Forum participation
 

I was reflecting yesterday on Lynn's email, which pointed to participation levels on Spiritual Forums.

And then I saw this thread from MG - https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/s...d.php?t=136630

Reflecting on this a little further, I think of many people who have now gone, through whichever circumstances, and how there are a few old timers ..

I also reflected on the size of the forum - it's structure and multiplicity might be hard for some to navigate

And I reflected on how many owners here want to keep the structure to honor Matt Warne..

I wonder if many have left already to find other forums, since the announcement. And my own feelings about returning.

I read Lynn's initial posts not as a call for money, per se, but participation - and yet such things cannot be forced. There is an "energy" around them, from past as well as the future.

JL

From what I remember of the various earlier conversations about SF, closing down wasn't about the running costs of the place. But whatever the full story was, the website's not under threat of closure now and that's good news.

Participation in discussions, though, can only be encouraged; it can't be mandated and shouldn't be expected. Members will choose whether they wish to be contributors or readers.

Discussion topics will either appeal or they won't but members aren't obligated to join in - it's their personal choice. Those who are long-time members will have read and maybe participated in many topics. They may now find little that's new, less to interest them - been there, done that, too old to wear T shirts now, though.

There's an old saying "Nothing new under the sun." Not literally but the more the years you've been around, the less you won't have heard about before. (not technology)

The range of discussion forums here is impressive and provides something for just about everyone. Matt wanted it that way and I expect he would still want it that way.

We should respect and honor those wishes. :hug3:

A discussion forum can survive only as long as it attracts people to post there. As with anything, when you see that it doesn't work anymore, you have to see if something broke, or if the working conditions changed. The fact that the activity diminished is an effect. What is the cause? I don't know. It doesn't seem to be the competition. Maybe it is a sign of the times. I still participate a lot, but there are a few people whom I ignore because they just seem to want to stir controversy, others that preach all kind of beliefs I don't care for. We'll see. Just the commitment that we'll post more isn't enough to make a difference in the long run. Maybe a poll would be useful, if the forum administration considers necessary.

The reason for reduced activity levels may not be down to any single cause.

Plainly the website isn't broken because it provides a huge range of forums in which to ask questions or post one's viewpoints, ideas, experiences etc. What no website can do, however, is to force folk to respond. They have to want to do it and be prepared to do it.

By all means ask members why they aren't active via a questionnaire though. What's there to lose?

We have people from many countries on here. you have to take into account Time zones etc. as many forums go through the Ebb and Flow of activity. spiritual forums is doing alright. in my view.


Namaste

Summers have always been pretty slow on this forum for as long as I can remember. It should pick up a little more in the autumn season.

We recognize times are different too, the way people communicate online has significantly evolved in the past few years alone. Forums aren't as popular as they use to be. I still think we are relatively pretty active for a forum in this social media age, we have certainly survived most forums in a time where so much has changed.

We're a good info-source too, we get a lot of traffic for people searching for answers and not engagement. Lots of browsers, as SF is a top ranking subject on 'spirituality' when people are googling for spiritual topics
That saying, AnnonaFox & Lynn are working with tech on some forum upgrades, so that should be nice to look forward to

Kindest,
Cloves

On the website I administrate summers are generally slower because folk are out-and-about more than they are in winter when folk spend more time indoors.

I'd be happy to have the level of member attendance and involvement that SF has. But it never hurts to make changes that increase its appeal.

It used to be a lot of silly fun here too, lots of lightheartedness and posting in each others yourspace threads, lots of games. General fun and shenanigans.


It feels very serious here now... I don't say it as a criticism, just what I see as different.

^Ditto the above. As an observation also.

Yes all the fun makers have moved on. It is more of a philosophical forum now. I wonder where all the fun makers went?