Some members seem to have more fun trolling here than doing actual photography work.

There's little to no moderation. There're too many idiotic members here. There's no motivation to contribute anymore. I see this forum dead in a few years if not months.

So reading this thread, three possibilities:

• They got tired of being harassed by others,
• They got tired of harassing others.
• They died.

I see myself posting less and less on this forum over time. I've done this on a number of forums...where the your interest declines over time, so you don't visit anymore.

For this particular forum, it's lacking engagement in the sense that many people don't want to share ideas, strategy and technique. There is critique, advice for newbies and then there are debates, but it never gets too deep because contributors are holding back.

I used to visit and post on videogame forums often because we were able to share strategy and techniques for defeating enemies and discovery of secrets. So we keep going back to learn and share. There isn't that kind of engagement here. If you are not very successful, you share your frustrations. If you achieve success, you don't want to share too much. It's a strange dynamic for sure and it doesn't make for deep engagement.

I see myself posting less and less on this forum over time. I've done this on a number of forums...where the your interest declines over time, so you don't visit anymore.

For this particular forum, it's lacking engagement in the sense that many people don't want to share ideas, strategy and technique. There is critique, advice for newbies and then there are debates, but it never gets too deep because contributors are holding back.

I used to visit and post on videogame forums often because we were able to share strategy and techniques for defeating enemies and discovery of secrets. So we keep going back to learn and share. There isn't that kind of engagement here. If you are not very successful, you share your frustrations. If you achieve success, you don't want to share too much. It's a strange dynamic for sure and it doesn't make for deep engagement.

Quote from: Minscer on March 13, 2016, 19:50

I see myself posting less and less on this forum over time. I've done this on a number of forums...where the your interest declines over time, so you don't visit anymore.

For this particular forum, it's lacking engagement in the sense that many people don't want to share ideas, strategy and technique. There is critique, advice for newbies and then there are debates, but it never gets too deep because contributors are holding back.

I used to visit and post on videogame forums often because we were able to share strategy and techniques for defeating enemies and discovery of secrets. So we keep going back to learn and share. There isn't that kind of engagement here. If you are not very successful, you share your frustrations. If you achieve success, you don't want to share too much. It's a strange dynamic for sure and it doesn't make for deep engagement.

actually, when the forum first took hold, we had a lot of good ppl willing to share knowledge...
(lisafx, jonathan, april, mitz, yuri,dolgachov,stacy,hatman,etc...) but they all disappeared as it became territorial and lots of character assassins. 
not just the old experienced , but also the ones who  disappeared included alot of the very young ones, who used to be very active here...

i remember dolgachov and yuri coming in here to say so, that's why they too got tired of being harassed... to quote leo.

yes, it has come down to almost something to have your morning cup of coffee to read when you have nothing better to do.
shame really, because leaf did a good job of starting something good,
which ends up being something not so.

The problem is multifaceted.  You could probably even get scientific on it (though I am no scientist).

• A forum based on an industry with high work/low reward ratio for most. Dissolusioned people with something to say about their feelings...
• A forum is a perfect and ideal atmosphere for busybodies, like warm meat in open air is to bacteria.
• Most forum culture has a tendency to degenerate over time anyway.
• Moderation often stifles expression for most, especially for those who have something legitimately negative to express for a good reason.
• No moderation allows the bolder people with less restraint time to gain dominance, ruining the experience of those more sincere.

The internet in general alters social behavior and instincts, and artifcial communication mediums can sometimes encourage narcissistic  (selfish) behavior. Studies in this has shown a very unique and new generation that isn't ready for "reality" because their main source of interaction is through social networks, gaming networks, computer chats, etc.

As someone above mentioned, communication in general (especially in a forum like this) should have an objective, a purpose, and a constructive result.

In normal society you can almost instantly tell if a person is acceptable to you to speak with, shares your interest, your education, your values, etc (birds of a feather flock together). The internet alters that as well, and it takes great skill to see the persona behind the words.

Natural and normal (productive) people will eventually be displaced from the forum environment by the less productive regardless of the forum subject.
Add yet another dynamic - industry agendas, which allows a bit of crowd manipulation, playing on the emotions and state of the people here.

So we'd love to have a simple answer to a complex problem, but like any economy or system, nothing is simple, especially with the "human" element.

Most forums at least have a "forum rules" post that everyone is required to agree to. If people's intent was innovation, it would show. But often people just need a medium to vent ... and I think that is what MSG has become by necessity, since few can innovate in such a way to make a difference.

I think one reason more experienced people stopped sharing is the bad reactions they got from trying to help. I've seen it happen over and over where somebody new would ask for advice and then would either argue the advice is wrong, insult people, or just show no appreciation. Who wants to continue helping when the response to your help is abuse? Nobody.

Quote from: Epsilonth on March 13, 2016, 04:32

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There's no motivation to contribute anymore. I see this forum dead in a few years if not months.

I still find this forum extremely useful.  It's so much easier to pop in here to see what's going on  in the stock world than having to keep check at all the idividual sites that we upload to.  The first thing I do if I notice something odd at one of the sites is come here and invariably somebody is already talking about it. People like Joanne, Sean etc save us from having to do hours of research ourselves and I'm very grateful for that.