Is SMF losing its vigour?

[brothers]

. . . It is certainly true that SMF is quieter than it was a few years ago, and it is indeed a shame that some of our most loved and valued members no longer frequent the forum - Gordon, DrP, Trumperman to name just a few. One thing I realised recently as I have been contributing more again is just how much I missed the positive distraction from the busyness of life this place provides.

Gareth

Gareth, You've caught my sentiment exactly. That's what drew me here and now it's what I miss the most. We just keep going, hopefully.

Time will tell . . .

[Rufus]

Hope springs eternal.

[brothers]

Hypothetically of course, if there are those who seek the ongoing process of chatting and sharing, might one be tempted to explore other venues???

[John 5]

Logging in after all these years, I get that same feeling I get from hearing that theme song from 'Cheers'.

Never have I ventured into any other internet forum with such a friendly, helpful group of gentlemen such as those that gather here. The character of the atmosphere is what always keeps me coming back. For me, vigour has never been part of the equation.

[CMur12]

It's good to see you, John.

- Murray

[drmoss_ca]

Just think, instead of eight pages of mourning, we could have had eight pages of product reviews, photos of brushes and razors, or even advice on technique. In other words, the matter is in your hands. I know I've not been as active (though I have had a few other things on my plate this last few years), but I'm still here once or twice every day to kick out the spammers (the latest fashion in those from PK is to copy and paste a post from a few months back and then post it up as their first post. After I approve it—assuming I don't recognise it for what it is, and I caught on when someone posted a friendly and familiar birthday greeting to Buzz EIGHT months after his birthday—then they come in with the porn and warez links. This is presumably their playbook when they get a notice on making a first post that it will have to be approved. Evolution in action).

Do remember that Vince bought us a dedicated server at Dreamhost after all the problems we had with the board crashing back in 2010. We had best hope he doesn't notice that he's paying $100/month (and that's probably gone up in the last 13 years) for so little activity. Use it or lose it, gentlemen!

C.

[brothers]

It'd be pretty cool if he takes a notion to post every so often.

[Gene]

I can't remember the last time Vince surfaced -- I like to think he trolls the site every so often, though - wandering the halls late at night, maybe.

But the good Doc is right - that was our strength at one point. Lots of posts with people asking questions about shaving, buying/selling on Ebay, herd thinning, blade reviews (Squire and his microscopic pics) and so much more.

[brothers]

Collectively we enjoy posting photos of our shaving stuff and sharing info with each other. We even have a forum specifically designated to photography of all kinds not necessarily related to shaving. When it became no longer possible to post more than one photo per post, and even the single photo disappears shortly thereafter, it was admittedly disappointing. There used to be a member/photographer here who lived in Japan and whose work was enjoyed by the membership. All of the above is offered as food for thought regarding the possibility that membership and participation may dwindle.

[drmoss_ca]

The gallery here used to occupy a great deal of server space. Since Vince upgraded us to a dedicated server, I don't like to think about the cost, even without that kind of storage being hosted and paid for on site. A dedicated server at Dreamhost is currently $149/month....and Vince is paying that for us. So enjoy it while you can. I can give you his paypal address if you like.

C.

[brothers]

Actually I did donate more than once.
The gallery is a thing of the past, and I have all of my photos saved on my device and in the cloud, which render a feature such as the old gallery unnecessary. I've always presumed that's why it was taken down.

My experience with other forums makes me aware that there are accessories that make it as easy as 1-2-3 to select photos (single, multiple and videos) and post them accurately and effortlessly.

[brothers]

. . . There used to be a member/photographer here who lived in Japan and whose work was enjoyed by the membership.

Here's his current Blog --- http://yokosukamike.blogspot.com/

I landed on his blog by accident, this link is legitimate. He's going strong. Until today I had no idea.

[brothers]

Why would someone pay thousands of dollars over the months and years and never bother to post in his own operation. Hundreds of guys have followed his very glaring example and quit posting. The truth is that he is NOT paying for "us". He is paying for something, but clearly not for any of the hundreds of guys who have quit trying.

Goodbye SMF.jpg (5.75 KiB) Viewed 755 times

[drmoss_ca]

Why would someone pay thousands of dollars over the months and years and never bother to post in his own operation. Hundreds of guys have followed his very glaring example and quit posting. The truth is that he is NOT paying for "us". He is paying for something, but clearly not for any of the hundreds of guys who have quit trying.

Goodbye SMF.jpg

Let us hope he does not read this.