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Revitalizing APN

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Vulture, Jan 28, 2016.

  1. Vulture

    Vulture Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Oi,

    I seem to be the only one on here these days. I doubt I'm that boring.
    Anyway, I'm doing my best to give word of APN around Tumblr and by other means.
    Let's spread the word of this invaluable musical community and download source.
    "Punk's not dead but it deserves to die, when it becomes another stale cartoon..." -Jello
    One more member or 500 more, results don't really matter.

    Perhaps your scenes are alright, but this is bigger than any of them.
     

  2. nodogs_nomasters

    nodogs_nomasters Experienced Member Experienced member


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    I tell people about this website whenever they bring up that they are struggling to find punk music downloads. I don't know if it has brought any converts, haha. Always was disappointed by how little activity there seems to be on this site.
     
  3. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    The website still has a lot of visitors, over 4000 unique visitors during the last 30 days according to Google. Problem seems that less people are posting comments in the forums. The sister websites of the network (like Pirate-Punk.net) also had a huge decrease in activity during the last 2 years.
    I think people doesn't like forums anymore and prefer to post on Facebook or other social networks. And also more web traffic is from mobile phones (over 30% of the traffic nowadays) and the web forums aren't optimized for mobile browsing.

    If you have any idea to revitalize the websites, i'm still here to help.
     
  4. Vulture

    Vulture Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Yeh,

    When I first got onto APN, I hardly knew what a forum was or how it worked. Perhaps it is an archaic medium, but a meaningful one?
    Is there a way to make it optimized for mobile devices? APN app or something? Or does that require too much work?
    The odd thing is a forum of a similar structure, STP, is teaming with life and comments.
    You might think it is in the nature of the subject that causes the difference in activity. Some people travel everyday, but new music, especially anarcho-punk does not some out so often.

    So, a mobile UI would be a good start (if possible) and how about partnerships with other punk and anarchist websites?
     
  5. SmokeyJoe

    SmokeyJoe Experienced Member Experienced member


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    I'd be on more, but I've been having some computer problems and the site's been down a couple of times.

    Personally I think the forum structure is perfect, but then that's what I'm used to as far as socializing over the internet is concerned. Still, most of those other platforms like facebook aren't independent, and come with a truckload of spying and manipulation from the folks who run it. With a forum you can just host it yourself and not have to worry about some corporation data-mining and analyzing your every mouse movement or screwing with your feeds as part of some social experiment they've cooked up. Personally I wouldn't trust an anarchist community like this if it was on facebook or one of those other social media sites.
     
  6. punkmar77

    punkmar77 Experienced Member Uploader Experienced member


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    In the past we've had a ton of members posting and heavy traffic, the last time it was very heavy was a few years ago when we had the huge fight with Cra$$ everyone had an opinion and we got a lot of support worldwide.. it ebbs and flows over time, its been a little dead for the last year and a half mostly because we haven't had any huge polemic controversy ..it's ok we're still here and we will continue to be here...cheers to all of you that are currently on here often
     
  7. JolleyPunk

    JolleyPunk Active Member Forum Member


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    Honestly, I heard about this site through tumblr. I'll try my best to spread the word about the site and try to get more people in on it. I'm currently taking courses on computer programming, so if you all need help vamping up the website let me know. I'll do what I can to help! Cheers to you all
     
    ungovernable likes this.
  8. nodogs_nomasters

    nodogs_nomasters Experienced Member Experienced member


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    I think it has a lot to do with subject matter. Anarchism and punk are pretty broad subjects that don't speak to any specific lifestyle. Someone can mull over anarchism for years. But, if someone is traveling, they have immediate needs that they ought to take care of, such as, how do I get food? Where do I sleep? Etc. etc. The simplest solution is to engage the already existing and readily available community of travelers and alternative house dwellers on STP. Studying Peter Kropotkin isn't going to leave you wondering where the fuck you can go to take a poop.

    It's a shame that APN isn't more active, though. There are many stimulating discussions to be had surrounding anarchism and activism. Word of mouth is the best way to spread this kind of place around. Maybe some of us could do some artful graffiti tagging on corporate property, hehe :p
     
  9. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    About the downtimes - we are currently moving to a new server which will be faster and better with top of the line hardware. We shouldn't have problems with it anymore. Will cost twice as much as the current server, but it will be covered by NGNM tshirts sales. Oh btw, we may lose the recent messages during the migration so keep a backup if you post anything important.

    The mobile interface means a LOT of work, i'm the only web developper here and don't have time for that this year. Very busy with work and other stuff. We would need to upgrade to phpBB's latest version which means basically starting over with all the customized features and the visual interface. Lots and lots of work, but i'll probably do it later, just not in the near future.
    Anyway, a mobile interface pretty much defeats the main purpose of the website which is to download and share mp3 music, something that you cannot do easily on mobile devices
     
  10. Paczilla

    Paczilla Experienced Member Experienced member


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    I still come on here and check to see if their is anything interesting going on in the forums, their just dost seem to be as much discussion as their used to be. I tell pretty much anyone who will listen to me about this place that even has a passing interest in this kind of music. I would probably be on here more if i didn't have to try and keep myself afloat working. I just dont know how you would really bring in more people, and i find this is a problem with alot of anarchist spaces on the internet. Their seems to be a point where people either put these kinds of things to the side and walk away from it entirely or they put themselves more fully into anarchist activities. As far as this place goes compared to Facebook, it should be noted that Facebook as a platform is designed around selling you and your web traffic to companies as well as generally keeping tabs on you for anyone who wants to see it. Here their is at least a bit of anonymity and you are free to discuss things without having to worry about some fuckwit keeping tab on you, or atleast this place makes it more difficult to keep tabs on someone as compared to Facebook.

    My point being is this place feels safer in alot of ways as opposed to Facebook and other social media bullshit and the people that are here are still here because they actually care about the music and the scenes which is alot more than what you usually get other places where this kind of music and everything else is just a passing fad for someone.
     
  11. Vulture

    Vulture Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Funny how you get responses when you call something dead. Anyway, thanks for the input everyone, I get it now. I will just continue spreading the word.

    Cheers
     
  12. SmokeyJoe

    SmokeyJoe Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Same reason the bus always shows up the moment you leave the stop to take a piss. ;)
     
  13. JawnLobotomy

    JawnLobotomy Active Member Forum Member


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    Well, you did title this thread 'Revitalizing APN', and that is definitely an eye catcher. Hell, it caught my attention.

    I don't tend to post much, and to be honest I haven't been downloading as much music lately. I've been buying records and listening to those, and it has nearly quenched all my thirst for listening to music on my devices or computer. I personally like to post only when I feel comfortable doing so in a topic I feel I have knowledge about.

    I check in probably once a week to see if anything really catches my eye, and sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I'm sure lots of people share the same sentiment. As far as using this site for a music resource, I think it's completely understated and invaluable. I tell my friends to look on here if they want something particularly heavy and brutal! I have no idea whether or not anyone uses it, or has signed up as a member, but that's completely up to them.

    Could some of the 'downturn' in users be caused by countries changing and adjusting their laws to dissuade people from downloading music? I know these bands probably aren't too concerned with us downloading their music for free, but if they're on a record label which is against free downloads, could that not be an issue? What if someone wants to download but their country or state has staunch laws against such practices?

    A lot of the anarchists I know are out and about doing things and I notice a lot wouldn't bother using the internet (which I personally think is a brilliant tool) because it can be perceived as another method of control and satiation.

    I could go on and on and postulate all night about why people do or don't. I don't know if it matters. I'll just keep telling my friends about this place because I've never felt excluded here or put down by any of the other members! Cheers!
     
  14. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    There seems to be a lot of users in the same situation - browsing the forum but not posting a lot. And it's okay,posting is not mandatory, some people just prefer reading. So the problem may not be that not enough users come here, we just need to find ways to generate more engagement. Statistics shows that a lot of users are still coming here. This topic itself had 558 visitors since it was posted less than a week ago.

    So i'm not really sure what to suggest. Maybe we just need to start new discussions because the old debates are already filled up by replies and many users seems like everything has been said ?
     
  15. JawnLobotomy

    JawnLobotomy Active Member Forum Member


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    I know from personal experience that it can be tough to voice an opinion no matter what forum. Some people are just nervous about criticism, whether it be constructive or not, and shy away from discourse because of fear of rejection. I feel that way a lot of time, even though here I feel I can speak freely and openly.

    As for ways of engagement, maybe there can be a 'daily' segment. Something like 'Fight the Laws Friday' where you take a country and write about the struggles against laws in various countries/states and how they curtail and undermine human rights, and discuss how to change or affect those laws etc. Or a 'Take Action Tuesday' where you post about a protest or gathering in your area, regardless where you are, because it might drum up extra support that people simply did not know about.

    I agree with your mention of 'everything has been said'. Even though it hasn't, topics and ideas get recycled quite often. Generally speaking I believe this site has very like-minded contributors and a few times I have noticed that discourse only occurs when there is conflict between clashing ideas (pacifism vs. direct action), where really there should be discourse against the ideas we tend to stand against.
     
  16. SmokeyJoe

    SmokeyJoe Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Well, I can't speak for anyone else's experience, but sometimes I think that because my views are so opposed to the mainstream, I've gotten used to everything being an argument. Like I don't really remember how to strike up and maintain a conversation that isn't based around challenging what's been said and building a case for my own position.

    Actually, it's refreshing to find a space where there's so much common ground. Just think it's going to take some getting used to, lol.
     
  17. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    Great news guys ! I have found some free time to upgrade the forums. I have also talked with No-Gods-No-Masters.com team and we are able to invest money in the websites for major upgrades. Basically, we will probably be buying a XenForo license but we are also considering Invision Power Board. We will also buy a template and a couple of plugins. XenForo and IPB are very high-end forums softwares, totally mobile-friendly and responsive. We also plan to hire a community manager to promote the website on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

    I'm currently working on Resistance.tk upgrade to XenForo, this is also a testing ground for the upcomming upgrades for Anarcho-Punk.net and Pirate-Punk.net forums.

    Highlight of the main features of the future website :

    - Integrated social network like Facebook, with member profiles, followers, like button, etc

    - Notifications panel to quickly see the last replies to your post. You get an alert if someone quote you, like you, or anything else.

    - The website will be rebuilt from scratch. Expect a new and modern interface design.

    - Fully mobile-ready and responsive.

    - Ads hidden for members

    Live demo of upgraded Resistance.tk (now renamed Libertaire.net) : https://www.libertaire.net/
    APN is next in the list. I will start working on this as soon as we're done with the other forum upgrade (maybe in around 1 month or so)

    [​IMG]

    If you have any suggestions for any major or minor change you want to see on APN, now is the time !

    I would also like to know if you prefer to keep a dark/gray interface or switch to a light interface.
    Light colors is best for readibility, but dark color is better suited for anarcho-punk website and looks better.
    ur suggestions
    color interface
     
  18. Vulture

    Vulture Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Sounds Lovely!
     
  19. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    1 year later, here we are... better late than never lol
     
    punkmar77 likes this.
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