Thanks guys. I seeing a pattern here.
I find there’s no forum anywhere that suits my weird tastes. I like civilian aviation, and I don’t ike military aviation all that much, except for the unusual/behind the scenes military stuff that isn’t a Spitfire/Hurricane/Mustang/Focke Wulfe etc. So that puts me in the 1% category for starters.
I find FSM is a slightly more lively home for my very strange 1-percenter interests in modelling. All the other websites/forums seem to me to be dominated by the military fanboys, when it comes to aircraft especialy. Good luck to them, I hope they have fun, but from my oddball point of view I think FSM is still the “broadest church” that I know of online that actually has a few people who aren’t totally devoted to the military mainstream.
Well my disappearance has been due to “life 2.0”. Just too much going, especially the big change in work hours, which has greatly affected my model time.
I haven’t had any issues with the forum changes. It’s all part of life: change. Ive seen more then I care for in the past 4 years.
I know that I haven’t done my fair share of contributing to the forum. I have one foot in traditional modeling, and one in tabletop miniatures wargaming which doesn’t help. I tend to happen on threads late and when I comment I feel like Ive become the thread killer.
The forum change didn’t bother me but the lack of timely fixes did. You don’t make changes unless you have the resources ready to fix bugs. It almost sounds like they changed all their websites at once and then scrambed to put out fires.
I also feel that there needs to be more interaction with people at FSM. Most times it feels like the site is forgotten. I know they have a magazine to put out, but in this day and age a magazine won’t survive the long haul without an active web presence. (my opinion only).
I am going to make an effort to get more involved, but I do think FSM needs to stay connected to their website and treat it like the important asset that it is.
knox
There is a civil aircraft forum right below the aircraft forum. It is one of those that could use more participation. So, Ozmac, if you haven’t looked at that forum yet, drop in, and try to post something!
I know that I’m not posting as much as I did last year, and I have really noticed the drop in activity. I think it’s probably a combination of everything people have already mentioned. For me personally, school has started back up and they have had me doing all kinds of curriculum work that I haven’t had to do before. Add to that a wife that works in the evening and two young children and my benchtime suffers. A friend of mine also commissioned me to build a couple of Warhammer 40K armies, which is also taking up time. I check in a couple of times a day, comment on a few builds and ask a few questions here and there. I’m hoping that as I get more school-related work off my plate I’ll be able to get more time at the bench. It would be nice to see traffic pick up when the weather starts cooling down more.
i have a friend who wants to get back playing board wargames, mostly beer and pretzel, not monster games. that may actually help my modeling unless we play ww2 stuff…
there was a light turnout at the High Plains contest this year. still a fun contest and i got to see folks i dont see regularly. talking with some folks it seems a lot of us are at the same stage, we don’t have a lot of new and are running out of kits to enter because most have won at one point or will never win. i still enter the never wins because 1. part of winning is showing up and 2. i like to support the other clubs.
i do like the old layout and color better but this isn’t worth leaving over. i have too many friends here now.
I have to confess that I haven’t posted anywhere near the volume I have in the past, and I am not a prolific poster like some on this site. I hit a wall after finishing a couple of planes for a GB in April and have barely entered my model room in the past few months. Should have finished a ship for the WW1 GB by today but didn’t even come close.
Trying to run two retail stores with short staffing, coming home and fixing dinner and trying to do as much housework as I can to save my wife who has been putting in almost double time at her job does not leave much time for anything.
I am also a member of several other forums but I always come to FSM due to the diversity. At any given day I find my modeling lusts ranging from military AC to civil aviation, to ships, to armor and even automobiles. I get something out of everything here.
I’m with Wayne. While I’m a member of other forums, I feel this is my home. There are too many people I consider family, and who care about me, to ever leave them.
Steve
I’ve been lurking, but with 1005 views and only 48 replies, I’ve been in good company. I’ve been following variuse threads, but have not had anything to add. The change in the forum has not made any difference to me. Even this post has not added much to the conversation, so generally I just lurk. Aircraft and Armour Forums are hard to keep up with, lots happening there.
What is irony you may ask? A thread about declining interest being so active.
I have noticed it and not just here. A lot of people left a while back, some not by choice, when there seemed to be a heighted tension between the moderators and members. An example was a flap over a Horton 229 theme, not the best description I don’t think, that was running through the forum. Kind of tuned me off for a while.
I may be more sensitive to it here since lately I have just been trying to become more active here. There is no doubt that FSM looses forum participants with each format change. Now that I am spending more time here I am noticing things that were asked for after the change that still are not there. One in particular that I miss, but that’s for another section of the forum.
Neither of these reasons would have anything to do with a drop in activity in any other forum. But I’ve noticed it, not just at FSM.
Since someone already mentioned the dear departed spell checker… at least in the Reply window… I find it strange that “FSM” has the red squiggly line under it when typing it in the quick reply section of the FSM forum.
Well I’m new here and well prepared to be very active once my first couple builds are completed, if that makes anyone feel better. lol
I hate the white background and wish they had a “go to first unread reply” button for the long threads.
Personally I hope to get back to the bench now that the weather is turning and maybe post some pics.
Mike
Thanks for not noticing, but I post there regularly
I’m new to this site. The “new” forum doesn’t bother me. I’ve used others like it before and not having used the old one I have nothing to compare it to. However, the wait time before having a post posted did come as a surprise. It’s especially untimley when a quick edit or post script comes to mind and you have that wait only to forget. It seems it might have the effect of dampening a forum.
Learning patience is something I’ve been doing for 60+ years and this just adds to my training.
I also have an interest in civilian aviation with the exception of airliners. New kits are rare and old kits rarer yet. There are as many subjects in civil aviation as in military but without the movie hype those kits just won’t fly to well. I really miss that old Cessna 310 with the straight tip tanks I had as a kid. You’ll need gold teeth fillings to pay for one if you find it.
I have joined a couple of other forums over the last few years, but not as a replacement for here but in addition. But i can never get into them and this will always be my home in regards modelling forums, no matter what.
Bish,
I joined Britmodller tuesday as Bitzer, but I won’t be posting as much there as I do here.
Bish,
Upon your recommendation, I joined “Britmodeller”. It seems like a lively place, and friendly enough.
But, wouldn’t you know it, they are about to update their forum software! Hope it goes smoother than some other places I could mention… [whstl]
Gary
Steve, i’ll look out for you. I am the same, I do a couple of posts a night, usually if I have any time left after being on here. GAF, I did spot your intro, will drop a line. Didn’t se that about the update.