We Need to Keep Our Eye on the Ball

[rainwood]

I've debated whether to weigh in on the really long "Hangout" thread, but decided to just start a new thread because reading through that one makes my head hurt. I'm going to assume that everyone participating is invested in PS in some way and cares about what happens to it. I sure do and I'm writing this post from that perspective.

1. PS is not a public forum, it's a privately owned and run website. Andrey and Ella have the right to decide on the rules of participation as to what format is okay, what topics are okay and what posts are okay. Their site, their rights.
2. PS is also a business and the economics of this site need to work for them or PS goes away. It's that simple. I'm no expert or PS historian, but I believe PS exists to be what I'll call a consumer-driven diamond website. Diamonds and other gems, not politics, not family. Diamonds. Like most websites, PS relies on advertisers to make economic sense and I believe those advertisers are exclusively diamond-related.
3. Again, not an expert on what happens specific to PS and the owners are free to come in and correct me, but advertising rates are often based on things like unique page views or unique users plus probably a sense that the content of PS is helping to direct business the advertisers' way. That's what makes the site work financially and stick around. To the extent revenue is based on unique page view or unique users, it doesn't matter how many posts or threads there are. If you come to PS 10 times a day and do 100 posts, you count as 1, the same way as someone who comes in, writes a single comment and leaves. Having lots of threads and lots of posts doesn't change the metrics if it's only the same 10 people participating.
4. If Andrey and Ella think that having political threads in Hangout helps the metrics of the site and decide to keep them as part of Hangout, THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. If the numbers show that having political threads in Hangout hurts the metrics and they decide to separate them, THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. I'm in favor of separation from a personal standpoint, but I want Andrey and Ella to do what's best for the site. Shouldn't we all want that? They're the ones with the numbers. Let them make the decision.
5. My guess is that the real economic drivers of the site are Rocky Talky and Show Me the Bling because that's where you get the most number of unique users. These are the people coming here looking to buy or show off their diamonds and that's why the advertisers are here. If we want PS to hang around, we should care most that the traffic in THOSE forums stays up. My guess on why Hangout and some of the other forums exist is so previous buyers who love and care about diamonds stay around to educate those newbies coming in to buy an engagement ring or an upgrade or a pair of earrings, to help ease any qualms about buying online, and to help those new folks find the right thing for them. And because this is a consumer-driven site, that help is supposed to come from us.
6. I've looked at RT and SMTB and all the heavy lifting is being done by a few veterans like Diamondseeker and we lost one of the main contributors when Gypsy went to the Pro side. I'll admit I haven't been holding up my end of the bargain. I rarely venture into RT or SMTB, and I've made a concerted effort to go into RT the last day or two. If we care about PS sticking around, we all need to participate in those forums more and our participation needs to be positive, constructive and helpful when we do so. If you don't know much about the technical parts, see if there's a question you do know something about or just go over to SMTB and compliment someone on their newest item. We should all make RT and SMTB our first stop and then go over to Hangout or wherever and spout off on whatever topic interests us in whatever format Andrey and Ella thinks works best for the site.

Okay, I'm jumping off my soapbox and going over to SMTB to compliment someone on their new sparkly.

 

[AGBF]

That was an excellent posting, rainwood. I want to add one thing. Posting in the Colored Stones forum is probably also helpful to this site. Since many people go to Colored Stones when they want help in making a colored gemstone ring or other piece of jewelry, they often wind up posting right there when their piece suddenly requires diamond sidestones. (I have done so several times myself.) When one buys diamond sidestones for a new colored stone piece, he is likely to be looking for a diamond vendor he can trust. The others on Colored Stones advise him.

AGBF

 

[the_mother_thing]

Well-stated, Rainwood! I agree wholeheartedly with what you wrote, and have noticed that DS & tyty have been helping out a lot (don't mean to exclude anyone else who also is; their names just stick out to me). I wish I had the eye & experience for cut, etc. that others do to help out more in that area but I don't, so I make a point to do what I can to be helpful in other ways where I can. Your suggestions about visiting those sections, complimenting more in SMTB, etc. are great, and we should do all we can to not only support new consumers, but also the site we all enjoy.

 

[ruby59]

Well-stated, Rainwood! I agree wholeheartedly with what you wrote, and have noticed that DS & tyty have been helping out a lot (don't mean to exclude anyone else who also is; their names just stick out to me). I wish I had the eye & experience for cut, etc. that others do to help out more in that area but I don't, so I make a point to do what I can to be helpful in other ways where I can. Your suggestions about visiting those sections, complimenting more in SMTB, etc. are great, and we should do all we can to not only support new consumers, but also the site we all enjoy.

I wish I had enough knowledge of diamonds to help in diamond talk.

But when someone has an ebay question, I can help there.

 

[Arcadian]

I do colored stones but only in areas that I really know. Actually for many many (many) years I didn't even come to hangout, I stayed in CS area. Used to be enough drama in there to be pretty darn riveting...lol

Anyway its not an area that was as busy as it used to be. I help if someone hasn't already and its an area I'm familiar with.

 

[AGBF]

I do colored stones but only in areas that I really know. Actually for many many (many) years I didn't even come to hangout, I stayed in CS area. Used to be enough drama in there to be pretty darn riveting...lol

Anyway its not an area that was as busy as it used to be. I help if someone hasn't already and its an area I'm familiar with.

Indeed you are a regular there, Arcadian! It was from there that I recognized you when I saw you in Hangout, especially in the Fragrance of the Day thread! You are one of the Colored Stone experts!!! I would go there mainly when I wanted to make a colored stone ring. Sometimes I hung out to discuss red spinels and rubies. But you were always there!

Deb

 

[kenny]

Rainwood, good points about the financial side.
Yes Andre owns PS and he can do whatev he wants.

Perhaps it's also possible PS owner(s) care about other things besides money, as in contributing to this community (the ultimate source of every dollar he's made here) by providing us an open forum.
Personally, I've spent around $100K at Andre's sponsors because of PS.

But again forget the money ... we liberals have more important things on our minds besides money all the time.

 

[Arcadian]

I do colored stones but only in areas that I really know. Actually for many many (many) years I didn't even come to hangout, I stayed in CS area. Used to be enough drama in there to be pretty darn riveting...lol

Anyway its not an area that was as busy as it used to be. I help if someone hasn't already and its an area I'm familiar with.

Indeed you are a regular there, Arcadian! It was from there that I recognized you when I saw you in Hangout, especially in the Fragrance of the Day thread! You are one of the Colored Stone experts!!! I would go there mainly when I wanted to make a colored stone ring. Sometimes I hung out to discuss red spinels and rubies. But you were always there!

Deb

Deb thats so sweet. I'm so not an expert though....lol I know a few things

Chrono on the other hand.... EXPERT. #bowdown she's got a droolworthy collection and if someone hadn't done it before me I would have called dibs on her last ring.

 

[missy]

Rainwood, thank you for taking the time to write this excellent post. I agree we should all do what we can if we want PS to continue and it isn't too painful is it to admire pretty bling.

As for Kenny's point it's a good one. PSers have spent lots of money with the PS sponsors so another reason PS is valuable for the sponsors financially and all the traffic it brings to their sites even if one is just a lurker and not a prolific poster.

Thank you to all the Rocky Talky and colored stone experts and all the PSers who read and post every day and want PS to keep on going.

And a big thank you Andrey and his wife Devon, and Ella the PS moderator who puts up with a lot from us at times, and all the rest of the behind the scenes PS people. We appreciate everything you do to keep PS running and hope remains alive and well for many decades to come.