Where have all the members gone on this forum?

[Thunder_Mountai]

Couldn't figure any other place to ask this question... I've been here since 2005. Have no idea how many posts I've done during that time. Back a several years ago I could ask a question about something and get numerous answers quickly. In the last couple of years I've noticed a very real decline in the activity on RV.NET. So, where has everybody gone? Other forums, Facebook, etc.

[dedmiston]

We're almost five weeks into this thread and I think we've said as much as there is to say. I'm going to call this one done.

I guess my parting words on the whole "censorship" thing are that it would truly be less work for me to never delete a post or close a thread. Most of us are lazy by nature and the lazy part of me loves to leave things alone.

But the part of me that agreed to help out when they asked me 17 years ago knows that I committed to do what needs to be done. Enforcing the forum rules is the easy part since they're pretty black and white. The part that people like to call "censorship" is the hard part. That's where we have to delete or edit the posts that cross too far into the realm of the unkind. This thread is a great example of the question "Where have all the members gone on this forum?" My Libertarian inclination is to let things run a little longer than I probably should. The consequence is that a lot of the louder & meaner voices have created an unfriendly atmosphere that drove off so many of the kinder gentler members. I regret this and I wish I had enough wisdom and more of a crystal ball to foresee the future. But I don't. I can take responsibility for my own actions (or more often my inactions), but I believe that the blame lies with the ones who have posted unkind things for so long.

I guess my only other thought is to answer the question that the trolls ask me over and over: "Why did you delete my post if it didn't break any of the rules?"

The easy answer is "Quit being a jerk and I'll quit deleting your posts." But the more nuanced answer is "It's rarely what you say, but how you say it." I just wish more people could put themselves in their fellow members' shoes and try to imagine how they'd feel when reading these rotten snarky responses. It blows my mind that it's so hard for people to practice the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would want to be treated.

And if your response to that is that you don't mind when people are mean to you, then it's probably time for you to show yourself to the door.

Anyway, this has mostly been an interesting and insightful discussion. And you're all free to help to bump up the tone of this place and make it more welcoming and more likely to attract and sustain growing membership. None of us has any control over the competition of other services like Facebook or even the frustrations from the buggy nature of this site. But we all have 100% control over what we say and how we say it. That part is up to you.

For the most part though, I'm grateful for the good members who have participated and helped throughout the years. You're the ones who are helping to keep our roads safe and our camps happy. Without the friendly help of so many of you (so many of "us" if I lump myself in), we'd have black tanks overflowing and all the other ugly things that spoil the camps and the roads for the rest of us.

Peace and happy trails to all of you, even the trolls.

[CORNFED__5-0_]

Back when the site was “Woodalls Open Roads Forum” the number of active members posting was much higher. For some reason, when it all changed to “RV.NET” droves of people failed or just did not want to make the change.

I have to admit that even I did not want to give up Woodalls. I grew up looking at a Woodalls camping catalog and AAA maps, excited to plan a summer adventure. Woodalls Open Roads Fourm was a lot more active back then, then RV.NET is today. This site, is in no way, as fun to be on as it was when it was when it was Woodalls open roads Fourm. Not sure why.

I know that many people disapprove of Camping World, Marcus and the way the site has changed. I personally have no issues with Camping World or Marcus but, this site could use a little nostalgia overtones from the Woodalls days.

Go back to the layout of the old page titles, easy to post pictures, less commercial business type junk and get back to the old style of family Campimg and the out doors, the excitement of summer vacations, winter trips and good old outdoor fun.

It seems like most of the people on here are “Snow Birds” or Desert Rats” that just a ***** and complain about everything or just plain arguing.

Yes, I am complaining now.

The “Feel” and excitement of reading everybody’s adventures and information needs is gone.

JMHO,

FYI, with my opinion and a dollar, you still can not afford a cup of coffee.

[way2roll]

fj12ryder wrote:
This particular forum is fine, but there is one here that has some very heavy-handed censorship, and dissenting opinions are not allowed. I think we all know which it is.

Yeah, just had another comment deleted there today. No reason, no breaking any rule, wasn't mean. It was my opinion, apparently different than the mod. That's not moderating, it's censorship.

I hope someone is watching and understands the impact it has on forum contribution.

Several users all cite the same issue and usually with the same mod. it's a problem.

[fj12ryder]

This particular forum is fine, but there is one here that has some very heavy-handed censorship, and dissenting opinions are not allowed. I think we all know which it is.

[shelbyfv]

^^^ I'll have to disagree with the censorship complaint. I've found this forum to be well moderated. Moderation these days seems to mostly consist of keeping folks from injecting their politics into every discussion. Political snipes should be quickly removed, IMO. There isn't any reason we should be aware of another member's political persuasion.

[ivbinconned]

Dropped by today for the first time in a long time.
Pretty much left because of snarky answers t my questions but mostly because of heavy handed censorship.
When I see moderators censor comments of people they just disagree with I’m reminded of that old truth…”where everyone thinks the same no one thinks very much!”

[johnhicks]

Way back in the days of Fight-O-Net (Fidonet) and Compusplurge, essentially the first digital "group" communities, we had the same antisocial behavior. Nothing new, good groups and bad groups. Nothing to see here.

[fj12ryder]

You really must be a newcomer to online forums/newsgroups. 🙂 The behavior you're describing has been a part of the online exchange for about as long as the whole thing has been around. Any time you get a disparate group of people talking together you'll have the same thing happen if they talk long enough.

Some of the forums I'm on get a little too nice-nice at times: "C'mon now, everybody get along, no acting out, be nice to everyone...even if they're a doofus". Sometimes all the sweetness and nicey-nice is too much for my system. 🙂

[LMHS]

Where have all the members gone?

Like much of the internet, all the groups are increasingly toxic. The people who get downright gleeful when someone has a problem. The people who either respond without reading the entire post or deliberately "misread" the post. The people who think there is only one way (their way) of RVing. The "word police" who flake out if you use a term "incorrectly" (ie: calling parking overnight in a parking lot "boondocking", despite it being called that for decades or calling staying in a campground or RV Park "camping" when they aren't in a tent). The "parking lot police" who insist on having "rules" (there aren't any) for how they think someone should behave when staying overnight in a parking lot. The people who think someone who stays in a parking lot overnight instead of a $30 per night campground/rv park is a less than desirable human. The people who think one's choice of camping or RVing shelter makes them more or less of a desirable human. These are the toxic people who are not worth the time. Some of these people are moderators of the various forums. They are all over the internet. Read some campground/rv park reviews. You can see their handiwork there too. "Be like me and do things the way I do them or you're WRONG."

According to a book I read somewhat recently, these toxic people should be avoided.

[Wanderlost]

There's a whole lot less outrage here than on other forums I've been to, so I'll stay here. Folks do still tend to provide decent information and advice here, the occasional ranter notwithstanding.

[opnspaces]

pianotuna wrote:

DallasSteve wrote:
I may be wrong but it seemed like the personal attacks in posts here increased a lot during the Covid-19 panic of 2020 with people getting very emotional over their opinion on that subject. I won't comment further to not stir up that hornet's nest.

And the attacks are not limited to new members. For the first time ever after all my years here I've had to block someone. I'm now considering adding another person to that block. It makes me wary of offering help to other members.

I've been back and forth on replying to this topic. I usually just let the few that want to squabble go ahead and squabble. But really Don, I can't remember you ever posting something that would get anybody riled up.

I will say though that until a few years ago I had never blocked anybody. But I finally got tired of reading a forum members posts and blocked them.

Somebody told me a few years ago that we're now dealing with the "Outrage" generation and it seems to hold true. it seems nowadays that people are just looking for any minute transgression to be outraged about.

[Dewclaw]

I have gotten out of the habit of checking here, probably due to Facebook, but my login still works. This is still the best place to find good info, IMHO.

[Seattle_Steve]

MFL wrote:
^^Agree with above, no need to block anyone. Just continue posting, bite back if bitten, or ignore! 🙂

Jerry

Sorry, but I have to vote for ignore. When a thread digresses into two people bickering back and forth about minutiae (and that happens far too often) it not only makes me leave the thread, but I usually get so frustrated I stay away from the forum for a few weeks.

[MFL]

^^Agree with above, no need to block anyone. Just continue posting, bite back if bitten, or ignore! 🙂

Jerry