I'm Thinking About Calling it Quits

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radare
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Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:42 pm
Location: Denver, CO
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The forum's birthday was 11/7. We have been around for 5-years, this year. In that time, we've grown into a good community, centered around our love for the XJ. In those five years, I've seen the forum move in waves, breathing, with activity peaking mid summer and lulling during the winter months. This is not unexpected given the seasonality of motorcycle riding.

Over the past year, though, I've seen something change. Participation is down. The experienced members who once made this a forum great, have moved on to better things. I realize that my own participation in this forum has wained and that I no longer love it as I once did. I realize how much this site has transitioned from a thriving community where users enjoy interaction with like-minded people, to one that is essentially an on-line mechanic's manual, where those with experience spout out the same answers to the same questions, week in and week out. Where new users, it seems, aren't here to share their love of the ride, but are here solely to ask those same routine questions. Users who don't want to read and learn for themselves, who want the answer instantly, and who don't participate in the community. To be fair, we do get new members, every once in a while, who have a great interest in the forum and wish to actively participate, but the span between them seems to grow wider with each passing month.

Attempts at boosting the site's interactions have failed. Treasure hunts. Ride challenges. The desire to get out and ride these bikes, document it and share it with those of us here, seems to be gone. Ed and I had discussed this on our recent ride and he shared these impressions. For me, this aspect was always the one of inspiration.

What do you guys think, given the direction the forum appears to be headed? Do we try and pump new life into the forum? Live with what we have? Or do we call it quits and retire it on a high note?

As always, the forum software is mine, but the content and community belong to all of us.

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