Why you like TWW

[Mike]

When trying to grow the community (promoting TWW) I get a lot of questions about traffic and so on, but also a fair few about why TWW is worth joining.

So rather than me saying what I think TWW is like, and has to offer, I thought I would ask you to post your reasons here and then people could see what the community as a whole feels about it.

 

[Victoria Dickson]

The high standard of moderation here, obviously. 🙂

Having got the most important plus out of the way, it’s the atmosphere here.  Friendly, welcoming, relaxed.  There don’t seem to be any cliques or long running grudges.  You don’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing that will reignite some feud between other posters.  It’s all so civilised here.

And people here make you feel included, there doesn’t seem to be any period of having to prove you deserve to have your opinions considered.

I don’t know enough about technical features of websites to say if this one is better than average, the ability to upload pictures directly seems like a plus point (though I haven’t done anything recently worth taking a picture of, I need to remedy that).

Oh, and no politics.  That is a major plus. 🙂

http://crazywargames.blogspot.co.uk/

[Volunteer]

Hello Mike,

Well you knocked out 80% of what I was going to say with that last admonition. Comparison is the easiest way to describe the positive attributes of this site.

I have only been here a short time and while a bit slow (this may be due to it being summer, hope so anyway), I have found all members very civil and friendly. I have also found the editor helpful, rational, and mature. A refreshing change from where I’ve been (sorry, I just had to throw that in 😉

There is a nice variety of forum headings and I hope to see it grow in the years ahead. I am also pleased to see the number of advertisers and hope that grows as well.

I like the hours too. I have yet to experience a daily timeout period for maintenance.

I like the ease of attaching photos and links. I haven’t figured out how to share files or PM members yet, but I’m sure there must be a way.

I am still exploring the full content of the site, so may come back with more as I find things I lke.

Regards,

Vol

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Just Jack]

It’s a great place to come and talk about wargaming, with at least 99% of the topics and conversation actually dedicated to wargaming, which has been a breath of fresh air, and exactly what I’m looking for.  I’ve always held the opinion that if you wish to discuss religion, science, politics, current affairs, foreign policy, etc…, there are plenty of website out there built expressly for that purpose, so please keep it off the toy soldier gaming site.

If there’s one point of critique, it’s that being the great place it is, TWW has seen an increase in traffic, and I think it might be time to see if the front page can show more than ten topics (“Latest Posts”).*

*And please forgive my ignorance and point me in the right direction if it already has the capability of being expanded.

V/R,
Jack

[Volunteer]

Hey!

Mike you removed the admonishment to not talk about the bad stuff on other sites! I could have just gone on and on without that warning 😈
Oh yes, I must agree with Victoria, no politics is nice.

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[zippyfusenet]

What Victoria said.

This site is about miniature wargaming. There are so many other places I can go for pointless arguments, and taking and giving offense. It’s peaceful here.

You'll shoot your eye out, kid!

[Mike]

Volunteer wrote:

I like the ease of attaching photos and links. I haven’t figured out how to share files or PM members yet, but I’m sure there must be a way.

No facility to attach files, but people do link to sites where files are, such as dropbox etc.

PM’s are for Sponsor and Trader members and can be found on the home page menu under Messaging.

😀

[McKinstry]

1. It is about wargaming and directly related items around gaming.
2. Sensible moderation. No politics coupled with well mannered posters.
3. Modern technology. Easy to attach photos, no weird hiccups, easy to read format and controls.
4. A really pleasant atmosphere. Friendly and helpful with a noted absence of snark that can occasionally plague many places on the net.

The tree of Life is self pruning.

[Earther]

I like the ad page – quick and easy to peruse, and regularly updated. 

 

I also like how TWW is becoming more of a hub for 6 and 15mm SF, along with 15mm fantasy stuff.

 

The forum drop-down navigation thingy was also a very pleasant surpass and makes it easy to scoot about the place. 

[Norm S]

It is a site that is primarily about WARGAMING.

Fellow posters are polite, supportive and helpful.

politics and bait type posts don’t happen, Mike is a regular poster (in two guises), he sets the standard and moderates fairly.

No down time in the morning (UK) when I get my first wargame hit.

Basically it is just a friendly environment that I look forward to visiting.

 

 

[Not Connard Sage]

It’s moderated properly. The owner is an intelligent bloke. And it has a high wargamey content.

 

That OK Mike? Cheque to the usual dropbox 😉

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[kyoteblue]

It’s open 24/7 365 , so I can post any time.  The moderation is even handed. Most of the people I like post here. War game stuff !!!

[ian pillay]

Positive, friendly and informative site, all based around a hobby I love – wargaming.

I have read many a good posts here on topics I normally wouldn’t bother with on other sites, the content here is normally of good quality by people who are passionate about their subjects. Two thumbs up from me.

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Rod Robertson]

Mike:

It makes me happy. That’s what it ultimately boils down to and why I recommend it to all that ask. Very good, fair, tempered and thoughtful moderation, a focus on gaming and miniatures, a community seemingly determined to discuss and celebrate our common hobby without rancour but with generosity and enthusiasm. Creativity, hobby knowledge and historical perspective are all here and well represented. Thank you to Mike and Sam for running such a tight ship and thank you to all the TWW community for your drive, your passion, your committment to civility and for being so damn cool! Bravo to all!

Cheers and good gaming.

Rod Robertson.

[Cerdic]

What Connard said!

I would also add that the atmosphere and content is good. Friendly and light-hearted, you can have a bit of a joke without it going too far. If you see what I mean! It is also nice to see some ‘known’ names here.

I would agree that ‘latest post’ would probably be more useful than ‘latest topic’ in the drop down menu!

http://28mmreview.blogspot.co.uk

[Thaddeus Blanchette]

Sane moderation.

We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

[Rules Junkie Jim]

The atmosphere here is relaxed and friendly, the enjoyment of wargaming and miniatures is all that matters, and since I joined I’ve become a better lover.

[Victoria Dickson]

Rules Junkie Jim wrote:

The atmosphere here is relaxed and friendly, the enjoyment of wargaming and miniatures is all that matters, and since I joined I’ve become a better lover.

 

Well, that’s our advertising campaign sorted. 🙂

http://crazywargames.blogspot.co.uk/

[Russell Phillips]

The friendly atmosphere.
That it works on my phone just as well as it does on my laptop.
No regular downtime (honestly, that should be a given these days).
Being able to get email notifications of replies to forum threads.

Military history author
Website : Mastodon : Facebook

[Iain Fuller]

Yep, what everyone else has said, it is just a lovely place to visit and concerns itself with wargaming in all its many forms.

That people here respect what others have to say and if not in 100% agreement an actual civilised discussion occurs.

Moderation is done evenly and politely with a minimum of fuss.

No stupid polls.

Oh, I forgot. For only a quid a month it is ridiculously cheap to become a sponsoring member.

 

[OB]

It’s a wargaming site where people talk about wargaming.  Just what wargamers like.

As ever in life, the person at the top sets the tone and so we have a polite forum where people are helpful and considerate to each other.  No politics, hysteria or clumsy shakedowns, it’s grand.

I had a look at the stats Mike posted it all seems to be heading in the right direction.  I think the ability to directly link photos is a real asset considering the photobucket debacle.

OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/

[General Slade]

I also like the friendly atmosphere and the fact that all the content is wargaming related.  My main interest is Napoleonics and there is maybe not as much traffic on that board as I would like (I enjoy it when people ask obscure uniform questions; it gives me an excuse to stop work and go and look stuff up).

However, with Napoleonics you do have to be careful what you wish for. It is an era that seems to attract the kind of experts who don’t play well with others and the same faces seem to pursue each other from board to board across the internet to engage in the same endless arguments with each other.

So I would like to see the Napoleonic board more active. I just hope it doesn’t get too active.

[Who Asked This Joker]

The moderator here seems to be pretty even handed…not that much moderation is needed!

The content is either about history or wargaming.

There is a kind of a Who’s who of expats from another wargame website…familiar faces.

My one dig (and it has been mentioned earlier) the “recent posts” roll is far too short.

 

 

John

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

--Abraham Lincoln

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

Like others, I enjoy the tone here. Mature, civil conversations; on topic–very little static. I peruse TMP and LAF but I rarely (read ‘not in the past several years’) do anything other than read. I don’t even sign in. Honestly, I find more content that aligns to my interests here on TWW. What motivated me to register and participate was Mike’s tagline ‘Be excellent to one another’ and a mention of Wheaton’s Law in the terms of use page (or somewhere like that). That’s a community I want to support.

Like several other people, I’d like to see a more succinct forum landing page with the 10 – 15 most recent topics and the 25 – 30 most recent posts (maybe with the author’s username–just to help me remember if I’ve already read that post). I check TWW several times a day for new content. But there’s only one or two days out of the week where I have time to log in and respond.  So if there was some way to get a very fast, focused snapshot of new content, then TWW would be almost perfect!

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[willz]

Ditto all of the above.

I love the relaxed, friendly and informative atmosphere of like minded gamers, modellers and hobby enthusiasts who frequent these hollowed pages and a big thank you to Mike for running the forum.

[Mike]

Is everyone aware of the subscription features and so on?
You can subscribe to topics you like, so you get e-mails when there is a new reply?
You can also subscribe to entire forums so you get e-mails when there is a new topic, once you have checked out that new topic you can decide if you want to subscribe to it or leave it be.

STUFF and THINGS

[Ivan Sorensen]

Inclusive, welcoming, on topic and consistent.

[Russell Phillips]

Also, from a trader’s perspective, I like the advertising and news options. I have access to stats about my adverts, I can submit news months in advance, and I can subscribe to news articles, so if someone comments, I can reply.

Military history author
Website : Mastodon : Facebook

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

Yeah, I’ve looked at the subscribe and favorites functions. Ultimately, both of these functions are designed to help users filter out content in which they are not interested. It lets them pinpoint content of interest and go directly to it. I’d rather have a broader view of all recent activity. Frankly, email notifications just don’t do it for me. Too intrusive and too much email de-cluttering ensues.

In fact, the ‘Latest topics’ page (http://www.thewargameswebsite.com/forums/view/latest-topics/) is very close to what I desire. This is under the Forums|Views tab. Is it possible to create a view that lists topics in most recent post (‘freshness) order? Ideally one that I didn’t have to log in to peruse. But logging in is a small price to pay. I know WordPress plugins can vary widely in functionality so I’m not sure how flexible TWW’s software is.

 

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Thuseld]

Norm S wrote:

Mike is a regular poster (in two guises), he sets the standard and moderates fairly.

This has answered the mystery for me. My use of this site is complete and I have no need of it anymore.

Joking aside, I like how well supported 6mm sci fi is here. I wouldn’t be as into it as I am if it hadn’t been for this place.

I love that people are excited to see my crappy minis and follow my games if they want to, without being judgemental.

Long live TWW.

Experiments here: http://inexperiencedmodelmaker.blogspot.co.uk/

Tranquil Stars updates: https://tranquilstars.wordpress.com

[William Minsinger]

Site is on-topic, up-to-date site infrastructure, good community and good moderation.  What’s not to like?

-Will

[Patrice]

As everyone said : good moderation, no politics, good company, various gaming-related subjects.

The fact that members know how to behave because many of them have experienced worse places probably helps too.

http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
https://www.anargader.net/

[Deleted User]

Mike wrote:

When trying to grow the community (promoting TWW) I get a lot of questions about traffic and so on, but also a fair few about why TWW is worth joining. .

 

All of the above posts accurately express the positives of the site. However, to be pragmatic, a forum is no better than the amount of traffic & the quality of posts (I’m sure there’s a mathematical formula to express this). If posts are simply dross, no matter how many, the forum is worthless. If posts are topical, thought-provoking & on subject but there’s only a few a day/week, the forum is moribund. We all know examples of both of these.

The only way TWW will grow is if the current membership posts regularly & posts often & posts quality and attracts similar sorts to join. IMO, TWW is heading there but has not arrived yet. I hope this doesn’t sound negative or some sort of attack as I really want TWW to thrive & I intend no more than helpful advice.

 

donald

[Jemima Fawr]

I’m here for the free drugs and groupies.

My wargames blog: http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/

[Private Snafu]

I like it here.  No better or no worse than other sites.  Each have their merits.  I visit 4 regularly and a couple others occasionally. I really appreciate the full function editor and the latest posts feature.

___________________
http://moveshootassault.blogspot.com
https://sites.google.com/site/miniaturemachinations

[Jim Jackaman]

Wargames rather than silliness or sniping.

No trolling by fizzy drink merchants.

Nice atmosphere.

Interesting content.

Dare I say it, a little more Anglocentric, in a ‘fair play and polite’ way.

 

http://jimswargamesworkbench.blogspot.co.uk

[Mike]

Jim Jackaman wrote:

Dare I say it, a little more Anglocentric, in a ‘fair play and polite’ way.

Interesting as the majority of traffic is from the USA.

😉

 

[Mike]

Jim Jackaman wrote:

Wargames rather than silliness or sniping. No trolling by fizzy drink merchants. Nice atmosphere. Interesting content.

Thanks to everyone that helps make it as such.

🙂

[Jim Jackaman]

That is a bit odd.

Mind you, all the yanks I have met have always been very well mannered and polite.

Maybe it’s an Internet thing?

http://jimswargamesworkbench.blogspot.co.uk

[Whirlwind]

I’m sure I shall largely repeat what has been said above but:

Good, even-handed moderation

Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable posters

Interesting content

Good functionality, with very few bugs

[Author]

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