Is this forum now really quiet?

[johnnyb]

Seems to be much reduced since last visit.

 

[Eric The Viking]

It goes in cycles a bit - at this time of year we're all out making stuff (I'm on a coffee break!).

E.

 

[johnnyb]

This is a post that's answered itself!

 

[bourbon]

I'm still here! As has been mentioned. People are out doing stuff in sheds/workshops after what seems to have been a long winter.(it has for me anyway). I'm only on here when I'm checking something on youtube.

 

[MattRoberts]

Definitely seems quieter since the redesign, in my view...

 

[ED65]

Definitely seems quieter since the redesign, in my view...

Yes I worried this was partly the reason myself.

Now that I'm more used to the look I've stopped minding it so much, but where stuff that used to be fairly straightforward to find has now been hidden within unfamiliar menus it's a problem. On any forum where the established users suddenly have difficulty in finding basic things like how to PM another member it's always a bad thing; seen it many times before.

For me the one major change I can't stand is the removal of the Thanks button and replacing it with Like. What are we, teenaged Facebook users? Fine, if they insist that a Like button must be present then all right, but have the Thanks too.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Surely it would have been easy to replace the "dislike" with "thanks" and have thanks and like? I miss not being able to see who's thanked you. Sometimes someone would thank you weeks or months after a post and it was good to be able to add more information or help them further.

 

[Paul200]

Yep - very I'm recovering from surgery, can't do anything strenuous, bored out of my skull and look in here every day for anything interesting and, well, it's quiet.

 

[John15]

Surely it would have been easy to replace the "dislike" with "thanks" and have thanks and like? I miss not being able to see who's thanked you. Sometimes someone would thank you weeks or months after a post and it was good to be able to add more information or help them further.

I too miss being able to 'thank' a member who has posted an interesting post. It was a positive way of showing one's appreciation. For me the 'Like' button doesn't send the same message.
So, can we please have our 'Thank' button back.

John

 

[Jacob]

What's happened to Bugbear?
One minute he's " identifying strange pliers", next talking about the new look, then disappeared without even saying goodbye!
I hope it's nothing I said!

 

[monkeybiter]

A quick look at his last post and the reply seems to suggest an understandable reason for him being quiet.

 

[custard]

What's happened to Bugbear?

I was thinking that too. His posts were often sensible and well thought out.

 

[custard]

A quick look at his last post and the reply seems to suggest an understandable reason for him being quiet.

Can you link or explain more?

 

[monkeybiter]

I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions, mine may be a little biased.
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post1206729.html#p1206729

 

[sunnybob]

I was away when all that blew up, but I have since made several complaints about the colour scheme and almost every other point in that, and I got told repeatedly to go have an eye test and / or get a new computer!.

We dont own this site, and unfortunately we have been made aware of that very clearly and often.

I dont start as many posts as I used to, I dont even reply as much, and I never try to post pics anymore, and its STILL HARD to read and HARD to find anything, but I'm hanging in here, even if it is only with my fingertips, because of the people here who ARE willing and able to help a newbie..

 

[Jacob]

I was away when all that blew up, but I have since made several complaints about the colour scheme and almost every other point in that, and I got told repeatedly to go have an eye test and / or get a new computer!.

We dont own this site, and unfortunately we have been made aware of that very clearly and often.

I dont start as many posts as I used to, I dont even reply as much, and I never try to post pics anymore, and its STILL HARD to read and HARD to find anything, but I'm hanging in here, even if it is only with my fingertips, because of the people here who ARE willing and able to help a newbie..

It is our site - we do "own" it insofar as that means anything.
It would be nothing without us and the mods may need to be reminded of this at intervals!
Charley merely volunteered to manage it some years back, in between various facelifts and changes of system. Nothing to stop us debunking and setting up elsewhere.

 

[sunnybob]

Charley has been quoted as having the final say ever since I came here almost 4 years ago.

Jacob for president!
(No, wait... what have I just said????? Those pina coladas must be stronger than I thought.)

 

[monkeybiter]

That's been done though, hasn't it?
Can't really see the point in setting up another even quieter forum unless there's some reason you can't use the existing alternatives.... Oh, hang on...

 

[MikeK]

I'm visiting and contributing less now (not that I was ever as active as others) because of the new format. With the more popular, robust, and secure discussion board software available at a reasonable cost, I don't know why any organization would stay with an apparent out of date version of the free phpBB.

I owned two discussion boards using XenForo ($140 initial cost for a lifetime license and optional $40 per year for technical support and updates for each license). I migrated one discussion board with over 10,000 members, 3,000,000 posts, and 300,000 threads from vBulletin v3.x to XenForo 1.x and it was relatively easy. The other discussion board was created using XenForo, so there was nothing to import. I have since sold the larger photography discussion board, but still maintain the much smaller and virtually dead Troika pottery discussion board. I don't allow advertising or contributions, but the cost to maintain the domain, UK hosting service, and software license is almost trivial.

There is plenty of choice for woodworking discussion boards, and I base my decisions on structure, ease of navigation, presentation of information, and the volume and type of advertising. I turn off Adblock and Ghostery on the other boards I frequent, but leave Adblock on for this board because the majority of the ads are not related to woodworking and are simply annoying. If the ads were woodworking only, I would gladly turn off Adblock and would even visit some of the sponsors, as I frequently buy from UK vendors.

While I enjoy the content of UKWorkshop because of the proximity to where I live, I will eventually stop visiting and contributing because of the forum software. I appreciate the frustration with the Moderator limitations to affect change in the layout.

 

[banjerbill]

I have been meaning to pose the same question for some time. I suspect some of the interesting posters have moved on or now just lurk. I have noticed a lot more inflammatory and snide comments of late that weren't so prevalent before (sharpening excepted). The Forum doesn't seem as friendly as it was.

Bill