Interesting how participation has declined over the years.

**Riverkilt** · 19th February 19, 06:56 PM

Well...gee....I've been around a while and have been "controversial" according to mods...of course I disagree...but stick around for one reason - love of the kilt. Always learning new stuff and passing on suggestions when it seems appropriate.

And some of us septuagenarians have sort of "aged out."

**Me cousin Jack** · 19th February 19, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Ashton

We hide the donate button. It is only for the elite few. You know, those who wear the pleats in the front and the basting stitches.

Thank you Steve, I’ve just never worked this hard to give away money, even though I’d never want to be a part of a group that would have me as a member.

**Jock Scot** · 20th February 19, 03:45 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

As I write this response, there are eight people reading this thread alone - three members, five guests.

That seems alive to me.

Edited:

Now up to seven and eight respectively for a total of fifteen.

Oh, and 163 members alone have read this thread.

Alive perhaps, but one can hardly say that the patient is thriving, Bill. Please don't misunderstand me, I want this website to thrive not dwindle away and it is appearing to be doing just that. Yesterday and for the last few days, I looked down the right hand column several times and there were very few posts with "Today",or even, "Yesterday" next to them, just as the OP some weeks ago did and it is those posts that are the life blood of a website, not just a bulging membership, or, numbers of readers. Of course they all add to the "health" of a website, but without members actively engaging in conversations then all we are left with is an excellent reference library. Time will tell how things turn out and I for one, hope for the best, but...............

**Father Bill** · 20th February 19, 04:59 AM

Aye, Jock - and I think that part of the numerical decline is due to the "Aye" itself. I remember a time when a large part of each thread was members posting to say that they thought another post was a good one.

To me, that was an annoyance as I'd click on the thread and discover that nothing had been added, merely applauded. Now, with the "Aye" button, that annoyance isn't there, but threads aren't brought back to the surface by subsequent praise.

It's a saw-off.

**Jock Scot** · 20th February 19, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

Aye, Jock - and I think that part of the numerical decline is due to the "Aye" itself. I remember a time when a large part of each thread was members posting to say that they thought another post was a good one.

To me, that was an annoyance as I'd click on the thread and discover that nothing had been added, merely applauded. Now, with the "Aye" button, that annoyance isn't there, but threads aren't brought back to the surface by subsequent praise.

It's a saw-off.

On that point I totally agree.

**Father Bill** · 20th February 19, 05:09 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

On that point I totally agree.

Aye, but ya' coulda' just clicked "Aye". Then I wouldna' hae known it, and this thread wouldna' hae come back to the top - twice - once for your post agreeing with me, and once for this post agreeing with you!

That's a large part of what used to drive posts back to the active state and kept it moving. While it did not however, add much in the way of content value, it did make members more interested in checking to see if indeed there was something new to read and in the process they may have posted in response to something else that caught their attention.

Or did I add little value here perhaps, by merely re-iterating and enlarging on what I'd already said, just in different words?

**Jock Scot** · 20th February 19, 05:44 AM

In that particular case, I thought your reply was bang on the nail and deserved more than an "aye".

**Tobus** · 20th February 19, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Alive perhaps, but one can hardly say that the patient is thriving, Bill. Please don't misunderstand me, I want this website to thrive not dwindle away and it is appearing to be doing just that. Yesterday and for the last few days, I looked down the right hand column several times and there were very few posts with "Today",or even, "Yesterday" next to them, just as the OP some weeks ago did and it is those posts that are the life blood of a website, not just a bulging membership, or, numbers of readers. Of course they all add to the "health" of a website, but without members actively engaging in conversations then all we are left with is an excellent reference library. Time will tell how things turn out and I for one, hope for the best, but...............

It does seem rather quiet here lately. To be honest, I think there is a chill in the proverbial air at present. We tend to have some lively discussions up until the point where someone starts complaining about people expressing their opinions. That tends to make people back off for a while. I think that is what has happened recently. Some of the more active posters are holding back.

**Jock Scot** · 20th February 19, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

It does seem rather quiet here lately. To be honest, I think there is a chill in the proverbial air at present. We tend to have some lively discussions up until the point where someone starts complaining about people expressing their opinions. That tends to make people back off for a while. I think that is what has happened recently. Some of the more active posters are holding back.

I cannot disagree with you.

**Riverkilt** · 20th February 19, 06:47 AM

I live in the boonies...in a small town in rural Northern Arizona....statistical types call the area "Frontier." Its 135 miles to the nearest city. There are good people here, even a few others kilted from time to time.

One of the things I've most enjoyed about this forum is the international input, and the wisdom of the input, from the edge of the envelope back to rock solid tradition. I find it refreshing and interesting. A bit of an antidote to the routine of a small town.

I eased off here for sometime mired in another financially draining addiction that cannot be mentioned ...and the forums that go with it. Sadly, on almost all forums relating to that addiction whoever is the OP gets immediately and severely blasted by snipers and trolls and highly opinionated slowpokes...here on this forum folks are polite and civil and respect diversity within the addiction.

That said, I have to agree things "seem" slower of late. No clue why. I just know when I check in there seem fewer posts of interest to me than there used to be...and fewer where I have some possibly meaningful input.

But, if you would have asked me back in the early days if the forum would survive this long I'd have said, "No way." As much as I love kilts and contemporary kilting I'd never have guessed there'd be so many other guys with similar interest/addiction.

I can only guess that our common interest/addiction is strong enough that its carried us through the wilder times on this forum. We may not really need each other - but we benefit from each other's company and input.

The strength of the wolf is in the pack. The strength of the pack is in the wolf.