Suggestion We need to increase traffic on SDN.

[AJ25]

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How can we get more people back on this site and get it to where it was a decade ago? It is clearly dead at the moment.

 

[Lee]

How can we get more people back on this site and get it to where it was a decade ago? It is clearly dead at the moment.

SDN feels quieter than 10 years ago due to fragmentation. Many discussions have moved to Reddit, Discord, and other social media.

Traffic may be lower, but signal-to-noise is often better. Here's why:

Traditional forums like SDN offer advantages over corporate social media. Threads persist on our forums, which means ideas can be challenged, revisited, and refined over time instead of being buried by an algorithm.

Moderation and topic structure reduce pile-ons and help prevent echo chambers. You are more likely to encounter well-argued minority viewpoints rather than whatever opinion happens to be most popular at the moment.

That creates space for nuance, disagreement, and uncertainty, which is especially valuable in complex fields like healthcare.

 

[AJ25]

That is true.

I still say we need more activity on these threads though. Any thoughts on figuring out how we can do that?

 

[Lee]

That is true.

I still say we need more activity on these threads though. Any thoughts on figuring out how we can do that?

I'd be interested in getting your suggestions and other members' thoughts.

 

[AJ25]

I'd be interested in getting your suggestions and other members' thoughts.

My initial suggestion is to revamp this product and make it competitive for the present. The site, as it exists now, is a relic of the past.

What I will say is that the product has "the name" and you can easily modernize it to attract today's pre-med audience, current medical students, and even current physicians and recreate the energy that was here not that long ago.

That's just the "idea" but the blueprint for that would require much brainstorming of which I would be happy to be a part of.

What I envision is a product that makes applying to medical school and getting accepted to medical school a goal where each "user" actively supports one another in that quest, instead of criticizing, judging, and providing less-than-accurate information. Perhaps the results of that could be better achieved with a subscription-type model where only "real" and "serious" members want to join and only high quality information is shared amongst the user base. Essentially, I picture SDN as the place to be as a pre-med, a current med student, and a place for physicians to meet other physicians and learn and exchange ideas. That's not exactly what it is right now; it's close, but it could be more refined.

Just my .02.

 

[Lee]

My initial suggestion is to revamp this product and make it competitive for the present. The site, as it exists now, is a relic of the past.

What I will say is that the product has "the name" and you can easily modernize it to attract today's pre-med audience, current medical students, and even current physicians and recreate the energy that was here not that long ago.

That's just the "idea" but the blueprint for that would require much brainstorming of which I would be happy to be a part of.

What I envision is a product that makes applying to medical school and getting accepted to medical school a goal where each "user" actively supports one another in that quest, instead of criticizing, judging, and providing less-than-accurate information. Perhaps the results of that could be better achieved with a subscription-type model where only "real" and "serious" members want to join and only high quality information is shared amongst the user base. Essentially, I picture SDN as the place to be as a pre-med, a current med student, and a place for physicians to meet other physicians and learn and exchange ideas. That's not exactly what it is right now; it's close, but it could be more refined.

Just my .02.

Well stated. I agree with you - students want information, guidance, and support without added anxiety of peer competition.

I’ll reach out to you in PMs.

 

[Firing Neuron]

I'd be happy to post flyers if someone had one at my university I graduated from which is the biggest feeder into medical schools in Texas.

 

[habdavai]

This site is flooded with ads on mobile to the point I cant even click anything until I click the tiny X on all of them. That’s not a good user experience.

 

[WildWing]

Registered users shouldn’t be seeing ads - is this only when you are logged out?

 

[Lee]

This site is flooded with ads on mobile to the point I cant even click anything until I click the tiny X on all of them. That’s not a good user experience.

Hi, send me a PM with a screenshot - registered members shouldn't be seeing ads!

 

[TulaneUnderdog]

Reddit is the reason. But it's okay; I personally don't like the modern-looking format over there and I'm sure many people are the same way.

 

[AJ25]

Reddit is the reason. But it's okay; I personally don't like the modern-looking format over there and I'm sure many people are the same way.

The question is then, why did they go to Reddit? We could probably figure out the answer but the solution will be much harder.

 

[FireBirdie]

The question is then, why did they go to Reddit? We could probably figure out the answer but the solution will be much harder.

This is going to be my old man yelling at the clouds moment. Reddit is convenient; it consolidates a myriad of interests in an easy and digestible manner. I grew up with forums. I remember how vibrant communities were those days, but that changed as social media grew.

Forums are simply not cool anymore in this current social media space. Forums require a level of etiquette and engagement that might be considered too much effort or energy. Each generation grows up along with the social media platforms they are used to, but forums will continue to have their place for the reasons that Lee pointed out.

 

[Cath Up]

My initial suggestion is to revamp this product and make it competitive for the present. The site, as it exists now, is a relic of the past.

What I will say is that the product has "the name" and you can easily modernize it to attract today's pre-med audience, current medical students, and even current physicians and recreate the energy that was here not that long ago.

That's just the "idea" but the blueprint for that would require much brainstorming of which I would be happy to be a part of.

What I envision is a product that makes applying to medical school and getting accepted to medical school a goal where each "user" actively supports one another in that quest, instead of criticizing, judging, and providing less-than-accurate information. Perhaps the results of that could be better achieved with a subscription-type model where only "real" and "serious" members want to join and only high quality information is shared amongst the user base. Essentially, I picture SDN as the place to be as a pre-med, a current med student, and a place for physicians to meet other physicians and learn and exchange ideas. That's not exactly what it is right now; it's close, but it could be more refined.

Just my .02.

You are advocating for ens***tification of sdn to make it relevant lol. Why make it lose its soul for growth?? It is not a for-profit endeavor. There are myriad benefits to the current model as already stated and that is probably why it has persisted for 20+ years. It may well see a resurgence at some point. Also perhaps user engagement is not the most important metric (as evidenced by how horrible the internet is now due to pursuing engagement and growth)? The fact that not many people seek the type of discourse here currently… does not mean it is not useful or worth having.

 

[mfan11]

I think a lot of people, like myself, use the site primarily for med school admissions stuff and just lurk in the background. Usually the activity on the website spikes with every new/incoming application cycle, and around certain major dates during the cycle.