A Modest Proposal

[sffan]

UM features new stories posted about once a week on their website, youtube, and Facebook. The family of the victim produces a short video. Maybe those cases can be up for new discussion. They are the only "new" Unsolved Mysteries we have now.

[Hambone2421]

Originally Posted by sffan

UM features new stories posted about once a week on their website, youtube, and Facebook. The family of the victim produces a short video. Maybe those cases can be up for new discussion. They are the only "new" Unsolved Mysteries we have now.

Really? I had no idea they were doing this.

[88keys]

I guess I don't really see the point of this when we have a whole section of the board devoted to non-UM cases. IMO, adding a bunch of non-UM cases to the main board would result in a lot of clutter. And I hate clutter. If the board were close to dead it might be different, but we still have a lot of traffic and discussion here.

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by 88keys

I guess I don't really see the point of this when we have a whole section of the board devoted to non-UM cases. IMO, adding a bunch of non-UM cases to the main board would result in a lot of clutter. And I hate clutter. If the board were close to dead it might be different, but we still have a lot of traffic and discussion here.

I agree. Every poster likes to be able to post when they please. Creating some sort of posting "schedule" is going to be too difficult on everyone. I honestly found the proposal to be too complicated, convoluted and unnecessary.

Plus, the off-topic threads are going to confuse people. New posters and even some older ones will see a thread on the UM board and think that Unsolved Mysteries aired it when they really didn't.

Additionally, the assigning of posters to come up with a case, research it, and write a detailed description about it feels like "homework". People shouldn't feel like they're obligated to make posts on here.

[Thiussat]

Originally Posted by 88keys

I guess I don't really see the point of this when we have a whole section of the board devoted to non-UM cases. IMO, adding a bunch of non-UM cases to the main board would result in a lot of clutter. And I hate clutter. If the board were close to dead it might be different, but we still have a lot of traffic and discussion here.

Because no one posts to the "other cases" sub-forum. I've been over there before trying to get conversation going about newer cases. I might get one response and then the thread dies.

[mozartpc27]

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

Plus, the off-topic threads are going to confuse people. New posters and even some older ones will see a thread on the UM board and think that Unsolved Mysteries aired it when they really didn't.

The threads could be clearly marked in such a way to avoid confusion, and there wouldn't be all that many of them anyway.

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

Additionally, the assigning of posters to come up with a case, research it, and write a detailed description about it feels like "homework". People shouldn't feel like they're obligated to make posts on here.

Although I am suggesting we develop a schedule based on a list of eligible posters, participation would be strictly voluntary, as I've indicated. If someone's "turn" comes up and they do not wish to participate, they can simply say so (or not reply for a certain pre-determined period of time) and the turn would pass to the next person on the list. I imagine many on this board would like a shot at this, but many couldn’t be bothered. That's fine.

And remember, everything I've proposed is only an initial suggestion. It will only work if the rules are crowd sourced and agreed upon. I think the most important part of my idea is that if we can all agree on a set of rules and do this, these "new" cases we introduce would have some legitimacy as part of the UM canon, precisely because they were selected for inclusion and discussion by the best specifically UM message board and discussion group on the Internet, bar none.

[mozartpc27]

Originally Posted by Thiussat

Because no one posts to the "other cases" sub-forum. I've been over there before trying to get conversation going about newer cases. I might get one response and then the thread dies.

Yes, I've noticed this as well. Human nature, I think: personally, 99% of the time I check the board, I never think of the non-main boards at all. Just scroll down and see what threads are at the top.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

Yes, I've noticed this as well. Human nature, I think: personally, 99% of the time I check the board, I never think of the non-main boards at all. Just scroll down and see what threads are at the top.

Me too.

And if posters don't want to be involved, I don't understand why they would be adverse to this idea anyway. It's like a breath of fresh air for the board, IMO.

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by Thiussat

Because no one posts to the "other cases" sub-forum. I've been over there before trying to get conversation going about newer cases. I might get one response and then the thread dies.

That is simply not true. You just made a post in the "Websleuths sucks....any alternatives" thread, which currently has 46 replies. Looking at the other 2 threads among the 3 at the top, they have 504 and 45 replies.

[Awsi Dooger]

Originally Posted by Thiussat

Because no one posts to the "other cases" sub-forum. I've been over there before trying to get conversation going about newer cases. I might get one response and then the thread dies.

Exactly correct. Starting a new thread in that forum is a low-percentage waste of time. It's like asking to be ignored. Very interesting and valid cases, many of them more intriguing than Unsolved Mysteries offerings, receive little to no response at all. The first page currently retreats more than a full year. Most of the threads have single digit number of replies, and some none at all. The view count is very low.

As always, the exceptions mean nothing. Naturally there will be the occasional thread that prompts a decent amount of response. Nothing is 100%. But it's laughable to suggest the forum is well trafficked. It's like on sports forums when someone suggests a trend, and others jump in to deny it. They have to scramble for those one or two exceptions, like rookie quarterbacks who were great, and then sit back as if they've proven their case. Nope, you've merely certified the value of the rule as opposed to the exception, via necessity to spotlight a small sample.

Regardless, this is a site devoted to a specific show. Anyone looking for discussion on other cases has more logical options. It is indeed remarkable that the main board here has remained so heavily trafficked. I wouldn't expect it to continue, at least not along 2015 terms. There has been an uptick in number of fresh developments. That logically can't continue, not at anything close to the same pace. Beyond that, there are still a number of devoted posters here who breathe life into old and seemingly dormant cases, like Timothy McClure recently, and somehow those threads explode for page after page when they just as easily could sit unbaked.

[88keys]

Because no one posts to the "other cases" sub-forum. I've been over there before trying to get conversation going about newer cases. I might get one response and then the thread dies.

Maybe people aren't interested. If they don't post up there, what makes us think they will post in the main board?

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

Yes, I've noticed this as well. Human nature, I think: personally, 99% of the time I check the board, I never think of the non-main boards at all. Just scroll down and see what threads are at the top.

I don't think we should re-make the whole board because people are too lazy to put forth one extra click.

I agree. Every poster likes to be able to post when they please. Creating some sort of posting "schedule" is going to be too difficult on everyone. I honestly found the proposal to be too complicated, convoluted and unnecessary.

Plus, the off-topic threads are going to confuse people. New posters and even some older ones will see a thread on the UM board and think that Unsolved Mysteries aired it when they really didn't.

All of this.

I don't have a problem with discussing new cases. I just don't think it should be on the main boar, when that board is dedicated to Unsolved Mysteries, the show. We have a section for other cases- let's make use of it and not make the main board a confusing mess.

[mozartpc27]

This idea of mine sure died on the vine but I still think it’s workable if our inestimable new moderator were to be willing to endorse it. Could be fun!

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

This idea of mine sure died on the vine but I still think it’s workable if our inestimable new moderator were to be willing to endorse it. Could be fun!

I think still this was a good idea. Similar to what the subreddit Unresolved Mysteries does.