Do you get burned out on forums?

[Highlander]

I used to be active on a lot of forums. From gaming to aviation to tech to whatever.
But this is the only one I still post on occasionally and even it's starting to wear on me.

I'm not that active on Facebook, don't see the point in instagram or twitter, and some days I just want to hike (well drive really) 50 miles into the mountains where those no cell or internet.

Of course, I've been online since before the WWW. Back then we used gopher and other tools and thought it was neat to poke around in some foreign library or an open research site.

and newsgroups were the order of the day and virus free.

Maybe I'd be a good hermit

 

[3/5King]

I used to be active on a lot of forums. From gaming to aviation to tech to whatever.
But this is the only one I still post on occasionally and even it's starting to wear on me.

I'm not that active on Facebook, don't see the point in instagram or twitter, and some days I just want to hike (well drive really) 50 miles into the mountains where those no cell or internet.

Of course, I've been online since before the WWW. Back then we used gopher and other tools and thought it was neat to poke around in some foreign library or an open research site.

and newsgroups were the order of the day and virus free.

Maybe I'd be a good hermit

I think its the dissconnect. It's not the same as face to face interaction. I think you're longing for something authentic, something a forum cannot offer. It will never be the same as the tangible world that surrounds us but without it, we never would have been introduced to half of the amazing people we know. It feels isolating at times though and at others, it's a friend that's there day or night.

 

[Craig Mac]

I think its the dissconnect. It's not the same as face to face interaction. I think you're longing for something authentic, something a forum cannot offer. It will never be the same as the tangible world that surrounds us but without it, we never would have been introduced to half of the amazing people we know. It feels isolating at times though and at others, it's a friend that's there day or night.

Then you meet up and everyone is starring at their phone the entire time, lol

I only frequent this forum and have made a lot of good friends because of it. I used to be active on some golf forums but then not playing much I didn't feel the connection, that and the general thing was buying the latest and greatest equipment and why they were better because they had brand x or ball x, but I also see that here as well to some extent. There is always a cycle to any forum and when you see those that you have connected with start to disappear it can start to loose it's appeal to some, that's when you just have to abuse some noobs and start having fun the way you did when you joined. I think most here who stay active end up meeting a group of people and finding a commonality with that group that extends beyond the forum, be it regular meetups or some other form of communication to keep in touch. The BOTL chat used to be a way that I got to know many guys on a more personal level, but I don't really see it being used much the times I have logged in to it. It is and always will be what you make of it.

 

[sofc]

Then you meet up and everyone is starring at their phone the entire time, lol

I only frequent this forum and have made a lot of good friends because of it.

Agree on both.

 

[mdwest]

the key (for me) is real, personal relationships with other forum membership...

Over the past few years Ive gotten to personally know probably 30-40 people that frequent this board..

the only other forum I belong to, I have been active at for over a decade.. and have a couple of dozen close friends.. and hundreds of acquaintances, former work associates, etc.. that frequent there..

The board(s) are simply a tool by which we all stay in touch.. and also has the added benefit of being able to share information, interact with others that have potential to become friends/acquaintances, etc..

If I wasnt attending HERF's, linking up with members when I travel, having them drop in on me when theyre in my area, etc.. the forum (this one or the other one) probably wouldnt be as appealing to me... its the ability to overcome the disconnect that 3/5 King mentions.. by building "real" relationships... that sometimes start in cyberspace...

by the same token.. I bring "real" relationships to cyberspace when I find people with common interests and backgrounds... as well.. for example, Delta Romeo is a very good, long time friend that Ive known for close to 20 years.. who is also a cigar smoker.. I introduced him to BOTL.. and while he isnt nearly as engaged here as I am.. this is another way we can stay in touch.. which is helpful/cool.. since we both spend a whole lot of time living/working places other than "home"...

 

[Hoshneer]

I agree, the cycle can be tedious but I still am on a lot just don't comment as much. As far as the chat, I think it needs updated and switched to something that works better on mobile devices.

 

[bigbill72]

I agree with this. This can lead to that but not replace it.

I used to be active on a lot of forums. From gaming to aviation to tech to whatever.
But this is the only one I still post on occasionally and even it's starting to wear on me.

I'm not that active on Facebook, don't see the point in instagram or twitter, and some days I just want to hike (well drive really) 50 miles into the mountains where those no cell or internet.

Of course, I've been online since before the WWW. Back then we used gopher and other tools and thought it was neat to poke around in some foreign library or an open research site.

and newsgroups were the order of the day and virus free.

Maybe I'd be a good hermit

I think its the dissconnect. It's not the same as face to face interaction. I think you're longing for something authentic, something a forum cannot offer. It will never be the same as the tangible world that surrounds us but without it, we never would have been introduced to half of the amazing people we know. It feels isolating at times though and at others, it's a friend that's there day or night.

 

[Zmilin]

Im on a few forums and FB pages. This one is new to me so Im always on here looking and reading whatever is new. I have learned and try to stay away form anything political or religious based but enjoy the tech stuff be it motorcycles or cigars.
I lost some interest in another forum after a buddy passed away. He was the owner/admin and set it up to survive if anything happened but after he passed it has not been the same for me. I realized after his passing I wasn't going there for tech anymore but for the interaction with friends I only got to see once a year at the events. I still get on there and read but don't contribute as much if ever anymore unless called out specifically.
I think theres another aspect to it as well... I got on the MC forum to learn about the bike and how to do things. Ive made some great friends but the tech knowledge has surpassed what the forum can offer (for the most part). It becomes less interesting especially when there is a new oil thread or tire thread every other day.

Sometimes its ok to take a break for a while. Some can get it done in a week and others take a few years away from forums and I do believe that if the interest passes in our personal lives the forums pass as well. Why read about this tire vs that tire if you have no need for a tire anymore.

Just my .02 rambling for this morning.

 

[KLF]

I am active in a shaving forum for the last 3 years and recently here. Also some others. I met a lot of interesting people. It goes in cycles, as said, periods of intensive connectivity alternate with breaks. all in all, I enjoy it

 

[Tag9485]

I've been right there in the midst of burning out for the last 2 months or so. It helped me to get away from posting every day/few times a day. I still check this and another forum everyday, but I've limited my postings.

That said, without Botl I never would have met a few guys that are really great dudes. Im in a bit of a dead zone in BFE NC, as far as herfs, and having family commitments has kept me from traveling. So I see the disconnect that 3/5 is talking about as well.

The one thing about forums I have learned, in just the last month or so, is that it's very hard to covey intentions or emotions sometimes. That fact alone is one of the major reasons I've been all but non-existent recently. Some people want so badly to protect this forum that they verbally abuse people for having an alternate opinion.

 

[teamrandr]

Other than this I only frequent bmxmuseum. I go through phases of posting alot and not even looking at the forum. This forum is by far the most drama free forum I have seen.

 

[Lipher]

I've been right there in the midst of burning out for the last 2 months or so. It helped me to get away from posting every day/few times a day. I still check this and another forum everyday, but I've limited my postings.

That said, without Botl I never would have met a few guys that are really great dudes. Im in a bit of a dead zone in BFE NC, as far as herfs, and having family commitments has kept me from traveling. So I see the disconnect that 3/5 is talking about as well.

The one thing about forums I have learned, in just the last month or so, is that it's very hard to covey intentions or emotions sometimes. That fact alone is one of the major reasons I've been all but non-existent recently. Some people want so badly to protect this forum that they verbally abuse people for having an alternate opinion.

I love you bro!

#realnukkahs!

 

[Hoshneer]

Amen to that.

 

[reidmorebooks]

I don't know that I get burned out, I just always search for something new to read about so I find myself trying to find new outlets to find a tidbit of info I haven't found yet. This is a great forum, and the most drama free one I have ever seen by far. I'm not super active but I do enjoy reading through the crazy amount of knowledge that is here. I have met a couple of guys from the forum and several more just hanging around my local B&M's more. What a great community to be a part of.

 

[Tag9485]

I've been right there in the midst of burning out for the last 2 months or so. It helped me to get away from posting every day/few times a day. I still check this and another forum everyday, but I've limited my postings.

That said, without Botl I never would have met a few guys that are really great dudes. Im in a bit of a dead zone in BFE NC, as far as herfs, and having family commitments has kept me from traveling. So I see the disconnect that 3/5 is talking about as well.

The one thing about forums I have learned, in just the last month or so, is that it's very hard to covey intentions or emotions sometimes. That fact alone is one of the major reasons I've been all but non-existent recently. Some people want so badly to protect this forum that they verbally abuse people for having an alternate opinion.

I love you bro!

#realnukkahs!

Right back at ya sir!

#tyfyr #needsflipflops

 

[WaRevo]

I agree with 3/5King, Back in the day when I was running a 48 line BBS the one thing that kept most of the people coming back was what was there for them to dl, games to play or just to interact with others.. When I first started it was rocky people would come and go. with system upgrade and modem upgrades and going from 4 to 8 to 12 lines Adding access numbers for other counties. Still felt like people would come and go to often. Then one of our sister BBS offered to host a GTG and that brought people from 3 counties. It was then that made the BBS boom. i was there as a user not the sysop to gather intel on what was lacking. The thing with times back then is you were really unknown and shortly after that the 12 lines was 48 lines and access #'s from 3 counties to 5. and a 800 access line for the working callers that traveled. There was only a few of us that had multi platform modems from USR, AKA US Robotics. Always staying ahead of the speeds with our upgrades. last thing i wanted was my users that was then over 300 paid and 430 total to leave because of access issues, dropped calls, busy signals most people were still running 8088's and 14.4 modems. Single disc arrays. I had 4 486's and 2 Pent75's running 6 jpg roms and 2 zip roms. i offered 2 hours of internet access with full time access to the bbs. Then AOL and Compuserv proved to have more money and I was doing well up until the time they offered full internet access @ 1995 i couldn't compete with that. But even before the internet we offered semi internet access... Ftp, Telnet, IRC, gopher, inter mail and extra mail. Went from charging 40 a month for service to giving aways 4 months to the last 40ish users that stuck around. I didn't have to keep it going they wouldn't have cared but seeing I had already paid for my phones lines and dual ISDN lines to the internet i might as well keep it on for them. changed the 48 lines to 24, removed the 800 lines, removed the county lines when i noticed no more calls where going into them banks of modems. Had one last GTG and this tie it was with my BBS and 5 others and only had 40 people turn out...

Now there is the internet. It is a great tool. Speeds are faster and uptimes are always on. Learn about anything you want. See Map photos of where ever you want almost. Just don't have the ONE on ONE like before. Unless you can afford to travel to a herf or lucky to have one in your area. HERF AKA GTG...

Those were the days. if i had to tell, I kind of miss the old BBS days. The Good, Better and Best days...

Burn out I think it is part of the Slope. Sadly for some like me I try and help as much as I can, (however I can) and then climb back under my rock and read and enjoy the others happiness and joys. I haven't got to that point yet. But seems as the Christmas time draws near that will most likely be where I am. Hidden in the shadows.

James

 

[3/5King]

I agree with 3/5King, Back in the day when I was running a 48 line BBS the one thing that kept most of the people coming back was what was there for them to dl, games to play or just to interact with others.. When I first started it was rocky people would come and go. with system upgrade and modem upgrades and going from 4 to 8 to 12 lines Adding access numbers for other counties. Still felt like people would come and go to often. Then one of our sister BBS offered to host a GTG and that brought people from 3 counties. It was then that made the BBS boom. i was there as a user not the sysop to gather intel on what was lacking. The thing with times back then is you were really unknown and shortly after that the 12 lines was 48 lines and access #'s from 3 counties to 5. and a 800 access line for the working callers that traveled. There was only a few of us that had multi platform modems from USR, AKA US Robotics. Always staying ahead of the speeds with our upgrades. last thing i wanted was my users that was then over 300 paid and 430 total to leave because of access issues, dropped calls, busy signals most people were still running 8088's and 14.4 modems. Single disc arrays. I had 4 486's and 2 Pent75's running 6 jpg roms and 2 zip roms. i offered 2 hours of internet access with full time access to the bbs. Then AOL and Compuserv proved to have more money and I was doing well up until the time they offered full internet access @ 1995 i couldn't compete with that. But even before the internet we offered semi internet access... Ftp, Telnet, IRC, gopher, inter mail and extra mail. Went from charging 40 a month for service to giving aways 4 months to the last 40ish users that stuck around. I didn't have to keep it going they wouldn't have cared but seeing I had already paid for my phones lines and dual ISDN lines to the internet i might as well keep it on for them. changed the 48 lines to 24, removed the 800 lines, removed the county lines when i noticed no more calls where going into them banks of modems. Had one last GTG and this tie it was with my BBS and 5 others and only had 40 people turn out...

Now there is the internet. It is a great tool. Speeds are faster and uptimes are always on. Learn about anything you want. See Map photos of where ever you want almost. Just don't have the ONE on ONE like before. Unless you can afford to travel to a herf or lucky to have one in your area. HERF AKA GTG...

Those were the days. if i had to tell, I kind of miss the old BBS days. The Good, Better and Best days...

Burn out I think it is part of the Slope. Sadly for some like me I try and help as much as I can, (however I can) and then climb back under my rock and read and enjoy the others happiness and joys. I haven't got to that point yet. But seems as the Christmas time draws near that will most likely be where I am. Hidden in the shadows.

James

I'm just going to pretend that I understood everything you just said and then back away slowly...lol

When I came into the game, it was yahoo Internet chatrooms... Thank god that's over with....oh wait..tiny chat....fail. Whatever the case may be, this forum is great and all of you people kick ass! Don't hide from us James! We will find you!

 

[WaRevo]

Was going to put some of the people in here maybe to young to know what a bbs is... it was before the internet. As the OP was talking about as well. Sorry I ramble lol

James

 

[Xavier Dredo]

I agree with 3/5King, Back in the day when I was running a 48 line BBS the one thing that kept most of the people coming back was what was there for them to dl, games to play or just to interact with others.. When I first started it was rocky people would come and go. with system upgrade and modem upgrades and going from 4 to 8 to 12 lines Adding access numbers for other counties. Still felt like people would come and go to often. Then one of our sister BBS offered to host a GTG and that brought people from 3 counties. It was then that made the BBS boom. i was there as a user not the sysop to gather intel on what was lacking. The thing with times back then is you were really unknown and shortly after that the 12 lines was 48 lines and access #'s from 3 counties to 5. and a 800 access line for the working callers that traveled. There was only a few of us that had multi platform modems from USR, AKA US Robotics. Always staying ahead of the speeds with our upgrades. last thing i wanted was my users that was then over 300 paid and 430 total to leave because of access issues, dropped calls, busy signals most people were still running 8088's and 14.4 modems. Single disc arrays. I had 4 486's and 2 Pent75's running 6 jpg roms and 2 zip roms. i offered 2 hours of internet access with full time access to the bbs. Then AOL and Compuserv proved to have more money and I was doing well up until the time they offered full internet access @ 1995 i couldn't compete with that. But even before the internet we offered semi internet access... Ftp, Telnet, IRC, gopher, inter mail and extra mail. Went from charging 40 a month for service to giving aways 4 months to the last 40ish users that stuck around. I didn't have to keep it going they wouldn't have cared but seeing I had already paid for my phones lines and dual ISDN lines to the internet i might as well keep it on for them. changed the 48 lines to 24, removed the 800 lines, removed the county lines when i noticed no more calls where going into them banks of modems. Had one last GTG and this tie it was with my BBS and 5 others and only had 40 people turn out...

Now there is the internet. It is a great tool. Speeds are faster and uptimes are always on. Learn about anything you want. See Map photos of where ever you want almost. Just don't have the ONE on ONE like before. Unless you can afford to travel to a herf or lucky to have one in your area. HERF AKA GTG...

Those were the days. if i had to tell, I kind of miss the old BBS days. The Good, Better and Best days...

Burn out I think it is part of the Slope. Sadly for some like me I try and help as much as I can, (however I can) and then climb back under my rock and read and enjoy the others happiness and joys. I haven't got to that point yet. But seems as the Christmas time draws near that will most likely be where I am. Hidden in the shadows.

James

That's a lot of words and I only know what 1/4 of them are

Just kidding!

 

[Hoshneer]

F**king Wood Chucks!