Where do you see this discussion going?
It's been an interesting couple months on this forum with some good spirited debate. Where do you see these conversations going? I feel like I have a lot of ideas worth exploring but simply chit-chatting about them on here doesn't seem to be the most effective way to get anything accomplished for the dozen or so of us who seem to infrequent this forum. Are we making any headway towards solutions or is it all for naught and should we throw in the towel?
Feeling momentarily demotivated...this too shall pass I suppose.
Be not faint of heart.
Be not faint of heart. Everything intelligent begins with discussion. This forum is distinguishing itself as one for (mostly) serious people discussing (mostly) serious things -- in chit chat form or otherwise.. Isn't that exactly what a forum should be? Remember that far more people read than comment -- including, often, me.
Well expressed. I'd add the
Well expressed. I'd add the obvious, though, for any forum to survive: activity!
My experience since joining local E. Cen. IL forums since 2005, is that posting across all boards is down, to a trickle in some, sitting there as abandoned ships drifting and lost in some obscure expanse of ocean somewhere....They often sink, too. Just since my initial post on this topic, yet another forum I posted almost daily on has been turned off to any new posts since the moderator (which I never saw the evidence of any) had not logged in for 60 days....(this was: http://vermilionforum.10.forumer.com/) Odd, when I did try to contact them, part of the info they needed was the name of the forum in question. When I filled in the site address, the automated response was that it was not a valid forum name, so, I could not successfully send my message.
IF I were given one wish as to a format for posting online, it would be just like the one the Commercial-News had at least 2 times, a so-called "guestbook". Chit-chat in nature, it was essentially a "party line" for nostalgia AND issues of substance. However, it was at times a "free for all" from anonymous posters, most likely including a single poster making up any number of names to "give" himself some perceived support on an issue. There was no registration, of course, and that is probably what drove the moderators (and their necessary deletions with some of the filth they encountered) into such consternation, so much so, that on 2 occasions, the C-N simply pulled the plug with no warning, not even a "sorry". And its attempt at a forum following the deletion of the Gbk was very active, but, obviously caused more headaches, as it too was closed down, with a few days warning as I recall.
Anyway, here is the last page of the guestbook. It is possible to quickly go back to the initial posts in 2003 by adding numbers up in the address box. By the way, there was a limit to each post, which rarely anyone besides me stumbled across. So, there really was a limit to consider-- if one wanted to say more than "it's hot today, can't wait till the cooler weather".....
http://www2.commercial-news.com/guestbook/?page=1587
http://www2.commercial-news.com/guestbook
Being only a "chit-chatter"
Being only a "chit-chatter" at best, I hope my lines aren't dragging this forum into oblivion (not that I really believe in my awesome negative influence--though I've been the last poster "to go down with the ship" of many forums, including the original N.G. forum and just today, an oldie but long-inactive forum, edanville.com, suspended just this afternoon.)
I think the topic matter is key, of course. So far the most response was dealing with the dearth of local female jazz players and the disagreement as to why that is. So, perhaps another topic will hit "paydirt".....I'll attempt one after I post this.
Anyway, I truly hope the others have this site on their favorites list and will continue to check in at least now & then,, solutions or not.
Thanks,
Oliver
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