Is it Just me???

[MoonShadows]

Is it just me????? I came here from BYC with great enthusiasm. In my few days here, I can't believe the low level of posts or conversation. With almost 6000 members, I am surprised. Can anyone tell me why this forum is so under utilized...or perhaps more direct...so dead?

Not trying to be sarcastic or judgemental, but just curious.

Thanks.
Jim

 

[Denim Deb]

It isn't just this forum, it's forums in general for the most part. Many people have left them behind in favor of Facebook, or other means of communication. And then you have those that are so busy, they don't have time to post. There are times when I may come on just to post so people know I'm still around, but don't read or post in anything other than my own journal.

 

[MoonShadows]

Maybe that is the case, here, but I belong to some homesteading forums that are thriving.

 

[Joel_BC]

Can anyone tell me why this forum is so under utilized...or perhaps more direct...so dead?

Not trying to be sarcastic or judgemental, but just curious.

Hi, Jim. Well, Deb is a mainstay here - I like her. And I appreciate her participation, and that of others who are regulars.

I don't think Facebook is the complete explanation, though.

In 2012, when many people thought some huge global event was likely to happen by the end of the year (or just after), there were more people posting here. There was sort of a prepper or survivalist crowd in here - and they posted good ideas, questions and info. Quite a bit of useful sharing. But the big event didn't seem to occur, and a lot of the crowd gradually drifted away.

I raised a question back during that year... not related to prepper concerns, but to why too few men even during that year seemed to be posting. I thought it was important to come to understand that, and do something about it:
http://www.sufficientself.com/threads/are-posters-here-happier-having-few-men-in-ss-forums.11410/

I still think we need more guys posting words & pictures about their projects here.

I do not mean, at all, to demean this forum, or the good people posting on it. But I'd still like to see more participation.

If you want to discuss this more with me, Jim, PM me for my thoughts & possibly some useful info.

Joel

 

[MoonShadows]

Hi Joel,

Thank you for that post. I want to take some time and read that thread you referenced, and perhaps comment on it. It's late now, so I'll take a good look at it tomorrow.

Jim

 

[sumi]

Well, I'm glad I found this thread now as this is something I've been trying in a small way to help with: increasing forum participation. I've found since we started doing the featured threads, how few new interesting threads get started here and that often most of the activity is in the journals, which I have been following and enjoying, though I don't post there much. I've been talking to another member about this awhile ago and have made an effort to start new discussions and threads here lately as I would really like to see this community grow a bit. I can certainly do with some help! If you guys have topics in mind, even if it's not something you are personally interested in, let's hear/see it?

 

[baymule]

For starters, everyone could crawl out of their journals and start new threads about what they are doing. Don't mean to offend anybody, but I don't really do journals. It's too hard to filter through a thousand pages looking for that one post that dealt with what I am doing now, than it is to go to the forum topic that does deal with what I am now doing.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

In the past few days, maybe a week... I've only been able to access sporadically. Hoping that everything is up ad running, and like Baymule mentioned maybe we should get more specific about topics instead of posting everything in our journals.

 

[MoonShadows]

Well, I finally got through reading that long thread mentioned by Joel_BC above: http://www.sufficientself.com/threads/are-posters-here-happier-having-few-men-in-ss-forums.11410/

Maybe because I am new to this forum, I wasn't always sure what folks were referring to as far as what had already occurred here, and I was kind of surprised of all the discussion about the "ways" of men and women....not sure if I agree or just don't think the way many do when it comes to men and women, i.e. homesteading, prepping, the internet, forum, chatting, drama, etc.

From what I have seen so far, there are too many journal entries, which is OK, but they tend to be very long threads, and I don't have the time or inclination to get "caught up", so I am reluctant to jump into them.

I would like to see more specific topics. I am here to learn, discuss, implement and share about homesteading, but I am not opposed to banter or off topic talks with people I hope are or will become friends.

One line that stuck me, and I think kind of sums up why I am here and what I see as the "theme" of a forum was written by Beekissed:

That's the whole key to SS, in my opinion. You learn what you can, where you can and then you apply it. After you apply it, then you can learn how to do it better~or not, whatever be the case~and then you can teach it to your kids or other people. There are many ways to skin a cat and one gender or the other doesn't hold the keys on that.

 

[Denim Deb]

Even having things in other threads isn't a guarantee that you'll be able to find what you're looking for. Awhile back, there was a link posted for an easy rocket stove. I want to build it in my greenhouse. I have looked and cannot find the link.