Why Dhammawheel is not growing?

[Mkoll]

I just think the teaching available by way of Theravada isn’t very appealing to the masses. Not our problem.

Except in Theravadan countries. But there is a different dynamic in play there having to do with culture, identity, history, social structure, etc.

Oh yeah, and we argue about everything.

That's a bit hyperbolic. It's an online religious forum. What do you expect? I'd be very surprised...no, completely astounded, to see even one online religious forum where there isn't arguing about religious points.

[SDC]

Oh yeah, and we argue about everything.

That's a bit hyperbolic. It's an online religious forum. What do you expect? I'd be very surprised...no, completely astounded, to see even one online religious forum where there isn't arguing about religious points.

You wanna argue about it?

I expect nothing less after 5 years here. While it may be a symptom of online forums it is sure not an appealing one.

[Mkoll]

Oh yeah, and we argue about everything.

That's a bit hyperbolic. It's an online religious forum. What do you expect? I'd be very surprised...no, completely astounded, to see even one online religious forum where there isn't arguing about religious points.

You wanna argue about it?

I expect nothing less after 5 years here. While it may be a symptom of online forums it is sure not an appealing one.

An attribute, more like.

[SarathW]

Hi Mkoll
We are either a customer or a supplier (buyer or seller) always.
Even Buddha was trying to sell something. (idea)

[Mkoll]

Hi Mkoll
We are either a customer or a supplier (buyer or seller) always.
Even Buddha was trying to sell something. (idea)

So all human interaction comes down to trade and economics? Interesting way of seeing things but a bit too cynical in my view.

[SarathW]

Don't blame me.
This is what I was taught in the school.

[Mkoll]

Don't blame me.
This is what I was taught in the school.

I think I know what you mean.

[SDC]

You wanna argue about it?

I expect nothing less after 5 years here. While it may be a symptom of online forums it is sure not an appealing one.

An attribute, more like.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mkoll]

You wanna argue about it?

I expect nothing less after 5 years here. While it may be a symptom of online forums it is sure not an appealing one.

An attribute, more like.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Weakfocus]

I think offering an optional questionnaire at the time of joining (what one is looking for? what are the expectations? etc) and also asking for feedback (optional of course) from members is a good idea to gauge where the forum is succeeding and where it is not.

True, what makes a person register with a forum and what keeps them coming back might be two entirely different things. People grow and with time their expectations from a community also changes.

I personally do not think things are dire here at Dhammawheel. For the type of content/ideas we have here, the forum is fairly busy. We have to accept that only a small fraction of total human population has any real interest in giving up their worldly distractions and taking any steps towards learning about Dhamma (particularly practical Dhamma). Their kamma might not be strong/ripe enough yet for them to take more concrete steps towards liberation. Forums like Dhammawheel will never compete with gossip/sport/hobby/BS oriented forums in terms of members and traffic.

[Modus.Ponens]

Besides, what's wrong with asking people who enter, and people who leave, what they expect and what they didn't like? We, the most active forum members, may be somewhat unsynchronised with what many people want. If what they want doesn't go against the forum's principles, what is wrong with that? I really can't see anything wrong with that. Can you explain me what would be wrong?

I don't see anything wrong with that. Neither do I see much point in it either. I mean, what do you expect will follow if the moderators and forum staff have some poll results? What could they do with those results? What would they use the information for? What would they change?

And I don't think this forum is here to cater to "what many people want". This forum isn't trying to sell a product. This forum is not competing in a marketplace and trying to be better than other forums. It's, as the top of the page says: "A Buddhist discussion forum on the Dhamma of the Theravada".

~~~

Granted, I'm not a particularly creative type of person so maybe I'm missing something. If that's the case, please enlighten me.

If you do a tracking of you personal spendings in a month you will discover that the thing you waste most money with is very often not what you think. This also happens with companies. It also happens with our time "spendings".

The point is precisely that we might be missing something important that we won't know because we are never tracking it. The forum is not here to cater to people. It is here to offer dhamma to people.

[Mkoll]

Besides, what's wrong with asking people who enter, and people who leave, what they expect and what they didn't like? We, the most active forum members, may be somewhat unsynchronised with what many people want. If what they want doesn't go against the forum's principles, what is wrong with that? I really can't see anything wrong with that. Can you explain me what would be wrong?

I don't see anything wrong with that. Neither do I see much point in it either. I mean, what do you expect will follow if the moderators and forum staff have some poll results? What could they do with those results? What would they use the information for? What would they change?

And I don't think this forum is here to cater to "what many people want". This forum isn't trying to sell a product. This forum is not competing in a marketplace and trying to be better than other forums. It's, as the top of the page says: "A Buddhist discussion forum on the Dhamma of the Theravada".

~~~

Granted, I'm not a particularly creative type of person so maybe I'm missing something. If that's the case, please enlighten me.

If you do a tracking of you personal spendings in a month you will discover that the thing you waste most money with is very often not what you think. This also happens with companies. It also happens with our time "spendings".

The point is precisely that we might be missing something important that we won't know because we are never tracking it. The forum is not here to cater to people. It is here to offer dhamma to people.

The problem I see with that analogy is that I have a good idea of what I waste the most time and money on. And even if I didn't, I'd have a list of definite possibilities as to what it could be. I'd also know in advance the step I could take to remedy the situation; namely, to spend my time and money more wisely and frugally. The same goes with companies.

It doesn't apply here because we're not working with anything so concrete. Also, I can't even begin to imagine what's wrong, let alone imagine what steps to take in the direction of a solution. Say the forum is missing "something". What could that something possibly be? And what would be done about it? So far, we've come up with one example: change the forum software. Can anyone else think of any other possibilities else beside that?

~~~

Again, I'm not averse to the whole idea of someone else doing this. If some members and staff want to work together and create a poll to apply to people, go ahead.

It's worth mentioning that I've never had to take an entrance or exit poll on any online forum I've ever joined at least a few dozen.

[soapy3]

I try to come here only to get straightforward questions answered. Dhammawheel is excellent for that. There are so many well studied people participating.

I try to avoid hanging around for discussions on Buddhist Internet forums. The discussions tend to degenerate into ever more heated exchanges about ever more smaller and smaller points.

If I regularly use a Buddhist Internet forum sooner or later I find myself getting sucked into that mentality.

Regular use of Buddhist Internet forums seems to take me in the opposite direction of where Buddhism and meditation are trying to go.

So, I am happy to come to places like this when I have a question, thank people, and move on.

[SarathW]

One satisfied customer will recommend the product to another person.
One unsatisfied customer will tell that to the whole world.
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I wish this guy had an exist interview.


I want to clarify my reasons for leaving the formal Buddha-sasana and becoming an independent monk. the temples are no longer following the Buddha's guidelines for community decision-making. INSTEAD OF A BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE SENIOR MONKS AND THE COMMUNITY CONSENSUS, THE CHIEF MONKS HAVE BECOME DICTATORS. There are no more community meetings, no more consultations and open discussions among the monks, no more voting on important issues. The senior monk in every temple is the supreme authority, and there is no way to appeal or challenge his decisions. I can stand any kind of person, as long as he is sincere and honest. But the deception going on in the temples is beyond my ability to tolerate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2riVnBDwr4
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PS: Dhamma Wheel is my virtual temple.

[SarathW]

Dhamma Wheel is reaching a very important mile stone by nearing it's membership to 10000 members.
I have noticed its users on line has grown remarkably to averaging about 140 users at a given moment.
That is a substantial improvement to when I did my post on 7/7/14 when it was 0.95%.
Now users on line averaging 1.4% (ie 140/9993*100)
It is a 50% increase from 0.95% to 1.4%
Congratulation to all for who work so hard to get the forum to a such high level of achievement specially to David and the management team not to mention the regular contributors and readers.


It appears there is a high level of down time.
I believe it is due to the high traffic.

It is just the nature of Samsara (Dukkha) .