Decline in Forum usage?

[bigjim]

I'm much more of a lurker these days with this and other forums. There seems to be so many angry people about and conversations start to get personal and I've [wrongly] ended up being drawn in and giving it back. I'm old fashioned and can't abide rudeness and bad manners so most of the time I stay away from giving an opinion. I'll post if I can help on advice relating to my experience on technical or travel, health stuff, but that is it. I'll also post asking for help on technical stuff.

[al_yrpal]

Since starting to use this forum in 2007 I have learnt lots about bikes and touring. I am very grateful for that advice. Sometimes I have been able to help someone with advice which is satisfying. I like hearing about peoples tours and seeing their pictures and videos. Some of the threads where people ask for contributions in the form of similar photos are interesting. Some people share events, their interests etc which can turn into interesting discussions in which you can learn something. Tea shop discussions have deteriorated and it has sadly become an unpleasant place but it is interesting to note the views of polar opposites. This is compensated for by the many thoroughly nice people that I have corresponded with and met via the forum. I have noticed the post count going down too. I think its partly down to the name change and abandonment of the touring ethic, annoyance at the Tea Shop posts and the availability of other online places.

Al

[Cyril Haearn]

I haven’t noticed a particular change here, but forums in general are being squeezed out by Facebook and other ‘social networks’. This is regrettable since forums are much more interesting to people like me who enjoy in-depth conversation.

The Cycling UK forum, like most web forums, has too many sub-forums. This means that I, like many readers, miss many interesting posts. There is a list of 29 sub-forums on the front page, but I only check about four of them regularly. Some of them last had a post in 2016, supporting my contention that there are too many subdivisions. Some of them are fairly active, but invisibly to me, for the same reason.

The big social networks understand the extreme importance of simplicity and discoverability when presenting information. Forums run by amateurs may have a hard time competing.

Go to menu, unread posts or new posts, there you see recent posts on all fora, you can learn things you never wanted to know

I really like reading experts/other opinions on motor crime or philosophy for example (alternative facts welcome). But a few posts are too long. I try to keep mine short, I often write something and then cut it back before postg

When quoting another user one may cut the text, use dots to indicate this..

[steady eddy]

Perhaps people use the search facility more now and find the answers the want - After all there is only so much we can write/discuss about cycling isn't there and most of it is already here.

Like previous "posters" my interests has become much more focussed over time and I now know where to go to get most of the answers I want.

What is frustrating here are those folk who respond to a perfectly sensible question with the "why would you want to do that or spend that sort of money answer" - without offering any other more positive response. Envy should have no place here or any where else for that matter, what people do and how I they choose to spend their money should not be treated with derision however mild.

[horizon]

Of the current 20 new posts that come up, 16 are directly related to cycling, two to travel and accommodation and just two to non-cycling subjects (one is Brexit). Although it varies I think that is a fair average.

It wouldn't be a bad idea for the mods to have a quiet word in mercalia's ear. Many of his posts are interesting and useful and he's entitled to his opinion but they might ask him though to reduce the number of Daily Mail links.

AFAIK this forum is the only really good source of both a range of cycling information (some of it vital) and a bit of humour and more general discussion amongst cyclists. It's a sort of Radio 4 for cycling and while that restricts it to a certain age group it's quite a broad church. It also avoids AFAICS the kind of "see you tomorrow at the ride" conversation that characterises other forums.

Of course, I may unwittingly be one of the reasons for the forum's decline but it still works for me.

[mercalia]

Of the current 20 new posts that come up, 16 are directly related to cycling, two to travel and accommodation and just two to non-cycling subjects (one is Brexit). Although it varies I think that is a fair average.

It wouldn't be a bad idea for the mods to have a quiet word in mercalia's ear. Many of his posts are interesting and useful and he's entitled to his opinion but they might ask him though to reduce the number of Daily Mail links.

AFAIK this forum is the only really good source of both a range of cycling information (some of it vital) and a bit of humour and more general discussion amongst cyclists. It's a sort of Radio 4 for cycling and while that restricts it to a certain age group it's quite a broad church. It also avoids AFAICS the kind of "see you tomorrow at the ride" conversation that characterises other forums.

Of course, I may unwittingly be one of the reasons for the forum's decline but it still works for me.

I wasnt aware that I was making that many DM links - Now The Local or BBC news website another matter? I dont actually read the newspaper any where not in print nor online, never have, not sure how the links come to my attention. so it seems the DM a dirty word? didnt know that, learn some thing there. I cant see how a drop in forum use can be put at the door of one particular section, the Tea Shop, there are so many other sections, unless there are many sensitive souls who cringe at the title Tea Shop like some pavlonian response? This thread by the way should have been in the tea shop so it dont contaminate the real cycling sections? The site is what you make it. Any way is easy to set up tabs in most browsers these days and set these to open up automatically so you never need to see the Tea Shop section ever ?

[MikeF]

I've find the forum extremely useful and it's interesting to hear peoples' problems, fixes and ideas as well as their views. Maybe there aren't so many posts in the winter because it's less conducive for many to cycle and the weather isn't ideal for "fixing things".

[horizon]

I wasnt aware that I was making that many DM links -

No, I think I made that bit up -it must have been the subject matter that made me think it was the Mail.

Anyway I still owe you something for that Virgin link - great trip, with bike. Keep it up.

[eileithyia]

I look in most days, but (like many cycling mags) the posts are often cyclical, ie new bikes, what bike for new commuter, what lights, what clothing etc etc etc., When someone asks for a route in the past i have gladly grabbed a map and started plotting (enjoy route planning on a map) then have wondered why should i do the donkey work if someone is too lazy to look at a map themselves.....
As has been said elsewhere, I can be generous with advice but it gets a bit tedious when the OP never apparently returns with a reply or a thank you for any advice that has been given by us all, or gives any feedback.

Likewise long threads that have been done to death and deteriorate into people just repeating the same opinions get extremely boring and tedious and quickly turn me off.....

[Vantage]

I blame the weather. It's been horribly unpredictable and cold this year so probably putting many cyclists off.
As for the teashop. It's a mess. Too many posts with click bait by a certain member and threads sparked by the general horribleness of the current world (brexit, Trump, immigration etc) have spoilt it's appeal to venture into. It's depressing.

[Sweep]

It also avoids AFAICS the kind of "see you tomorrow at the ride" conversation that characterises other forums.

e.

worse are the interminable threads on some of those places where folk talk about the mere possibilty of them being out, with a whole list of variables (partner, other possible social engagements) - these can go on for pages and in spectacular examples the rides don't even happen because of excessive cloud cover or whatever.

Yes, we are spared these. I have the imoression that the bile in the forum is in bits I don't visit.

[francovendee]

I've not noticed a decline but the tea shop is becoming boring. I know it's a place to post and dicuss anything (within the rules) but it's become more political.
Nothing wrong with polite political discussion but in my opinion it has swamped the the tea shop forum.
When someone posts on a lighter subject, for instance 'views from a bridge' I'm much more interested.
Anyone looking at the site for the first time would get the impression it is overly about politics and not a more light hearted look at things in general.
Maybe ther should be a political section.

[robc02]

The Cycling UK forum, like most web forums, has too many sub-forums. This means that I, like many readers, miss many interesting posts. There is a list of 29 sub-forums on the front page, but I only check about four of them regularly.

+1.

Or tired of replying to new users who don't then reply to the later comments? Ahem: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=112052

Sometimes, though, the discussion that is prompted is likely to be useful or interesting to others.

Generally I find the content of the forum interesting and have picked up many hints and tips from it. I would contribute more, but often find that when I could make a useful contribution someone else has beaten me to it (that's fine - not complaining or knocking it in the slightest), so I would just be duplicating information. I would guess there are many who, like me, enjoy the content even though they might not be frequent posters.

[Tizme]

This is probably one of the few forum(s ?) - I think it should be Fora? that I regularly read and enjoy. As someone posted earlier, it is possibly the "Radio 4" of the forum world, and I say that as a fan of Radio 4 (although perhaps not as much as years gone by, I just don't think the afternoon plays etc have quite the grip of the past ).
I have extracted large amounts of information from the different sections and enjoy the posts of most of the members, the majority of whom are knowledgeable of both cycling and their "other" life as a member of a profession etc.
There are, at least it appears to me, a core of posters on this forum that keep it alive and kicking, luckily too numerous to mention individually, but to a "lurker" and occasional contributor like myself, they provide a font of knowledge (and frequent amusement). I hope that on retirement (have a mentioned in other posts that I retire in June? ) I will have more time to contribute and keep this forum alive, although if anyone has read any of my posts they will know it wont be on a technical issue

[PH]

Cycling UKs national website and other resources are directing more and more people to this forum for advice. IMO they're all very welcome, whether they visit once or take up permanent residence as some of us have.
Usage may be changing rather than declining and maybe the forum administrators should look at the way the forum could change to accommodate these changes. If it's going to be used to answer the several generic questions that are so frequently asked, maybe new members can somehow be directed to the answers already given. I recall Colin predicting this change and saying he wasn't inclined to answer the same question again and again and who can blame him. If as a result we lose that sort of expertise and knowledge the forum will be poorer for it. As it is now, some of the best information is buried so deep that it isn't easy to find.
Political threads - most of them aren't,they're simple a handful of posters who take some sort of pleasure from winding up another handful of posters. I've always looked at this forum via active topics, and these few give a false impression of what this forum contains. I really think it's time to give them their own playground with an opt in, I wouldn't and wouldn't miss it.