How Can We Add New Members??

If MG really wants to remain primarily a Windows PC/laptop/netbook problem solving forum then I don't see anything much changing membershipwise. The number of people wanting tech help is a 90% function of the unfamiliarity of the hardware and software they are using, and the centre of gravity of that is currently the (mainly) Android and IOS tablet, smartphone and smart TV scene. My wife is a classic example - she isn't interested in technicalities but she would really like to be more confident and proficient in the use of her smartphone. I'm quite sure she is far from alone but, as a 30 year Windows man with a Windows phone, my help is not really what she needs. So, and I'm not at all sure how MG should go about this, imo MG needs to re-orientate itself and widen its appeal to those users. It not only means attracting new questioners but new geeks too, those (maybe mostly a generation younger) totally versed in Android, IOS and the wider field of new tech applications. My 2p anyway.

 

So maybe there are plenty members but the real problem is only a few that are giving support in the forum. As mentioned before in this thread more members need to step up and help in the support forums. With Win10 use increasing there will be a more people needing help soon. And I agree as I said before more people are using smart phones and tablets with other OS than Windows.

 

This. Very much this.

Also, "how do we get more members?" and "how do we get more knowledgeable members willing to volunteer their free time to help complete strangers in an internet forum?" are two very different questions, with very different answers. While they don't necessarily exclude each other, they most definitely require different approaches and different methods.

Also, this:

Though to be perfectly honest, what your wife needs is YouTube tutorials and to stop being afraid that if she does too much on her phone she will break it. The best way to learn how to do anything is to keep trying until you figure it out.

 

And those who answer need to know how to ask as well. There is a process to troubleshooting, and skipping a step in the process, or doing the steps in the wrong order, makes it more difficult, more frustrating, and far more time consuming.

We all joke that everyone knows the first step, the first thing we should ask the user to check: "Is it plugged in?" The problem is, that's NOT the first thing you should check. Not at all.

And beyond that, how many people know the second, third, fourth, and fifth things to check? The additional four that you should never ever skip or do out of order?

I know them, because it is my job to teach others how to do it over phone, chat, and email, and I would be in deep fecal matter with management if I suddenly became incompetent and forgot the Five-Point Creed of Successful Troubleshooting just in time for that portion of the training syllabus for new hires. But sometimes when I read threads in the support forums here I find myself wondering why there isn't some kind of "guide to troubleshooting" to use as reference for those who very much want to help, but have zero experience with remote troubleshooting... someone who doesn't know where to start may decide they don't want to help after all. Or worse, try and bungle it.

By the way, the first thing you should check every single time is if it's even supposed to work in the first place. If the person looking for help is trying to use an Intel chipset driver on an AMD motherboard, we really want to find that out as early in the conversation as possible...

 

I wonder how much the exponential growth in the last few years in the range of stuff geeks and would-be geeks need to know is deterring many from responding on the basis they just don't have sufficient personal experience in the subject area. For example while I'm usually comfortable enough responding to questions about boot problems or dual booting in situations where the user has a regular BIOS and MBR disk, these are progressively being replaced by UEFI motherboards and GPT disks, and I'm definitely being a lot more cautious about getting involved. UEFI in particular is a nightmare, with each manufacturer designing and implementing its own user interface. And, as DavidGP has said, with mobiles the situation is far worse, with a major shortage of people capable of addressing problems.

I can't see any answer to the much reduced attendance here if that is indeed a significant factor. It's not as if the pace of change is likely to slow up much.

 

Or some of us have moved on from working on desktop computer day to day. I know I have. I use to work on and fix computers, then joined this forum and posted a lot. Then I got a new job, and posted a little. Now with my new job, that I got recently, my focus is on other things.

Kinda wonder if that is similar to others.

I will say, that MajorGeeks is like a home base for me. I'll check in occasionally, and participate on a few threads.

 

I'm an old member...I was over 70 a long time ago...and have forgotten much!.....I love this forum because the staff take precedence in problem solving.
This stops those with dubious opinions becoming involved.
The dedication of the staff is remarkable and not found elsewhere....Thank You one and all.

This doesn't help with forum membership because I only fit a small niche in the market.....Sorry.

I assume that the Honourable members realise that 'tablets, i phones and i pads' are slowly (quickly?) taking over?

PS. I used to moderate on a pre XP forum....those were the days!