What happened?

[J. Cook]

I joined TG 12 years ago and have been active ever since.  I check-in daily and post when I have something worth saying.  I've seen activity come and go and I think that cycle will always exist.  Timing of this thread has a lot to do with it... most people have already stopped hunting so you aren't seeing daily success threads, and many have just finished a 5 or 6 month burst of hunting related activity and will now move onto other hobbies until the archery bug bites again in the summer.  Most of the members on here are hunters and do not saturate all 12 months with archery - again, I said most, not all. 

I do laugh at the one response on here that eludes to being annoyed by the "new" types of discussions and methods people use.  THAT is ONE of the reasons fewer people post right there - I've seen a "boom" of the trad elite type responses that seem to think there was is the only way.  That turns off new people really fast.  An example I see is someone asking about FOC or micro arrows as the above poster notes, and that person gets 10 responses from people saying they shoot wood arrows.  How does that help or encourage that person to post or further the discussion he or she was interested in?  The other thing that has bugged me (on all forums) is when the response is "do a search." What's the point of a forum if everyone is supposed to find all answers from prior discussions... that means the new forum is of no value and it's now a database rather than a forum.  I digress...

I can speak to my personal situation and why it lends to sometimes not being as present here as I've been in the past at times.  I work to darn much.  Our world expects 50-60 hour work weeks as a base now, many work much more than that.  It's such a constant pressure that I often have very little down time to do anything other than the bare necessities.  I bet many are in that same cycle so sometimes our hobbies have to fall off a bit.  Along with that... because of the demand on my times, when I do get a free day I'd much rather be actually in the woods or on my boat, that posting about it or reading someone else's report on it.  I think that has an impact as well. 

I think the site is fantastic and I'll continue to use for as long as it's available.  From what I can see, the folks that run it are hunters at heart and love the site they produce - that shows in the results and I, for one, appreciate that greatly.  The country has had it's share of struggles this past 18+ months and I'm sure that's reflected in participation here.  But all in all, the site is great and I love the community.  Even as a relatively young guy, I still remember and miss some of the folks that use to post here often and had many stories to share and discuss.  Many of them were the constant contributors that you knew would post something great weekly.  Most of those folks (you can fill in the blank of who you think they are for you) haven't been replaced and I think that is a big thing we see... I don't know these men personally and have only shared their adventures through their writings here, but the Giants like Charlie Lamb, Ron LaClair, and countless others can't be replaced.  When those guys were super active this place was amazing as they lived the lives many of us in this hobby wish we could - so we tuned in regularly to hear their stories. 

Again, I love the site, and I do believe it's a cycle and reflective of the crappy last year + we've all endured.  But there is no forum I'd rather be a part of.  And to Rob's point... if you don't like what you see, make a post and get the campfire going. 

[foxbo]

I think less traffic on this forum started when the classifieds started charging to list an item for sale. I paid the fee for maybe three years, but noticed there were far less adds as time passed by. I lost interest.

I realize that in the old days there were people who cheated others and the mods had a tough time dealing with it all. Still, those were the days when lots of people came here just to shop for used bows and arrows. It was one of the first things I'd do. Now that I don't pay to be a member, I don't have access to the classifieds. Even when I did pay, it was nothing like it used to be, so I let it slide.

All the lost photo bucket pics didn't help things either. Not the Tradgang's fault, but just another nail...

[Wudstix]

I for one don't own land in TX and have not been drawn to hunt Government land for three years.  I browse allot, but don't have much to post.  It's a 2 1/2 hour drive for me to pig hunt on public land.  Plus, working keeps me busy.  Looking forward to the Tusker Hunt in February.  Mr. J Cook hit many points that ring true.
 

[Gdpolk]

What happened is folks’ attention became split between special interest forums such as TradGang and other feeds like Instagram and Facebook and what not. There are still people here and still people talking online, they are just dividing their attention between more platforms.

I became an administrator of the site specifically to help with the St Jude auctions annually and I get push notification emails from the site multiple times a day of new members joining. The site is indeed continuing to grow in both volume of members and written content.

I also think there are an awful lot of people who come to read and learn but don’t necessarily post. For many it’s used more like a magazine subscription than like an interactive experience. This notion could be why we see so many “guests” logged in at the bottom and even is something that I tend to do myself. I read here daily but don’t necessarily POST daily unless I have something notable to add to the conversation.

I’d encourage more participation by simply asking that people think about and share a fond memory with the gang sometime over the next week. I’ll do the same.

[gregg dudley]

Social Media has fundamentally changed the way we interact online.  If there was a "like" button here you would better gauge the amount of interaction that a post generates.  I have also noticed the disparity between the number of people online and the actual activity in threads. In the old days, people actually interacted in complete sentences.  Now they read and scroll by or say something minimal.  I am guilty of the same thing.  Many of my actual comments are simple confirmations.  When a guy puts some effort into posting something, we could all do better in generating some thoughtful responses.

[gregg dudley]

As soon as I posted that I saw a like button...   

[electricstart]

I have asked a few questions on here was even thinking becoming a contributor. All I ever get is one maybe two responses ,so I figure maybe there dumb questions so don't ask anymore .

Frank, I looked at all 109 of your posts and saw no dumb questions and lots of good replies.  I don't get where yer coming from, sorry.

 I have been in Tradition a long time .Hunter 50 plus years . I still learn a few things from the site .which is good .

That's what this forum is all about - and you've shared some really good stuff that we've all appreciated.

This a getting to be a boring site hate to say it . I check everyday not much going on . With the so called lock down you think more people would want to post .

Start posting stuff and end your boredom.  YOU - and every other registered user - ARE Trad Gang.  YOU dictate the conversations.  They ain't gonna happen by themselves.

I don't even think I saw a Merry Christmas or Happy New year .

Well, yes you and I have, on the "Merry Christmas" thread where we both posted on it.

Many things besides hunting can be discussed in pow wow but rarely see it and if you do post it no one responds .

Again, if you don't see it, POST IT - start a conversation, that's what this forum is all about!

Also the site could use updating maybe a like or thank you or agree icon .

"Great minds think alike".  Last week I looked into adding a "Like" button to all posts ... I started a trial on the Trad Gang sister forum, if it goes well I'll try to implement it here at Trad Gang.

Also maybe a notification that someone responded to your post .

That's already been part of Trad Gang since day one - email notification of replies to a thread you've posted on ....

Got to your Profile, click on Modifications, check at least the box for "Turn notification on when you post or reply to a topic."

You may also wish to update some of the other notification settings on that page.

I will continue to check in and hope it gets better.

To at least some degree, that's gonna depend on you, too.

I am sorry Your right on some subjects I am forgetful and an old grouch . I just found like button(Thank You ) ,How about an agree and thank you button LOL . Even you have to admit site has been slow especially during hunting season .I agree it is our fault for not posting more .I will try to post more .  When I said notification i meant when we go on site there will notification that someone has liked or respond or quoted you on your post .Then you would click on it is goes right the post and your comment .I will try turning on notifications that you speak of .  I do get the emails which is great .Some of my posts get a few responses but some not so much .  I love the site do not get me wrong just trying to make it better. I have learned a lot on here and will continue to use and if things brighten up a little I will contribute .
Thank You
Frank

[Joey Ward]

We need more women to post. 

[Archie]

I think less traffic on this forum started when the classifieds started charging to list an item for sale. I paid the fee for maybe three years, but noticed there were far less adds as time passed by. I lost interest.

I realize that in the old days there were people who cheated others and the mods had a tough time dealing with it all. Still, those were the days when lots of people came here just to shop for used bows and arrows. It was one of the first things I'd do. Now that I don't pay to be a member, I don't have access to the classifieds. Even when I did pay, it was nothing like it used to be, so I let it slide.

All the lost photo bucket pics didn't help things either. Not the Tradgang's fault, but just another nail...

I agree.  I did not buy and sell much, but I found it very enjoyable to peruse the classifieds just to see what was going on.  When I lost access to the classifieds, I no longer had a motivation to go to TG so often.  I'd start with the classifieds, and then end up all over the forum... it's like the classifieds were the blinking sign that drew me in from the highway of life.  Now I find that there are trad archery Facebook groups that generate a lot of activity, and I can buy and sell there.  I still visit TG occasionally though, to see if there are any new hunting posts that I can enjoy. 

[Kevin Dill]

Anyone here want to make a WAG as to the average age of actively participating members of this forum? How much use do forums get from the age groups 18-30 and 30-50?

[Tim Hoeck]

To many are using  all the facebook groups

[Rob DiStefano]

At this moment of posting, this thread alone has over four dozen members viewing it (not necessarily posting), along with 40 guests.

[ronp]

At this moment of posting, this thread alone has over four dozen members viewing it (not necessarily posting), along with 40 guests.

I've been watching it.

[Rob DiStefano]

To many are using  all the facebook groups

Instant gratification, with content that's here one minute and gone the next due to its linear format. 

Even if I did find a valid use for social media sites, I will not support the radical ideologies behind them.

[MCNSC]

One thing I’ve saw several times on this sight is someone asking a question and immediately getting a response saying “ use the search function “. Yes , you may be able to find the information by searching but , then why post at all ? Just search.

[Rob DiStefano]

Some folks don't realize their forum experience options and should spend a minute or two checking out their Profile settings.

[Flbowhunter]

Honestly as a 17 year old I think a lot of my generation 1) doesn’t know enough about archery to be interested. When they think of a bow they think of a compound. A lot of my friends have had an interest in archery, got a compound and just never connected with it, because of this they become disinterested in archery in general. 2. A lot of my generation is so timid they might have an interest in something like archery but won’t express it. Almost a “can’t fail if I don’t try” mentality. There’s been a lot of effort to push traditional archery, but if my uncle hadn’t put my first longbow in my hand when I was 5 I don’t know if I’d be still shooting traditional now. Another issue is parents who think anything that shoots a projectile is a weapon of mass destruction and evil.

[Rooselk]

To many are using  all the facebook groups

In my opinion that's exactly what's happened. And the problem being discussed is not only evident here at TG. I've noticed the same lack of participation at many other message boards that were very active a decade ago.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Well I'm guilty of doing more of nothing.  Also I feel we often rely on others to provide free entertainment.  I look past the posts that inquire about if it matters whether you have 3 inch fletch vs 3.14 inch fletch. Not Interested in commenting on whether 150 grains up front is better than 152 grains.

I get approximately 15 minutes of Internet time each day. Combine that with a slow phone and you have a recipe to miss a lot.

I do love what trad gang offers and if I ever get good at hunting maybe I will post something with substance. 

Daily internet allotment exceeded. G'nite.

[Nomadstalker]

IMO foxbo is correct. My experience mirrors his exactly.