Almost all new members don't stay, we should find a way to attract more new members and get them to stay.

I don't think attracting them is too hard, but yea i see a lot of people introduce themselves then leave.

However, I also see a lot of people introduce themselves then stay, so i think it's just they havnt explored the community enough. Seriously, there is enought things in this forum for everyone to like. From faking, to pixeling, to making digital designs, to talking about rs tricks, and other game tips, to the newspaper and Salcast.

I really don't know what else we could have

making people stay is definitely the hard part

How about stop using old jokes that no longer have any base in the welcoming topics? How about acting insanely creepy towards some new members like some of you do.

It really isn't a problem, some people stay and find their niche, some people leave, the forum stays pretty balanced .

part of them problem is that 19/20 recent new members have been mutt/lord condom trolls.

I recently came back, re-introduced myself and stayed.

Well, I think we should all have a nice, friendly welcoming approach to new members. Especially in their introduction threads, as that is generally where they get their first impressions of the community, and specific members.

Yes, introductions is where they will look to see if they are accepted, or not.

And i agree with Slei, the worn-out jokes have got to stop. They really weren't even funny in the first place.

Yeah, it really encourages a new member to stay when some random says 'Dani r bear@@@'.
The jokes are old. Nobody with any remnants of maturity find them funny anymore.

I never even made a Hello topic and I stayed, if them jokes were to welcome me if I did make a hell topic then I wouldn't of stayed.

No one actually says that except when people are talking about others using it.

We don't need much more new members i.m.o., this community is huge already.

This doesn't mean we have to scare them off though.

The only surefire way to keep somebody in is to use the tried-and-true Josef Fritzl technique. And I'm pretty sure it's illegal anyway.

That, and burying all your rivals...which is definetely illegal in most countries around the world.

The reason Sals is smaller compared to Tip It, HQ and Zybez though is that we don't advertise for staff, thats why they are always likely to be bigger...who we do have here though are insanely loyal though...which i would take any day

Their runescape fansites are also more popular and get visited more. It's not that the Sal's site is bad, but the others for some reason are just more popular and if you went up to a random person in runescape and asked for a good fansite they are most likely to tell you Tip.it, Rune Hq, or Zybez.

The very reason they are more popular is because they take applications for staff and there will always be an element who simply want a tag, therefore they get bigger and more well known with more resources and manpower as a by-product of that

Fortunately those 3 sites are great anyway so that approach worked...if they were crap then there would be a big problem lol

I think we lack intersting topics in the places new members look; the general discussion. When I became a member it was to join the excitement about the world crashes, and join the speculation. Since I've been trying to raise the quality of posting in general discussion but most threads are blatently unintresting. I mean what new members is going to post in a rate me thread, or a thread about what you would do if you are hacked. In other forums there is a standard of quality each thread must hit which makes it possible for a conversation to happen. Look at the quality of posts in the debate forum, that is partly because of the thread on posting topics there.

I hate to be critical, but I am going to be. I mean look at these topics: "how many of you have a rune platebody", "you've been hacked", "runesape is too bright", "rate me pls@@" etc.. I think it's pretty obvious why new members are hardly staying so much, there is no hook to bring them in. There is no topic to get them involved, look at another site's "achievments" section..similar to our "skill logs", their forum for that is on the front forum section, not hidden in sub threads. It has 200 000 posts, the 2nd largest forum on that forum, so you can see how we miss our chances to hook people in. Anyway, I hope that made sense.

I understand fully what you mean Choccy, a bit part of that problem is the lounge, at one time it was the place to go and it was full of interesting stuff...

Now everyone hides in a blog and beyond the usual "count to 100" there is nothing.

It is up to the members to make interesting threads though...I would love to see new and interesting things, but it is difficult on how to encourage this...

Yah, I got to say... the 'Scape Lounge isn't the most inviting place, especially when newer members are directed there (by the description). Some of the topics in that section are just "left-center field".

The best part of these forums is the small community with some very great people, at least in my perspective.

There may be some questionable topics in the Runescape Discussion Forum, but they all spark discussion even if it is a small amount. You just have to look out for topics that hook into your interests. Overall, I suppose the lack in interesting topics is due to the low activity of all the members (thus why we are here trying to figure out how to expand).

Well, we get alltime more members (not all time).
And im new too and i will stay here becouse i like these forums.

I just joined yesterday, and I plan to stay.
I don't understand why I joined so late though, this site helped me ever since I joined...and I still use it sometimes.

It may be smaller, but it's the most proper/useful. :3