IS THIS WHY THERE ARE SO FEW NEW DAILY POSTS?

[Alaan]

This is my first post on this forum,but the above question (which can be expanded to add "and is this also why so few new, as well as as a larger cross-section of existing members do not post") is certainly applicable to the other gay forums, Gaythailand, Baht-stop and Gay Tingtong as well as this one. The membership of this board is over 1700, and even taking out multiple handles etc etc, that still leaves a huge number of members to pass-on or share a potential wealth of info. So why do lurkers (like myself) not post on a regular or even irregular basis?

IN MY OPINION it is because many potential posters simply cannot be bothered having their well intentioned
posts to advise or request information answered by petty, often insulting, and totally unnecessarily nasty replies, and therefore cannot be bothered with the hassle of having to defend posts, as well as have their good threads
hijacked by the same miserable,ungracious and in many cases,ignorant few. And so just puts someone off from
posting in the first place.
It is a pity my first post has a negative slant, but it is also a positive attempt to try and persuade others as well as myself, to start posting regularly and just hope the 'miserable few' leave the threads alone if they have nothing of value to add to them and not grace us with their caustic remarks....sorry.....I mean...."witty responses". Many of the members have surely been on a trip to Thailand over the last 2-3 months but very few trip reports have resulted. With some new and lapsed members posting, I would very much look forward the possibility of hearing some trip reports INCLUDING the current off fees/LT ST tips/new bars /changes in bars/ trips to boys homes/
hotel reports and the goings-on in Pattayaland/Sunee/Daynight etc. Yes! all the subjects that seem to get up the noses of the 'miserable few' but are of interest to others. I also urge those who have recently tried to stimulate the forum with posts advising of new bars etc. such as Catawampuscat,Dboy,Whitedesire,Oogleman and others to continue with the interesting reports and it would be nice to hear more from other longtimers such as Dodger, lmtu, ttom,Geezer,Wowpow and others who always provide interesting and entertaining posts before the 'miserable few' suffocate the forums entirely.

And before any accusations appear, I am not a handle of an existing member, I am a genuine new member (I have been reading the forums but posting only very rarely over the last 8 years since first coming to Thailand), who of course, may be totally wrong in my assumptions, but hope that I get some replies to gage the feeling anyway. Sorry its a long post, and yes I would like to politely advise that I know about the ignore feature as well as understanding that capitals mean shouting.

[Doug]

Well said and I agree with much of what you wrote but I'm afraid you're pissing into the wind and nothing will change. One of the sites you mentioned seems better than the rest. Not this one unfortunately.

[catawampuscat]

New posters are treated suspiciously and often their opinions and thoughts are belittled by those with hundreds or thousands
of postings.. The passivity of the hundreds or maybe thousands of viewers who don't post, make this forum a smaller place
and allow those who seek forum domination too much power and control. I have championed this idea before and always get
whacked for those postings, by the cynics and it probably is just pissing in the wind but maybe the message will get thru to a few..

Don't let the board bullies wreck your day, they are just big bags of wind and most are sitting in their hovels, miserable at
how age and poor financial planning have ruined their chances for getting laid and just sit back and bitch, groan and moan.

Most of the more active posters have their fans and their detractors and it is all part of the game. Just watch your back and have
some fun and remember the friends you make in Thailand might just be one of the notorious guys in the first posting on this thread.

[lonelywombat]

friend currently in Pattaya sent me an email last night [early this morning]before he went to bed

he had previously emailed how disappointed he was with the "new" Throb.

The show is shorter, the boys overweight and past their use by date, the dance routines are tired and were the same in 2005. How many times can you watch the Tina Turner and the puppydog routines. They appear to have removed one interior wall and it seems to be more room inside. However his night was spoilt by sitting adjacent to a group of elderly straight white women, that made him uncomfortable with some of their comments about boys and the customers.

He was keen to revisit Krazy to relive his excitement from last trip. The magic seemed to have gone and the boys bored and boring. Having heard about Kaos as the hot place to be, he went there but left early and went to drink in an open bar.

He was told the best time to go to Kaos was just before 10. So next night he got there about 9.30 and the place was almost full. Between 9.30 amd 10 the place filled to overflowing and standing room only. They will still coming in 15 minutes later

Right on 10, all the boys clambered onto the stage, removed their underwear and started to wank. All shapes and sizes, some shy, some brazen, some very young, a number of ladyboys and a sprinkling of older heavier guys. Seemed to be over 20 crowded onto the small stage for well over 30 minutes. He left by himself

He said he visited about 6/7 bars over 2 nights but was unimpressed and was thinking of packing it in and going to Phuket

On the beach he has seen a boy with great body and 6 pack and was told he worked at a cowboy bar in soi 2 Pattayaland

His email this morning was over the top, buffed boys, really great bodies 2 great floor shows and better than any show he has seen. These were not underage or just off the farm, but gym fit and proud. He is not into muscle marys but these
in the main had bodies to die for, without being "gross" [his words] He likes the Tawan bar but feels that too many of the guys there are too old and top heavy. he called this bar Junior Tawan

I am not sure of the name of the bar but he was amazed how big it was inside and how crowded at show time.
He mentioned he had to sit on a stool even though he had arrived 30 minutes before showtime

Tonight he plans to go to Montys for dinner and return to "cowboy bar" for seconds. Phuket seems to have been forgotten.

[bedbugy1-old]

must agree
i don't like the grammer police

must agree
i don't like the grammer police

It's easy to see why...

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

a tiny handful and Sawatdee and Ting Tong are far better than the other 2 hideous boards you mention. The reason is that on the other 2 the owners/moderators join in with the demolition of certain posters who dare to either exhibit more knowledge than them or reply to their barbs.

Indeed the very idea of attacking a poster because he is new is ludicrous but it's stock in trade for Bitch-Stop and Gay Thailand has degenerated remarkably since Gay Thailand ( who is still desperately emailing friends and claiming to be just an "investor" and not the owner--although web host records show the opposite) has let GB go bananas on it. GB has become a mini control freak--admits to it and is quite proud of the fact.

The concerted campaign on Bitch Stop to denigrate LMTU or Earwig was a prime example. Tirade after tirade which is "flaming" at it's most classic---accuse a poster of being the "flamer" and them attack non-stop. There are numerous examples of this and it's all there in it's history for anyone to read. Before anyone comments on this they should go back-do some research and prove I lie !. This was even followed up by vicous rumours about that poster perpetuated by a well known former B&B lessee in Pattaya who is one of the most dangerous men in town to cross because of his repeated activities of informing local authorities. Others call him a "snitch" or "grass" in their own parlance.

By contrast, the moderators on Sawatdee and Ting Tong are highly professional-Jinks, Ting & Tong and even Smiles when he's having a go is always extremely fair and accepts criticism for his comments without bringing out a verbal shotgun.

The idea of posters having more than one name is meaningless--everyone is annonymous ( apart from Mr Botting and a handful who everyone knows) and for good reason--a few years ago 2 young Thais on a motorcycle administered a severe beating to H***a after one of his nasty hate campaigns against a high profile Pattaya farang businessman.

But that's why Pattaya is a fun place--it ain't a Butlins--and you are correct that Phuket is unrepresented but that's because the members have been inherited from a Pattaya gay board.
:cyclopsani: :cyclopsani: :cyclopsani: :cyclopsani: :cyclopsani: :cyclopsani: :cyclopsani:

[Smiles]

Just took a peek at the 3 gay Thailand message board Member lists. Some stats:

(Preferences are set at a view of 50 Members per page on each Board)

SAWATDEE FORUM

There are 35 pages in the list = 1750 members[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
Between page 1 and page 7 each Member has at least 20 posts. Between page 7 and page 21 each member has at least 1 post[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
Between page 21 and page 35 each "member" has zero posts[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
On page 1: at the top of the list the member has 2508 posts. At the bottom of the same page, the 50th member has 308 posts[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]

GAY THAILAND

There are 118 pages in the list = 5990 members[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
Between page 1 and page 5 each Member has at least 1 post[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
Between page 6 and page 118 each "member" has zero posts[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
On page 1: at the top of the list the member has 1557 posts. At the bottom of the same page, the 50th member has 25 posts[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]

BAHT-STOP

There are 5 pages in the list = 250 members[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
Between page 1 and page 2.5 each Member has at least 1 post[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
Between page 2.5 and page 5 each "member" has zero posts[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]
On page 1: at the top of the list the member has 634 posts. At the bottom of the same page, the 50th member has 20 posts[/*:m:3m4kq0y0]


The main items which 'jump out' from these figures is that ALL the message boards have a huge number of (so-called) Members who never post a thing. GayThailand leads the list with that stat: 5600 of 5990 members are silent on the board. But that's not really indicative of much anyway as GayThailand is more than a message board. It's a Get-Together website, and I assume the large proportion of folks who register there are in it to view the photos of "Those Looking".

Of the 2 message-board-only boards Baht-Stop in fact leads the pack with half it's Members being silent. After about 6 primary posters there have said their piece, the participation rate goes down very quickly.
Sawatdee board has 15 pages of silent members. Does that do any harm? I doubt it (unless they are Spam Bots). But it does mean that saying things like " ... Sawatdee has 1750 Members ... " is rather meaningless. But Sawatdee has 15-20 pages of Members who do write things, and that alone makes it easily the most prolific message board. ( And on that note ... not quite sure where you get the idea that "... THERE ARE SO FEW NEW DAILY POSTS? ... ". That is hardly the case, as if you take the time to count 'em up you'll find many more new posts daily on Sawatdee than on either GayThailand or Baht-Stop combined).

As far as the first post in this thread is concerned: who hasn't heard this observation before?
Message boards move with the flow and moods of it's members, nothing more, nothing less. Moderators can do nothing except delete and edit ... they cannot make a "nice" Board, or a "happy" board, or an "info-only-please" board (etc etc etc) except if they are willing to manipulate or massacre posts to mirror those visions. And who wants that? And who would stay if that became the scenario?

A few years ago GayButton decided to do exactly that on his old board. He become the final arbiter of every single post on his board. And his board died. In the end he fell into the convenient delusion that his board was the victim of the Thai Censor, but in fact it had died long before that simply from lack of participation.

Many years ago a successful investor and stock market player was asked in an interview what he thought the market was going to do in the upcoming new year. He looked at his questioner (who was presumably, expecting an answer of great insight) with some disdain and answered, " ... it will flutuate ... ". In fact, his answer was a great insight, but it wan't the answer the questioner either expected, or was hoping for.

Same same for message boards. With stock markets it's all about players and liquidity. On message boards, it's all about players only . . . and what a weird and unpredictable and volatile dependency that can be. And is here ... and will never change.

Cheers ...

One thing that Smiles brings to the fore is inactive members. I believe that many members were migrated from the old to the new Sawatdee Forum, and periodically we see a mention of someone's death (I'm looking forward to reading the responses to my own obituary - judging by some of the comments this Board is available in the after life, at least in read-only - but I digress). It must be possible to have a purge of inactive members - people who've never changed the default password, for example, and who've never logged on in the past 12 months?

[allieb]

I agree with Smiles completely.

I think this board is informative as well as entertaining. There are pasters, bores, little miss prissies, know alls, weirdos and plain old bitchy queens. That just about sums it up. I think people should just be themselves. We get a lot of information from this board as well as laughs. If you just want plain old information then read a magazine. If you have information or advice to give and don't like being critisized then you should go elsewhere.

[Smiles]

I wonder if Alaan will get past his one and only message on this Board and post message #2 in response to those who have replied to his thread?

Cheers ...

[Surfcrest]

(I'm looking forward to reading the responses to my own obituary - judging by some of the comments this Board is available in the after life, at least in read-only - but I digress)

I've started a few lines for you already....but then , I too digress ;)

Surfcrest

[Alaan]

Well..thanks to those who managed to add something positive to the thread and to lonelywombat for the pattaya bar post.

To allieb- If your reply is aimed at me, nowhere in my post did I say this board was not informative or entertaining, I was saying that there could be even more potential posters out there to increase the information and laughs, and on a forum surely that would be a good thing? I didn't say I objected to being criticised, merely that the more extreme and personal criticism going about on the 3 boards might,in some way,put off some potential posters who might enhance the forums if they did post. If you comments were not directed at my post then please disregard mine.

To arnold. Where in my post do I encourage moderators to "take action"? take action on what? why so negative a reply? I know it was a long post but did you actually read it? It was, as I said, an attempt to persuade other lurkers to post, and threw up the possible reason for others not coming forward to post as the continually nasty replies of a 'miserable few' who add nothing positive to the forum. I stand by that, but did you not give any thought to the fact that I just might be the new member that I indeed am?

My reply to paul2257s assertion that my being a genuine new member..quote paul2257 "is about as true as my arsehole being tight" and that I should "quite simply fuck-off sweetie" is this.
Firstly it is so fascinating to find out that your arsehole is in fact tight. Which it must be given that I am indeed a genuine new member. Whether you or anyone believe this or not doesn't really matter on an anonymous forum does it? I stated this fact in the hope it might resonate with other new potential members/posters like myself and encourage them to start to post their experiences etc.
Secondly, I did have something to say "hon" and said it! Ok it was long winded...but I said it!
Thirdly...why spew out my thoughts now?....well as i said , and it is only my opinion, that it is the first time for
a few years I have really thought all the forums (including those of the other boards) are as flat as I have seen them for this length of time with so few new posters and posts, especially trip reports....but I did add that it may be I'm wrong in my assumptions, and in fact there are simply no more potential posters out there.
And finally.....although it is not the kind of language I tend to use publicly, I am however quite capable of using it when required...so in this instance I'll reply in a language you seem to understand.....where did you see a mention of me not liking the board?...its pricks like you that I don't particularly care for...not the board!...overall its great...but far from planning to "fuck off" from the forum I joined only a few days ago....I plan to stick around and hope other new posters do as well. in fact ... why don't you consider transferring your bile to a straight forum and stir them up instead, why on earth do you waste your effort on trying to stifle a gay forum? but then again....Doug did advise me that I would be "pissing in to the wind" if I expected too much. But thanks for your post anyway, it certainly helped galvanise my thoughts that you and your ilk bring nothing positive to this forum...which you did successfully by offering up your post of a perfect example of the 'miserable few'.

And smiles, thanks also for your post, for which I do have a reply, but I fear this post is long enough already, and you made so many points that need to be answered, a new post will be required.

[Smiles]

Alaan, I certainly agree with you on a number of points . . . not the least of them being that posters such as paul2257 (if his reply is his norm) are born to be ignored.

On the other hand, a Board's Mods & Admin cannot be continually worried that posters such as he will put off potentially new members. That's too difficult a policing procedure and the concept itself demands too much energy to control.
Frankly, I would guess that a new member who would let himself be "put off" by a few boorishly insulting replies on an anonymous message board would sooner or later be "put off" by something else just as trivial. It''s a futile and ultimately losing battle to add that dynamic to the mix.

Cheers ....

Well, Alaan, you've obviously been around a while, that makes you not a new member, whether there is a technicality ur, which surely ur as ur only on ur second post.

IMHO the moderators are doing a great job, our poor webmaster has done the best he can and the board is just the way it should be.

You can argue it. Everyone appreciates the suggestions. My experience is that once and a while the frightful many-armed Jinks flies off the handle and swings his axes and decapitates inactive users.

I hear the winter is generally pretty miserable altogether this year.

... it is the first time for a few years I have really thought all the forums (including those of the other boards) are as flat as I have seen them for this length of time with so few new posters and posts, especially trip reports....Heretical, I know - perhaps Thailand's attractions are fading and alternative places are opening up

...but far from planning to "fuck off" from the forum I joined only a few days ago....I plan to stick around and hope other new posters do as well

Well Honey, when you are ready to post your bar reviews, offs and Jomtien escapades - do so. Been to any decent restaurants lately besides KFC and Maccas?????? Well then post it sweetie - we are all ears! Until then Dear, refrain from posting until you actually have something to contribute besides whinging, Pet.

[/quote]in fact ... why don't you consider transferring your bile to a straight forum and stir them up instead, why on earth do you waste your effort on trying to stifle a gay forum? [quote]

Um, honey, that is simple - it is because I am gay and not, Darl, the only one in the village!

[Brad the Impala]

Well Honey, when you are ready to post your bar reviews, offs and Jomtien escapades - do so. Been to any decent restaurants lately besides KFC and Maccas?????? Well then post it sweetie - we are all ears!

Are you sure that you have spelt ears correctly honey? Doesn't the e come at the end in your case? I am sure we are all waiting for the restaurant and bar reviews that you provide darl!

Not holding my breath though sweetie.

[elephantspike]

One thing that Smiles brings to the fore is inactive members. I believe that many members were migrated from the old to the new Sawatdee Forum, and periodically we see a mention of someone's death (I'm looking forward to reading the responses to my own obituary - judging by some of the comments this Board is available in the after life, at least in read-only - but I digress). It must be possible to have a purge of inactive members - people who've never changed the default password, for example, and who've never logged on in the past 12 months?

Good idea. I just now deleted all members with a "null" email who have never logged-in. I have been suspecting lately that it may not be a good idea security-wise to have all those members' emails set to "null". That makes it so that they can email any of us, but not even administrators can email them.

If any active members have been deleted, I apologize in advance. They can just re-register the same name if they wish, and they would have to enter a valid email to do that. None of their old posts are deleted, they just show up as being made by a guest with their user name, and the newly registered user name's post-count will start again at "0"

[Michael]

The fear of my personal experiences and thoughts being torn apart, and/or used to ridicule me, does prevent me from submitting more detailed posts.
However, one of the great joys of this forum, and the reason that Sawatdee has kept me hooked for years, is the fact that you never know how a thread is going to develop. With no overbearing moderators editing/deleting posts to ensure that threads remain 'on topic', lively discussion and great humour often thrives. One of my all time favourite periods has to be the great 'Hydra' debate.
This forum is, more often than not, a great read and I've picked up loads of useful information along the way.

With no overbearing moderators

Michael, meet Jinks. Jinks, allow me to introduce you to Michael.

Without a doubt this board and its participants are a useful tool for anyone considering a visit or comptemplating residence in the gay domain of Thailand. This board does indeed evoke and elicit responses from the good, the bad, and well simply the ugly. Whether we like or not, there is no shortage of ugliness on occasion. I think most viewers (whether passive or non-passive) are fully capable of shifting through such common discourse in their daily lives. But as gay men, we should not demoralize ourselves to the extent of such personallized ugly unkindness directed to each other. There is such a unique commonality in our interests and our pursuits. We should capitalize in that regard, but as common to "the gays" we explore this other higher or lesser avenue of pursuit. Thailand captures our imaginations without a doubt.

To most men over the age of thirty I think their initial appeal of Thailand is this sense that we've recaptured our youth through the advances of what we consider a very attractive, and sexy guy, albeit initially simply through the cost of a drink or two at the homeland. Suddenly we feel like were eighteen again but our bodies remorse in such teenage activities the next day or two. So, perhaps we might attempt to find solace in a relationship with a Thai guy of a much lesser age, and a much lesser education, which only simply ensures frustration to us with the passage of time. So we naturally seek out responsivenessтАЩ from others. We search for versions of vindication.

The unbiased responses of each-and-every board participant elicits that needed reality check that I occasionally require of a gay man's involvement with Thailand. I appreciate those responses whether good, bad, or ugly. I abhor the cynical for its cheapness, but am cheap enough to find humor in cynicism. We should all rally in the freedom of such vigorous, uncensored dialogue. I've educated myself through this board of a gay man's experience in Thailand. I've explored the country and the culture in the eyeтАЩs of Sawatdee Gay Thailand and feels enriched through that experience.

[Michael]

With no overbearing moderators

Michael, meet Jinks. Jinks, allow me to introduce you to Michael.

Boygeenyus, thanks for the introduction, but I already count jinks as a friend.

With no overbearing moderators

Michael, meet Jinks. Jinks, allow me to introduce you to Michael.

Boygeenyus, thanks for the introduction, but I already count jinks as a friend.

Lucky you. That means that you'll be well-protected from anyone who might throw barbs in your direction. The rest of us have to fend for ourselves.