1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)

From CBR, which I discovered through searching for a comics news/chat website. I think I was there from around 2002 or 2003. Then I was invited to come here, like other regulars at the CBR Classics Board.


2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)

I had spent some time, maybe a year or so, on the Alvaro's Avengers board, which I think I came across when looking for websites dealing with the old Marvel comics I remembered from childhood. I had posted a little bit there - my first experience with messageboards in general, comics or otherwise - so I when I found CBR I was already open to the possibility. I lurked for a long time before posting. But there was so much going on, really it was just a matter of eventually seeing some topic that I was especially interested in and had something to say about. I think my earliest posts were on the music board. That's one of the things that drew me to CBR: it wasn't just about comics.


3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?

I used to read the Guardian online every day but I stopped contributing after becoming increasingly disappointed with some of their political stances. I used to especially spend a lot of time on their books page and commented pretty regularly on the TLS "Tips, Links, and Suggestions" - and other Guardian chat boards as well but mostly that one. I'm still addicted to the daily Cryptic crossword and the weekly "Everyman's" but don't read much now.

Just last month I joined the "ErsatzTLS" that some of the TLS regulars started there after the Guardian dropped it from their site. Haven't contributed much yet but I can see myself getting into it more if I get into the habit.

I subscribe to Le Monde Diplomatique, a monthly news journal and latey I've found myself reading the online version rather than the actual paper I receive in the mail: the print and praphics (maps, etc) are easier to read, and there are often a few extra things each month. It's around 30 pages, so a page or an article per day fits into 1 month nicely.

I listen to a sports radio channel quite a bit, TSN's online feed from Montreal. Ex-Habs Chris Nilan and Sergio Momesso are regular cntributers - Nilan has an afternoon show weekdays. Michael Farber, ex Sports Illustrated writer is on once a week.

I listen to BBC radio online, especially Stuart McConie's Freak Zone show, although I've been less consistent lately than I have been over the last several years. I got back to it last week though and can see that 'll probably become a regular again.

Since I don't have cable, I often watch tv online at the CBC and Radio-Canada websites.

I watch youtube quite a lot - sports, music, and increasingly tv shows - it's sometimes easier to find CBC news on there than to navigate the CBC site itself.

And of course I have wikipedia going almost whenever the compter is turned on - I'm always looking up stuff I come across in whatever book or news article I happen to be reading.



4. What keeps you coming back?

The community. Our small size is a strength and a weakness: we don't have the variety of CBR, the huge membership and wide range of different boards you can lose yourself on if you're tired of one place or another, but everyone here seems to get along with each other pretty well, you don't often (ever?) see the kind of aggression and posturing you get elsewhere. And there are a lot of people here roughly my own age group, +/- 15 years or so, which means we have certain things - memories, interests - in common, but perhaps this is another strength that is also a weakness.


5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?

I do find the lack of female members disturbing, and the manner in which the few that have been here often seem to leave - feeling harrassed or unappreciated. But there have been so few, perhaps it's too small a sample size to form a judgement? If once the female membership reached a certain threshold, I think more would stay - as it is, it must be hard not to feel isolated and conspicuous. But how to reach and surpass that minimum, whatever it might be, I have no idea.

The lack of younger members seems normal to me, given the nature of the CCF as a "Classics" board, which I imagine many younger readers will have only a mild interest in. Also, I imagine younger readers prefer to talk to people from their own age group. Isn't this the same in real life? To a twenty-something, we must seem like old fogies. But if any younger person does want to participate and refrains from fear of not fitting in, then I'd agree, that is a problem.

Oh, that's good to know. I had the wrong impression, I suppose from remembering that one incident, if it's the one I'm thnking of.

I'm new here, and not sure if you are still looking for some survey responses since it's been a number of months, but if helpful here's my feedback:

1. How did you first discover the CCF? (If you came here from CBR, how did you first discover CBR?)
I've joined other forums before, but many are just too modern-oriented for me. While I like many different eras of comic books, spending 90% of the time talking to people who want to discuss 2000's to current comic books just isn't my thing. So CCF came up when I was doing Google searches for a more classic focused forum, and with people a little more my age

2. What made you decide to register and post for the first time? (Again, if you came here from CBR, tell us that)
I spent some time following some of the discussions here first. Honestly I just liked the fact that there is activity with people who really seem to be both knowledgeable and enjoy discussing...just seemed like maybe a place I might fit in!

3. Where else do you spend a significant amount of time online? Where would you rank The CCF in terms of sites/apps that consume the majority of your screen time?
I'm on the honeymoon right now with CCF, but I'm spending a LOT more time here than probably any other place I have before. In addition to jumping in and adding posts, I actually have loved READING so much content here. Both older threads, as well as stuff like all the great reviews and knowledge folks here share.

4. What keeps you coming back?
Lots of good stuff overall, but as a new guy two things in particular have kind of jumped out at me. First, there are a lot of veterans here who STILL post a lot and are very active. I've been on forums for over 15 years now, and oftentimes I feel there's a lifecycle. People who join early on build up friendships, years go by, people move on, the old crowd spends more time missing the "old days" versus maybe getting to know newer folks, and generally seem less engaged with regular posting. This place seems to be VERY welcoming to new folks, and again speaking as a rookie here, I've already felt comfortable trying to join in. Second, with fun little ongoing threads like the comic book cover or word associations, you can always contribute at least something on a regular basis if you want to.

5. Any suggestions/recommendations for how to make the CCF an even better community than it already is?
On this one, I feel like I might have better ideas after I have been here longer, but nothing immediate comes to mind.

If you see us involved, it usually means we've already removed the truly combative stuff, so it often looks like we're getting involved and locking threads over absolutely nothing. We get it. We know how it looks. But I promise you we do our best not to get involved anymore than necessary. It's truly hard to find the right balance between being too proactive and being too lax. We do our best to find a consistent and dependable middle ground.

Anyway, all of this is very helpful. So glad you got in the lifeboat!

Thread locked, member banned