Traffic on these forums?

[Kirk]

It seems to me that we don't get the activity that we had, even a few months ago. Is it because people are on vacation or traveling? Or is it because this forum is experiencing the same thing as so many others and just not getting enough new folks to replace those that leave?

 

[triplethreat]

I am and have been a moderator on a couple of different forums over the last 12 years or so. Summertime seems to always be significantly slower on the forums. People are out doing "summer" things.......camping, fishing, hiking, biking, riding their motorcycles, etc.

 

[Tom]

It seems to me that we don't get the activity that we had, even a few months ago. Is it because people are on vacation or traveling? Or is it because this forum is experiencing the same thing as so many others and just not getting enough new folks to replace those that leave?

Adding to triplethreat's comments. I've been on staff here 32 years and Admin for the last 24 years. I all but gave up trying to follow/interpret participation aka activity here a long time ago. Like many forums, we get a lot more folks reading /searching threads than posting.

One of my theories for some years has been what I call the "grab and run mentality" (maybe a generational thing?); Folks search/read and disappear, often not returning or posting. Folks can view threads (but not post) without logging in. Adding to this is the fact that our threads show up in google searches, facilitating the grab and run behavior.

Back in the day, folks used forums as their primary online social venue, but so many now do that elsewhere.

A behavior that I see increasingly is that I can be talking with someone in person and they'll pick up their phone to search for something rather than ask "what does that mean?"

 

[DonTom]

I am and have been a moderator on a couple of different forums over the last 12 years or so. Summertime seems to always be significantly slower on the forums. People are out doing "summer" things.......camping, fishing, hiking, biking, riding their motorcycles, etc.

Can still do all of the above if one wants. I often post these messages from charge stop on one of my electric motorcycles as I am doing right now. I have also done it when hiking and other "summer things".

-Don- Verdi, NV

 

[DonTom]

I know some forums that used to be very active are now almost total dead. Some say it has to do with the increasing Facebook (and other such places) activity.

-Don- Verdi, NV

 

[Tom]

Some say it has to do with the increasing Facebook (and other such places) activity.

-Don- Verdi, NV

There's an echo here

 

[Boat Bum]

There's an echo here

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Then acain,, there are those who will gab about almost anything to increase their post count..>>>Dan

 

[krazeehorse]

I’m still here. Haven’t had an RV for a year or so now. Just enjoy the company. I don’t bring much to the table but once in awhile I know something.

 

[Kirk]

I know some forums that used to be very active are now almost total dead. Some say it has to do with the increasing Facebook (and other such places) activity.

I know that is a factor as I moderate for the SKP forum and am a contributor to their Facebook page. It seems that the younger members nearly all go to Facebook but few if any ever visit the forums. Back in the early 2000's, I was active on several forums because while experienced with RVs, I was new to fulltime RVing. At the time I at least visited 7 different RV forums and today only 3 of them remain active. This was one of the 7. At that time all were so busy that it could be difficult to stay current with them all and even this one was much busier then, yet there are more RVs in use today than ever before. I think that YouTube has replaced a lot of the technical forums as a source of help for the RV owner trying to fix things.

 

[Tom]

I think that YouTube has replaced a lot of the technical forums as a source of help for the RV owner trying to fix things.

Good observation Kirk.

 

[weighit]

I come every day to read, look at the questions or inquires about this or that. If I can answer with what I know to be a correct answer, I will, otherwise I let the other much smarter folks answer. Like Kirk, I too followed when we were full time about 5 or 6 other forums. Now I go to 3 and sometimes one more, just not the same anymore.

 

[Joezeppy]

The only social media I participate in is this forum and a John Deere forum. Couldn't care less about any others. I have used YouTube for technical videos many times.

 

[rvlifer]

I stopped visiting as frequently cause of my situation with the rv and medical issues. I was also tired of getting beat up in threads in violation of the rules and the rules not being evenly enforced. Turned into more stress than it was worth.

The world has gotten more angry and i am getting too old for it.

 

[Kirk]

The world has gotten more angry and i am getting too old for it.

While I do agree with the anger issue, I also believe that most forums will block a person who is too bad, if they have been warned. I can't speak for this one, but on the forum that I am a moderator, we will hide an ugly post and warn the author, once or twice, depending upon his violation. After that he gets banned permanently.

One positive side of the forum that I'm involved with is that the average age is going up so most of us are long time members, but a negative of the forum is that the average age is going up and our numbers are falling due to age depletion from too few new members to replace those being lost.

 

[rvlifer]

While I do agree with the anger issue, I also believe that most forums will block a person who is too bad, if they have been warned. I can't speak for this one, but on the forum that I am a moderator, we will hide an ugly post and warn the author, once or twice, depending upon his violation. After that he gets banned permanently.

One positive side of the forum that I'm involved with is that the average age is going up so most of us are long time members, but a negative of the forum is that the average age is going up and our numbers are falling due to age depletion from too few new members to replace those being lost.

Young guys dont tend to like forums. Lots want the fb format. Easier to find info on forums so i prefer them. Far more useful for stuff like this

 

[Tom]

One positive side of the forum that I'm involved with is that the average age is going up so most of us are long time members, but a negative of the forum is that the average age is going up and our numbers are falling due to age depletion from too few new members to replace those being lost.

Same here.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Yahoo used to have Groups. They shut them down and many of the more active ones moved to Groups.io

I am a member of the Winnebago View/Navion group and groups seem like pure chaos due to the way they are organized. I like forums because they are threaded, easy to find things on. I have never done Facebook, and will not, but suspect even the focused groups on it are also chaos compared to a forum. That is why I hate to see people tack onto the end of an old thread, they are creating a mess because the old thread was about one thing, and their post is about something else. The only thing similar might be the brand of RV.

Charles

 

[rvlifer]

Fb is more a stream of consciousness format. If you arent on enough stuff rolls off. Forums tend to self organize qnd if you want a library of uaeful info far easier to sumnarize tbreads in a forum.

 

[jymbee]

Fb is more a stream of consciousness format. If you arent on enough stuff rolls off. Forums tend to self organize qnd if you want a library of uaeful info far easier to sumnarize tbreads in a forum.

Exactly. I once used a Wordpress builder app which had a very useful online forum. A fountain of searchable info. Then... out of the blue they dumped that went to FB for support. Uh, really? Phased out uses of it immediately.