The joys of running a balloon forum.

[Graham Lee]

The joys of running a balloon forum, IT HAS BEEN FUN!

and I'm sure still will be in the coming years, the forum has been up for 7 years now and I must say does take a lot of work. Moving posts, reading every post,
adjusting pictures, trying to reply to all the questions, activating new accounts, deleting the funny spammers and searching for topics etc etc, the list goes on.
It also costs a few pennies as well to keep online and for 7 years has been a free re-source to help and encourage other balloon artistes and enthusiasts.

It is great to see the newbie's find the site and the enthusiasm they have in the beginning for balloon modelling.

I do hope everyone that has popped over has got an idea or been inspired by a topic
or two and they have been of help in building your own models/sculptures.

At it's peak the forum had over 3500 unique visitors a month, viewing pictures, events, instructions, picture gallery and interviews. At it's lowest point this went down to 2600 unique visits which is still pretty healthy and as of last month is has crept back  up to 3200 hits. So the reason for this post is to mention that at the moment I will be keeping the forum up and online,
it's a labour of love and I think there is so much information and wealth of knowledge for all to gain something from it.

So if you are one of the many that comes to look then thanks, have you thought.....................oh not much to look at?
well that is because of the 3200 that come to view a month possibly only 10 people post, a special thanks to those.

Any forum does rely on active members and we all know that facebook has taken over. I have even started an events page for the care & share days
to try and get more people attending so even I have succumbed to a certain degree.

Recently I have put a plea or two out to please try and look in and post if you can, the last time I did this I promised myself that would be the last time and so it is.
The forum will run it's course, I will keep posting the majority of my sculptures there, I would assume I only post about 10% onto facebook.
There are hundreds of pictures to view from events I have attended,
Twist and Shout, The Florida Superjam, Magic conventions, face painting events, the  care and share days and star lecture days that we run for the balloon artistes guild.
In November I will be back at The Millennium Jam which has a special place in my heart and no doubt I will post hundreds of pictures from this event as well.
If people come over and look at the pictures then that would be lovely but a forum does need active members
other wise perhaps balloon chat will go the way of other forums and be no more..............only time will tell.
Thanks for reading.

[Danny the Idiot]

Thanks for posting Graham.

Its good to read how much work it actually requires. I didn't realise, now I do.

 

[Tatkemp]

Numbers of folk on Facebook appears to be declining at the moment. Not sure if that will continue or not though. . .

[nippy99]

Whilst Facebook is dying and Twitter is taking over, there will always be room for an on-line forum. Balloonchat is a brilliant source of balloon information - long may it continue!

[mickfox]

I don't contribute much. Due to me being a total beginner and also the fact I keep forgetting my password!

I do browse a lot and it has been much help to me, I do hope to contribute more in the future.

[nklaw]

This is a great forum, thanks Graham.
There must be reasons why members don't post ( being new, no confident, shy, no new design, lazy,  forget password .......and so on.
I visit this forum almost everyday but I don't post many, one reason is that I do not 'create' new design. I learn from CD, e-book, youtube and tried all different types of designs, but those are originated from others, should I post ? can I post ?
perhaps we should start a new topic : "how to get members to post" .... just a thought.

[Areyouhappydad]

This is a great forum, thanks Graham.
There must be reasons why members don't post ( being new, no confident, shy, no new design, lazy,  forget password .......and so on.
I visit this forum almost everyday but I don't post many, one reason is that I do not 'create' new design. I learn from CD, e-book, youtube and tried all different types of designs, but those are originated from others, should I post ? can I post ?
perhaps we should start a new topic : "how to get members to post" .... just a thought.

It is absolutely ok to post things you have made as a result of using tutorials. The main issue here is stating if possible where you got the design (not pass it off as your own). Having said this, I often find that I end up doing something slightly different to that suggested or, once posted, others suggest ways it can be adapted or changed. And so we learn and grow.
I have posted right from the word go and most of the designs have been copied, inspired by someone else or a combination of a number of ideas. As a result of my posting, I have received feedback, sometimes positive, other times harsh but true and as long as you take it in good faith (they are helping) you will get better, begin to see different ways of doing the same thing and ultimately create something that you feel you have crested yourself. Of course, this does not mean someone else has not done similar but the point is you created using your knowledge of the various twists and balloon types.
Have fun, post often and keep the forum going. It is a terrific resource when you use the search button from time to time.

[FuDD]

I fear I am more of a lookey lou than someone who post often...if at all of late.

Hope I can change that a bit!

Looking forward to contributing more here! As its the only forum I do visit balloon wise that is!

Thank you so much for your time and dedication to the art and to the community Graham your a true balloon hero and dare I say a great friend!!

[Graham Lee]

Thank you so much for your time and dedication to the art and to the community Graham your a true balloon hero and dare I say a great friend!!

Thanks Daniel :oops:  I like to think I'm just me and yes I would class you as a good friend and looking forward to you coming over early July'ish.
If you live in the UK you will get the chance to meet Daniel and jam with him and I might be able to persuade him to do a little workshop as well.

[Lee Reilly]

I'm one of the few that doesn't post often, but I do visit every few days. I'm a relative newbie to the balloon world and have gained a lot for this forum and those that post tutorials on youtube. I'll try my best to post a little more, I should really update the one about the St George's Day event I did yesterday.


I do appreciate the work Graham puts in to keep it going, I have run a few forums in the past myself so I do know what has to go on behind the scenes. It is certainly a labour of love, but it does help people like me a great deal.

Thank you Graham

[fairby]

Hi, haven't posted much lately - but as one of the 1st to stumble across this forum, it has been well run and  a valuable source of info - Cheers Graham

[Graham Lee]

Hi, haven't posted much lately - but as one of the 1st to stumble across this forum, it has been well run and  a valuable source of info - Cheers Graham

Stumbled being the word  
Those were the days Neil, I was looking into setting the forum up and people were joining and there was nothing to look at and I had no idea how to do anything.
Wym came along and sorted it all out for us and as yet I've still to meet him, it would be nice to thank him in person.

[Kenny]

This forum is a great place, i have been a member since the very early days. My take on this is that, for the most of the time only balloon artists log on to balloonchat, for a few main reasons, 1. To be inspired by other peoples work. 2. To share there work and views on creating sculptures. 3. There a beginner, and want learn the art of balloon making. 4. To promote their business, you tube vid's and sell their balloon merchandise.

Now i have been a balloon artist for ten years, in UK and Ireland, so i have met quite a few artists in my time!! You will probably not like what im going to say, but we are a strange bunch of lovely people, many artists will log onto Balloon Chat, see a sculpture and feel it looks great and would want to have a go at making it, but not many of these artists will NOT repost their interpretation of that sculpture, Why? you ask....Because of  self confidence, we as artists are all unique in our art, many of us feel like "it's not good enough" to put on the forum, cause maybe the original sculpture was much better, and don't deny it guys!! Many of us have a business from balloon art, and don't want that business to be any less better than the other, i see artists who come on Balloon Chat to plug their PDF or Video, but don't actually want to be part of the forum, yet use it as a tool for profiting their own business.  I see people post pictures many times over the years, and get not even one comment on their sculpture, yet it has 200 views, it's like sending out a text, looking for a reply and getting nothing back, if i was a beginner  balloon artist, i would want some input on my first few designs, but this has become so rare on here, so beginners go else where, cause the majority (skilled artists) are not bothered. Graham you know i will be here till the very end, but i am sorry to say that things will only get worst!!

Just My Thoughts, and sorry if i offended anyone!!

[Graham Lee]

That was an interesting read Kenny, I do remember when the forum first started I think it was Tonya who said one way to keep the forum going is to comment on others posts.
Yes I see what you mean but it is difficult to keep commenting as some ask the same question over and over and in the past people have asked me for my opinion and then do not talk to me again as I give an honest answer, this happened again at Trix in the Stix the other week so perhaps I should mention I'm more than happy to comment and I will be honest but please don't ask if you are just looking for a pat on the back, I'm not the one for that................................. But then if I do say I like something you know it is genuine.
So many seem to post a picture on facebook now and ask you for comments of praise, it's a funny old world we live in and I think I'm past the point of changing.

[Kenny]

Graham,
 Why do you think Facebook is so popular and worth billions, because it's human nature for people to want to feel good about them self's, and Facebook has totally done that for people, With the LIKE, SHARE, TAG, AND COMMENT buttons. Nobody wants to get a bad comment or a bit of constructive criticism, They wants LIKES...!  People have no interest in you if you don't like their page, or if your not interested in what they had for dinner, a lot of the Millions of people on facebook crave this, shallow i know!, but it's a true fact of life. It's like the old saying "you scratch my back and i will scratch yours".

I don't know what your pages are on Facebook Graham, But i would suggest moving the info on this forum, to a Facebook group, called Balloon Chat, then add everyone you know on facebook, and get them to add all their friends, You can have the group, set to private, public or closed, you will still be able to post your pic's, chat and have everyone post their creations on there aswell, and the best thing is...IT WONT COST YOU A PENNY!!