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Author Topic: Degeneration of web BB  (Read 9552 times)

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B L McAllister

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Degeneration of web BB
« on: September 26, 2008, 11:34:23 PM »

I used to visit MWF two or three times a day, and found something interesting on most of the visits.  I reckon many of the people who used to attend may have given up writing, succeeded as authors, run out of questions and found very few they could answer, or got distracted by the enormous number of blogs that beckon to us, so we can learn intimate details about strangers, or, in a few cases, more than we have time to learn about crime and mystery writing.  Newer people, with a few exceptions, last for rather a short time, and may be falling prey to the same vice.  Another of the BBs I subscribed to has become (almost) solely a daily batch of invitations to visit people's blogs.  Clearly the period when I exchanged ideas with people on web BBs has ended.  What I'm trying now to figure out is whether to visit MWF once a week, once a month, once a year, or not at all.  Anybody have any recommendations?

B
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Byron Leon McAllister.
Books by Byron and Kay McAllister can most easily be obtained as e-books or in print from the publisher at http://www.writewordsinc.com/ For "Undercover Nudist," the print version is an improved version of the ebook version. The others are the same in both formats.

Lynette

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2008, 12:47:03 AM »

I understand Byron. I've been awfully busy for a while, but I try to drop in here at least once a week. Maybe it will take some of us "old timers" (and there are a few of us still around) posting something weekly to make it worth our while.  I remember when we kept up with each other through this site. We discussed parents, kids, pets, holidays, etc. as well as what we were writing and marketing and upcoming books and so on.  I'd like to see that happening here again. Writing gets lonely and though I belong to a writing group in my hometown and have a good time with them, my other friends look at me sometimes as if I have two heads or they're awed because I can actually string enough sentences together to make a book.

Maybe it would make a difference if some of the old posts were deleted to make the site easier to get around in. I noticed that some topics have many pages and often I don't want to muddle through them to get to what is new.

I'll try to think of something clever to post later. It's past my bed time.

Lynette

Elena

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2008, 02:33:34 PM »

In that I'm not much of a blog reader (except of course for our own Lee Lofland), MWF is on my daily "look-at" list.  I prefer the long term personal interaction MWF can provide, so I hope that it doesn't bite the dust.  But, all things change over time and looking back over the sorts of questions that used to pop up, I can see that most are now easily available on the net.  INMO the sort of community MWF provides is not replaceable by an informational web site or a blog.

Long live MWF  ;D
Elena

 
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JIM DOHERTY

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2008, 08:20:47 PM »

I still check in every day.  I have been a bit distressed by the comparatively low number of posts, but I hope the Forum continues.

I've tended lately to be a responder rather than an initiator, and there haven't been that many questions I've felt qualified to suggest an answer to lately.

I like the sense of community, though, and I am not a 'blog reader, so I hope MWF continues.

ella

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2008, 08:36:26 PM »

I haven't been doing any writing and have been swamped by other things, so haven't been stopping by so much.
I too hope this forum remains intact, though I don't use it as I did, it is valuable to many of us, including me.
Ella
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Dave Freas

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2008, 08:40:44 PM »

I still check in every day.  I have been a bit distressed by the comparatively low number of posts, but I hope the Forum continues.
I've tended lately to be a responder rather than an initiator, and there haven't been that many questions I've felt qualified to suggest an answer to lately.
I like the sense of community, though, and I am not a 'blog reader, so I hope MWF continues.

I echo you, Jim.

Dave
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dhparker

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2008, 09:17:42 AM »

Byron, I still stop by nearly every day.  It's great that so many folks who started out here as new writers are now published.  I think this place was part of the reason.  It's been such an encouragement and help to all of us.  Don't give up on it yet.  Even though blogs are the darling of the day, eventually the shine may wear off and people will rediscover the advantages of community.

I'll admit I write in a blog occasionally.  I started one because "the experts" seem to think it's good for book sales.  Haven't seen any evidence of it yet concerning my books.  :D  Anyway, blogs aren't nearly as much fun and encouragement as this place was in its prime and I hope will be again.

Let's hang in here. 

Kathy Wendorff

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2008, 03:30:58 PM »

MWF is my home page, that's how much it means to me. Yet even so, for the last month or two, I've been hopping directly to my daughter's high school site, or other "daily business" type sites or off to an urgent Google search without taking time to read the new posts. It's taken me this long to work my way up to reading this topic, for crying out loud.

I haven't been writing all that time, either.

But I sure hope to turn things around, and I'm sure not ready to give up on MWF yet. Please, Byron -- and everyone else -- don't disappear off into the cold trackless wastes of the internet...

Kathy W.



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Brenda B.

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2008, 03:55:32 PM »

Oh don't go complete Byron. You have to do what you have to do, but dont' give up on us completely. I, too, used to come to MWF multiple times daily, it was like a party going on all the time and you could stop in and see what everyone was talking about. It used to be you had to come in daily or be overwhelmed by the number of new posts. That's changed as has internet usage over the years, but this is still the only place I would come to pose a question about something I was working on. There are still people here I know and trust.  I don't know if I can -- or even should -- get back into the habit of coming in here daily, much less multiple times in a day, but I'm trying to make a concerted effort to get in at least once a week.
So don't go "old" friend. Let's hang on to this vestige of how things were in the early days of the 'net so the young whippersnappers can experience history!  :D
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JIM DOHERTY

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2008, 12:35:06 AM »

Brenda,

Re your comments below:

I, too, used to come to MWF multiple times daily, it was like a party going on all the time and you could stop in and see what everyone was talking about. It used to be you had to come in daily or be overwhelmed by the number of new posts.

That's how it struck me when I first joined.  And at the time in my life, I really needed a party.

That's changed as has internet usage over the years, but this is still the only place I would come to pose a question about something I was working on. There are still people here I know and trust.  I don't know if I can -- or even should -- get back into the habit of coming in here daily, much less multiple times in a day, but I'm trying to make a concerted effort to get in at least once a week.

I still come every day.  If there's nothing going on, there's no time lost.  If there is the vestige of a "party" going on, I'm not missing it.

As with Cheers, I still need to go where everybody knows my name.

B L McAllister

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2008, 01:38:45 PM »

... Byron... "old" friend.
Accurately put, but I intend to become an even older friend, and I make progress on that continually as time goes by.  Byron
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Byron Leon McAllister.
Books by Byron and Kay McAllister can most easily be obtained as e-books or in print from the publisher at http://www.writewordsinc.com/ For "Undercover Nudist," the print version is an improved version of the ebook version. The others are the same in both formats.

B L McAllister

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2008, 01:50:35 PM »

...
I still come every day.  If there's nothing going on, there's no time lost.  If there is the vestige of a "party" going on, I'm not missing it.

As with Cheers, I still need to go where everybody knows my name.

Well, I'll have the daily MWF habit for some time, so in a way my original question was "academic," perhaps too literally so.  Or perhaps it was a sort of primal scream brought on by the fact that it's been really a long time since a question was asked that I could contribute to answering, and I seem to have run out of questions of my own, plus the fact that I really do regard the transition to "blogs" as entirely pernicious.  Well, a long time ago I suspected that emails were a  passing fad, and learned better: maybe the same thing will happen with respect to "blogs."  Maybe.  I really do doubt it, however.  At least one of the "regulars" here now produces an excellent blog, containing so much information at all times that perusing it is, as you put it, "time lost."  Great blog, but i'd much prefer what he was doing  here, instead.  But maybe the Cheers analogy will win the day.  How much is beer?
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Byron Leon McAllister.
Books by Byron and Kay McAllister can most easily be obtained as e-books or in print from the publisher at http://www.writewordsinc.com/ For "Undercover Nudist," the print version is an improved version of the ebook version. The others are the same in both formats.

linda

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2008, 02:31:22 AM »

As one of the "semi" old timers, I have been guilty of not contributing much lately.  I had problems with my internet, which I have finally solved by the purchase of a new laptop and a wireless program from AT&T.
 
And, after getting that all straightened up, I have a promotional test on November 19th to study for and will be tied up with that for most of my free time until them.

But now that I can get back on the site, I would find it a great loss to not find postings from Byron and the rest of the friends I've made on the site here.  Maybe this is a temporary situation and things will pick up again, letting us regain our sense of "family" on the site.

Linda


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JIM DOHERTY

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2008, 12:13:37 AM »

Linda,

Re your news below:

And, after getting that all straightened up, I have a promotional test on November 19th to study for and will be tied up with that for most of my free time until them.

Best of luck with the test.  What are you going for? 

linda

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Re: Degeneration of web BB
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2008, 09:33:33 PM »

Hi Jim,

I've decided to take the test to become a detective again. 

After having come back from the latest accident, I've come to the realization that I've broken way too many bones.  The rookies are pulling away from me in the pursuits (although I am definitely out-thinking them) and it may be time to slow down and take a less active role.

Thanks for the well-wishes.  I may need all the help I can get, since some of these guys have apparently already been studying for months.   I have to admit that I would really miss patrol, which is probably why I haven't thrown myself into studying whole-heartedly yet. 

Linda
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