How quiet this area is now!

Every site ebb’s and flows
One should not worry too much

Every site ebb’s and flows
One should not worry too much

[COLOR="Indigo"]I'm not :confused:

Hello Tarotwoman :wave:

I'm just taking a random stroll down memory lane on HP and saw your thread- hello to you and hope all's well. 🙂

Hello Tarotwoman :wave:

I'm just taking a random stroll down memory lane on HP and saw your thread- hello to you and hope all's well. 🙂

I haven't been on this forum for a long time and thought it was quiet but I still like the feel of this forum - and the ease of navigation around. Will take some time later in the month to catch up 🙂

I just popped in not been on here in about three years, I see you are still here Calla Lilly 🙂

I am wondering why this forum seems so inactive now....of course it's the summer hols but, even before that, it wasn't exactly how I first recalled. Anyone have any insights into possible reasons? How it could be more active? Sometimes I am the only one online here. o_O

The whole site seems to be quiet. Most of the old posters seem to have switched to other fora.
🙁

The whole site seems to be quiet. Most of the old posters seem to have switched to other fora.
🙁

Any clues why? It would be nice to get this forum more up and running if it needs fixing or addressing in some way....wonder what it had and what it now lacks?

I am moderator on a pharmacists forum...and it too is very quiet. I think forums go through cycles like this.

A forum will stay busy and strong if there is room for open and frank discussion, and all opinions are welcome. This used to be the case here.

A forum will stay busy and strong if there is room for open and frank discussion, and all opinions are welcome. This used to be the case here.

And it isn't now?

A forum will stay busy and strong if there is room for open and frank discussion, and all opinions are welcome. This used to be the case here.

It is the nature of a forum to have a debate when opinions differ/vary. Perhaps this may be seen as unwelcome to some. I don't expect my opinions to be accepted by all but am sufficiently confident in my views to have them debated and stand my ground. Mods are here to keep things in check anyway.

It is the nature of a forum to have a debate when opinions differ/vary. Perhaps this may be seen as unwelcome to some. I don't expect my opinions to be accepted by all but am sufficiently confident in my views to have them debated and stand my ground. Mods are here to keep things in check anyway.

I agree, but it sounds as if Derek thinks this doesn't happen. Is that so, Derek?

There have certainly been a small minority in the past who have joined and have tried to enforce their way of thinking on others, to the point of being rude and abusive to anyone who disagreed with them. However, those people are warned and given chances to see if they can accept how people like to discuss things here, and if they persist then they are banned.... simple as that.

I think the reality is though that many people are more focused on the 'social media' sites such as facebook, which also allows for 'groups' pages to be set up. Personally I find that way of discussing things (especially when they're 'closed' groups) is limiting and uninclusive. The benefit of forums like HP are that people from all different areas can discuss a topic, even if it's not their 'speciality', and it's open to all and not hidden behind closed doors.

Of course there are also those people who have perhaps let their ego get the better of them and think they are "beyond" discussing things with others because they, of course, know it all already.

And then there are those people who have just naturally moved on, have used HP to gain knowledge and get themselves set up in whatever they want to do and are now happily going about it, or have chosen a different path and no longer have an interest in this area.

All sorts of different people, all sorts of reasons. HP has had it's quiet times in the past and then it gets an influx of newbies all wanting to discuss things again. Partially that comes up with the start of the educational establishment years, as people join up to courses and start to need help with their learning. Partially it's also the summer holidays when people are out and about doing other things.

😉

Thanks for shedding light on this issue EnergyIz - appreciated.

I'm a contributor on a number of websites and there's a marked reduction in activity on all of them.

As indicated above, things tend to go quiet in the summer months anyway, and general activity ebbs and flows routinely, but this past winter I also saw much less activity in my own interests than in recent years. I expect social media is (as suggested) responsible for attracting some former, or potential, forum members.

But maybe forums are just generally losing some of their attraction - fashions come and go.

I don't have any idea how HP before, since i am new here, but in my pov, there are times this site is so quiet. Nevertheless, i'm enjoying every topic here, that's why i always back here to read some post whenever i'm not busy.

Hi Giles,

As you know, I've been a member on HP on and off, since 2004. I always liked it and Facebook, etc could never replace it.

Wow, but yes. A member since 2003, but pretty lapsed now, I just popped in and at first expected to see a mass of posts under Current Affairs. What I saw were my own posts from ages ago! So I guess not many people are looking and reading. The other day a pal dropped of a big pile of old mid-90s "Fortean Times" hardcopy mags. Looking through them got me to thinking of all the topics HP once covered, so here I am.

Sad to see it so quiet, and the missing names, but it's true that things wax and wane in life. Nothing is static. Wow, I still remember when on HP, under just "Spirituality" alone, there might be scores of posts in a day.

I think Giles' explanation hits some nails on the head. HP was relatively uncommon years ago and just anything could be discussed here, from Nessie to someone saying they were feeling low. One can't ignore the rise of Facebook and other social media - though people largely get mighty puzzled there if I post about conspiracies, UFOs, and other oddities!

Anyway, so this is my wordy way of saying "Hi" to all who knew me, a few of you even in RL 🙂 Yup, there used to be HP meet-ups of varying success.

Wow, but yes. A member since 2003, but pretty lapsed now, I just popped in and at first expected to see a mass of posts under Current Affairs. What I saw were my own posts from ages ago! So I guess not many people are looking and reading. The other day a pal dropped of a big pile of old mid-90s "Fortean Times" hardcopy mags. Looking through them got me to thinking of all the topics HP once covered, so here I am.

Sad to see it so quiet, and the missing names, but it's true that things wax and wane in life. Nothing is static. Wow, I still remember when on HP, under just "Spirituality" alone, there might be scores of posts in a day.

I think Giles' explanation hits some nails on the head. HP was relatively uncommon years ago and just anything could be discussed here, from Nessie to someone saying they were feeling low. One can't ignore the rise of Facebook and other social media - though people largely get mighty puzzled there if I post about conspiracies, UFOs, and other oddities!

Anyway, so this is my wordy way of saying "Hi" to all who knew me, a few of you even in RL 🙂 Yup, there used to be HP meet-ups of varying success.

Along with the rise of social media (which HP actually was and filled in for quite early on!) I think sites and discussion groups also have a critical mass? Put simply, if they are very active with many posts, then they are attractive and remain above that critical mass. Drop below it, and visits in general will fall away. That's one theory off the top of my head, anyway!

Hi
Just back myself after a long time.
So keep in touch.
Love and peace to all

I agree with the 'critical mass' notion. Without an influx of new contributors to counter-balance the disappearance of active members (for whatever reason), forums can become stale and uninteresting. If that happens then by definition there's less to attract new members.

Hence the critical mass is likely to remain below the 'trigger point' of self-sustaining interest, a hard situation to remedy.

Hello,
I'm new to the site and just finding my way around. I think its great, so much to read. I was wondering if anyone was free to do a reading?
Lots of Love
Gennyxxx