Ranking of online Tolkien sites - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Pitchwife · 12-05-2010, 03:17 PM

/\
Nice acting, Nerwen!

Seriously, of course we should be registered there and get one of those nifty "Vote for us" thingies on the main forum page. It's a shame we aren't in those Top 100 yet.
Unless, of course, we're content to remain a forum for the chosen few who will find their way here by themselves sooner or later... and I don't actually mean that ironically, or at least not wholly. Speaking from experience, back in the days when my old love for Tolkien was rekindled by the movies coming out and I was browsing Tolkien websites by the dozen, the Downs just stuck out as something special by themselves, without any need for rankings or advertising, and I bet it's still like that for the people who come here newly these days.
On the other hand, they can only find us if they know we're out there somewhere...

Inziladun · 12-05-2010, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

It's a shame we aren't in those Top 100 yet.
Unless, of course, we're content to remain a forum for the chosen few who will find their way here by themselves sooner or later...

I expect there'll be a rather large bump in membership when the Hobbit movie is released. That's going to be a while, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

On the other hand, they can only find us if they know we're out there somewhere...

The spambots don't seem to have any trouble.

Nerwen · 12-07-2010, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I expect there'll be a rather large bump in membership when the Hobbit movie is released.

And then the forum will look like this:

Quote:

Threads in Forum: The Books

Helpp??

Who is...

Hey?

What???

Hottest elve's?11??!!?!??

are horbits real???!!

GUESS WHAT!?!?!?!?!??!?!

Look at MEEEEEEE!!!!

is sarin teh necormanser???!!!!

why is Dragon calld smog is becuase he brathes fier and smoke tell me plz plz!!!??

Ibrîniðilpathânezel · 12-07-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerwen

And then the forum will look like this:

Sad but true, I fear. And in my experience, with popularity comes a reduction of civility. Cliques form, fights break out more often, and... Well, that's one of the biggest reasons I left TOR.n. When you're "the place to be," everybody comes, and it tends to make for a bigger, noiser, messier, less friendly place. You get noticed, but at what cost? Something to consider, I think.

Estelyn Telcontar · 12-07-2010, 10:57 AM

Ah, but you're both forgetting one thing - this forum has moderators! We may be dealing mostly with spambots for now, but we will be ready to keep things tidy when the rush comes. Just because the skwerlz aren't needed at this time doesn't mean they're no longer existent...

Ibrîniðilpathânezel · 12-07-2010, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Ah, but you're both forgetting one thing - this forum has moderators!

Oh, no, I'm not forgetting, but I was one of the moderators for TORn. It got ugly, I got appalled, and... Well, a long story, and I'm not here to air the dirty laundry of another site. Suffice it to say that over the years, I've seen too much of the seamy underbelly of fame, seen too many things that started well end badly because of a desire to become noticed and popular. I guess I just don't want to see it happen again. I may not be the most active member of the Downs, but I've come to appreciate the fact that it's a site where people can actually disagree and be civil about it. Not perfect, of course, but during my time here, the heated arguments I've watched have generally ended with at least an agreement to disagree, and then let go. It's harder for that to happen in a big crowd.

Bêthberry · 12-07-2010, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

Oh, no, I'm not forgetting . . . . I guess I just don't want to see it happen again. I may not be the most active member of the Downs, but I've come to appreciate the fact that it's a site where people can actually disagree and be civil about it. Not perfect, of course, but during my time here, the heated arguments I've watched have generally ended with at least an agreement to disagree, and then let go. It's harder for that to happen in a big crowd.

No matter how large the crowd was back in the day, the Mods and Admins were always on top of things, long before there was the Reputations system to consider. And the chat room became the natural outlet for humorous ridicule.

Of course, Downers themselves often "policed" matters and strenuously proclaimed the quality of the conversation here. That could well happen again. Consider this chestnut: Rimbaud's (sp?): The Phantom Menace. It is quite amazing what a well-aimed trout and a little humour can do.

Eönwë · 12-06-2010, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Unless, of course, we're content to remain a forum for the chosen few who will find their way here by themselves sooner or later... and I don't actually mean that ironically, or at least not wholly. Speaking from experience, back in the days when my old love for Tolkien was rekindled by the movies coming out and I was browsing Tolkien websites by the dozen, the Downs just stuck out as something special by themselves, without any need for rankings or advertising, and I bet it's still like that for the people who come here newly these days.

I've thought about this a bit recently and realised that on the whole, it seems that those that find the website on their own (and generally join to comment on something in books) tend to be the ones that stay the longest and most active.
That's not to say that we shouldn't try to bring more attention to the 'Downs if you want. It's just an observation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I expect there'll be a rather large bump in membership when the Hobbit movie is released.

This is definitely the case.

Snowdog · 12-07-2010, 04:56 AM

The Barrow Downs ... just by its name ... draws interest from Tolkien book people who have read about the Barrow Downs. It wasn't mentioned or shown in the movies. In fact, the closest thing to come to it in the movies was the burial mounds of Rohan.

A good discussion on the finer aspects of Tolkien's written works can usually be had here, and the stability of the site not wanting to make changes to the latest gimmick or try to expand its scope to draw people in makes it what this Tolkien book geek loves!

12-05-2010, 03:17 PM	#1
Pitchwife Wight of the Old Forest Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Unattended on the railway station, in the litter at the dancehall Posts: 3,329	/\ Nice acting, Nerwen! Seriously, of course we should be registered there and get one of those nifty "Vote for us" thingies on the main forum page. It's a shame we aren't in those Top 100 yet. Unless, of course, we're content to remain a forum for the chosen few who will find their way here by themselves sooner or later... and I don't actually mean that ironically, or at least not wholly. Speaking from experience, back in the days when my old love for Tolkien was rekindled by the movies coming out and I was browsing Tolkien websites by the dozen, the Downs just stuck out as something special by themselves, without any need for rankings or advertising, and I bet it's still like that for the people who come here newly these days. On the other hand, they can only find us if they know we're out there somewhere... __________________ Und aus dem Erebos kamen viele seelen herauf der abgeschiedenen toten.- Homer, Odyssey, Canto XI

12-07-2010, 10:57 AM	#5
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Ah, but you're both forgetting one thing - this forum has moderators! We may be dealing mostly with spambots for now, but we will be ready to keep things tidy when the rush comes. Just because the skwerlz aren't needed at this time doesn't mean they're no longer existent... __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

12-07-2010, 04:56 AM	#9
Snowdog Emperor of the South Pole Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: The Western Shore of Lake Evendim Posts: 667	The Barrow Downs The Barrow Downs ... just by its name ... draws interest from Tolkien book people who have read about the Barrow Downs. It wasn't mentioned or shown in the movies. In fact, the closest thing to come to it in the movies was the burial mounds of Rohan. A good discussion on the finer aspects of Tolkien's written works can usually be had here, and the stability of the site not wanting to make changes to the latest gimmick or try to expand its scope to draw people in makes it what this Tolkien book geek loves!