What the Hell is going on in here?

[Dalebert]

The Twitterz and the Facebooks and the Googles have taken over everything, pretty much.

This. The simplest answer wins. The Facebook Borg is assimilating efficiently. It's not just this site. I'm seeing it all over.

The last ones to go will likely be the particularly specialized boards where users want privacy from anyone other than those who share their interests, like boards about sexual kinks or radical racial separatism. One of the crazy busiest sites I visit is for transsexuals and their supporters. O... M... G... is that site busy!

Humorously enough, Christian Anarchist's diagnosis is probably the exact opposite of why this forum (like most) is actually dying. It has failed to be specialized enough to escape the Borg assimilation. Not quite--being very specialized is not the same as being cliquish, which is what he's referring to.

[Turd Ferguson]

Thanks for the retweet, Dale. 

[NightFlight]

The anarchy crashed and burned on this site. I enjoyed everyone's posts, the good the bad and the ugly. We were the little rascals, Laurel and Hardy, Amos and Andy, The Bowery Boys, and Three Stooges all wrapped into one. Hell we even had a Rat Pack of sorts. Black and White ruled!

I came here for inspiration. Now, all I get are homosexual pictures. It just ain't no fun no more.

Its like color came into our lives and ruined it for everyone. There seems to be no direction, most posts are written as if the poster had a recent lobotomy. Are we confused by the current political and economic situations that seem to permeate our existence? Or, are we just confused? Scared? Apprehensive? I don't know.

There is no "spark" in here, now. What would it take to bring it back? Can it be brought back?

Thoughts? Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

[GrossObeseBugEyed]

I truly believe the major reason was John Shaw and Bradsky. I'm not saying that "over-moderation" was the problem, i'm saying that theyrovoked people and then banned them or scared them away. And those who they didnt were too afraid to say anything for fear of the same. There wasnt a problem with moderation, that healthy, it was the moderators themselves.

[alaric89]

BJ did most of the banning. John Shaw and Braskey merely provoked and bullied others. Fear isn't quite the right word. I don't like to see my friends get picked on, but getting upset about a stupid message board when there wasn't anything I could really do about it seemed like a waste of energy. I reported to Ian what I thought. He sided with his people. I think this is wrong of course, but the fact is Ian's loyalty to his group is something I kind of respect about him. I personally miss Dragline, but he won't crawl and kiss mod ass to be here and I don't blame him. I have to admit I thought Blackie's rogue cop mod banning thing was pretty funny although no one learned anything from it.

[Turd Ferguson]

Yeah, its a bit of all of this. The Facebooks, the mod thing, the lack of new blood, strong personalities that can tend to silence the more meek minded people that might want to speak, but fear ridicule, stuff like conspiracy theorist types that posted and got ripped on and or lauged at. I'll admit, I took part some of that myself a few times. Never meant to silence anyone by making fun of it, but sometimes thats how it comes off to someone that doesn't really know you.  So many things coming together to kill it.

Who knows, maybe someday, if and when more people wake up in larger numbers to the whole farce of government being the answer to peoples problems, there will be a resurgence to this BBS. Maybe its just a cyclical thing.

[d_goddard]

maybe there will be more posts in the EB thread

[Diogenes The Cynic]

Well, there are solutions.

Post new threads. Everybody, find something to talk about, even if only you think you're interested.

Then, talk on other peoples threads.

Once the lurkers start joining, it'll be hopping again.

[Laetitia]

maybe there will be more posts in the EB thread

EB?

[Dalebert]

I love how everyone is diagnosing the drop in traffic in whatever manner is the most self-serving in terms of getting the BBS to be what they want it to be. I guess that shouldn't be surprising.

[d_goddard]

maybe there will be more posts in the EB thread

EB?

http://bbs.freetalklive.com/general/excellent-breasts/

[Laetitia]

maybe there will be more posts in the EB thread

EB?

http://bbs.freetalklive.com/general/excellent-breasts/

D'oh! Can't believe I forgot about that thread.

[mikehz]

I lost interest in this BBS when it disintegrated into mainly an all-troll zone. 

[Fred]

Just be yourself - if nobody likes you then fuck em!

So Long Bannatyne-The Guess Who.wmv

[Defendant]

Personally, I have no interest in having discussions with people who nitpick details and look for loose ends to pull apart a thread.  Generally speaking, if I see something that's factually incorrect, I might provide a statement or opinion to clarify things as I see it.  For me, it wasn't the clowning trolls, but the vicious trolls who ruined this place.  People who enjoyed belittling others, presumably because they're unhappy with their own place in the order of life.  I will say "thats stupid" to cut through the noise, but it is usually without malice.  I won't spend inordinate amounts of time pounding away at a topic just to provide entertainment for a twisted shithead. 

I have no idea what the status of other mods is, like Blackie's situation is completely new news to me, as of this very moment.  I found out BJ left when it said "guest" under his name.  I don't spend any time under the hood, looking through profiles.  Unless I have a damn good reason.   

So the assertions of a mod squad is complete bullshit, at least from my chair.  I don't communicate with any of 'em, except for John and Mike on FB occasionally.  And when I do, this place usually isn't mentioned much, if at all.  Shaw is only limited by his willingness to participate, like myself. 

When the last flare-up occurred, I simply used a 1-2 combination of strategic trolling and creative use of the tool kit provided to mods.  Nobody liked it, but it drove the point home:  If you can say what you want unrestrained, so can I.  Thats not bullying, that was a direct result of people arguing that they can say or do anything.  It made them realize, maybe being banned was the appropriate action on a public forum.  After all, thats the method employed on every other public forum in the known universe.  ...Including the sister-forums like FK and all the other Porc boards. 

The purpose of this forum is to accompany FTL interactively with listeners and give the listening audience a place to congregate, exchange ideas, meet one another and interact.  Its other purpose is to generate revenue for the show.  It is NOT a place to push the limits of legality, endanger the safety of the owner, or belittle people for their differences, ethnicities, sexuality, religions, or philosophies.  That, and the fighting is - I believe - what drives people away. 

When you give people a place that welcomes all, without prejudice, you will get a more diverse crowd.  Generally speaking, people typically want some sort of behavioral limits.  They do not want to see graphic pics unexpectedly or blatantly racist attacks on people who are different in some way.  Its just not cool, and it doesn't belong here.  Its called "hate speech" for a reason. 

Granted, the social media explosion is taking large chunks of traffic away from here.  However, there will always be people who want to express their opinions in long-form, away from their Facebook personae which is usually a little more reserved due to its direct association with their actual life.

For what it's worth, I exchanged a few PM's with a black dude who recently re-joined the forum.  I told him a few of the people who used to rag his ass and bait him into arguments are no longer here, and we've tightened up the policy regarding bigotry, and will enforce it.  He seemed pleased and said something to the effect of that shit was out of control.  So, for that alone, I know it was worth the effort.

You may now return to your virtually unmoderated conversation, already in progress.  Have a nice day.