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This used to be an active place. What happened?

15K views 114 replies 53 participants last post by  somewhatshocked 
#1 ·
Really. Where has everyone gone?
 
#37 · (Edited)
I have to say I feel the same.

I don't post much because I always get the vibe that I have to wall on eggshells or else someone will ban me for, more or less, nothing So many rules. God forbid I say vendor X is a great/terrible vendor, or post an ebay link, or post after a couple of beers (I know, not posting under the influence is a rule? Good luck enforcing that. )

Like have you even looked at the rules? Most forums' rules amount to "be nice and have sense" more or less. This rules page looks like it was written by lawyers. I'm entering into a legal contract. Forum Rules - Updated December 17, 2010

Is this post against the rules? It wouldn't surprise me if it was. I was a paying member years ago. I had a for trade thread I just happened to start at the end of the month. New month started and instead of making a DUPLICATE thread with SAME info and pics, I chose to modify it from trade to sell. One of the moderators (won't say who; I'm sure I'd just be banned...) got her feathers severely ruffled by this and you would think I slapped her mother or something. Apparently they want me to past a carbon copy and double-post.

So yeah. This forum strikes me as a home-owner's association with superfluous rules, payments, etc. than a community. It's a business. It's Petguide.com forum."
- @Clinton Parsons

Also agree with this, im on my last warning for things I find aren't that bad. I certainly understand though I have done some things but im not afraid to admit it... some of the things ive been warned (or banned for) where out of this world. as if the moderator (as you, wont say who) had nothing to do so came at me when obviously there are better things on this forum to fix or correct. I also truly have to agree with you on the rules, they are extremely long and descriptive and they expect you to memorize it line by line, who would??? I just attempt to use my best behavior and a dash of common sense. But that doesn't even work...
 
#8 ·
I would think it would be difficult to post or request case specific information on Facebook. I wonder if "forums" in general are not becoming dated. However, I've gained a lot here and only wish to see it grow. I think maybe some re-designs would be helpful. For example after clicking on the algae thread there would be further options to specific algae issues. Anything to gain faster access to information really would be helpful. Also, some way to make it more interactive??? Would like to see more engagement here as well!
 
#9 ·
It is probably just a lul/people tired of answering the same questions over and over. (Do research before you post!)
I think there is some difficulty retaining people on a forum of this nature as the hobby doesn't change very quickly unless you get out of it for a few years. (Like seriously. I left for 3 years and came back to learn about Neocaridinas for the first time! To my great joy!)
Only a relative few have the funds to change stuff up all the time, so it is possible that people just get tired of posting the same thing. Just guessing?
 
#11 · (Edited)
Honestly, most people who were active on here have moved onto other forums where they are not experiencing issues with forum trolls, people who seem to never leave the house, and post 24/7, the attitudes, the snobbery, the non-stop arguing, etc etc etc, and yes being "helpful" gets tiring, and stale after awhile. Then there's the high turn over rate for the hobby.
There's also quite a high degree of runaround BS via sales threads as well, so a lot have chosen to move to other forums for that as well.
 
#14 ·
Honestly, most people who were active on here have moved onto other forums where they are not experiencing issues with mods, forum trolls, people who seem to never leave the house, and post 24/7, the attitudes, the snobbery, the non-stop arguing, etc etc etc, and yes being "helpful" gets tiring, and stale after awhile.

These are things i know are true for so many i keep contact with outside the forum. There's also quite a high degree of runaround BS via sales threads as well, so a lot have chosen to move to other forums for that as well. The fact is while you'll meet a lot of nice people in aquatic hobbies, there's also a amazingly high percentage i feel personally of extremely rude, and inconsiderate people in the hobby as well.


Preach preach ! I couldn't agree more ! Especially with the last part . I've posted on TPT , fishlore, and aquarium advice . One thing held true, I kept seeing people being rude and arrogant to other hobbyist , especially newbies. I understand why the old timers might get tired of people posting the same old questions. But if you're rude with newbies than don't be socked when you see a decline in new members ... not saying any one posting on this thread has done that, but it just seems obvious what the results will be, as well as the outcome. If you have the knowledge don't be cocky , be helpful. It's that simple ...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#15 ·
Whats stopped me from registering to this forum was the strict password requirement and being a guest and not able to look at any of the photos posted made me avoid this website. Made two accounts and forgot the password...
Never felt like registering again until now (2 years). Hopefully we can change atleast the password requirements... more strict than my bank account.
 
#16 ·
Well im a new member. At first i scanned through the threads months and months and months back. I will admit i have gained more interest in what im doing for sure. But ive posted and replied to posts a few times and they just dont get responses or the thread will end and be lost in a jumble of other random post. As far as getting answers, google works better. I came to this forum to get real responses from active enthusiast. I see this forum more as a look at peoples pictures and gain knowledge from old post. Majority of posts seem like a competition for who knows more. But then again you get multiple points of view, which can be good and bad. Id prefer more active posts and helping of members.
 
#17 ·
Part of it is the nature of the hobby. There are only a few kinds of questions that can be asked and most of the answers just throw the issue back into the asker's lap.

Q: Something's wrong, how do I fix it?
A: If it's a common problem, look it up. If not, figure it out yourself because no one knows.

Q: Can I put A with B?
A: Yes, and a quick search would have told you that. / No, and a quick search would have told you that. / No one's tried it, so you're on your own.

Q: My ______ is sick, but I don't have enough experience to diagnose it.
A: It's Common Disease XZY, treat it with Medicine ABC. / It's Incurable Disease ZXY, sorry about your first fish. / It's New Tank Syndrome, do more water changes than you have time for. / That's weird. First tell us everything you've ever done to the tank, then do a bunch of tests, then hope it doesn't die before Special Order Medicine ABC can arrive.

Q: I want to try [ambitious project]. Has anyone else done it?
A: No, because it's really hard and likely to fail. But please post pics - you'll get lots of admiring comments, but no real advice.

Q: Look at my awesome tank!
A: Wow, that tank is too awesome for me to comment more than three words! / I can see a dozen flaws but you didn't say you were open to critique. Uh, nice guppies.

Q: Which is better, A or B?
A: A is better for me, but B is good, too. You'll have to decide for yourself.

And so on.

My favorite threads are controversial topics where there's really intense discussion and you have to really think about stuff you've never considered before. But those threads are tricky to keep from blowing up. And there aren't a whole lot of topics like that in this hobby. It's very technical - either something works and there's tons of evidence for it, or it doesn't and there's a lot of evidence against it.

The next best thing is when someone makes a detailed journal of an experiment they're running and the results are completely different from what we thought would happen. But most people don't have the resources to do those experiments or they don't finish them. I loved the thread where a member just kept adding more and more ammonia to an empty tank to see how much the bacteria could process. I've been wanting to do that experiment since I got into the hobby, but I never had the time.


Another part of it is that the forum itself is pretty rigid so it hasn't kept up with the times. Look at how many site announcements/updates get made in a year - hardly any. I know they're doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work, but the stuff we actually see never seems to change. Can you fault people for leaving when the articles are outdated, the plant profiles are not very useful (WPG instead of PAR, background/midground/foreground instead of actual height, can't search by attributes, etc.), there aren't enough stickies, and the subforums are both too narrow and too broad? (There are a lot of questions that fall under more than one subforum, and some that don't seem to fit into any.)

In order for the forum to stay useful, it needs frequent tweaking. Ideally, you crowdsource it, so that the people who are bothered by a problem are the ones who help solve it (e.g. have a list of articles that need to be rewritten). But (and I may be wrong on this; I'm not as active as I used to be and things might have changed a bit) there's an attitude of "we have enough to do keeping trolls under control, if _____ bothers you that much then you can go to another forum". When the mods refuse to change anything minor because it's minor, people stop offering suggestions and the forum loses the cumulative effect of many minor improvements. Then, when they finally decide to address something, it takes a lot more effort. Instead of minor improvements made every couple weeks or months, you get a shocking overhaul every couple years or no change at all.

For example: a while back I noticed there were a couple of art threads on the forum, so in this thread I asked them to change the wording (just the wording - no code!) of the description of the photography forum to allow/encourage artists to post their art. It was shut down immediately without any room for discussion (and in the rules it says you can get suspended for arguing with mods in the forum, but they wouldn't answer my PM when I asked for an explanation). It left a very bad taste in my mouth.

I have other suggestions for improving the site, but after that experience, why would I bother?

Or like here. A member wanted to help the site by creating/expanding on a profile. When it didn't work, he asked for help and the mod said, "Unfortunately [...] some of the existing functionality has stopped to work as intended, and has not been restored so far.
If you have an interest in getting the fish and plant profiles restored, accessible, and update-able, post a thread in the "Planted Help Desk" section for the admins to respond to. Thanks!"

In other words, when the member wanted to do something to help the site and the site didn't work, instead of the mods taking notice and fixing it, they told him to make a request to maybe get it fixed. ???

Now, I admit, I know nothing about running a forum except that it is not easy. AFAIK, none of the mods are paid and they're busy fixing lot of things we never see. But it's hard not to get frustrated when the things we can see are neglected.


In a nutshell, the reason there aren't as many active users is that the hobby itself is kind of a one-man show, and this forum in particular has lost some of its usefulness.
 
#18 ·
Sound's like a bunch of whining to me.
I post when I feel like it cause I can.
I also belong to several forum's, and the slow down in activity is the norm for a few of them.
Measured opinion's are a good thing, and can and do get discussed(sometimes heatedly) and this was better for me when I came to learn.
Does I suspect get a bit tiresome when same question's are asked near daily ,and or where everything is a big Debate but it is the nature of Forum's.
Search feature for insight or answer's ahead of posting is greatly under utilized in my measured opinion.
Don't hate the player,Learn the game.
 
#20 ·
Sound's like a bunch of whining to me.
>:)


Forums are not as popular as they use to be, in general, as well! Keep that in mind. Facebook and YouTube are pretty popular compared to the 'ol pictures and text.


There are only a FEW topics I consider myself to be knowledgeable on, and those topics I voice my opinion very strongly. Aside from those, I'm just spouting nonsense and sometimes it adds to the confusion.


I will say I've posted several threads and gotten zero replies over the years. Nothing to get too ate up about. I do know posting on other's journals and having yours in your signature does help traffic. I usually check people's out when they comment on my thread.
 
#19 ·
My own interest and time spent here waxes and wanes depending on what aqua projects I'm planning on or working on. The forum and experience of others has been immensely helpful for me, but I do see a lot of very beginner questions for which the posters would be better off searching or researching it themselves very easily.

A thoughtful discussion seems to be able to bring some experienced people back out of the woodwork however.

Personally I'm entirely against posting discussions on Facebook as this hobby is to me a personal thing which I don't wish to share with everyone I know.

I had a problem with the password requirement for a while, until I managed to reset that and then autosave it so I don't need to fill it in again ever.
 
#21 ·
I think part of what people are having issues with is the number of mods to the size of the forum. There are 4 mods for the entire forum, that is a fairly small number considering the user base.
That is barely enough for keeping trolls down, much less the forum updated and micro tweaked. Maybe they need to find some more help? Just a thought. Good mods are hard to come by.
All I can say is thank you to the mods!
I have seen larger technology forums explode from overupdating/bad modding (Lost old posts and about 3/4 of user base in about 2 weeks.) and let me tell you these guys seem to be listening better than many mods i have met...
 
#22 ·
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I find the information, insight, and years of experience on this board to be extremely helpful. I find the vast majority of folks here to be thoughtful, positive, and generous with their time and knowledge.

And I don’t envy the moderators, as they walk a fine line in many cases. All in all, I think they do a great job, and allow for a pretty freewheeling discussion at times.

It occurs to me that as with most things in life, you get what you give. Try offering a kind encouraging word to someone, try responding to a question with a thoughtful reply, try liking a post you enjoyed, try posting about your successes or failures, try posting pictures of your tank………… in short, become involved.

Trust me it will change your experience on this and other forums.
 
#23 ·
+1 @Greggz

The only thing I would change here is the cumbersome process of posting pictures.

My anecdotal evidence might help this discussion. I joined this forum three years ago when I was mounting a 36 bowfront and wanted to do a Walstead tank. It went fine, and I really got some helpful advice, but the tank didn't require much of me, and so I didn't visit/post much for the next two and a half years. Recently (in October) I got the yen to again own a large tank and talked Hubs into an incredible deal on CL. I came here for advice and support and got lots of it. I feel like I have real friends and kindred spirits here. But, there was that 2-year lul... so from an overall perspective, I guess I'd agree with the ebb/flow thing. I'm a great believer in forums, and have been on those for RVs, chickens, saltwater fish, tractors, dogs, and horses. They've all been invaluable to my learning curve, but after I'm established I've not hung around much to help newbies. I guess I feel like the info they need has been answered time and again and searching is their first step. I know when I go onto a forum, searches are the first action I take. I don't want to "wear out the batteries" before I need to!

I've also tried, joined, and formed FB groups. But, I'm in agreement with @burr740. Give me a good forum full of experienced enthusiasts every time. MANY people are not on FB, and in my observation, it's the older, wiser, busier people who are not. Just my $.02!
 
#24 ·
I agree with what others have said, I usually search the site for an answer instead of posting, as most likely someone else has already posted a question similar to what I want to ask...

Also don't forget its Winter, All forums I have been apart of ALWAYS have a lull this time of year...

But actually I would say this place is fairly active? 10 posts within the last hour is quite a lot, other places I've been to have about that much a day...
 
#25 ·
I think the forum is decently well moderated, and for all it's myriad flaws, incredibly useful. I've received way more in terms of inspiration, info, and plant sales/RAOKs here than I have from other sources. My own inactivity stems from my tanks' stability, which is great for the critters but bad for discussion. Things will pick up when everyone emerges from hibernation in the spring and start their projects.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I wish I didn't have to ask already asked questions, it's just I wish to know the info as to what pertains to me. I also try and give back what I take (not always asking questions and help answering some.)

I believe the forum method is indeed outdated. However, reddit seems to be the new method when it does come to forums. I'm not too sure about facebook even that might be "dated" to go into groups.

It also seems that majority of posts get hundreds of views but only 2 or 3 comments.
 
#28 ·
Never really had a problem here. I usually find what I am looking for when I search. I've only ever witnessed one trolling event. Other than that, totally agree with @Greggz . I lurk most of the time, I will give any information that I do know. I welcome corrections and criticism. This is how I grow.
 
#32 ·
I don't post much because I always get the vibe that I have to wall on eggshells or else someone will ban me for, more or less, nothing So many rules. God forbid I say vendor X is a great/terrible vendor, or post an ebay link, or post after a couple of beers (I know, not posting under the influence is a rule? Good luck enforcing that. )

Like have you even looked at the rules? Most forums' rules amount to "be nice and have sense" more or less. This rules page looks like it was written by lawyers. I'm entering into a legal contract. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/9...8-forum-rules-updated-december-17-2010-a.html

Is this post against the rules? It wouldn't surprise me if it was. I was a paying member years ago. I had a for trade thread I just happened to start at the end of the month. New month started and instead of making a DUPLICATE thread with SAME info and pics, I chose to modify it from trade to sell. One of the moderators (won't say who; I'm sure I'd just be banned...) got her feathers severely ruffled by this and you would think I slapped her mother or something. Apparently they want me to past a carbon copy and double-post.

So yeah. This forum strikes me as a home-owner's association with superfluous rules, payments, etc. than a community. It's a business. It's Petguide.com forum.
 
#36 ·
As mentioned by others...

Snobs who ruin things for others / kill logical discussion or debate
Difficult to really give solid advice / people always just ask the same stuff anyways
Experienced posters end up giving the same advice in every thread because they are all the same. Very rarely do I see something new that intrigues me here. It is usually just the same stupid questions in "OMG HELP ME!!" threads
Tank journals are a lot of work and it has all probably been done before anyways
Lots of bad advice given... I even see mods give bad advice all the time
Terrible mod team that enforces ridiculous rules and watches the trading forums way too strictly
Garbage image hosting capability which is critical to informative post / receiving the best advice



Basically this
 
#33 ·
The lull in activity is typical for most "old fashioned" forums. People are moving in droves to social media like FB.

BUT...the problems are the same there, too. People are not open to any new information and stick to their old methods (even if those are outdated). And heavens forbid someone should try to provide some real facts, or correct someone's info....they're stamped as "know-it-alls" and accused of being rude, arrogant etc etc. So...better to keep one's mouth shut ?

On social media, information is more or less lost as soon as a day has gone by. On forums like TPT, information is readily available to anyone for years. It is a vauable database for any true aquarist, imo.
 
#34 ·
I prefer forums for the archiving and more in-depth discussion. As for the problems with rude know-it-alls vs. the Clueless Newb, I've seen that on Facebook and YouTube, too. But PlantedTank not being "busy?" Maybe my impressions are distorted by not having been active here as long as many, or by how moribund other forums such as APC or Aquaria Central are, but this place seems busy to me. I go away for a few days and come back to ten pages of new posts. And most here have been very helpful.
 
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