What has happened to the forum?

[Heaven Bound]

Life happens.

Carl

Yup...Hi Carl...last time we posted in the same forum I was a wee bit further away.  Now, I'm only about 8 hours from ya...small world ;-)

[Sport-Touring]

[Random]

It has probably been seven or eight years since I last spent much time here.  That was under a different username anyway.  Time to go back to sleep, I guess.

[Klaymen]

It's been a few years since I checked in, but looking at the statistics,

STN had over a thousand new topics a month and 20K posts per month in 2010, dropped a bit in 2011, then a big drop in 2012 to 600 new topics and 15K posts per month (about 40% drop).  But then in 2014 WOW a huge drop.

200 new topics per month (sometimes less) and only 3000 posts per month.   That's a whopping 80% drop in new topics and posts from 2010.  Did Facebook and Twitter kill this place?

3000 per month?  Now it seems that 1500 per month is optimistic around here...

And for the angry white guys on the site who think that the number of PO posts going away explains it, the data shows that the percentage of posts per month in PO has actually gone up from 28% to almost 40% from August 2014 to August 2016.  If anything, PO is keeping the lights on around here.

2 years and more than 50% drop.  The slide continues.

[jay547]

Due to the lack of site-wide activity, I probably post more in PO now than any other section.

[Skee]

Me too.  So why doesn't somebody down there call a meet so we have an excuse to come visit?

[naustin]

I recently found a local chapter of MSTA, and have attended three day rides in the last couple months, each about ~500 miles of Wisconsin's driftless alphabet roads. They have their own forum and FB page, with no politics or dungeon or gun nuts.    Nice meeting actual live people who ride actual real miles and spend more time on their bikes than online.    I think I've found a new home.  

[Oilhed]

I recently found a local chapter of MSTA, and have attended three day rides in the last couple months, each about ~500 miles of Wisconsin's driftless alphabet roads. They have their own forum and FB page, with no politics or dungeon or gun nuts.    Nice meeting actual live people who ride actual real miles and spend more time on their bikes than online.    I think I've found a new home.  

I used to belong to a local group, big group.  There was a section for politics, guns, anything goes.  But you had to opt in or out of it.  The rest was very bike or ride oriented.  Great idea!

[Blue is Best]

Slowing down for sure.

Anyone that is an enthusiast, not one killing time because they are bored(sp), should post up every day or so. In my opinion, anyway. Having a Politics Only or Gun thread is not unreasonable. Those topics are real life and if one does not have an interest, it's NEXT, simple enough.

[Blue is Best]

It is really slow here now. A good analogy would be we are in the ICU and need some extensive care. Trouble is, have to know what the diagnosis is before treatment can be given.

Could it be life(meaning busy), given up motorcycles?, ride but have no interest in swapping stories, attitude(my way or the highway), etc. ??? Who knows?

I've ridden my whole life and found this place through a riding buddy in another state. It was fun to lurk and read stories and see articles that made me jump up and down with anger and see stories or situations that I could have written about. If I leave this place I will continue to ride and continue to create stories and situations that I will share with my many riding partners.  I will miss the loose connection with other riders here through their stories. I have met about twenty members here and ridden with, I think, eight.  

I'm not gone yet but I would not like to have joined a club with many members and only three show up to the monthly meeting. You get the point.

 

[jay547]

I have about three years of ride reports that I have posted up on a couple private sites. I may have to put them on here. Most of them are dual-sport rides, so there may not be much interest.

If I don't do that, I will start a thread where I post at least one pic a week from my rides. At least I'll be contributing something.

[Blue is Best]

I have about three years of ride reports that I have posted up on a couple private sites. I may have to put them on here. Most of them are dual-sport rides, so there may not be much interest.

If I don't do that, I will start a thread where I post at least one pic a week from my rides. At least I'll be contributing something.

Good for you. Lousy dirt biker!

On a couple occasions I've almost had plans to go through Okiehoma and a couple of you guys I had plans to stop to have a lunch with.    

[jay547]

Good for you. Lousy dirt biker!

On a couple occasions I've almost had plans to go through Okiehoma and a couple of you guys I had plans to stop to have a lunch with.    

Lots of good riding and greasy food in eastern Oklahoma. Fire it up!

[kyzrex]

What has happened here is happening everywhere.  I don't believe that it is a matter of people being less involved, but it is a case of people having several choices on how to be involved....forums are only one way.  Facebook, Twitter, Meetup groups, etc. mean that the total numbers are spread out over many different media and not just in one place.  

Also, the rise and popularity of Adventure-touring bikes has probably been fueled somewhat at the expense of Sport-touring and has had a direct effect on the rise of ADVrider.com. and probably meant that Sport-touring forums have lost popularity.

I've seen several local sportbike oriented forums come and go over the years, or become reduced to just a few hardcore members.  The only thing that is consistent is change.

[Oilhed]

At a recent STN gathering the majority of the bikes were ADV style. Of course the riding was all S-T!


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[Bounce]

Is that code for 10/10th and some chucklehead(s) going ass over teakettle?

[Oilhed]

Nah, just leaned over on asphalt. Maybe a performance award, too. 


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[Flyer]

...going ass over teakettle?

That kind of post always makes for thoughtful, informative, and yes, comical comment.
Fortunately though, I've nothing to submit in that regard...

[Blue is Best]

Maybe the time of year? This place is drying up fast. Too bad. I come on four or five times a day and see 150-200  "guests" viewing and five to eight or so members online. But the posts are way down.

[rajflyboy]

I'm trying to save it

 

[motrhead]

 I am posting as much a I can! LOL. This group of people is too good to let the forum dry up!