Re: Hobbit Forum Refugees

[Eldorion]

I think the problem is two-fold. For one, very few films arouse excitement outside of the hardcore fan-base a year and a half in advance. People who follow entertainment sites are sure to be aware of the films, but for the average movie-goer (or average Tolkien fan), there haven't been any trailers or TV spots or ads of any sort yet. I'm sure that starting 6-8 months before the film comes out (perhaps earlier) there will be ads and that will increase interest online among casual and new fans.

As for the existing fandom, I think a lot of people just got burnt out by the lengthy pre-development hell and numerous false starts. I'm surprised by how many people on some major forums weren't even aware that The Hobbit had been green-lit until very recently (if they are aware at all). Hopefully when there are more concrete signs of this (since at this point not much news is coming from the set) more fans will become interested in The Hobbit.

As for our forum in particular, we do have a respectable Google rank for searches of "hobbit movie forum", but for more general searches we don't really register. I've entertained the notion of trying to find a patron site (a blog or news site) that doesn't have forums and would be willing to link to us, but I'm not sure how many sites would want to be affiliated with a more rough-and-tumble forum. Besides that I'm just not sure who to ask.

If anyone else has ideas for how to advertise our forum and attract new members, I'd love to hear them.

[Tinuviel]

Perhaps changing the name of the forum to something more broad,

[odo banks]

How about changing our name to "Refugees Forum"? We'd get plenty of hits -- and once folk were here they'd say, "Oh this is more fun than thinking about starving, brutalized, marginalized, terrorized, suppressed men, women and children trying to escape horrid regimes. And there's no rape or decapitations or water torture here!"

Out of sight, out of mind, I say.

What about this blurb?

"Light up up a pipe, have a cup of tea, put up with some unrespectabily but that's the worst thing you'll need worry about. Escape from most of life's realities. Come to Forumshire!"


... and (every day!) expect this -

(It would be like we're performing a public service! )

[Eldorion]

Perhaps changing the name of the forum to something more broad,

Hmm, good idea, and it might work, but I think that it's actually to our advantage to appear high up on the rankings for "hobbit movie forum". It would be great if we also appeared higher for searches of "hobbit movie", but if you look at the results the sites ahead of us are really big ones like TORn, IMDb, and the like. I don't think just a name change would help that, and it might actually hurt our rank for forum searches...

Odo -

[Pettytyrant101]

As always leave it to the Tyrant to come up with a solution between drinking sessions! Advertising- thats the way to go and here's a start.



More to follow as I have the time and creative juices (and can work out how to do stuff!!)

[Orwell]

((((((((((((((((That is soooo cool, my friend! Odo, of course, will be jealous - hence the superstrength encryption spell.)))))))))))))))

[Pettytyrant101]

Thanks Orwell. ((((((He shouldn't be too jealous- the Banks family are quite prominent in it, apprently at the instances of the NotP as they are 'good copy' whatever that means)))))
There will be more as I'm on nights so when I'm off I'm awake all night and rather short of entertainment, so kind of don't have any excuses not to do something creative.

[Orwell]

Odo will no doubt be NOT pleased. Your pictures are perhaps NOT all flattering ones! I wondered why you were on just now - 5.42pm as I type this. I thought you might be on nightshift. What time is it?

(((((((Squatch's presence? What's she doing up in the middle of the night? ))))))))))

[Pettytyrant101]

Now early morning. I'm guessing Squach was on before school. Its 8:44am right now.

[Orwell]

Aha!

[Pettytyrant101]

Nearly time for bed!! Well in an hour or so. Although its not like I'm working tonight, but I am tomoroow night so its the nightshift dilema- do you just stick to the nightshift pattern when off for a couple of days or do you try to switch it round one way then back round the other? I've opted just for sticking to the pattern, hell I live in Scotland not like I'm missing the sunshine or anything sleeping all day.

Being a stick at home hobbit I'm not good with time diffrences. Its Tuesday morning here- am I in the future or the past from your perspective?

[Orwell]

Tuesday evening...(if 5.54pm is the evening?) I could tell you what's about to happen.. but I don't want to depress you!

[Pettytyrant101]

So the futures not worth waiting around for then?

[Orwell]

No, it's not so bad. Boy! You made that sound quite ominous! And when you and Odo were having such a fine feud too!

As to nightshift, are you on permanently? Or do you split your week. Say, three nights on, two days off, four nights on (as just one suggestion)? I work seven nights, three days, then six days off. I don't have to sleep through the day except when I'm actually on nightshift.

[Pettytyrant101]

When I'm on a run of nghtshifts its either 3 or 4 nights straight with 2 off then back on again for another 3 or 4. And depending on how cruel the rota is it can be up to 10nights on then 3 days off or sometimes 3/4 nights on and only 1 day off!

Didn't mean to sound ominous! Just the future when I get there tends to disappoint- never any flying cars or hover boots.

[Orwell]

Definitely no hover boots or flying cars... GB's back for a visit. The present is okay then. I won't tell you what he put on the Big Bad Serious Thread... you'll have to wait for that. Don't want to change the future, now do I.

[Ringdrotten]

We have a saying in Norway that goes like this: "Ein skal ikkje sova burt sumarnatta". Not sure how to translate that, but it means you shouldn't spend the summer nights asleep, they're too beautiful for that. And it's true. Every summer I stay awake through the nights, they're wonderful . Can't really describe them properly, but I go outside and just listen - there's this special silence that you can only "hear" during the summer nights (the sound of silence? ). It's bright as day, yet the light is different, and there's zero human activity. No cars, no nothing. Just yourself and nature, and the bright midnight/morning sun. Must be what I love the most about this country

Hmm, that didn't quite turn out as expected! Was going to say some words about staying awake nighttime and a few encouraging words about night shifts, but it seems I've written an advertisement instead. It's a good thing we can go off topic on this forum

PS: Great vid, Petty Now, where to post it for maximum effect?

[Pettytyrant101]

"where to post it for maximum effect?"- Ringdrotten

I was thinking about that. If I upload it to my skydrive then anyone on here with access can dl it and put it where they like and hopefully get more folks to see it. Or link to it on other forums, facebook pages (can you do that not big on facebook). What do you think? Anyone got any ideas?

ps I always go out for a walk when Im home nights- around 3 in morning is best- and everything you say is spot on, it tranquil and somehow magical.

[Ringdrotten]

Magical is the word

As to the ad: Planet Tolkien? But no, I guess nobody would see it there despite the enormous activity in that place. Peter Jackson's facebook site is probably a good idea. That, and we could try other LotR/Hobbit forums.


Edit: I guess I should clarify the following comment, as it may seem a bit offensive: "As to the ad: Planet Tolkien? But no, I guess nobody would see it there despite the enormous activity in that place"

When Taz bought our old forum he promised us overwhelming activity and hundreds (if not thousands) of active members, but as it turned out, the level of activity on the two forums weren't that different - a few regulars with lots of people coming and going. Just thought I'd clear that up, now that people are visiting from "the other side"

[Pettytyrant101]

How on earth woudld I go about getting it on PJ's facebook site? I havent a clue about Facebook.

[Ringdrotten]

Me neither, I'm afraid I do have a facebook account now, however! One of my classmates made one for me, and I'm slowly getting the hang of it. I could look into it when I get home, shouldn't be too hard

[Pettytyrant101]

yeah worth a go. I have a facebook account myself I try to avoid wherever possible and which I only set up because a certain female of whom I was accquanted only used Facebook for chat (wimmin!). But it may finally become useful if we can get an ad or two for the forum onto PJ's facebook. And I'm all for sticking it on PT if thats possible (can't remember seeing any links to youtube on there though so don't know if its allowed).

[Ringdrotten]

(can't remember seeing any links to youtube on there though so don't know if its allowed).

That place and its totalitarianism

[Pettytyrant101]

Yes. Lucky we are under the free and just rule of Eldo the Admin- oh hold on a minute I just read that back! That can't be right?!

[Orwell]

(((((You guys do know that Eldo Watches everything - don't you? Probably has his own anti-encryption powers for all we know. Rumour has it he even "outed" Janesmith - shock turned her into a raving conservative. She was such a nice unassuming lady before that. Never been the same. As a disinterested onlooking, I was quite fond of her. Though, to be fair, she does look nice in a habit. )))))