Lack of posts?

I can only speak for myself Don.  I've been heavily involved in the Bass fishin  season. Lots of my time and funds are going into that lately, and  especially fixing up that old boat of mine. My 1/48 Accurate Miniatures TBF Avenger sits on my bench crying for attention, half done LOL but when it gets too hot to fish in Florida, I will get back to modeling.

Well, the weather is getting better and folks now spending time outdoors, outdoor chores, home improvements, family vacations, fishing season, and spending time with families. Spring, Summer and Fall tend to pull folks away from building. Seems to me this is a this time of year thing. I haven't done any building of late. Heading out to Florida next week, outdoor chores needs tending when I get back, quality time outside after spending all winter indoors. Yep... life is good now the snow is gone.

Weather getting better and have to get the winter yard work done, plus other outdoor stuff and getting rid of the cabin fever.

Well the nice weather will naturally draw more people away from the bench. But I will say in my opinion, as opposed to this past Autumn when we had similar weather (say Sept.-Oct) I believe I have actually seen an INCREASE in activity. Might just be me though.

I'll chip in here and agree that the weather is a major factor. With the exceptions of the running surveys and polls I felt the forums getting "stale". I too check almost every forum during the course of the day and follow some of the lengthy WIPs. 

Its not just the last few weeks its been dropping over the last few months. It started with the change last July and then got worse after the recent log in problems. It actually seems to have picked back up in the last few days. We seem to have lost quite a few poeple and many more, my self included, are posting less than usual.

I started a fitness program a few months ago that keeps me "running", then I also attend a class three nights a week, add to that a 60 hr work week and not alot is left for posting, let alone building.  Oh, and my wife is re-landscaping the yard this summer.  

For me it's the weather. We have a small house with 5 acres in the country for the weekends, about half is field grass that requires mowing, plus space for a large vegetable garden. 30 mile drive one way, plus taking care of the city house and lawn as well, keeps my dance card filled up.

Patrick

The Hobbyist

What happened to Fermis?

 

He's been busy himself.

The Hobbyist

What happened to Fermis?

 

Or was that Dear....

As for me, I've been trying to get some building done for this year's Modelpalooza but even that has slowed as some medical issues make it harder to stand at the bench and get that done.  Sitting at the computer isn't always easy and when I can it's usually for shorter periods than I used to.

Keep dreaming its the weather....clearly its not.  The site is indeed dying slowly but surely.  Since the " upgrade" its been just agonizing.  What you expect from a forum which is defective, hard to navigate and basically ignored by its owners?  It never received the full attention it deserved by the owners and people just moved away.  It was kind of slow and the upgrade was the final touch.  I believe it will just dissapear in time. Just my opinion of course. Dont be surprise if it does...

I think one of the reason is Facebook and the other social media. Our local model club's forum in our website not working anymore because the group has created a new account on Facebook and everybody is active there. Why? The answer maybe related to the post of Scarecrow Joe. In comparison with FSM Forum, it is easier to communicate, post pictures in Fb.

Pfffftttt... Facebook... a total waste of time. Don't get me wrong, it's great for keeping in touch with family and close friends. But I've seen and heard far enough share of some pretty idiotic stuff folks posted on FB pages. What's wrong with picking up a phone and calling to say hello? I'm glad we don't have FB account. I've got better use to spend my time than be on FB.

Bish

Its not just the last few weeks its been dropping over the last few months. It started with the change last July and then got worse after the recent log in problems. It actually seems to have picked back up in the last few days. We seem to have lost quite a few poeple and many more, my self included, are posting less than usual.

 

I was wondering if that was part of the problem.

I would bet the forum "upgrades" have been to blame for much of what we're seeing.  That led to a very user-unfriendly system imho.  As a member of multiple forums in various interests ie. scale modeling, guns, cars, etc, I can say this is by far the clunkiest to use.   It doesn't exactly encourage participation...

As far as the forum being ignored by the owners, I'd venture that is due to the forum not being a for-profit enterprise.  Since it brings in little revenue, just let it totter along.

Gary

DON ;

  If you do that , when do you find modeling time ?  Personally , I have noticed a drop .What with certain folks gone , for whatever reason and everyone complaining about navigating this site .

    I am so dumb ( Computer Wise ) I still can't do the picture thing .Yet, I am still here , and navigate just fine . .Now , I have more on my plate but I still make time for here and another Model site .     T.B.

Of course everyone has their opinion about the upgrade,but from my end,I just don't see any new difficulties in reading posts and posting my replies,seems the same to me.Some things are diffrent,but v I'm not bothered by it.But for whatever reasons,many have left and are posting on other forums and I guess there is only so much time in a day so this one suffers.

I don't think its part of the problem, its the problem full stop. I don't find the forum difficult to navigate, in fact i find it easier than many. But there were a number of things lost last year, and as has been mentioned, we seem to have been lost to our own devices. Then the more recent issues, the reason for it still alluds me, was i think the final straw for many.

I am one of those folks definitely affected by the forum format change. Pure and simple I can not post as often as I used to. Why? My old phone and its' software does not seem to interface with the new forum software to allow me to log on. I can look but not post. And considering that at least roughly half the time that I can be, and have been on here is via mobile/phone, that put a big dent in my participation. Now I may see something that I want to comment on, but when I have access to my laptop or desktop to do so I have forgotten or my post just doesnot have the same urgency that it did in my mind earlier. Do I see the issue getting resolved- no. It's been a couple of months and nothing has changed.

Add to that fewer posts on here overall that I want to comment on (due to fewer posts being made currently), and it is a downward spiral in my view. Is the site dying? Only time will tell. But currently it is not thriving as it used to be.

stikpusher

I am one of those folks definitely affected by the forum format change. Pure and simple I can not post as often as I used to. Why? My old phone and its' software does not seem to interface with the new forum software to allow me to log on. I can look but not post. And considering that at least roughly half the time that I can be, and have been on here is via mobile/phone, that put a big dent in my participation. Now I may see something that I want to comment on, but when I have access to my laptop or desktop to do so I have forgotten or my post just doesnot have the same urgency that it did in my mind earlier. Do I see the issue getting resolved- no. It's been a couple of months and nothing has changed.

Add to that fewer posts on here overall that I want to comment on (due to fewer posts being made currently), and it is a downward spiral in my view. Is the site dying? Only time will tell. But currently it is not thriving as it used to be.

 

I find that last one a big issue. I come on here just as much as i used to, but just find there is less to comment on. My own post count has dropped hugley, some days i find it hard to post at all.

I have had the same thought as Joe for some time. We ain't quite dead, but the priest is on the way.

Hello!

I'd say I see the decline in activity on the forum very clearly. When I joined, I just wasn't able to read all the posts generated since last day. Nowadays it's easy. I don't think it's the weather, unless it's the springtime of the century!

That format change bothered me a lot. I don't have problems with learning new things, but I'd like to see some kind of advantage for me in doing so. That didn't happen here. And those bugs were like saying: keep on posting, you're least priority! Last thing that might put many people off is the censorship here. And recently the new members get to be "moderated" - did you know that? I bet that's discouraging, too.

So no wonder people are moving elsewhere - other forums, FB, their own hobby rooms. I'm sad to see that - I like the FineScale forums, many nice people here.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day

Paweł

OK, I'm new here and not familiar with the prior to last July's format,and got locked out for 10 days or so in the recent 'upgrade',of which certain members are still experiencing problems due to technological incompatibilities. So if the recent re-boot didn't enhance paid subscribers experience, to whose advantage did it benefit? What do you do to increase satisfaction? Seriously, would a rollback to former format do the trick?

We could always resurrect decade old threads.....wait....that was done already

Ha, the slowness is definitely not due to folks actually building...

Nathan T

Ha, the slowness is definitely not due to folks actually building...

 

Nathan,when I'm home I build,when I'm at work I do most of my posting.Unfortunatly I'm at work way too much,thus the lack of building.

"]Nathan T Ha, the slowness is definitely not due to folks actually building...  

Is that what it is?

Sure time of the year has a lot to do with it. Warmer weather means more time riding the Harley, tending the backyard garden along with a myriad of other summer chores and activities.  But you bet people are still building. I personally have been knees deep in an Academy 350th Graf Spee build that has become borderline obsessive, lol (never let anyone tell you 350th is easier than the smaller scales if you enjoy adding detail!). I've said it before but for me it has started coming down to effort versus reward. I think most of us here are motivated to post our work looking for peer recognition as well as constructive criticism to better advance our skills. The lack of either when going through the motions of getting our images here and taking them along the way throughout the build can be very discouraging. For myself, I think it would be better to just post a couple of finished pics if that than try and document and post somewhere. I generally don't participate in the whole " Have you read any good books" or any similar type threads. Some people come here to share their work and learn techniques from others as well as admire the work of others and some just come here to yap. Others to possibly even do both. To each their own.