NUCASTLE board's future

Probably been discussed somewhere before.

I've recently upped my interest level in music / having half a life and not always being business focused like I have been for years. Probably something to do with some major changes in my life paired up with buying a mixer/CDJ set up which was financially out of reach when I was younger and clubbing. I have not stepped into a club for a long time except 2010's JAUNT (Circo Loco night) and the night Rossy was DJing in the Newcastle University Students Union night. All I do music wise is listen to podcasts and pleasure myself over DJ sets recorded on YouTube.

Coming back on here and having a scout around, I felt that I appreciate the Music/Productions/Podcast sections because it's another way to find out what people, especially locals, are listening to. When you post into MUSIC or GOING OUT sections It also tweets a link to the post on Twitter / adds posts to Facebook which I hadn't even realised was integrated - so your posts get shouted to a wider audience and drives traffic back onto this forum by providing a link to the thread.

I was wondering your thoughts on the future of this board. Many of us remember when it was chocka with hundreds of users posting every day but that was mostly because it was linked with a culture following Promise / Quality nights when the domain was www.promisealways.com . There was also no such thing as Facebook so this was the channel to do all of your clubbing social networking and the promise culture was strong.

Some things floating round my mind were:

1) What do you think's the best use of this board now, or what could the board do better?
Music and Events sections are good. What about adding sections that are relevant to clubbers/music lovers.. for example There could be a case for DJ Tips section.. but would there be enough of a catchment in the Newcastle area for this given that it's a relatively small-ish city.. We used to have a problem here where there were too many sections tumbleweeding some time after Promise closed so the last thing this needs is another empty forum. An Ibiza 2013 or 2014 forum might be an idea if there was enough traffic on here actually going to Ibiza or Croatia or Winter Music Conference. Again, doing that on an empty board might dilute the sections too much.

Last week I found a generic DJ site with loads of basic and advanced hints/tips on it (everything from cheesy DJing to Deep House / Techno). Gave advice on all sorts of things from skills, youtube video tutorials, new equipment reviews and basic DJ etiquette. Whilst interesting and some of it relevant to me in my very early stages of learning skills, I don't know how many users here would contribute to it or benefit from it due to the fact this is a local board specific to an area. Which brings me onto...

2) What would attract more users? E.g. Branded NUCASTLE shit around nights which the board users put on.

3) I like NUCASTLE - however to drive more users, would there even be a cause for switching this into a generic underground dance music website to appeal nationwide? or Northern e.g. Sheffield, Leeds, upwards? That could appeal to far more of an audience. That's a major change, I know, but that's one idea.

4) Start a night called NUCASTLE. That'd start the flow nicely.. but takes a lot of dedication and time.

5) What other boards do you use?

I use
www.djmixes.net
www.digitaldjtips.com/forum/

I still believe this could be a lot busier if used in the right way. The potential for the resource is massive. Personally all I really want from this message board is what I've already heard and appreciated over the weekend - some of the Locals hoying mixes up...

I hope I'm not upsetting anybody or stepping on toes by posting ideas like this.. I'm just up for some appreciation and revival.

I like the idea of the production forum but unfortunately it doesn't seem to get used much, Which is a shame because it could be used for advice for people who are starting out or even just to promote there latest releases. I look on this forum quite often but don't really post (probably like most people) because of the lack of activity, not sure how you go about getting more people posting obviously there is quite a few popular local djs/producer on facebook its just getting them to use this site, also people who get reactions like congay encourage more posts. Lol
Remix competitions are a good idea as well like the tiesto one on beatport they seem to get allot of attention, Again if you could get a local label on side I'm sure that would help.

I think a night called Nucastle would be beneficial to the board, but that would take a lot of dedication. I think this board gets used mainly for promoting events & music now, that's why I suggested a year or two back to move going out etc right up the top to coax more people to use the board. It does get quite a lot of guests still, I post a thread called Best VST's in Productions & it's had almost 4,000 views.

As well as Facebook, I think a lot of members got fed up with all the "rinsing" that went on over the years on here as well. I'll not name names but a few people I know who had been members for years stopped coming on because of all the carry on.

I'd personally like to see it fill up again with people who come on to talk about events, productions, sets etc.

I used to like all the other shit that was posted on here. If you are only on facebook you get all your mates agreeing with you. This place let me argue with people I would never have talked to normally, and gave me a window into a whole set of other ways of seeing the world which is an enriching experience. What this place needs is an argumentative opinionated voice like the Milk the Cow page on facebook which stirs people up. There are people on here from wildly different backgrounds. They all just stopped arguing though.

Im prepared to cause arguments for the sake of the board if it is needed of me.

All the people who liked to argue have gone or grew up. Shame really. As I would like to speak to them again. Its been years. And we all have changed

Well I think this just seals the deal with the future of the board.

Shut it down Conway before everyone flocks back to argue, never mind clubbing & music, it doesn't matter on a clubbing & music forum.

I think I'll call it a day right about now actually.

Best of luck! lol.

A Nucastle night would be cool, the chance to meet face to face with some of the decent people on here would be nice.

Tried it, the place flooded.

Conway shot himself In the foot when he started deleting thread he didn't agree with of when he was made to look foolish.

I no longer post which basically kept this board going for years.

FUCK IT AND FUCK CONWAY

Sadly that does not appear to be the case.

surely you posting that suggests otherwise, and your recent posts in the Sport forum

I blame the credit crunch. I think the production side of the forums would be good if there was more activity in it. Is the podcast still going?

Just an idea but what about a radio feed / show type scheduled format? [could have the ability to book slots / connect for live mixing sets] giving producers / localish talent the chance to do shows / mixes & play their own productions / labels stuff regularly - dunno if that would be to much of a fuck on?

I was thinking, since everybody almost automatically has a Facebook login as part of being a human being, if we could tap into that properly and make it easier to be a part of Nucastle then it could help drive the numbers up.

I was thinking perhaps its high time to move the entire thing onto Facebook Groups and Twitter but not have the old forum behind it. You can reach so many more people on that.

I've never looked into it properly before but there are some businesses including mine on it.

It doesn't appear from basic use that you can have sections.

Eg
GOING OUT
PODCASTS
PRODUCTIONS
BANTER
etc

So you're just kind of in a general Stream of the latest posts.

Can this be expanded on?

The new rave kids don't want a community, they just want everyone to say how good they look

Completely understandable but you are talking bullshit.

I walked when you deleted my posting proving you didn't know what you talking about reguarding immigrants coming here and being entitled to claim benefits. It made you look stupid so you kept deleting it. I was simply reciting the counties laws. Not racist in the slightest BUT humiliating to you.

Good luck, the jobs fucked.