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This forum is dying....or is it just me?

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Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Originally posted by: vi edit
Natural Attrition.

1) As mentioned by me and others, the PC tweaking and power user community is drying up. There just isn't as much benefit and cost savings like there used to be 10+ years ago overclocking Celeron 300a's or video cards. So we lose new member interest because they aren't seeking out help and getting invovled in the community.

2) Social sites have evolved (or de-evolved in some cases) on internet. Myspace, facebook, and hotspots like 4Channel have stolen many "Off Topic" users from conventional bulletin board formats.

3) We just have a natural attrition of legacy users through various reasons. People that came here years ago are getting older, have families, lose interest, move on to other things, ect.

As far as moderation is concerned, it's just like any sort of policing. It's reactive. Not proactive. And for every person that you make happy, you piss off another. It's a zero sum game. MANY users were fed up with the YAGT and YACT so we spun off those threads to L&R and The Garage. Some people loved it, some hated it. We can't win. Hindsight is always 20/20. Speaking strictly as a member and not a moderator, I LIKE having those threads - as well as P&N stuff funnelled into their own forums. If I want to see it, I'll go there. But I like structured formats even if it does create lower traffic overall.

This forum is a spin off of a hobbist site. If the hobby itself is on the decline, the forum is going to follow that.
Click to expand...

To a point this is true.

But at the same time the anonymity went away and along came super bias resulting in a Nanny Police state.

I was on here from the beginning in 1998 until January of this year without ever being "vacationed" and then two more times back to back after that including vacationed for the entire month of May.

That's Ok it made me start my own forums
Click to expand...

That's because of your slow descent into insanity, Dave. Not the mods.
Click to expand...

It wasn't slow.

He went from 0 to shit house rat crazy in 4.7 seconds.
 
Personally, I think the forums were harsher back in the day. I remember when I first started posting, I almost left because of the negativity and insults. Instead, I decide to join in on the fun. :laugh:
 
In the end, does it really fscking matter?

Sorry but these forums have been "dead" to me for a long time.
 
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Personally, I think the forums were harsher back in the day. I remember when I first started posting, I almost left because of the negativity and insults. Instead, I decide to join in on the fun. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Yeah I think the Lifers used to hold a better sense of elitism and protect it by bashing those with lower post counts. That makes it more interesting, more respectful.

LET US MAKE PARODIES!
 
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Originally posted by: JLee
Originally posted by: Kroze
Is it just me or this forum is slowly dying? I'm seeing post that are 2 to 3 days old on the front page. Are the mode to blame because they're too strict with the rules that drive people away from this forum?
Click to expand...

Mods? Strict with rules..? Maybe it's just me, but they're a lot more lax now than a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...

Nah, I used to get away with much more. Yesterday I got a warning for calling a douchebag "douchebag".
Click to expand...

No offense, but you've not even been here a year yet. You don't have a "used to" yet. 😛

Anyone who remembers far back, around 2000/2001, can tell you that there used to be a much tighter reign here. Words like "douchebag" were filtered outright, bypassing the language filter was an instant vacation, people were permabanned just for being annoyances to the majority of members, and overall it was a lot less permissive.

On the other hand, the membership was much more tightly-knit, people tended to be more polite, and there was overall more opportunity for deeper discussion while maintaining civility.

ZV
Click to expand...

I remember when "ebay" was a banned word. Popular substitutions were "fleabay" and "egay". I think fatwallet was also a banned word at one time.
 
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Personally, I think the forums were harsher back in the day. I remember when I first started posting, I almost left because of the negativity and insults. Instead, I decide to join in on the fun. :laugh:
Click to expand...

I guess it's just perspective.
 
Originally posted by: dmcowen674

I was on here from the beginning in 1998 until January of this year without ever being "vacationed" and then two more times back to back after that including vacationed for the entire month of May.
Click to expand...

Sadly, Dave's memory is as faulty concerning vacations as it is about everything else.

 
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
In the end, does it really fscking matter?

Sorry but these forums have been "dead" to me for a long time.
Click to expand...

We still miss you Baff. I still remember back when you, GF, Isla, and HC were feared for your proficiency at the trout-slap.

Of course, that was back when the great dinosaurs Russ and Red would spar in the open forums and DessertCart roamed freely with his high levels of smartness.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Originally posted by: JLee
Originally posted by: Kroze
Is it just me or this forum is slowly dying? I'm seeing post that are 2 to 3 days old on the front page. Are the mode to blame because they're too strict with the rules that drive people away from this forum?
Click to expand...

Mods? Strict with rules..? Maybe it's just me, but they're a lot more lax now than a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...

Nah, I used to get away with much more. Yesterday I got a warning for calling a douchebag "douchebag".
Click to expand...

No offense, but you've not even been here a year yet. You don't have a "used to" yet. 😛

Anyone who remembers far back, around 2000/2001, can tell you that there used to be a much tighter reign here. Words like "douchebag" were filtered outright, bypassing the language filter was an instant vacation, people were permabanned just for being annoyances to the majority of members, and overall it was a lot less permissive.

On the other hand, the membership was much more tightly-knit, people tended to be more polite, and there was overall more opportunity for deeper discussion while maintaining civility.

ZV
Click to expand...

My profile does not reflect my actual join date.
 
Originally posted by: allisolm
Originally posted by: dmcowen674

I was on here from the beginning in 1998 until January of this year without ever being "vacationed" and then two more times back to back after that including vacationed for the entire month of May.
Click to expand...

Sadly, Dave's memory is as faulty concerning vacations as it is about everything else.
Click to expand...

He was given more than enough rope. Many felt that he should have been tapped on the shoulder well before the trigger was pulled the first time.

The more he was allowed to skate on thin ice, the more he may have felt protected or led a charmed life.

Which happens to many posters here. the straw that breaks the camels back (Moderator's patience) is usually not note worthy, but the result of continual aggravations that in the end it is determined the the perp needs to be put in their place w/ respect the to rest of the forums, is not a positive contributer and/or such a negative influence.

 
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Originally posted by: vi edit
Natural Attrition.

1) As mentioned by me and others, the PC tweaking and power user community is drying up. There just isn't as much benefit and cost savings like there used to be 10+ years ago overclocking Celeron 300a's or video cards. So we lose new member interest because they aren't seeking out help and getting invovled in the community.

2) Social sites have evolved (or de-evolved in some cases) on internet. Myspace, facebook, and hotspots like 4Channel have stolen many "Off Topic" users from conventional bulletin board formats.

3) We just have a natural attrition of legacy users through various reasons. People that came here years ago are getting older, have families, lose interest, move on to other things, ect.

As far as moderation is concerned, it's just like any sort of policing. It's reactive. Not proactive. And for every person that you make happy, you piss off another. It's a zero sum game. MANY users were fed up with the YAGT and YACT so we spun off those threads to L&R and The Garage. Some people loved it, some hated it. We can't win. Hindsight is always 20/20. Speaking strictly as a member and not a moderator, I LIKE having those threads - as well as P&N stuff funnelled into their own forums. If I want to see it, I'll go there. But I like structured formats even if it does create lower traffic overall.

This forum is a spin off of a hobbist site. If the hobby itself is on the decline, the forum is going to follow that.
Click to expand...

To a point this is true.

But at the same time the anonymity went away and along came super bias resulting in a Nanny Police state.

I was on here from the beginning in 1998 until January of this year without ever being "vacationed" and then two more times back to back after that including vacationed for the entire month of May.

That's Ok it made me start my own forums
Click to expand...

*crickets*
 
Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Originally posted by: JLee
Originally posted by: Kroze
Is it just me or this forum is slowly dying? I'm seeing post that are 2 to 3 days old on the front page. Are the mode to blame because they're too strict with the rules that drive people away from this forum?
Click to expand...

Mods? Strict with rules..? Maybe it's just me, but they're a lot more lax now than a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...

Nah, I used to get away with much more. Yesterday I got a warning for calling a douchebag "douchebag".
Click to expand...

No offense, but you've not even been here a year yet. You don't have a "used to" yet. 😛

Anyone who remembers far back, around 2000/2001, can tell you that there used to be a much tighter reign here. Words like "douchebag" were filtered outright, bypassing the language filter was an instant vacation, people were permabanned just for being annoyances to the majority of members, and overall it was a lot less permissive.

On the other hand, the membership was much more tightly-knit, people tended to be more polite, and there was overall more opportunity for deeper discussion while maintaining civility.

ZV
Click to expand...

My profile does not reflect my actual join date.
Click to expand...

Even if you had joined in, say, July, 2004, you still missed most of the golden age IMO. 😉

ZV
 
Originally posted by: RichUK
It was better when we didn?t have all these separate social forums. Good times?
Click to expand...

I have to agree with Rich here. All the YAGT and the YACT are in their own separate forums. Those topics made the OffTopic front page move more than it does now.

I mean look at how many individual forums there are here. Not much left to discuss in OffTopic.
 
Originally posted by: moshquerade
Originally posted by: RichUK
It was better when we didn?t have all these separate social forums. Good times?
Click to expand...

I have to agree with Rich here. All the YAGT and the YACT are in their own separate forums. Those topics made the OffTopic front page move more than it does now.

I mean look at the the individual forums there are here. Not much left to discuss in OffTopic.
Click to expand...

yeah and if they were split since the start we would never have had "close your eyes and stick your hand out..i want to try somehing" type threads!
 
Originally posted by: ric1287
I love how serious people take the vacations/banning. hahahah.
Click to expand...
I have been vacationed twice. The next time, someone will lose their head.


It might be me but hey, a head will roll, damnit!

 
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