"Why is this forum dying?"

"Why is this forum dying?"

18 Feb '14 20:11 Thread 153985 (Page 16)

"I whole-heartedly support and endorse your statement that you have cared about this forum and its contributors for seven years. During these seven years your comments and thought-provoking ideas have frequently rejuvenated my flagging mind and I salute you for this.
I have not posted anything for quite some time but I still enjoy your comments and the banter on this forum. I will say, however, that if any forum is dying it is the clan forum. I just posted a comment there and then realised when I surveyed the recent postings that this was pointless because the level of activity there is now virtually Marie-Celeste like. I hope that this forum does not go the same way - having eyed it for these seven years I would now diagnose incipient NIDS (new-idea-deficiency-syndrome) despite your excellent prophylactic efforts to treat this." @Rene-Pogel
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Your thoughts?


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Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"Why is this forum dying?"

18 Feb '14 20:11 Thread 153985 (Page 16)

"I whole-heartedly support and endorse your statement that you have cared about this forum and its contributors for seven years. During these seven years your comments and thought-provoking ideas have frequently rejuvenated my flagging mind and I salute you fo ...[text shortened]... hylactic efforts to treat this." @Rene-Pogel
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Your thoughts?


.[/b]

The general forum is dying, along with all or most of the RHP forums, because it lacks (they lack) the critical mass of posters necessary to keep an online community going, and many that do remain are engaged in endless flame wars or simply have very little to say and limited ways of saying it. There is little reciprocity in evidence, which discourages kind and constructive posts. Many posters naively fail to appreciate the international nature of the site, offending others and putting them off from posting. Many more are simply not Internet-literate enough to learn to convey their real personalities and thoughts (and lack communication skills in general). Some posters try to turn everything into a political debate, which causes bad feeling and bitterness, as the forums aren't moderated well enough to be a truly useful place for political discussion to take place. Some seem to picture themselves as dazzling barristers or incisive political interviewers, deluding themselves as they wallow in pettiness and pedantry. Finally, technical reasons are a strong contributor. The site has so far failed to adopt Web 2.0 technologies that make sharing content and self-expression so much easier, and is falling behind as a result.

Oh, additionally, many posters have a poor sense of humour, or no sense of humour at all, while some others understand humour but are incapable of understanding or respecting sensible social norms.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
"Why is this forum dying?"

18 Feb '14 20:11 Thread 153985 (Page 16) [...] Your thoughts?
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As I said before when you posted exactly the same text and link (2 months ago?), one has to slog through 16 pages of that thread you've linked us to before someone blew your trumpet in a suitably ego-stroking way and which was sufficiently sycophantic to make you want to copy paste it now three years later. .

Originally posted by FMF
As I said before when you posted exactly the same text and link (2 months ago?), one has to slog through 16 pages of that thread you've linked us to before someone blew your trumpet in a suitably ego-stroking way and which was sufficiently sycophantic to make you want to copy paste it now three years later. .

endless flame wars - check
very little to say and limited ways of saying it - check
discourages kind and constructive posts - check
offending others and putting them off from posting - check
causes bad feeling and bitterness - check
Some seem to picture themselves as dazzling barristers - check
deluding themselves as they wallow in pettiness and pedantry - check


Wow, way to prove NER's point!

Originally posted by Suzianne
endless flame wars - check
very little to say and limited ways of saying it - check
discourages kind and constructive posts - check
offending others and putting them off from posting - check
causes bad feeling and bitterness - check
Some seem to picture themselves as dazzling barristers - check
deluding themselves as they wallow in pettiness and pedantry - check


Wow, way to prove NER's point!

Fair enough, but, on the web at least, I don't think you should fight fire with fire, Suzianne 😉

Originally posted by NoEarthlyReason
Fair enough, but, on the web at least, I don't think you should fight fire with fire, Suzianne 😉

"Well, this ain't my first time to this cub scout rodeo..."



RHP has been around for 15 years, and the General Forum just as long.

Every year, somebody cranks out this topic. It's not dead yet.

The rumors of its demise are... premature, at best. Nonsensical, at worst.

Originally posted by Suzianne
"Well, this ain't my first time to this cub scout rodeo..."



RHP has been around for 15 years, and the General Forum just as long.

Every year, somebody cranks out this topic. It's not dead yet.

The rumors of its demise are... premature, at best. Nonsensical, at worst.

It may not actually be dead, but it certainly isn't remotely healthy. I think its life support system (I.e. Endless petty argument and insults) is slowly poisoning it.

What on earth is a 'Cub Scout rodeo'? I've never heard that expression before.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Originally posted by Suzianne
endless flame wars - check
very little to say and limited ways of saying it - check
discourages kind and constructive posts - check
offending others and putting them off from posting - check
causes bad feeling and bitterness - check
Some seem to picture themselves as dazzling barristers - check
deluding themselves as they wallow in pettiness and pedantry - check


Wow, way to prove NER's point!

So is this post of yours the kind of thing this forum needs more of? 😉

Everything's dying. Why should this forum get a pass?

Originally posted by FMF
So is this post of yours the kind of thing this forum needs more of? 😉

I'd just be happy with less of yours.

Originally posted by BigDoggProblem
Everything's dying. Why should this forum get a pass?

Is this the "entropy" argument?

What a downer, man.

Originally posted by Suzianne
I'd just be happy with less of yours.

You're out of luck I am afraid.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Is this the "entropy" argument?

What a downer, man.

I'm in a strange mood today. It feels good to think that life goes on after the General Forum shuts down.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Your thoughts?

Do you have anything constructive to add to Thread 153985?