I can’t help wonder how many modeling related forums folks read and post in on a day to day basis.
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I’ve been short on time for the last 18 months so online visits are usually divided between two websites unless I am doing a web search for information. I keep intending to visit those sites on a regular basis but seldom do so.
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Also, of those website forums you do participate in, what keeps you interested?
I like to look in on the Airfix Tribute Forum and britmodeller, both UK websites. I don’t belong, but those chaps can debate the colo(u)r of Sky Type S the way US modelers controvert about olive drab.
I belong to many different forums. I have a few more in my “former sites” folder, those are the forums that somehow no longer fit my main needs.
Each forum I belong to has a different feel to it, and fulfills a different goal for me. A couple are more technical in nature, one is specifically for 1/72 scale models. I spend most of my time here, on MM and on 1/72 Scale Aircraft, though. No matter what, I think I will always belong to MM, that is the forum that has the most members that I have met in person. HS, ARC and Z-5 have their place in my daily rotation also,as does Hal Sr’s small forum.
I click each in order about 4 or 5 times a day, as I take breaks from building (or honey-doing), or research, etc.
Rex
I have joined a few other forums. But I find I just can’t get into them. After a while I am forcing myself to visit and trying to find a reason to post. So I am pretty much a one forum guy I reckon.
I am on about 9, visited once a day except weekends, which are a couple of times a day.
I’m on here just about everyday. I’ve registered for two forums, but only frequent this one.
I’ve been here since this website began in 2002. I am a member of many other modeling websites going back into the 1990s. I still visit a handful of them daily. In the main forum I visit, Missing Lynx, I find the armor modeling and actual armor knowledge to be the best on the web. Infighting and backbiting at ML are all too commonplace though. But the depth and breadth of armor knowledge and modeling level expertise are top notch. Authors of armor books, modeling books, creators of armor model kits, resin products, finishing products all frequent that site and are often quick to give advice or send you a replacement part as a matter of good will.
Another benefit to Missing Lynx is since it is an armor only modeling site, the forums are divided between different genres; modern armor, WW2 Axis, WW2 Allied, WW1 armor, 1/72 scale armor and 1/48 scale armor. That way I can visit just the armor sub-genres I am interested in and avoid the armor discussions I am not interested in.
Here, if they split the armor forum, there isn’t enough armor traffic to support multiple sub-forums. Ask an armor knowledge question here and you’re likely to get as many different answers as replies. Most replies will be flat out guesses and getting the right answer and finding out the right answer from the wrong guesses would require luck.
I regularly participate in three forums on a daily basis.
To me my favorite because it really finds the right balance of friendliness, civility, advice, top notch models and people is
www.modelerssocialclub.proboards.net a close second for me is this site which I really enjoy, and finally
While not on a daily basis,I also contribute to www.modelersalliance.com and www.steelnavy.net and www.spamodeler.com
I have just enough time to get to FSM in the day. Sometimes I don’t even get here. As an “Old Fart”, I spend a lot of time going to various Doctors offices, taking care of the “Honeydo List”, attending Line Dancing classes with the wife (she’s the teacher so I have to go [;)])(lots of good looking women there too [:D]) working on the old house that needs lots of work, and sneaking in a little bench time. I wish I could get my hands on the guy that made up the saying “Retirement is the golden years of your life”, I’d wring his neck. [:@]
Jim [cptn]
I have turned up information on Missing Lynx during web searches but also have come to refer to Perth Military Modeling website for armor related reviews.
The only other armor website I know of which has forum discussions divided into different scales and eras is the French language website maquette-garden, which has 1/72 and 1/48th armor discussions.
Occasionally my searches call up some interesting Russian language sites though I must rely upon search engine translation to understand the information posted.
Unfortunately, I have not built 1/48th scale armor since AURORA and Bandai kits were issued.
Prices of 1/48 armor kits in plastic are effectively the same as 1/35 scale subjects and resin kits are just too pricey and seem to be available only on Euro websites.
If old Aurora and Bandai kits could be re-released at reasonable prices, I’d return to building that scale.
Sorry to hear you are that busy. Hope your bench time situation improves to your advantage.
I run across armorama frequently on my web searches for reviews as well as steelnavy; first time I’ve heard of modelerssocialclub.[:O]
I’ve only recently become aware of spammodeler
ARC is one site I turn up on web searches, I’ve heard of Z-5 , the only MM site I recall is the German language http://www.mmodell.de/.
What forum does Hal Sr run?
I’ve found that quite a few forums do not have enough activity to keep me returning for updates.
I turn to the Airfix Tribute Forum more since I have been buying Airfix kits either at swap meets or new red box issues.
Britmodeler is another site that occasionally has large scale armor posts of interest to me.
I’m with Bish, though I may never meet most (or any) of the folks here I have got comfortable in participating in dicussions because of the knowledge here and how it is shared, not being much of a tech guy and occasionally having a thin skin the idea of figuring out new people doen’t excite me. I like it here, it has all I need.
I’m active on a few different sites, but this one probably gets the lions share of my activity.
Spruce, the MM site that I meant is Modeling Madness. It consists of a website for reviews and previews,with a separate forum link from the home page.
I’ve been a member there from before there was an FSM forum,I met my former LHS owner on there and found his shop because of it. We go to various contests together, along with a couple of his other customers. (the shop is now closed, though)
Rex
I’m too afraid to go anywhere else! [:$]
Seriously, I have checked out a few and they just didn’t seem to have what FSM has. I have to admit (and this may have just been when I happened on to the site that day), they all seemed very “abrasive”. If you weren’t “up there” with your skills, then they really seemed to knock you down. Like I said, might have just been a bad day on their forums, but FSM has the family feeling to it. I mean, most of my builds since I’ve gotten back into the hobby have been sub par compared to the awesome work most of you guys and gals do, but never once have I been bashed about it. Great and awesome advice was given…AND received, but never felt belittled. I think it’s like anything else…it’s what you are comfortable with and what suits you. I do look at other forums after googling for reference material and they pop up with info, but FSM is home…speaking of, who’s turn is it to cook tonight?!
Eagle90
TarnShip
Thanks for the info; I did not recall hearing of Modeling Madness before, but I recognize the kit review section that my web searches have called up.[:D][Y]