Quiet times.

Im admin on another forum and mod on a few others and I have noticed a massive decline of forum posts over the last few years.

I suspect platforms like Facebook have taken away the majority of users. but now with the likes of tiktok and the part time mum crafters with their cricut machines it’s getting worse.

I have noticed a decline in posts here also.
There is a wealth of information here and almost every question has been answered 50 times over so I can understand there will be lurkers or leeches whatever you call them.

But being a Reddit member for years I am still to see a decline, it’s basically a forum for everything.

So who’s Also seen a decline?

I think it's a case of 'Video killed the Radio Star,' where 'Video' is the new, all-singing, all-dancing Social Media, and the old Radio Stars are the forums.

Most people looking for information start off with a Google Search, which is more likely to take them to social media outlets than a forum. However, I think even social media may take a knock once AI gets into full swing. Even now, an AI ChatBot such as ChatGPT4 can answer practically everything you throw at it. Ok, they're not perfect yet by any means (in my own tests I have found GPT4 to be biased in some areas and also gets many mathematical queries wrong), but it's only a matter of time. Their abilities are expanding exponentially and are off the chart compared to what they were even a few weeks ago!

Not that I'm the world's greatest AI fan though. Although I find it fascinating, useful and amusing, I'm also fully aware that continuing down this track could end human civilisation as we know it, and I don't make that remark lightly.

I may be living in the past but I still much prefer forums to anything else out there.

The whole AI debate scares me.

Reading some news stories where the chatbot has tried to intimidate the user and even threaten them!
if this was let loose I think we would be in the s*** pretty quick.

When forum members start answering questions with 'search the forum - it's already been answered' people tend to walk away and look elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by pw66

When forum members start answering questions with 'search the forum - it's already been answered' people tend to walk away and look elsewhere.

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Also true.
I have been looking for help elsewhere about my car and rather than an answer I got “try to search for your answer” like I hadn’t already tried that.

courtesy goes a long way as do manners.

I’ve also seen a decline. I used to be very active on forums like this, mostly photography forums back then. Then facialbook reared it’s head and forums took a back seat.

however, in my opinion, you do not get the same level of help on there. I am a crafter (with a Cricut, sorry) and belong to groups with so called experts. You ask a question, and you a dozen answers, but mostly they contradict each other. Some questions honestly..

anyway my point is, I can’t be the only one who is now thoroughly sick of social media and looking up forums again. I think they’ll get popular again, unless AI takes over the world and annihilates us all

I've debated moving the forum more towards social media and avoided ithus far.

Obviously the knowledge base built up here is invaluable which can't happen on Facebook.

Over the years I've joined many groups on FB to get advice etc. I can honestly it is very rare that I get any help withy posts on there. Car groups are the worst, I simply get sarcastic responses to genuine questions and no help whatsoever.

I'm at the point where I'm also sick and tired of belonging to groups that offer no help.or support and can't even be friendly. The general response is you should already know how to do that!

Perhaps we can be part of the shift back to forums from social media. I'm always happy to hear from members with ideas and have a few of my own for the future.

I always thought Facebook should be great for quick answered to problems but so far that hasn't been my experience. If I can find some of the entertaining responses to genuine questions I've posted I will lol.

In the meantime if anyone here would like to know what Sublimation is, what printer to use and so on, the helpful answers are already here or feel free to ask, we won't treat you this way!

So, I have basically stopped using facebook, moved over to reddit a lot more for specialist interests (like the laser cutter etc), and more direct for the social side of thing (whatsapp etc) I used to use 10 or so forums, now down to one really, this one!

I’m not on Facebook and never will be.
There are only a few forums I frequent this being one of them.

Twitter or x has died a death and Instagram well that’s now a clone of tiktok and tiktok is full of shit posting with fake videos and look at the secret door we found like for part 2.

Everywhere I look now it’s all click baiting.
This has to be the only forum I have been on with helpful answers without the sass.

As for this post I have cancelled eBay and Etsy as the fees were just insane.
I have moved along the directions of improving my seo and using Instagram to get to my demographic and that has paid off for me.
Slow times? Yes but as are most seeing the cost of living issues.

If FB had a better implentation of groups, to be have an option more like how this forum works - more organised into sections/topics, with theads it would work as a worthy replacement.

Hello, I'm a bit of a lurker on here but just wanted to say how helpful I have found this forum. I was one of those mums with a Cricut, but my business grew and I'm also an embroiderer, as well as still doing vinyl printing. I have dabbled in sublimation and now my youngest is in nursery I'm making some big decisions about the direction my business is going in. This forum seems friendlier than a lot of the fb groups and I hope to be a little bit more active here now I know which direction I'm going in :)

Thank you Gem, kind words. I mentioned earlier in the thread about working with Facebook, the last few months have helped me confirm my decision not to. I am so fed up of posting questions just to be criticised for not being an expert on matters and find most if not all FB groups unfriendly at the best of times. We're bucking the trend and staying with a forum.

Aside from the unfriendliness of FB groups, things move quickly in them and it can be hard to find the relevant information. I like how this forum is organised and I've found a lot of really helpful information here. I first registered a long while ago, but hadn't posted. I actually stumbled across the forum again recently when looking for information on mug presses and when I tried to register it said I already had! :) There are groups on FB that are really cliquey, but I can't see anything like that on here, so thank you :)

Exactly, we have a wealth of information which can be searched any time, answers don't just come and go. Lol, I know what you mean about cliquey FB groups ;-)

Staying as a forum gets my vote.

Whenever I have looked at facebook groups questions have usualy been answered with either very unhelpful posts (from people with very little knowledge) or by vendors/service engineers trying to sell their goods or services. I have answered a few questions in the past on FB but never entirely sure if the OP has even revisited the site.

Not entirely comfortable with given Zuckerberg so much access to my data.

Forums tend to be much more helpful. Posters tend to have actively logged onto the forum as opposed to be answering rnadom posts that have shown up on their feeds.

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Originally Posted by Mrteajunkie

I’m not on Facebook and never will be.

I have moved along the directions of improving my seo and using Instagram to get to my demographic and that has paid off for me.
Slow times? Yes but as are most seeing the cost of living issues.

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Is that via posts or reels? I understand you culd do the same thing with shorts in youtube if its reels.
the user has noo control over either so they pop up all over randomly.

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Originally Posted by GoldRapt

Is that via posts or reels? I understand you culd do the same thing with shorts in youtube if its reels.
the user has noo control over either so they pop up all over randomly.

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A mix of posts reels and story.
I have a nice follower base so it helps massively.
though my work is actually focused towards one main brand.

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Originally Posted by Mrteajunkie

though my work is actually focused towards one main brand.

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Tell us more :biggrin:

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Originally Posted by GoldRapt

Tell us more :biggrin:

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Im licensed to use a brands logo and images for their employees benefit.
To be honest no one else would want what I make.

for example if it was Costa or MacDonald’s.
I have the rights to make for any of the franchise owners…. clothing, signs, promotional goods and whatever else they need branded.