A bit of a rant tbf

[Amy (In America - Busy atm)]

Ahh.

I've not forgotten about this place. I just had life stuff to battle with for a while.

Hmmm. I'm not sure this will sound how I want it to, but meh.

I think we've all noticed the declining active population on this site. It makes sense as the actual BBS is open again. Life sometimes takes over too. However, I'm fairly sure a large factor in the dilution of the Sims community is the constant influx of new forums and websites.

I'm not going to lie. I always go and check them out, but I'm not a social butterfly so I don't really join. I just feel like it has to be said: don't make a fansite unless it is necessary.

I know some people do it for more control, creative or otherwise. Some do it to operate in a different and more familiar forum. Some like to build forums that impose strict rules. Whatever. We all like things a certain way, I get that. Still, in my book we're not all just alter-ego Sims players. We're people with other interests who like to talk about other things. So I've tried to let both the Sims and normal side live here on this forum.

However, it is difficult to maintain something which is losing people. Now every fansite I see has a limited number of active users and I just think that those active users would have a way more enjoyable time if they merged. It doesn't matter if its here or elsewhere. The point is that it is a bit pointless maintaining a site that is constantly losing members to other places.

Other sites can offer the same things that are on this forum. Other sites probably push it a little bit more and are more encouraging. But quite frankly I have a lot of things to do and have always believed that people should do something/join in with something because it was their choice. If any of you knew me in person, you would see that I very rarely impose ideas on people. I let them be who they want to be and do what they chose to do. The same applies here.

Yet, like I've already said, the number of people still active in this community isn't that great. It gets smaller as people group off and go elsewhere and don't consider the bigger picture. How long is the honeymoon period going to last? How long until several of those members jump? How long until I forget about this forum too? I personally don't care if people chose this site to group together and remain active, but I feel that a decision of that sort has to be made. There are now loads of sites up and catering for very few people. It just baffles me.

I didn't make this site to have control etc., I made it because I hate when people complain and do nothing about it. I was never even supposed to end up running it. A lot of hard work and time has gone into building and maintaining it. Yet, if everyone would be happier elsewhere, I really wouldn't mind forgetting about that. Right now I feel like having a forum abuzz with activity is pretty priceless.

So if any of you guys have a place you prefer to go, let me know in the comments. Maybe we can all start liaising with other sites and simmers and create or move to a place that suits everyone.

Amy-x

[xXTotallySimsXx]

Honeslty I've only visited here about 5 times in the last 3 months. I've been so busy with friends, school, parents, etc. (the joy of being 13v ;D) that I haven't been able to sim as much so I didn't come here often. Same with the Sims 2 website. Also another reason I haven't been here alot lately is because I found a Britney Spears fansite:
www.breatheheavy.com/exhale/
So thats where I'm usually at.

[Samantha]

I'd be sad if this place closed or moved.

[legrande]

Before I start; I'm afraid this comment is probably too long, and I'm really sorry if it's just babble. 

This is the first...(well, actually it's the second but the first site lasted for a month, I'd almost forgotten it ever existed) Sims forum I ever joined. Well, I was registered at the BBS by default obviously, but I have never commented there frequently. Maybe 6 or 7 times if I'm generous. Since I've been here, I've flitted towards 2 or 3 others, but I never made it past registering because I'm chronically self-conscious on the Internet. I've got to say, I probably use this place as a bit of a comfort blanket because I've been here for...quite a while, since it was just beginning, and I'm really comfortable to post and comment. I find it harder to...establish? myself elsewhere. However, I can honestly say I'm really grateful for all the hard work that's gone into this site, because I really do like the community and the regulars here. Yeah. I find it a bit sad that the interest here seems to be is dwindling away, and that we haven't had anyone new join us for...months. 
I know I'm guilty for not being all that present all that often. 

It's awkward for us here since we have, excuse my Geography terms, a 'greying population' I'd say. Since so many of us are older and have exams, college and stuff etc. etc. life is a lot more important than... I don't know, I'm going to leave it at that before I sound patronising. 

If we're planning to keep this place afloat (are we?) should we consider promoting it elsewhere or something? I don't know. It'd be good to get some more activity about the boards again. I hope this place doesn't close. 

(Gaaaah, I think this comment has come out far more negative than I intended. Sorry about that.) 

[Caitlin]

May 21, 2012 20:01:40 GMT Samantha said:

I'd be sad if this place closed or moved.

I second this, as well as what legrandevampire has said; I don't really think I'd be all that comfortable going elsewhere. I've NEVER posted at the Sims 2 website before (I never even knew it had a forum to be completely honest!!) and I've never even thought of joining another one. Since I've been here since it just began, I feel a lot more comfortable posting here. I do at least check the website once daily, but thats just a quick scroll through the new topics and half the time I don't even actually post. I agree with the possibility of advertising/promoting this website elsewhere, though, for the hopes that the site will become popular once again.

[Laura]

I'm kind of seeing things from everyone's point of view. This forum has gotten quiet of late; there's a core group of maybe six, seven or eight members that comment and post consistently enough. That's a very small number, considering how many people are actually registered here. I'm guessing that in forums similar to this one, it's the same story. It does seem silly that there are simmers scattered around the place, when we could all congregate to one forum and get a lot more activity.

In an ideal world, that's what could happen. In reality, people aren't going to want to up stakes and move to an alien forum, even if it meant there'd be more involvement and activity there. It's hard to starting posting as a noob, trying to break into a community where everyone already know everyone. People just aren't going to want to do it; if their hands are forced, they might even leave the community altogether. That's the last thing anyone would want!

On a personal level, I like this forum but I do wish there was more of a buzz around the place. I know a lot of it is down to members being busy with real-life stuff, as well as maybe a loss of interest in the sims in general - but it's very quiet around here nowadays. I can't really be too critical of that, because I haven't been around much myself recently. But real-life stuff isn't going to go away; whatever forum you join, you're going to lose people occasionally to it. I'm open to change for the better, but I would find it difficult to migrate elsewhere. I don't think it would do much good even. I don't know to be honest. I guess we could try and consciously be a bit more active here, and maybe as legrandvampire said, promote the place a little.

A lot has been put into this forum, and it would be a shame to let it die.