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BESIDES BEING A treasure trove of information on everything from whether to get a pet monkey to the most-awesome t-shirt ever, it’s a site possibly best known for looking like something straight out of the early noughties.
But Boards.ie, that grand old dame of the Irish internet, is about to get an overhaul and its head is promising a better experience for users as the site gets closer and closer to becoming legally of age.
It’s a revamp perhaps long overdue, judging from a recent thread on rival forum Reddit in which users vented their spleens on what they would fix about the 17-year-old site.
“Firstly get rid of the completely outdated layout and the countless, baron (sic) sub-forums that aren’t moderated adequately,” one wrote.
Another said: ”Don’t bother. The whole forum thing is dying/has died out. Boards is just a shadow of its former self … because of Facebook, Twitter, and ironically, Reddit.”
But despite the cannibalising effects of social media and other platforms, and the clear need for an update, Boards CEO Seán Coughlan insists the platform is still strong.
“Boards kind of sits under the radar a bit; if you ask people if they’ve heard of Boards it ranks really high, but I think people don’t realise how big Boards is,” he told TheJournal.ie.
I think the proof of (our success) is that when Boards started 17 years ago there was no Facebook, there was no Twitter, there was no Instagram, there was no Snapchat – all of those other ways of engaging and interacting online exist now and yet Boards still remains as one of the most-popular sites for an Irish internet audience.”
He said over 800 people were signing up as new users each week and the forum, which makes its money selling advertising space and “talk to” slots for companies like banks and internet providers, had about 2.2 million monthly visitors.
I think one of the reasons for that success is that, no matter what you want to talk about, there is a place for you on Boards. I think one of the other driving success factors, unlike lots of other platforms, it’s Irish and the conversation is very uniquely Irish.”
‘A bit Irish of us’
The site was founded by tech entrepreneurs John Breslin and Tom Murphy out of a gaming bulletin board the former established in 1998.
Coughlan took up his current role just over a year ago after stepping down from his position as chief executive of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, an organisation he co-founded in 2004.
The new site launch, scheduled for October, would give Boards a “very different look and feel” that made it easier for people to find the information they were after, he said.
The mobile version for smartphones and tablets would also be updated to offer the full functionality of the desktop site.
Looking further ahead, Coughlan said the company was toying with ways to use mobile device location data to better tailor information to users, as well as adding more “expert answer” services to complement existing conversations.
He said it was “a bit Irish of us” that people tended to only celebrate the success of shiny new startups, rather than companies like Boards that had managed to survive and grow over nearly two decades.
I do think it’s important that we start to celebrate success and it isn’t just the shorter term or more ephemeral success of something that got series-A investment in the last 18 months.”
Note: Journal Media Ltd has shareholders in common with Boards.ie.
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Get rid of thortons in ballyfermot next.
Given it has been 37 years from one report suggesting their might be slightly increased risk to children getting Lukemia I don’t think another 40-50years is going to find it is certain. They aren’t pretty is reason enough but health concerns are in the tin foil hat area.
Yes, they are as ugly as fcuk. They should put them underground.
And Ballyfermot too.
Put Ballyfermot underground? Joe Duffy might have something to say about that.
Plenty in Neilstown and Clondalkin that sit beside people’s houses too. Won’t be moved because it’s not middle class?
Alan these pylons wouldn’t have been moved if it wasn’t for the likes of Microsoft and Google funding the project. They did not move these because of the public outcry that’s for sure.
These pylons are being moved because they’re looking to put in a few thousand homes as part of the Clonburris SDZ. If you think traffic is bad now wait until that land is developed.
http://www.sdcc.ie/services/planning/strategic-development-zones/clonburris-sdz-2016
I would be more concerned about those dodgy pedestrian crossings in adamstown. Accident waiting to happen, especially as you head towards schools.
You should see the fields beside Labre Park in Dublin. 5km from the city centre. This is not an affluent area so the pylons remain.
Google Labre Park and then go to images.
Now:
Why not complete the task and remove Adamstown and Lucan?
No tourist would ever wander into such ugly places.
Why would a tourist go visit any suburb? Is this a new qualification of a suburban, whether a place is a tourist attraction?
Why would you say Adamstown is ugly, it’s won numerous architectural awards? Anything in particular(apart from pylon) or are you just showing your ignorance?
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Fascinating that Neanderthal Man and woman still lives on in Dublin.
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It would be interesting to see what happens when the power goes off from their trashy Coronation Street and Eastenders television shows.
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Did people knowingly move here with the pylons or did they get out in after the houses?? Not clear from the post.
How did they get planning to build residential units so close to pylons ? Oh wait never mind.
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is artificial.
The Mona Lisa is artificial.
Genius is Man-Made.
Just like Wi-iFi masts.
have your say