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Decline in TRL Messageboard use ?


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Looking at the various RL Messageboard's there appears a decline in traffic on them. Last season saw a number of RL bloggers /  radio types giving the game away as it was not felt to be as good as it was in the past. Is this reflected by a downtun in messageboard traffic?

When people drift away from the game its not because someone has decided they would be better off playing golf or buying a season pass to Sale Sharks / Yorkshire Tykes. What happens is that peoole slowly drift away, first giving up the season ticke,t then as most of us have other sports as well as League start to take more interest in them than League, with the game going from being a sport you are interested in to a sport  you have an interest in. In short, becoming a secondary sport in your pecking order.

I wonder if the Webmaster could confirm or deny if TRL is as frequently used now as it was 5 / 10 years ago when there seemed to be a lot more posters. While Internet messageboard use is not in itself that significant a factor it is a marker of declining interest.

 

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Many traditional internet forums have lost members to FaceBook over the last decade. Personally, I don't like using FaceBook much, but many do.

So it doesn't necessarily mean declining interest in RL, but does mean that many people prefer a different form of social media. I'd expect FB to be the default destination for the majority of younger fans, for instance.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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24 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Many traditional internet forums have lost members to FaceBook over the last decade. Personally, I don't like using FaceBook much, but many do.

So it doesn't necessarily mean declining interest in RL, but does mean that many people prefer a different form of social media. I'd expect FB to be the default destination for the majority of younger fans, for instance.

Indeed the Leeds Rhinos fan FB group has thousands of members and is usually quite active.

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I stopped looking at any of the RL related Facebook groups due to some of the comments, loads of swearing and daft comments.

An example is, whenever a video is shown of a great move by a player fans of other teams will make negative comments. RL in the U.K as an issue with fans not being able to compliment, or be positive about a player from a team they don't support.

 

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22 minutes ago, Mark S said:

I stopped looking at any of the RL related Facebook groups due to some of the comments, loads of swearing and daft comments.

An example is, whenever a video is shown of a great move by a player fans of other teams will make negative comments. RL in the U.K as an issue with fans not being able to compliment, or be positive about a player from a team they don't support.

 

Thats why I prefer it on here. Someone on a facebook fans page will write an eloquent and thoughtful assessment of a game, player, issue and you can guarantee one of the first comments will be "f of u daft t***" not even spelt correctly. 

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37 minutes ago, Mark S said:

I stopped looking at any of the RL related Facebook groups due to some of the comments, loads of swearing and daft comments.

An example is, whenever a video is shown of a great move by a player fans of other teams will make negative comments. RL in the U.K as an issue with fans not being able to compliment, or be positive about a player from a team they don't support.

 

Yeah,I hate it when people can never post anything positive about a club.

Thank you for your valuable contribution.

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My kids are 22 and 18 and cannot believe I still use message RL boards. They have moved on and they don't need a holding place for a discussion they just have it wherever they like and are content with it being disposable. Different worlds now.

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The stuff on facebook is awful - some genuine posters but the rest are just wind up merchants using childish language, slagging players off and constantly going on about referees.

Despite my low post count, i have read these forums for about 15 years - i would agree there seems to be a lot less posted and less people posting

It isn't just rugby league where people cannot have a sensible discussion without slating other teams etc - see the truly horrendous comments on the BBC sport website whenever a football story is up (and the Rugby League ones with Union trolls) absolutely pathetic

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14 minutes ago, Scubby said:

My kids are 22 and 18 and cannot believe I still use message RL boards. They have moved on and they don't need a holding place for a discussion they just have it wherever they like and are content with it being disposable. Different worlds now.

Traditional RL fans wouldn't like the transient nature of discussions on FaceBook. They like to go back to pick at old sores and bring up ancient grievances (real or imagined) over and over again... :P 

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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12 minutes ago, Rawschach said:

The stuff on facebook is awful - some genuine posters but the rest are just wind up merchants using childish language, slagging players off and constantly going on about referees.

Despite my low post count, i have read these forums for about 15 years - i would agree there seems to be a lot less posted and less people posting

It isn't just rugby league where people cannot have a sensible discussion without slating other teams etc - see the truly horrendous comments on the BBC sport website whenever a football story is up (and the Rugby League ones with Union trolls) absolutely pathetic

So, should you ever meet one of the moderators of this forum, buy them a pint. It is their work that keeps TRL (more or less) civilised.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I personally can't stand face Facebook, the majority of it in my opinion is mindless dribble. That's why I like this forum,it's about rugby league. We differ in our opinions but it doesn't matter because we have a common interest and that is the game and we have an outlet for our opinions. I've read bits on my wife's Facebook and it's positively mind numbing. And yes I too think the moderators do a good job in keeping it on topic and civilized. Long live our forum.

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32 minutes ago, moorside roughyed said:

I personally can't stand face Facebook, the majority of it in my opinion is mindless dribble. That's why I like this forum,it's about rugby league. We differ in our opinions but it doesn't matter because we have a common interest and that is the game and we have an outlet for our opinions. I've read bits on my wife's Facebook and it's positively mind numbing. And yes I too think the moderators do a good job in keeping it on topic and civilized. Long live our forum.

My main objection to FaceBook comes even before I get to the content. Maybe it's an unique combination of my computer, connection and browser, but the whole thing takes an age to load, and looks messy and ugly once every element has loaded.

Still, it can often be a good source of live match footage from all those countries where RL isn't supposed to exist. A mixed blessing, I suppose.

I just find it user-unfriendly.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I do feel there is a decline in messageboards, not just this one, but other RL fans forums too, go back 5 or so years and there were discussions about every game, every incident, every aspect of the game on 3/4 forums, this is probably the best one for discussion although it does sometime appear to be Toronto/Expansion heavy at times.

RLFANS used to be very good but has declined to the point where there seems to about 6 regular posters on the Virtual Terrace, with 2 of those seemingly made up 'trolls' and the other 4 responding to them, there is very little of interest on that board anymore, hardly any topics being discussed just a few disciples getting digs in at a fake Frenchman!

I stopped even reading my own clubs' board as it is so negative, and i wasn't prepared to carry on receiving personal abuse because i didn't think that every person should be sacked when we lose!

I think it is a shame that most RL "discussion" is now on Facebook, i do sometimes read and contribute to them but it's pretty mind numbing stuff and most of it is just abusive!

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5 hours ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

I wonder if the Webmaster could confirm or deny if TRL is as frequently used now as it was 5 / 10 years ago when there seemed to be a lot more posters. While Internet messageboard use is not in itself that significant a factor it is a marker of declining interest.

Happy to report that traffic on the website has never been higher than it is now.

TRL is independently ranked in the Top 1500 websites in the UK and inside the top 40k worldwide. Considering how many sites there are out there, we're fairly pleased with that.

https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/totalrl.com 

Not everyone who visits the forum will choose to post on it, so judging popularity by number of threads/posts isn't always an accurate guide, and as has already been mentioned there are a growing number of places on t'internet where people can spout off and not be constrained by the kind of terms & conditions we have in place here.

We're proud of the environment we have created on TRL, and we work hard to maintain it, with the support of our forum members. It is a place where foul and abusive language, trolling and the sort of general nastiness that prevails on the internet is not tolerated. If that means we get a bit less traffic, it's a price worth paying.

.

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After 15 years of mostly using RLfans I find this site , specifically the main one much busier , and at least as busy as it used to be , I will admit to being banned from here a while back and was a tad peeved about it at the time , as it was for much less than was allowed on RLfans , but rules are rules 

Dissapointing that many fans now stick to their own little sites with sparce tolerance of outside input , as for Facebook , I don't use it in any shape or form  , although many do , let alone twitter , whatever that is 

So overall I'd say this is the busiest main site 

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I'm new here, and joined specifically because I'd had enough of Facebook and Twitter. Got rid: best decision I've ever made, had more productive discussions in a couple of weeks on here than I had on Facebook and Twitter in the last couple of years. 

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It's good to see the site continues to be well used and active. I've only been here just over a year, but I find it the best RL forum, despite the odd fruitcake

Not sure about the stats on Alexa though. According to that there are more users from Spain than there are from Canada which doesn't seem credible somehow. In fact Canada doesn't rank in the Top 5 (unless it lumps Canada in with the USA!!!)

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38 minutes ago, Flagedgetouch said:

I'm new here, and joined specifically because I'd had enough of Facebook and Twitter. Got rid: best decision I've ever made, had more productive discussions in a couple of weeks on here than I had on Facebook and Twitter in the last couple of years. 

Give it time.

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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1 hour ago, Flagedgetouch said:

I'm new here, and joined specifically because I'd had enough of Facebook and Twitter. Got rid: best decision I've ever made, had more productive discussions in a couple of weeks on here than I had on Facebook and Twitter in the last couple of years. 

You've yet to debate with Parky, then...? ;)

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wise people so full of doubts.

Bury your memories; bury your friends. Leave it alone for a year or two.  Till the stories grow hazy, and the legends come true.  Then do it again - some things never end.

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This is my first post.  I am getting back into RL after many years ago when then living in Leeds.  I find the forum 99% constructive and very helpful especially compared to Facebook etc... Keep up the good posts please.

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1 hour ago, hindle xiii said:

I know I post less due to a waning interest in the game. I was seriously considering taking a year off rugby next year. I probably won't though. I keep nosying but feel less inclined to grace you all with my ace-ness.

I was nearly finished with the game until the last world cup which got my interest going again.

I'm keeping that interest going until this years world cup but if its a poor world cup for England and the RFL continue to show lack of ambition I'm finshed with game.

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3 hours ago, John Drake said:

Happy to report that traffic on the website has never been higher than it is now.

TRL is independently ranked in the Top 1500 websites in the UK and inside the top 40k worldwide. Considering how many sites there are out there, we're fairly pleased with that.

https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/totalrl.com 

Not everyone who visits the forum will choose to post on it, so judging popularity by number of threads/posts isn't always an accurate guide, and as has already been mentioned there are a growing number of places on t'internet where people can spout off and not be constrained by the kind of terms & conditions we have in place here.

We're proud of the environment we have created on TRL, and we work hard to maintain it, with the support of our forum members. It is a place where foul and abusive language, trolling and the sort of general nastiness that prevails on the internet is not tolerated. If that means we get a bit less traffic, it's a price worth paying.

Hear hear.Nice post.We know our rugby league.

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