Forum Garden Is Dying

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 6:46 pm

Forum Garden has become a conversational tool for a few with mostly UK participants.

Lots of people reading posts but very few new posters. It's a shame. It's a really good format for various discussions but it appears that the participation has dwindled to a handful of people. I have no suggestions but will curtail further activity and check in periodically.

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 6:51 pm

Look forward to seeing you next time you're about.

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 7:24 pm

We just set up a wedding forum and an outdoors forum at work recently. We'll see how it goes, but focused areas of interest will hopefully hold the interests of the intended audiences

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 7:42 pm

I should add my typical comment... because it's always held to be true: The Garden is just dying for you. It really just keeps going and going and it goes through different phases. If it doesn't suit you right now, be well and take your break.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 8:41 pm

koan;1402035 wrote: I should add my typical comment... because it's always held to be true: The Garden is just dying for you. It really just keeps going and going and it goes through different phases. If it doesn't suit you right now, be well and take your break.I think it's time for a Forumgarden song to cheer him up...

Someone get a guitar...

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 2:36 am

Well, hope to hear from you again in the future. In the meantime, may your whoops of glee and brightly coloured trousers on the bowling green never fade.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 2:51 am

Its an observation made by more than a few members in the past couple of years. This place has lost its vitality. Far to often there is no activity for hours. It used to be buzzing. Now just passing guests make up the numbers

FG shouldnt be exclusive. There's room for all personalities, all thoughts and ideas. Maybe we should all "budge up a bit"

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:03 am

This kind of thread used to draw more activity, even anger. Now, not so much.

Phases of grief:

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

theia · Post by **theia** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:03 am

Lon;1402030 wrote: Forum Garden has become a conversational tool for a few with mostly UK participants.

Lots of people reading posts but very few new posters. It's a shame. It's a really good format for various discussions but it appears that the participation has dwindled to a handful of people. I have no suggestions but will curtail further activity and check in periodically.

I look forward to those visits, Lon. Please don't make it too long inbetween :-6

Post by **spot** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:38 am

Accountable;1402070 wrote: This kind of thread used to draw more activity, even anger.It depends who makes it. From Lon it's fair comment. From people like JJ or oscar it's malicious, constant and always with the intent to damage the site.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:43 am

I like the word "moribund".

Post by **spot** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:48 am

Would anyone like to see a graph of site traffic over the last two years?

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:20 am

spot;1402082 wrote: Would anyone like to see a graph of site traffic over the last two years?

Member activity means much more to us. I'm not concerned with figures that show guests overviewing the members posts or whether that creates revenue for the site. As a poster there is far less activity than when I first joined in 2005.

The lack of activity for those that come regularly is evident by these types of threads. They aint making it up

Show me a graph showing activity since FG started. The upward trend you allude to will, I'm sure, be less obvious than anything you show over the past 2 years

Post by **spot** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:24 am

I only mentioned the last two years because of the frequency of the mistaken accusation that the site's visible post rate has taken a dive since I came back to a Moderation role. It's a goady needly bit of nonsense talked by the few people who'd love to make it so.

Post by **spot** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:36 am

Let's try thinking back. How did most of the major posters on FG arrive here. I was invited, Bryn was invited, Koan found the place on google - press on down that road. My notion is that a lot of us were invited here, and that invites are handed out less frequently now.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:45 am

spot;1402087 wrote: I only mentioned the last two years because of the frequency of the mistaken accusation that the site's visible post rate has taken a dive since I came back to a Moderation role. It's a goady needly bit of nonsense talked by the few people who'd love to make it so.
It's not about you, spot.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:48 am

I can't speak for every body. As for myself, there is no one here, or formally here, I knew in a former life. I came across FG through a Google search of discussion forums. It was the first and for a long time, the only general forum I belonged to. I had joined a band specific music forum but found their interests floundered outside the confines of discussing " are there any tours planned ?" and "did you like the new album ?"

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:56 am

spot;1402089 wrote: Let's try thinking back. How did most of the major posters on FG arrive here. I was invited, Bryn was invited, Koan found the place on google - press on down that road. My notion is that a lot of us were invited here, and that invites are handed out less frequently now.
I invited someone just the other day. He had problems joining.

[QUOTE]Lincoln forced the war, he instituted the military draft (which is a form of slavery)
I'm having an argument about this in another forum:

Offtopicz - Chat Forum

Wanna join in? [/QUOTE]It seems I'm not allowed to join in, I don't have "priviledges"Well ya gotta register! LOLI did.I don't see hoytmonger on the member list. Is that the name you used?Yep. I was allowed in conversations but not in the link you sent me. I'll try again.
... later ...

It seems I haven't gotten an e-mail from the powers that be to include me in their club.

I suggest that maybe we're too small to be too selective. Is FG overwhelmed with requests to join?

theia · Post by **theia** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:59 am

I found FG on Google and I joined at around the same time as Acc and Betty. I liked the American/British mix...I think there were more Americans then than British, though I may be wrong

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 5:17 am

I also found Forumgarden on Google.

I don't believe Forumgarden is dying. Real life happens and we just don't come here to post as often.

Post by **spot** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 5:18 am

Accountable;1402095 wrote: It seems I haven't gotten an e-mail from the powers that be to include me in their club.

Is FG overwhelmed with requests to join?

I don't suppose he has a spam filter that trapped the confirmation?

Every time you see a new member post an intro, that's a confirmation that the registration process is working here. They fill in a form, we send out an email with a "click here to confirm" and then they're registered members and can post as well as read threads.

The alternative would be to skip the registration requirement and allow anyone to post on the site without joining first. It works, I've done it elsewhere but it attracts spammers like bins attract flies. Registration is meant to keep the site a little cleaner.

We've had 153 registrations since the start of July. All but 8 of those have email-confirmed. There's nothing resembling hoytmonger among the usernames or the email addresses of either group. We banned 18 of the confirmed registrations for subsequently spamming and I checked those twice just to be sure.

I can think of nothing that would remove a registration from our system in the last couple of months.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 6:28 am

I can confirm that the registration works just fine here, I've used it at least 10 times over the years.

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 7:13 am

I haven't invited anyone I know to come try out this place in ages.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 9:52 am

SnoozeAgain;1402106 wrote: I can confirm that the registration works just fine here, I've used it at least 10 times over the years.

:wah:

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:02 pm

Accountable;1402095 wrote: I invited someone just the other day. He had problems joining.

... later ...

I suggest that maybe we're too small to be too selective. Is FG overwhelmed with requests to join?

Actually, yes we are but most of them are demonstrably spammers and are blocked.

It sounds as though your friend's e-mail dumped the registration post into junk by mistake.

Several people who have had trouble in registering have used the "contact us" button to ask for help. The majority of those (other than the spammers) I've managed to talk through the process and they joined successfully. That option is always open.

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 5:45 pm

Why do so many people seem to feel it necessary to sound the death knell when they are leaving.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 5:56 pm

LarsMac;1402371 wrote: Why do so many people seem to feel it necessary to sound the death knell when they are leaving.

Maybe it's the internet version of riding off into the setting sun.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:55 am

Or snapping off a salute with a tear in your eye as someone flies their jet into the sunset. That was one of my favorites.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:46 am

*snicker*

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 6:45 am

SnoozeAgain;1402382 wrote: Or snapping off a salute with a tear in your eye as someone flies their jet into the sunset. That was one of my favorites.

Wow, that made me think of the Italian guy dressed as an Indian standing by a highway crying about litter.

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:28 am

YZGI;1402386 wrote: Wow, that made me think of the Italian guy dressed as an Indian standing by a highway crying about litter.

that changed the way americans looked at our garbage.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:55 am

flopstock;1402392 wrote: that changed the way americans looked at our garbage.

Yes, it was a very successful ad. I wonder if it would be anywhere near as effective in today's society.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 9:50 am

Wandrin;1402395 wrote: Yes, it was a very successful ad. I wonder if it would be anywhere near as effective in today's society.

It was a different time. Back then it was no big deal to toss a wrapper out the window of your car. Now, I can't remember the last time I saw someone litter without thinking about it.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:02 am

YZGI;1402398 wrote: It was a different time. Back then it was no big deal to toss a wrapper out the window of your car. Now, I can't remember the last time I saw someone litter without thinking about it.

Can you send a copy over to our TV - it's about time someone changed our attitude to litter

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 12:08 pm

YZGI;1402398 wrote: It was a different time. Back then it was no big deal to toss a wrapper out the window of your car. Now, I can't remember the last time I saw someone litter without thinking about it.

It was in fact a very big deal with me. I was one of the few among my friends to have a car

in high school (TANK, actually... '56 Mercury god I hated that car then but would kill to have

it NOW!) and I admonished them to ALWAYS throw whatever it was on the FLOOR of the

car, and I would clean it out when I got home. Worked very well. And I was known a time

or two to pick up cigarette butts, toss them back into the car they were just thrown out of,

and yell "YOU DROPPED SOMETHING!"

Unfortunately, I do still occasionally see people toss stuff, but I'm older and hey, a

WIZGAL so I refrain from saying or doing anything now. But it is better I suppose.

No more cig butts on the floor of the grocery store, anyway.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 12:13 pm

Bryn Mawr;1402403 wrote: Can you send a copy over to our TV - it's about time someone changed our attitude to litter

Here it is on youtube.

The Crying Indian Commercial - YouTube

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 12:19 pm

One of the first things I noticed in England was how creative people were with their litter. I photographed it. Styrofoam cups hung on tree branches like Christmas bobbles. I'd never seen such attention to artistic littering before.

Post by **LarsMac** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 12:23 pm

flopstock;1402392 wrote: that changed the way americans looked at our garbage.

I didn't change the way most people litter. It just changed the way they look at it.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 12:31 pm

YZGI;1402398 wrote: It was a different time. Back then it was no big deal to toss a wrapper out the window of your car. Now, I can't remember the last time I saw someone litter without thinking about it.

Apparently, it is a lesson that the younger generation was not taught. A friend lives between a bus stop and a middle school. The kids get off the bus and go into the convenience store to load up on coffee and candy bars. The route between there and the school is a constant stream of litter. When a candy bar is finished the wrapper is simply tossed.

I'm not sure that the original ad would work now. Maybe if they made one with Snooki...

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:04 pm

YZGI;1402409 wrote: Here it is on youtube.

The Crying Indian Commercial - YouTube

Shorter than I thought it would be but certainly makes its point.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:06 pm

koan;1402411 wrote: One of the first things I noticed in England was how creative people were with their litter. I photographed it. Styrofoam cups hung on tree branches like Christmas bobbles. I'd never seen such attention to artistic littering before.

The one that gets me is when a dog walker carefully picks up the poo and then, equally carefully, hangs the bag in the nearest bush

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:38 pm

Bryn Mawr;1402418 wrote: The one that gets me is when a dog walker carefully picks up the poo and then, equally carefully, hangs the bag in the nearest bushSounds fairly English to me as even the dog walkers in England are courteous and thoughtful enough to ensure one doesn't step in their littered dog poo.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 4:07 am

K.Snyder;1402433 wrote: Sounds fairly English to me as even the dog walkers in England are courteous and thoughtful enough to ensure one doesn't step in their littered dog poo.
There are strategically placed bins for the disposal normally.

I cycle up a dead end road from the local park most days, recently there was a series of about ten plastic bags left at equal intervals, carefully knotted and arranged with the knotted handles pointing upward, not unlike teardrops.

Not sure if the animal or owner were ill.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:07 am

Those who do pick up their dog poo and use bags are not helping the enviroment. The plastic bags can take over 10 years to bio-degrade In landfill sites. Dog poo left naturally will get eaten by slugs and washed away by rain within days.

The worst thing Is seeing your dog run off Into the distance and have a poo.... When you reach the spot and bend to pick It up, you realise It's cold and thus hasn't come from your dog... then the retching starts.

Another quandry Is reaching your dogs poo and finding other poo beside It... Do you leave both or what?

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:13 am

oscar;1402452 wrote: Another quandry Is reaching your dogs poo and finding other poo beside It... Do you leave both or what?I'd say it's one's dooty to pick up as much poo as possible. Besides, that's surely better than wondering around a patch of grass in the middle of the dark trying to see where the poo is...

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:15 am

K.Snyder;1402454 wrote: I'd say it's one's dooty to pick up as much poo as possible. Besides, that's surely better than wondering around a patch of grass in the middle of the dark trying to see where the poo is...
I don't let my dogs run loose In the dark....

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 6:36 am

My dog's poo is so small that sometimes I look away at something else and when I look back, cannot find it in the grass.

I generally only pick up her stuff if we are in the town park, or when she drops it in the yard of a neighbor whom I wish to maintain good relations with.

There are several neighbors who let their dog drop in other's yards, and never pick it up.

I encourage Pitstop to use their yards, whenever possible.

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:05 am

I have this cool little plastic dog that hangs from the leash handle like a key chain.. the little poop bag sticks out the plastic poop hole and when you pull one out to use, it advances the next one into place... very handy.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:18 am

Bryn Mawr;1402418 wrote: The one that gets me is when a dog walker carefully picks up the poo and then, equally carefully, hangs the bag in the nearest bush

That amazes me as well, I think they believe in the **** fairy that will come along and remove it for them. The unpleasant bit is picking it up why do so if you are not going to dispose of it.

At one point there were a group of, spoilers, for want of a better word, who seemed to miss the point of a discussion forum was to discuss and would post in threads complaining about them being boring or criticise people for disagreeing with someone on the grounds they were entitled to their opinion, there were also a few who took offence at having their pet opinions challenged and rather than being able to defend their corner as it were accused people of giving personal insult. This on an anonymous forum - how can it be personal? Not quite the full shilling I think. that imo kind of ruined things. Free flowing discussions would grind to a halt. And yes there are those idiots that turn everything personal and have a go at their favourite targets at every opportunity with playground malice. But they're idiots.

It's no fun and a bit pointless if we all agree. Obviously I like the discussion ones and tend not to read the chatty ones just as some find them boring and pointless.

As to why it is still the British ones here dare I suggest it is because we are used to more robust political and religious discussions and don't take things so to heart if someone calls us an idiot,.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:07 am

gmc;1402468 wrote: As to why it is still the British ones here dare I suggest it is because we are used to more robust political and religious discussions and don't take things so to heart if someone calls us an idiot,.

Idiot !