Most users ever online was 6,588, 27-12-2019 at 09:52.

[CarolinaChris]

Originally Posted by dannc

My understanding was that AH64Pilot was selling the boat because of his wife's health issues. Bad knee or some such that made it difficult for her to be on the boat. Figured he stopped posting when he sold the boat. I remember he had a few posts where he mentioned the health issues buried in the conversations. I did not see a Good Bye post, he just seemed to stop posting.

I have seen this on other websites as well. People are very active for YEARS and then suddenly are gone. They have other interests, family issues consume their time, and of course, some die.

On another website, there was a long time poster who lived within 20-30 minutes of me. Always wanted to meet him but never did. He got a fatal, quickly spreading cancer and died quickly. Which is a good thing in some ways but I was never able to meet the guy in person.

I have been on this other website since last century and many of the original posters are still posting. However, many have moved on and some have died.

Tis life.

Later,
Dan

I’m offering the perspective of a very new member, who lurked for more than five years before joining a few months ago. Dan is spot on IMO.

I’m a member of only one other message board that happens to be sports related. I’m a very long time member there. The main thing that keeps that message board interesting to me is the fairly strict moderation and the insistence that threads stay on topic. Thread drift is something that should be discouraged but posters should always be encouraged to start new threads. Someone suggested disallowing new posters from starting a thread. I’d advocate strongly against it for a couple reasons. First, it’s just not that welcoming to new people (which I think the forum wants to encourage new members to participate) and second, there are likely lots of extremely experienced and knowledgeable sailors who’d might have great information to impart in a new thread but they might simply be new to this message board.

Because I’m new to both sailing and this message board, I sorta tend to just read and lurk in threads that interest me. I find many posters here to be the kind of people whose posts are super informative to a guy like me.

[Mike OReilly]

I agree with GBN. I've been around as long as the OP, and I just don't see the same problems he seems to have found. Yes, people come and go. There are definitely some voices I miss hearing from, but there are also new voices which emerge.

People come and go into this forum just as they come and go into this cruising life. It's just ... life.

That's not to say CF can't be improved. I've already outlined where I think things could be better. Another of my bugaboos is the use of pseudonyms. I think the psychological evidence is clear that one effective way to improve civility is to make people post under their real names. Take away the masks. And yes, I know all the criticisms, challenges and limitations around this idea. Point is, it is one way to address some of the problems here.

Here's another idea straight out of psychological research: Place a big, permanent floating banner on each page saying: REMEMBER TO BE KIND. I bet this would improve civility more than all other efforts combined.

[Afrinus]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Just thanked you. Took two clicks, no typing.

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Thanks Narfi and Mike, you said it better than I could.

I think simple, one-click "Likes," which don't send an e-mail or PM, are a valuable tool. When a more elaborate response is required, the existing "Thanks" message capability is nice, but it really isn't the same thing.

The "Thank You" here is not on public display, and therefore doesn't help any new member to figure out if someone has valuable info to share.

Human nature is such that most rational people will want to build and protect a reputation - especially a public reputation.
Thus the public "like" button helps or encourage better contribution.

And oh by the way - for some of us our only interaction with CF is via the app - which doesn't allow for "thank you" in anyway.....

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Afrinus

The "Thank You" here is not on public display, and therefore doesn't help any new member to figure out if someone has valuable info to share.

If you go into a user's public profile you can see their reputational rating. It's the little green dots, which I believe are built through the receipt of "thanks."

In this form it's not very accessible, understandable or useful. But it is there for anyone to check (once they know how).

Perhaps there is a way to highlight this rating. It's been a while since I've admined a vBulletin forum, so I can't recall if it's possible. Perhaps the current Admin could clarify.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I agree with GBN. I've been around as long as the OP, and I just don't see the same problems he seems to have found. Yes, people come and go. There are definitely some voices I miss hearing from, but there are also new voices which emerge.

People come and go into this forum just as they come and go into this cruising life. It's just ... life.

That's not to say CF can't be improved. I've already outlined where I think things could be better. Another of my bugaboos is the use of pseudonyms. I think the psychological evidence is clear that one effective way to improve civility is to make people post under their real names. Take away the masks. And yes, I know all the criticisms, challenges and limitations around this idea. Point is, it is one way to address some of the problems here.

Here's another idea straight out of psychological research: Place a big, permanent floating banner on each page saying: REMEMBER TO BE KIND. I bet this would improve civility more than all other efforts combined.

Well then
William Pociengel

Now I’ll put my mask back on and step back 2 meters

[goboatingnow]

By the way I flew my CF burgee for ages , no one ever recognised it. It’s so stiff it rattles the standing rigging and then the admiral banned it due the racket down below

A nice soft one please

[Afrinus]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

If you go into a user's public profile you can see their reputational rating. It's the little green dots, which I believe are built through the receipt of "thanks."



In this form it's not very accessible, understandable or useful. But it is there for anyone to check (once they know how).



Perhaps there is a way to highlight this rating. It's been a while since I've admined a vBulletin forum, so I can't recall if it's possible. Perhaps the current Admin could clarify.

Thanks Mike

I just went to the CF site. I see the dots. I also see something that says "Reputation" and a bunch of stars....Now only If I new what that means...
I guess the point is that too some extent CF do subscribe to the notion of "likes", but somehow makes it pretty convoluted.

And I had to go to the .com site to see that - not available on the App

[rhumby]

My 2 cents as a newbie: internet forums in general have been declining due to Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Also, since the internet is being accessed more via mobile devices than PCs, it's easier for folks to consume and post via Facebook/Twitter/Reddit.

That said, I'm optimistic that there will be a revitalization of forums such as CF as people seek out more substantive content and community.

"As internet forums die off, finding community can be harder than ever"
https://www.engadget.com/2020-02-27-...dying-off.html

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Well then
William Pociengel

Now I’ll put my mask back on and step back 2 meters

Nice to meet the real you William.

Of course, this only works if we can change your username, which I believe is a PITA on this system. But still... it's a start.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yes, people come and go. There are definitely some voices I miss hearing from, but there are also new voices which emerge.

People come and go into this forum just as they come and go into this cruising life. It's just ... life.

It's like living in a neighborhood or working the same job for many years. You slowly over time see people come and go. You often forget that someone else was there after a good amount of time, until you're reminded of it.

Unlike leaving a neighborhood or job, then coming back 10 years later. The lack of familiar faces and so many new ones is almost overwhelming. I had the same experience recently with a boating site I hadn't been on in several years (~ 5) I was shocked how few names I recognized. It happened years ago on a another site.

All elephants are grey, however all things grey are not necessarily elephants

Just because a person leaves, then upon returning finds massive change, isn't justification for the initial leaving to begin with.

("See I got sick of it so I left. Now I've come back to find everyone else I knew was sick of it as well. This verifies my assumption that this sight has clearly gone downhill. Who are all you new users who've hijacked my beloved club of friends??!!)

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Afrinus

Thanks Mike

I just went to the CF site. I see the dots. I also see something that says "Reputation" and a bunch of stars....Now only If I new what that means...
I guess the point is that too some extent CF do subscribe to the notion of "likes", but somehow makes it pretty convoluted.

And I had to go to the .com site to see that - not available on the App

Yeah... I think (and mods/admin please correct me if I'm wrong) the starts are assigned based on number of posts one makes. So a babbler like me gets five stars pretty easily .

The green dots seem to be assigned based on the number of "thanks" one receives. So it is probably a better reputational gauge. But neither are very clear, nor easily accessible.

ADD... I've just gone to read the Forum FAQ. It appears it is a function which would include each user's reputation score with each post. It can be enabled, or not, by the admin. I guess it is not...

You can also view your positive, neutral and negative marks by clicking on your User CP (control panel). When I look there, I see the last couple-dozen points awarded to me from people who have thanked me, as well as one yellow mark from when I was reprimanded by the mods.

[dannc]

Forgot to mention this in my previous posts....

While there are posters who disappear and are missed, there are far more posters that have left that are not missed...

On the website I have been on since last century, I might have blocked one or two people.

I am shocked at the number of posters I have blocked on CF. I only block people if they are rude. Rude defined as some one that posted something that I have to complain to the Mods or someone who consistently says things that are flat out rude. I try to give people the benefit of doubt since it is easy to misconstrue what someone says, but if there is a pattern of behavior, then it is banned time.

Just alerted the Mods to a guy the other day because of what was said. Just appalling behavior which happens too much on CF.

Later,
Dan

[Don C L]

Yes, for all the new folks, the little triangular sign, white with the red border and a black line in it, on the left under the user's name and info, is there to hit whenever you find a post troublesome. We on the mod team will then review it to see what action is needed.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Yes, for all the new folks, the little triangular sign, white with the red border and a black line in it, on the left under the user's name and info, is there to hit whenever you find a post troublesome. We on the mod team will then review it to see what action is needed.

If he/she is on line - sometimes [believe it or not] some of them are off line

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Notice the date on the "most users online" from 2 years ago, December 27... only a short time before COVID really became a thing. My own theory is that many folks decided to hunker down once COVID was clearly becoming a worldwide threat and any sailing and cruising dreams or plans hit the brakes. I suspect a lot of folks are still hunkered. I doubt very much it is a moderation issue, though I am sure the more disgruntled would like to lay the blame at those feet (of ours.)

One aspect that I notice occasionally is that there some posters who are very USA centric. And with that some posts make significant assumptions. One repetitive topic that I find disturbing is that some posters feel that they should be able to roughshod over border restrictions of foreign nations and yet the US border is a difficult one for a foreigner to pass through. I don't want to off topic about borders.
I am just pointing out there's a significant American bias in many CF posts.

Am I am in complete agreement with Don's supposition. Many countries still have closed borders, so cruising is, as a consequence, very restrictive. Especially so in the Pacific Ocean. So the frustration of not even being able to get to my boat hasn't given me good head space to visit CF for the past 18 months. It's just a reminder that my boat is swinging at her mooring, unattended in cyclone season and that there's nothing I can do about it.

Whether my frustration is typical I don't know.

But as a few others have mentioned people come and people go, just as boats and skippers do in marinas. Interests change, life style issues, family and/or vocational commitments. And we all age.

One poster I fondly miss is Steadman Urlich (Steady). He used to often start very interesting threads with a well researched offerings ie. https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...rs-176284.html
Anyone know what happened to Steady, the forum is a little less because of his absence?

The other little oddity about this forum is that there are so many lurkers. As I write this there are 172 members online and 3,347 guests. There's such a reluctance to post. Is there a way to encourage people to be more motivated to post?