POTN Activity/Participation Level?

Is it just me or do others sense it also...?

...that is, I've been noticing that the level of POTN forum discussion has been dipping quite a bit... Wonder if the bad economy has anything to do with it...

Or it could be that, since more categories and sub-forums were introduced, it just seems that way...

For example, it took just about 24 hours before someone finally posted a comment in the "Kids & Family Talk." Although not as "slow" as this forum, I also see quite a slowdown in other forums, too, that used to be lot more active (such as "Small Flash and Studio Lighting" just to name one that I frequent...).

I wonder if new subscriptions have slowed.

I think that I've noticed less churn overall, too.

Two things...

One - This time of year, at least for me, is a creative drought - with all the bad weather and darkness, etc I just don't get inspired. I need to work on that, but for now I am not doing much.

Two (and this is my poor attempt of being funny) - There are a lot more important things for people to be posting about... Handheld images at 1 second being blurry, 24-70 vs 24-105, I have $x - what should I buy?, Will the new PocketWizard that hasn't even shipped yet do this?, etc... With all of those really important threads to respond to it gets really hard to post pictures

Like you noticed, I think some of the "slowdown" is a result of the breakup of the forums that added all the separate talk sections.

ibdb wrote in post #7396199
Like you noticed, I think some of the "slowdown" is a result of the breakup of the forums that added all the separate talk sections.

Okay, I thought perhaps people are avoiding POTN during this time of recession because POTN tends to make people compulsively buy expensive things that they no longer can afford...

ibdb wrote in post #7396199
Like you noticed, I think some of the "slowdown" is a result of the breakup of the forums that added all the separate talk sections.

Yes, this is a large part of it, I think. There's also the time of year as well (with it being winter in the USA (largest contingent of users here), people aren't getting out and taking shots as much as in other seasons).

I regularly scan the forum by using the "new post" button and I don't see there's any slowdown as such, just people are participating in different ways after the restructure.

I must be spending too much time in the 5D thread because I thought this forum's level of discussion had picked up . We defy ALL TRENDS!

Forum? Discussion? Slowdown? Restructuring?

Gee, where the heck have I been?
me

MDJAK wrote in post #7399756
Forum? Discussion? Slowdown? Restructuring?

Gee, where the heck have I been?
me

Bumping your pool shot thread. :p

If you guys have nothing to do, go help out the "Kids and Family" section, eh?

T.D. wrote in post #7399820
Bumping your pool shot thread. :p

I bumped it last About 3 years after first seeing it

Since I am trapped inside most of the time now (since it is dark when I get up for work and when I return home from work), I've actually been on POTN more recently. I have not really noticed any slowdown of participation.