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Author Topic: This Forum is quiet.  (Read 8385 times)

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Offline RyDiddy

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This Forum is quiet.
« on: November 19, 2017, 01:40:18 AM »
It’s sad to see the state of this forum.  This place used to be the pinnacle of the saber community, but the restrictive rules of the forum destroyed creativity and pushed the best people out with the crackdown from the admin staff on the rules from Yoda/Michael Murphy, who has barely logged in over the past 5 years except to promote ebay auctions.

The last several runs have been a bust, some of which have been trailing on for several years without even any progress pics. 

You can barely even post anything here anymore without Jay Gon posting the forum rules and PM’ing you to change your thread.  The moderators are barely even logging on and even the admins flake out on their commissions they request. This place is a ghost town, and it used to be the best place in the hobby. 

R.I.P. Fx-Sabers Forum
« Last Edit: November 20, 2017, 06:24:20 AM by DARTH VADER »

Offline Paul Lanski

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2017, 03:15:22 AM »
Most of the biggest saber companies are really active on their personal facebook pages now, and the community is far more active on facebook pages like 'the vault'. I think that has something to do with it as well. Internet forums are becoming obsolete.

Offline Grigoris

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2017, 09:31:40 AM »
Yes, the rise of FB groups has had a big impact. But people are still using forums, such as the RPF, TRA... There may be more reasons that people are leaving this one as indicated in the previous post. For me, I would hope the forum UI is revamped - it seems dated without basic functions of other forums. I hope this forum survives. It would be a shame to see it fade away.

Offline bombarta

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2017, 09:53:58 AM »
Totally agree Rydiddy. I log on now every day in hope it may become a place I like visiting again but, as you said to many self serving rules. Forum's aren't obsolete, TRA is booming with new members and has runs all the time and are a permanent source of information not available on social media and which certain shops would not want to tell you via their pages.
I don't know, i gotta bad feeling about this!
       

Offline Maverick Hunter

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2017, 10:04:40 AM »
After a long absence from the hobby I'm back and noticed the same thing. Last time I was here was just a few years ago and it was full of life and at any given time there would be at least 30+ members online. It does seem like a ghost town now and that's a shame. I checked out those facebook pages and although they have quite a few members (VV approaching 14000) I didn't like what I saw. First post that came up was people arguing over a transaction and everyone just picking sides and even calling each other names! Next couple posts down and some guy was calling someone else the "B" word. Definitely seemed like an unruly bunch and an unkept method of managing things. Other than that it was just people trying to sell their "random" $200 sabers. The place just didn't seem like my cup of tea. Oh well. :sad:

Offline Yoda

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2017, 10:10:53 AM »
I am sorry you feel that way RyDiddy

I will say the diversity of social media has certainly caused the community
to become spread thin across a lot of sites.
Yes there are other factors to consider in the grand scheme of things such
as when photobucket pulled the image plug on everyone it turned a lot of
places that had an archive of information with supporting images into text
only libraries and this has made places like Facebook more appealing because
you can host you images there.

There are some other issues that I have been told contribute to it as well
but that is another matter. :rolleyes:

I have been wanting to make changes to the rules and other aspects and have
talked with others about changing some things.

I get mixed opinions when it comes to rules and selling etc... however the
Forum is here for the Fans and I would like to hear our members opinions
and suggestions as to what you would like to see changed and improved.

The selling rules have been in place to help protect people when buying
from someone they don't actually know over the internet but times have
certainly changed so by all means...

If you have a problem or disagree with a particular rule please post
your solution / suggestion / recommended revision to those rules so
I can discuss it with others and implement changes the community wants
to see appropriately in order to better serve everyone.

I hope to hear people thoughts so we can do what must be done. :cool:

MTFBWY
always
YODA
 :yoda:



Offline Yoda

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2017, 10:49:24 AM »
Quick note on the business promotion and selling rules...

Our rules have been in place for the reason of allowing the community to get to know you and trust you.

Asking that a someone who wants to be a manufacturer or builder to any extent that you take someones
money in exchange for an item or service first...

Sell a minimum of 10 ready made items to prove you have good quality and can follow through with
customers that order form you.

Be present for a given amount of time so that customers can trust you and become familiar with you.

In a nut shell that is what the selling rules are meant to do but if they are to much to ask or are
being misconstrued and or presented improperly certainly let me know what would be a better way to
go about doing it and we will look into making changes appropriately.

MTFBWY
always
YODA



Offline Darth Smorgis

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2017, 11:58:19 AM »
For me, it is the Absence of the Core group of Moderators and Manufacturers / Guild members.  This forum and its members have taken a major back seat to the new flock of saber enthusiasts.  We are still here and holding on to the hope that one day we will be heard and considered as customers like the facebook groups.  It is disappointing that information is not posted here reguarding Major runs and Updates.  Instead we have to track down information through these Facebook groups.  And this information is not being shared here on this forum from our very own Guild Members who are the “meat & potatoes” of this forum.  Personally, I feel like if some of the guild members no longer want the privilege and responsibility of keeping this place Alive then they should step aside so to speak and let others who will have the best interest of this forum step up.  It is inderstandable that some manufacturers have outgrown this forum, but I find it disrespectful to keep us members who have supported this hobby from the beginning sitting on the back burner while they are conducting business elsewhere.

No disrespect, just my personal and honest feelings on this matter.

Edit:
I still log in on a daily basis and have nothing but fond memories of this forum and its members.  Also, am thrilled that the members who have become successful are thriving on their own.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2017, 12:02:06 PM by Darth Smorgis »


Offline bombarta

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2017, 12:09:53 PM »
Exactly Smorgis and I conveyed basically the same thing to Yoda too.
I don't know, i gotta bad feeling about this!
       

Offline RyDiddy

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2017, 12:21:01 PM »
I definitely agree with you, Smorgis.

I felt like the new generation of manufacturers were suppressed here, and as a result they went elsewhere and sadly this place is now dwindling because of it.

Offline Darth Chasm

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2017, 12:32:17 PM »
I’ll just throw it out there that newcomers, whether buying, selling, or just posting pics they are proud of, are not always made to feel welcome either. Which in turn, makes them seek community elsewhere.

Offline Scorpion

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2017, 12:43:32 PM »
Yeah I can’t help but notice the same things here lately it’s been very slow/quiet on here and I do agree with what darth smorgis said without the core saber builders and saber runs there is little reason to keep people coming back for updates and things and slowly things have dwindled and now with 90% of the historic pictures gone because of photobucket I don’t see it improving,
There’s just no “wow” anymore there used to be awesome saber build logs and runs and cf upgrades/updates it was great once and very busy, is it  time for a reeboot of fx sabers?.
I have been here for the longest time and seen moderators come and go, I used to log in like 4 or 5 times a day but now it’s more like 3 to 4 times a week

Things I would like to see are a live chat box
The ability for fx sabers to host pictures so the whole potobucket thing doesn’t happen again and how about some links/updates to some of these saber runs that are happening ?


JQ SABERS MASTER ORGUS DIN CFX
JQ/LDM/MH GK3 OBI-WAN KENOBI Proffie
JQ MASTER REPLICAS LE SIDIOUS CONVERSION CS3
JQ~OM AWESOMESAUCE MAUL STAFF DUAL CFv7
LDM MKVI LUKE SKYWALKER ROTJ REVEAL CFv6
JQ SABERS OBI-WAN EP4 ANH (RUSSREP)CSV4
FX SABERS VINTAGE GRAFLEX IV ANH CFv5
FX SABERS VINTAGE GRAFLEX V ESB CFv5
JQ SABERS OBI-WAN REVEAL AOTC CS3.0
JQ~VV STARKILLER #2 RUN1 CFv6 cex
JQ~OM ANAKIN "Skinnyflex" CS3
JQ~TRIDCLOUD ANAKIN AOTC CFv7
SC~VV QUIGON JINN #2 CFv5
OM OBIWAN TPM #2 CFv5
JQ SABERS LUKE ROTJ CFv4
JQ~korbanth DOOKU CS2
JQ~korbanth SIDIOUS CS2
JQ SABERS Kylo Ren CS3
LINK TO MY SABERS

Offline bombarta

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2017, 12:55:38 PM »
And it's horrible how it takes a thread like this for members to actually bother posting a comment on the forum. ( guilty as charged ) but then there hasn't exactly been a lot to comment about.
I don't know, i gotta bad feeling about this!
       

Offline Maverick Hunter

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2017, 12:58:04 PM »
My thoughts exactly Bombarta. I knew something was off when I noticed some of the guild members haven’t logged on to the site in months. In the case of Starkiller nearly a year now!

Offline RyDiddy

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Re: This Forum is quiet.
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2017, 01:09:38 PM »
At this point, I wouldn’t be comfortable joining a run here and depositing my money.  The TFU2 run is almost 4 years in, black mamba is at 4 years, and the Obi ROTS run at 3 years.

Even when an admin here contacted me and commissioned something from me he simply stopped responding even after I built it for him.  I was out all the time and money I expended for him.  If the shoe was on the other foot and someone had done that to one of the mods/admins I’m sure they would be banned or blacklisted. Apparently the rules here aren’t in place to protect all of us.

 

retrousse