Australian Ham Radio Discussion Forum ( AHRDF )

The forum has been running for just over 6 months now and it is time to review its operation and its future.

The numbers of new participants/members has dropped dramatically in the last two months and is currently stagnant in the 180s.
The new posts have followed a similar trend and, while the total visitors do not appear to have dropped, members are not making any effort to ask their questions or stating details on their happenings. A forum is only as interesting as the posts that its users make.

It begs the question whether it is providing a useful function to the amateur fraternity here in Australia.

This poll will hopefully give insight into what you think should happen.

1. Unchanged : Let it continue as was envisaged from the beginning - as a replacement for the archived VKLogger forum.

2. Restructured : It needs to be restructured to be better in some form. { If this is your choice then please post your suggestions against this topic }

3. Not required : This type of forum has expired in terms of usefulness and you consider that Facebook (or other) provides a better or more attractive environment. { If this is your choice then please post your weblinks or suggestions against this topic }

Please note that the presentation package for the forum has been under review for some months and may change from the current PHPBB3 to a suitable alternative. That would mean that it no longer looks just like the old VKLogger forum but would provide similar end functionality. The current content would be transferred across to the new package. Those possible changes reflect only on selection 1 - Unchanged.

There is no plan to immediately terminate the forum regardless of your selection. The original view was that it would continue for some years into the future and that view has not changed.

Please cast your vote and also any feedback and suggestions.

Doug VK4ADC
ADMIN

Doug,

The current structure that you have is well considered and laid out.

The big advantage of a Forum like this is that the overarching topic is Amateur Radio in all its forms, but with the ability to scan through the various topics as to what interests you.

Facebook style arrangements are by their very nature chaotic and topics tend to run wildly in the present.

Have you ever tried to search for an issue or post on Facebook more than a few days old? It is tricky to say the least.

Keep up the good work and maybe all members should think about publicising the forum to a larger amateur audience.

Cheers

Peter VK3QI

Doug

I support what Peter said.

Not being on social media (and I use the term social loosely) as a matter of principle, this forum provides an ideal resource for information and to ask questions in an ordered fashion. The only other forum I visit is eHam, which is setup on similar lines to this forum, but is American based.

Cheers

Ron
VK4BVI

Hi Doug,

I agree with the others. A Forum is the best way to store this information for long-term use. FB is rubbish for that.

Regarding activity and number of users, perhaps advertising is the answer. How about submitting a short piece to David VK5KK for inclusion in the VHF/UHF Column of AR? Plugs on the VK-VHF and VK-Microwave reflectors would also help. Not sure how you feel about overseas participation, but there are the Microwave, UKMicrowaves and Moon-Net reflectors also.

Regards,
Dave
VK3HZ

VK3HZ Wrote:Hi Doug,

I agree with the others. A Forum is the best way to store this information for long-term use. FB is rubbish for that.

Regarding activity and number of users, perhaps advertising is the answer. How about submitting a short piece to David VK5KK for inclusion in the VHF/UHF Column of AR? Plugs on the VK-VHF and VK-Microwave reflectors would also help. Not sure how you feel about overseas participation, but there are the Microwave, UKMicrowaves and Moon-Net reflectors also.

Regards,
Dave
VK3HZ

Maybe "advertising" in AR is a partial answer but I would have thought that it (advertising some details) could easily be overlooked. I suspect that word-of-mouth (/ email ?) would be better so if people actively using the forum told another 5 to 10 amateurs about the forum's presence and they then participated, it would be more active and more interesting to all.

I am hesitant to just join a reflector like the VK-VHF to plug the forum. It states "General information about personal web pages is not usually appropriate, unless the web page/s may reasonably be considered a valuable information resource for list members, such as some moonbounce, propagation or equipment construction websites." While those topics are certainly catered for, and it really isn't a personal web site, it would be better emanating from an existing reflector member. Any volunteers ??

I note that (at present) there is one vote for "Restructured : It needs to be restructured to be better in some form. { If this is your choice then please post your suggestions against this topic }" yet the person who voted that way did not bother to explain how it could be done in a subsequent post. I am interested to find out what you anticipate would be better so please expand your thoughts and post them. PM me if you do not want to post publicly.

Please keep the votes and comments coming. It helps define the future of the forum.

73 Doug

I voted to keep it going how its going.

But the name choice was not the best in my opinion. OzLogger forum?

Better choice may be- Australian Ham Radio Discussion Forums?

VK2KRR Wrote:I voted to keep it going how its going.

But the name choice was not the best in my opinion. OzLogger forum?

Better choice may be- Australian Ham Radio Discussion Forums?

Leigh

I did quite a bit of searching of possible domain names before I opted to buy ozlogger.net, and ended up with it if for no other reason than it was similar to the newly-archived VKLogger forum - the forum it was destined to 'replace'. (Note: this was early in September 2016) I could buy another domain name now but being 6 months down the track, is that going to work well ? Do I need to have even more domains all parked across ozlogger.net and accessing the same forum details ?

I can also change the title at the top of the page to be "Australian Ham Radio Discussion Forum" in lieu of "Ozlogger" but given the description/explanation at the top of each page: "Discussion forum mainly for Australian & New Zealand (VK/ZL) amateur radio operators / HAMS (i.e. Amateur Radio Forum Australia) with operating and technical information to help today's amateurs...", does it really need to be altered ? Hey, I am willing to change it today if you really think it will help...

Doug

PS I just did a search and can register AustralianHamRadioDiscussionForum as a .com or .net, or .org but doing the same with a .au extension drops it back to AustralianHamRadioDiscussionForum.asn.au as you require a relevant ABN for a .com.au or .net.au etc....

See if anyone else has some input on name change.

The domain name change probably isn't that critical.

Hi Doug,
I only discovered OzLogger in January, and I have found it to be an interesting and helpful resource.
I like it the way it is, and I think the name is apt.
I have been including links to OzLogger posts in emails to other amateurs. None has joined yet, but I think it may only be a matter of time...
Keep up the good work!
Best wishes,
Lew.

Doug,
I wonder if it would be possible to get a link to the forum on the vklogger site, noticed one for a facebook page on the 2m & above page.

I enjoy looking at the discussions, learn lots, don't usually have much to add, am not on facebook either.

Sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go.

Thanks for setting up the forum.

73 from Michael
VK6TU

vk6tu Wrote:I wonder if it would be possible to get a link to the forum on the vklogger site, noticed one for a facebook page on the 2m & above page.

Michael

Shortly after OzLogger was set up, the following text was placed on VKLogger forum : "Note: VK Logger is NOT associated in any way with the VK4ADC copycat Oz Logger forum."

My relationship with the Adam, owner/operator of VKLogger, has not been too great the last few years and I doubt that such a link would be forthcoming. He had the option of providing that link of his own volition but obviously chose not to do so. This page at my personal web site ( http://www.vk4adc.com/web/index.php/gene...forum-gone ) dated 2nd September 2016 probably inflamed him further but I have no intention of retracting any of what was placed there.

VK2KRR Wrote:See if anyone else has some input on name change.

The domain name change probably isn't that critical.

Leigh

I will re-title the site at least for a trial and see if anyone notices/comments, better or worse.


Doug

The title looks good to me Doug.

Hi Doug,

For me the last word of the new title text wraps to the next line, which starts below the image.

(Actually if I narrow the browser several words wrap there)

Using Chrome.

Cheers

Colin

VK2CSW Wrote:Hi Doug,

For me the last word of the new title text wraps to the next line, which starts below the image.

(Actually if I narrow the browser several words wrap there)

Using Chrome.

Cheers

Colin

Colin, I use Chrome too and on my netbook with its 1024 x 600 screen it looks like....
[attachment=69]

It doesn't worry me unduly provided the details are there somewhere.....

I actually had a different image so it was more confusing.

Browser was loading a cached image - refreshed the cache, and it looks the same as the image in the message above now.

Cheers

Colin

You will always get people telling you that forums are dead, Stalkbook (facebook) is the only way to go.

Like pretty much everyone who comes here believe the forum is the best way to help foster amateur radio discussion, rather than facebook.

It's already been noted that a forum is so much easier to find certain topics than stalkbook could ever do.


Still with the forums, and those already here should always remind others on facebook that this forum exists.

There's way too many AR groups on facebook and just noticed recently some band specific ones just started up for 15m and 20m, further splintering AR on facebook.

I agree with VK4BLP on this point.

Quote:It's already been noted that a forum is so much easier to find certain topics than stalkbook could ever do.

Never been on Facebook, too much rubbish and too many egos for this 'ole fella'

Forums such as OzLogger are a great way to share information and ideas, without it getting lost in endless posts of dribble.

Social media such as 'Twitface' or whatever they use, has a place, just not my place.

My 2c worth.

Ron
VK4BVI

Where's the 'Like' button for Ron's post ??? 

VK4BLP

Posted by ADMIN

Hello forum people, for technical information face book sucks the big one, once a post has been made it will disappear into the ether in matter of hours, never to be seen again.  a forum, even if it is slow moving is a repository for wisdom (and other things too).

I made posts on VKLOGGER that I still refer to 10 years later as a reference so please do not get disheartened by the nah sayers.

Regards,
Peter, vk5pj

Hi Guys,
            I like the new presentation, very professional.
It's early days yet to be worrying about success or failure, activity and interest in the hobby has fallen off somewhat, so I think present activity here is not too bad.  As word gets around, more people will use this forum, as long as quality remains high.
    Whats in a name?  If the forum is to grow by word of mouth, we need a name we can remember, short and to the point. If it's too much of a mouthful, it might be called something like "that other forum" or similar. We Aussies like to be lazy with our words!
    There's a lot of good AR related content on facebook, but it's hard to find and often difficult to follow up, give people an alternative that works and they will use it.
cheers for now....John