Forums losing interest?

I still post here fairly regularly. Nothing like what I was doing before all the big change took place. Stuff here is still either broken or half working but hey, I aint paying for it so I don't think I've just too many griping rights. I've got plenty of friends here and the community is helpful and seems to get along pretty well with each other so I see no reason to just "up and leave".

 Facebook seems to have taken some of the folks that were here away and personally I don't see the draw but that's just me and I don't really like Facebook anyways.

modelcrazy

Server space. It would take Terabits to hold all the pics for years, especially pic heavy posts.

 

I figured it would be somthing like that. Or the risk of a virus getting into the system. But as i say, i wasn't really sure.

Nino

I am new to FSM . I have been reading the various forums since 2014.  The biggest issue I have is broken links to pictures. I have not attempted to post any pictures yet but it seemed to me I should be able to upload directly to FSM. However, everyone seems to make use of a Photo sharing site.  Some sites are good some are bad- none are perfect. In the various builds/forums I find I have to locate a persons Photbucket page, for example,  to see the pictures they are talking about in the posts because the Pictures are no longer visable in the forum.  The format ( white background) does not bother me. Other sites have their pages so busy that I can not easily find options  to change language or do a private message.  All-in-all FSM is no better or worse then others in that reguard.  As far as members go, FSM sems to have the most Knowlegable and finest builders. Easily comparable to the very best of the German Forums ( for ships at least!)

 Now, with the increase price for subscriptions ( I thought it was 29.95 now 39.95?) one would hope a few extra Terabytes could be added to the server to allow large Pictures to be uploaded directly to FSM.  I certainly would not want to see FSM go the way of Pete Coleman's Victory site so maybe using external links (ie:Photobucket) for Pics is for ensuring FSM will not be responsible for the loss of your pictures. (??)  Just my Newbe thoughts.

Please let me know if I have mistated anything.  Thanks

 Jim.

 

The suggestion toallowdirect linking of pics comesup quite often. But i have yet to find a model forum that does not require a photo hosting site. I am no computer expert, but i guess there must be a good reason.

I know this thread is somewhat stale, but I spent months trying to gain posting access to this board before, for some magical reason, it granted me the privelege.

After registering initially, it simply would not let me in.  But when I tried to create a new account on a subsequent attempt, it would tell me it already had a user with my name (or was it my email address?).

I probably created three accounts over a period of months and it never let me in.  I very nearly gave up, and consequently spent a lot of time over on the ISM boards.

I began to think it wouldn't let me in because I was not a subscriber to the magazine.  I didn't know what to think, I've never encountered a website that seemed determined to drive users away.

As for the forum software, it's weak.  The phpBB is a standard for very good reasons.  The search here is quite limited, there's no forum links at the bottom of a thread, I cannot post an embedded link to another thread on the board and at the bottom of the thread, there's no option to add a post without it being a 'reply' to somebody else's post.  Oh, and the pictures are small and clicking on them doesn't present an opportunity to see them enlarged.

But I will say that the forum participants have been very responsive, helpful and gracious and that's why I will continue to visit.  Many thanks.

I am new to FSM . I have been reading the various forums since 2014.  The biggest issue I have is broken links to pictures. I have not attempted to post any pictures yet but it seemed to me I should be able to upload directly to FSM. However, everyone seems to make use of a Photo sharing site.  Some sites are good some are bad- none are perfect. In the various builds/forums I find I have to locate a persons Photbucket page, for example,  to see the pictures they are talking about in the posts because the Pictures are no longer visable in the forum.  The format ( white background) does not bother me. Other sites have their pages so busy that I can not easily find options  to change language or do a private message.  All-in-all FSM is no better or worse then others in that reguard.  As far as members go, FSM sems to have the most Knowlegable and finest builders. Easily comparable to the very best of the German Forums ( for ships at least!)

 Now, with the increase price for subscriptions ( I thought it was 29.95 now 39.95?) one would hope a few extra Terabytes could be added to the server to allow large Pictures to be uploaded directly to FSM.  I certainly would not want to see FSM go the way of Pete Coleman's Victory site so maybe using external links (ie:Photobucket) for Pics is for ensuring FSM will not be responsible for the loss of your pictures. (??)  Just my Newbe thoughts.

Please let me know if I have mistated anything.  Thanks

 Jim.

With my household this time of yr is for family gathering. I would think most of us in the u.s.a. would be the same.

I joined 1 gb a while back and had so much fun with other like minded modelers

That I joined 4 gb but photo bucket became such a headache that I just stopped. With a less frustrating way to post my picks I would join back in

I have no friends or family that model so it really dose help me stay on the building desk

baltosale

I was one who read the posts for a year or more as I re-acquainted myself with the hobby,  There is so much more to it now than there was eaons ago.  For a novice or a prodigal it can be over whelming. Might have someone want to play a sega game or watch a game show.

   I think from what I see and the few shows I've seen that the hobby is moving to an art. Not craft but a form ofexpression and techbique.  Lots to learn and master and those who wish to inprove and learn and contribute to their self satifaction will cotinue to follow the thing.

  In other words there's a lot to read before jumping in.  More power to those of us who do.

  Carry on you all.  I need lots of help.

 

baltosale

I was one who read the posts for a year or more as I re-acquainted myself with the hobby,  There is so much more to it now than there was eaons ago.  For a novice or a prodigal it can be over whelming. Might have someone want to play a sega game or watch a game show.

   I think from what I see and the few shows I've seen that the hobby is moving to an art. Not craft but a form ofexpression and techbique.  Lots to learn and master and those who wish to inprove and learn and contribute to their self satifaction will cotinue to follow the thing.

  In other words there's a lot to read before jumping in.  More power to those of us who do.

  Carry on you all.  I need lots of help.

 

It is true that over the last few years many have moved to a more artistic approach with phrasessuch as the Spanish School. But don't feel obliged to follow that trend if you want to produce more realistic results. Decide which way you want to go as there is a lot to learn which ever path you whish to tread.

I was one who read the posts for a year or more as I re-acquainted myself with the hobby,  There is so much more to it now than there was eaons ago.  For a novice or a prodigal it can be over whelming. Might have someone want to play a sega game or watch a game show.

   I think from what I see and the few shows I've seen that the hobby is moving to an art. Not craft but a form ofexpression and techbique.  Lots to learn and master and those who wish to inprove and learn and contribute to their self satifaction will cotinue to follow the thing.

  In other words there's a lot to read before jumping in.  More power to those of us who do.

  Carry on you all.  I need lots of help.

I was gone from FSM for a few years pursuing my RC addition, but have gotten burned out on RC and am back to static building.  I am a member of a lot of sites, but now pretty much only am on two.  FSM and MSW, since my main interest has always been sailing ships.  Most of the other sites, especially ones targeting the "young" generation, have either become political playgrounds full of flaming and whining, or elite forums where only one defined subject will be disucssed.  I'm a dabbler and a wonderer and can be building a plane one minute and a covered wagon the next, so FSM is a comfort zone for me because its so diversified. As far as format changes and technical problems with the site, it seems all sites are going through these changes with limited sucesses.  I do agree, if FSM ever trys another change, it needs to be spot on in working properly.  The last change was almost as bad as the one RCU, which used to be the top RC forum did.  RCU never did get its bugs fixed and now its down to a 1/4 number of active members it once had. I haven't been there in weeks because of all the bugs. However, thanks to the group builds I have become addicted to and a bunch of supporting members here, I expect to be hanging out at FSM a lot more.  Another plus is how active Aron and the magazine staff is on this forum. Its great to get invovled with personal conversations with the staff and writers of such a popular magazine. One that I have been glued to the pages with since I was a young boy.

Bish

 I recently joined Britmodeler and the activity there is through the roof. We don't seem to have lost that many members, in fact a few seem to be returning, many just seem to be posting less and it seem a coincidance that the drop was just after the re vamp.

 

My focus is ships but that's gotta be the slowest forum on Britmodeller and I usually hang out at Model Warships.com... maybe I'm into the wrong genre?

chango

I dunno Bish, it's got me scratching my head too... my "home" modeling forum is relatively dead lately as well.

I suppose I count as young in this game (in my late 30s) but there aren't many younger guys ready to fill the shoes of older builders as they inevitably "retire" from the hobby due to age, illness, ect.

I'm a bit worried this may be the new normal...

 

I recently joined Britmodeler and the activity there is through the roof. We don't seem to have lost that many members, in fact a few seem to be returning, many just seem to be posting less and it seem a coincidance that the drop was just after the re vamp.

I dunno Bish, it's got me scratching my head too... my "home" modeling forum is relatively dead lately as well.

I suppose I count as young in this game (in my late 30s) but there aren't many younger guys ready to fill the shoes of older builders as they inevitably "retire" from the hobby due to age, illness, ect.

I'm a bit worried this may be the new normal...

We moved this summer and I'm still in negotiations with the Admirial as to where I can set up my bunker.  I refinished my old drafting table so that it would look nice anywhere in an attempt to hasten a decision but to no avail.

Until then, I lurk in the shadows.

-oh, and the site really doesn't bother me that much.

chango

I wonder if it's a demographic thing too.

 

Most modelers are older folks and are less likely to post their hobby antics online while younger ones enjoy and are pretty much used to living online. Unfortunately, younger people are least likely to be modelers.

 

I am not to sure about that. Most of us here are getting on a little but some post regulaly. And its just that the activity seemed to drop a lot this year, far more than is normal for the seasonal trends.

I wonder if it's a demographic thing too.

Most modelers are older folks and are less likely to post their hobby antics online while younger ones enjoy and are pretty much used to living online. Unfortunately, younger people are least likely to be modelers.

Aaronw

 

Bish

Radial, god to see you back. I have heard the complaint about having to use a hosting site a few times. But all of the forums I have looked at or been on require this, so I don't think its anything unusual. I don't know why sites do it this way, I have always assumed it was because they would have to host them and this would take up huge amounts of there computer space.

 

 

 

 

 

I understand directly hosting photos makes it easier to hack a site. That has been the reason given at other sites.

I've noticed those that do host photos genrally just offer members a gallery which they can link to so it is still kind of like Photobucket, Fokti etc.

 

Ok, thats makes sense. I have never come across one that does host them. And on the other sites that require a seperate hosting site, i have not come across anyone who has issues, and often they are tricker to use than this one.

I used to post a lot on multiple forums but have really lost interest in it, not sure why, now I just post some finished pictures for the most part.

I find YouTube is where I tend to go now for modelling stuff, videos seem more interesting, and you can see who the other people are, instead of being anonymous on a forum.

Bish

Radial, god to see you back. I have heard the complaint about having to use a hosting site a few times. But all of the forums I have looked at or been on require this, so I don't think its anything unusual. I don't know why sites do it this way, I have always assumed it was because they would have to host them and this would take up huge amounts of there computer space.

 

I understand directly hosting photos makes it easier to hack a site. That has been the reason given at other sites.

I've noticed those that do host photos genrally just offer members a gallery which they can link to so it is still kind of like Photobucket, Fokti etc.

Radial9

 

The only other complaint, (hopefully someone who has the oversight is reading this) would be the inclusion of the forum path links at the BOTTOM of each thread. This is pretty basic stuff. It is a PITA to have to scroll back to the top of a thread page to get to the level above to peruse the remaining threads in the particular forum I’m in.

 

 

This would probably be my biggest complaint but I have found myself getting used to tapping the Home key on the keyboard to get back to the top. Would rather have the links, but it's a workaround for now.

 Cheers!

Personally, I think the white background is the main reason plus the lack of ambition to fix any quirks/issues in this site may be the cause. I've been pushing FSM to put a little color on the forum site to make it easy on the eyes but no avail.

Then again the inactivity of mods/admins of monitoring the threads is practically nil since Tim left. 

Greg

 

 

Jester75

That's good. I am kinda digging the site. Looks very clean to me.

 

 

 

 

Hey Eric, good to hear from you!

I've been thinking lately that more positive comments like yours about the site changes would probably be a good thing around here.

 

 

Just being honest. As with any software it is going to have it's quirks but the fact remains that I have seen way worse designs out there with much worse functionality. 

Don't know if there is a drop in usage, but, when I need help the forum is the first place I go to.

Dave

Jester75

That's good. I am kinda digging the site. Looks very clean to me.

 

Hey Eric, good to hear from you!

I've been thinking lately that more positive comments like yours about the site changes would probably be a good thing around here.

I haven't noticed any drop off in interest.

Of course, I've been a member here for five years, and I have less than 50 posts. Hehe.