Forum Changes?

[eclipso]

Hello, I've heard that the forum is dying, which is sad to hear. Perhaps changing the appearance or navigation can help more people use this. I have some suggestions;

- the background should be a lighter color or have less paws on it so you can focus more on the text
- make it simpler for guests to post things, like when they enter the site there can be a post button that appears in the corner so they can write what they need to without getting lost. And the post would be moved to the guest section.
- supplement/ products section? It's strange to put natural supplements in the medicine section or talk about a product that isn't enrichment or food
- Put more space in between things, to make it easier to read and connect background colors.

I like this website as it is, and I don't want it to change, but for new people to join it has to look easy and simple... I'll look for more ideas to keep this forum going

[lumboo]

I'm a newbie and I love this forum

I really hope it continues!!!!!

[unclejoe]

eclipso   Thanks for the ideas. I am not a web designer but perhaps @therese Sherry could make those changes. I don't know if there is one answer, but i have been a member of probably 3 dozen ferret forums since 2007, moderated 5 and "inherited" 3 when admins/owners moved on. Some were everythingfert.proboards.com (member) forum.ferret.com (mod) ferretopia.proboards.com (admin) The bulletin board/discussion forum seems to have fallen out of favor, what with smart phones, texting and other social media platforms. Some ferrants leave because they have had too much heartbreak from losses (28 for me), some get busy or married or have kids and don't have the time. I was a member of the original holistic ferret forum. I've spent thousands of hours posting (6300 here so far), researching and posting some more and just chatting and enjoying. Through a ferret forum, I met my wife who was living in Canada and I was in Florida while we watched a jill go through pregnancy and then kits being born live on a webcam in UK.
I'm 62 now, and we probably won't get get anymore ferrets. Our 2 are only 2 years old, tho it seems like they've been with us a lot longer. I won't ever turn away a rescue, But I'm not in the market to buy, either.
I'm semi-retired and I check this forum several times a day. I'll be here at least until my last ferret heads for the bridge. I love the little buggers so much. We appreciate all new and lasting members, so don't be strangers. Post pics esp in the photo contest. Enjoy! I've met people from all over the world, from Russia, Japan, Denmark and exotic lands like Canada, on this forum alone. It's the members' participation that make it what it is.
The active members we have possess a lot of experience. We've been through a lot of ferret issues, and some of us had the opportunity to nudge our vets into expanding their knowledge of ferret husbandry.

[Charlie]

A lot of the people who were on here are now on the facebook holistic ferret forum. But I find with that it's hard finding info on there and it's easier to read peoples threads here compared to posts on facebook. Plus my facebook doesn't work well on my computer. lol

[lumboo]

Everything is on Facebook these days....which is very annoying for those of us that aren't on social media :/

[unclejoe]

Jul 29, 2021 16:09:06 GMT -5 lumboo said:

Everything is on Facebook these days....which is very annoying for those of us that aren't on social media :/

I'm not on facebook either

[vivi]

Me either. I do not have facebook...LOL

[Thérèse]

I have facebook but never access it because I found it too depressing (the number of posts about the awful things people do). I, like unclejoe, have been on a number of ferret forums but all eventually seem to decline and die, this one has had a longer run than many. A lot of people prefer social media, partly an age thing. I am not a social media person, being older I prefer the old school ways. Having said that, I will admit I don't check forums much anymore, or any online things, because the Australian government, in it's infinite wisdom, changed things and this meant the old phone lines became defunct, consequently I have no phone line connection and had to move to modem key thing and I don't connect it much so that I don't use too much data. Before it was all linked to my landline, so was connected whenever I turned on my pc.

[eclipso]

Yes, but I'm sure people that go on the internet looking for ferret advice could find this forum and if there was a way to see all the useful information on the front, like having tabs for the main illnesses in an easy place to find, they would use it more, I don't know. Just trying to help

[unclejoe]

Comments I should have thought of sooner
Yes, this forum once had a lot of active members, but every day I or one of the mods approves new members. It is really up to the members to keep this place busy.  While its original intent was to promote holistic ferret care and feeding,it's also a place to meet other ferrets and ferrants and share stories and experiences and have fun. It is what you, the members make it.  I'll be here for some time to come, and we still have members experienced in raw feeding, medical issues and general husbandry.  So let's have fun and keep it going!

[miamiferret2]

Jul 30, 2021 16:37:19 GMT -5 unclejoe said:

Jul 29, 2021 16:09:06 GMT -5 lumboo said:

Everything is on Facebook these days....which is very annoying for those of us that aren't on social media :/

I'm not on facebook either

I am not on Facebook either. I don't always log in or post, but I love to read the posts on this forum. Sometimes if I forget something, I'll come back on here and look it up! The HFF is now my online ferret encyclopedia!

[abbeytheferret6]

Not on Facebook