As some of you already know LIFE has been working on a redesign of the site. I'm sure he will reveal more details in due course, but I for one am Very Excited about these changes.

[Despite the parody there is nothing to be worried about, the plan is to implement the new logo, affect a small redesign of the layout of the site, add a section to publish and discuss new articles by members and a few other bits and bobs that won't have an impact on the current functionality of the site]

I have been reliably informed that barring any major hiccups this is slated to go live in the middle of September. I would like to propose a week long 'Promote RatSkep' week to coincide with these changes. While we are undoubtdly doing very well in terms of numbers of members and posts per day, without the draw of a headline figure like Richard Dawkins, I think there is scope for doing even more to expand upon our already busy forums.

I propose that we designate a whole week during which all the members that are interested in increasing the traffic to the website even further work together to push the site.

This thread is for people to discuss the idea, and to come up with suggestions for what we can do. I have some of my own ideas and would like as many more as you can come up with. When we have a decent list we can agree a plan of action for those members wishing to participate in the event. Any ideas here are my own and won't necessarily be part of the actual plan, which will be a result of later discussion between the staff and members.

Anyway, off the top of my head, here are some ideas to get the ball rolling :


* Design a poster that people can print off and put up at work notice boards with tear off slips with http://www.rationalskepticism.org on them

* Get members and staff to post facebook status updates and on walls

* Get members and staff to actively email friends

* Get members and staff to change their signature on other boards to the homepage here

* Twitter about RatSkep

* Appoint a 'welcome committee' for the week tasked with making newbies welcome (maybe give them a new coloured name or title)

* Try and get some 'Celebrity' atheists on board and to mention us in podcasts or on their blogs.

I'm sure there are lots more ideas and you might well think some of mine are a bit lame, but lets collect lots of ideas and then we can decide on the best ones together.

I was thinking something along the lines of your first point. Maybe a paste on sticker with the ratskep address and some witty or catchy one-liner underneath. Then past them around your city or town.

Maybe we should require all new topics to be prescreened by moderators?

Sityl wrote:Maybe we should require all new topics to be prescreened by moderators?

....I know a bloke called Timonen who could help out with the redesign..

campermon wrote:

Sityl wrote:Maybe we should require all new topics to be prescreened by moderators?

....I know a bloke called Timonen who could help out with the redesign..

OK, seriously, though. I think this is a GREAT idea! Personally, I only have like 7 twitter followers, and most of em are members here... I could mention the site on my facebook, but I don't think I'd have a single person decide to come here, and exchange all I'll get is a life full of fundamentalist shit from my family. So I'm trying to think of what I can personally do to increase membership here

Well i have 35 followers on twitter with this as my avatar:

So i feel ive done quite a bit in terms of promotion

That would go on one of my stickers!

By the way, what did the new logo end up being? It wasn't that mobius strip one was it? I think that one really sucked balls.

How about:

"Jesus committed suicide. Fuck what Jesus would do, come to rationaskepticism.org!"

rEvolutionist wrote:By the way, what did the new logo end up being? It wasn't that mobius strip one was it? I think that one really sucked balls.

Id tell you but you wouldnt like the answer

SPMaximus wrote:

rEvolutionist wrote:By the way, what did the new logo end up being? It wasn't that mobius strip one was it? I think that one really sucked balls.

Id tell you but you wouldnt like the answer

Dang. What happened to all those clever rat ones and even the stylishly striking RS ones? Who thought it would be a good idea to have a complicated logo which is going to look like a mess from any distance? Oh well. Here's an idea I facetiously presented in the logo competition that would be good on a sticker:

I can definitely tweet and facebook about it. I don't know if posters around here would help much--I live in Wisconsin, but a smaller, more suburban part, so I don't know how much interest would be generated. If I was still in college I might have tried it there, but the campus is a ways away from me now.
I've told a couple "free-thinker" friends about the place, but they didn't seem too interested.

I think I posted the link on the Indian Atheists Facebook page. Not sure how many people ended up joining here though. I should post it again.

Every chance I get, I verbally promote this site to friends, family and members of my social atheist group. So far I think I've managed to convince precisely 1 person (who lurks but never posts) to come here. Not sure why, but I guess the whole internetz forum thingy is not everyone's cup of tea.

Maybe my catholic friend will turn up.

How much would it cost to stick up a few bill board / bus posters in a city like London?

There's a couple of online games I play, festering with bloody merkin theist brats, and some more rational types. I'll post there (if I remember, I am a stoner ya know).

Bolero wrote:Every chance I get, I verbally promote this site to friends, family and members of my social atheist group. So far I think I've managed to convince precisely 1 person (who lurks but never posts) to come here. Not sure why, but I guess the whole internetz forum thingy is not everyone's cup of tea.

Just a random question...isn't an atheist group kind of counter-productive...considering you're against forming a religion and yet you kind of congregate to worship atheism/science?...I may be wrong.../derail

Redial wrote:

Just a random question...isn't an atheist group kind of counter-productive...considering you're against forming a religion and yet you kind of congregate to worship atheism/science?...I may be wrong.../derail

Redial wrote:

Bolero wrote:Every chance I get, I verbally promote this site to friends, family and members of my social atheist group. So far I think I've managed to convince precisely 1 person (who lurks but never posts) to come here. Not sure why, but I guess the whole internetz forum thingy is not everyone's cup of tea.

Just a random question...isn't an atheist group kind of counter-productive...considering you're against forming a religion and yet you kind of congregate to worship atheism/science?...I may be wrong.../derail

Worship atheism?
You're hereby awarded the Invisible Pink Unicorn Award for the most nonsensical concept.


Derail aside, I'm doing my best already, although a poster might help.