Forum Topic

Time for a merger.....

...with another site, such as chiswickW4.com, don't you think ?  This forum never really got going, and Johanna Handley is currenrly using it as some kind of advertising/recruitment space.I'd be interested in the thoughts of the people that run this site, as well as those that read (but don't post on) it........Andrew

Andrew Broadbent ● 6891d38 Comments

Jim.  Brill pics.  Thanks a million.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6868d

Is that Hammersmith Broadway?

Carol Burge ● 6868d

Brentford is really slowing down Jim. Maybe we need Gerry to kick start there????

Audrey Walton ● 6869d

And Brentford only had 7..so far.The Forums done well..and memory lane subjects always generally arouse interest!!

Jim Lawes ● 6869d

You'll be surprised perhaps at how many people do pop in to have a look at your Forum..even though they don't put their heads above the paparpet and start sending in messages.Things will evolved.  The key I reckon..is to get some interesting subjects going.I believe that almost singlehandedly Gerry Tan got the Ealing Forum going from the doldrums..and that place is now a friendly Cyberspace meeting cafe.  Brentford has enjoyed some wonderful times too. Yes there are occasional punch-ups there..but it's caused by just a few Room 101 candidates...and currently some of us are put off by a couple of pests..well just me perhaps!Gerry and Ann and Audrey..and several others..including myself have posted thousands of messages during the past 2 years or more ..and the Forums become essential daily reading.There's so much of interest around Hammersmith. I've had difficulty logging into HammersmithToday..but now that's sorted. Hopefully others are able to..also.Many of us know Hameersmith well..from WW2 indeed!..and hopefully you will find that we have something to contribute now and again. Start stirring the porridge Gerry!Some of us have  and on other |Forums Gerry Tan has been a whiz kid at that..and he has whipped Audrey ,Ann and myself into posting THOUSANDS of messages over the years.

Jim Lawes ● 6869d

Sorry Rosemary - this is to reach Audrey:No email in my inbox see new posting

William Hosking ● 6881d

um, long way to go Gerry! We lurkers are trying though. How about one of your sharp questions Gerry; you always seem to be on the cutting edge!BTW is it a holiday next Monday?

Audrey Walton ● 6882d

I've posted this round the residents' association on a couple of occasions and am only waiting for another 'Brackenbury' story to do so again. If other people reading this belong to a local association then please do the same.I'd like to keep a Hammersmith connection and am not at all disheartened by the relative lack of activity. It's up to us to see that it thrives.Like the idea of links with the Council. I'll email this to my three local councillors.

Rosemary Pettit ● 6883d

I don't think I'm being negative; I've been looking at this site for a couple of years now, and it hasn't taken off - but I'll be chuffed to bits if it does.I prefer to think of myself as a realist ;-)Andrew

Andrew Broadbent ● 6884d

You're so right Ann, it'll soon be as busy as Charing Cross Station on a bank holiday Friday!  ;-)

Gerry Tan ● 6884d

Hi Gerry!Between us all we will soon have this place hopping!

Ann S. Allridge ● 6884d

Doing my best ......

Caroline MacMillan ● 6884d

Hey Ann and Audrey, I'm a Hammersmith lurker too! And I'm from sunny EalingToday. It just needs a few more good Hammersmith residents to post here regularly and hey presto it'll take off - like EalingToday and BrentfordTW8 did. Come on Hammersmithites, let's be having you please!

Gerry Tan ● 6884d

Here's the reply I got; "Dear Andrew, Thanks for contacting us about HammersmithToday.co.uk. Sorry about the recent lack of updates on the site. The person editing the site is currently on holiday. It is looked after by someone else in their absence but they are generally only updating it for significant new news items. As it so happens there is quite an important local story that we have been notified of today so look out for changes in the near future. We certainly do think the site has a future. Although its forum is very quiet it is an actively used site in other areas. There are currently over 700 registered users and it is getting 200-300 visitors a day. This is a respectable amount for a small very locally focused site though obviously is small compared to other sites in our network which are over 10 times as active. Please don't interpret the relative lack of activity on the site as a sign that it is being neglected. There is a lot going on behind the scenes. At this stage it is difficult for me to be specific on details and timescales but the current plans envisage a much more regularly updated site as well as full launches of the sites in Fulham and Shepherd's Bush. "

Andrew Broadbent ● 6884d

"...if not, maybe it would be best to put it out of its misery..."Still being negative, Andrew?Audrey,I loved your description of we two "lurking around the forums..."!

Ann S. Allridge ● 6884d

Don't you dare ..... keep the forum going!  Its certainly taken on a new lease of life in the last week.  Go for it folks.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6884d

Well, I seem to have inadvertanly given the forum a kick up the a**e.  It's been around for well over a year and was getting only a handful of posts per week.If we can get the Council and Police interested, then it could flourish; if not, maybe it would be best to put it out of its misery ?Andrew

Andrew Broadbent ● 6884d

Oh, I see Hugh's posting and USA. Well I live in USA, formerly from Brentford. Ann and I just lurk around these Forums and post occasionally!

Audrey Walton ● 6885d

?? Sorry do not understand you William? I clicked on your name and sent you an email re posting pictures - did you get it?

Audrey Walton ● 6885d

Thanks Audrey - my email is on the biodiesel thread.  What's the connection with the USA?

William Hosking ● 6885d

Hi Ann - we never know where we'll meet do we?? Let's hope this Forum gets cracking now.

Audrey Walton ● 6885d

Hi Audrey!Fancy meeting you here.......I am just enjoying my first trawl through Hammersmith Today.  Looking good.

Ann S. Allridge ● 6885d

ANDREW,Don't be so negative.  Give Hammersmith Today a fighting chance.I was born in Kew, lived most of my life in Chiswick, then Brentford, but did all my movie going and dancing, and attended a  jazz club (Dalling Road) in Hammersmith.Half the fun of the forums is the competition between one another - mergers are not necessary - we all have something to offer.I have only just joined the Hammersmith Forum and am sure it will be every bit as challenging and interesting as the others in West London.

Ann S. Allridge ● 6885d

I'll email you OK?

Audrey Walton ● 6885d

Nice to have you on the forum Audrey.  I was wondering how people were attaching photos on W4.

William Hosking ● 6885d

I'll stop by and be the second poster on this Forum today. Good luck, the more people that hear about this site the more interesting topics will pop up.

Audrey Walton ● 6885d

I would be against merging.  Chiswick has been going for a long time, much longer than Hammersmith, so let's give this forum a chance.  See what the Council can do to bring it to the notice of the community.  There's loads to talk about - it just needs more people to bring in new business

William Hosking ● 6887d

Sounds a good idea John (the contacting the council posting).

Caroline MacMillan ● 6887d

I'm sure Neighbournet won't mind us contacting the council. Will prepare a short e-mail in the next day or so to circulate to the regular users and we can send to Stephen Greenhalgh & co at the town hall.

John Kennedy ● 6887d

....the news headlines on the HammersmithToday homepage have not been updated since 2 August; that's over 2 weeks.Maybe that's a reason why people don't visit the site, because they feel that it doesn't get updated frequently enough to warrant regular visits....which means fewer hits....which means NeighbourNet don't update it so frequently..which means fewer hits....etc..Do you think that this page has a future, in which case it's worth investing in, or would it be better toput it out of it's misery and merge with one of the other, more successful sites ?

Andrew Broadbent ● 6887d

8 now, I've just checked in.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6887d

...there are currently 178 people connected to the ChiswickW4 website; there are 7 connected to this one :-(

Andrew Broadbent ● 6887d

I think the idea of enlisting the Council is a great one; I notice that a number of councillors post on the Chiswick Forum and they had a very successful Q&A with the local Police not so long ago.Anyone from NeighbourNet care to comment ?

Andrew Broadbent ● 6889d

Well, the last couple of days has seen some action so the 4 people who have posted messages have obviously picked subjects of interest to others.  Case of bashing on and dreaming up new subjects.Must say that the Chiswick one is great for finding window cleaners, having a go at unpopular council decisions (carparking costs for one), finding out why there are traffic jams and just chatting.Let's see what we can do to make it more lively.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6889d

Wondering whether you had any thoughts on how we could get more users?

John Kennedy ● 6889d

No, keep us separate.  News is good.  Give it time and we will get more people responding to the forum.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6889d

I'd rather have a dedicated site for the area as opposed to being subsumed in the Chiswick site. This forum is dying on its backside but the news coverage of the site is not bad and sometimes very timely. With 700 people on the list you would think that there would be more activity but maybe people just don't have much to say.

Paul Corcoran ● 6890d

Well agree it's not working. Half the recent messages are from Joanna. Unclear why people are not using it. Part of the problem I noticed is that if you do a google on Hammersmith, this site comes way down the list, whereas if you type in chiswick, the chiswickw4 site comes up first. Just wondering whether it would be worth getting the council to publicise it in their newspaper and have links to it on their website. Or maybe we should throw in the towel and merge as you suggest.

John Kennedy ● 6890d