Why Can't This Board Attract New Members....

[My Looh]

... who post regularly?

Is it Facebook? Attitudes/agendas? Wi boring as hell? All that can be discussed has been discussed?

This portion of the site seems to be dying a slow death. If three or four of the key members were to stop posting, I think it would probably spell the end to any kind of meaningful discussions and it (the forum) would fade into obscurity.

Soh mi seeit!

[My Looh]

Visiting this site reminds me of visiting the church my parents forced me to attend as a child. Everyone so old & BITTER. No youth whatsoever to bring new life to the place.

Just an observation.

[Tropicana]

Let me take stab at this and blugiant has addressed this before. Some of the members here are mean spirited and vindictive as evidenced by what was done to Marilyn and what has been attempted against blugiant and me. I am sure there are other examples. They are allowed to continue their bullying and intimidation because they are friends with some of the moderators. In fact, moderators have joined in at times with disgusting, insulting and filthy remarks or attempts to violate privacy rights just because they don't like what someone is posting.

This plus now people taking it upon themselves to post contact information without permission and drag subjects of news stories into discussions to provoke confrontations just because they are losing an argument or not in agreement with what is posted, would not encourage any lurker to post.

I know that I will be posting a lot less and my contributions will be limited to stories from the news without comment or fluffy topics like gardening, flowers, cake decorating, baking, nail care, and cars. I suppose horses are safe but polo is iffy. Not even hair care for Black women is a safe topic as views about natural hair vs weaves could provoke an attack.

[j-kid]

There was a time wen dat question would not hav com up. Many dynamics, but in a nut shell. Di forums have become very boring.

People cant even laugh at themself anymore. Tings have become too stressful.

Oh yeah. An dem kids wid di ugly lips are back, which cause mi whole heap ah stress!

[My Looh]

Thanks for the input Tropi. You raise some valid points.

I know there have been one or two incidents which you mention that happened quite recently and views differ regarding them, and while I don't discount them as reasons why the board cannot seem to attract even ONE single new actively participating member I am talking about the steady decline of the board over the last few months/years.

Are younger Jamaicans or those with an interest in anything Jamaica who would like to communicate with other like minded individuals just not there any more?

[Emperah]

too many changes to appease certain ppl.
when eva ppl did gwaan wid dem regular jamaican ways it was upsetting ppl suh certain ppl tried dem bess fi change up tings an move furniture all bout.
Now de place tan like one old western movie.
Nw dat is de reality right dehsuh.

[Suesumba]

i think it's the growth in different social media like twitter/facebook.

[Tropicana]

Thanks for the input Tropi. You raise some valid points.

I know there have been one or two incidents which you mention that happened quite recently and views differ regarding them

My Looh yes there have been 2 recent events but the first major attempt to attack me was a long time ago and there have been others since.

Not sure when someone called blugiant's school or threatened to come to his workplace.

The attack on Marilyn was about 2 - 3 years ago if memory serves me correctly.

How could anyone new feel comfortable joining in when they see things like that?

[Emperah]

i doubt anyone new would see ar know any a wah unno a chat bout. Dats is what new is all about.

[My Looh]

There was a time wen dat question would not hav com up. Many dynamics, but in a nut shell. Di forums have become very boring.

People cant even laugh at themself anymore. Tings have become too stressful.

Thanks for the input j-kid.

My postings have decreased overall but I'm off on holidays this week so have been visiting the site regularly.

My personal experience is that I deal with so much negativity on a daily basis in my life that I use to come to jamaicans.com to excape and to read post written by people I could relate to. However, there seems to be more negativity here now than there is in my day to day life so the apeal has faded. That is just my experience.

Anyway, the site has changed, maybe for the better in the way that topics are addressed more honestly now than they once were. As far as attracting members it is not even an issue any longer IMHO. Those days are gone.

[Tropicana]

Perhaps I did not express it well Emperah. Over the years when lurkers have observed incidents like that, it would scare anyone from joining in.

Curious when you said things have been moved around to appease people and that things are less Jamaican (I am paraphrasing), what do you mean?

[j-kid]

Sue, mi would agree, except mi know other forums dat still hold members interest, an is still growing in spite of di NEW social medias out deh.

i think it's the growth in different social media like twitter/facebook.

[Emperah]

yuh nuh memba when certain yt ppl did bex wid de jamaicaness roun here ar when de chi chi man dem an de chi chi man fren dem did a rise up against nuff tings said roun here. mi kno mi get ride pan country buss ahreddy ova it.
jus like how inn dis country dem waan tek de inidan outta de indian yuh had ppl who wanted to tek de jamaican outta de jamaican.

[Tropicana]

Understood. Thanks for the clarification.

[j-kid]

Ah wah di! Smaddi did try run yuh outa town wid yuh canvas bag?

..mi kno mi get ride pan country buss ahreddy ova it.