Has AO gone downhill?

[zENGER]

I decide to log into the site after two years and this is the first post I read.

Seems like a lot of people have a lot of bagage with them.

[nihil]

Yes, I think that basically the "magic" has gone out of the internet. I see the same pattern on other sites with a similar orientation as well.

Back when this site was in its infancy a 28.8 dial-up connection was cool. E-mail was in its infancy, viruses were abundant.............. hell, I can even remember when people competed to see who could write the smallest boot sector virus..............

Today, even malware is commercial, as cybercrime has become the predominant theme; and I take the view that just because something is criminal it doesn't mean that it is not commercial.

For example, I read a lot of computer security news and newsletters. In the past few years I have rarely seen anything "new" like I used to? Its all "vulnerabilities" in this, that, or the other or variations on a theme. When most of what you read concerns products you have never seen from suppliers you have never even heard of............ you can't find much material for a discussion site like this?

The "old days" are not coming back.............the World and the internet have moved on.

[JPnyc]

I've noticed a drop in Internet messageboard participation, regardless of the particular subject. I'm not speaking of ours alone, but in general. The only exception seems to be message boards associated with a sporting team. People will always want to talk and yell about their favorite sports teams.

Seems that social networking sites are now the hot item, somewhat supplanting the message board.

[MrLinus]

I've noticed a drop in Internet messageboard participation, regardless of the particular subject. I'm not speaking of ours alone, but in general. The only exception seems to be message boards associated with a sporting team. People will always want to talk and yell about their favorite sports teams.

Seems that social networking sites are now the hot item, somewhat supplanting the message board.

I'd 2nd that. There will always be a base discussion option but with Blackberries and the variety of different social networking sites as options to communicate (often at a faster pace), the "olde fashioned" forum is not as active as it once was. (I've noticed this on a few forums were posting levels have plateau'd).

[JPnyc]

Yep, MM, in fact vBulletin has seen fit to try and respond to that trend, by including some social networking features in it's latest release.

[t34b4g5]

I've noticed a few worthwhile discussions take place, but what i'm still scratching my head about is why none of these ideas have been taken from the drawing board and actually done.

The numbers here are slowly dwindling, fine we have our times were we have a regular flood of members participating, and we have those dry periods.

Well we are in one of those dry periods by the looks of things, so why not gather up the ideas and do something about it.


cheers
t34b4g5...

[JPnyc]

One thing that may help, the upgrade process has begun. Won't be too long before this forum is upgraded.

[MadBeaver]

I've been gone for three months and this thread is right where I left it.

[MrLinus]

I've been gone for three months and this thread is right where I left it.

Were you expecting it to move to another city or something??

[JPnyc]

I've been gone for three months and this thread is right where I left it.

Of course. We've been saving it for you