An observation...

[billc]

Hmmm...I was wondering where all the new posts are on the study.

The reason I ask is that for quite a while there was a lot of...complaining... about how much I posted on the study, and how that kept other wonderful posts from, well, being posted. Well, I have been primarily in another area of martialtalk, for about 6 months and haven't really noticed all those new posts from the people who not only complained about my posts but declared that my posts kept them from posting...

Hmmm...

I think more of those people should be posting here in the study...don't you?

 

[Steve]

Being perfectly frank, the study and the basement have both achieved curdled milk status with me. Where I would once have joined the fray, as it were, I now read the headlines and just choose not to engage.

I enjoy discussing politics and I really like to hear other peoples' opinions and perspectives, but it will take a while at least before the sourness of the Study goes away.

But if you're really worried about it, I suspect that when the election seasons heat up, this place will follow suit.

 

[granfire]

I dare say that the high volume of copy pasta has driven about 95% of the posters away.

The others are now playing in the basement, out of sight out of mind.

 

[geezer]

As far as the Study goes, I feel pretty much the way Steve does. So I'll check in from time to time, but I hesitate to post here.

But I think there's a bigger issue. I'm seeing fewer posts in the last year or so all across MT. And our old "sister site" FMA Talk has been virtually dead for a few years now. I think forums in general are losing traffic to newer forms of social media.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Forums aren't dying. Evolving. Social media sites like Facebook have drained some of the well, social chatter away. Try finding a serious discussion on there 6 weeks later though. It's lost in the noise. Here, quick search and boom, there it is. We could be better integrated though, a limitation of the current software we use. Personally, the last year for me has been full of personal matters, struggling to stay afloat while dealing with said matters, and evolving interests. My sometimes 'boot to the head' style of debate's probably not been a great help at times, I've tired of the 'heat of battle' as it were on the political issues, and been focused on things that don't transition well here. So, I've posted less than I used to.

A forum follows it's leader, and when the leader's not participating, they tend to slow. I've been recently trying to be more active in the art areas. I ask everyone to take another look at all the sections, kick some things up, dust off a few golden oldies, and take that moment to chime in. Each new post can lead to 10+ more. Imagine how busy we'd be if everyone who reads this post, makes 1 more post per day for a month?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

There are just too many "political" threads that you know no matter what you may say, you will always get into argument. I'm not interesting in arguing with anybody. Life is too short trying to change other's opinions that you don't even know who that person is.

 

[aedrasteia]

Hmmm...I was wondering where all the new posts are on the study.

The reason I ask is that for quite a while there was a lot of...complaining... about how much I posted on the study, and how that kept other wonderful posts from, well, being posted. Well, I have been primarily in another area of martialtalk, for about 6 months and haven't really noticed all those new posts from the people who not only complained about my posts but declared that my posts kept them from posting...
Hmmm...
I think more of those people should be posting here in the study...don't you?

 

[Tgace]

To some extent, don't you have to think that we have become somewhat of a closed group? Without a consistent influx of new people what "new opinions" are there in this forum?

Lets start a thread about abortion...what do you think Tgace is goona say? What about Granfire? Lets start a gun control thread...wonder what Arni is gonna say this time? Maybe Ballen will say something different?

 

[Takai]

To some extent, don't you have to think that we have become somewhat of a closed group? Without a consistent influx of new people what "new opinions" are there in this forum?

Then how do we solve this?

 

[aedrasteia]

Then how do we solve this?

Do you really want to know??
I mean, it's sometimes hard to tell via posts when folks are being ironic/sarcastic
or whatever. No disrespect intended toward you at all, Takai.
i wonder if people here want something else or like the situation
as it is, even if it's nasty.
what's your POV ?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

How do we return to "Friendly Martial Arts Community"?

 

[ballen0351]

How do we return to "Friendly Martial Arts Community"?

I never considered it not one. Just because people don't agree doesn't mean we are not friendly. I think Steve and I or Ari and I are about as opposite as can be yet if I was ever heading to Washington State I'd attempt to let Steve know and invite him for a meal. And Arni has been taking a break when I noticed he had not been here in a while I sent him a message making sure he was OK. Just because they are wrong all the time doesnt mean I don't like them

 

[wingchun100]

I think without being able to hear someone's tone of voice, it is difficult to tell when people are respectfully disagreeing or being sarcastic and calling the other person stupid, or insulting their opinions or whatever. Sometimes I assume people are insulting me, but more often than not I shrug it off. For example flying Crane didn't agree with an opinion I expressed on a thread called, "How much does not sparring hurt your training?" (That wasn't the exact title.) I said something about how sparring should be full-blast like a street scenario, and he disagreed with me in a way that some might have taken as a personal attack...but I knew why he didn't agree with me: I didn't express myself properly.

Sometimes this place may be mistake as being NOT friendly, but I have a suspicion that sometimes it comes off that way only when you misinterpret. Yes, sometimes maybe someone IS being a jerk, but not all the time.

 

[billc]

and he disagreed with me in a way that some might have taken as a personal attack...

Having dealt with the particular poster, I would go with your first instinct...

 

[wingchun100]

Having dealt with the particular poster, I would go with your first instinct...

Maybe so, but I just shrugged it off. Besides, he "thanked" me and agreed on a different post I made elsewhere.

 

[elder999]

While the post count in the Basement is higher, there are more threads started with only that single post in them, or threads with multiple posts from the thread starter and no one else than any other forum.

Just some friendly kidding-and a reminder that rather than put them in hospitals, people used to keep their crazy relatives..................in the basement!!! :lfao:

 

[granfire]

or the attic....

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Then how do we solve this?

Try not to start any thread that can cause argument. For example, if you start "Which style is better for me?" You will get people into style argument. If I start a thread, I try to put myself in "listen" mode. If I don't agree with someone's post, I won't argue with that person because I "invite" him to express his opinion in the 1st place. You just don't start a party, invite all your guess, so you can argue with everybody.

To others, argument may seem nature. To me, trying to change someone's mind when you don't even know who that person is make no sense at all.

 

[billc]

While the post count in the Basement is higher, there are more threads started with only that single post in them, or threads with multiple posts from the thread starter and no one else than any other forum.

However, the point to this thread is why aren't more of the people who complained before about my posts on the study not gracing the study with their thoughts and insights about life the universe and everything, now that I post in the basement. considering all the whining they did about the stifling effect of my posts...they have failed to take advantage of all the free space in the study...and this thread is generating more posts than I have seen from those people in a long time....

I have my chips and my diet fudge soda now, so I'll be heading back downstairs...

 

[Takai]

Do you really want to know??
I mean, it's sometimes hard to tell via posts when folks are being ironic/sarcastic
or whatever. No disrespect intended toward you at all, Takai.
i wonder if people here want something else or like the situation
as it is, even if it's nasty.
what's your POV ?

Actually, I do want to know. I tend to enjoy (most) conversations that I have on MT. I may be flippant at times but, I tend to take threads like this one quite seriously.

As some of the previous posters have mentioned, "The which style is better?" threads tend to devolve and while they may generate traffic. Is it the type of traffic we are trying to foster?

My POV is more of a question at this point. What are we trying to offer that people will come here for? How do we reach the demographic that we are shooting for? Bob has done an excellent job of keeping MT going but, we (the community) produce the content that drives people to the site.

How can we improve on our side?