Forum Topic

readership

Why does no-one apparently read this site. Look at the dates of the forum. Come on the Bush!

Michael Wale ● 4846d8 Comments

I look at this site regularly, but will only respond to comments that I wish to make a comment on!  I agree there are no where near as many postings on this site as there are on one or two others but if you look at some of these other forums their postings are often asking the same thing over and over again, ie man with a van, nail bar recommendation etc, etc., or they are making a comment re a helicopter flying overhead!So I would say do not judge the W12 forum readership by the number of comments posted.

Carol Burge ● 4840d

One factor is that you have to open each posting separately to read a thread and this is more tedious than most of us can be bothered with. On most blog sites and social media sites you can run your eyes down a thread - you cannot do so here. So until you open each posting you don't know whether the effort will be matched by the satisfaction resulting.Secondly there's quite a jump between on the one hand 'lost cat' pleas and 'who knows a good GP?' requests and on the other hand discussions on issues that concern large numbers of Shepherd's Bush residents or those who know SB with much affection. I don't know how to resolve this.

Dan Filson ● 4808d

Don't think the format of the forum has much to do with it. There are very successful local forums running on the same software in Acton, Ealing and Chiswick. Personally having been brought up on Usenet I much prefer this forum to some of the bells and whistles software that other sites I use operate with. The tree and branch style ordering of posts makes long threads easier to understand. That one post only displays at a time isn't a problem given that they come up more or less instantly when you click on them - although it is an issue using an iPhone.As an ex-resident of the Bush I think that the lack of activity here may reflect its lack of cohesiveness as an area. I was proud to be a Bush resident but I was always struck by how many people in W12 would say they lived in Starch Green, Stamford Brook, Askew Village or Brook Green rather than Shepherd's Bush.My impression is that there are fewer community organisations, amenity groups, residents watch association in W12 than elsewhere possibly because a lot of people are not long term residents and less inclined to get involved in community activities. In other areas it is these sort of people who seem to get discussion boards going.

Paul Corcoran ● 4807d

Would be nice if there was a "Next Message/Posting" button rather than  having to keep scrolling down to the end.

Carol Burge ● 4807d

I agree a lot of the modern Bush is transient but there are pockets of stability. Clifton Avenue , a short street off the Askew Road has its own street party on September 14. But with the Bush Hall and its Diner, andDamas Gate, the mosque and churches there is a community. Why can't we do what Ealing, Acton and Chiswick. Talk with each other about loval problems, good and bad news etc etc.

Michael Wale ● 4807d

Odd isn't it?Parts of the other - more thriving forum areas - are also transient and uncommitted. Maybe the difference is that they each have a core or focus - which this site area seems to lack.I'm surprised there isn't more about the Bush arts centre or the campaign to save the market.But though, I used to live and work in Shepherds Bush, (Abdale Road and TVC/Lime Grove) I don't post much either - so guilty as charged. It was rather a long time ago. Surprisingly little seems to have changed - except Westfield of course.Don't think its anything to do with the software - doesn't stop over 10,000 joining ChiswiskW4

Sara Nathan ● 4758d

There is a relatively lively thread about the market issue on this forum although the title 'Help save 30-52 Goldhawk Road from demolition' might have confused you. However, generally the campaign seem to have focused their attention on their Facebook page not bothering to use this forum - perhaps understandable given the lack of activity. The readership of this site is small compared to some of other local sites in the area but the newsletter claims over 1,000 readers and most people I know in the area seem to be aware of it, if not all regular users. The other sites are some of the most active in the country so the comparison may be unfair. Possibly the reason that this site has failed to grow as rapidly as the others is the relative strength of competing local media. The Ealing Gazette has seen an alarming decline in quality over the last few years and long since ceased to provide decent coverage of Acton so the site there prospers. The Chronicle titles covering H&F for some reason seem to be much better papers and provide the best news coverage in the area.

Andy Jones ● 4757d

Trinity Mirror signed a seven year contract with H&F Council a few years ago to be the exclusive carrier of Council advertising. This seems to give a predictability to their revenue which allows them to put together a reasonably good quality newspaper. In Ealing there is no such deal and the only thing they can predict about revenues is that they are going to decline therefore relatively few journalistic resources seem to be devoted to the Gazette.

Paul Corcoran ● 4756d