In every situation there are “Strengths, Weaknesses, and Other Threats” (SWOT for short). In business and sales this SWOT analysis is performed in some form or another (or should be) performed for every major decision. This technique requires dispassionate (or rational) analysis. This same methodology could/should be performed in our private lives at least in a truncated form. Yet we tend to think and tragically act emotionally often to our detriment (and almost as often regarding our finances). Take that 90cm flat HD TV with all the bells and whistles. Sure we want it (apart from perhaps me), who wouldn’t? The problem comes about when that want becomes a need. This is usually done by surreptitious conditioning by people who have a selfish motive… ads…by appealing to the public’s emotional vulnerability.
As a crisis councillor I have been into houses where families are eating poor nutritional food watching a new big TV but can’t pay their utilities. It is more than priorities many of these people are for a myriad of reasons unable or haven’t been taught HOW to make rational (beneficial) decisions. They learn from a source that hasn’t got their welfare at heart….the media, it has its own agenda.

It isn’t my intention to pick on advertising or the media but to indicate that people are used/manipulated for someone else’s interests, which may not be in your’s or the wider public’s interests.

What has this got to a SWOT analysis of OLO? Simply this.
One of the weaknesses of sites like OLO is that some authors/posters are in my opinion miss using the site. They come with a fixed position armed only with sometimes dubious ‘links to support their position. When the flaws are challenged they tend to become ad hominem taking the criticism as though to doubt is some how tantamount a personal criticism. Another popular tactic is the Joh 3 step tango.
If you don’t like the question then ….ignore it …ridicule it then… rephrase the question to whereby it supports there argument.
What would your SWOT analysis look like? I’ll comment later.

EXAMMY.. you need a swat :) *SWAT!*

It's

S trengths
W eaknesses
O pportunities
T threats ....

for OLO.. the main weakness is not being able to post images I reckon.
The strength is the format.. seems much better than other forums I see around.
Opportunites? aaaah I think it would be in a greater integration of OLO to mainstream newsgathering. Without becoming a newspaper..

Then..this might also be a weakness and defeat the primary purpose of interaction.

Over all it does a good job.

Strengths,a good spread of opinion [and yes knowledge], ease of posting , ans a receptive moderator ,[he is the only one ever to inform me of suspension UP front]

Weaknesses, ok the word limit[the reason for my first suspension]
also run up against the 5 post limit a few times ,the other weakness would be email noticing of response [i used to get the notices [but my mail box filled up too fast ,and often the responses wasnt in relation to my posting , or off topic or other reasons for non intrest

and Other Threats ,writing personal opinion into a permanant record ,allows others to create a prophile on you [or gang up with other posters to get your opinion silenced

[i feel if were are brave enough to write it it at least deserves a rebuttal or response [according as the poster deserves by the results his/her words solicite

there is a lack of clarity in the indexes ,and the polling seems a bit out of daTE ,heck its easy to critisise but there is more good than bad at olo

ok the 10 posts or 5 is confusing
and the 4 or 2 limit [but i will blame vista for that ]

it is partly because of grahams fairness i feel confident enough to reply [often sites dont want to hear the truth]

Dear examinator,

Strengths of Online Opinion are as follows:
1) Anyone can join.
2) Posters are free to nominate discussions.
3) Editors and Administrators don't usually interfere.
4) All sides of the topic are presented.
6) It's fun.
7) It's educational.

Weaknesses of OLO are as follows:
1) Constant allowance of same theme discussions.
e.g. politics and religion.
2) Allowance of personal attacks and labelling - lowers
the bar of discussions.
3) Limits to the number of times a person can post.
This should be extended. Often waiting many hours
to respond -takes away the spontanuity of a reaction, and
the train of thought is lost.

Opportunities for OLO are as follows:
1) Update the software to set a limit on certain subjects
that have been done to death so that when a suggestion is
put in for a discussion it automatically is rejected.
2) Bad language should be deleted.

Threats for OLO are as follows:
1)OLO could become boring and lose some patronage
if the same old subjects keep appearing so regularly.
2) Preaching and Bible quotes are not appropriate on
a Forum such as this one and should at least be limited.
The biggest threat I feel is that the Forum is misused
by some people for their own agendas. This is a definite
threat and turn off.

That's it for now, oh wise one...

Keep up the good work.

That’s a pretty good wrap Foxy.

I’ll just add one more weakness:

A lack of feedback to those who offer suggestions for the advancement of OLO.

On the ‘suggestions for OLO’ thread from July this year (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=1954), which ran to 148 posts, I posted 37 times with ideas for the improvement of OLO and responses to other posters’ ideas. Neither Graham nor Susan nor anyone else from the OLO staff entered the discussion. I found that to be very disappointing indeed.

Examinator, this has is an excellent thread ... let's see how it develops. I agree with much of what you are saying and am interested in how it plays out.

PolyBoaz, now we're talking in sync - (hint: sometimes it is better to leave the big 'G' out of the equation - S/he gave us a brain).

One-under-god, I agree with everything you say. Question; who owns copyright?

Foxy, your understanding of views are always important to me ... thanks.

Ludwig, sometimes it's better that the big 'G' (GrahamY) stays out of it - but other times, yeah ... you're on the button!