Should it stay or should it go?

[Michael Neill]

Hey, all -

When the forums began many years ago (OK, so just a few years ago!  ) I envisioned it as a positive place where geniuses (that means you) and emerging voices in all walks of life could come for community, coaching, and a few smiles and giggles along the way.

I think we provided that for several years, and as my attention has been drawn to other projects and things like Facebook and Twitter have taken over the airwaves, participation in the forum has been reduced to the point where I'm questioning the value of keeping it running.

Not because it costs me money or anything like that - it just means one more place to check in with (or feel guilty about not checking in with) in an already full internet community calendar.

So...

Would you like the forums kept up?
Would you like to be part of revitalising them and bringing them back to life?
Do you have ideas for where we could go from here?

I am now on http://twitter.com/michael_neill and we'll keep expanding the blog, but I'd love to hear back from you as well!

With love and thanks,
michael

[new girl]

I would hate to see the forum go, there a lot of people like me i'm sure who often look but don't post, it often provides food for thought and it is interesting to see what others are thinking.  I haven't used twitter but it looks to me like it's not possible to get the level of support the forum offers.

[Michelle Young]

Hey everyone

Today is my first day back on the forum  in quite some time, life kinda took over..

My personal point of view is... Twitter:- is very limiting, its the new craze, and i wonder what its life span would be.. Its not a decent resource for interaction...

Facebook:- similar to myspace, fubar, yadda yadda, most people need a account, need to add friends yadda yadda..

I feel that the forum should stay, i believe that its a good resource for helping people and for people seeking information. I personally have learned a lot form here that i believe Twitter or Facebook could not offer. It would be a shame to see the forum end.

Warm regards
Michelle

[BeaRoma]

hi all
just joined today, have never participated in any form of forum. Am not on facebook - I'm a privacy freak and for the moment I'm just curious. I did sign up for the impossible month with a pretty good feeling that it'll move things...will definitely share more as we go along
(please don't close the forum down this month!) 

[peterblythspain]

hey Michael...................... i love the forums .facebook is very intrusive and full of crap ....in my view dont know about twitter
here is a great place to be and its kept me alive and kicking ..so if you can keep it going even if your busy as i know you are ,,,you dont have to be here all the time

maybe its the economy thats effecting it so ..........it will get back busy i am sure

love light and blessings

ps great radio show today   at www.hayhouse.com
i now listen on my internet radio each day away from my pc .in siesta time
xx peter

[Michelle Young]

Hold those horses one min

Ok being logged on now with 387 people on line !!!!

I think that says a lot.. Maybe people dont post often, but there is certainly a lot of people reading the board 

I vote keep it lol even if you have to hand the reigns to someone else ... though i would hope thats not the case ;-) Facebook and twitter are so yesterday 

[Tomwalked]

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I was a little ambivalent when you first posted the question Michael...
on the one hand....

This is SUCH a cool resource and concept....
BUT, there was dwindling traffic over time....
the passion seemed gone for a long time....
no posts for weeks at a time except for our Beloved Terri...

NOW.... it seems that the passion is back...
the enthusiasm and vigor has returned to the board.

This really is a tremendous resource... if for just its archived information.... but when it is vibrant and active... it is EVEN better.


I strongly urge you to keep it...

and even when you can't make it that often here... know that we all are checking it, looking and reading and considering....

and to reiterate what I think Peter said.... I'm not much of a "twit", I don't "tweek" or check my "face" much... the format is just... i dont know too... something... for me to do with comfort or ease...

This is known and works and with much less distracting buzzers and whistles and shiny silver pieces cling clanging around.


I like it here.







there is my two cents.

Tom






 


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[HereIAm]

I agree with the general consensus thus far - For Keeps, Michael - I'd like it For Keeps! Even willing and volunteering to take on certain responsibilities, should this make it so...

After all - I'm an Explorer now! Yippee-I-YAY!!

Anna

[Wendy Batten]

My vote is also to keep the forum.   The forum is different than facebook and twitter. 
I know that I will not read most of the messages and it is still a powerful resource. 

AND I also really get how full the internet is...

Michael, my real vote is that you do what is good for you.

love,
Wendy

[suedempsey]

I like the forums!  I still want to learn how to add my photograph.  I do not Twitter and would probably find it limiting. 
I am off to post a request for help from the impossiblers!!!!
Thanks
Sue

[Terri Carey]

For those of you who like the forum:

Would you mind putting a note here in writing to serve as a testimonial.  At times when the forum is slow I could use these testimonials to remind the rest of the list of how beneficial it can be.  The more specific you can be on what it has done for you the better and thank you so much for taking the time.   Thanks to those who have already responded!!

Terri

P.S. I agree with Tom that this is the best the forum has been in a while and would appreciate any ideas on what we can do to keep it an active community.  What would it take to make you interested in checking in and posting at least weekly?

[Lee]

The forum sounds interesting and I'm just learning how to access it so please keep it. 
I know about facebook and have never gone on the site (sight?) for the same reason as the
person who likes privacy.  Twitter?  Don't know anything about it but will try to get informed
sometime when I have an interest.  Since listening to day 12 the best kept secret I realize my ghostlike characteristics are not taking me where I want to go so I hope to access the forum so that I can get feedback.  Thank-you for asking, Take care, Lee.

[JamesTheFox]

Things seem to be picking up pace even although I am new here and can't comment much on past history.  I say we keep it for longer before we make a decision.

[Michelle Young]

Hey Terri

I have been part of the forum for some years now, and the old forum previous to this one being launched some time back.
I love that anyone can join and ask us all questions, after all there is such a wealth of experience and knowledge that we hold between us all, that someone will generally answer a honest question.
I feel that for people new to coaching & nlp, this forum is a great place to gain information from those whom have at one stage been newbies and have been in that position of having a 1000 questions and looking for answers and or advice.

Why am i here? I guess i come on to see if someone is reaching out for help.. I believe that if i have the knowledge to help / advice / encourage anyone, then its wasted if i keep it to myself. Whats the point in learning all of these skills if at the end of the day you cant use them.

Changes to the site.... I think its very 'off putting' to newbies and visitors, if the first three links they click when entering the forum are 'locked' ... how many give up at that stage before moving further down the page? Its like there is a elite club at the 'top' with the invisable hand keeping the rest of us down the page.

Its tiring to see a lot of people advertising courses, their downloads, trying to sell their stuff... Maybe that could have a section to itself where if we are not interested, its not force fed us. When i took time away from the forum, that was one of the things that bugged me. Sell sell sell...

This forum is a strong forum, and welcoming. There is such a wealth of information and a lot of access to many experienced people. Realistically its free advice, and you cant get that in many places, especially from such experienced people.




a quote from a friend this week... 'yunno Shells, I joined twitter, and its full of your type of people. life coaching, nlp yadda yadda.. everyone wants to sell me something to improve my life'

The constant sell image is beginning to give us a bad image.


<-- Places her orange box away

Warmest regards

Michelle

[Tomwalked]

.


Michelle... I agree with much of what you said...

and I agree the "sell, sell, sell" thing can be irksome....
and I think there is a place for that in the forums and it would be great if others would respect that, and keep their marketing to that one area...
(my personal "thorn-n-the-side" is the ones that post in several different places... ACK! like I'm not smart enough to see it in one place... you have to put it in several??)

but, not everyone has the same sense of "marketing decorum" as you and I.


On the other hand....
(and perhaps a slight change in perspective)

Fellow denizens of the forum are ostensibly "aligned" to our same interests...
And we appreciate their support on the forum... and they are seeking support.
Most of the products mentioned are NLP based, but there are books, services, workshops and websites mentioned as well.

All with a particular interest to those that read this forum.
so... if we really look at it... there is No Better place to market your stuff!


And just to say...
I've been members of forums of various subjects and interests all over this "world wide web" thing...
and it is pretty standard behavior...
AND, it used to bother me... and I was even super timid/embarrassed to post anything I was involved with... but then...
I realized... many people were there to hear about what others were doing in those fields...
It is genuinely interesting to many people there!!!




.

[HereIAm]

Michelle and Tomwalked,

Totally concur with the increasingly present barrage of selling. To be honest, the more it's promoted with paragraphs and pages of proof of effectiveness, the less valuable I feel it is. OK, perhaps that's a note to prospective sellers - worth doesn't need the invasive or hard sell.

Yada yada -
Anna

[Ann]

Hi Michael,

In regards to your questions:

- Would you like the forums kept up?

I just joined the Forums as part of July's Creating the Impossible. As such, I'm finding the forum very useful, but I am new to this, so I could see how interest might wane if there's not some guiding principle that continues to generate thoughtful discussion around a new topic -- at least on a weekly basis.

- Would you like to be part of revitalising them and bringing them back to life?

Yes, if there was a way I could help for a limited time, I would. I'm not a coach. I am a writer, but I am active in hosting posts in the "Writers Creating the Impossible..." discussion. There does seem to be a lot of coaches on the forum that might want to volunteer to guide weekly discussions for a month on topics related to your radio show, your weekly newsletter, or sections of your Solutions Cafe sections. If you wanted to put a bold request out there, I'm sure there would be people who would respond. (For example, Rich Litvin is very inspiring.)

- Do you have ideas for where we could go from here?

I think that with your whole "Supercoach" book, the idea of other coaches being online and helping to generate discussion is a good one.

Cross promotion with some of the other supercoaches you regularly have on your radio show -- like Steve Chandler or Jennifer Louden. They could host posts on your forum, you could post on theirs...

Another idea is to have a theme that is covered each month.

- Ann

[IanH]

Personally I think it should stay. Looking at the fact that there is 37 people online right now, I think that is good activity.

I use to run a forum years ago which was fairly popular back in its day. There wasn't a huge amount of members, but there was a big group of us posting alot. It was very active and very fun. I made alot of friends online through that, some of whom i'm still contact with today.

I think it generated alot of buzz, because we all had fun and ended up sharing all our discoveries, holding competitions and many other events.

Twitter and facebook are ok. But i'm not a massive fan.

[ClareW]

Hi Michael

I'd love the forums to stay and to generate more activity on them.  In Creating the Impossible the forum helped to create a great community which really boosted the effect of the whole program with the generosity and giving of those taking part.

Can this be done on Facebook or Twitter?  Not in my opinion.  The forum is a safe place that is used by like minded people.  A space where we can be honest and truthful with ourselves as well as others.  Twitter is definately too open for that and Facebook too - well social really.

One of the best ways of keeping the forum live is to have specific programs that are supported through the forum.  This doesn't seem to be working with SMF but maybe it came too hot on the heels of Creating the Impossible.  The difference that I've noted is that with 'Imposisble' there were key people: Terri, Rich, Elise, Evelyne and many others as well as yourself keeping the momentum going.  Terri has been keeping SMF going on her own (at least as far as I've got) and it has suffered from us starting at different times - the momentum is just not there.

I would definitely like to contribute to keeping the forums alive in any way I can. 

To those who read and don't post - please think about posting - we aren't looking for earth shattering insights we need communitiy and feedback.

Please, please keep the forums live and active

[MaryRC]

I'm sure glad I have found this forum!  I'm happy it's still going.

[MeMaggie]

Dear Michael,

I have been part of the GC for more than a month.

The real transformation for me happened when I found your book 'You can have what you want'! It was then when I really began to ask myself what I wanted, what makes me truly happy. It was difficult because as an Adult Child of Alcoholic it never occured to me that I could think of being happy. For ACAs to think of what makes them happy is a truly surreal concept, so the most difficult step is to 'dare' to ask ourselves this question at first place!

Your book encouraged me to ask those questions, to rediscover what makes me happy, how do I want to live, and what do I want to do. Then I discovered this website. I cannot afford life coaching. This website is my 'coaching'. I wish sometime soon I would be able to work with a life coach, because now that I know what I want it would be great to have someone to guide me toward accomplishing it. But for now this website and forums are a priceless source of information and guideness for me. This place is unique. This is a place for people who want to support each other, who want to make their lives happy and who speak 'the same' language. Facebook, in my view, will damage that uniqueness. Perhaps, FC is a good way to let others know about GC but that's it!

Maybe the fact that people are not participating too much (from what I heard) is just an indicator that the website has its 'avarage day' This does not mean that it looses anything of its value!

So please let it be!

Love,
Magdalena (known as MeMaggie)

[Michael Neill]

Thanks for that, Maggie - it stays for now! 

love,
michael

[Evelyne Brink]

Dear Michael
I am glad about your decision- I agree with all the positive feedback on the forum.
It's a strong, valuable place for people to share and explore, grow and nurture each other.
Idea- maybe a team of your elves could be looking after people even outside of the programmes.
This way energy would be fed into this regularly and you have even more value to add-
I am happy to get involved.

Evelyne

[DianeV]

Dear Michael,

I'm with the "please keep it" brigade.  It has a community and special feel to it that I love.  Thank you for it and for all the great stuff you do for us.

DianeV