Is forum losing members?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

But Fea...what about vintage?

I will never turn down a gift of jewelry from my grandma's jewelry box from the days of old. Very Galadriel and Arwen...

I wonder if it's possible to set aside some vintage posts for the elucidation of generations of 'Downers to come...

I know a few members have toyed with the related idea of creating threads containing the best posts of days or weeks...

I have in mind, more specifically, creating an internal canon of all of the Barrowdowner history and literature that one should know to be a truly educated wight.

[Hakon]

This site is like a goldmine for a book. I mean like someone could write a book about this site. The history of the downs with real quotes or top discussions of the downs transcribed into book form for the first time. I have a few other ideas.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

I have in mind, more specifically, creating an internal canon of all of the Barrowdowner history and literature that one should know to be a truly educated wight.

Umm... Fea... An "internal canon"? Are we aiming to get the old members back by restarting the canonical Armageddon?

Let's just push the big, red, button labelled "Canonicity" and watch the huorns march to war. I'll be in my bunker, aiming at can(n)on-fodder.

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

As I always say, you're only as old as the fashion you wear.

In this case, I am looking to be, at the youngest estimate, about 120 years, with good reason to call myself 1300.

[Nogrod]

I wouldn't be worried.

I'm an elder and a relative newbie at the same time.

I joined the 'Downs on January 06 and I will be 42 before this year comes to an end. I joined because my daughter Lommy talked me into it - and it has been a very good decision indeed. I have not only had a good time playing werewolf, writing RPG's and discussing questions of varied nature with interesting and lovely people - but I have actually gained a number of new friends some of which I have been priviledged to meet also in person.

Even with my limited experience (too old a generation) I can agree with the few raising the point already: this feels like a community and the general mood is that of friendship and joviality - unlike on some other forums. The relatively small scale is just a positive factor here! And that I think is also behind the fact that in the end so many former 'Downers do after all come back. So why don't you look at the situation from that angle as well?

We have a host of new 'Downers every year - some of them staying, some of them leaving pretty rapidly. Only time will tell who of them stay and who will not. But I have seen many coming and leaving and many coming and staying - and make no mistake about it, it's the nice people who stay.

Everyone staying is an add on to the 'Downer community. And like in life there has to be renewal. We oldies should help and welcome the newer ones to take their place in here - and then by the time replace us.

Even if I think I'm playing werewolf at least into when I'm 80.. and give me an ethical-theological subject relating to Tolkien and I will sure be in if I just have time to read through the earlier discussion...

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Are we aiming to get the old members back by restarting the canonical Armageddon?

Yes.

I'm hoping to see who proposes each addition to the Barrowdowns Legendarium: the author, or the audience.

[Hakon]

What was this canonical Armageddon?

[Boromir88]

My first experience with an on-line community was the 'Downs, long before I knew Facebook existed or I cared about any of those types of sites. It's interesting that when Facebook kind of became the on-line community thing, I switched to that, and de-activated the account I had on myspace (I saw no point in having both of them, I am sorry if anyone on here does ). But through all that, it's been the 'Downs where I've stayed. Despite anything that's happened, sometimes busy sometimes just need a bit of different', the other forums I've gone to, the 'Downs has been the place.

The reasons to not have an off-tolkien forum where we could talk about things considered as 'idle chat' is understandable, but there are advantages and disadvantages. Of course we have the ability to PM whatever we want to, but I don't come here to talk about politics, or the best restaurants, or what's going on in the world. Like others have said, that's probably the advantage of Facebook, not to chat with the people I see regularly, but to chat with people I have met here, or elsewhere.

With that being said the 'Downs was the first, and always will be the first...occassionally I need a break from whatever I'm doing here, but the great thing about this place is it doesn't seem like a chore. Don't really know how else to put it, but I don't ever feel like the 'Downs is a waste of time. I can post in whatever threads, and get involved in whatever I want to here. Even if I get asked to do something it never feels like I'm being "dragged" into something I didn't want to do in the first place.

And Facebook...that just gets oh sooo tedious. I have piles and piles of apps, and games, and requests, gathered up over the months...and all these updates. You can't say "no" without getting 3 or more requests for the same thing, and it is just a pain to go through and delete everything. Not only that but, I made the mistake of having all the notifications sent to my e-mail, and then I'd have to go and delete the plethora of facebook messages just saying "so and so commented on your post." I probably spent about 5 years of my life deleting (and then deleting a second time) all the messages from facebook. Luckily, I finally dropped the lazy and requested nothing get sent to my e-mail. But still, that place just gets tedious, you can't say "no" (if I get another "Join my Mafia" request I will take a bite out of my laptop).

All that above, well I don't have to worry about any of it on the Barrowdowns.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Hakon

What was this canonical Armageddon?

"Canonicity': The Book or the Reader?, courtesy of Fordim Hedgethistle.

On a night when insomnia weaves her insistent spell, it would be an interesting experience for the newer members of the Downs to check out the back threads in Books and some of the other fora (The word previously used here for 'forums.' It's an in joke. If you get it, you'll understand some of the past days of the Downs. )

[Hakon]

I will read through the thread when I get the chance. I think a lot of the older threads are really interesting from what I have seen.

[Bêthberry]

Seeing as it's summer, I wouldn't exactly rush over there if I were you. But come winter when some cold dark night you are trapped indoors, you might find a ghost or two there, or some horror show that chills your blood.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

On a night when insomnia weaves her insistent spell, it would be an interesting experience for the newer members of the Downs to check out the back threads in Books and some of the other fora (The word previously used here for 'forums.'

I actually enjoy digging out old threads (though sometimes the html code makes one's eyes bleed) and bringing them to the present. Not only does one realize that many ideas are already in thread form in the forum, but from the comments within the threads, the community that was present even back then - and from nicks you've never seen before.

Life, even here, didn't start when I showed up.

[LadyBrooke]

Originally Posted by alatar

I actually enjoy digging out old threads (though sometimes the html code makes one's eyes bleed) and bringing them to the present. Not only does one realize that many ideas are already in thread form in the forum, but from the comments within the threads, the community that was present even back then - and from nicks you've never seen before.

Life, even here, didn't start when I showed up.

It's the same for me. Not just on here but on all the message boards I post on, I love digging up and resurrecting old threads. As forum members come and go, I often find that somebody no longer posting on the boards has a viewpoint that I never would of thought of and haven't seen posted in more recent discussions.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by alatar

Life, even here, didn't start when I showed up.

Or, sadly, when I showed up either!

And, presumably, it will continue when we--excluding the Admins who keyed this place into being--are no longer here.

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

"Canonicity': The Book or the Reader?, courtesy of Fordim Hedgethistle.

On a night when insomnia weaves her insistent spell, it would be an interesting experience for the newer members of the Downs to check out the back threads in Books and some of the other fora (The word previously used here for 'forums.' It's an in joke. If you get it, you'll understand some of the past days of the Downs. )

Not sure that The Thread That Must Not Be Named is the best place for newcomers to start. I had a read through of it myself not too long ago and nearly hurt myself. But I did resist the urge to post to it....which is a shame cause I thought of a few really good arguments with which to devastate davem's position(s)... Perhaps I should put them up...

[*Large Wightish hand appears and drags Fordim away*]

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

[*Large Wightish hand appears and drags Fordim away*]

*drags back*

Fordim!

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

Perhaps I should put them up...

You really, really should put them up--I've been agitating for a Canonicity match all summer.

Besides which... FORDHIM!!! I'd gladly get into an argument on the Canonicity of Crazy Captions if you post.

*helps Fea tug Ford(h)im back*

[HerenIstarion]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

. Perhaps I should put them up...

Do so And yours truly may be lured out of the shadows too :J

[Thinlómien]

Yes, it is a bit sad how members come and go - and how some of them just get stuck, like me. I didn't use to be very active, but since I became a more active member in late 2005, I was lost, probably for ever. I'm sure there'll be busier times in my life - like near future, probably - but I have the feeling something will always drag me back here. And I wouldn't be too sad of people like Roa, Oromin, SPM or Aman disappearing - anyone who has devoted hours upon hours to this forum and shared their life with all the wonderful people here are bound to be back sooner or later. I remember times when Form and Fea, for example, were rather inactive and I thought it quite sad but now they have both been properly back for a while. It's good. (Not to mention people like Brinn or Inziladun who disappeared even before I joined or became an active member and who are back now.) And now that we have facebooks etc you can even keep in touch with the inactive 'downer friends. So, everybody, don't worry, be happy.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

I have in mind, more specifically, creating an internal canon of all of the Barrowdowner history and literature that one should know to be a truly educated wight.

Go for it, Fea! That might be a fun way to create interest at a slow time of the year, and I'd definitely like to see what you consider worth rereading.

It's interesting how the questions of age and length of membership seem to come up lately. One of the great advantages of virtual communication is that such barriers are not raised at the outset of communication and may break down completely later. Let me add one related aspect:

Some of you hesitate to tell your age because you fear that being young means you could not be taken seriously. The same fear holds true in the opposite case. There are those of us, like myself, who belong to the older generation of this forum and hesitate to tell their age because they think perhaps young people wouldn't be interested in what they have to say if the teens knew they're as old as (perhaps even older than ) their parents.

We've had few family members of two generations here, though the most known family (Nogrod, Lommy and Greenie) has been a wonderful example of how that can work very well. This is a very rare online community, being open to newcomers and close-knit as internet friends simultaneously. I for one appreciate that atmosphere and hope that it will continue for as long as people want to experience that connection.