The forum...

[jasongms]

After going native for over a year now , and only just recently re-joining the hunt for all thing Lady boys  .

I made my way back to onto this forum . I had previously posted as Geosight . Which is not a big deal, as my posts were very limited and not very incisive .

My question  is €œwhat the hell happened to the forum ? €œ It was as i recall a great place to gather info and read shite on the LB scene here in BKK and abroad . A Forum that was humming with activity and ideas€¦.

Now its as empty and uninspiring as a Melbourne taxi drivers capacity to understand  the most basic GPS device .

Is it the fact that we now have to pay to be a member . (well most do any way right !)Cause i see a lot of the old established members that are now staff  . How many staff do you need to run a LB forum ? ( i see a new line for a joke coming on )

In all seriousness this was once a great forum what's changed ?

[deepthroat]

I'll let someone else give a definitive answer to this, as I certainly am not able to, but I would offer this insight: it appears that the dropoff in traffic and activity almost directly correlates to the "Worldwide Economic Collapse" (WEC) and the compounding impact of the Red Shirt Riots.

What's that got to do with traffic on TLF? Well.... with few guys going there and posting trip reports, photos, and jawing/cawing about their upcoming/ongoing/most recent excursion, there's fewer exciting things to talk about. Lack of people GOING to LOS (direct results of the WEC and the Red Shirt Uprisings) means a lot less to talk about and react to on the threads.

If you think it's bad here, check out the other forums out there. Even the biggest GG forums have been really quiet these past 16 months or so.

My last trip was in January, just a couple of months after the WEC, and when I walked into SeaTac airport to begin my journey, I was really struck for the first time by the enormity of the situation - at 6pm on a weekday evening, it was so quiet in the airport you could almost literally hear a pin drop.

[StreetDog]

I think you are both right.
On the one hand, this forum was much busier and much more material being posted at a furious rate before the VIP status was imposed and people had to pay. But by the same token, this occurred at the same time as the great recession all over the world. These are truly unprecedented times so it is hard to compare it with another point of reference.

So yes, charging money to view and contribute to the meaty parts of the forums has weeded out a percentage of people. Some people will simply not pay the money. I think the people who do pay have a kindred spirit with the others here so those are the ones who you still see.

But with the downturn in the economy, it has sent people to do Stay-Vacations at home as evidence by the drop in airport traffic.

I dont know about the folks in this forum, but it appears that most still travel to LOS at the same rate as before. Correct me if I am wrong anyone.....

It is my opinion that most of the readers of this forum are not that effected by the recession and they find their way to LOS despite. I also think that charging money has had a permanent effect on losing valuable posts from the ones that simply wont open their wallet.

It's too bad because I think this forum was much better when it was 100% free and so far it has not come close to the traffic and richness of content since then.

Question to Admin:
Is there any chance we will ever go back to all free?

I know why it turned into a pay-site for the premium content, but now I can find a few other forums where I am getting the same and now more content and pictures for free. To be honest, I am logging in there more due to the few restrictions they have and it is FREE!

[Jake_Sully]

(jasongms @ Sep. 28 2010,03:29) In all seriousness this was once a great forum what's changed ?

The owner for one. Like any team, if there is a new owner, there is a new philosophy most likely.

[pacman]

TLF is still the best, most informative forum going as far as the quality of threads & the depth of information being offered. IMO.

I occasionally log onto LB69 as I am very friendly with some of their regular contributors, all of them good guys. But for a free forum like LB69, there are very few threads started that really add to my understanding of Thailand & the LB scene. Some threads go days or weeks without any new posts being added.

I noticed that guys who abandoned TLF for a free site lasted about 5 minutes before they gave it away due to the lack of intelligent discourse. And I don't mean to suggest that there aren't some damn good contributors on LB69 with some excellent Trip Reports. I still like to follow their stories.

But I don't know anywhere on the net with such informed posters & educational threads as TLF. Of course we have our share of less enlightened posters, those who would mock anything. They soon get put to rights though by some firm moderating.

And to answer the OP's question - what's changed IMO has been a focus on a more serious approach to tackling the questions that are sent in by new members. What's the point of giving trivial, mocking, silly responses to serious questions when the writer has paid for the privilege to ask the question in the first place?

That has been the biggest change, there is still a place for humour but not when new guys are relying on information with which they can make their holiday plans. And much of the advice handed out so willingly here has saved many a newbie 1000's of dollars. In fact, I believe that without sound advice &  the warnings posted here, many a first time visitor would have had their holiday ruined.

[manarak]

biggest competitor now is ladyboys-pattaya forum, not LB69...

[guydesavoy]

This goes to your other thread too. They have that 'Trusted Member' system there whereby Members must be recommended, or establish their bona fides, to be allowed access to the restricted areas.

Arguably a 'safer' system than paid membership. But once you have a Paywall, perhaps it's a case of 'the customer is always right'.. as it were.

As to the OP, there is no doubt that things have changed somewhat around here. Perhaps 'evolved' is a better word. (btw, what's this talk about the 'new owner' ? ) It's certainly not the free-for-all it once was. That has its pluses and minuses. But I can't see another site that has as rich and creative a content added and updated constantly. (Someone get this guy a real job ).

I think time will tell, particularly around re-registration time.

[f0xxee]

(pacman @ Sep. 29 2010,16:26) That has been the biggest change, there is still a place for humour but not when new guys are relying on information with which they can make their holiday plans. And much of the advice handed out so willingly here has saved many a newbie 1000's of dollars. In fact, I believe that without sound advice &  the warnings posted here, many a first time visitor would have had their holiday ruined.

Agreed.

There seems to be far less "flaming" of poor innocent newbies than days gone by, and that can only be a good thing.

I am often astounded on both LB Forums and Ducati forums how newbies are flamed on arrival by the so called "old hands" .

Some of these self proclaimed "old hands"  might have been forum members for a long time, but are actually wannabes with no first hand experience, adn they are  flaming reasonably experienced riders (of LB's and motorbikes) like me who were new to the forum.

I think there is more open discourse than there has been previously, and I think it interesting that the biggest shit stirrers and flamers were the ones who exited when they had to put their money where their mouth was, and buy a membership.

[f0xxee]

Please note that in the above post where I mention "LB Forums" I am speaking of the generic article, not "The Ladyboy Forums" ....

[guydesavoy]

Good point Foxy. I too have been bemused by the reception so called newbies receive on other forums based on the number of their posts rather than the quality thereof.

There is also something to be said for putting one's money where one's mouth is. All other issues aside, it at least shows that someone is 'engaged' rather than just a fly-by-nighter.

[manarak]

(guydesavoy @ Sep. 29 2010,18:59) This goes to your other thread too. They have that 'Trusted Member' system there whereby Members must be recommended, or establish their bona fides, to be allowed access to the restricted areas.

Arguably a 'safer' system than paid membership. But once you have a Paywall, perhaps it's a case of 'the customer is always right'.. as it were.

As to the OP, there is no doubt that things have changed somewhat around here. Perhaps 'evolved' is a better word. (btw, what's this talk about the 'new owner' ?  )  It's certainly not the free-for-all it once was. That has its pluses and minuses. But I can't see another site that has as rich and creative a content added and updated constantly. (Someone get this guy a real job   ).

I think time will tell, particularly around re-registration time.

their trusted membership is very easy to get.
In no way safer than here.

[Bumpa STIKKA]

(StreetDog @ Sep. 29 2010,11:10) Question to Admin: Is there any chance we will ever go back to all free?

I'm afraid not. And here's why...

I've posted the income made from the site after almost nine months of operation.

These figures don't include Paypal, bank transfers and cash drops. This also does not include income from affiliate sign ups to other pay sites.

You can see that 440 people have joined in the last nine months and paid $13,000 dollars to do so.

Now - what is surprising is that almost ALL of the VIP members do NOT post anything and don't have any intention of starting to post anything.

They read the fun and games and the information.

Over the years I've heard that there are better forums with more information and... blah de blah... but I've yet to find a forum about ladyboys that has more than three intelligent posters... apart from this one.

This forum isn't a 'free for all' and I don't want people joining up to post rubbish.
This forum is a private club with intelligent like-minded folk who enjoy discourse on a wide array of subjects and we have a multitude of readers who don't want to wade through reams and reams of total shit to find anything of substance.

If you like the mindless blather of the Ladyboys-Pattaya Forum then join them and knock yourself out. It's a busy forum with lots of pics...

If you simply don't like me then go to the LB69 forum!

Next year even The Fish Box will be VIP only.

This is an exclusive private club where for a buck a week you can chin wag on everything from ANY ladyboy pay site to (almost) any football team.

It's not for everyone I agree... but there's enough here who like the pace and atmosphere to just about keep me and my beautiful girlfriend living in modest comfort here in Thailand.

And judging by the numbers there are more and more people finding out about us every day!

[StreetDog]

Ok Bumpa, you sold me.

I never think about the issues you brought up. Maybe it's my attention deficit disorder..

But you are right and you have good points.
I don't think you have to worry about me not renewing. The other sites do provide some good fodder but the quality content is indeed found here in this forum and site.

You are a good steward of the forums and your straight forwardness and transparency of these statistics proves you are genuine.

As someone stated in an earlier post, the information provided here can save the average LB lover a lot of time and money. That part doesn't come into the equation of the hard money statistics you quoted.
Thanks for sharing....