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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

New to the forum

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05 Dec 2009 06:35 #1 by Frontosa (Tim kruger)
Hi,
I see more and more newbies coming onto the forum. No introduction, only a for sale thread as their first post.I am on a good few forums and either you have to introduce yourself first before you can write posts or you need a minimum numbers on posts, to post up on the for sale section.I think that would be the right way.
Regards,Tim

Midlands - in the heart of Ireland.

Keeping and breeding : Frontosa Blue Zaires , Synodontis Petricola , Tropheus Red Rainbow (Kasanga) , Tropheus Moliro . Regulary fry for sale.
Community tank with P.Kribensis and different livebearers.

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05 Dec 2009 08:52 #2 by mossy (gavin blanchfield)
agree with you tim
but some people are a bit shy
dont let it come between your nights sleep

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05 Dec 2009 09:18 #3 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
No I think Tim has a valid point. There are alot of posters who come on to sell something,they sell on numerous websites and once its sold they dont even update the forum post and you have a string of queries about a sale of something and the original poster often wont even come back with an answer if its been sold elsewhere. I agree in a way Tim with what your saying. Its about trying to get the new members to interactive on this forum also. It would be great to get more members to introduce themselves to the forum before posting.
Hi Im Gavin!!!!

Gavin

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05 Dec 2009 14:30 #4 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Re:New to the forum

I am on a good few forums and either you have to introduce yourself first before you can write posts or you need a minimum numbers on posts, to post up on the for sale section.I think that would be the right way.


This Forum is running quite smoothly as it is - I realise this section is "Website Suggestions" so you have every right to make your suggestion but why try to turn it into a clone of every other forum?

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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05 Dec 2009 20:07 - 05 Dec 2009 20:08 #5 by Tom (Tom Brecknell)
JohnH wrote:

I am on a good few forums and either you have to introduce yourself first before you can write posts or you need a minimum numbers on posts, to post up on the for sale section.I think that would be the right way.


This Forum is running quite smoothly as it is - I realise this section is "Website Suggestions" so you have every right to make your suggestion but why try to turn it into a clone of every other forum?

John


I also agree with Tim, I also go to a few other sites and the ‘For Sale’ stuff is normally all kept together and not covering the entire front page of posts.

Its part of the reason I and probably a few others don’t use this site very often now, unless you are looking to buy something that is.

Tom.
Last edit: 05 Dec 2009 20:08 by Tom (Tom Brecknell).

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05 Dec 2009 20:58 - 05 Dec 2009 21:04 #6 by 2poc (2poc)
Replied by 2poc (2poc) on topic Re:New to the forum
I agree 100%. Its not on for people just to use the boards for free advertising.

Certain forums require that you have a certain post count before you can post in certain areas etc. Not necessarily a huge number be enough to discourage people from using the forums just to sell stuff.

Re: The forum being a 'clone of every other forum'.
In fairness John the forum is several years behind every other forum...
It is the people on here that make it different. The thing is that the very people that make it a nice place to be are the people that are getting tired of reading for sale posts or 'whats your location' posts. Darragh Owens being a prime example of an excellent contributor that is disenchanted (from what I have read)....

Its a bit of a free for all at the moment, a few rules & a bit more input from the members will do wonders.

So getting back to the point - I think it is a great idea Tim.
Last edit: 05 Dec 2009 21:04 by 2poc (2poc).

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05 Dec 2009 21:22 #7 by Acara (Dave Walters)
I don't see the problem at all with someone only coming on to sell something,they're quite possibly doing one of us a favour,by offering something someone wants,at a reasonable price.
Some of the folk doing this may well be selling up and leaving the hobby for whatever reason,so naturally you won't see them again.
And to bring in more rules and regulations will only help in bringing the forum down.Thats not whats needed.
Dont get me started on those "pm sent" and "where are you located" posts :evil:

always on the lookout for interesting corys.pm me if you know off any!

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05 Dec 2009 21:45 #8 by convict84 (sean farrell)
hi,i agree with the op,tbh i find this forum limited with within reason,i know people know alot more than they are willing to say,i think the for sale section is great for the forum,i would like it to be left alone for several reasons,imo the irishfish keeping is in decline,due to a lack of quailty of fish,the impression i get in most lfs is they will sell you anything to get a quick buck,there is good lfs here with great intent but if you want a different fish thats not that popular,best of luck to ya,im on other forums across the world and to be honest they would laugh at the quailty of fish we can get.im not out to offend anyone but thats how i feel.

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05 Dec 2009 22:15 #9 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
2poc wrote:

Re: The forum being a 'clone of every other forum'.
In fairness John the forum is several years behind every other forum...


i disagree the forum is at the forefront of the hobby in Ireland thus why one should not compare them it is more correct to conpare the hobby level in a country not forums and when one considers that the pfk forum is down because its been hacked and this is one of a long list of fish forums i know have this problem.

But i agree with some of both sides of this tread. i don't want to be reading list of for sale post in the most recent list if i am looking for stuff i go to the for sale directly so may be just keeping them out of the most recent list would be good.

sellers giving their general location would be good to because there is nothing worse than seeing something only to discover it cost more to get there then you save. Plus the seller may also lose out.

plus one has to ask the question why post here and not some thing like gumtree or donedeal if you never use the site while you were in the hobby!

plus some of the prices are more like someone from the trade rather than someone selling second hand.

mickey

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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05 Dec 2009 22:42 #10 by sincgar (Feargal Costello)
Fair comment on the original post even though I have been a buyer and seller on here. Maybe we could leave the trading bit out of the most recent posts and this would mean we would see the real meat of this forum where ordinary decent fish keepers are helping each other out. I'm a recent comer to the forum and a saltie convert (still have my Endlers mickey) and without the assistance and in some cases the sheer kindness of people on here in terms of time and in some cases fish, bits etc then I would still be at the rock and sand and maybe not even there.

so here's to fish keeping and the great and the good on this forum who cherish and encourage this rewarding hobby

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06 Dec 2009 20:01 #11 by Tom (Tom Brecknell)
Just a thought and I know it’s not me that has to do the work?

1. Move the Categories Section on the Forum page to become the new Home Page.

2. Move Recent Discussions to become a Main Heading on the Categories Section.

That way people that are interested in say, Catfish, Cichlids etc. could go straight to the section that interests them and then check out the recent discussions?

I hope this is explained clearly.

Tom.B)

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22 Dec 2009 17:21 #12 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Im kinda on both sides of the fence here. I have found this forum to be a great resource and have met and got to know some very well versed fishkeepers through it. Also, I myself have bought and sold items using this forum and saved a bundle. I do however see the downside to the site being used as a buy and sell...

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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