It's about participation - folks building models.  This year I started the F1 group build (2nd year) - still have to finish my kit but have til March.  I was in the Secret Santa group build which I love and finished my kit and posted.  I was also in the Japanese group build and finished my kit and posted.  Finally I was in the Floats And Boats GB and finished and posted my kit.

All this having moved into our brand new house at the end of February - finally set up a few months later.  We all build at our own rate and have good intentions.  Not calling anyone out, but without participation the GBs and the forum in general falls apart and we find other outlets.

Point is, it is all on us.

5-high here thought I chime in on this ..I've been away for 7 years ....life ...had no idea we've lost so much . But I'm back as soon as I set up my new hobby room .and soon I'll join in GB,S .CANT WAIT.

gomeral

As with others, my build time is way down - I'm hoping to complete *something* this year.  I signed up for two GBs and didn't even get to start one of them, the other I barely got to.  I never posted anything out of embarrassment.

Man, I wrote a huge essay here, and I'm deleting it because (a) whiny, and (b)  TMI.  I'll summarize with: The issue I'm having lately is motivation.  To help with that, I turn to the forum to read and try to get myself worked back up.  I don't engage much, but I do love it here.

If nothing else, y'all inspire me to fill out my stash and dream.  :)

 

What he said.  

As with others, my build time is way down - I'm hoping to complete *something* this year.  I signed up for two GBs and didn't even get to start one of them, the other I barely got to.  I never posted anything out of embarrassment.

Man, I wrote a huge essay here, and I'm deleting it because (a) whiny, and (b)  TMI.  I'll summarize with: The issue I'm having lately is motivation.  To help with that, I turn to the forum to read and try to get myself worked back up.  I don't engage much, but I do love it here.

If nothing else, y'all inspire me to fill out my stash and dream.  :)

Well, in my case, life got in the way.  Been on this forum for decades now, planning to jump back in as much as possible. Would hate to see this forum fade way.

Well said gentlemen!  Cbaltrin, keep your chin up and just relaxt and have fun.  No pressure.  If it's not fun, it's not a hobby!

Note to self - remember those words!

  Cbaltrin, group builds are tough both to host as well as be involved in. They take time away from a persons rythem, sorry no spell check, to complete a kit on thier terms. Hosting has its own set of issues, keeping up with who has finished, motivating folks to continue, working on your own kit.... I for one do not fault ya, I unfortunatly cannot seem to remember how to post pix, kinda hard to be involved if that challenge isn't met.

      Not completely related but like you I suffer from lack of motivation brought on by outside sources. My brother is a super rivet counter, "if the detail can be seen it needs to be on the model", I HEAR you need to do this that or the other....motivation gone model on shelf. 

    At the end of rhe day, I'm glad that you are part of our community, and contribute what you can. Don't feel bad for building alone, when I build it is to get away from things. I apperciate the opportunity to add to this thread and hope it helps you feel better about YOUR choices. Have an AMAZING day and Happy Modelling.

Dodgy

I love what I'm getting from the forums now. I get great mates from around the world, all the help and advice I need, wonderful cameradrie, encouragement to build models and a wonderful sense of belonging. I also get to see truly marvelous modellers at work.

Love that Dodgy, Agree with you 100%

damouav

I prefer to build alone, I dont like GB's...

Hi damouav, As soon as I read that statement my brain when to The Adventures of Clutch Powers (Lego Movie:https://youtu.be/iwUxOM8EGk0). My kids whatched it so many times I have the song stuck in my head -- which is actually also a song from a lego movie, but I digress..

I hear you on the motivation thing.  I think we all lose motivation for different reasons.  One thing that killed my motivation was these new kits with 300 or 400 + parts. I bought a Tamiya F-4B a few years ago and would just open the box occassionaly look at all the beautiful parts and then realized I don't have time for that. I finally sold it.  I usually go for simple kits I can get done in a reasonable amount of time.  Perhaps  my perspective will change when I am retired (if I make it that far) but I doubt it, because, as I get older, I start to realize how precious every hour of every day is. 

As for not liking GB's, I totally get it. It's not for everyone. My post was not an attempt to guilt anyone into joining a GB. I was simply using GB activity as a thermometer for the general health (figuratively and literally in some cases) of the community, and being a little saddened/concerned by the current temperature. 

JoeSMG

And for the love of God please enable some form of Spell checking!

Good one JoeSMG! 

Thanks for checking in Dave. I hope you get well and are able to get back to the bench soon. Thanks for checking in.  Please keep us updated on your progress!

Dave: I hope you're better soon! I'd hate to damage my hands like that, without models or computer games I think I'd go insane. 

Damouav: I kinda know how you feel. I kinda solitary myself. I like GBs but I generally have a few things I'm building just on my own at the same time. 

I love the hobby and I love the comradeire here in the forums.  I haven't been active for a couple of years due to injury and surgery.  Two rotator cuff surgeries in 2 years rendered my arms and hands pretty useless.  During Christmas vacation, I had hoped to do a mad dash to complete a couple of group builds by the end of the year..... Nope, flu then compounded by covid.  So, maybe more than a few of us have been taken out of action by illness or injury.  It sucks....

But, even when I'm sick and incompacitated, it is still fun to lurk from the side lines and see the amazing work being done. If you can't build yourself, it's always good to see what other modelers are up to.  It's theraputic and motivating at the same time.

I enjoy the group builds and the interactions between group members as they work through their builds.  I've signed up for several with every intention of finishing, but then something happens in real life to disrupt it all. Like others have stated earlier, the forums are great, but it is definitely a chore to upload pictures to the site.  For some of us less tech savvy folks, this can be a very frustrating show stopper.  

There are a few useful FB model groups that I follow.  While they may be easier to interact with, there's just not the depth of discussion there that we find here in the FSM forums.  I appreciate everything that the Kalmach family does for the hobby and the venue they provide for us modelers, whatever level of expertise we have, and whatever level of commitment we have to our group builds.

I admire and appreciate all of you guys.  Keep being an inspiration and an encouraging voice for each other.  I hope that 2023 is a better year for all of us.

TAD

I prefer to build alone, I dont like GB's... still haven completed the Midway GB from 2017!!

In fact, I havent completed anything since 2018. I still look in and comment on others builds from time to time but I have lost the spark for building. I keep buying gear but havent sat at my bench for 18months. 

I just open my Christmas presents from my Dad with x3 Tamiya 1/32 kits (F4U, Spit and Mustang), maybe that will be sufficent to ignite that passion I once had for the hobby... maybe.

Any who, wishing all a Happy New Year.

I'm for the most part only on the forum. I'm not on Facebook, and I love the group builds!

GMorrison

 

 

keavdog

I prefer forums () to social media ().  Facebook doesn't really have the concept of a thread so it's kinda haphazard.  I did enjoy the pics before I left though.

 

 

 

 

My edits!

 

 

Bill

 

Fixed the punctuation on it(')s!  Now Edwin Newman can go back to sleep.

In the past I have been very critical of the FSM site and magazine, but putting that aside, the reality is that the forums are what got me back into modelling. I love the cameradrie and support of the GB's and I have learnt so much from you folks out there. On top of that I have established some great friendships around the world and I often tell my wife and family about my mates in the FSM world. I also love that the forums have none of the bull and politics of most organisations.

I am not a fan of Facebook and use it only as a means of keeping in touch with our family in the UK. I have only been a member for a few years, so I cannot comment on the forums "heyday", but I love what I'm getting from the forums now. I get great mates from around the world, all the help and advice I need, wonderful cameradrie, encouragement to build models and a wonderful sense of belonging. I also get to see truly marvelous modellers at work.

As for the GB's in general, I'm not in a position to comment on the past, but I find that there are way too many GB's going for me to enter them all and when I announced the Go Figure GB, I was completely blown away by the response.

Yes we have lost some good mates, but I also see a lot of comments about people losing their motivation for modelling, which of course happens to us all from time, and life issues have a habit of getting in the way. I don't think the forums are dead, far from it. Perhaps they are quieter than they used to be, but all things change. It would be interesting to hear from some of the newer members on this subject. Would there be any value in a member survey? For me, I'm a pretty happy little Vegemite.

Dodgy

.

There have been some good suggestions, some like the "Like" ability shouldn't be too hard to implement but I totally agree with Justin on image hosting. If FSM could make life easier in this one area people would be more likely to post WIP and maybe even join group builds. I'm guessing many older folk in particular can't be bothered to mess with finding a trustworthy free image hosting site, figure out how to sign up for it and upload to it, and then link to their uploaded images from here...

I think people tend to follow the path of least resistance with the most positive feedback.

And for the love of God please enable some form of Spell checking!

I'm newish but I'm rootin' for ya FSM!

keavdog

I prefer forums () to social media ().  Facebook doesn't really have the concept of a thread so its kinda haphazard.  I did enjoy the pics before I left though.

 

Bill

BrandonK

I live on the GB thread now but that has caused me to not build kits I had in mind that don't fit any other GB. It's been kind of a cascading effect.

BK

 

Bill

It's good to see you back on the site Bruce. I hope you find the time to spend more time with us.  

I really only use FB for the groups to get ideas. I don't generally interact as many times you get jumped for saying nice things. My experience is the FB tends to be toxic even when moderators try to keep it civil. I'm just not down with that. I hang out here because I love the people and the climate. It always friendly here. 

BK

I prefer forums to social media.  Facebook doesn't really have the concept of a thread so its kinda haphazard.  I did enjoy the pics before I left though.

Could engaging the kit maker's owners/mangers/sales reps to come here and chat with us help? I belong to a triathlon forum and sometimes the forum owner brings triathlon related manufacturers to the forum for "ask me anything" sessions. Its fun, builds bridges etc. Not just a youtube interview with pre arranged questions. Get down and personal.

Well, in my case life got in the way, so much so, I thought I was going to quit the hobby altogether. I have notice not nearly as much traffic as when I started on this forum, but, I'm not going to let that keep me from being as active as possible. I may even attempt to run a group build later in 2023. Right now, I need to get a kit finished, just for the sake of finally finishing one! lol 

BK, I hear what you are saying and share a lot of your sentiments. Group builds help keep me motivated and enjoy the hobby more. True, it narrows down what I build, but for me, there are more positives than negatives...

I'll bet Lack of engagement is also a result of the site not being phone friendly. I know I often see posts I want to reply to but tell myself that I'll do it later when I'm at my computer... sometimes I remember sometimes I don't...

Justinryan215

 

 

Tim Kidwell

I will be honest with you all: Traffic on the Forum is down and it's been a trend for a while. The reasons are a mixed bag  including other social media sites, functionality challenges, and not promoting it like we used to.

Interactivity has waned, but the Forum is far from "dead," though it may seem that way on the surface. It still generates a lot of traffic, down though it may be. But most of that traffic is from lurkers or people visiting for specific info.

In 2023, it's one of my goals to revive the Forum and get more people sharing their modeling stories, experiences, and knowledge again. FSM staff will be participate on the Forum in more than a moderating capacity. We will continue to work to rectify function challenges, and you'll see more references to "hot topics" on the Forum in newsletters.

As mentioned in another post above, FB, Twitter, and other places just don't work well for sharing modeling knowledge the Forum does. I and the FSM staff strongly believe in growing the Forum's active participation again. That's gonna take some work, but we're dedicated to seeing it happen.

Before anyone asks, I cannot promise broad overall changes to the Forum. Yes, it is creaky in spots. However, switching the FSM Forum to a new platform would require engaging a new enterprise solution for all of Kalmbach's brands, of which we are only one and cannot dictate moves of that magnitude. There are other FSM projects in the works that need to get finished before a Forum overhaul would even be contemplated. Traffic and activity up first, then further plans can be engaged.

Needless to say, the FSM Forum has a rich history, and many of you have been here from the early days. And new members continue to add to the knowledge base and discussions. We want to build on that going forward. Thanks for being here. 

(Written on my phone. Typos happne.)

 

 

 

 

 

gonna disagree with you on this point, my man....facebook, and it's many groups, offer many, many ways to share stories, ask for advice, and provide step by steps and other pertinent information.  Is there some toxicity out there?  Sure, there always will be.  But the positives found in groups like 'The Model Maker Union', and ANY of the various podcasts' groups, PPP, Plastic Model ***, On the Bench, The Model Geeks to name a few, are frequented daily by fantastic modelers always willing to offer words of encouragement or guidance!

 

I think you guys have a huge feat in front of you to try and bring this place back to the glory of the turn of the century.  One BIG step that would let you compete with the social medias would be to upgrade the photo posting.  That, folowed by very little engagement are the two main reasons I don't frequent the forums like I once did....

 

Thanks for your thoughts, Justin. Do what works for you. 

Tim Kidwell

I will be honest with you all: Traffic on the Forum is down and it's been a trend for a while. The reasons are a mixed bag  including other social media sites, functionality challenges, and not promoting it like we used to.

Interactivity has waned, but the Forum is far from "dead," though it may seem that way on the surface. It still generates a lot of traffic, down though it may be. But most of that traffic is from lurkers or people visiting for specific info.

In 2023, it's one of my goals to revive the Forum and get more people sharing their modeling stories, experiences, and knowledge again. FSM staff will be participate on the Forum in more than a moderating capacity. We will continue to work to rectify function challenges, and you'll see more references to "hot topics" on the Forum in newsletters.

As mentioned in another post above, FB, Twitter, and other places just don't work well for sharing modeling knowledge the Forum does. I and the FSM staff strongly believe in growing the Forum's active participation again. That's gonna take some work, but we're dedicated to seeing it happen.

Before anyone asks, I cannot promise broad overall changes to the Forum. Yes, it is creaky in spots. However, switching the FSM Forum to a new platform would require engaging a new enterprise solution for all of Kalmbach's brands, of which we are only one and cannot dictate moves of that magnitude. There are other FSM projects in the works that need to get finished before a Forum overhaul would even be contemplated. Traffic and activity up first, then further plans can be engaged.

Needless to say, the FSM Forum has a rich history, and many of you have been here from the early days. And new members continue to add to the knowledge base and discussions. We want to build on that going forward. Thanks for being here. 

(Written on my phone. Typos happne.)

 

gonna disagree with you on this point, my man....facebook, and it's many groups, offer many, many ways to share stories, ask for advice, and provide step by steps and other pertinent information.  Is there some toxicity out there?  Sure, there always will be.  But the positives found in groups like 'The Model Maker Union', and ANY of the various podcasts' groups, PPP, Plastic Model ***, On the Bench, The Model Geeks to name a few, are frequented daily by fantastic modelers always willing to offer words of encouragement or guidance!

I think you guys have a huge feat in front of you to try and bring this place back to the glory of the turn of the century.  One BIG step that would let you compete with the social medias would be to upgrade the photo posting.  That, folowed by very little engagement are the two main reasons I don't frequent the forums like I once did....