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Post by locodan5416 on Dec 19, 2006 22:32:43 GMT -5
well... anyone have any ideas?
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Post by Harlock on Dec 20, 2006 0:22:54 GMT -5
Seems like message boards have a snowball effect when they get going - it's hard to get them started though. It took me quite a while to find some active scale steam and park trains forums. The good thing is, if you type "live scale steam" into google, Discoverlivesteam.com shows up at the bottom of the first page. The down side is that I can't find a single link to these forums on the discoverlivesteam home page! It should be linked at the top and on the left! Why no links to here? Are they entirely separate endeavors that share the same logo? I think the major impediment is that this board is very hard to find! I discovered the Chaski forums only when someone posted about them being down here recently. Now I read every day to hear the latest on various tourist railroads. Before the mention here though, I'd never heard of em! These things materialize out of thin air and slowly acquire a readership as one friend tells another about them, I suppose. I found burnsland.com when looking for information on some park trains I used to frequent. I'm now a poster on there in the 'other railroads' area, which mainly concentrates on grand scale park trains and some tourist railroads. Never heard of it until I was searching around in Google for something somewhat related one day. Howabout creating forums based on gauge or scale? 7 1/2" gauge forum, 3 1/2" gauge forum, 15" gauge forum...don't want to spread it too thin, but could help? A forum about club management? At least Discover Live Steam is the premiere Kozo support group.  May be a small niche, but a good one. A good forum needs a good supplementary site and front page. Discoverlivesteam seems to have no link to these forums.... |
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Post by pkastagehand on Dec 20, 2006 9:03:53 GMT -5
There are a number of builders who watch this site. But I know for my part I'm not actively working on my A3 right now (I need to buy materials) and don't feel I have the knowledge to answer many/most of the questions asked. I might ASK questions when I get started building again.
There is a Yahoo Groups site for Kozo builders, but it seems to be at least as quiet as this one, maybe more so.
Paul
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Post by Ed Hume on Dec 21, 2006 8:51:19 GMT -5
In my mind, the big issue is that you have to have a login to read the posted messages. Before the login change, you could discover the site by finding interesting material in google or some other search engine. The software needs a redesign where you only need a login to add to the discussion, and not to search it or view it. That would help new people find it, and decide it was worth participating.
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Post by locodan5416 on Dec 21, 2006 12:26:59 GMT -5
yeah... i dont know i feel about having to login first. i have it to be rememered when I come here, but i always have to think about my password when go to another computer
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Post by Harlock on Jun 1, 2007 12:56:09 GMT -5
Once again this topic needs to be tickled. I was telling someone about these boards (he just signed up) and I forgot to give him the link. He couldn't find them anywhere without being given the link directly.
Ed Hume's suggestion needs to be looked at, the proboards software has to support a security level of allowing reading of posts and not writing of posts, without having to log in. Otherwise the posts will never be spidered by Google, and we will get a lot less people finding the information without coming directly here. And people don't like to sign up for something unless they can preview it first.
Secondly, if this is part of the Discover Live Steam empire, why is it not linked from their home page? That alone would do it a world of good. Who's in charge?
--Mike
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Post by nigelmuskett on Jun 1, 2007 13:03:40 GMT -5
I do agree that not being able to read any messages will put people off. I used to read the messages but had not signed up untill I was prevented from reading any more.
Would I sign up without being able to see anything? I'm not sure I would.
Look at another model engineering site where you can access part of the forum on a read only basis and see what other forum topics there are which will give you enough to decide whether to sign up. See [ftp]http://modeleng.proboards20.com[/ftp] .
Nigel
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Post by steamingspud on Dec 29, 2007 20:47:14 GMT -5
As a begginer, I've found discoverlivesteam as my primary source for looking into the hobby for four years or so. Only a few months ago did I see this forum, and it's odd, because as long as I've completely covered the websight, or the web in general, I've never seen this forum. Maybe if someone wrote an article on the forum for the discoverlivesteam e-magazine, more people would see such a forum when scanning the web. Just a thought...
steamingspud
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Post by pkastagehand on Dec 31, 2007 13:22:16 GMT -5
Getting the folks who are already on here to post would help the flow of info. But maybe most of them are like me; sort of on hold for various reasons. Since I'm not making much at the moment and am a beginner I don't have a lot to contribute.
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Post by Harlock on Dec 31, 2007 16:56:49 GMT -5
As a begginer, I've found discoverlivesteam as my primary source for looking into the hobby for four years or so. Only a few months ago did I see this forum, and it's odd, because as long as I've completely covered the websight, or the web in general, I've never seen this forum. Maybe if someone wrote an article on the forum for the discoverlivesteam e-magazine, more people would see such a forum when scanning the web. Just a thought... steamingspud That's because DLS still doesn't link to this forum as far as I can tell. Also, we still need to make it so guests can read without logging in. That way Google will pick up all the threads and it'll show up in search results. Maybe I'll drop Jim O'Conner a line and see if he can look at doing either. --Mike |
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Post by cbrhs819dc on Jan 5, 2008 17:29:53 GMT -5
I am new to this forum as of a few days ago. Guys & Ladies, if any or on here. You have to keep it closed, where you have to log in on account of the perveted trash that can get on & ruin a good site in a heartbeat. I am a live steamer, I have a 1.6 7&1/2 gage Southern Ps-4 Pacific. I purchased it in April 06 from a friend that had lost intrest in the hobby. I spent approx 6 months rebuilding it. Get some body to start sharing a project step by step and you will get intrest up. Also have you shared this forum with your buddies. I found it by accident. Nuff said for now. Happy Steaming in 08. cbrhs819dc
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Post by rangerjoel on Oct 21, 2008 9:40:57 GMT -5
A direct link on the “Discover Live Steam” page would be great!
I have been away for some time and also upgraded to a new computer. It took me forever to find this site…and I have posted on it in the past!!!
Something in big writing with a little description of what the link is.
Example:
Forums: View, discuss and share photos of your live steam projects and events.
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Post by ChooChooMike on Nov 25, 2008 19:02:32 GMT -5
A direct link on the “Discover Live Steam” page would be great! Agreed a link from the DLS home page or menu would be great ! A link in the left-hand column under Resource would be perfect ? Are these message boards not sanctioned by DLS ? Hence no link ? Even better would be for DLS to host these boards under the discoverlivesteam.com domain with improved board software (e.g. vBulletin) so you can at least subscribe to thread. Who or what entity owns DLS ? It's certainly a great resource ! Mike |
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Post by Harlock on Nov 25, 2008 21:35:52 GMT -5
Jim O'Connor runs DLS. He started these forums as an addition to the board. Although it is now run by third party administrators, we still keep the name brand affiliation.
We'll have to ask him again if he can do that.
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Post by Dan Rowe on Nov 26, 2008 11:15:20 GMT -5
I found this group by word of text, but my favorite search engine gives this site as the first hit for "Kozo Hiraoka group". The link on DLS is also on the first search engine page: www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazine/27/27.htmlI think the site could be improved by allowing users to insert photos, otherwise it is a bit bland. Just my 0.02 cents worth. Dan |
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May be a small niche, but a good one. 
