A Welsh Language Forum

Welsh General / Questions
#1

So I’ve had this idea for a few months, I just haven’t gotten around to posting due to other commitments. I noticed that there really isn’t a place where speakers can talk in Welsh to one another online, that is, a Welsh language forum. What is needed is a forum where the language is exclusively in Welsh. This wouldn’t just be somewhere people can chat in Welsh for the sake of it, but a genuine place where people could co-ordinate, plan events with one another and discuss general things. Other than the Reddit Cymru (which is hardly used) I couldn’t come across any online platform. I did see forumwales.com - but that seems to be dead.

There should be a Welsh speaking forum where people sign up, post and do everything in Welsh. How about ‘fforum.cymru’ ?

Some of the aims/why this is needed.
-There needs to be a way for Welsh speakers to communicate and share opinions, not just within regions, but across the country; from Blanaeu Gwent to Blanaeu Ffestiniog. Porthmadog to Porthcawl. Connectivity is good!
-In a world where English is the international national, it could give people like me, who work in science a chance to write in Cymraeg.
-This is the 21st century.
-It could help Welsh speakers in relatively Cymraeg spare areas, such as Sir Fynwy connect with another meet up etc
-It would add to Welsh content online. With recent developments such as Nation.cymru, Parallel cymru this would add as another outlet of the language.
-Help support and spread word about Welsh events. For example in the last month there was a concert by a Welsh singer in Cardiff. I couldn’t make it - but if a friend of mine who lives in the ‘Welsh community’ hadn’t told me about it, I would have been none the wiser. I know Golwg has an events section and I do try to check websites, but it’s not practical to check a dozen venues regularly. More awareness of Welsh events can’t be a bad thing.

Just a quick thought for basic structure (This is in no particular order- sorry for the bad grammar and spelling)

Rheolau y fforum- Do’s and Dont’s
Cyhoeddiadau- Most forums have these. Changes in structure, T’s and C’s, how to not/get banned etc

Newyddion
Self explanatory- People can discuss news stories they’ve seen. The other option could be to structure this section by topics rather than area eg Gwleidyddiaeth, Addysg, Iechyd, Amgylch, Arian,

Cymru- General news about Wales
De Dwyrain - Caerdydd, Casnewydd, Abertawe, Y Cymoedd, Bro Morgannwg etc
Gogledd Cymru - Gwynedd, Ynys Mon etc
Gorllewin Cymru- Sir Gar, Sir Benfro, Ceredigion
Canolbarth: Powys, Brecheniog, etc

Ynysoedd Prydain: Lloegr, Yr Alban, Gogledd Iwerddon, Gwirinieath Iwerddon
Rhyngwladol- America, Ewrop, Asia etc etc

Cymuned
De Dwyrain - Caerdydd, Casnewydd, Abertawe, Y Cymoedd, Bro Morgannwg etc
Gogledd Cymru - Gwynedd, Ynys Mon, Conwy etc
Gorllewin Cymru- Sir Gar, Ceredigion, Sir Benfro
Canolbarth: Powys, Brecheniog etc

Ynysoedd Prydain,
America, Asia etc
Yr Ariannin

People can post ask about whats going on in their local areas such as events, sports clubs, choirs, concerts, meithrinfa, theatre. Shops with Welsh speaking staff, supporting local businesses. Provide links to Papurau Bro. People can know whats going on in other areas too. There are Welsh societies and expats all over the world.

Chwaraeon.
Rygbi- Pro 14, Ewrop, Rhyngwladol etc
Pel droed- Uwch Gynghrair Lloegr, Uwch Gynghrair Cymru, UEFA, Rwngwladol etc etc
Chwaraeon eraill, Criced, golff, ralio etc

Sports chat in Welsh- simple enough.

Addysg.
Welsh speaking students can get in touch with one another and organise events.

Prifysgolion Cymru- Caerdydd, Abertawe, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Y Drindod Dewi Sant etc.
Prifysgolion eraill-Lloegr, Yr Alban, Rhyngwladol.

(sgol Gynradd, Ysgol Uwchradd (Rheini)- Parents can chat about schooling related issues.

Iaith- people can discuss all things Cymraeg related. Tips on how to get people learning. Teaching advise could be exchanged, how to get people in their communities learning etc. News regarding the language

Diwylliant ag adloniant.
Llenyddiaeth, Ffilm, Teledu, Cerdd, Gigs, Bardd

People can chat about music concerts/shows/comedy gigs in their area that they’ve seen. People could chat about shows on the tele or even share poetry. Share Podcasts, radio.
post book/film reviews

Ar Werth/Gwasanathaeu
Effectively a classifieds section. People can post if they’re selling stuff in their local areas. People could get in touch with one another for private house and car sales. People could advertise if people are looking for services through the medium of Welsh such as tutoring, music teaching, repairs, website design, translation etc.

Bwyd a ddiodydd (post and exchange recipes, restaurant and bar recommendations, where to stay etc)
Ffermio ?

It will take time but people will use it. The idea came to me on a regular visit to a fountain pen forum (yes you read that correctly). There are over 100,000 who have signed up to that forum and major companies keep tabs on what is posted. Niche interests can attract a high audience in their field.
This is just an idea and I don’t know much about running a forum!!- So i figured that a forum would be a good place to see if any one likes the idea or knows anybody with the right skills. I guess what is needed is;

Someone to design it
Moderators
Money to pay for it (People to chip in for the site)
Users (Even if we get 1-2% out the 700 000 using it- thats a lively online community in the 1000’s).

Any thoughts? Rubbish? Good? Suggestions?
Mihil :slight_smile:

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#2

Maes-e was almost exactly as you describe. It’s dead: Killed by Facebook and Twitter.
Clecs was an attempt to build an wholly Welsh version of Twitter. It’s pretty much dead.

I’m sure there are indeed thousands of people who would like the idea of what you describe, but in practice it seems that the demand is simply not there.

So here’s the challenge: Setting something like this up is the easy bit - getting people to come and then getting them to stay is the difficult bit. That’s where we would need thoughts and suggestions. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#3

I did see Maes-E and remember reading it was set up in the 90’s and it certainly looks like it from a quick visit!
You’re right there has to be the right pull. That is, people continually posting there.
I just at looked at some of the movie/sports forums eg the cardiffcity fc forums and there are new posts there literally by the hour.
The moneysavingecpert forum is very popular. I guess because you want to hear about deals and coupons etc. What about something similar to mumsnet? Still very popular and doesn’t offer anything as such, but the website is good and popular threads make it as ‘cover stories’, rather than the traditional, pictureless thread, subthread style.
I guess we could ask ourselves what is it that keeps people going to a forum? Like the one we are on now.

For me its expectation
Expectation of seeing something new, new tips, hearing about a learners story etc.

Perhaps, taking a step back the overarching question should be:
How do we connect and strengthen the Welsh speaking world in this day and age?

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#4

If it was a platform/app/whatever that was novel in some way and ahead of the curve it might be interesting. Perhaps a fusion of videos, music, pictures comments in a way that has an AI element to it and isn’t Facebook or you tube, but you’d need a touch of genius and a good team to pull something off.

Clecs was trying to emulate twitter, but with hindsight it hard big shoes to fill. Maes-e was right for it’s time, but that time then passed.

Good luck and I would be in, even if it was a crude pilot of ideas, because that’s where good things have to start off.

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#5

I forgot to mention Ffrwti which was heavily backed by the Government and other institutions as a way of leveraging Twitter to create a spin-off Cymraeg community. I was involved in a small way in trying to get momentum moving, but in the end it all petered out, unfortunately.

I’m remembering a motto from anther on-line effort to create a community: methu=dysgu / to fail is to learn - I think it’s possible that something positive could come out of all of this, but I’m not yet sure what it might be.

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#6

The potential Welsh market, might be small initially and that old idea of linking this to others with similar issues, other minority languages etc must be the answer. We have to find that missing hook somehow. Maybe Facebook and twitter are too good, but in a few years we’ll be cringing at how we used to spend so much time on them and how basic they were.

Something is coming around the corner and I don’t know what that is, but people will be communicating differently in five to ten years from now.

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#7

I’m not a fan of either, but I can’t deny their success. But they do different things from the “traditional” forum.

We’ve discussed in other threads in the past the relative demise of the forum as a concept in the wider world. There are probably understandable (if not exactly good) reasons for that. This one (in its various evolutions) has been relatively successful I guess, but I suspect that even in its heyday, it was only ever used by a subset of the total population of SSiW users/members.

But whether it be a forum, or some other kind of technology, the fundamental question is whether there is a critical mass of people who want this kind of thing. If there was, wouldn’t the now-defunct and already mentioned Welsh-related forums have continued? This one has continued, probably, because of the relative USP that SSiW has to offer.

I personally think forums are a great online tool, and I’m a big fan, but I have to accept that the wider world doesn’t seem to agree, and they’ve voted with their feet.

(My other rant is on the demise of the email, especially the literate one, but I’ll spare you all from that. :slight_smile: - for today, anyway… :wink: )

2 Likes
#8

I think there could be a successful site/forum that’s all in Welsh, but it’s finding its USP that’s hard. Things don’t necessarily have to be huge like Facebook and Twitter, look at Ravelry, the knitting/crochet site. That combines managing one’s projects with discussion forums and is very successful, yet if you don’t crochet or knit, it’s likely you’ve never heard of it.

At the moment, many people use groups on Facebook for the sort of thing described here. Merched Y Wawr use Facebook, for example. Another Welsh group I’m a member of is trying to relaunch our local Welsh language newspaper, which has been closed by the newspaper group that owned it. The upside of using Facebook is that people are already checking Facebook for other reasons, then can follow their local Welsh speaking group(s). The downside is that there’s no central way of knowing which groups it might be useful to follow.

The upside to having a dedicated Welsh social media/news site would be that you only have to check one place to find news, events and opinions from all over Wales. The downside is that it would be yet another place for people to have to remember to check online and of course not everyone speaks/writes Welsh well enough to follow and contribute, though some events might be suitable for their level of Welsh, e.g. concerts.

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#9

Please don’t tell me that these are extinct! I shall be obliged to go into mourning!
p.s. My reading/writing in Welsh is now almost worse than my speaking, so I doubt if I’d use a Forum, but I find it hard to believe there is no call for one. Does Cymdeithas 'r Iaith Gymraeg have one? Does Plaid Cymru?

#10

I’m still mourning the death of the handwritten letter! I used to be a great letter writer and have lots of old letters from friends and family from when I was younger and when my parents were doing VSO in Vietnam. Then next to no evidence or record of friendships made since then.

#11

I think forums work when they are built around a common interest (cardiff city, learning welsh etc) not because of their medium. Facebook is successful because it is multipurpose and multilingual. So is twitter.

To create a multipurpose welsh forum wouldny work becaude you’re losing an element of the successes, you’re making it constrictive.

What there needs to be is a forum with an interest in something (politics) that happens to be in Welsh.

The other thing to remember is Welsh speakers all share a talent; they’re at least bilingual. Therefore, if you had a political discussion someone is naturally going to discuss something they’ve read that others will understand, so English will always be present on these forums.

2 Likes
#12

(email): indulged in in private by a few consenting adults only, I believe. :wink:
(I’m not talking about mailing lists, although there are far fewer of those now).

That would be my other worry. The original proposal in the 1st post in this thread was for it to be all in Welsh. So how do learners fit into it?

#13

Looking forward to reading your views and comments on this, @mikeellwood!

#14

Perhaps something that SSi/@Aran might be interested in as part of new expansion into content? Just that SSi already has a relevant name and nice looking site and ready made followers. Maybe the existing Welsh thread could become a sub forum along the desired lines. . Also pulling in new customers for the courses? Just a thought.

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#15

I agree on more specific things - it has to be a forum where you want to jump in and say something or pass on some info that you might have. You and a few others are regular contributors to the “be dach chi’n gwneud rwan” thread on here, but most I suspect, like myself I must admit are often wondering what to say as much as worrying about how to say it.

On some other sites, I have tried to use Welsh from time to time, but when you’re up against some very eloquent comment writers in Welsh it can be a bit daunting and I do wonder if anyone might be cringing a bit at the Welsh, I’m trying to use.

In terms of forums to attract learners, like myself to join in- a forum with a rule where any Welsh goes, whether it be one word here and there or paragraphs of jibberish from time to time would be great.

2 Likes
#16

I can fully understand your feelings about writing in Welsh. It can feel quite exposing can’t it? So if the setting is not extremely friendly, emotions can run very high. At least that’s my experience from Facebook groups and the like.

I hope you don’t feel thay way (or at least not to the degree that it puts you off) here on the forum. That particular thread is open to all and all levels and competence with written Welsh is welcome. We all learn from each other :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#17

I don’t feel uncomfortable on this forum at all - it’s very welcoming and we’re all on the same journey, so can relate to where others might be on their journey, whether it’s someone completing one lesson or the fountains of knowledge who have move on well beyond the courses etc.

On the wider issue, I was just picking up on your point of focused forums, like Football forums etc, where it’s more than practicing and actually wanting to engage in Welsh and say something (or write something).

I have never had criticism on some other sites or forums where people are fluently debating things in what seems like perfect Welsh, but I sometimes feel a little out of my depth - most places are fine, but there are places, maybe where people are commenting on a book review or things poltical etc and the commentariat are using high-brow language to critique or comment on things - places where writing sai’n gwybod or dw’i ffaelu, would feel really out of place and so I don’t engage with those.

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#18

I would _lo_ve to hear @garethrking’s reaction to pedantic Forums where Welsh learners feel unable to put in the smallest comment for fear of ridicule! It hardly fits with the welcoming most learners get in real, face to face, life! Has anyone ever actually been chided for their Cymraeg on such Forums? I query sometimes on this one, because we are all learners and also typos get in - in my case always get in when I am on my ipad!

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#19

I wasn’t really thinking of the pedants, because I haven’t really fallen foul of them yet - I’m sure they are out there, as there are the grammar and spelling correctors in English, who are always on the look out fo the split infinitives, just to show their own cleverness.

I was more thinking about the personal fear of interrupting an eloquent bit of dialogue, because I just don’t have that level of vocabulary and know that I am very prone to making plenty of grammatical errors. It’s inevitable, but those might be great ways of trying to improve and get exposure to all sorts of different ways of expressing things etc and improving vocab.

I can look big words up like everyone else, but that runs the risk of using words that haven’t been in use since 1637 and only then by some famous reverend called Morgan ap Gwilym from Llandysadwrn-ar-Pen-y-Bont-y-Myddfri,

3 Likes
#20

The idea is excellent. I don’t think I’m personally ready for it yet, but it would be something for me to strive for. Pob lwc.

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