The new Forum has now been running for approximately 2 months and I feel this is a sufficient time period to consider whether the new format has been successful or not.
In my opinion the new Forum has been a total failure.
Previously we had a vibrant Forum with many varied contributions. The layout was clear and easy to read and the coloured headings made it simple to see the most recent postings.
The new Forum on many occasions is difficult to access, is too busy and not user friendly. It is difficult to read, with text often falling outside the margins and it is not easy to see new postings without having to scroll through previous entries.
The new Forum is dominated by 3 “advanced members” i.e Fedup, Jake and R Stephenson-Smythe. These gentlemen seem to take pleasure in hijacking a significant number of topics to engage in their own obscure personal ramblings.
It would also appear that at least one of the gentlemen is also posting under another pseudonym. However, this may not be the case and perhaps Fedup, Jake and R Stephenson - Smythe could confirm or deny whether they have been posting under another name.
The main failure of the new Forum is the lack of people willing to contribute to the topics. The data supplied suggests there are many people viewing the site but the majority are reluctant to contribute. There may be many reasons for this reluctance but I feel the main reason is that people are unwilling to divulge their E-mail address. In my experience an E-mail address in the wrong hands is a very dangerous position to be in.
The old Forum had it's downside and, of course, it should not be possible for contributors to place defamatory or slanderous comments on a Town Council website. However the action taken in withdrawing the old site, in my opinion, was too much and follows an increasing pattern in this country, where the minority spoil the pleasure of the majority.
My suggestion would be to bring back the old Forum in it's previous format but with regular monitoring to ensure any unsavory postings were removed immediately. Perhaps a censorship committee could be set up comprising the Town Clerk, Town Councilors and the Administration team to ensure the regular monitoring of the site. From the postings I do not feel this would be too onerous task for the people involved.
On a positive note the new Forum has introduced us to Gnatalee and Frankie. These two contributors have provided us with some excellent and enjoyable topics. It is a pity that people are unwilling to reply to their postings.
These views are, of course, my own and I would welcome the comments of others if you are able, or willing to comment, as I feel that unless action is taken we may well rename the site “The Whaley Boredom.”