I'm afraid nothing can be done without

a) an exorcist who can exorcize in the name of a non archontic benevolent deity

b) the slaughtering of pistacios

b) caramelomancy

( I cunningly avoided c by repeating b so as not to reveal all three extremely powerful ways to bring back uka's mojo...)

I think it is extremely difficult to know the answer to the question of failing popularity!

Forums as a genus have been closing down for lack of support for quite a long time: Primarily since social media became so popular. If there were an easy answer to that problem we would have known it by now! Nevertheless UKA is in that niche where it should be able to survive. I know of only one non-writing forum that I have belonged to since the very mid 90's which has survived, but there are, as we know, a fair number of writing forums still operating.

Is it that we must ask ourselves what encourages the stalwart members to stay?  What might make others stay?

I notice that all the ideas that have been brought forward recently (not necessarily recognising the situation in the light of how you now describe it) are all going back to things that used to be on the site: Anthology as an example. Thankfully someone has offered fantastic help on bringing that back. Has it yet been agreed how that will actually operate?

Personally, I remain a member because of the people who are on contributors to the site.  If it weren't for them, I might have been tempted to go elsewhere.  But what would I get elsewhere? Cherries? They are no temptation to me. However, I can see that reward for contributing might be beneficial.

I don't know who awards the 'picks' but I do see, this week, that we are tonight on the eve of a new set of submissions hitting the landing page tomorrow morning, and there are no picks for any of the pieces published  on Monday.  Okay, so maybe none of the contributions put forward on the 14th were worthy of it... but no-one knows that.  And if there were none worthy of a pick, could there not be a lesser award, say, just, 'commended' or if you like given the golden apple(!!!)? 

IMHO People write to be read. Writers get the greatest pleasure from knowing how their work is perceived - both by their peers and by the general public. I certainly do.  What about allowing the general non-member visitor from saying something? Even if it is going back to the old points system - giving points out of ten: That would be 'safe' if we were to be worried about non-members abusing a comment system.  (IP identification could be used to prevent repeated voting from the same IP address at least.)

As I usually say: Just my two pennyworth.

Edited because I got my dates wrong!

good points!

I would like to ask a question, why can't I have a video included in a submission of mine, all I get is a link..

and I wonder if I can do it here too? let's check

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZtmoL3PtTk

oh here it appears.. hmm okay we need more free spirit you know free and funny and festivious, the three F.

Maybe it's time to totally re-think the way UKA delivers the writing of its members?

Maybe UKA should present itself as an online literary magazine-style format? A 'spin-off' website that publishes carefully selected writing (poetry, short fiction & 'first chapters') from the MAIN UKA website?

It might create the incentive needed to attract new members and more involvement in UKAuthors.

If the NEW (spin-off) website was marketed and run as a prestigious and high-quality online publication, it could help turn UKA around?

and I don't know about you, but during very difficult times challenges helped, so what happened to those discussions? are they gone? kept? can they be revived? I also think that youtube's platform should be used and there could be "lives" and "premieres" let's do something innovative, let's have a fresh look at promoting UKA.

Posted by: @ifyouplease

good points!

 

I would like to ask a question, why can't I have a video included in a submission of mine, all I get is a link..

and I wonder if I can do it here too? let's check

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZtmoL3PtTk

 

Nic

On the submit page, look for this icon:

Click on it and paste the EMBED code from Youtube:

that will put the video into your submission.

tried to embed the other day but I got the code, just that

I will try again, talking is good for public relations, and keep talking

Posted by: @ifyouplease

tried to embed the other day but I got the code, just that

Here's a page I just created to show that it does work:

LINK

Make sure you paste the embed code in the right place, ie, here:

just did it but although it appeared as soon as I updated and clicked to view the submission I got nothing, it's not there {blue}:tears:  

is it because of the video being a premiere? why? it appears here.  (that's me btw a statement and other statements later)

Posted by: @ifyouplease

is it because of the video being a premiere? why? it appears here.  (that's me btw a statement and other statements later)

What's the link?

I'll try

h**ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZtmoL3PtTk

asterisks to be replaced with tt