lurkers and the terminally shy!

[matt]

we've well over 400 members and only 15 at best of those ever comment online. i know that some don't like forums and some are natural lurkers who read and never post. but for the rest i thought you might like to just say hello. once you've started you might like to carry on.

the site is for a very specific reason but that doesn't mean that we can't gossip/chat/ ramble on about nothing in general. i treat the site like the local pub or cafe where i meet up with friends to chat. so the conversation wanders off topic of dairyfree quite often but so what. your user name can be real or made up. none of us know you or ever will as we've only got your home town. it's not like we're going to be knocking on the door if you say something we don't agree with or find strange.

the more people who use the site regularly to more info available to us all. we've already found out that sainsbury's stock different freefrom products at different stores. you might know something that no one else does.

hence this new thread. use it to say hello, introduce yourself with as much or little info as you want. break the ice and dip your toe into the water you might like it!

[Pam]

Well Matt, I'm here, as usual, adding my own ramblings to yours. You're nearly catching up with my number of postings - you probably have more per day than I do as you haven't been here as long as me. I'll echo what you've said though, lets have more active members - even if it is only to say hello once in a while.

[Steve]

If anyone has any ideas for getting people to get more involved then i would happily add them to the site.

[linny]

Hi, I spent a couple of hours playing on the arcade games last night. OK so I was bored but I found them really good and a great laugh!!! Anyone want to try to beat my what a shot basketball record!!??:D
Linny

[Copper]

I am here as usual :) I am useless at games must be my coordination, well that is my excuse anyway. I am also useless at navigating my way anywhere by car, maybe I need to take up Matt's hobby :D .


With so many members we should be able to compile a list of "safe" places to eat etc for a good part of the country. Shopping is always a problem too.

[Steve]

With so many members we should be able to compile a list of "safe" places to eat etc for a good part of the country. Shopping is always a problem too.

That's not a bad idea. If there's enough people interested in this i can see what i can do for that.

[matt]

food idea a good one.

how about that monthly newsletter email to all members?
i think you could reasonable put in it that anyone not logged on to the site within a certain time scale will be deleted. say give them a couple of weeks.
atleast that way you'd spring clean the member list. then we'd have more of an idea who wants to remain and who doesn't. got to be a few that registered then never came back or want to. they can always re register if deleted.

the food thing...can you do an online map? then red dots on map can be shops, blue pubs resturants, hotels and so on. then it'll be a matter of looking on map for somewhere near to where you want to go? just an idea but probably very complicated. i've no idea. there is a similar thing on geocaching site that lets you see all the caches so you can plan outings.

[Steve]

Doing a map would be difficult, but i could probably create links to a site like multimap.com or something.

I can easily do a monthly newsletter, i just need to get some information to put in one. That's the harder part.

[matt]

the first monthly newsletter: top topics a couple of dairy free receipes and the warning that if not logged on inside next fortnight they'll be deleted.

ask for contributions and ideas for future editions and editorials by members. who we are, interesting stories, experiences and so on. doesn't have to be dairy free stuff, whatever gets people to log on. then with the more active base of contributers we'll gain with more inputs.