Are RV forums dying?

[holstein13]

Seems to me we get less and less participation in this forum each year:

[Anmacc2]

In the experience I've had here: it is a great place to get specific information. There are a couple of members who jump right in with very helpful information and I appreciate that. Unfortunately, there are also a number of fun suckers! Very negative, argumentative, authoritative types. If I were to listen, and I don't, I would think that RVing was complicated, difficult, high maintenance, and dangerous. In my experience it is good family fun that is easy, relaxing, low maintenance, and remarkably good value for what you get. I participate in the conversations sharing stories of experiences and AVOID the ad nauseum weight, tire pressure, maintenance, etc.... I want to hear more about the people and their experiences rather than the weight of their rigs. My opinion.

[restlesswind]

I wonder if it could be that many folks are doing as they have been told to do.

"Do a search, what you are looking for are been discussed many time before"

So that is what they have learned to do, just do the search, no need to "bother" people with questions that have been answered long ago.

[noplace2]

BB_TX wrote:
I think a combination of too much bickering and nothing new to discus. Same questions have been asked and answered over and over. And same topics have been cussed and discussed over and over. And the frequent answer "if you had done a search you would have found this has been answered before". Those and the sarcasm, arguing, and personal attacks that so often invades the discussions is enough to turn people away.

Answer to original question is exemplified above. And, as someone else mentioned, these forums are way over-moderated. It's almost as though the powers that be want it all to go away. Perhaps they too are tired of it.

[holstein13]

toedtoes wrote:
All forums are losing participation. It's the FBing of the world - people nowadays are less interested in having a conversation and more interested in getting an answer and/or telling their own story.

It's just a change in the way people interact (or fail to interact). With FB, internet interaction has become more of a "this is what I have to say - now validate me". Forums are about discussion and debate (whether over-moderated, snarky or what). People don't want discussion and debate, they want validation.

That's a shame. I really love this forum. I've learned an incredible amount from reading the posts and asking questions. I see folks asking questions on FB but the replies are always limited and the post disappears after a few hours. It's not enough time to have a good discussion and the experts often don't see the original post so they don't respond.

This forum is way better. I hope this trend doesn't continue.

[holstein13]

azdryheat wrote:
Did you make the chart? There's no X scale. Looks bogus.

It's Google Trends. https://www.google.com/trends/

I selected for the U.S. only. Google is purposely vague about their results.

[fj12ryder]

toedtoes wrote:
All forums are losing participation. It's the FBing of the world - people nowadays are less interested in having a conversation and more interested in getting an answer and/or telling their own story.

It's just a change in the way people interact (or fail to interact). With FB, internet interaction has become more of a "this is what I have to say - now validate me". Forums are about discussion and debate (whether over-moderated, snarky or what). People don't want discussion and debate, they want validation.

Yeah, I think you're right. 🙂

[3oaks]

JayGee wrote:

jplante4 wrote:

2oldman wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
And the frequent answer "if you had done a search you would have found this has been answered before".

Or users have finally figured out that search saves them from the abuse of personal replies.

One can only hope.

Many questions, although they have been ask and answered before, are new to me, are questions that I have never thought to ask, and are questions that I learn from. So it does not bother me at all when some new member has a "new to them" question.

I applaud the person that helps the newbie by putting a link to the "old" answer. It only takes a minute and it does not alienate the newbie.

Who knows, there may also be a new solution.

😉

[toedtoes]

All forums are losing participation. It's the FBing of the world - people nowadays are less interested in having a conversation and more interested in getting an answer and/or telling their own story.

It's just a change in the way people interact (or fail to interact). With FB, internet interaction has become more of a "this is what I have to say - now validate me". Forums are about discussion and debate (whether over-moderated, snarky or what). People don't want discussion and debate, they want validation.

[azdryheat]

holstein13 wrote:
Seems to me we get less and less participation in this forum each year:

Did you make the chart? There's no X scale. Looks bogus.

[holstein13]

Nik wrote:
Have possibly Facebook groups taken the place?

I think that might be a big part of this. I'm a member of the Full Time Families group on Facebook and it gets a lot of posts.

But the Facebook forums aren't as good as this one. They are unorganized and there's no useful search function.

[Thom02099]

punomatic wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
I think a combination of too much bickering and nothing new to discus. Same questions have been asked and answered over and over. And same topics have been cussed and discussed over and over. And the frequent answer "if you had done a search you would have found this has been answered before". Those and the sarcasm, arguing, and personal attacks that so often invades the discussions is enough to turn people away.

Hear, hear!

Bravo!

Forums, by their original nature, were meant to be helpful and supportive. If they are neither, then there is a decline in usage. I've seen that, both positive and negative, in other special interest forums that I belong to. One is extremely supportive and helpful, and thus has strong participation. Another, while trying to be helpful, is over-moderated and censured, and has been experiencing a decline.

A forum is what one makes of it. If one wants to be helpful, so much the better. If one wants to be snarky, that speaks volumes about the poster.

[JayGee]

jplante4 wrote:

2oldman wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
And the frequent answer "if you had done a search you would have found this has been answered before".

Or users have finally figured out that search saves them from the abuse of personal replies.

One can only hope.

Many questions, although they have been ask and answered before, are new to me, are questions that I have never thought to ask, and are questions that I learn from. So it does not bother me at all when some new member has a "new to them" question.

I applaud the person that helps the newbie by putting a link to the "old" answer. It only takes a minute and it does not alienate the newbie.

Who knows, there may also be a new solution.

[jplante4]

2oldman wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
And the frequent answer "if you had done a search you would have found this has been answered before".

Or users have finally figured out that search saves them from the abuse of personal replies.

One can only hope.

[2oldman]

BB_TX wrote:
And the frequent answer "if you had done a search you would have found this has been answered before".

Or users have finally figured out that search saves them from the abuse of personal replies.

[punomatic]

BB_TX wrote:
I think a combination of too much bickering and nothing new to discus. Same questions have been asked and answered over and over. And same topics have been cussed and discussed over and over. And the frequent answer "if you had done a search you would have found this has been answered before". Those and the sarcasm, arguing, and personal attacks that so often invades the discussions is enough to turn people away.

Hear, hear!