As a daily visitor to this site since it started I more or less know all the trends of posting and chatter, this can change depending on the time of year, holidays, dearer times, quiet times etc. but recently it does seem the topics are less responded to, often threads will get over a hundred views but just two or three replies..... I think what we have is a "new trend" now and basically one I am not too keen on, I guess its been self fueled as many click new posts and then leave as there is only a few, many of the tech threads I have done in the past would get great coverage and responses that in turn would create more banter, with a typical tech thread taking upwards of two hours to take the pictures, change them to suit, size them and write up the thread to then get next to no feedback is one reason I do less now, so I guess I have fallen in with the trend too :sad: is it work life in the 2014 UK become all consuming? this is not a rant just my views, any thoughts?

 

Jeff TT

I disagree with this to a point.

I moderate on the 350z-uk forum and we are busier than ever.

 

I am a member on the 350-z forum and the Northern Ireland Region Section is dead.I have tried to get 350/370 owners to our meet at the end of this month but not much interest. The rest of the forum is busy tho.

There's always a good turn out round here, the 350s are out in force.

The problem with N.I. car owners is that they are all on this site

 

http://reallymeansounds.com/

Apples and oranges there though, a z33 is a far more common, modern/reliable and cheaper to run. With the plummeting price and soaring availability of the z33 they are becoming ever popular with the younger (read free time and disposable income) owners.

 

And that was nicely proven if you looked over the field we were allocated at Castle Combe.

I think its been touched on, but people who buy zeds now are not generally enthusiasts, like some of us die hards, hence come and go like the weather, declining numbers, but there are still a fair few about.

Trends change and one day will likely turn around again at some point. facebook doesnt help, one of the many reasons i cant stand it lol

I think its been touched on, but people who buy zeds now are not generally enthusiasts, like some of us die hards, hence come and go like the weather, declining numbers, but there are still a fair few about.

Trends change and one day will likely turn around again at some point. facebook doesnt help, one of the many reasons i cant stand it lol

 

I am not sure I agree with that Graham. As cars get older, this one included, they go through phases of being owned from new to about 15 years old by 'generally' people that aren't so fussed about the lineage and the car they have. The 350Z guys a lot of them are kinda like that, even for them it's getting less now. The older a car gets, the more it turns into a hobby/enthusiasts vehicle. We're AL THAT POINT for the Z32.

 

You need to be an enthusiast to pump the money we do into cars that have little value in them in a monetary sense. You can actually tell that by how the cars get treated. You take the Nova for example. That passed from a cheap shopping trolly, to a boyracer's dream, kitted up, beaten up, chavtastic. NOW however, they've turned into a bit of a retro-classic and I think this is where we are with the Z32 right now. Numbers have dwindled as all the scrap gets removed and what you're left with is a small bunch of die-hard enthusiasts.

 

I am a die-hard enthusiast, but I am not the biggest fan of UK style car-shows, unless it's Goodwood or something and generally the weather is miserable and unpredictable.

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by Funkysi

Just so I'm not one of those reader type users I would agree with you on that.

 

This year for me personally has been hard with work and personal items and I find it hard at times to post much.

 

Now a year ago i was posting loads of build pics and even done a few how toos.

 

Hopefully this is just a quiet period rather than decline in wanting to participate in the forum.

 

I think having the 'like' or 'thanks' function has negated the use for a formal reply to say 'thanks'. I am sure that also, traffic is migrating a bit to Facebook. Trouble with Facebook is that stuff isn't really archived so you get more and more 'tards asking more and more retarded questions. There are a few decent 300zx Facebook pages but many of them are full of illiterate half wits with appalling cars and absolutely no clue and little access to searchable information.

 

I think you can factor in two main issues.

 

Mobile phone access, whilst it's easy to read the forum in the go throughout the day, replying can be fussy on a phone. So many don't bother, almost a read only situation.

 

Facebook, not only do people seem to be migrating further toward it, one of my local clubs literally has no traffic on its forum, it's all done on Facebook! I've noticed an irritating and lazy trend for people to link their latest projects to FB only, simply posting up a FB link to the pics. We don't all wish to have FB So can't view it.

 

To address your point jeff about work life balance, there was a programme on the other day about how traditionally higher earners did less hours. The more educated you were the fewer hours you did. That seems to have turned on its head. I can't remember the last time I worked a flat 39 hours.

 

Yes, yes and yes....

 

It's funny how interest in this (and no doubt other car-related forums) does indeed go in cycles....

 

Richard:cool:

Apples and oranges there though, a z33 is a far more common, modern/reliable and cheaper to run. With the plummeting price and soaring availability of the z33 they are becoming ever popular with the younger (read free time and disposable income) owners. They are fast on their way to for filling the placement of a replacement for the 200sx's

 

Another valid point there too..... We only cater for a single marque of which there are an increasingly fewer number on the road; hence fewer members. Also we have several members who have been around for 10 years plus and (ahem) getting older themselves; so spending time at a PC is perhaps less appealing. Same goes for meets - we have a (potential) large turnout for the 25th bash in Coventry but JAE will probably yield around 30-ish cars. And look at the very low take up on here for Japfest - Steve Burns put in so much effort to attract interest here but it did not happen!

 

There are 1000s of Z33s on the road - and traffic on the Mercedes forum (when I care to look) is immense; but that caters for every model and age of Merc, car or van, so there are many thousands of members!

 

And let's not forget, the prophecy is self fulfilling - as posts dwindle, there is nothing new to look at or respond to, so posts dwindle..... And so on!!

 

Which is why we are always open to suggestions and ideas - we have to keep things fresh to stimulate interest; but not move so far away from what we do best, that we drive away the more long standing members who like things as they always were....:sailor:

 

Richard:cool:

We've noticed it a lot on the US site. Traffic is down dramatically, but we think most of that is down to facebook, I can't say how TT.net is, but imagine they're not the same as those guys have been on scene since it was almost created!

We've noticed it a lot on the US site. Traffic is down dramatically, but we think most of that is down to facebook, I can't say how TT.net is, but imagine they're not the same as those guys have been on scene since it was almost created!

 

Seems to make sense....

 

..... The one that gets me most though, is the happy birthday section. When someone gets a birthday wish thread, I do find it a bit rude that people have visited the page but cannot be bothered to add their own good wishes to it. If you don't want to post on it, don't visit - you know who's birthday it is from the thread title!!!

 

Although I do accept that the majority of people (especially those under 40) probably visit the forum via their smart phone at various points during the day - and posting is not always easy via that medium....:wink:

 

Richard:cool:

I didn't even get a Happy Birthday thread :(

I didn't even get a Happy Birthday thread :(

 

That's because your DoB is not included in your profile Alex..... How would we know mate....:wink:

I can see it on my profile.

I can see it on my profile.

 

Nope its not there mate. It should be at the top of the page in you "about me section"

I never have anything interesting or useful to add but log in daily. Like others have said it's all too easy to use the like/thanks icons.

Seems to make sense....

 

..... The one that gets me most though, is the happy birthday section. When someone gets a birthday wish thread, I do find it a bit rude that people have visited the page but cannot be bothered to add their own good wishes to it. If you don't want to post on it, don't visit - you know who's birthday it is from the thread title!!!

 

Although I do accept that the majority of people (especially those under 40) probably visit the forum via their smart phone at various points during the day - and posting is not always easy via that medium....:wink:

 

Richard:cool:

 

I have mine open most of the day on the forum, either by phone, tablet or laptop. Imagine winding the clock back 15 years.....before I even had my first phone, which was a Mitsubishi MT30, a really cool phone at the time and very futuristic looking for 1997!

 

 

I dunno what I'd do without all my little internet things now. I read a comment a few days ago which made me laugh. "Imagine making a time machine and going back 50 years to speak to people; you'd tell them humanity has become so advanced, advanced enough so that you have, at your fingertip, a machine that can access almost ALL information known to man......yet man spends his time looking at photos of cats and arguing with people he doesn't know". :rofl:

I have mine open most of the day on the forum, either by phone, tablet or laptop. Imagine winding the clock back 15 years.....before I even had my first phone, which was a Mitsubishi MT30, a really cool phone at the time and very futuristic looking for 1997!

 

 

I dunno what I'd do without all my little internet things now. I read a comment a few days ago which made me laugh. "Imagine making a time machine and going back 50 years to speak to people; you'd tell them humanity has become so advanced, advanced enough so that you have, at your fingertip, a machine that can access almost ALL information known to man......yet man spends his time looking at photos of cats and arguing with people he doesn't know". :rofl:

 

LOL - so true Si......

 

.....Especially the latter bit for "some" people who Lexx indirectly referred to earlier; for very good reason I might add....!!!

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by RichardS

 

Alan............

Yup - what Alan said....^^^ :rofl:

 

Alan............

 

 

:lol::lol: yes total retards

Not as bad as ratemypoo.com

Not as bad as ratemypoo.com

 

.....PMSL - now let's see just who types that into their browser in the next hour....:rofl:

.....PMSL - now let's see just who types that into their browser in the next hour....:rofl:

 

:oops:

I`ve read this thread but didn't want to leave without saying HELLO :) ...I do believe as Mr Bolt mentioned , mobile phones are to blame, easy to read the forum, but I cant be arsed replying as my fingers are too fat :)

I can't say that I agree that it is down to Mobile phones other wise how come facebook Twitter etc. are so busy telling us what they had for dinner:death:

The other car forums I go on are just as busy as always.

Even the Alpina Website moves faster than here at the moment:confused1:

I am not having a dig, I mean I still come back here regularly and I have not owned a Zed for over 7 years:cool3:

I just wish we could get some fun back into some of the threads.