Checking in on the Forums

It’s been just over a month since I launched the Portland Bike Forums. So far, 93 people have registered and we’ve got 181 posts. More people are signing up every week and there’s already been some interesting posts and quality discussions. We’ve even been graced by the presence of aspiring filmmaker “WhiteSword”. He shared some of his bike movies – including a ride through the halls of PSU and a Zoobomb – which I highly recommend.

Now I know each bike group has their own email list or forum. Those are great resources, but I’m a big believer in the value of centralized information and the power of community that happens when we connect with people outside our usual bikey circles. There’s a ton of exciting synergy waiting to happen if everyone shared information in the same place. For instance:

• For activists and bike-funnists, it can be a great place to get feedback on a new event or ride idea.
• For advocates, the Action Alerts and Announcements can be a great place to mobilize and educate the community about important issues.
• For someone who just likes to connect with other riders, the General Ride Discussion area is a great place to share experiences.

There are also many benefits to the forums that you just can’t get here on the blog or on an email list. In the forums, you can:

• Initiate your own topic and have replies automatically emailed to you.
• Easily search through all posts for specific information.
• Share more of your personality by adding a photo and other information to your profile.
• Easily send private messages to other registered users.
• Quickly see if there are any new posts since your last visit.
• Easily share photos in your posts.
• Stay in touch through the RSS feed.

The forums are also a great place for folks new to the scene to ask questions and connect with the right crowd. On that note, I’m psyched that there’s a good cross-section of the community already registered. I notice there is everything from Zoobombers to City employees, advocates, and people interested in family riding.

If you have any suggestions of new topics you’d like to see, or questions about how to use the forums, you can check out these handy FAQs, or post to the new Feedback section.