I sure miss the Woodcentral of old. I learned much here over the years, but I just can't adjust to the new forum style, so this will be my last visit. I wish everyone well...
Last Visit
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Re: Last Visit
#2Sorry, dude.
Re: Last Visit
Edited #3
I understand the sentiment—there was something special about those early days. I sometimes wonder whether what’s missed is the threaded format itself, or the excitement of discovering a whole new way to connect with woodworkers far beyond our local guilds and monthly meetings. Change can definitely be annoying, especially when it’s forced, but in this case it was unavoidable. What feels confusing at first usually turns out to be just different—and, once familiar, often easier and more effective.
Re: Last Visit
#4Unfortunately, change is the nature of the internet. Not all the change is positive, but in aggregate I think it is.
I don't think the problem here is the software changes so much as the loss of participation. That is a problem at most woodworking forums and forums in general right now. Interest in various hobbies tends to be cyclical anyway, the trick is spotting the next media that will facilitate an upswing in this one.
Re: Last Visit
#5
John in NM wrote:I don't think the problem here is the software changes so much as the loss of participation.
Your observation is supported by the data. Above is a rolling average of forum posts per day since 2005. It's obvious changing forum software did not cause decreased participation. It had been declining since 2006.
Re: Last Visit
#6admin wrote:fortunately, change is the nature of the internet. Not all the change is positive, but in aggregate I think it is.
I don't think the problem here is the software changes so much as the loss of participation. That is a problem at most woodworking forums and forums in general right now. Interest in various hobbies tends to be cyclical anyway, the trick is spotting the next media that will facilitate an upswing in this one.
Exactly what my observation was during the backbiting era, which was not long before the software change. The conclusion was written, it was just a matter of the speed.
By no means unique to this forum. Even the subreddits have declined monstrously in traffic. I don't use instagram, substack or whatever, but I think the hobby has transitioned to what the endpoint really was going to be for most once they go through their buying phase - just watching someone else do something, or reading someone else talking about basic stuff (regurgitated) going around in a merry go round.