Originally Posted by
TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3049075
There are a lot of people that hang in the aquarium that I never see in the main forums,
lol, who me?
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/3049225
So here is the question -
One of the issues with those forums was that there were people who were running side businesses. It was felt there were people who ONLY used that forum. So if they left because of this, does it prove the point? That they were mostly using just that forum, and so it didn't necessarily contribute to the overall board? Just a thought...I am suspicious of the idea that so many "regular" people left simply because two forums - that were special interest - were removed. By regular I mean people who were not running any sort of high turnover frag or side business.
I am interested in understanding more on the impact of removing those forums, beyond just saying to bring them back.
I completely agree.
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/3049507
IMHO it's a shift in the demographic that visit 'forums' as a whole as Cranberry stated. I regularly visit a couple different genres of forums, auto, r/c, fish, and the slow down @ SWF is very similar to slower post counts at my other boards.
As long as we're being 100% honest, and I hate to be negative-nancy, but let me throw this out there, the shift is happening because of a 'different' mentally of newer members. There seems to be a lack of members that 'want to become experts.' It's better described on cars, people don't want to learn how their engine works, that just want to know how to fix their car's problem.
In SWF terms, I guess it's like people just want to know how to keep their Hippo tangs and clownfish well-enough. They don't want to say learn about how the actual collection process happens, the different families of fish, how fish classification happens, etc. Christ I think I'm one of the last ones that actually posts the scientific name of fish here anymore.
They also aren't interested in the same topics as the experts. Some really rare fish that might excite an expert, they view the same fish as pretentious because of how much it costs. Some people are just what to know if this light fixture is good enough to keep clams/SPS, they don't want to learn the in's and out of lumen readings, photo periods, etc.
The radio control hobby went through this a couple years ago. Before, all of the hobby grade cars, you basically had to know how to turn a wrench fairly well, otherwise the hobby was way over your head. Then came ready to run cars, out of the box ready to go. Anyone go buy a hobby grade r/c car. Then they turn to the boards and just want to know how to fix their car when it breaks. They don't want to learn about how or why it did.
And then these constant mundane (if I can use that w/o being to harsh) questions drive out the expert/old timers who get bored. Same thing with keeping saltwater fish now. Before, you either were an expert or became one because of the learning curve. Nowadays, people just want a reef tank. They don't want to learn everything there is about it.
I completely agree, now that it is getting easier and more simple to have a sw tank. You have people who aren't hobbiest, but just want a tank.
Originally Posted by
lion_crazz
http:///forum/post/3049699
I see your point and I can agree to a certain degree. However, where is the line drawn? When is it too much? I have seen many boards that are virtually rule-free where the members treat each other terribly and it goes unregulated. I would hate to see these forums turn into something like that.
As Ophiura said, keep the suggestions and feedback coming!!
I know, i used to frequent a forum, where the rules are more lax. I gave up, there is only so much garbage I can handle reading. ESPECIALLY when what i say gets the attention of the heads. While other stuff goes unaddressed.
Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/3050415
My suggestion is to definitely bring the trade forums back. Not the buy sell ones. Just the trade. That would ensure competitors are not selling here. Or to allow people to do it with PM.
Just what happens when I send a pm to the "trader" and say how much to just buy it... I don't think that line is going to be an easily policed line. With this one it is either going to be all or nothing...
