Is it just me, or have the other parts of the forum thinned out little?

[WI-Tom]

It does seem that there used to be many interesting threads about outings and trips and things, especially of the sail & oar variety. Those are my favorite threads. But there don't seem to be a lot of us posting those kinds of things right now.

I'm hoping it's just a cyclical/winter dropoff and that it might bounce back. Sometimes I can't post about a trip until the rights to the photos and story revert back to me from the publisher. That happens around March every year, which is when I tend to post about longer trips.

Tom

[WI-Tom]

I interpret this thread as a call to action for me to start building another boat.

It is. Get busy!

Tom

[David G]

Stuff comes and goers in cycles. They will be back.

Cyclical is my experience here as well.

But there certainly is some attrition, mostly age-related seems to me.

There are actually two FB WBF pages. One is affiliated with the magazine. The non-affiliated one exists, I believe, because one of my fellow NW boaters and Forum members got weary of the way that we are required to politely tip-toe around controversy here. Lost patience with the 'sideways' (some might even say 'passive-aggressive') mode that results. Understandable from the magazines perspective but, wanting a more freewheeling venue, and straightforward - even blunt - discourse... he created 'Wooden Boat Forum' over on FB, and announced it here. It's a lively group, incorporating both the folks from here who post there also, and a larger audience that found it thru FB itself.

When he got too busy with boats, a new job, and family... I agreed to take over as admin, when a couple of additional most excellent Bilge Rats agreed to help. Another boating buddy from Scotland is the final moderator. I invite you to join us. Never hurts to have more knowledgeable voices. If you choose not to, that's understandable. But I would ask that you not badmouth a group that you don't participate in and aren't familiar with. My fellow admins do most of the work these days, as I find myself busier and busier as well. I'd say they're doing a pretty good job.

As an aside, I find it a bit rich that someone with such a short history here, and a proven level of inconsistency in analytical skills, is hinting at doom <sigh>

[wizbang 13]

And I returned to Antigua last week and been 10 hours a day doin actual boat chit , not trolling up Pat Ford , or rubbing dreadlock moisturizer into my locks.

[HRDavies]

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I felt like I had run out of interesting boat things to post and the energy to post them. I know that has definitely slowed down (read stopped) my posting upstairs.

Your boat and your location, you could have lunch on the dock and we'd be happy to read it

Maybe that's asking a lot this time of year tho ....

[Durnik]

^ truth!

likely both too. (-:

[Garret]

Cyclical is my experience here as well.

But there certainly is some attrition, mostly age-related seems to me.

There are actually two FB WBF pages. One is affiliated with the magazine. The non-affiliated one exists, I believe, because one of my fellow NW boaters and Forum members got weary of the way that we are required to politely tip-toe around controversy here. Lost patience with the 'sideways' (some might even say 'passive-aggressive') mode that results. Understandable from the magazines perspective but, wanting a more freewheeling venue, and straightforward - even blunt - discourse... he created 'Wooden Boat Forum' over on FB, and announced it here. It's a lively group, incorporating both the folks from here who post there also, and a larger audience that found it thru FB itself.

When he got too busy with boats, a new job, and family... I agreed to take over as admin, when a couple of additional most excellent Bilge Rats agreed to help. Another boating buddy from Scotland is the final moderator. I invite you to join us. Never hurts to have more knowledgeable voices. If you choose not to, that's understandable. But I would ask that you not badmouth a group that you don't participate in and aren't familiar with. My fellow admins do most of the work these days, as I find myself busier and busier as well. I'd say they're doing a pretty good job.

As an aside, I find it a bit rich that someone with such a short history here, and a proven level of inconsistency in analytical skills, is hinting at doom <sigh>

Nobody's badmouthing the people - for sure I'm not. I am badmouthing FB & find it unfortunate that people felt they had to go there of all places.

How are we "required to politely tip-toe around controversy here"? You mean required to be polite? Something else?

[Jim Ledger]

Facebook's hardly the platform for documenting a build. You post a picture, get some "likes" and a few comments, and then your picture sinks, never to be seen again.

[David G]

Nobody's badmouthing the people - for sure I'm not. I am badmouthing FB & find it unfortunate that people felt they had to go there of all places.

How are we "required to politely tip-toe around controversy here"? You mean required to be polite? Something else?

I'm surprised you have to ask. But I'll offer up one ancient example that still sticks in my craw, because it affected me personally.

You probably know about the phenomenon where an oppressed people - like blacks in the U.S. - inevitably generate a certain small # of their own who come to identify with, and defend the interests of, the oppressors. As a (perverse and venal) survival mechanism. Historically - there are several disparaging labels for such creatures -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom

And perhaps you'll remember that I got banned for using one of those labels to describe a certain black national politician (I won't say leader). 'Rudeness' was the reason for banning. Not because the term I used was historically inaccurate, personally inaccurate, or false in any other way. Not even close, in fact precisely apt. Not because it was used as a vehicle to express my racism. It wasn't. Not because it was stated in overheated hyperbolic or otherwise ugly ways. OK... maybe a tiny bit, but not much. But because it is a 'controversial' term with racial overtones. Because I was calling out this public figure for being a 'lickspittle'... to use a more general term that carries no connotations regarding race.

I'm not the only one who has been chastised in ways that carry the message that one needs to be more gentle in one's language. If you are, you can get away with sexism, racism, xenophobia, lickspittlish defense of oligarchs, anti-democratic urgings, and worse. Slippery language - esp. cloaked in a mild manner and a thin veneer of politesse - is the key to staying in bounds. A quirk that is missing over at the independent WBF Facebook group.

[David G]

Facebook's hardly the platform for documenting a build. You post a picture, get some "likes" and a few comments, and then your picture sinks, never to be seen again.

I agree.

Though my kids tell me that it's perfectly possible given the various tools that exist there. But then I'd have to invest time in learning those tools. And, given how FB changes all the time, how sure would I be that I wouldn't have to learn a new set of tools in a year? Or that a decision wouldn't be made to delete all images after a year? Or that FB itself will still be here in 5 years? Not sure at all.

But I wasn't suggesting that anyone shift all the online boat activity to FB. And I Very Much Doubt that the existence of the various FB groups is responsible for any substantial reduction of activity here. It's not a zero-sum game.

[John B]

Facebook is in decline, constantly spamming its users with 'suggested posts by' and 'suggested groups' and ' because you were interested in' to a level where it becomes near impossible to get past and even look at what your friends might post. And then there is the ads they seem to put a spam rush on once a week or so.
I joined to keep in touch with relatives in other locations mostly, but many of them have really cut back on the platform. Not a week goes by that I imagine I'll drop out. And yet it's like this place, even if only one person is interested in what you're doing ,and there's only one person you're interested to have a conversation with, it's worth it.

[skuthorp]

I'm in the process of moving to a much smaller place. As it is I'm rehoming most of my tools and equipmnt. I won't be doing much boat building , and in reality I have only done repairs and built a few spars in the last 6 years. My boat building will be model making and restoration in the future.

[epoxyboy]

FB amplifies disinformation. Participating supports that.

That is probably the key difference between the likes of fb, and old school forums (fora?) like this - there is no algorithm trying to serve up things I might like here. Just mostly similar minded people.

Pete

[jpatrick]

My wife and her sisters communicate frequently through a group text message. They can send links and photos easily. A huge bonus is that there is no possibility of "friends" joining in or watching. There is zero need for FB.

Jeff

[Landrith]

Online "Forums" like this are dying and have been for a few, if not several years. "Social Media" type sites probably have a lot to do with that as well as the shift to "Smart Phones" over desk/laptop computers for communicating. I've had accounts to dozens of Forums in the past, many of which no longer exist and the remaining ones have little traffic. My interests would include automotive, welding, machinist, construction, fishing, and woodworking.

It does seem that younger people don't "make" their entertainment, or even fix up old cars.

[WX]

Facebook's hardly the platform for documenting a build. You post a picture, get some "likes" and a few comments, and then your picture sinks, never to be seen again.

A forum for civilised discussion, Facebook certainly is not. It does have it's uses though.

[wizbang 13]

How much livelier would it be here if a few members who did NOT die but were banned by the morality popo were still here . Take Navy Dog, Lefty and SchoonerRUS … fer instance
bunch fuggin pussies

[rbgarr]

My wife and her sisters communicate frequently through a group text message. They can send links and photos easily. A huge bonus is that there is no possibility of "friends" joining in or watching. There is zero need for FB.

All our family members have set up private FB groups for a number of topics we all are interested in: humor, family news, favorite TV and Netfix series we've watched and wish to discuss, etc. It works great.