images
to me they recall b3ta of old when there'd be a fair smattering of artwork that took real effort/skill
plus there's the fun of finding the curly hair
(to me they recall b3ta of old when there'd be a fair smattering of artwork that took real effort/skill
plus there's the fun of finding the curly hair
empire of the pussycat requires more champage,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 16:14,
archived)
That is very kindThere are a few people who do art on here still; Atomic, JP Gruntfutock, Twisted O and Shaz, to name but a few. I love the mix, when B3ta is rolling. The 'shoppers, the art, and yes the Memes.
( TheSundaeLunch I'm a fucking shrub, alright?,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 17:18,
archived)
The best way to destroy a meme is with a new meme.I'm not keen on fuck/flan, but forklifts are basically a one-word-challenge, and they usually do lead to some interesting stuff.
Short term memes are usually really fun to join in with - standing cat was the last I can think of, though.
(Short term memes are usually really fun to join in with - standing cat was the last I can think of, though.
monkeon schmonkeon,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 16:45,
archived)
/o/ Yay! Go FUCKLIFTS! /o/I don't care if anyone doesn't get what FUCKLIFTS is all about. I do it for my own amusement. If others follow and make it a meme, then it should be treated like every other meme. You choose to join in or simply complain about it. Most of the complainers are are pretty brainless, sitting on the sidelines complaining because they're either not creative enough to incorporate a forklift and/or Freebase into a picture, or they can't think of anything to create to make themselves and their cliques happy. I hear complaints about every meme. It's usually by the members of Talk who've gone tired of saying "Prick" and venture over to the board to bitch about the current meme. I'm not on the board all day. They have plenty of time to make the things that they want to see. Lazy bitchy cunts, the lot of them. Fuck 'em. Nothing they say will ever influence what I'm doing.
( atomic A-bomb-a-nation,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 16:32,
archived)
The lack of limes right now is making me sad.
(
discomeats This canoe,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 16:49,
archived)
The lot of them.(and there's a lot of them)
( atomic A-bomb-a-nation,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 17:34,
archived)
:)this is pretty much my attitude to b3ta. the fucklifts thing didn't really do much for me, but other people were amusing themselves posting them so that's fine. equally, i know freebase/flan aren't everyone's cup of tea, but i find them funny so i'll keep on doing them...
( alpaca muffalo bozzerella,
Sun 7 Dec 2014, 17:23,
archived)