Why is their less activity on the Open forum?

Without quantifying it with numbers, it seems to me like the amount of activity (threads and replies) is way down on the open forum of this site. I'm curious as to what's going on.

Is it that the party has moved elsewhere and I just didn't get an invite?

Is the signal to noise ratio too low (too many internet sailors)?

Have the political threads disuaded those who are only interested in coming here for sailing from participating?

Chris.

I'd like to think that the decreased traffic is because more people are out sailing. I know I'm ready to get back out there.

Chris,

traffic typically dies out around here in the NA summer months.

Come winter - people will have cabin fever.

i found that even pre-spring the threads were getting less traffic.

i am not sure why, but it is so "dry" that i have become active on the drill baby/spill baby.. and i hate politics

Traffic is down on Facebook, too. It's because people are so busy with so many activities -- especially people with kids.

And speaking of Facebook, a lot of sailors seem to be on there, and posting pretty regularly.

Mary, what statistics are you quoting when you say traffic on FB is down?

Facebook is the tool of Satan.

When the apocalypse is upon us - The first question they'll ask at the pearly gates is "did you have a facebook account?"

If yes, elevator down.

hahah.... why is FB evil Tad?
how is it worse than any other social media?

They're all evil.

Facebook is evil because it attempts to breakdown the physical interaction between people.

And because its full of nothing but drunken teen idiots.

Oh and you know - that Facebook was founded by a bunch of nerdy dudes because they wanted girls to upload pictures of their boobs?

Yeah. Its soooo worth being a part of.

Someone needs a friend request...

Your just wrong John.

hahah (JW)...

Yes Tad, i am sure it was made by geeks (aren't you one, and aren't you friends with the coder?)


and how is seeing girls boobs a bad thing? It's human nature, and imprinted in our genes (didn't you post a nice chest shot after the tybe? and didn't we all enjoy that?

the entire web reduces face to face interaction.... just ask my cyber gf

I have reconnected with dozens of my old schoolmates, old navy pals, and even some x-gf's... and my life is much richer because of it. I had 100 friends wish me happy b-day on FB which made me feel very good...

Lastly... but you are very active on this forum (which is a social media).., see you in hell ...

*snif snif* did someone leave the stove on?

Yes.

FB improves virtual contact and is a tool for global integration. Like this forum, it provides a tool to be a citizen of the world instead of an enclosed neighborhood.

The guy who invented the wheel would be a good friend of the bums who invented FB - he was too lazy to carry things in his back...

Okay a bunch of guys put together some webpages that encourage the ladies to post pictures of their boobs and this is a bad thing? Is it the lack of sausage that has you upset? Oh wait, you drive a 20, nevermind.

Oh for the record, I was going to hell long before FB was on the scene and I have the emails to proove it.

I think this forum, FB, and any other site that doesn't contain boobs to be a slight against God, and a Hell worthy tresspass. Sure this is fun, but lets get back to what the internet is really for: pornography.

I'm not sure why you think the origination of Facebook is a bad thing.

I betcha that the wheel was invented so he could somehow see some boobs. It drives the male part of the world.

There was a time when "wheels" really meant back seat.

Clearly not the entire male world Jake, geeze you can be so insensitive sometimes.

Flummaster, I think the way this thread has been derailed gives you a good indication...everything degenerates to junior high banter.

Sometimes it appears that sailing has taken a back seat to every other topic...when you start crowding out meaningful discussions on meaningful sailing related topics with nonsense, the people who really have something valuable to contribute simply leave...it's similar to an invasive species being introduced to a lake full of bass, after a short time all the bass are gone and all you are left with are catfish (pun intended).

To make my point...at this time there are 1294 posts for a thread called "test" and 7,159 posts for a thread called "Drill Baby Drill" Sorry if this offends some but do you think those that are "actually acomplishing something with their life" are engaged in such drivel?

If it were true there's more internet sailors, than actual sailors, post quantities wouldn't change much because of seasons, unless...those internet sailors are just spending more time at the beach, not sailing mind you,they're looking at boobs!

You haven't been on SA lately have you?

Maybe its an indication of people maturing, (in a sailing/skill sense), most of the sailing related discussions are pretty good and informative. Not to many dumb questions anymore.

and it is summer.

Does SA still have their Friday at the Beach thingey?

I agree that many threads degenerate to a lowest common denominator.... boobs

I would add

I believe the silly proliferation of forums highlight the idea that classes are engaged in this epic battle to cannibalize another class's sailors.

The number of special interest forums has diminished the cat racing community by defining and splitting off groups and sending them off into small paranoid corners. What's the point of an A class forum? What is so unique about the issues, skills, techniques of sailing an A class to warrant their own forum. I would argue that any single handed racer would be able to contribute to many threads... However when you put it in the A class Forum, I bet some people decide to NOT contribute.

Worse still, the separate forums allow the fragile and tender ego's to take their toy's and go home.... or attempt to throw someone out of the "THEIR" sandbox. Contribute to the F16 threads and prepare to fend off the complaint... you don't own an F16.... shut up... leave us alone. The attitude just carries over to the other forums.

All in all the community is diminished... the conversation then degenerates into drill baby drill... or boobs or personal attacks. Why bother?

I would venture to say that these traits appear in all manner of genre on the internet... music, arts, sports, technology, etc.

And what's wrong with boobs? They are often the first thing we see in life (most of us were born with our eyes closed, and I'll leave it at that ). Form and Function, art and engineering all becoming one....

Yes, the art of conversation (brevity, especially) is dying. The "roadblocks" to saying what you really think are removed by the anonimity of the internet, and this fosters not only dysfunction but (ironically) societal alienation.

So go log on to WOW or second life and pretend you exist. I'm headed to watch the sunset at the beach (sans tar balls, thank goodness) and just listen to what the rest of nature has to say. It's great this time of year. T-storms usually clear up at 19:00, and the clouds produce dramatic hues of color. Still waiting to see the green flash, though...

Wanna do "Summerset" with me? We can go annoy the big boats.

I'd be all over that. Saw a cruising cat reaching southbound one afternoon and had a strong urge to swim after it.

I'm even tempted to rent one of those waves sitting on the beach just to get a fix... Too bad those rental jockeys have no idea how to set the boat up. One guy said the only reason the sail was up correctly was because the hotel logo was straight. They had no idea there was supposed to be a mainsheet

Summerset isn't until Labor Day. I have the boat here if you want to try it this weekend.

Hey Mark,
Shut up you over sensitive,socialist, man-boob having douchenozzle. It does appear that I've covered all of your pre-requisites in my personal attack,and quite enjoyed it, so you may be on to something there.

that was helpful.

It's about time you showed up! Don't tell me you got a job.

I thought I was on your gayass ignore list. If I'm not don't read my posts. Got it. Good.

Nope, No Job. just got bored with the political drivel.

Fixed it for ya.

j

Multiple Choice Question
Possible Answers

A) Post to internet Forums

B) Peruse Internet Forums looking for Pictures of Boobs

C) Play with REAL (Female) Boobs

D) None of the above

I Pick (C) Now you know why my post count is the second lowest one on this thread.

Hey hey hey....that was unnecessary.

Agree completely, using Facebook, MySpace, etc as replacement for real human contact is lame, lazy, and stupid. The real value in life is in real human interaction.

I'm just curious but my profession has tried to forbid the use of any of the social networking sites. Myspace, Facebook, etc. The reason given is that it is communication unable to be supervised and quite often it is used as a marketing tool. I have to have a different computer and a different email address entirely to participate in even this forum. Because I operate an office in my home as well they "suggest" no one in the family also have a facebook/myspace account.

You may have noticed that as I participate on Drill Baby Drill I will not bring my profession into the conversation. I'd like to many times but it is a violation and there are stories of problems arising from seemingly innocent conversations.

HOWEVER.....they have never said anything about looking at boobs .................... hmmmmmm.

My summer is mostly spoken for.

Anyone else have restrictions about the usage of Facebook and the like, professionally?

No statistics. I was just referring to my own little Facebook neighborhood.

Such as shoeing someone right in the jimmies. You just can't do that on facebook.

almost everyone in my office is on fb, yahoo, youtube, etc. mostly for marketing our companies.. but some personal use as well. pretty lax and unregulated.

of course social media does not replace human interaction, it is like a phone.. a tool to communicate...

i recently saw some quote where 40% of newlyweds met online... not a bad way to meet (better than at a bar, drunk) but also has drawbacks (the "girl" you are chatting with could be a big fat greasy guy from Wisconsin, or worse).

my reasons i am so active are:
a. my quest to learn more about sailing, rigging, etc.
b. i want/need an entertaining distraction at the office (i rarely post from out of the office)

<**** range (north of you) Saturday, but might be able to sneak out sometime this weekend if your schedule permits....

Spot on Bill, nudie bars are the way to go.

HA!

As Ding is fond of saying "single moms need your money, too". Always draws a laugh here!

It's a good cause how can you not support it?

agreed! although they don't seem to appreciate the dollar coins as much as I do....

It's not a game of "quarters"... or is it?

I think you've struck upon a clever marketing idea... A pair of safety goggles is about all it'd take, and you've opened up a whole new aspect of that business...