Is the Forum Losing Interest?

[Bigcypresshunter]

Since I have been back in town I noticed that the member participation is lower than usual. At the time of this writing, we have 5 members and 40 guests viewing this entire forum. And it has been this way for several days. It seems there is little more than a handfull of members participating at one time. This has me worried. Are members losing interest in the What Is It forum? What can we do to increase participation?

 

[creskol]

It seems as though participation is way down on other boards as well. Don't know why .. just an observation.

 

[Adrian SS]

I understand where you chaps coming from.
I am in Australia and we had an garrett Infinium forum that had a huge world wide member data base
but then the forum was changed in order to eliminate porn posts, commercial advertising and to prevent non members from sneaking in posts through a back door. since that change at least 90% of members have disappeared and although the member list is slowly growing again there are only around 4 people actually posting.
metal detecting is fading away here due in part to the greenies who are doing their best to make this hobby illegal and I believe in the UK ( correct me if wrong) that it is now illegal for private people to go out looking for and recovering long lost artifacts and treasure but it is Ok for gov funded or other nominated organisations to do so.
Here in Aussie if you find what is deemed to be treasure trove it has to be returned to the crown and all you get for your troubles is a pat on the back.

The Greenies want all historic items left in the ground for future generations (figure that one out?)
Which actually means that history will be left to rot in the ground.
At least when a detectorist finds an historic item That othewise may have been lost forever, he may well decide to keep it and not tell anyone and the item will survive for a long time and will likely end up in a museum one day, or maybe not, but it will survive.

If it was not for metal detecting for gold and historic artifacts a large number of our old gold towns would now be ghost towns, but now these towns have been given a new lease of life and thrive on the gold and metal detecting industry. Take away the detectorists from these areas and the people in these towns will be reduced to selling garden gnomes and jars of organic chutteny at little roadside stalls and their homes will be Heritage listed stopping them from doing any home improvements that alter the outside appearance of the buildings which in turn reduces the value of their homes and then the only people likely to want to buy these places will be uni dropouts and pot smoking hippies and hobby farmers who will in turn allow these places to fall into further delapidation.

So what I am trying to say is that because the industry is changing for the worst a lot of people are giving up the hobby and I know that a lot of those who do buy a detector today donot join a forum
Adrian SS

 

[CRUSADER]

maybe you scared them all off

 

[kuger]

Your right B C,we have lost rel good ones(Vayank,JohnnieI)and picked up some new ones(Lucas)this hands down is the top I.D. site.I check some of the others ocassionally for a laugh and that is what I get,no comparison!!
I dont know why some move on?You do have to have a thick skin,as emotions cant be read via the net,and some people just get the wrong vibe I know I have,and I know I have irked some people.....I try to not do that(intentionally,anymore)

 

[Adrian SS]

Maybe?
My post did not paint a very pretty picture

 

[shaun7]

I understand where you chaps coming from.
I am in Australia and we had an garrett Infinium forum that had a huge world wide member data base
but then the forum was changed in order to eliminate porn posts, commercial advertising and to prevent non members from sneaking in posts through a back door. since that change at least 90% of members have disappeared and although the member list is slowly growing again there are only around 4 people actually posting.
metal detecting is fading away here due in part to the greenies who are doing their best to make this hobby illegal and I believe in the UK ( correct me if wrong) that it is now illegal for private people to go out looking for and recovering long lost artifacts and treasure but it is Ok for gov funded or other nominated organisations to do so.
Here in Aussie if you find what is deemed to be treasure trove it has to be returned to the crown and all you get for your troubles is a pat on the back.

The Greenies want all historic items left in the ground for future generations (figure that one out?)
Which actually means that history will be left to rot in the ground.
At least when a detectorist finds an historic item That othewise may have been lost forever, he may well decide to keep it and not tell anyone and the item will survive for a long time and will likely end up in a museum one day, or maybe not, but it will survive.

If it was not for metal detecting for gold and historic artifacts a large number of our old gold towns would now be ghost towns, but now these towns have been given a new lease of life and thrive on the gold and metal detecting industry. Take away the detectorists from these areas and the people in these towns will be reduced to selling garden gnomes and jars of organic chutteny at little roadside stalls and their homes will be Heritage listed stopping them from doing any home improvements that alter the outside appearance of the buildings which in turn reduces the value of their homes and then the only people likely to want to buy these places will be uni dropouts and pot smoking hippies and hobby farmers who will in turn allow these places to fall into further delapidation.

So what I am trying to say is that because the industry is changing for the worst a lot of people are giving up the hobby and I know that a lot of those who do buy a detector today donot join a forum
Adrian SS

Sorry Adrian, but I think I have to correct you

 

[chirper97]

Could it be that with the economy being what it is that people just don't have the time and are out trying to make a dollar to keep from losing the home? I know when things get tight I tend to concentrate on getting the bills caught up and have much less time for the computer thing. Just my cents worth. Can't afford two of them. Bills are bigger than the paycheck. I'd like to go playing along the coast with my underwater gear but am having trouble getting the boat done on a tight budget. I need a few thousand dollars to get out on the water but the electronics, the repairs and upgrades will have to be done on a low budget. That means less time to play. The dive gear needs upgrading and tanks need hydro, water system needs a pump and stuff like that. Not a lot but working on a budget can slow you down. Maybe I'll get caught up enough to go out on anchor next month and start heading along the west coast of Florida and down through the Keys over the winter. In the spring I'd like to head up to the Chesapeake for the summer and back south when the cold hits up north. All I can do now is creep along until I get the funds lined up and can get going.

Good post, White Feather.


That is my situation. Taking care of business before play.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

maybe you scared them all off

I hope not. I realize you are joking but its certainly possible that bickering can scare off members thats why I am now determined not to argue unless its necessary for proper ID. I am now fast with the report to moderator button, if it becomes personal, because it works. I may have irked some people in the past but you wont see any unnecessary personal bickering from me any more. And if a member wants to get personal, they can do it somewhere else.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I understand where you chaps coming from.
I am in Australia and we had an garrett Infinium forum that had a huge world wide member data base
but then the forum was changed in order to eliminate porn posts, commercial advertising and to prevent non members from sneaking in posts through a back door. since that change at least 90% of members have disappeared and although the member list is slowly growing again there are only around 4 people actually posting.
metal detecting is fading away here due in part to the greenies who are doing their best to make this hobby illegal and I believe in the UK ( correct me if wrong) that it is now illegal for private people to go out looking for and recovering long lost artifacts and treasure but it is Ok for gov funded or other nominated organisations to do so.
Here in Aussie if you find what is deemed to be treasure trove it has to be returned to the crown and all you get for your troubles is a pat on the back.

The Greenies want all historic items left in the ground for future generations (figure that one out?)
Which actually means that history will be left to rot in the ground.
At least when a detectorist finds an historic item That othewise may have been lost forever, he may well decide to keep it and not tell anyone and the item will survive for a long time and will likely end up in a museum one day, or maybe not, but it will survive.

If it was not for metal detecting for gold and historic artifacts a large number of our old gold towns would now be ghost towns, but now these towns have been given a new lease of life and thrive on the gold and metal detecting industry. Take away the detectorists from these areas and the people in these towns will be reduced to selling garden gnomes and jars of organic chutteny at little roadside stalls and their homes will be Heritage listed stopping them from doing any home improvements that alter the outside appearance of the buildings which in turn reduces the value of their homes and then the only people likely to want to buy these places will be uni dropouts and pot smoking hippies and hobby farmers who will in turn allow these places to fall into further delapidation.

So what I am trying to say is that because the industry is changing for the worst a lot of people are giving up the hobby and I know that a lot of those who do buy a detector today donot join a forum
Adrian SS

Thanks for posting Adrian. This subject may require a whole new thread lol. As metal detectorists, we must be careful not to appear as looters. We need to be more interested in history and less on monetary value of our finds. Removing all the metal objects from a historical site can and will make it harder for future historians to interpet the history of the area and the people who lived there..

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Your right B C,we have lost rel good ones(Vayank,JohnnieI)and picked up some new ones(Lucas)this hands down is the top I.D. site.I check some of the others ocassionally for a laugh and that is what I get,no comparison!!
I dont know why some move on?You do have to have a thick skin,as emotions cant be read via the net,and some people just get the wrong vibe I know I have,and I know I have irked some people.....I try to not do that(intentionally,anymore)

Sorry to hear we lost 2 more.

 

[CRUSADER]

maybe you scared them all off

I hope not. I realize you are joking but its certainly possible that bickering can scare off members thats why I am now determined not to argue unless its necessary for proper ID. I am now fast with the report to moderator button, if it becomes personal, because it works. I may have irked some people in the past but you wont see any unnecessary personal bickering from me any more. And if a member wants to get personal, they can do it somewhere else.

of course not, easy my old friend

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

of course not, easy my old friend

 

[highlander]

no this is still a good forum.and yes i do not login very much just stay in the back ground.in all of the forums ps most of the time its solved be for i can answer or some one would say what i was going say.

 

[dld]

maybe they are not finding unusual objects, I know I haven't

 

[Lucas]

The Greenies want all historic items left in the ground for future generations (figure that one out?)
Which actually means that history will be left to rot in the ground.

Very true. But...

What they want is intensive archeology done for anything and everything. That needs archeologists and $$, ££, etc. As we all know, only high profile sites and eras get the funds. So, the rest does rot in the ground, or...

Detectors go out and find it, for love of history, or love of money, or both.

But...

detectors fear

a. Other detectors who might find out their site, so they may not post on forums, or

b. the "artifact police" (who don't exist as a body, but belong to different classes, from police, to archeologists with a anti attitude). Another reason not to post.

Which makes it hard for folks like me... a (future) archeologist who wants to see what detectors find, because most sites don't get archeology $$ or ££, so the stuff will rot in the ground. Plus there are 500 detectors for every archeologist, so who is seeing the most stuff?

Keep it legal, post it here, everybody wins.

 

[kuger]

Well said Lucas,and touched on a couple reasons I dont post(like I used to....finds)
My era of obsession see's NO archeology interest,which is a screaming shame as it settled the west!

 

[Tnmountains]

Maybe?
My post did not paint a very pretty picture

I think it is the time of the season and when an item is solved people are not putting the Green Check to it and it stays on top after being solved.
Bigcyphuntr? I read the post on the acorn. Pretty neat object and good I.D !
HH
TnMtns

 

[Adrian SS]

Qte From bigcypresshunter

"Thanks for posting Adrian. This subject may require a whole new thread lol. As metal detectorists, we must be careful not to appear as looters. We need to be more interested in history and less on monetary value of our finds. Removing all the metal objects from a historical site can and will make it harder for future historians to interpet the history of the area and the people who lived there.. "

Adrian SS.

Yes it probably does require a new thread.

Trouble is a lot of these so called historians use the disguise of being an historian,archaeologist or some such interlectual do profit from their finds and they will move hell and high water and legal jargon to stop anybody else from getting into a particular area of interest while they can still make a profit and those who do record their finds for posterity and future generations do so through scientific journals that cannot be accessed by any private citizen and are only peroused by other scientists, historians and archaeologists and the items they find usually disappear into archives and museums that only a very limited number of people can access.
What has happened to all of the jewelry, silver and gold that has been remove from pyramids and tombs all around the world by archaeologists? Some is in museums but most is held in private collections. You have to get your funding from somewhere and governments are not always willing.
I agree that history should be preserved but placing a blanket ban on the hobby detectorist stopping them from taking home a coin or the odd piece of "historic" scrap metal is nothing short of ridiculous.

Adrian SS

 

[silverswede]

Wouldn't it be nice if old PBK could ride in about now and I.D. the problem of falling poster count here?

 

[Lucas]

Oh, yeah, academics get really nasty when you threaten "their" area, legal or not.

Museum basements.... yup you have to be somebody or know somebody to get in. I love it when they put it online, but that is expensive!

Price guides... so many are just good for TP. They would be funny, except so many people believe them.