Board, not bored! (opinionators.co.uk)

Member Name: wiggglypufff

Product:	opinionators.co.uk
Date:	17/01/05 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lively & fun,, good debating,, no pop-ups

Disadvantages: Can be very quiet at weekends,, chat room rarely used

Opinionators.co.uk appeared in the middle of 2004. It was created by Dooyoo's Andy.mack, and was provided with the intention of giving us opinionated people a place to play away from the opinion sites themselves such as Dooyoo and Ciao. I think it was a brave move considering past events at that time: ChatterWeb, one of the most successful forums of this type had sadly closed, and CiaoZone was suffering a slow and painful death from a seeming lack of interest from the owner. It was, I felt, debatable if people would be willing to get involved with yet another forum. Regardless, I joined Opinionators (Optors from now on) when it opened its doors on the 22nd June 2004, and have watched it grow over the past 6 months. I hang out there to pass a few hours of each day, and I even help out as a moderator.

When you visit Optors [http://www.opinionators.co.uk], you'll find a basic but fast loading greeting page that offers links for other opinion related sites, and of course the most important thing - a link to the Optors message board itself. Click on that and you're in. Simple! By default the colour scheme is a blue/grey colour, and though perhaps a little boring it is at least easy on the eye. [You can bypass the greeting page and head straight to the message board if you want by using http://www.opinionators.co.uk/mainboard/index.php] If you're new to forum style message boards you may find it a little daunting, but take a moment to look around and you'll soon find your feet. The layout is simple and uncluttered, with the board divided into 3 main areas, with subsections (a.k.a. the forums) in each. You're not required to register to browse the forums, though you'll need to if you want to participate fully and have your say.

The registration process is easy: simply click the 'Register' link that can be found at the top of every page and you'll be taken to the 'Registration Agreement'. Read it through - it basically explains the usual issues: liability of posting, non-acceptable conduct and so forth - and accept by clicking the link at the bottom of the agreement. You'll then be taken to the 'Registration Information' page, where you need to choose a username, password, and give your email address. The remainder of the form is optional, meaning you can give away as much or as little info as you want. (It is worth reading through the entire page, as you'll find options such as keeping your email address private and your online status hidden if you so desire, but all the settings/info fields can be changed/updated once the registration is complete.) Once you're happy, click 'submit' at the bottom of the page. You'll then get confirmation of your account, and an email to activate it should follow shortly.

After activation of your account you'll have access to extra board features that guests don't have. You can edit/update your profile, use the private message system meaning you can communicate on a one to one basis with other members, and you have access to additional themes - different colour schemes and styles that alter the appearance of the board for you. You'll also find new messages appear 'flagged' when you log on, meaning you can easily locate new posts made since your last visit. In addition, there are quick links at the top of the board too.

Optors tries to offer something for everyone in terms of debate and chat and I think it has achieved that goal. Whilst the name might imply that it's just for the discussion of opinion sites you'll find it is actually a lot more than that. The main board is divided into 3 main sections, with 7 active forums, each catering for something different and it's well worth a look:

The 'Opinionators.co.uk' section is the best place to start when you arrive on site and you'll find 3 forums there. 'Site Information' is pretty self-explanatory - you'll find threads for news about the site itself, member suggestions and feedback, in fact generally anything Optors related will be there. There's currently the possibility of a London meet being discussed, and there's been reasonable interest so far. The 'New Members' forum takes little explanation either - it's the place to stop by, say 'hi' and introduce yourself, if you want to. 'Forum Guidelines' is a read only forum - it contains just one post with hints and tips for use of the site. There are no hard rules as such, but a few suggestions on acceptable conduct.

'Opinion Sites' has 3 forums all of which are active. 'Opinion Sites In General' is, as you'd expect - the place where issues that are common to both Ciao and Dooyoo are discussed. You'll find threads about over/under rating, commenting, writing styles and all sorts there. 'Ciao.co.uk' is for (surprise, surprise) Ciao specific stuff - there are frequent discussions about the allocation of the premium fund, the much sought after Diamonds, and the dissatisfaction a lot of members have with regard to Ciao surveys, but anything Ciao related goes. Needless to say, the 3rd forum there 'Dooyoo.co.uk' is for issues specific to Dooyoo - Crowns, product proposals, and database uploads have been discussed, and there have been several threads regarding log-in problems. You'll not always find the answers in the 'Opinion Sites' area, but there's some consolation in having a rant and finding others in the same situation as you.

The final section of the message board is 'Everything Else' and the 2 forums within are the place to go if you want to discuss non-opinion site stuff. 'Entertainment' needs little explanation - the topics covered are books, TV/films, and music and the threads have ranged from light hearted lusting over 'Il Divo' to the complex but compelling dissection of Michael Moore's works. The final forum 'Other Stuff' is just that - literally anything goes, and along side the ever popular word association thread have been debates on politics, discussions on football, and no end of other topics including somewhat revealing (and embarrassing) weird crushes!

In the 6 months Optors has been running, I've watched it grow into a fun place to be. Although my initial participation was more as a favour to Andy than anything else, the increasing amount of time I spend there now is very much because I enjoy it. It's great to be able to interact with other opinionated people but out of the boundaries of Ciao and Dooyoo and without restriction on subject matter. I've conversed with many people that I probably wouldn't have done otherwise and I can and do hold my own in discussions where previously I might have backed down and run orf to hide. Being the shy retiring type that I am (yes, I am, in real life) it's done my confidence the world of good.

The atmosphere at Optors, I've found, is generally laid back and friendly. There's no vying for status either (there's not a crown, diamond, or dot in sight so posting lots will get you nothing more than a different kid's TV character name aside your own) so if the somewhat competitive nature of op sites themselves gets you down you can leave it all behind you. That's not to say some debates don't get a little out of hand because they do from time to time. Stick a bunch of opinionated people in an enclosed space and whaddya expect? It's not personal though, and in 6 months on site my opinion has been picked to pieces a fair few times, but I've not been attacked as a person.

Moderating of the board is quite relaxed but the presence is there. In my experience civil requests made have nearly always been accepted respectfully and complied with immediately. Generally though, there isn't a great deal of moderating done simply because it's not needed.

The member list stands at over 150 people and whilst not all are active I'd say the majority are. That said, there's no obligation to post a certain amount or anything at all for that matter. That's definitely a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I have days when I'm not in the mood to post, or simply have nothing to say but there's no pressure whatsoever. Participation is at whatever level you choose - as little or as much as you want to put in. There's nothing to lose from joining, but a whole load of possible gain. Hey, if I can admit my weird crush (Leslie Grantham) in front of 150+ people then you can come and say 'Hi!' right?

If you're wondering what the catch is then I'd say there isn't one, but of course the site isn't perfect either. There are days when I log on and a contentious topic has been resurrected for the umpteenth time and is going round in circles but achieving little. Equally, there are times when I log on to find nothing has been posted at all and site is like a ghost town (common weekend problem). And then there's the chat room. Yup, there is one but I didn't mention it before because it's so tragically under used that the thought of it sends me to sleep! [The chat room can be found at http://www.opinionators.co.uk/chatroom.html] Whilst worthy of a mention they're all just minor niggles really, and things that I'm sure will become less of niggles as the membership level increases and the site develops further.

I think the future for Optors looks quite rosy. There's very little server down time, and the phpBB system used is stable and customisable so new features are always an option. The board views fine in both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox and you'll be pleased to hear there's neither a pop-up nor a banner ad in sight. Andy is open to suggestions on the way forward for the board, so ideas will continue to be discussed and implemented and in my eyes that can only be a good thing.

Optors, to me, has helped bridge the gap and rivalry between Dooyoo and Ciao members. Maybe it was simply in my mind (though it could be in yours too) but as time passes I see myself more as just an opinionated person. Where some past and present forums have clearly stated allegiance to one camp or another Optors remains neutral and is for everyone and anyone. Literally anything goes so I'm free to share a good or bad experience, have a chat and joke, or make my opinion heard - and I have done, many times. They're certainly major contributing factors to why I spend more time at Optors than at the other forums around, and to be honest I can't see that changing.

http://www.opinionators.co.uk/mainboard/index.php

See you there!

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