I’d really love to see more posts on the forum. Is there anything we can do about that?

Dear users and authors,
could you please start more threads, post more often, and maybe even invite new users and authors to join?
There are still quite a few threads here that I’ve started myself, and that’s not really the point of a forum—it’s not supposed to be the case that most of the threads are started by just one person.

Personally, I’d love it if we could become—and remain—the largest forum in the German-speaking world. What do you think?

You all enjoy crafting, so surely there’s something to share, ask, or discuss?

Dear Josefa,

I personally enjoy sharing ideas in the CP Handicrafts Group —you can find it here: https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/149923/oktober-projekte-2021-teil-2-die-crazypatterns-handarbeitsgruppe . You’ll regularly find lots of handicraft enthusiasts there. We show off our works in progress or finished projects, discuss ideas and projects. Sometimes we talk about personal things—just like you would in a cozy in-person craft group. You get to know each other and feel at home among like-minded people. The craft group has grown over a long period of time. New users join from time to time and are warmly welcomed. Some leave again, too.

Because of the many posts and pictures, the thread always gets very long, and follow-up threads have to be started. If you want to open such a long thread, you have to scroll quite a bit to get to the end, which is annoying (especially on a cell phone). You just don’t feel like doing that. And a more reserved poster certainly won’t go to all that trouble. It’s far too tedious. In my view, the forum’s most active thread gets buried under all the others that “pop up now and then” or are bumped to the top as reminders.

Every time, you have to search for it and scroll forever just to find it. Sure, I could bookmark it, but every few days it’s no longer up to date because of the follow-up thread. And a more hesitant poster won’t go to that trouble either. I’d love to see a special button on the site for the craft group, which, in my opinion, brings the most people together. It could be fun, colorful, and eye-catching—something that jumps out at you and promises great conversation with like-minded people.

If, as a hesitant user, I don’t want to read promotional threads but simply want to read about, chat about, and look at pictures of my favorite hobby, then that would be “my button.” Over time, I’d gain confidence there and start participating.

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If I had a question about a craft project or yarn, etc., I wouldn’t start a separate thread for it; instead, I’d ask my question in the crafting group. Precisely because I’m active there and have gotten to know the people by now.

Of course, I could also start a separate thread for it, but that would be directed at everyone, and my question might not even need such a broad platform. If you’re new to CP, starting a separate thread with your question would certainly be an option. But even that takes a bit of courage. Starting your own thread is always a small hurdle—and for some, so is just writing a post. So many questions have already been asked that there aren’t that many left unanswered.

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In my opinion, our forum is very text-heavy. I always try to include a photo in my posts to make them more entertaining. Just text is boring (like the one I’m writing right now). I’d like to see more variety, more fun, and more entertainment.

Years and years ago, I was part of a craft forum. There were a lot more exciting activities there. It wasn’t just posts to read, but also opportunities to actively participate. When there are threads here with rhymes, Silberdoppler, etc., people are happy to comment on them. It’s just a little change of pace that doesn’t take much effort and is fun. But there’s room for more.

I’d love to see more interactive activities. For example, the swap package I started. Yes, we have to follow data protection regulations. But as long as we do that, it should work. We could also set up a swap group for craft books or magazines. Or one for handmade items—maybe specifically pot holders, socks, or something like that. That should be doable without breaking any rules. Just text is boring; sooner or later, every forum ends up falling asleep.

It’s almost Christmas. I’ve been thinking that we could also offer handmade items for interested people to buy. I also miss CP’s marketplace, which was once planned. If I want a DF loop for Christmas, for example, I have to figure out who can knit it. And then I have to message them. Yes, the author’s profile says they’re available for commissions. But it’s all so hidden. I’d love to see an online showcase for handmade items—again, preferably a button with a shop window. Anyone looking to find a new home for their handmade creations (whether to give away or sell) could display their items there with a photo. If someone is interested, they could contact the seller via a private message. Everything else would then be up to the two people involved. Maybe that could work. Sometimes you just have to think about what’s feasible while still adhering to the rules. An online showcase like that would also help liven up the forum.

So, dear Josefa, those are a few ideas of mine for the forum. Maybe one or two of them will help make the forum more active.

Best regards, Ina

Wow, Ina put that so well. I completely agree.

I’d like to add: It’s also a matter of how much time each person has to read or participate in the forum. With so many topics, it takes patience just to read all the titles. And the promotional threads shouldn’t get lost among all the other topics, either.

My opinion is that it’s not about the quantity, but the quality of a thread. For me, the handcrafts group has become the most important thread by now. I only check out everything else when I really have time.

I don’t think we necessarily have to become the “largest forum in the German-speaking world.” That could easily get overwhelming. Here in the forum, you get the feeling that we’ve known each other for a long time, and that makes it intimate, cozy, and homey. The crafting group is a good example of that.

Overall, I think we already cover a lot of topics in the forum. But yes, more threads should be started by other people as well. Most of the time, people only speak up when they have a problem.

So for some, the barrier to entry is already quite high. After all, you don’t know how the topic will be received or whether it’s welcome. Some restrictions regarding photos or links can also make you hesitate to post anything.

I think Ina summed it up very well: more activity would certainly be desirable, but often strict data protection rules throw a wrench in the works.

With more topics, the forum would also need to be organized in a way that’s even clearer. The search function, for example, isn’t very helpful. If you’re looking for a thread from a while back and enter a keyword, you often end up searching high and low until you might find what you’re looking for—or maybe not, and you give up in frustration.

After so many constructive comments, there’s not much left for me to say—I completely agree with everything that’s been said. Unfortunately, I’m in the same boat—I don’t (yet) contribute more to the forum due to time constraints. “Normal” life already takes up a lot of space, and I still need to save some time for knitting and crocheting :-) In fact, I’ve been focusing mainly on our “Handworking Group” thread for chatting these days.

I think this online showcase that Ina suggested would be really exciting!

Best regards, Sonja

For me, too, it’s a matter of time. Right now I have more time since I’m working less, and I’m trying to write something in response to more posts.

Often I’m not sure about my projects—is this indirect advertising, since the pattern usually follows shortly afterward? Or is anyone interested in this, and would people like me to show what I’ve been working on, even if it has nothing to do with sewing, knitting, or crocheting? 

As I mentioned above, it’s also very difficult for me to find a post I’ve already started. When I enter a keyword, all the posts containing that word come up. And when I’m looking for a specific one, I often lose patience because there are way too many posts with that word in the text. 

As for the craft group, I feel that few new members join or stick around. In other posts, too, I often see the same names; few new ones join in. Then I ask myself, is it worth starting a new post, writing something—who’s going to read it? 

Personally, I think posts with pictures are nicer. A little reading and enjoying some beautiful pictures.  For me, though, it’s not possible to quickly write a post on my phone—my pictures are too large, so they get rejected. I always have to do it on my computer. That means I have to transfer the pictures first, resize them, and then I can post them. Nothing can be done on the fly. And that brings me back to the issue of time, because I’d actually rather spend more of my time crocheting than hanging out on the forum. 

Those were my thoughts on the topic of posts here on the forum. 

Great ideas from Ina—I agree with everything she said.

As already mentioned, you can’t even post a link, even if it’s a CP pattern. I’d already suggested that there should be a “Share Pattern” button below the patterns. 

Just now I wanted to post a link in the crafts group and immediately asked myself: “Is that allowed?” Since I’ve been so conditioned by the rules here—no pictures you don’t own the rights to—maybe external links are forbidden too? And sometimes you see something online and would love to share it (without having the image rights), maybe because you want to ask if anyone knows how to do it. There are also things for which there are no patterns. I can’t send everyone a private message!

We don’t have to become the biggest chit-chat forum, but when it comes to quality, we can fill a gap on the web with the best advice (namely, us and our experiences). It’s like a craft advice forum, so to speak; we’re happy to share our knowledge to inspire others or rescue them from despair when a project isn’t working out (even if the pattern isn’t from here). Good advice also lays the groundwork. Thanks to the kind comments and helpfulness here, I actually took a closer look at one or two designers for the first time and developed a desire to buy their patterns!

AND another factor: when you feel well taken care of, you’re also more inclined to review the patterns, because a priceless sense of community develops. You get support, show off your finished work in the gallery, receive praise (where do you even find that these days?), and have fun. Then you give the joy of your success back to the author through a good review. 

I have another idea: on the homepage, patterns are always scrolling by as inspiration—which, by the way, I think is great! Maybe you could do the same with gallery photos under the heading: “What others have made here.” That could also encourage people to buy. 

I’m also in favor of more color—it’s all very sterile here. 

Petra, I also had to download an app for my phone that compresses the photos; it works well for me since I only use CP on my phone, or at most on my tablet, comfortably from the sofa. 

And yes, I’m also in favor of pinning the crafts group to the top so you can find it right away. 
As a compliment, I’d like to mention that I click “notify me about replies,” so I don’t miss any new posts. Without this feature, I wouldn’t check in on the group as often. 

could be and remain the largest forum in the German-speaking world
That sounds good at first, but do we want quality or quantity?

I used to be in a ship forum. There, ranks were awarded based on the number of posts made, from cabin boy to admiral, and you could see how many views each individual post had received.
At first it was still about ships and shipping, but then some people only posted links to random reports that contained the word "ship." Sure, they quickly became admirals, but there was no quality left.
Then the forum was deleted without warning, and nothing of what had been posted can still be found anywhere on the internet.

When I want to start a thread here (e.g., about outings, boat trips, or similar things), I always think about whether it is interesting enough for the readers at all. Often I just leave it, because I don't want to bore anyone.

Best, Marlies

@Marlies,
you’re absolutely right, of course. Quality is important.
I wouldn’t be too thrilled about one-word posts just to push up the number of posts. It’s simply about encouraging all the quiet readers to write and keeping those who are already active engaged.

But you’re welcome to start threads anytime. I don’t think you would bore anyone with threads about your favorite topics. That’s what the chat corner is for. Don’t let that stop you—just go for it. I enjoy reading your posts.

@everyone
Everyone here in the forum is allowed to start threads, including about hobbies, outings, etc. It doesn’t always have to have anything to do with crafts. In the chat corner there’s plenty of room for everything that matters to you.



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I’ll write something about your posts above at a later time. First of all, thanks for the many ideas. I still need to think about them for a while.

What’s the point of posts if no one reads them? Writing them isn’t much fun then either

Best regards, Inge

Your posts are being read, Inge—every single one of them.

Dear Inge, I really enjoy reading your posts, too. I admire your sewing skills and have already learned so much from you—at least in theory.

Dear Josefa, I’m glad we didn’t write down our ideas for nothing. We also get suggestions from others on how we can improve our work—and then we have to consider which ideas we like and which are feasible. We’re excited to see what happens :-)

That’s certainly not for nothing, dear Ina.

I think it’s great that there’s a lot going on in the forum these days and that even people who are usually quiet are speaking up.

I’ve been buying patterns here for a while now, and I’ve finally taken the time to check out the forum. I’ve started participating in the forum games—it’s fun—and posting on the occasional topic. Sometimes you get the feeling that nobody’s reading it anyway, but there are so many topics here; not everything appeals to you, and you don’t have something to say about everything. But it’s still fun :-)

Glad to hear you’re having fun.

Dear Imelda69,
you can be absolutely sure that people read a lot here on the forum. Not everyone posts, but everything is definitely read. You just pick out the topics you like—everyone does that. I’ve already noticed your comments in other forum posts :-) I’m sure we’ll be reading each other’s posts again.

I know, dear Schnuckelina—I read a lot too, but I don’t always post; I just chime in on the topics where something comes to mind. I’ll keep participating :-)