This forum not as popular?

EC1 - I think the Todays Fancy thread works well and yes it does help when the winners are flowing. The thread you started about Lordship fascinated me but a few were quick to point out that it could effect the price! You can't win!
 
Gearoid said:
OTB - I think we have to get the NAPS idea off the ground. Best to do it right and not rush into it for the sake of it. I had been playing around with the idea myself and would add to the prize fund. Maybe run it on the flat?
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If we set a start date for the first weekend in March maybe - my thoughts for what they are worth would be to limit entry to 25-30 max and the key to it is the publishing if the table every week - similar to the IF. What is the best way of displaying a table on this forum??
 
Ok, I've tweeted, shared 'liked' on Facebook if that helps at all?!

I guess I'm not one really for betting and the speed figures and stuff is all too technical for me but I like the other parts of the big race discussions and especially the bloodstock side of things. Always interesting to know who's got a share/interest in particular horses as well. I have to admit I perk up a bit when the flat season starts and I always look forward to Galileo's Ballydoyle 2yo thread!
 
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imagine said:
I guess I'm not one really for betting and the speed figures and stuff is all too technical for me
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There's not enough of that for me, I've started browsing on OHR as Spook (who was definitely known under a different guise on this forum, 95% certain it's the same guy) is very well up on that kind of thing and a few other contributors on there too.

Horses for courses I suppose.
 
Gamla Stan said:
There's not enough of that for me, I've started browsing on OHR as Spook (who was definitely known under a different guise on this forum, 95% certain it's the same guy) is very well up on that kind of thing and a few other contributors on there too.

Horses for courses I suppose.
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think Spook is Warbler isn't he Stan?
 
Gamla Stan said:
Horses for courses I suppose.
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Exactly. I guess if I understood speed figures etc more it might be of more interest to me but as I don't really understand it I usually end up a bit :blink: - confused.com as they say! As for actual betting, again if I felt more able to take a risk with my money I'd probably find it more interesting. Having said that I have got a few (very small) anti-post bets on for Cheltenham, just not something I'd do day in, day out.

Having worked on a couple of racing yards and race courses when I was at uni I think I just prefer the actually horses/atmosphere side of it plus I love pedigrees and who's related to who. As you said everybody's got different aspects that they prefer.
 
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I miss Warbler's posts on here (don't miss some of his late night phonecalls mind!), I understand he left because he felt there was a lack of appreciation of the work involved and a lack of overall debate of speed ratings which is a fair enough criticism. The forum seems more interested in debating whether a horse ran to 124 or 125 by looking through endless form. Warbler (and I suspect myself and EC) would rather decide whether it ran to 124 by looking at the time of the race like Beyer et al would.

Warbler may go a bit "Mordin" at times (obsessed with the weather!) but I for one certainly miss his posts overall.

He can be found on OH Racing as EC says, the forum overall isn't a patch on this though despite 2 or 3 decent contributors.
 
I guess that's the beauty of a forum though isn't it? The key being that people prefer different methods, but have an appreciation for others who use other techniques.

Having just spent a bit of time analysing a nothing contest at Wolver tomorrow, purely using the formbook, having an analysis via breeding or time or whatever colours the West Midland gypsies have planted in flowers near the 7f start can only add to the debate.

With regard to competitions, NAPs etc. I think the key to these is keeping the interest, monthly would probably be fine, but going on longer will probably mean those not in contention losing interest etc. The festival comps for Cheltenham, Goodwood, Punchestown etc are all short & sweet generally.

I can't remeber the name of the competition, even though I ran it a couple of times, but it was basically over a week of ordinary racing and was a random draw knockout event, was it "Who's the Daddy?" or something similar? We're talking a while back now, but perhaps it's time for another?
 
On the general theme of user numers, there is a certain danger that as quantity goes up, quality can go down.

This place has a good balance, imo.

Races are assessed (or reviewed) using a variety of approaches, and even when there are disagreements, arguments are generally discussed in a respectful manner. There's also a good barney quotient - which is good for reset, and good fun to get yourself enveigled in.

Forums go quiet from time to time, regardless of whether they have 100, 1000 or 10,000 members. There will be days when people really don't have anything new or thought-provoking to say. That doesn't mean there's a problem, imo.

This site isn't broken, and you don't particularly have anything much to fix as far as I can see.
 
Bet Idol was fun when it lasted.

Im generally in agreement with Grassy's post above. I think the forum is healthy and active. Good mix of people, good mix of punters, horse people and enthusiasts with good dialogue.

Saturdays of racing are a bit quiet possibly so maybe a tipping competition would help.
 
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Have to say, I agree with grassy and granger, sometimes forums are quiet, sometimes they arent - its just the way these things go from time to time.

I loved Bet Idol a couple of years ago - it was exactly what a long running competition should be - a lot of fun, and a lot of harmless banter mixed in with multi sport "betting". (and I will admit that it helped me enjoy it that I was in for a long time - Im no thinking punter by any stretch of the imagination!!)

IMO no fix needed, certainally not yet.

well done Col and the mods !!
 
I agree there isn't much wrong..but that doesn't mean you can't improve things

i think times change..and racing forums certainly have..whereas i would say such as this site hasn't..thats not a bad thing because others have changed ..but not for the better..endless posts with a list of horses to back on one particular forum thats been going donkeys years..that site i don't even look at anymore because there is no chat..or analysis..just lists..boring.

when you look at a site like Paceadvantage..you can see a big difference in how the Americans discuss teh game..far more in depth than most of our forums.
 
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Very little has changed on here in the 11 or so years since it started, if thats good or bad I'm not sure, but there are reasons.

The backbone of the forum has been changed, from a free forum (one of which is still online here!) with pop ups and ads, to a free forum without the ads, to this one, which is paid for, as is the hosting and domain etc.

When I first set it up, I used the ch4 racing forum just about every day and didn't want to lose touch with the people who posted there regulary. No one else seemed to be doing anything so I quickly set the forum up, after which Daylight set one up too.

When I started paying for the domain and hosting I did put some affiliate links on the site, but they barely paid for the hosting so haven't bothered with them on this board. The forum was never meant to be about making money though, it was just so people didn't lose touch.

It hasn't changed for that reason. Almost every other forum that has changed, has done so in order to make money. Look at TRF, I hate logging in there to post my 4PP selections as its so commercial now. Thats not to say its bad, its just not what I want this forum to be.

Because of that, I'm always wary about changing things too much. I think we have a nice balance here and don't remember seeing another non commercial forum that has such a wide spread of topics, most seem to be either betting or breeding or anything else, whereas we have a mix.

Strangely, the forum is like my internet baby now lol. I've had other sites but this has been here the longest, not without its ups and downs, but by and large pretty much runs itself. I get 2 bills a year and thats it :). Unless it stopped getting used I can't imagine not having it, even though I don't post very much now, and am too busy to be into racing like I used to be. I was contacted twice last year by different people asking to buy the site - one gave a figure, which was quite substantial - certainly more than I expected someone to offer (and because someone will ask, it was £6k), and the other I just didn't bother asking cos I had already turned down the first offer, even though at the time I could really have done with the money.

Sooooooo anyway after that rambling post, what I'm trying to say is, I don't mind changing things if they are for the better, but as some have mentioned, sometimes leaving well alone is the best advice :)

Competitions and tipping contests/sections etc are always a good idea and should bring more traffic to the site so keep those idea's going.
 
Six grand would've paid for an awful lot of punts, Col, so thank you very much indeed for not accepting - we'd be losing touch with so many people otherwise. This is what forums mean to me: without Ch.4, there wouldn't have been this forum and it's thanks to this, and then Final Furlong (a bit on and off!), that I got involved with breeding naglets with Songsheet, which led to other friendships with several other current forum members. We exchange daft (and sometimes sensible) emails, and in the case of some members, it's all led to so much more - real house visits and stay-overs, meals out, days at the races together. Real, lasting friendships.

So no, please don't change it so it becomes just another version of racing blogs. There are sometimes squeaks, squeals, and squabbles. Occasionally someone will figure it's no longer for them (for whatever reason) and, as in Blackadder Goes Forth, they don't come back. But, overall, there's always a steady flow of interests, thoughtfulness, humour, and goodwill. Which makes it pretty special. So thanks for turning down those offers!
 
I like this forum. Good mix. I'm more into reading the techie speed ratings stuff than the stuff from horsey people who spend raceday in the O and T enclosure, but I like that both "types" (for Relkeel that) are here. Lots of serious people. Lots of piss rippers. Paddys and Limeys. Nutjobs and normal people. It could do with a few more newcomers who will spend an obsessive amount of time posting. And if betsmate pulled his finger out and organised Bet Idol II, we'd all be happy.
 
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Would someone offering 6k be looking to put up endless bookmaker site links to scalp a few quid? Fair play for turning it down.
 
Gearoid said:
Would someone offering 6k be looking to put up endless bookmaker site links to scalp a few quid? Fair play for turning it down.
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Both those people wanting to buy it wanted it for commercial reasons. What exactly they had in mind I don't know, but presumably the one who offered £6k wanted to do more than stick some banners on the site. People think you make a fortune from banner ads, but really you don't!
 
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