Forum question.........

Beachy · **Joined:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:20 am **Posts:** 1104

Does anyone know why so many of the old "regulars" here on WIX don't (or very rarely) post anymore???

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:48 am

Beachy wrote:

Does anyone know why so many of the old "regulars" here on WIX don't (or very rarely) post anymore???

I think it can be summed up in one word - Quality.

Ryan

flyingheritage · **Joined:** Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:00 am **Posts:** 349

Many reasons have driven away people including me at times from many forums -

over use of politics and anything close it ??

stupid behaviour by some people towards others??

boring topics???

maybe they have a real life and no time for internet and forums as they used to???

maybe they grown out of warbirds?? * some people like myself have quit hobbies overnight and moved onto newer ones...

many reasons maybe they are dead or no loger able to access a computer.

Mgawa · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:20 am

Forum is living thing and it development during the time. So we can not talk about quality in general but about the changes in general. WIX is good forum. There is no perfect forum in the world- thrust me!!!

Cheers

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:28 am

i think the quality is still here over all, but the pissing contests, know it all attitudes, prima donna syndromes, political issues, has more than taken it's toll. what peeves me is the teacher i know i know thing, along with arrogance. i've been a regular here since 2004 & i will not get into pissing contests with skunks. some skunks have gone, some are still here. i'm a gentleman, & while i've had a lifetime in aviation history & know plenty, i will never know it all. i learn here every time i log on, if others would take that attititude maybe some of the many crap storms wouldn't ensue!! by & large i've made many great friends here, i'm only sorry i've been able to shake so few of their hands.

Forgotten Field · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:06 am

I check WIX every day as it is a good source of information about what is going on in warbirds. Unfortunately, there seems to be a load of negative energy here which has been able to perpetuate itself. Aside from that, my off-WIX meetings with members here have been in some cases VERY negative. I don't take my negative meetings to be representative of every person here, but I can also say that there is pretty much a plurality about WIX in the flying warbid crew that I know- half are okay with it, the other half don't think much of it. Whatever has happened to create that, it certainly doesn't speak much about a site dedicated to warbirds which alienates half the owners of what we are interested in, does it?

The personal attacks, the personal vendettas, the 'urban legend' quality of some (not all, just some) of the research people make before they post what they consider to be fact, and the hands-off of the moderators in some of these cases has combined to blunt the progress and cohesion of our on-line community. To move it forward, I would suggest that people footnote their research or research it before they post it, or not post it, be more positive in your approach to members here, and the moderators take a bit more time scrutinizing posts here to look for the negative energy. We are nearing 23,000 posts on this board. I don't think most of us can find a page of posts without finding some negative posting which is either critical of another member or at the minimum abrasive or intrusive. How do we fix that? I don't know, but I think that fixing that problem would go a long way to building a more sustainable on-line community.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:09 am

Forgotten Field wrote:

I check WIX every day as it is a good source of information about what is going on in warbirds. Unfortunately, there seems to be a load of negative energy here which has been able to perpetuate itself. Aside from that, my off-WIX meetings with members here have been in some cases VERY negative. I don't take my negative meetings to be representative of every person here, but I can also say that there is pretty much a plurality about WIX in the flying warbid crew that I know- half are okay with it, the other half don't think much of it. Whatever has happened to create that, it certainly doesn't speak much about a site dedicated to warbirds which alienates half the owners of what we are interested in, does it?

The personal attacks, the personal vendettas, the 'urban legend' quality of some (not all, just some) of the research people make before they post what they consider to be fact, and the hands-off of the moderators in some of these cases has combined to blunt the progress and cohesion of our on-line community. To move it forward, I would suggest that people footnote their research or research it before they post it, or not post it, be more positive in your approach to members here, and the moderators take a bit more time scrutinizing posts here to look for the negative energy. We are nearing 23,000 posts on this board. I don't think most of us can find a page of posts without finding some negative posting which is either critical of another member or at the minimum abrasive or intrusive. How do we fix that? I don't know, but I think that fixing that problem would go a long way to building a more sustainable on-line community.

Well put. I will say that virtually all of times I've bumped into other WIXers here in TX have been pretty decent.

Ryan

Elroy13 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:16 am

I have no idea! :lol:

Mudge · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:57 am

All youse troops know I rarely voice my opinion (:shock:) BUT...(and here's the disclaimer) I don't/can't read all the posts. Nobody can. There are some authors whose posts I always open.
There are posts whose titles just don't "grab" me so I usually don't open them.
OK soap box time for a moment.
Titles are like advertising. First, you have to get the buyer's (ie. reader's) attention. If the title's boring, it's probably going to get passed over. It also has to be something the reader's interested in.
Lemme' give ya' a f'rinstance...
When I was taking flying lessons and was posting narratives of my "adventures" a lot of you weren't interested so you didn't open the thread.
That's fine with me. I didn't expect everyone to get the same thrill I did.

By the same token, There are posts about Serial numbers, Bu numbers,
data plates, and other quite narrow niches of information that I have no interest in. Nothing personal...I just don't.

There are posts that get into unbelievable minutiae. Not a criticism, just not something I'm interested in.

There are posts that, because they are so difficult to read, (for various reasons) that I just quit and go on to the next INTERESTING title.

Those are a few of my reasons for a reduction in posts.
(Well...you asked.)

I hope none of you take these observations personally. It's just me rambling.

Mudge the opinionated :hide:

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11336

Beachy wrote:

Does anyone know why so many of the old "regulars" here on WIX don't (or very rarely) post anymore???

We could ask that same question of you, couldn't we????? :lol:

I just like to read my own postings, so that's why I'm still here... If I'm the one driving everyone off please PM me and I'll make amends.

I think that when the WIX was smaller, it was easier to keep up with. It was a smaller group and everyone knew each other better- the relationships were closer. Now there are so many posters and postings that you can't just look once a week and be able to keep up.

"Feelings...."

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:58 am

I still visit several times a day, most days. I just have not been as active posting as I used to be. I have to agree when WIX was smaller, there seemed to be more interaction.
I have found myself to be more selective of the posts I open. Some subjects don't interest me, & sorry, but it also depends on who is posting them. There are a few folks I just don't care for. No personel attacks, on anyone, I just avoid them.
The rest of you jackass's are ok in my book. :lol:

All in all I would rather hang out here than anywhere else on the web.
You guys party on & be excellent.

Robbie

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:11 am

Maybe it's just me but the inmates were much happier when warden Scott
was a everyday presence. Now were all banging our spoons and metal trays on the tables and chanting.

jet1 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:23 am

...I'll bet that got your attention! Forums are little slices of life. I have belonged to several and over time they seem to morph into things that were never intended. Sometimes they morph good sometimes they morph badly. When it goes sideways I just leave.
This one sees its ups and downs, but the only real contention I ever see here is between the pilots and the "others". most pilots hate to see dead airplanes on poles....the "others" get uppity and think the pilots are giving them a bad time. That is simply not the case, if you volunteer at a museum to keep the planes nice more power to you, but Id rather they fly that way more folks get to see them that otherwise can't travel to Washington to see the air and space museum.

Oh sorry there is no such thing as "FREE" sex!

Ken · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:32 am

Mudge wrote:

Titles are like advertising. First, you have to get the buyer's (ie. reader's) attention. If the title's boring, it's probably going to get passed over. It also has to be something the reader's interested in.

On a related tangent, this is one thing that frequently makes me log out. Mudge, this isn't the first time I've heard this argument, and I agree with you. It seems as if the "purpose" of a thread is to make it the most visited. I'm just the opposite - quality over quantity.

"Soapbox - ON"
If I want info on a particular A-1, I'll make the title "Skyraider 139606" instead of "help with a plane".

1- If a person has no interest, then that's fine with me.
2- If they have info to share, I'm thrilled.
3- When they use the thread to reply "My neighbor's uncle was a T-28 pilot and thinks A-1s are cool" - well, that's nice, but it often generates a few more tangental replies to the point that the thread ends and never accomplishes its goal.

That, and as was said above, the negative attitude and "I'll state my opinion whether I have my facts straight or not" are the reasons I let days pass without checking in - or I log out after scanning the top 10 titles. If I've noticed one thing on my short time here, it's that there are fewer "expert" answers and discussion and that's a disappointment.

"Soapbox - OFF"

Ken

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:39 am

As has been stated above, forums are a living entity and they grow and change as time goes on. WIX has been a victim of its own success for awhile now. People have mentioned my lower presence level and the hands off mods, the unfortunate thing is that if I crack down or the mods get a little more active then other people complain.

I would like to hear real, thoughtful suggestions on what can be done to rectify this situation. One recent suggestion was to make the voluntary subscription fee not so voluntary, and make subscription be necessary to post though not to read the posts. This would reduce the number of posts in general and possibly make the remaining posts potentially more interesting as they are made by those who pay for the privilege. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this as well as any other suggestions.

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