Suggestion To Make The Forum More International.

[Konstantinos]

Hi all. I want to do a suggestion to netweather team. I believe this suggestion will be the forum more international.

In this forum: http://forum.netweather.tv/forum/112-weather-around-the-world-general-discussion/

I suggest to create subforums about weather in each country.

For example, we can create a subforum about greek weather, in which we will create new topics about greek weather (extreme weather in Athens, weather in Crete, weather in mount Olympus in Greece, etc) and in which we can discuss in greek language.

What is your opinion about this?

[IanM]

Morning

That would potentially be a long list of sub forums? We do have an area for discussing international weather http://forum.netweather.tv/forum/112-weather-around-the-world-general-discussion/

As for discussing in individual languages, it would be an exclusive thread for very few members, and be impossible for the moderators to intervene should the need arise. So, while we don't discourage international languages, I don't think there is enough demand to justify exclusive language threads.

Ian

[Radiating Dendrite]

Hi all. I want to do a suggestion to netweather team. I believe this suggestion will be the forum more international.

In this forum: http://forum.netweat...ral-discussion/

I suggest to create subforums about weather in each country.

For example, we can create a subforum about greek weather, in which we will create new topics about greek weather (extreme weather in Athens, weather in Crete, weather in mount Olympus in Greece, etc) and in which we can discuss in greek language.

What is your opinion about this?

I think the problem would be the fact that the majority on here tend to be British.

There is already a worldwide section, maybe create a topic in there about Greek weather, like the North American topic which is very interesting!

[Nick L]

I don't like the idea of discussing in foreign languages. How are moderators meant to know if the post is against the forum rules or not if they can't speak that language? Although I have noticed a lot of Welsh statuses recently but I suppose they are just linked to Facebook.

[J10]

I don't like the idea of discussing in foreign languages. How are moderators meant to know if the post is against the forum rules or not if they can't speak that language? Although I have noticed a lot of Welsh statuses recently but I suppose they are just linked to Facebook.

Of course Welsh isn't a foreign language. However with this common sense applies in that it generally restricted to dedicated forums and even then followed by a translation.

[Radiating Dendrite]

Of course Welsh isn't a foreign language. However with this common sense applies in that it generally restricted to dedicated forums and even then followed by a translation.

It is if you are English?

[Aceman]

how difficult/costly would it be to host amateur weather station information, along the lines of Wunderground but with a twist. Although im not sure what the twist could be, although im sure there isnt a forum to discuss station data on Wunderground.

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Reading some of the posts on the forum makes me think that some of our members don't even have English as a 2nd language.

[cyclonic happiness]

One minor thing, nothing much but it annoys the socks off me.

You see the 'search' bar at the top right of the page??

Yes, you're right! you cannot see it either, because it's just an empty space next to the word 'search'.

Would it be possible to make the bar a bit more visible?

Other than that, I think this is one of the best layed out forums on the internet, with everything reasonably easy to find (see former point) and not too much advertising and clutter.

Oh, is that awarding points system thing still here? I always thoiught that was a very bad idea and would put, and has put, people off posting.

[Radiating Dendrite]

One minor thing, nothing much but it annoys the socks off me.

You see the 'search' bar at the top right of the page??

Yes, you're right! you cannot see it either, because it's just an empty space next to the word 'search'.

Would it be possible to make the bar a bit more visible?

Other than that, I think this is one of the best layed out forums on the internet, with everything reasonably easy to find (see former point) and not too much advertising and clutter.

Oh, is that awarding points system thing still here? I always thoiught that was a very bad idea and would put, and has put, people off posting.

I am confused?

You simply click on search and then type the word you want to search. I do not see what is so difficult about this?

[cyclonic happiness]

I am confused?

You simply click on search and then type the word you want to search. I do not see what is so difficult about this?

I didn't read the title properly lol! (I must stop doing that!)

What I mean is that the space next to the 'search' button, to the left of it, isn't very clear cut.

If you click your cursor on the space, you'll see where you can type things, otherwise, it's not clear at all.

As for the original title...........we could add more sub forums for each continent? say...an African one...a North American one... and so on.

I'm not sure how we'd be able to stir enough interest from foreigners as the site is dominated by the weather obssesed British.

Perhaps 'twinning' the site with the biggest weather sites across the globe and having gusts from each site to do a blog or something about their country's weather and ours?

And clearly labelled sub forums for each continent?

[Paul]

Re the search function, I'm guessing anyone wanting to search will recognise it's a search bar and you can type in it or click the button next to it and be taken to the detailed search page, so either way it's pretty simple to search things out?

[Konstantinos]

Hi all and thank you for your replies. I understand that it is difficult to have topics with languages different to English, but I think we can solve this problem with people who know other languages (not only English), and do them moderators in appropriate topics. But I understand this is very difficult, and it is not my main suggestion.

My main suggestion is to do the worldwide forum more organized. First we can create subforums in this: http://forum.netweather.tv/forum/112-weather-around-the-world-general-discussion/ about continents (Asia, Africa, America, Europe and Oceania), and after that in each continent, we can create subforums about countries, and in each subforum, a member can create a new topic about weather in a town in his country. For example if I want to create a topic about weather in Patras, I must go in http://forum.netweather.tv/forum/112-weather-around-the-world-general-discussion/, after in Europe, after in Greece, and finally I can create a topic about weather in Patras. This is my main suggestion.

I understand that it is difficult to create about 250 subforums for all countries, but this is not a reason for not doing a suggestion.

Thank you.

[Radiating Dendrite]

Hi all and thank you for your replies. I understand that it is difficult to have topics with languages different to English, but I think we can solve this problem with people who know other languages (not only English), and do them moderators in appropriate topics. But I understand this is very difficult, and it is not my main suggestion.

My main suggestion is to do the worldwide forum more organized. First we can create subforums in this: http://forum.netweat...ral-discussion/ about continents (Asia, Africa, America, Europe and Oceania), and after that in each continent, we can create subforums about countries, and in each subforum, a member can create a new topic about weather in a town in his country. For example if I want to create a topic about weather in Patras, I must go in http://forum.netweat...ral-discussion/, after in Europe, after in Greece, and finally I can create a topic about weather in Patras. This is my main suggestion.

I understand that it is difficult to create about 250 subforums for all countries, but this is not a reason for not doing a suggestion.

Thank you.

It would be a very empty section of the forum though.

While we all love the input of our foreigh friends , there are actually not that many of you on here.

[Konstantinos]

Hello again.

So now, we have two forums:

Regional Discussions

Post about the weather in your region within this area. *You need to be a community member in order to take part in this part of the forum*

http://forum.netweather.tv/forum/142-regional-discussions/

Worldwide Weather

Discuss all aspects of the weather across the world, from the weather in holiday destinations through to extreme weather and hurricanes.

http://forum.netweather.tv/forum/111-worldwide-weather/

Everyone can see a distinction between UK weather and the rest of the world. So, I am wondering if it is desired. Does the forum team want to have this forum a UK character? not worldwide?

If so, I think it is not good... This forum has the base and the foundation to become a worldwide forum about weather. I think forum team must care for a worldwide style of this weather.

If forum team already has the desire to convert this forum in a worldwide forum about weather, then this distinction must be disappeared. In this topic we can discuss how it will happen.

Anyway, really there is not problem, if the forum team does not want this forum as an international forum about weather. But I want to know their opinion, so I will look for other forum of my desires.

Thank you.

[Paul]

The forum is primarily a UK weather forum. the vast majority of the members are from the UK and in the main people prefer to discuss the weather in their own backyard.

This isn't to say that we don't encourage international discussion and members from other parts of the world, but I don't think there's any benefit to be had by removing the UK only parts of the forum and replacing them with generic worldwide regional discussions etc. We have 3 worldwide forums currently (general, extreme weather and hurricane discussion), and they get a decent amount of use but are by no means as busy as the UK based sections so I think we have the balance about right at the current time.

Obviously there's scope to push the international discussion and add additional forum areas for it if the demand warrants it, but as I said at the top, I think many people prefer to talk about the weather in their locality ahead of whether elsewhere, particularly outside of discussing exceptional weather events around the world so I'm not convinced we're ever likely to get to a point where UK discussion is balanced equally with discussion from other countries on the forum.

[Konstantinos]

Ok, dear Paul, I understand your opinion and I am glad, because there is scope of the forum to become more international. But I want to tell you my opinion.

The forum is 10 years old and it has 14256 members. I suppose that about 14.000 of them are from UK or Ireland and I also suppose that the forum has 2000 active members. According to wikipedia, UK and Ireland have 70.000.000 population, but around the word English language is spoken by 2.000.000.000 people (approximately). So, analogically in the next 10 years the forum can have 400.000 members around the world and 57.000 active ones.

Really, I believe that if we want, in 10 years we can have 200.000 members and 25.000 active ones (from 2000 who are now).

The reason why I believe in this forum is that it has the best foundations to become an excellent international forum and this time I think there is not competition with other one. But, I can imagine that every day, people from all the places in the world who speak English look for an English forum to register for discussing about weather and they visit the netweather.tv. When they realize that it is only a British forum, they avoid or they hesitate to register. This is the major thing which we must change if we really want to outstretch the forum's power.

Anyway, I hope the best to the forum, and thanks dear Paul for your work. If you need my help about everything for making the forum more international don't hesitate to contact me (ideas, suggestions, etc).

Thank you.

[Radiating Dendrite]

To be fair though, there are weather forums in many other countries similar to this one and that allow people to talk in their own language.

The forecasts on here are primarily geared towards the UK and not other locations. In Business you have to appeal to your core market (the UK in this case). It is not possible to appeal to everyone the world over, you would end up alienating your core market who may then switch to other forums such as UKWeatherworld or TWO for example.

Keep up the good work Paul

Edited June 28, 2012 by Polar Attack

[95 Degrees]

Although I completely understand the reluctance to put a more detailed amount of foreign weather discussions, because of low demand, too many countries etc. I would say two things, firstly that not just foreigners would post in there as some people who are in the U.K would post as well who have an interest in Worldwide weather, so there would be some demand, and also Infoclimat, Net Weather's French twin, does this, with Continents and even individual countries discussion areas.

So although I agree with some of the mods I also don't see why it shouldn't be attempted, to see if it gains success or not.

[Guest]

Reading some of the posts on the forum makes me think that some of our members don't even have English as a 2nd language.

Touché

[carinthian]

In Austria there is a lot of interest in weather for obvious reason that the tourist and particuarly the ski-ing season is important for the locals and international visitors. Most people view Wetterzentrale and the Austrian Zam service that specializes in mountain weather and forecasts with geat detail. Unfortunately, there is little interest over here in Britains fairly bland weather (ie) Mild and largely uneventful winters and damp breezy summers as a whole, apart from yesterdays storms and flood reports, but storms like yesterday are regurlar feature in Central Europe. I have lost count of the number of nights this summer of lightning that can be seen across many borders. A lot of the discussion forums are factual and are boring compared to the debates that go on Netweather. Your forum site is the best in Europe, even though there are vigous difference of views, just like the House of Commons. I just hope the UK gets a winter of 62/63, it will send you all into melt down !

C

[NorthNSW]

I've only been on here for about seven months but I think the current arrangement in the 'Weather around the world' sub-forum works fine. Separating discussion into a large number of sub-forums is unlikely to attract more international members, as there is a fallacy behind "build it and they will come". New international members joining the forum would be a gradual process, generally attracted through word of mouth (so to speak).

If international members and/or discussion were to increase, then there might be merit in separating the discussion into several regional sub-forums for the sake of organisation and clarity (e.g. 'Europe', 'Nth America', 'Australia & Oceania', etc.)? As stated previously, this is primarily a British weather forum.

Just my two cents.

Edited June 30, 2012 by NthNSW