It depresses me

[PancaKe]

To see so many old threads. And so little activity.

Yes I know, everyone is grown up, everyone is busy, nobody has time to post topics let alone replies on a pokemon forum that they used to frequent when they were younger. It still depresses me though!

I remember a long time ago I never ever had the balls to post in Misc. I don't know why, I guess I just thought that I didn't have any thing people wanted to talk about. But now I guess it seems that nobody really has anything they want to talk about.

So, just so this thread has a point, and so that we're all kept happy because everyone is obeying forum rules, share with everyone why you haven't been posting, what's been keeping you busy, and why perhaps you shy away from posting topics if you do shy away from posting topics, or why you post lots of topics if you do.... things along those lines.






I've been doing uni work. And lots of stuff happening at church.
Those are my only excuses. Pokemon forums clearly need a higher priority in my life.... *cough*

[Drago]

Oh Tara dear, you really shouldn't be bringing up the harsh reality of things... I kinda like to pretend that it's not true.
For me, I guess a great deal of my TPM dedication is all in the sake of nostalgia. I don't ever want to let things that are important to me go... Kinda like how hard it is for me to accept that TLC aren't around anymore. I know, it's a random analogy, but I finally heard Fanmail for the first time yesterday. Such a disappointing album, but Don't Pull Out on Me Yet is absolutely brilliant.

Anyhow, my decreased activity is a direct result of putting on Ruby Moon with my youth theatre group. Being youth coordinator really is a full-on job when the production's coming up; twelve-hour tech runs, frantically trying to get everything together that hasn't already been done, and of course doing the shows themselves. It went spectacularly, I have to say. I'll get the videos up on Youtube if I can work out the copyright issues.

And now I'm back at work this week. Got my fourth of five shifts tomorrow, and by the looks of things on Saturday I'm hosting a kids' party. Shucks. Other than that though, my TPM time is beginning to restore itself... Even when I was really busy, I still found the opportunity to log on to check on things at least every two days, just couldn't find the time to post very much.

[PancaKe]

I'm sorry for bringing up the harsh realities. I really am. I usually pretend that nothing is wrong and stay here out of nostalgias sake. However, the past few days every time I've logged on, I'm the last person to post in threads.... which is no fun for me (or probably for anyone else). Often I feel I'm the one to kill threads rather than add to them...

I like to believe that with the new website, we'll be popular again. Maybe I'm delusional. We'll soon find out

[Telume]

Sometimes all it takes is to have a little faith.
As long as people take the time to visit, the forum isn't dead. As long as people still post then the forum is still alive.

I wouldn't consider the forum truly dead until all the users stop visiting and posting and from the looks of the who's online, we have a few regulars so IMO that isn't happening anytime soon.

As far as the website's concerned, I'm optimistic about it. It looks great if you haven't kept track of the progress. And there are multiple people working towards its success.

[Kirby]

You're depressed because a forum that's been dead for the past six years is barely active?

Go back to making annoying youtube videos.

[nick]

i'm right there with you man

one time I posted and no one bothered to reply

in fact, I was so depressed, I forgot all about this site until BAM the depression hit me again

all i'm trying to say is that you're not a lone ranger

don't get down on yourself like this again okay

[Blademaster]

I can't believe I'm agreeing with Kirby...

I've stopped posting as much just because this place has lost a lot of its luster. Fanfic is a place I refuse to even look at anymore. RPG has left a bad taste in my mouth several times, PCG has grown boring... I mostly just hang out on ASB and Misc. now. I'd hang out on Video Games as well if there was any freaking ACTIVITY there.

[Heald]

kurai's servant - can you use the edit button in future please?

EDIT I've merged your two posts.

It's not a secret activity has been declining here for ages, that's why the site revival project has been started. There is a community worth preserving here.

[Shadow Wolf]

I have to admit that I find it kinda unbelievable that I am barely able to visit the forum every once in a while, and I surely miss seeing that I have at least one message in my inbox. Plus the following facts are keeping me from logging in:

1-Church (delivery of The Good News is very important)
2-My friends are taking every weekend somewhere.
3-I don't have a wireless connection anymore, and my dad only has cable internet in one computer and with seven people in my house, I can only use it for a limited time.
4-A girl in my life...jeje, I believe you know what I mean.

The point is that I have to admit that the forum is less active than before, and that's probably because life is getting in everyone's way, but that doesn't mean that we have forgotten each other, or forgoten about this forum. Plus people have changed: some people were funny, and now they're not. Some people who logged in often have just vanished and well...

...not to be blunt or anything, but most young people have found themselves enslaved with sites like myspace, facebook, and others alike because of chat, games and other stuff (which I believe that we have to make something like that for TPM members, like making secret bases, trainer profiles, adding pokemon music and things like that; however, I feel powerless on this one since my computer knowledge is limited) And well, promotion around other sites is needed... I guess...

We need not to forget about the past, but not to focus on it either. Live and learn hanging on the edge of tomorrow...from the works of yesterday...or any other crappy message that inspires us to do something for the forum.

EDIT: Somehow, I feel a bitter taste in my fingers after writing this, but I believe that we can pull together something new here.

[Jeff]

I can see how it can be depressing to see how things have developed lately. Activity has been on the decline, several forums haven't had posts in weeks, even months, Kalah left us, and heck, even Brian has been struggling to find time to come here.

Just remember, we're working hard to get the site going again, and it's always darkest just before dawn.

[Telume]

I can see how it can be depressing to see how things have developed lately. Activity has been on the decline, several forums haven't had posts in weeks, even months, Kalah left us, and heck, even Brian has been struggling to find time to come here.

Just remember, we're working hard to get the site going again, and it's always darkest just before dawn.

Jeff's right, just give it time.

[Asilynne]

Ive been meaning to post a discussion here in misc but in between rl stuff, feeling sick, rpgs and asb Ive been kinda lazy. But its been drifting around in my mind so when I get in the mood to be philosophical you can expect to see it lol

[shazza]

Uni work, browsing more active and intellectually stimulating sites, Facebook addiction,writing, socialising in real life, partying and smoking some weed. But I browse a few times a week, just sometimes I don't have the interest or time to post.

That's about it mangg.

[DarkestLight]

it's always darkest just before dawn.

Heh. Funny. I was toying with brainstorming for a way to get new blood as well. :O. But I hate light >>

[Crystal Mew]

Now that school's out I've had more time, yet I haven't been coming to tpm like I used to...

I don't really know why, lack of threads maybe?

But I've also been working more and doing other time consuming things so eh, I dunno.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I have been at a hospital, so no TPM for me. The endless possibilities this forum brings us have to await me.

[Houndoom_Lover]

I come and post here and there- but the thing is, if no one posts because no one posts...well, they'll be no more posts.

I took a break, and now I'm back to TPM in full bloom I'm busy at ABS, trying to get RP here to work in my favor. Sometimes its just wonk.

And getting back into FF, and sometimes I chill around the Mis. I wish the card and anime would pick back up.

But like stated- the revial is aaawaaaay! Tal-e-o!

[Rossymore]

I feel that I post here too much ^_^;
This forum would be so bright and active if one thing wasn't in the way: life.

This place is a pastime where people go on after school/work and get off before bed. I would spend all day on this place but school, socialism and other stuff gets in the way. It's fun being on here but most of the time there are more pressing matters in life to deal with.

It is quite depressing though...

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

If my routine is the usual one, I come here right after I wake up in the morning, not late night. I do have a laptop but no internet connection. Instead, I save topics, both printable and unprintable versions, print the printables and and read them in peace and quiet. I also handwrite or use Notepad to write my TPM replies beforehand. So many papers and so many to get lost.

[Crystalmaster Mike]

You know, I can't really hide behind an excuse. I'm still at an age older posters than me were still extremely active on, and there are posters my age now that have more than double the threads they frequent(ed).

It all started (oh dear) in high school. The latest two years, I saw my activity drop. Then it was because I came focused on school work and school social life, which is cool I guess.
I think at the same time I became more critical of the things I posted, you know. At the same time, I never forgot about TPM; the stuff I wanted to post still rolled in the back of my mind (mostly Adopted Pokémon stories).

Then college came by, and my hours grew so that I came home only to play... what was it now? Melee I think, and Pokémon Ranger. I guess my weekend were spent reading books, though I'm not sure.

Recently, I went through a fase of bookmarking wiki threads (at tvtropes.org), which is a bad habit. The more you read, the more you bookmark, and each wiki page has umpteen wiki links.

So now we're here, and I'm working approx. 9 to 5, and I'm into webcomics, and I can spent an entire day each week-end catching up to the daily ones.
On the other hand, every time I come back to TPM, I pick out some threads I'd like to post at, but chew on my replies so long they drop down the "recent threads" list it isn't worth it anymore.

That's why I decided to read the first three replies and post one myself, before reading the rest here. Extremely "not done" in active threads, I know... then again, the whole point of this thread is that this isn't even an active forum no more.

[Winterscape]

Here's another harsh reality: this forum is full of drones.

There isn't one single interesting person here who is active. And if there's nobody around to make any interesting topics or posts, guess what new and old members will do? That's right, leave!

Like I've said before, this revival project is a complete waste of time and will turn out to be a disaster. You're living in a fantasy world if you believe this will bring TPM back to its former glory. I once respected you Jeff, wholeheartedly, and it's ludicrous that you think people will come here as opposed to SPP, Smogon and BMG. There's simply too much competition. You've also mentioned that your primary intention with this revival project is to reinvigorate the TPM community, but it's WAY too much hassle. As harsh as this sounds, nobody wants to associate with any of you 20-30 year old goons. The dissociation between the TPM forums and the Oekaki is indicative of that.

Feel free to keep banning me, but you'll see what I mean a few months after the release of this website. You'll be saying, "Gee, I should've listened to Jay!" I guarantee you, as I've seen this happen all too many times elsewhere.

Please stop wasting your time.

[Houndoom_Lover]

Wow- Go die. You just joined up again to have a final word? That's right childish. Are you four or something?

I just checked out the website. It looks great from what we have so far. And people like that up there, prove that a site is mildly active if we're attracted douchebags. Oley!

[Asilynne]

I always think its amazing how, even though people may profess to be above a place or a community because its pathetic or a waste of time, they will still come crawling back just to make parting shots and spew their rudeness. Im not quite sure what the big deal about you is, and I dont particularly care, but obviously you seem to care about this forum and its inhabitants enough to waste time and energy making a new account, searching out this thread, posting a few paragraphs dripping with hostility, and being hypocritical enough to say that other people are wasting their time?

How sad it is that you would be spiteful and silly enough to go through all that trouble to try and demean someone elses attempt at moving forward. Its not hurting you any that this community exists, I suggest you go somewhere quiet and evaluate what you are doing with your own life if doing something like this is considered important to you.

[Heald]

Hi Jay! Thanks for your opinion!

Honestly, I have to ask, if this forum is so dead, why do you keep going through the procedure of joining and getting banned only to insult a bunch of people you appear to have nothing for disdain for? You must be well aware that we know that you haven't a very high opinion of us, so why continue to waste your time letting us know how you personally feel? Surely someone as great as yourself has better things to do than troll a dead Pokemon forum?

[Drago]

You'll be saying, "Gee, I should've listened to Jay!"

Because of course, if the project isn't a success, we'll immediately think of the ramblings of a discarded dweeb and turn all emo when we realise that the best thing to do would have been never to try at all. Right.

Perhaps every time I see failure looming, I'll follow your advice and never try anything at all. That's a fantastic outlook to have; I'd actually like to see you try it first, and stop trying yourself, because it's fairly evident that not only are you not convincing anyone of the dire inevitability of failure that you so fervently believe in, but you're also wasting both your time and ours. Let's find a happy middle ground; you go over there, and stay over there. I'm sure your kind is welcome somewhere.

[firepokemon]

Jay I like you. I know the point you're trying to make but I don't think anyone here seriously believes we can or will compete with Serebii, Smogon and Bulbagarden. They're way too large. Our intention is to get some new people to the site and hopefully the forums and rejuvenate it that way. That isn't something that will happen simply by having a main site. That is something that will require time and likely plenty of it.

I haven't been coming to the forums because I've well been busy. And I began to feel disillusioned over the site revival. That and I wasn't that impressed with the April Fools stuff.

[Shadow Wolf]

Winterscape: A primitive member with an attention disorder who has to criticize everyone else's job to feel better.

GUYS!!!!! Follow Murphy's law ("Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.") in the positive way. ("Anything that can go right will go right.") We do not expect to skyrocket into a famous website, but we are doing our best to make good things happen. What, that we are having a hard time to post? Big deal. We a posting, and as long as we keep posting, this forum is active.

Hackers have failed to take down this forum, even changing to vBulletin haven't stop TPM. And now we are going to feel like old people: speaking only about "yesterday"?

No way guys!!!

You have gotten this far with the site revival, are you going to swim all the ocean just to drown at the shore?

I... don't... THINK... SO!!!

[shazza]

Jay, your predictions on the outcome of the TPM are not unrealistic by any means, and it is definitely a valid case to argue that all these efforts will inevitably be for nothing; I'd argue that those thoughts haven't crossed the mind of Jeff and the others involved, either. But who really cares? Their motivation to resurrect should be envied rather than ridiculed; it is bringing people together for a common goal which is only lifting the spirits of others.

It won't ever compare against Serebii or other popular sites, because you are correct, the competition is too great; but there is a high chance it will invite new members and humbly increase the active participation levels of the website. And that is a milestone of it's own and something to be proud of.

My biggest concern is if the forums become far more active than they are now, it will disrupt the current closed-knit community we have created and create some form of pre-revival veterans vs new members form of bitterness. I also question whether all moderators and staff are willing to increase their participation in relation to the boards increase in activity; do they have the time, now as adults, to become more active staff members on a Pokemon forum, as they have grown accustomed to a mediocre effort which suffices due to the relaxed nature of the forum?

If it does become a success (irrelevant of the level), then these issues will sooner or later need to be raised.

[Bear]

Here's another harsh reality: this forum is full of drones.

There isn't one single interesting person here who is active.

Haha, quite an ambitious statement, considering you don't even know half the people that are active here. I sure hope you don't think that trolling a message board on the intarwebz makes you cool, because if you do then you're just as "uninteresting" as you accuse us of being. Because we all know how original and creative the art of Trolling is .

Of course, most of us continue to feed the troll, so I suppose part of that's on us eh?

[Zak]

Here's another harsh reality: this forum is full of drones.

There isn't one single interesting person here who is active. And if there's nobody around to make any interesting topics or posts, guess what new and old members will do? That's right, leave!

Like I've said before, this revival project is a complete waste of time and will turn out to be a disaster. You're living in a fantasy world if you believe this will bring TPM back to its former glory. I once respected you Jeff, wholeheartedly, and it's ludicrous that you think people will come here as opposed to SPP, Smogon and BMG. There's simply too much competition. You've also mentioned that your primary intention with this revival project is to reinvigorate the TPM community, but it's WAY too much hassle. As harsh as this sounds, nobody wants to associate with any of you 20-30 year old goons. The dissociation between the TPM forums and the Oekaki is indicative of that.

Feel free to keep banning me, but you'll see what I mean a few months after the release of this website. You'll be saying, "Gee, I should've listened to Jay!" I guarantee you, as I've seen this happen all too many times elsewhere.

Please stop wasting your time.

I really don't think anyone, even Jeff, is expecting or having any intention of beating SPP and BMGf. We're not SPP who's obsessed with competition (or used to be, haven't talked to him or been there in ages). Perhaps you've been spending too much time at SPP, where it's all about being above everyone else. I haven't really been involved in this project so I can't really speak for it, and whatever intentions they have I'm sure reigning supreme or being on the level of SPP/BMG is not one of them.

Anyone can make a Pokemon site and forum, say I made one right now just for fun, I'd have a lot of things I'd want it to be, but competition with other sites is a pipedream. It's the same here and everyone knows that. This is more along the lines of that, it's really the same as making one of those sites on geocities from scratch. Except the thing is, a lot of people already know or knew the name "PokeMasters". But of course it'll never be like those sites where every time you refresh there's a new post.

[DarkestLight]

Maybe that's what'll set us apart. People will post interesting things to say more often than at those other places, and topics won't derail into chaos >> S'all I really gotta say about it.

[Kirby]

Hey Zak, finally decided to post your self-portrait in your signature and avatar?

[PancaKe]

Eh, I just wanted people to post more... not a full out attack at each other.

Although those do make for interesting reading / comments.

I know that we wont compete with SPP. I like to think we willl, but the reality is that we wont. For a very long time. And who knows what will happen in the future, with new members increased activity (hopefully) and what not. Right now, we don't even have a site. But we will soon.

Yeah

[Telume]

I doubt we'd even try to compete with SPP, I think most people know this place's limitations and reaches. If we can compete, great! If not then screw it we won't bother.

Live and let live I say.

[Dark-San]

Excuses! I came into this thread and what I see here are activities and posts. >.>; What is it about this forum dying? Aren't we all still here to begin with? As long as you post here with that mentality, this forum will forever remained 'dead' in your perception. Get over it, man!

I haven't really been active around here. Much of my time has been absorbed by scanlation responsibilities. And I haven't really been watching animes that frequently as before. So yeah, I guess that will explain my inactivity here.

[Drago]

Jay, your predictions on the outcome of the TPM are not unrealistic by any means, and it is definitely a valid case to argue that all these efforts will inevitably be for nothing; I'd argue that those thoughts haven't crossed the mind of Jeff and the others involved, either. But who really cares? Their motivation to resurrect should be envied rather than ridiculed; it is bringing people together for a common goal which is only lifting the spirits of others.

It won't ever compare against Serebii or other popular sites, because you are correct, the competition is too great; but there is a high chance it will invite new members and humbly increase the active participation levels of the website. And that is a milestone of it's own and something to be proud of.

My biggest concern is if the forums become far more active than they are now, it will disrupt the current closed-knit community we have created and create some form of pre-revival veterans vs new members form of bitterness. I also question whether all moderators and staff are willing to increase their participation in relation to the boards increase in activity; do they have the time, now as adults, to become more active staff members on a Pokemon forum, as they have grown accustomed to a mediocre effort which suffices due to the relaxed nature of the forum?

If it does become a success (irrelevant of the level), then these issues will sooner or later need to be raised.

Shazza, your concerns are more than reasonable, and it's just one of the many times when you amaze me with the foresight and depth in which you think. And, though I can't speak for everyone, I know that I can say that I genuinely welcome these challenges, and look forward to being able to deal with them as a real moderator, not a mere caretaker as my tenure to this point could be referred to as.

The new/old generation problem likely won't be too much of an issue; the site's been gone for so long now that many of our current members never even had a site to begin with, and there hasn't seemed to have been any rift between them and members who joined during the height of TPM's success. Additionally, we have surges of membership increase that correspond with each release of a key addition to the Pokemon franchise; obviously, most of these folks don't stick around once all of the info and speculation is over (I've done it myself with other forums), I guess we can only hope that the site will have more of a lasting effect in attracting people and keeping them on board.

I want to see these challenges as they develop, because I want to be able to show that we as members can handle them effectively, as we attempt to recreate our membership infrastructure. Fan-bloody-tastic, let 'em come!!

[PancaKe]

Actually, to add onto what Tony said, I really have a lot of respect for you shazza, and also for firepokemon, because even though you guys can act like asses sometimes (and it's amusing mostly), you guys really think deeply and put forward logical arguments when you want to.

I think there will only be a divide between vets and new members (if we get them) if there are supremist vets who somehow get the idea that join date and postcount count for status and respect. I doubt that most of us are like that, although there are probably some, but overall we should be okay

[Magmar]

I don't post much since my laptop was stolen, but just bought me new Mac =D so ... I'm back! I bet you all missed me so much. In fact, I don't know how TPM survived without me for so many long days. It must have felt colder than ice here without my spitfire to anger little TPM obsessees.

Anyways, I don't post as much anymore 'cuz I work full time and have two jobs, and basically have to work to support my bad habits which otherwise consume my time which could be better spent posting here... I would say that TPM has no long term ill effects on my health but that's a lie because look what happened to Mikachu, and firepokemon, strange things.

[shazza]

Sounds good, DragoKnight. The thing I really meant with the old members/new members thing, is we tend to on intervals have threads which are nostalgic about the 'Golden Days' of TPM and the history of it. If there is a great number of members who have just joined, with their intention just to talk about Pokemon, these threads would become exclusive. Threads would then probably arise where people become nostalgic when it was "just us", thereby irritating the new members. I'm probably thinking too much.

And Tara, I'm an enigma, you know that by now (Facebook etc).

[Drago]

It's interesting to note, whenever one of those threads surface, not only does activity (at least in that thread) climb, but old members seem to conveniently resurface, as though they've been waiting for a reason to post again. I like to think that, should our activity levels increase, we won't have to live in the past so much... But we won't know for sure until that happens, I guess?