Is it me or has the subject matter of the site changed? Have some of the old regulars left becaause of the silly polls ? I for one think the value of this site has really gone down hill. The polls are boring and of little or no value. Just my opinion, and that is is probably not worth much. :angry:
QUOTE(Big Ben @ Jul 23 2008, 03:39 PM) [snapback]12386[/snapback] Is it me or has the subject matter of the site changed? Have some of the old regulars left becaause of the silly polls ? I for one think the value of this site has really gone down hill. The polls are boring and of little or no value. Just my opinion, and that is is probably not worth much. :angry: Big Ben, I have noticed the same and have to agree. I read the postings a couple to three times a week and mostly find that the subject matter is really old threads that have been played out sometime ago. The site has changed and if I was the webmaster, those who are reviewers of the reviews of campground/resort, etc. would not be discussing the reviewing practices in or on an open forum for everyone to read. Just my opinion.........
I agree the forums have pulled way back. I wonder if people are RVing less and therefore other things take priority.
I have been a posting member for over 2 years (and a lurker for another year and a half prior to that), and the biggest change I have seen in membership is that there are tons more members now. I can't say how many members there were 3 years ago, but I would bet the membership has more than doubled. I think we simply see a greater variety of posters which makes it seem like the regulars aren't around anymore. Of course I know that some "regulars" (not that I was ever one of them) have stopped posting, but unless we hear directly from them I don't think we can be sure why they quit. I did hear that one frequent poster quit because she and her husband sold their RV which had nothing to to with the forum content. Besides interests change. We all do things for a while and then move on to other things. Speaking of content. When you say that "the subject matter is really old threads that have been played out sometime ago" you need to remember that if there are lots of new members they do not know that these topics have already been beat to death. Yes, they could look back at the old threads, but have you seen how many there are now? No one is going to dig back 2-3 years ago and read all those posts just to see if the topic has already been discussed. They just want to jump in and participate in the forum. (Besides we've covered a lot of ground. There may not be any new topics out there.) Anyone (except those who joined the forum on day one) has probably repeated a topic at some time or another because they weren't a member when it was originally discussed. And the more members that we get the more likely it is that this will continue to happen. In reading the forum I find there are some topics that do not interest me, and I usually don't read them. My feeling is that if you don't like the forum topics, start some of your own that do interest you. I'm sure you will get replies whether they are from regulars or newbies.
I, for one, have been on the road since late June. Although I check the site when I can and have made a post or two in recent weeks, I generally don't have the time to post while travelling (Tonight I am in Buffalo, WY for the first of two nights, so I have a little extra spare time). I do, however, tend to agree that many forum topics don't interest me or have already been done to death previously. In the Campground section of the forum, many of the posts are about specific parks I have not been to or areas which I have not been to recently enought to add anything of value. By its' very nature, the General Chat sections lends itself to folks intoducing topics of little interest to many people.
I enjoy the forums very much-- just wish more people had the time to post. But I have not been a member that long
QUOTE(Bud in Florida @ Jul 24 2008, 08:43 AM) [snapback]12408[/snapback] I enjoy the forums very much-- just wish more people had the time to post. But I have not been a member that long Bud, I see where you and I both joined on the same date (August 9 of last year), so I'm not an old-timer either. This was the first forum that I joined that had anything to do with RV's, and it has been most helpful. The section here for CG reviews is second to none. Someone on here mentioned another forum, which I joined back in March. Now, this is just my opinion, so nobody flame me. I think that this site is more geared to 5th wheels, Class C, and Class A, while the other site is geared more to TT, PU, and tents. It also appears to me (just my opinion) that this one is geared more to the amenities, while the other is geared more to basic camping. I find this one useful, but I am getting more out of the other one. Again, just my opinion - no polling needed
I check in from time to time to see if there are any new threads started that interest me. I'm doing less camping this year, so I'm not checking out campgrounds to go to like I have in the past.
I say post away with what you want, and reply to what you want. Thats the great thing about this site, it allows new members that dont know about the old posts to post the things that might be of interest to them and a few others,but some may post and it may be of interest to many more. Also bringing back old posts might be helpfull,becouse may be something has changed in the last few years about that so called old post. Happy Posting
QUOTE(RL36 @ Jul 26 2008, 05:47 AM) [snapback]12454[/snapback] I say post away with what you want, and reply to what you want. Thats the great thing about this site, it allows new members that dont know about the old posts to post the things that might be of interest to them and a few others,but some may post and it may be of interest to many more. Also bringing back old posts might be helpfull,becouse may be something has changed in the last few years about that so called old post. Happy Posting I agree. When asking questions about RV parks or planning a trip the old posts are useful, but maybe some of the newer members did not reply to the older posts so it might be helpful to hear there responses.
If you read the original post, I didn't really mention repeat questions. I was critizing the polls which I find absolute worthless.
Ben, I think what some of us were trying to do was answer the topic title ("Where did all the regulars go?") of your post. I, for one, didn't realize that you were trying to limit responses to comments about the sudden plethora of polls. I feel a bit guilty since I may have started the fad with my poll a few months ago about the effect of gas prices on RV use. Jerry S.
QUOTE(Big Ben @ Jul 26 2008, 10:22 AM) [snapback]12464[/snapback] If you read the original post, I didn't really mention repeat questions. I was critizing the polls which I find absolute worthless. I read you post. I thought you were coming up with a reason why some have not posted as much. I didn't realize to main topic was to get opinions on polls. I have noticed some of the regulars who were so helpful with my trip out west have not been posting as much lately, but cannot comment on whether is it because of the polls or not. I for one, have not been travelling as much lately and have not seen many threads in which I have a reply for.
Big Ben, I realize that your original topic was focused more on polls, but you did ask what had happened to the regulars, and then Butch mentioned old threads, so my comments on 7/23 addressed both posts--your question of where the regulars have gone and Butch's post about old threads. I didn't mention polls directly, but I will now. Yes, there have been a lot of them lately. Obviously some don't like them, but based on the voting, some do. If you or anyone else doesn't like them the simplest thing to do is don't read them. If they do not get much response people will stop creating them. And again I suggest that if you or Butch or anyone else thinks the current topics are old and uninteresting then start a new thread that is interesting. I'd look forward to it.
Jerry, like so many thing , some time it gets over done. Your's was of value. The one on how many mile we all drive, is of value. The type of dishes we use , ahhh that is a real stretch. Oh heck I'm one of the grumpy old men.
QUOTE(Big Ben @ Jul 27 2008, 11:32 PM) [snapback]12508[/snapback] Jerry, like so many thing , some time it gets over done. Your's was of value. The one on how many mile we all drive, is of value. The type of dishes we use , ahhh that is a real stretch. Oh heck I'm one of the grumpy old men. I'm sorry you didn't like the "what dishes do we use" poll...... but I did the poll on two other RV web sites, and I got enough information to write an article on it. I sent in an article to the RV E-zine "RV Lifestyles" published by Jaimie Hall and Alyce Zyetz. JJ
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Jul 28 2008, 06:57 AM) [snapback]12515[/snapback] I'm sorry you didn't like the "what dishes do we use" poll...... but I did the poll on two other RV web sites, and I got enough information to write an article on it. I sent in an article to the RV E-zine "RV Lifestyles" published by Jaimie Hall and Alyce Zyetz. JJ WOW,That wonderful. You obviously have a lot of time to kill. It's a shame that you didn't imform folks the purpose of your poll. I bet it would have changed the results.
