115 replies to this topic

[TheAnna18]

I don't know if I count as a vet, but I was most active on here around 2008-2010. I rarely used the tracker so all I have to say is regarding the forums.

When I first joined the forum, it actually resembled a community. People knew each other, talked to each other, and overall had fun together. There was the general chat thread which was fun, but they shut it down because apparently they thought people were abusing it to get their post count up. (Even if they were, why would it matter?) They then suggested everyone go to some lame H!O irc room instead which was mostly people that have been AFK for days, so obviously that never took off. They also changed the "post a picture of yourself" thread so no one could say anything about the pictures people posted. Those threads probably seem pretty insignificant, but I think stuff like that played a big part in keeping the community connected. Maybe you didn't share the same opinions on your idols, but you could still bond over mutually teasing faraithi for refusing to upload a picture of himself. Then they started cracking down on "off-topic" replies, and using "trolling" as means to suspend someone for having an unpopular opinion. I also remember there was a big thing where they were trying to change how people use quotes, and you would get scolded for using the quote box instead of ^ when applicable. That last one isn't too important, but I think it shows the rigid mindset of whoever dreamed up this whole reform crap.

Let's be real, we're a forum dedicated to talking about cute girls in skirts. We shouldn't have to hide half of our posts in spoilers prefaced with "This is sort of off topic, but..." and worry if our post is long enough to not be considered spam. There's a time and place for thought out posts, but sometimes all there really is to say is "wow, fukuchan is smokin' hot in this pv".

 

[G☆LE]

^I agree! I always hear of these things, but by the time I joined no one was like this anymore. the only time we really interact is in statuses.

[LoveRice]

How to fix this forum:

- make it more lax

- forum format easier to use and visitor-friendly

- MAKE IT MORE LAX

DID I MENTION MAKE IT MORE LAX?!

[zam（仮）]

^Isn't it more lax than it used to be already?
People can post pictures with out a single word.
I can double post, ofcourse with resonable cause I don't just bindly double post, but if you saw one it was the board acting up

[TheAnna18]

^ It seems like that stuff mostly applies for the less moderated sections and people that post news in otherwise dead threads. (ie. anhh's update posts) I don't think there was any time where that stuff wasn't acceptable, and I don't think justifiable double posts really count as this being a "lax" forum. 

It would also be nice if there was a little bit of a movement to organize the newsfeed and have more users submit things there, or a better thread system for separating news and discussion. The H!P agency section is a mess, it can be annoying sifting through threads looking for news, and I think the sloppy blend of news and discussion breeds a bad environment for conversation, so those threads end up looking like people just talking to themselves. This forum has a lot of talking, but very few discussions which seems kind of strange considering the purpose of a forum. I don't think H!O forums are a lost cause though, there are still a lot of people visiting and people that want to contribute, so with a couple changes I could see it turning around pretty quickly.

Edit: My pathetic attempt at making this place more welcoming http://www.hello-onl...d/#entry1843067

[mach1neshop]

I think I'm with zam on this one LoveRice but the forum's gone a bit more lax - the photo spam posts reminiscent of Tumblr are common place now. A few years before this, you may have gotten some posts like that but there was a whole lot of discussion going on.

 

The GUIs could always use a bit of work, but I tend to think in most cases this template is pretty user friendly already. If you mean to make it more interactive/userfriendly a la Facebook/Tumblr/Pinterest, I'm going to disagree with you there - this is a forum, not an overglorified status machine.

 

As for TheAnna18's comments, agreed, but the key to those changes occurring is more mods, or better self moderation from posters, and for the first improvement you mentioned, more active posters working content. I'm pessimistic - I don't see that happening any time soon (but if people want to prove me wrong - please do, the forum will be much improved and livelier).

[vutt]

Current statistics:

So it's not like there are lack of users. A lot of guests however. Since guests can't use tracker so they must be forum lurkers. I wonder why they are here then if "conversations are not the same they used to be"

 

btw. it can't be about fresh H!P news since there are other forums/sites out there which are a lot faster than H!O in that area.

[sculpey12]

I always thought the tracker was the "main attraction", but I realize there is a lot of info in the forum. Maybe it isn't the most accurate or organized, but I think people new to H!P and other idol groups will end up on this site at some point. I'm pretty sure I've Googled some idol stuff that just leads me back to some thread here.

 

I've been around here for a long time, but I'm definitely not a forum veteran. That said I can kinda see a shift in the style of comments. I'd say it has become more social media than old school message board. If it needs to change, I think it's the users' responsibility to see that happen. 

[Berikyuu!]

Maybe you didn't share the same opinions on your idols, but you could still bond over mutually teasing faraithi for refusing to upload a picture of himself.

 

 

OMG I remember faraithi! He was so fun to talk to! I wonder how he's doing...

[Natsuko-chan]

The thing I want changed is for people to be more friendly and for people who are douchewanks to at least receive some sort of reprimand for making the community feel toxic.

Everyone's too bloody wound tight, and I bet that's why a ton of them have left. It's why I stick to picboard now personally, but Tumblr gets pics before the picboard so it's better to stick there sometimes too.

[G☆LE]

^Tumblr brings back pretty much everything missing from here other than the tracker (though uploads go up pretty often). Some H!P blogs share other interests similar to yours so its its so easy to socialize, and when you ask questions people are a lot less snarky and it is so much easier to dodge the "douchewanks". 

I like the convenience and freedom of Tumblr, but I also REALLY like the people on H!O. (especially my oshis Krusha and Lurkette ;u;)

With Tumblr the fandom is very integrated, versus on here where new fans are often ignored.

I don't think its any real issue with the site, I think it has a lot to do with the users themselves and how we decide to communicate. 

For example, looser topics in general H!P would be nice.

[Maury Tuhis]

Ah those were the days of the idol Jihad when poo flew and hammers struck.

 

Fortunately there are chronicles with gems from those times.

 

!! IF U LOVE UR IDOL SO MUCH MAKE YOUR OWN FREAKING WEBSITE...THIS IS A SITE TO GO FOR H!P STUFF NOT AKB48...AKB48 SLUTS WOULD JUST WASTE THE SPACE HERE....GOD....STARTING WITH THE TRACKER NOW THE PICBOARD....SERIOUSLY....!!!! CAN U PPL SPELL HELLO ONLINE...OOOO...WHAT IS THAT...WHAT IS THE HELLO FOR IN HELLO ONLINE...OH THAT'S......FUDGING RIGHT....HELLO PROJECT....AKB48 GET OUT....GET OUT....GET OUT FROM MY FAVORITE SITE....GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[mach1neshop]

^ ROFL. Gotta love the random gems.

[Maury Tuhis]

You wouldn't believe all the fun of those days.

[ripete]

Hi. I have been coming here since 2003 or so, and still do everyday. Always been mostly a lurker. I admit it's mostly for the tracker, but I have always enjoyed the forums too. These days I follow AKB48 and BABYMETAL, but I also try to keep up with Hello!Project (well Morning Musume, not so much H!P anymore). What I miss most is the News Feed. While I enjoy reading the Pocket Mornings, I do miss news there. Morning Musume did a show in New York and there was never anything about it on the news feed. Seems the only news is about Up-Up Girls (and I don't really know who they are) Well I don't really have a summation, just that For the most part I still love the site.

[chr0nik©]

I've joined in 2007 and as of late I've been more of a lurker than of a poster. I'm still very interested in H!P and Morning Musume but all my favourites have graduated and the new ones haven't really caught my attention, which sucks,

[AragonDx]

 I also REALLY like the people on H!O. (especially my oshis Krusha and Lurkette ;u;)

 

yes, me too. As an AKB fan, I have an account in Stage48, but I rarely post something there.

I feel more comfortable here.

That's because H!O doesn't only focus on one fandom, it consists of many fans from other idol groups, so we can know about them and, who knows, end up becoming a fans

If I just, like, stay in Stage48, which consists of 48group fans, mostly, then I wouldn't know another idol groups

 

people here are friendly, and I like that.

[槇土 （Makito）]

Wait...H!O has changed?

[sukibeam]

It would also be nice if there was a little bit of a movement to organize the newsfeed and have more users submit things there

 

When I first started lurking here circa 2006ish, I remember people were always posting stuff to the front page. I particularly remember the one about Yossie's graduation being announced. As more and more members got blogs, a lot of people posted translation batches (hell, even I did Yaguchi ones for a time when the original person stopped). I feel like stuff that would make this a more active hub (such as the translations, news articles, etc) are done mostly on other sites now (or are hidden in the forums in particular threads). It's all so spread out now that there's blog project, haroradio, facebook, twitter feed, etc. Nowadays, the only thing that's posted to the H!P front page are the Pocket Mornings. I've actually recently thought about submitting news stuff just for the lols and to break up the monotony.

 

I started lurking again mostly because there was a strong shift in the kinds of people who joined this community. There was an influx of younger (as well as very uptight, attitude-prone) people to the forums. Discussion began to always devolve into "well, you're just a hater, go back to so-and-so's thread", or it got personal real quick. I actually saw something quite similar today in an ANGERME thread by a longtime user. People who tried to contribute either went thankless or were completely ignored among all the posts that were nothing more than drivel for post count. Even now, concert tour threads seem to always turn into "i want to see this super long list of all my favorite songs" and singles threads contain SO MUCH speculation. Honestly, I go to JPLOP nowadays for general discussion/news and H!O for lovemusic's concert rips and the member threads. In the end, H!O feels like more member spam than real discussion or fandom sharing (at least in the H!P forum). I've talked with some other long-time-users-but-lurkers and they sort of feel the same way about most of the forum, so I know it isn't just me. I read, but mostly skim to skip all the BS fighting/complaining that goes on.

 

I really do think we should start an initiative to post more things to the H!P front page though. I can't talk about the tracker since I don't really contribute to it anymore since I can afford to actually purchase my singles/concerts now, but I do think the front page is a good place to start.

[EtherSword]

@sukibeam, Good post, I saw both of the things you are talking about before you even posted, (ANGERME and "speculation" points).  I mean, we can always call things out but that could make things worse and its just better to wait it out for the most part.

 

 

I've joined in 2007 and as of late I've been more of a lurker than of a poster. I'm still very interested in H!P and Morning Musume but all my favourites have graduated and the new ones haven't really caught my attention, which sucks,

If you are referring to 9th and above, how much have you watched their stuff subbed?  Its funny though, none of alo hello featuring 9th gen+ haven't been subbed (wasted opportunity to show off these new girls).  There is a decent amount of DVD Magazines and Hello!Pro Time that have been subbed by a team called Twilight Paradise, their site is broken or down now though.  There is some of it on this tracker though, I would say that's your best bet to really get to know the girls.

 

I just really get the feeling the main reason why they haven't caught your attention is because of lack of subbed uploads featuring the new girls is making people like you lose interest.  A lot of the new girls have all sorts of personality quirks that is going unnoticed due to what I believe I mentioned in this thread in my first post.

 

(I'm just going to use @ to address everyone if I have something to say lol.)

 

@zam Yeah, I was referring to the tracker.  Also, haven't seen too much flames but I still think it would be better to have flames within our own respective fandom and not from other fandoms which I have seen here.

 

@mach1neshop Well, if you ever visited other sites that have torrents, I've seen a much better interface than what we have here lol.  And you second post here, yes yes yes yes.

 

@Santa-san  I agree that H!P music isn't the best out there but I stick around with H!P because of the personalities of the girls.

 

@sheikhyerbutay That sounds rough, I discovered my love for MM through youtube too, sounds like watched from the same youtuber.  I don't know if you seen any videos of these: http://i.youku.com/u...MTE4NTI0/videosbut these olderish videos should have some Morning Musume in them since the Hello!Pro Time videos is about all members in H!P collaborating with each other.  English subbed btw.

 

@minaeshi  Glad someone else agrees lol.  The way I see it, us members do give live to the community but we can't make things better in terms of layout but we are managing so far (but as we get more members things will be quite troublesome), maybe we need more people to complain lol before things actually do get cluttered with spin-off groups and etc.

 

@TheAnna18 I only partially agree.  For example, in the ANGERME thread (that gets brought up a lot here huh lol.)  Very recently there were at least 10 posts all talking about food, for people that are visiting the site for their latest news of their favorite girls thinking there is some good posts there but all they find is just a bunch of off-topic spam.  Keeping the community connected though with a lax atmosphere is important but lets not be too lax though lol, people like me will get annoyed when we are craving for new info about girls and not food.     But yeah, things can turnaround pretty quickly, H!O is far from dead but the path we are on now isn't a good one.  We can only do so much though, I think me making this thread was a good idea, seeing people I've never seen post is interesting and we actually creating a pretty good discussion regarding things and that we do believe things just aren't the way they use to be but still can be back to that.

 

@vutt I can't say the same for everyone but I think a lot of people are on right now and in general is due to a lot of big changing that happened in H!P, we got new groups, debuts, new generations and people are just craving for information for these things.  I am one of them, not sure what sites you could be referring too but any post here about H!P, the little bit amount of information can go a long way.  Pictures, gifs, and insight from other posters are a pretty big deal to me, I don't post often for several reasons but I check a lot of threads though.

 

@Tuhis Benzema  What a quote.  I think maybe back then the, "why not both :)" wasn't such a good idea after all lol.  I think we could have had both but after considering the things I've seen here, people could have simply joined other idol fansites instead of forcing them upon us H!P fans.  Even if it were to mean the translators to join those sites (not like they are doing anything here H!P related >_>).  http://www.hello-onl...50&article=1166<-newsfeed for Hello!Online V3, for more memorable quotes.