Few ideas about making CE more active!

@thebigk • Oct 26, 2024

Oct 26, 2024

984

Lot has been discussed on forums & through CE Conference about making CE more active and useful to existing members and having more participation from new members. Here are few ideas/tips which I follow. I encourage you all to pick up one or two from the following list or come up with your own to help CE become more active -

[Remember, success of CE depends on our joint efforts. Every individual contribution matters.]

1. Start at least one thread every day in your favorite section. It's very easy. Take any technical topic, debate topic, finance topic and post your question/idea right away. Do not even bother if it is right or wrong.

2. There are quite a lot of interesting discussions on forums. Feel free to express your opinion in those discussions. It'll help you gain lot of knowledge.

3. Actively welcome every new member!

4. If you find a new member registered, feel free to leave a message on their profile telling them about basics of CE, how to introduce and be proactive in helping them.

6. Search the Internet for interesting topics, events etc. Our events section needs lot of contribution from our members.

7. Have a link to CrazyEngineers in your personal mail signature. Tell your friends/colleagues/bosses/juniors about CE.

In the end, the more the number of registrations; the more are our chances of finding active users.

I hope to see improved activity in coming days.

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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 25, 2009

One more suggestion, promote your thread on the forums and on the conference (especially here). Even the regular active members have been spending more time on the shout box rather than forum threads.

Invite friends, peers, to join CE by sending extracts and links to the forum. Urge people to contribute.

Start topics that invite participation (even controversial topics would do). Add polls.
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gohm

@gohm-F3UUpP • Feb 26, 2009

Support CE by wearing one of the shirts

Mention CE in blogs or other forums, where appropriate. Don't just post a link or spam, create a post in the right thread or blog about how you found & like CE, how it has helped you, things you have discussed, etc.
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 26, 2009

@Gohm: T-Shirts are a premium feature, unless if you buy them 😀
I guess if we get a sponsor, we can distribute the tees to every one who joins CE.
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silverscorpion

@silverscorpion-iJKtdQ • Feb 26, 2009

free t-shirts for everyone? That would be so cool.. I dont know if you can find such a sponsor, though. May be, we can give it to all regular members, to start with.

Other than that, I think it's time to do some serious advertising. Spreading by just word of mouth is enough. I'd suggest some aggressive campaigning in colleges and also some corporate workplaces.
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 26, 2009

silverscorpion
free t-shirts for everyone? That would be so cool.. I dont know if you can find such a sponsor, though. May be, we can give it to all regular members, to start with.

Other than that, I think it's time to do some serious advertising. Spreading by just word of mouth is enough. I'd suggest some aggressive campaigning in colleges and also some corporate workplaces.
Hmmm, well Biggie are you listening (reading)?
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 26, 2009

Another suggestion. Why dont we develop or get developed a plugin for websites like facebook?
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Feb 26, 2009

I see. We've started going aggressive about spreading the word in colleges by associating as media sponsors and a new initiative is in planning (I'll inform everyone).

What I see is, everyone is giving me suggestions. How about telling everyone what you can do or doing to make CE more active?

[PS: We'll reward you with a T-shirt. CEan of the Month will soon be a regular feature on CE]
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shalini_goel14

@shalini-goel14-ASmC2J • Feb 26, 2009

The_Big_K
CEan of the Month will soon be a regular feature on CE]
This is really a good idea 😁. I think it will make the CEans more active and good number of posts may also get increased.
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 26, 2009

The_Big_K
I see. We've started going aggressive about spreading the word in colleges by associating as media sponsors and a new initiative is in planning (I'll inform everyone).

What I see is, everyone is giving me suggestions. How about telling everyone what you can do or doing to make CE more active?

[PS: We'll reward you with a T-shirt. CEan of the Month will soon be a regular feature on CE]
The suggestions that you have given are I think followed by almost all CEans who are regular.

Anyway, I think CEan of the month is long pending.
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Feb 26, 2009

mayurpathak
The suggestions that you have given are I think followed by almost all CEans who are regular.

Anyway, I think CEan of the month is long pending.
Not really. I hardly see new threads from regular CEans. I guess everyone should visit 'Statistics' page on their profile and click for 'Threads Started By' link.

Unless we have lot of interesting discussions coming from CEans, we can't have improved activity.

More number of threads = More activity! 😀
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gohm

@gohm-F3UUpP • Feb 26, 2009

plus nothing wrong with spending a couple dollars to support something important, they do not have to be free.
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 26, 2009

We can not force people to be active. This thread, for example, is active. But there isn't any thing for CEans to find value here. Let us accept the fact that only good content pulls people. Whatever we can do for that, we are doing. Not all people have knowledge about every thing to be active on the forum.

May be we can have specialist writers to start discussions on CE? I dont see even one person who can don that role as of now.
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shalini_goel14

@shalini-goel14-ASmC2J • Feb 26, 2009

mayurpathak
But there isn't any thing for CEans to find value here. Let us accept the fact that only good content pulls people.
I want to say something over this-

If CEans don't find anything good or useful here then they themselves don't have any good things to share here? Are they simply waiting for rest to tell them new things? They should also take some responsibility of their own to add value here right? If they cannot do so, I will simply call them as "useless CEans".

I could not find any solutions of my problems also but that doesn't mean I will leave and jump over to some other forum which can answer my queries or I will become an inactive member and start losing interest here and blah blah..

Over all if they want this forum to be useful , they need to contribute something to it. They need to start threads of their interest or start sharing useful information here or their experiences here like in working and manufacturing or developing. We cannot read their minds. They need to write them here in threads right? I am sure definitely others will get benefit and they all will also feel happy. People need to devote some time to it to make it useful. That's it.

@MayurSir By the way, I have something to tell you also Sir, Please don't mind ok.

1. Be a regular contributor on CE, initiate discussions, monitor sections and build good content.
2. Speak, write and promote good English (Compulsory)
3. Be innovative, take responsibility and promote growth
The above mentioned points were told by you while nominations for editors was done but Please don't mind I have a doubt regarding point1 "Be a regular contributor on CE". Sir, you yourself are rarely seen online here and thus let us forget about "discussions initiation" by you here. I am saying this just to remind you 'Responsibility is responsibilty" right? Give up if you cannot do it or else don't take it -this line applies to we all 😀

Please Please Please don't take my words in wrong sense. I am saying this because we all CEans learn from people like you only. The kind of example we will get, the kind of things we will follow. You are one of my ideal that's why I was saying all this.😀

DON'T MIND I REQUEST YOU ALL 😀

[ PS: Don't feel like I am fighting or against anyone. 😀 ]
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 26, 2009

Well dont worry Shalini, I'm not taking you wrong. The point is, I'm also an ordinary CEan even if I carry that tag. For your information, I'm online for almost 16 hrs a day. I visit discussions and monitor lot of them. But then I reply only if I feel like replying. May be lot of CEans do that.

You like it or not, it is very difficult to motivate people to start new meaningful discussions. There are enough people on the shout box these days. But people dont put their fingers and brain to good use on the forums. You cant blame them. Not all people can think (including me). And sadly we are full of such people.

So we need few of them who can motivate discussions... not by saying 'Please write guys, please start a new thread.' Give me a break! Stop begging. If 'you' (applies to any CEan) have knowledge, share it with us.

Number of posts only increases your count, not value. Quality matters.
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shalini_goel14

@shalini-goel14-ASmC2J • Feb 27, 2009

Thanks for such a calm reply Sir. This is the reason you are my ideal here. 😁
I completely agree with your each and every word 😀 .

mayurpathak
Number of posts only increases your count, not value. Quality matters.
So all CEans listening? 😉
"Number of posts only increases your count, not value. Quality matters" (applies to me also 😉 )
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Feb 27, 2009

shalini_goel14
Thanks for such a calm reply Sir. This is the
Geez you always flatter me. I'm not sure what makes you say that. My achievements till date are as good as Zero
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Ashraf HZ

@Ash • Feb 28, 2009

Your new start up is not considered an achievement, Mayur? 😉

Gohm pointed out something interesting. I'm also willing to chip an amount of money a month too. A forum I visited used "the tipping jar" for donations to support the costs of maintaining the website. Those who contributed has a special tag under their avatar.

Also, we can use the funds for some prizes too, if we face situations in which we cannot get sponsorship. Of course, the donations are voluntarily!
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Feb 28, 2009

I guess we should raise funds from CEans for the projects we start. That will ensure everyone who contributes money becomes an integral part of the project and also helps the project remain active.
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gohm

@gohm-F3UUpP • Feb 28, 2009

yes, I am a "supporting member" on some other forums that I participate a lot with, that is an idea for CE as well as Ash mentioned, in addition to a small donation for forum swag.
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gohm

@gohm-F3UUpP • Feb 28, 2009

Examples to increase members, which will also increase traffic/activity:

Another option would be some form of presence (as long as it did not cost) at engineering fairs or college fairs or something. Whether it is a board/posters or an actual booth.

An official designed CE flyer that could be posted at student centers on campuses, coffe shops, stores, etc. with a catchy design and info.

Get the site bumped up in search engine results, I don't even see us in the first several pages on major engines searching by "engineering forum". I have no idea how this is done, however I know all the c.e. and i.t. folks on here do!

Cross advertising with other engineering themed sites that allow free link in a list of resources or what not. I found a lot varying from major associations to industry publications. I did not list them as that might be advertising? however a basic search will reveal lots of choices.
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Feb 28, 2009

Gohm,

We've already started associating with engineering colleges, conferences & summits. We've displayed their information in forum side-bars (you will have to logout to see the sidebars 😀 )

@ Regarding 'Engineering Forum': That's a good find. Let me see if I can work on this. We are on second page on for 'Engineers Forum'. Needs improvement for sure!
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gohm

@gohm-F3UUpP • Feb 28, 2009

ah, I just saw those, cool! Now the job is to work on global association. That's why I thought maybe an official CE flyer so member could post it where they are at for some global advertisement. Or a digital version for web based. VT, Georgetown, George Mason, UVA are all close by me as well as stores and eng. assoc. I'm sure the same is true for many members.
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Harshad Italiya

@harshad-ukH5ww • Mar 31, 2009

I used to Send SMS for Our Site May be they also helps us to get more Members..
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Ashraf HZ

@Ash • May 29, 2009

*bump*

Again guys, what do you all think about contributing to CE through donations? You'll get extra perks such as special donor titles, ability to upload attachments, etc..

Its voluntary of course 😀 All proceeds will go into things such as projects, server costs, and so on.
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shalini_goel14

@shalini-goel14-ASmC2J • May 29, 2009

ash
*bump*

Again guys, what do you all think about contributing to CE through donations? You'll get extra perks such as special donor titles, ability to upload attachments, etc..

Its voluntary of course 😀 All proceeds will go into things such as projects, server costs, and so on.
Well, I don't believe in donations and perks stuff but I can spend on projects of which I will be part of.
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gohm

@gohm-F3UUpP • May 29, 2009

My position of being in favor of this has not changed

ash
*bump*

Again guys, what do you all think about contributing to CE through donations? You'll get extra perks such as special donor titles, ability to upload attachments, etc..

Its voluntary of course 😀 All proceeds will go into things such as projects, server costs, and so on.

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smita89

@smita89-e6e7FC • May 29, 2009

I think contacting engineering colleges during their tech fests might be a good idea.
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