New Members - Expansion

Hello Everyone

I wanted to extend a hello, and pose a question to the forum at large.

Currently with information tools at our disposal, the ability to share content and reach viewers is greater than never before.

We see that with the explosion of substack, telegram, and other media spaces that allow for alternative views and ideas.

I think this forum is well positioned to enlarge the reach and to really expand on the knowledge that can be brought with regard to the topics discussed on the forum, namely military matters.

Of course with an opening of the flood gates, there will be chaff to be separated from wheat.

But as other platforms demonstrated, it can do a lot of good as far as providing information and ideas, which are the most important thing in the midst of a huge information war.

So how do you guys feel about expanding our reach into other spaces, like say telegram, substack,  and other outlets where we can reach out to audiences that have an orientation and mind that is open to alternative voices and ideas.

We would bring in a lot more contributors and posters , inevitably as the forum grows it would bring challenges. As we get to that point we can see what we can do to grow as a team as well and there could be opportunities for all of us to help keep the forum alive.

Anyway I posit an open discussion, how do you guys feel about it? I know as 02/24/22 came, we had to throttle membership due to the explosion of trolls.

But right now there's a whole audience which is either unaware that we exist, and could get a lot of information from the data that has been collected here.

We could create an invitation system, that way we wouldn't just let anyone in.

Anyway I'd like to hear what you all think

The first question is: why?
Why do we need a significant number of new participants here? GarryB not enough work to put things in order? Do you want to load it up even more?
Besides, why expand your audience reach? As far as I know, this is a discussion club, not a talk show. There are many other resources available to reach the audience. You can start your own blog and broadcast any messages from this forum there - what's the problem? This is how you solve all the issues you have raised, without resorting to destroying the established structure of the local forum.

Scorpius wrote:The first question is: why?
Why do we need a significant number of new participants here? GarryB not enough work to put things in order? Do you want to load it up even more?
Besides, why expand your audience reach? As far as I know, this is a discussion club, not a talk show. There are many other resources available to reach the audience. You can start your own blog and broadcast any messages from this forum there - what's the problem? This is how you solve all the issues you have raised, without resorting to destroying the established structure of the local forum.

Point taken

But there is the issue that new membership is largely closed because members were complaining and it affected us down the line

As Garryb said, ideally this forum wouldn't be an echo chamber , but also not a Troll paradise to incite members and destroy the forum

With only 2 moderators it is already a lot of work, so maybe some things need to change to give support to both Garry and George

But we are blocking both trolls and some potential good members out there

IMO this forum growing can be a good thing

There's not many English language spaces with good information about the Russian military

Feel free to express your views on this matter, are you happy with the way things are, or would you like a change.

Remember change can be a good thing and a bad thing, we really wont know unless we try.

But that could be the famous last words of a condemned man...

We actually have thousands of members, yet 80-90 percent of those who joined up have never posted a single message.

I wont give my personal opinion till I have heard a few different views from others, we have two opinions so far.

There is room for discussion, but equally there is no right or wrong answer, you can't help what you feel so if you don't want new members then by all means say so.

If you do want new members say so as well.

The new member option was turned off when I took over and was turned back on for a short period and then turned off because of an enormous influx of new members with anonymous gmail user accounts that included a few trolls.... presumably with backup accounts for later.

If we do start accepting new members it will be by invitation, and not just anyone will be able to invite new members.

Please try to post an opinion... even if it is that you don't care either way.

All it takes is 5 billion dollars from the US and some rabble rousers to stir up trouble and we might find ourselves conscripted on the front line in the snow fighting Russians... I bet they wish they had stood up and said no to their idiots in charge when it could have made a difference.

Treat life like that.

I think registration should be reopened fully. If there's a problem with bots or trolls, it can be closed at any time.

I don't have an X or tick-tock or telegram or Twitter account . I still watch YouTube for it's funny Cat videos . This forum provides info that others do not provide . I think if some content from here , under the heading of " external content for readership , " was created . And this was put out regularly on different platforms , then this would allow a far greater external readership . Like YouTube does not need a moderator , you put material out , it gets read and noticed . Some even comment ! So no more work for mods there . A YouTube channel would be good as well as any others that do not need direct policing . The title of channel could be less overwhelming , I think people avoid posting here , because it is a " military , " forum ! Problems with fear or anxiety .......New membership could be opened for those , who pass the test on you tube .




Something similar , with computer generated  character , reading text of some posts .

Personally not sure how that would increase participation but then I'm an old foggie and not an internet savvy youngster. Years ago I used to belong to some of the Western sites especially ORBAT and Strategic venues, remember one speaker once claiming we were a small elite group worldwide of about 4000 professionals and dedicated amateurs. Suspect the draw for this site would only be a fraction of that. We have maybe 30-40 really active members and twice that number that keep an eye on the comments plus several hundred non-members that drop in to do the same. These two groups could participate more if so inclined.

I think registration should be reopened fully. If there's a problem with bots or trolls, it can be closed at any time.

Wonder if Americans worried about their southern border, or Swedes who don't leave their homes because of gangs of immigrants from all sorts of places are harassing them would agree.

I am not so narcissistic to think there are millions of people just waiting to join this forum, but equally I am sure there are lots of troll farms out there who have infected forums all over the place that are ticked off that they didn't plant a few agents here.

I don't actually believe our current crop of the sky is falling troop are actually paid trolls... which I think is sad because they are basically working for the 1% super rich Americans for free... the reverse would never happen...

Anyway... keep the comments coming.

Like YouTube does not need a moderator , you put material out , it gets read and noticed . Some even comment ! So no more work for mods there . A

Actually they have thousands of paid moderators and some countries have threatened to ban these sites for not responding to their complaints.

X is currently banned in Russia for not taking down sites and articles that encouraged teen suicide and child porn rings and other sick rubbish.

So X is not an option ! What a trash site , if it allows such content . Mods on YouTube ? I thought there were no mods there . A few months ago , I started listening to video streaming of " club-house" , on you tube . The clips were prepared elsewhere , perhaps on Tik tok , and put out on you tube . But the facility for commenting was turned off ! Is you tube available in Russia ? Does it have trash content too ? It could be run , like Radio set ?

@GarryB

I know there aren't masses of people waiting to join but even having 5-10 quality members more would be a huge thing on such a small forum.

There is absolutely no need to open the membership for this forum because we have already seen that very few high quality posters from Russia join this forum.

Instead we have narcisstic third world trolls who post their propaganda and have created multiple accounts to amplify it.

Unless an existing member recommends a genuine poster who wants to join, preferably from Russia or an allied European state there should be no induction of new members.

So X is not an option ! What a trash site , if it allows such content . Mods on YouTube ? I thought there were no mods there .

There are options for every video on YT to complain or object to content, so essentially the mods respond to member complaints, though I would guess if they were viewing pages themselves and found something objectionable they would not have to wait for a complaint.

The thing is that the moderators are not libertarians who believe in freedom and openness and a bit of self control... they are likely hard core democrats who enjoy banning and blocking certain things and not others.

No mention of vaccine doubt, no mention that the US election where Creepy Joe won might have been rigged... that sort of stuff...

I know there aren't masses of people waiting to join but even having 5-10 quality members more would be a huge thing on such a small forum.

I agree, and I would think the last few years probably would have shifted a few peoples views in the rest of the world regarding Putin and Russia and the west in general... many probably thought like the west did that if the west cut off Russia from the super rich western market that Russia would collapse and fail... who will buy their cheap energy and resources when the west refuses?

Well we have seen that not only does Russia survive but they are actually being rather more successful than the west who tried to punish and damage them.

This is good news for the rest of the world because finally they realise there is an alternative to the west, because so far technology and development from the west has been limited and aimed purely at keeping them down and the west rich. With not just Russia but also China and India and the other BRICS countries working together to pull each other up and out of the problems they have for a more prosperous future for them all and not as a conduit to send money and wealth to the 1% in the US, and it starts to be something worth getting involved in and talking about.

Can they talk about such things in western forums dominated by western colonials?

I would like to see this forum help people from the rest of the world connect with Russia and BRICS and realise there are alternatives to the western evil... but obviously this forum is limited by the fact that it is an English language forum.

We have members from Argentina and Iran, but would love to see members from other countries too... let the rest of the world have a voice (and it does not need to be pro Russia or pro Putin).

Unless an existing member recommends a genuine poster who wants to join, preferably from Russia or an allied European state there should be no induction of new members.

You end up with a yes man situation.

As a CEO of a company you pick and choose the people around you, so if you only pick people who worship you and would never say no to anything you suggest you end up making decisions that your average person might say is a bit silly, but your yes men will fully support... so you end up with a new advert campaign to sell beer with a model that is transgender because that is trendy, or you decide the next James Bond will be a black women in a wheelchair.

With sensible advisors who would tell you to be careful not to alienate your market... beer drinkers don't care about gender politics, and James Bond fans like cool cars, beautiful women, a tough hard good guy and insurmountable odds with a Q that supplies neat weapons and tools that he might only ever use once, but it saves him to live another day.

It is funny that femenists and alphabet people want to change existing art and stories like Star Wars and James Bond and Star Trek and Dr. Who, instead of making up their own stories.

Aren't Indian or Chinese military forums good places to invite new members from?