MEMBERS DECLINING

[gawdelpus]

I just did a quick search on google , this might be a better explanation for the positive side of live chat CHAT !

[chambezio]

The wife is on Face Book ALL DAY. Seeing on the TV what can happen to kids who are picked on at school and then on FB when they get home has given me a distaste for FB.
As Fred has said this Forum is instant enough for me as it is. We are not tied to this machine in front of us and most would be away from it in their sheds doing what they do in there. Coming back to the computer during a break away from the shed to see whats going on. I use the Activity Stream and have a look at the Metalwork section, General Woodwork, Woodturning etc etc. I am always amazed at how quickly a question gets answered by more than one person. That fact alone tells me that there are a lot of members "hovering in the wings" most of the time so a FaceBook type set up is not warranted (IMO)
Personal problems are discussed here with care and dignity. A few times I have "spilled my guts" and within a short time I have been comforted by members that have had similar experiences.
I would not like to see a change as I am happy with the present format

EDIT PS..... I meant to mention too that when I was looking for a particular subject in past Posts that a lot of avatars are not seen on recent Forum traffic. Maybe that they just got tired of the Forum and moved on. Another thing that captured my feeble brain was the general age of contributors is over 50. There seems to be more "older members" than younger ones. Age doesn't seem to a problem though because responses to problems raised in the different categories are answered in a way that doesn't make you feel like a fool for asking that question
I have said before just how important this Forum is to me. I don't think I would be where I am today if it wasn't for the Forum and all the good people in it

[Big Shed]

OK, so all this talk about Facebook prompted me to go and have a look what all the fuss is about. I might add I have done this a few times before but never came up with a good source of information.

Basically if you type Facebook in to Google you get, obviously, Facebook as a first hit.

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It invites you to login or find out more

So you click on one of the options and you are told to join if you want to know anything

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click on the other option, same result

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Is this a secret society, do I need to join first to get the secret handshake?

[snowyskiesau]

Live chat is just a competition won by the fastest typist, not the one with something interesting to say

It's all to easy to get angry and/or upset over a message and dash off a quick answer without thinking, I like to take a bit of time to consider my reply or even if a reply is warranted.

Perhaps the drop in posting here shows that more people are actually enjoying their hobby rather than talking about it?

.

[A Duke]

Don't need it, don't want it.
FWIW
Regards

[PenTurner]

Greg, thanks for posting, it shows your genuine desire to continue a valuable Forum.
For me a "live chat" is me calling you on the phone and asking where I put the gouge? it was in my hand ten seconds ago and now it has disappeared!
When the Forums were thriving, we didn't have live chat! Mind you there were plenty of non descript, empty comments like, "nice one"! however, in general, there was a sincere and genuine interest by most to encourage and help others. Unfortunately, it also encouraged sharks and scavengers ready and eager to grab every new bit of info to use for themselves and in return put nothing back in.!
The financial situation in our nation has had an averse affect on us all, but let us keep our chins up, let us continue to encourage each other and help others, this is our Australian heritage, when times are tough we stand side by side and help each other, and if I can help you, just let me know, I will try my best. Amos

[NCArcher]

Also not interested in live chat.
Other forums I'm on have this feature and it is dominated by the people who have the least to contribute and trolls trying to get someone to bite. Thankfully it can be turned off so you don't have to see it.

[jhovel]

No interest in live chat here either.

Cheers,
Joe

[Willy Nelson]

Ladies and Gentlemen
I found this thread just recently and thought I would throw my two cents as well for discussion

Don't know what live chat is, but had a look around and decided I don't want it.

Facebook, had a look around, researched it and found Facebook own and control everything. No wonder their is so much identity theft as people put their whole lives online and tell the world their business, what they had for lunch and where they work etc. Not theft when they are giving it away.

So, when I don't look on Ubeaut for a week or two, sometimes I am dispointed that there isn't much new. Othertimes I am spell bound by massive logs being milled, stunning bowls and platters made by little old men in sheds around the world, and stories that make safer, laugh or think.

So, what can we do? I constantly refer people to Ubeaut as a reference source for info, assistance or showing off. Maybe if more forumites promoted this site, we would have more members. I am the moderator for the Australian Defence Organisations Woodworking forum. Believe me, the restrictions placed upon people there are extremely conservative, and for good reason.

Enjoy, read, contribute and promote Ubeaut

Sincerely
Willy
JArahland

[ubeaut]

Forum stats show that posts for Jan were down by around 8% on Jan 2013, 9% on 2012, prior to that the forums were on a steady incline.

This downswing somewhat reflects the usage of mobile devices and the inclination to read rather than respond and are inline with a big clean up of the forums over the last few years, getting rid of troublemakers and containing the masses of drivel, etc. We still have around the same usage actually slightly higher for the same period just a few less posts.

The pen turners forum (so I'm lead to believe) is always down somewhat in January but has recovered already. This is from another party not my observation.

From my understanding, most forum that have implemented chat rooms etc have just about ground to a halt. As the chat rooms take over the posts dwindle dramatically. The chat room has to be stringently moderated because they tend to attract nutters who arc up at the drop of a hat and are a feeding ground for trolls and drivel. They also tend not to generate any income and without income a forum can't survive.

Just the switch to mobile devices has dropped forum income to the point where I am about to start paying out of my own pocket again to keep them running. I'm sure this isn't the end of the decline in forum use but our new translator program that is slowly but surely working it's way through the thousands of posts will possibly start to make a difference in post numbers over the next few months as more people become aware of it and translations speed up.

Cheers - Neil

[BobL]

As I said in an earlier post I have spent a lot of time in craft type related chat rooms.

The majority content of these chat room chats consisted of: greetings , weather in your location, personal exchange or enquiry, inane questions, brief responses with limited reflection, circular discussions, wandering off topic, arguments or rebuttals, goodbyes and reasons for leaving, i.e. have to go and feed the chooks. In short the amount of useful information was very slim bordering on none - and then what happened to that info after the session - of course it vaporised so no one could go back and access it. Thank goodness in a way because why ANYONE would want to trawl through all that drivel anyway is beyond me.

Socially I didn't think the ones I participated in were all that successful either.The chat room might have had a dozen participants but only 2 or 3 people were providing any input.
At times the groups got quite cliquey and treated newbies poorly or just ignored whatever they wrote.

I'm not saying chat rooms can't be useful, - what I'm saying is the ones I participated in were really just social gatherings. If I want social time I call up a few mates and go for a beer or a coffee.

[bloomers]

I have no interest in live chat either. I come to the forum, search, find information and move on. If I wanted to ask a question, I would normally check the next day for responses. Most of my interaction with the forum is in the form of research.

Of course, if I was having a heart attack, live chat might be useful to get the number for 911

Glenn

[ubeaut]

Of course, if I was having a heart attack, live chat might be useful to get the number for 911

Just in case your heart does actually attack you, the number for 911 is 000

[shedbound]

I have no interest in live chat either. I come to the forum, search, find information and move on. If I wanted to ask a question, I would normally check the next day for responses. Most of my interaction with the forum is in the form of research.

Of course, if I was having a heart attack, live chat might be useful to get the number for 911

Glenn

In this case yes it might be handy, 911 may not do a great deal of good in an emergency in Australia

[wheelinround]

With this countries love for everything US and them taking over 911 will be the be to call





Its amazing how many forumites are using Facebook including mods, sponsors and world renown Pro's by no means does it mean i am in favour of a Live Chat here on this forum.