Attention Everyone!!!

[Anonymous]

OK, I'll say this...
The forum Dough and I have been posting about is lacking active users. so to get you interested, here are just a few of the forums:
B&O
Chessie
CSX
RR tools
Safety
Locomotives & Railcars
NS, N&W, Southern
UP & Western Roads
BNSF, AT&SF, BN
etc.
There are also email/message groups such as:
Trains.com members
NS & predecessor fans
International road fans
CSX & Predecessor fans
Western Road fans
Conrail fans
Etc.
And all forums allow polls.
the URL, as is posted in my signature, is brrm.net/forum and is hosted by the Brunswick RR Museum!

[jchnhtfd]

Hey, I'll go take a look...

[ironhorseman]

What makes the Trains.com forums so popular?
1) It's tied to it's magazines.
2) There are fewer subdivisions that at other forums (i.e. some forums seperate forums per railroad company or per region)
3) Easy to use, easy to register.
4) Not as many rules and restrictions as other forums. Basically a comman code of conduct is expected.
5) Friendly, active staff.

I've looked at other forums and I just can't get myself interested in them. I'm already familiar with this one and it's patrons. I don't know if the other forums have developed the comradery that this one has. Most of the other RR forums I've looked at are slow going.

This is not a slam on your forum, and I looked at it, but I'm just going to stick with this one. I have enough trouble keeping up with all the topics here as it is.

It'd be interesting to know how many people are active on multiple forums, but I'm not.

Also, keeping as few divisions in topics as possible is probably part of the success of this site. I went to railroad.net and there were 4-5 subdivision per topic. Everybody's divided and there's no gereral discussion. I find it easier to talk about something specific in the general discussion area as opposed to posting in specific discussion areas because in that case you are divided into differnt "rooms." It makes one feel segregated. A CSX fan would feel he or she would have little in comman with a BNSF fan and that's why seperate rooms for each don't really work out that well.

I'm interested in posting something in the MKT section, for example, but I'm not sure how many people would see or if someone doesn't care about the MKT why woud they even go into that area? If I post it here in the general disscussion area everyone will see it and most will look at it out of curiosity and maybe someone who has info related to the comment or question could answer it, rather they are fans or not of that railroad.

It's nothing personal, but I'll stick with the Trains.com. Simplicity, I believe, is the key. One website, fewer forums to manage, and a database of archives.

[espeefoamer]

I am a member of two different forums because I like the variety. Cats rule,dogs drool.

[Anonymous]

Point well taken IHM! (of course I could make a "General Discussion") I have read on a few topics here comments on the fact that their should be a few specific forums, and that's where I got the Idea.

[Anonymous]

For those of you who are members, Talbanese pointed out thas this needs attention:
The login is tricky. you must MANUALLY TYPE your username and password, or it may not log you in. plus, if your username isn't where the login link had been at the top, you need to try again, the login didn't work the first time in that case.

[Anonymous]

Yet the Trains.com forum lascks two essentials

You can't Chat between memebers, send them Instant messages, or Private ones

You can't post pictures..

Thsoe are two major problems, that should be solved

[Dough]

I'm on a lot of forums big and small and each has its good and bad. Personally I think that the small forums are a good asset because your posts do not get burried and you can find the people that share your same intersts and can best anwser your question. The specific forums also provide a nice place to find the "experts" on a particular system.

So come next door and give it a try...[;)]

Edited to add directions:

http://www.brrm.net/forum

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dough

I'm on a lot of forums big and small and each has its good and bad. Personally I think that the small forums are a good asset because your posts do not get burried and you can find the people that share your same intersts and can best anwser your question. The specific forums also provide a nice place to find the "experts" on a particular system.

So come next door and give it a try...[;)]

psssst wheres next door...?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ironhorseman

5) Friendly, active staff.

Friendly, 100%. But i do wish Mr. B was more active.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kevinstheRRman
psssst wheres next door...?

Dough should give the url. its brrm.net/forum.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever heard of a ghost forum? We need some more topics posted to get things active. Can you still tell I'm impatient

[Anonymous]

Well that site won't let me access my avount!!

i'm still an invalid member, and I have to activate it using my e-mail, how long does it take to get that e-mail... I filled in the form 10 minutes ago...

[Anonymous]

It took about ten for me to activate my trainheartedguy acount (other is the initial BRRMNET one). sorry, if I had a choice, I wouldn't use the email thing, but it came with the program!

[Anonymous]

looks like a good site

[Anonymous]

Just in case you didn't get your email, I activated the account for you

[Anonymous]

NICE! thanks!

nope, still didn't get my E-mail.

[Anonymous]

well, so far we have 16 members. most if not all from this forum!

[Anonymous]

I think that trains.com forums are fine as it is.

[Anonymous]

I would like to thank the 16 of you who have joined. But if you need this thread accessable to get there, why not bookmark it. The activity has, well, died. It should get interesting though if the Museum's Presedent joins. Big Santa Fe fan.

And Kevin. I now have a Temporary chat. No membership needed, just need to type in a screenname and your on.

[CBQ_Guy]

I'm on multiple Forums and a gazillion email lists at Yahoo!. But I'm fREeTIRED with way too much free time on my hands now. It's breaking my heart...Nah!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainheartedguy

I would like to thank the 16 of you who have joined. But if you need this thread accessable to get there, why not bookmark it. The activity has, well, died. It should get interesting though if the Museum's Presedent joins. Big Santa Fe fan.

And Kevin. I now have a Temporary chat. No membership needed, just need to type in a screenname and your on.

Its a nice site but, no offense, too much work with little return. It sometimes takes me 4-5 attempts to log in.

[Anonymous]

Im still stumped why that happens Tom. I may call the programmers, see what they have to say.

[Anonymous]

Im lonely!!!

For all 17 of you members out there, I have a few small changes you may want to check out! see my forum updates topic on the forum to find out what! (I'm trying to get you to come back!)

[David3]

Sorry but my dad says that I'm on too many forums already! [}:)]
Dave [:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Thats OK. Remember the ten commandments, parents first than fun!

[Anonymous]

OK, I tried something, and thought I ruined the system. If you have a hard time logging in, go into your cookies folder (c:\windows\cookies\) and delete anything that has in the file name: @Brrm! this won't damage your computer, as long as it is a text file in the COOKIES folder. Then wait a few minuites before trying again.

My changes may help with the login problems.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Doggy

I think that trains.com forums are fine as it is.

I agree. Why complicate a good thing...

LC

[Anonymous]

So far, the fix above has worked for me, as well as the login bar at the bottom (5 of 5 successful logins from 2 of 5!)

[Anonymous]

Well LC, its generally for the Museum, but I was wondering if it would ever get action, so I advertised it here.