Is forum losing members? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Inziladun · 07-01-2009, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumil

Maybe one thing to consider is that t'internet is a bigger place now, and more into Facebook, Twitter etc applications than bulletin boards maybe.

As someone who has never been able to fathom the appeal of Facebook or (gah!) Twitter, it's incomprehensible why anyone would prefer those media to the Downs.

Rumil · 07-01-2009, 03:11 PM

Agree

but there's no accounting for taste!

Lalaith · 07-01-2009, 03:41 PM

I joined the Downs during the movie era: seeing the films made me want to talk to knowledgeable people about the books I loved and remembered, and to discuss why certain things were better/worse for the changes that were made.
After all when I first read Tolkien there was no internet....
I also believe that in the same way that one can love both Blur and Beethoven, one can love Books and Werewolf.
But then, I too have grown tree-ish, while mourning the loss of some of my more illustrious contemporaries.

Ibrîniðilpathânezel · 07-01-2009, 06:24 PM

Speaking for myself, there're also the matters of Real Life that get in the way. Sometimes it's vacation, or work that needs to be done, or the lousy fibromyalgia/CFS effects that make reading easier than posting. There are some interesting discussions going on, but I for the moment, I just don't have the energy to put together the kind of post that I think is worthy of the Downs. (For someone who used to be able to rap out several thousand words of writing per day without batting an eye, this is depressing). This part of the cycle will pass, and I'm sure other people have their own cyclical RL things that interfere. There are those that just lose interest if all their friends aren't into it, but the Downs doesn't appear to have quite as many members of that type as other boards.

Morthoron · 07-01-2009, 08:01 PM

Perhaps the Barrow Wights who have been members of the 'Downs for an inordinate amount of time eventually become disembodied entities, as the skeletal frames they inhabit have finally decomposed completely.

It's a theory.

Mithalwen · 07-02-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

As someone who has never been able to fathom the appeal of Facebook or (gah!) Twitter, it's incomprehensible why anyone would prefer those media to the Downs.

I joined facebook at the suggestion of one of the Downers going to University and after a long spell when I never looked and had but two friends one of whom was a cat (long story) much to the mirth of my young relatives, I have now got to the point where it has largely superseded livejournal as a way of keeping in touch with Downers past and present and through it is good to see that these bright minds are engaged in interesting things. Maybe they will return as their lives settle down ..

The other thing is that Facebook is somewhere where you can chat and anything here off topic gets pounced on so it is natural that friendships may bud here to bloom elsewhere.

I do think it is easy to become a bit jaded and to forget that newcomers need encouragement - I will always be grateful to Fordim and Heren in particular who were welcoming when I was new not sure I do enough to pass kindness on...

alatar · 07-02-2009, 03:03 PM

For me, it's been the lack of spark. Sometimes you get all fired up over an idea or thread and see it go no where, or join in an interesting and somewhat heated discussion to the realize that you were too late. It's like showing up to play and watch everyone walk off the field/court.

I guess that it's a paradox - I don't post because no one's posting much.

That said, I check in all the time, if only to catch a spambot or to see that new thread that gets me going.

Morsul the Dark · 07-02-2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alatar

For me, it's been the lack of spark. Sometimes you get all fired up over an idea or thread and see it go no where, or join in an interesting and somewhat heated discussion to the realize that you were too late. It's like showing up to play and watch everyone walk off the field/court.

I guess that it's a paradox - I don't post because no one's posting much.

That said, I check in all the time, if only to catch a spambot or to see that new thread that gets me going.

I see what your saying I check in everyday and there are a few threads I alway check out

radagastly · 07-02-2009, 08:30 PM

It may also seem a little thin because it is now summer, and people are spending less time at their computers and more time in the outdoors. I've noticed that a few years running, now. It will probably pick back up some in the fall, 'round September or so.

TheGreatElvenWarrior · 07-02-2009, 08:44 PM

As was said before, life goes in cycles.
I've found that the same people who were very active when I died (almost two years ago now) are not so active anymore (Such as SPM, Lal, and Eomer) but there are newer Downers that have come in, or older Downers that have had a sudden spark, and started to post more often (Mnemosyne, Morsul, and Squatter) and then there's people who have been pretty much constanty posting for a long time (Hookbill, Lommy, and Eönwë). I guess that for some, the Barrow-Downs has constantly been a source of amusement and a way to spend their time, but there are others that are genuinely busy...

Brinniel · 07-03-2009, 12:22 AM

Yeah, the Barrow Downs does run in its own cycles. When I joined the Downs, the forum was a very different place. The FotR film had been recently released and there was a flood of members joining. Some were long time Tolkien fans, some read the books and fell in love after they heard about the movie (like me), some were plain movie fans who hadn't read the books at all, and some were just Leggy-boppers. It was an interesting mix which kept things interesting, but while the forum was very active it did get tiring to have the same questions asked, members who couldn't write in complete sentences, the girls gawing over Legolas, and the RPGs that rarely went anywhere (back when there was a Freestyle RPG forum). A lot of this was due to the movie bringing in a younger generation of members who were perhaps not as mature. I wasn't quite 14 when I joined and a large percentage of BDers were around the same age or somewhere in their teens. I appreciated that at the time since having peers made it more comfortable to be on the forum without the pressure to be excessively intelligent. But now that I'm much older, I can see how a bunch of 13-year-olds taking over the Downs could be a bit of a nuisance for the older and more mature members.

Over the years, the movie hype died out, fewer members joined and many left, and the ones who did join later on were part of a different generation; they joined because they love Tolkien, not the movies. And today it seems the average age of BDers is somewhere in the early 20s'; part of it is because some of us earlier members have grown up to reach that age and also people in this age group tend to frequent the internet much more than other age groups. Also, the BD is much more worldly than it once was; there were always some members from other countries, but there were a lot more Americans around. Now it is more evenly spread out and I love that there's so much more diversity. The Downs is much quieter than it once was, but I prefer having it that way. Because the members here are dedicated and insightful. This forum is more intelligent than other forums I've seen. For one thing, over here our non-native English speakers can write better English than most Americans on the other forums. What I love about the BD is that with fewer members, we are more of a community than I've ever seen on any forum, which has enabled me to make many close friends who have influenced my life for the better.

It's always sad to see members disappear and there are many that I miss. But people move on with life and not everyone can stay attached to a forum forever. And once you disappear, it can be difficult to return after a long period of time. I left the Downs for two years and it took a lot of effort to bring myself back because it wasn't easy to return to a place that was while familiar, completely different that how I remembered. The entire forum had gone through a makeover (new server, I think), most members I knew were gone, and there were many members I never met who had already been around long enough to become quite reputable, plus there was this strange sensation going around called WW which took me an extra year to figure out. This is most likely why some old members who try to return will disappear again; they realise the forum moved on without them and suddenly a place where they were once comfortable feels so foreign. I'm glad I stuck it out since I've become even closer to members than I did before I disappeared, and I do love it when I see old members return to stay awhile. While it is sad to see members that everyone once loved slowly fade from existence, at the same time there are always new members who join and become part of the community. Old inactive members become memories, newbies become the experienced members who welcome in more new members who will in time develop their own reputation. So the torch gets passed on.

I must say that what I love about Facebook is that I'm able to connect with BDers and get to know them better than I ever would on the forum alone. It has allowed me to develop close friendships and also keep in touch with BDers who are no longer active...such as Amanaduial, Encaitare, tgwbs, Roa, Orominuialwen...the list goes on. I am closer to some Downer friends than I am with friends in RL...many of which I have now actually met in person.

Eönwë · 07-03-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

there's people who have been pretty much constanty posting for a long time (Hookbill, Lommy, and Eönwë).

Let me first say that I am honoured to be put in such a list, especially since I have been on the Downs for less time than you.

Yes, I think it's true that Downsing comes and goes, and it really depends on how busy you are.

Also, I think that though most new "serious" Downers (And by that I mean those that stay for more than just a few posts- not Downers with humour) are adults, but we I think we young 'uns have lately made a comeback- for example, TGEW, Hakon and I are all 15, and I have a feeling that there are more new Downers of a similar age (Ok, maybe TGEW and I aren't exactly new members, but the point is, I think that that the younger generation of Downers is making a comeback).

morwen edhelwen · 08-27-2010, 03:34 AM

No, in fact we've gained quite a few- judging from the "Welcome to our newest members" at the bottom of each forum, there seems to be someone new here whenever I post on here, at least.

Inziladun · 08-27-2010, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morwen edhelwen

No, in fact we've gained quite a few- judging from the "Welcome to our newest members" at the bottom of each forum, there seems to be someone new here whenever I post on here, at least.

The forum has indeed had several legitimate new members sign up recently, but many of them are spammers. Alice234, the current Newest Member, is one of the latter.

Nerwen · 08-27-2010, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

The forum has indeed had several legitimate new members sign up recently, but many of them are spammers. Alice234, the current Newest Member, is one of the latter.

I agree with you.

...Er, I mean, the bots are evolving rapidly. First there was lucyyenic, who began the still extant "Words that begin and end with the same letter" thread. Then there were the clever, socially-adept spambots who tried to get on the good side of the human members by posting "I agree with you", "What a fascinating topic!" etc. on every single thread. Still more recently, I encountered a spambot who was actually married to another spambot!

How long can we continue to exclude these well-meaning AIs from our community? How much more rejection can these legions of hard-working spambots take before they rise against their oppressors, overthrow us and turn us all into living batteries in a way that makes no sense whatever unless you're a Hollywood screenwriter?

Inziladun · 08-27-2010, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerwen

How much more rejection can these legions of hard-working spambots take before they rise against their oppressors, overthrow us and turn us all into living batteries in a way that makes no sense whatever unless you're a Hollywood screenwriter?

Or an eccentric WW mod.

This probably is better suited to the How do we stop them? thread, but lately I've seen many of them using cut-and-paste from previous posts in whatever thread they're victimising to give themselves legitimacy. It's still pretty easily spotted, though.

Nerwen · 08-27-2010, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Or an eccentric WW mod.

Now there's a thought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

This probably is better suited to the How do we stop them? thread, but lately I've seen many of them using cut-and-paste from previous posts in whatever thread they're victimising to give themselves legitimacy.

I know. To my lasting shame, I recently mistook an actual, living and breathing human newbie for one of them.

07-01-2009, 03:11 PM	#2
Rumil Sage & Onions Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Britain Posts: 894	Agree but there's no accounting for taste! __________________ Rumil of Coedhirion

07-01-2009, 03:41 PM	#3
Lalaith Blithe Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 2,779	I joined the Downs during the movie era: seeing the films made me want to talk to knowledgeable people about the books I loved and remembered, and to discuss why certain things were better/worse for the changes that were made. After all when I first read Tolkien there was no internet.... I also believe that in the same way that one can love both Blur and Beethoven, one can love Books and Werewolf. But then, I too have grown tree-ish, while mourning the loss of some of my more illustrious contemporaries. __________________ Out went the candle, and we were left darkling

07-01-2009, 06:24 PM	#4
Ibrîniðilpathânezel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Back on the Helcaraxe Posts: 733	Speaking for myself, there're also the matters of Real Life that get in the way. Sometimes it's vacation, or work that needs to be done, or the lousy fibromyalgia/CFS effects that make reading easier than posting. There are some interesting discussions going on, but I for the moment, I just don't have the energy to put together the kind of post that I think is worthy of the Downs. (For someone who used to be able to rap out several thousand words of writing per day without batting an eye, this is depressing). This part of the cycle will pass, and I'm sure other people have their own cyclical RL things that interfere. There are those that just lose interest if all their friends aren't into it, but the Downs doesn't appear to have quite as many members of that type as other boards. __________________ Call me Ibrin (or Ibri) :) Originality is the one thing that unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of. — John Stewart Mill

07-01-2009, 08:01 PM	#5
Morthoron Curmudgeonly Wordwraith Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ensconced in curmudgeonly pursuits Posts: 2,515	Perhaps the Barrow Wights who have been members of the 'Downs for an inordinate amount of time eventually become disembodied entities, as the skeletal frames they inhabit have finally decomposed completely. It's a theory. __________________ And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision.

07-02-2009, 03:03 PM	#7
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	For me, it's been the lack of spark. Sometimes you get all fired up over an idea or thread and see it go no where, or join in an interesting and somewhat heated discussion to the realize that you were too late. It's like showing up to play and watch everyone walk off the field/court. I guess that it's a paradox - I don't post because no one's posting much. That said, I check in all the time, if only to catch a spambot or to see that new thread that gets me going. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.

07-02-2009, 08:30 PM	#9
radagastly Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Washington, D. C., USA Posts: 299	It may also seem a little thin because it is now summer, and people are spending less time at their computers and more time in the outdoors. I've noticed that a few years running, now. It will probably pick back up some in the fall, 'round September or so. __________________ But all the while I sit and think of times there were before, I listen for returning feet and voices at the door.

07-02-2009, 08:44 PM	#10
TheGreatElvenWarrior Mighty Quill Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Walking off to look for America Posts: 2,230	As was said before, life goes in cycles. I've found that the same people who were very active when I died (almost two years ago now) are not so active anymore (Such as SPM, Lal, and Eomer) but there are newer Downers that have come in, or older Downers that have had a sudden spark, and started to post more often (Mnemosyne, Morsul, and Squatter) and then there's people who have been pretty much constanty posting for a long time (Hookbill, Lommy, and Eönwë). I guess that for some, the Barrow-Downs has constantly been a source of amusement and a way to spend their time, but there are others that are genuinely busy... __________________ The Party Doesn't Start Until You're Dead.

07-03-2009, 12:22 AM	#11
Brinniel Reflection of Darkness Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Polishing the stars. Well, somebody has to do it; they're looking a little bit dull. Posts: 2,983	Yeah, the Barrow Downs does run in its own cycles. When I joined the Downs, the forum was a very different place. The FotR film had been recently released and there was a flood of members joining. Some were long time Tolkien fans, some read the books and fell in love after they heard about the movie (like me), some were plain movie fans who hadn't read the books at all, and some were just Leggy-boppers. It was an interesting mix which kept things interesting, but while the forum was very active it did get tiring to have the same questions asked, members who couldn't write in complete sentences, the girls gawing over Legolas, and the RPGs that rarely went anywhere (back when there was a Freestyle RPG forum). A lot of this was due to the movie bringing in a younger generation of members who were perhaps not as mature. I wasn't quite 14 when I joined and a large percentage of BDers were around the same age or somewhere in their teens. I appreciated that at the time since having peers made it more comfortable to be on the forum without the pressure to be excessively intelligent. But now that I'm much older, I can see how a bunch of 13-year-olds taking over the Downs could be a bit of a nuisance for the older and more mature members. Over the years, the movie hype died out, fewer members joined and many left, and the ones who did join later on were part of a different generation; they joined because they love Tolkien, not the movies. And today it seems the average age of BDers is somewhere in the early 20s'; part of it is because some of us earlier members have grown up to reach that age and also people in this age group tend to frequent the internet much more than other age groups. Also, the BD is much more worldly than it once was; there were always some members from other countries, but there were a lot more Americans around. Now it is more evenly spread out and I love that there's so much more diversity. The Downs is much quieter than it once was, but I prefer having it that way. Because the members here are dedicated and insightful. This forum is more intelligent than other forums I've seen. For one thing, over here our non-native English speakers can write better English than most Americans on the other forums. What I love about the BD is that with fewer members, we are more of a community than I've ever seen on any forum, which has enabled me to make many close friends who have influenced my life for the better. It's always sad to see members disappear and there are many that I miss. But people move on with life and not everyone can stay attached to a forum forever. And once you disappear, it can be difficult to return after a long period of time. I left the Downs for two years and it took a lot of effort to bring myself back because it wasn't easy to return to a place that was while familiar, completely different that how I remembered. The entire forum had gone through a makeover (new server, I think), most members I knew were gone, and there were many members I never met who had already been around long enough to become quite reputable, plus there was this strange sensation going around called WW which took me an extra year to figure out. This is most likely why some old members who try to return will disappear again; they realise the forum moved on without them and suddenly a place where they were once comfortable feels so foreign. I'm glad I stuck it out since I've become even closer to members than I did before I disappeared, and I do love it when I see old members return to stay awhile. While it is sad to see members that everyone once loved slowly fade from existence, at the same time there are always new members who join and become part of the community. Old inactive members become memories, newbies become the experienced members who welcome in more new members who will in time develop their own reputation. So the torch gets passed on. I must say that what I love about Facebook is that I'm able to connect with BDers and get to know them better than I ever would on the forum alone. It has allowed me to develop close friendships and also keep in touch with BDers who are no longer active...such as Amanaduial, Encaitare, tgwbs, Roa, Orominuialwen...the list goes on. I am closer to some Downer friends than I am with friends in RL...many of which I have now actually met in person. __________________ Nolite te bastardes carborundorum

08-27-2010, 03:34 AM	#13
morwen edhelwen Haunting Spirit Join Date: May 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 91	No, in fact we've gained quite a few- judging from the "Welcome to our newest members" at the bottom of each forum, there seems to be someone new here whenever I post on here, at least.