Are Train.com forums the most active Model Rairoad / Toy Train / Railfan forums on the net?
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Just my opinion, but there are so many forums, that have been around so long, and I think Trains/MR are on that list, but who knows who is "the most active", unless you have the time to do the math.
In other forums, the MR forum is always considered a forum for the "just getting started", and the "new to model railroading" place.
As for real railroading, the only one I have seen is Trains, but I'm sure there must be more. I've never looked.
Thats what I have seen/read, but others may disgree.
Mike.
My You Tube
I don't know about activity, but this is one of the rare ones that is actualy worth reading and participating with.
.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
mbinsewiIn other forums, the MR forum is always considered a forum for the "just getting started", and the "new to model railroading" place.
Mike,I will never understand that unless its because we don't smash and mash every new locomotive because of its missing a itty bitty detail part.
While I do want to know about the major flaws I could care less if its missing a eye bolt or the grabs is three scale inches to big...
Now,be that as it may there is a lot of talented and knowledgeable modelers here.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I don't have any hard numbers but; I read 4 diffrent forums,if I'm gone for say.2days. there are alot more new posts here then the others
As far as useful information [to me] thats not always the case
I wouldn't be surprised that many modelers are following the many Groups on Facebook. I'm on Modeler's Guild where there are over 7000 members from all over the world, it sees all kinds of posts every day. I keep getting suggestions for other groups, many have still more members. Possibly the fact that there are just so many out there, the MR forum is just one of many.
I like the Facebook groups because it is so easy to upload photos, just pick them from your computer and go, no hoops to jump through. I'm on multiple ones for my varied interests, not just modelling.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
AFAIK, this is the busiest webforum focusing on North American model railroading on the 'net. I would assume that European-based and Japanese-based webforums would be busier just due to the greater interest in railroading in general in those areas.
The reason this place is busy is that Model Railroader magazine has the name. It's the No. 1 MR hobby magazine in the USA and has been since the old days. Search "model railroading" in Google, and you'll end up here eventually. This place is free to use and well moderated. The old MR Forums in the 1990's were not moderated at all, and this lead to a host of problems with some pretty bad flame wars, etc. that drove people off. It's also a beginner's type of place. Newbies are welcome and are not intimidated by higher level discusisons that other forums tend to have.
The large number of newbies drive off the higher tier modelers. Not only with the sheer number of non-modeling posts ("What's your favorite engine?" or "How did you get into MR'ing?") that can push modeling topics off the front page, but also with the feel of the place. There is a certain amount of anti-rivet counter attitude here which I have documented on this forum before. "Rivet counters are evil," was one of the quotes I found years ago. Well, if you make high tier modelers unwelcome, don't be surprised when they go away. They tend to find like-minded folks on other, less busy forums where in-depth modeling is discussed. After all there are always fewer highly skilled people than beginners in any hobby.
The MR Forum, however, is still a great "gateway" forum to our hobby.
This place is around because of longevity, so many others have come and gone including the one I used to be most active with (they sold it off to eyeball counters but the eyeballs left leaving a lot of old posts).
Paul3 AFAIK, this is the busiest webforum focusing on North American model railroading on the 'net. I would assume that European-based and Japanese-based webforums would be busier just due to the greater interest in railroading in general in those areas. The reason this place is busy is that Model Railroader magazine has the name. It's the No. 1 MR hobby magazine in the USA and has been since the old days. Search "model railroading" in Google, and you'll end up here eventually. This place is free to use and well moderated. The old MR Forums in the 1990's were not moderated at all, and this lead to a host of problems with some pretty bad flame wars, etc. that drove people off. It's also a beginner's type of place. Newbies are welcome and are not intimidated by higher level discusisons that other forums tend to have. The large number of newbies drive off the higher tier modelers. Not only with the sheer number of non-modeling posts ("What's your favorite engine?" or "How did you get into MR'ing?") that can push modeling topics off the front page, but also with the feel of the place. There is a certain amount of anti-rivet counter attitude here which I have documented on this forum before. "Rivet counters are evil," was one of the quotes I found years ago. Well, if you make high tier modelers unwelcome, don't be surprised when they go away. They tend to find like-minded folks on other, less busy forums where in-depth modeling is discussed. After all there are always fewer highly skilled people than beginners in any hobby. The MR Forum, however, is still a great "gateway" forum to our hobby.
Perfectly stated
It's not as Brakie claims, that "all advanced modelers" are rivet counters, but they truly have passed on to more advanced model railroading, that's okay, just like using grass mats, ready track, and trainsets.
Some just don't like another view of the world from others.
And yes, why would a higher level modeler want to start a thread on a subject when it will be on page 2 before the day is out, because threads like imaginary
coffee shops, the best loco around, how do I ballast, etc. will prevail?
Its great that that some experts do hang around to provide good advice to new modelers, the problem is determining good advice vs bad.
But as far as the OP's original question, there is no member here that can factually answer the question, so this is another one of those threads that border on no value to the forum.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Paul3"Rivet counters are evil," was one of the quotes I found years ago. Well, if you make high tier modelers unwelcome, don't be surprised when they go away.
Its the haughty I can't stand.Rivet counters,advanced modelers and your high tier modelers can be their worst enemy especially when they start insulting average modelers.
You and I go back many years and you know how I feel and the type of modeler I'm..
I don't need anybody to tell me I should be using blocks of wood with numbers on them simply because I made a truthful statement about being more focus on the number then I'm the details or type of car when I am switching cars..That's how I did my job as a brakeman.All I needed to know 28767 is to be spotted at Pattons Warehouse and 45332 and 30099 was our pickups and they are to go behind the cabin.
There was a great deal more activity on a thread, and more new threads regularly, when these Kalmbach Forums were new (and when the whole idea of on-line forums was new, including sports team forums) - but remember, every topic was new back then and you now have years' worth of thousands of threads on every topic to research and look at. It stands to reason that there is less posting and commenting.
It was so new and different, we even had official "Forum Member" T shirts with all the magazine logos on them. Wore it to Galesburg RR Days one year so that we Forum members could ID each other and meet in person, just as we try to do each year at Milwaukee's Trainfest, and did for a few years at the Madison WI train show. But nobody wears the T shirts anymore. I still have mine.
I only wish Kalmbach had found a way to preserve the screen name identify of all postings, because as it is now, once you cease to be a member your postings are credited to Anonymous. That means that unless there is a hint in the posting itself you have no way of "considering the source" when reading an old thread.
The Forums were moderated virtually from the beginning but as I recall, Bergie did the moderating at work so they tended not to be moderated on weekends and as a result Friday nights to Sunday nights tended to be free for alls. He'd have a big mess to clean up every Monday morning. He never shut down a thread because "we've talked that issue to death" as they do now. There were real flame wars back then and some very nasty things were written.
Dave Nelson
BRAKIENow,be that as it may there is a lot of talented and knowledgeable modelers here.
Brakie, I think you hit the nail right on the head. This forum seems to have actual model railroad hobbiests. People who have built fully operating model railroad layouts.
My trains need to look good to me, while moving. My model railroad needs to satisfy me while it is running. I think so many of the other forums are populated with "Armchair Conductors" that have no idea how difficult it is to actually build an operational model railroad layout.
These nitpickers that thump their chests over spotting the improper dimensions of the flat washer that XXX railroad used under the end grab iron bolts on their class XXX gondola car destroy the hobby for newcomers.
I guess it is the wisdom difference between my neighbor that actually restored a 1965 Mustang, and the ignorant 20-something down the block that thinks he knows everything and talks about how he will "do it better someday, I mean did you see he used the wrong color plastic loom for the wiring harness?" Who will give you better advice when you need something?
I like this group.
SeeYou190I think so many of the other forums are populated with "Armchair Conductors" that have no idea how difficult it is to actually build an operational model railroad layout.
While that is true for any layout its especially true for a ISL since there's a lot of reverse moves through #4,Peco small or medium turnouts with a small margin for errors..
One has to be more choosy on his car and locomotive selection..A Athearn SD70 is a nice model and I suspect they're just about useless on a ISL because of those those small turnouts.
This is the only forum I follow, and I have dramaticly reduced my time on here compared with years past.
At one time I also followed the Bachmann forum, and the AristoCraft forum. Nothing wrong with either, Aristo may not exist any more? Just did not hold my interest.
Despite what some will say, my own experiance suggests that internet forums, on this hobby, or my tractor hobby, or most any hobby, only reach/interest/draw activity from about 10-20% of the people in that hobby.
Of a long list of model railroaders that I know personally, very few are on this forum or any forum. And that even includes some younger modelers.
This forum is reasonably well balanced, and that is its best feature. Experienced modelers can and do post here, discuss stuff, etc. But new modelers, and more "casual" modelers are also welcome and supported.
And overall this is a friendly group. It has had a few trouble makers, and it still has a few who will stand up to the trouble makers, but all in all a great bunch of people.
Sheldon
You raise a good point, Sheldon, about how many or how few model railroaders actually are members of forums including this one. I first joined this forum back in September 2004 at the suggestion of the guys at my LHS. But for them, I never would have even thought about a forum since I got all the advice that I needed from the guys at the LHS.
There are a few members on this forum who have provided me with invaluable advice and, as you say, most of friendly. As far as trouble makers go, there are very few on this forum. My only complaint is the occasional oddball who finds his way onto the forum and doesn't want to build relationships with other members even though most of the rest of us wish to develop forum friendships.
Rich
Alton Junction
It is probably best to frequent five or six different populations in the hobby...and by that I mean different forums. You get a broader range of person, personality, experience, culture, skills, history, and know-how.
I go daily to at least five different places. Each has its own 'tone' or 'flavour', and you'll often see the same few people posting several times each day...not at all unlike MR, here. You'll also see people who go to several forums, sometimes with the same user-name, other times with a different name. But, as the Marquis de l'Hopital said of Isaac Newton, whose solution to a math problem sent to the best mathematicians seeking their responses came after everyone else's, "I know the lion by its paw." Meaning, you can soon tell by their style and common observations or expressions of experience, that they're the very same person.
What makes a forum successful are, in no particular order:
a. a willingness to subborn one's ego:
b. good will;
c. patience, even with the most truculent, intractable, and inexperienced asker;
d; some critical thinking skills;
e. a passion for the hobby; and,
f. a willingness to consider the points of view of others when they are not consonant with one's own.
That works in sandboxes of all kinds.
To address the question directly, this forum is about as busy and far-ranging as about any other I know, all active cyclically, and each of them worth visiting. The one exception I'll mention is a somewhat slow place, but whose overall quality and skill-level very evident with even a quick and casual glance. Some of our former members are there, notably Karl (UKGuy): railroadlineforums. When I need to feel a bit more humble, I go there, look, heave a big sigh, and go about my day.
-Crandell
I've never seen MR release numbers of who and how many visit this forum. I know MRH forums did that a few weeks ago but measuring viewers on a forum is tough. I daily go to 4 forums (inc. MR) and see many of the particpants here on others. Each forum is informative and possibly entertaining in its own way and valuable to me in many ways. I also belong to a few Yahoo groups but rarely visit them as few have new threads.
The place I learn the most from on any of the forums is the thread of building and updating of the layout. Folks actually building layouts seem to draw the most interest and most suggestions of improvements and techiques.
Enjoy your day
TomO
selector It is probably best to frequent five or six different populations in the hobby...and by that I mean different forums. You get a broader range of person, personality, experience, culture, skills, history, and know-how. I go daily to at least five different places. Each has its own 'tone' or 'flavour', and you'll often see the same few people posting several times each day...not at all unlike MR, here. You'll also see people who go to several forums, sometimes with the same user-name, other times with a different name. But, as the Marquis de l'Hopital said of Isaac Newton, whose solution to a math problem sent to the best mathematicians seeking their responses came after everyone else's, "I know the lion by its paw." Meaning, you can soon tell by their style and common observations or expressions of experience, that they're the very same person. What makes a forum successful are, in no particular order: a. a willingness to subborn one's ego: b. good will; c. patience, even with the most truculent, intractable, and inexperienced asker; d; some critical thinking skills; e. a passion for the hobby; and, f. a willingness to consider the points of view of others when they are not consonant with one's own. That works in sandboxes of all kinds. To address the question directly, this forum is about as busy and far-ranging as about any other I know, all active cyclically, and each of them worth visiting. The one exception I'll mention is a somewhat slow place, but whose overall quality and skill-level very evident with even a quick and casual glance. Some of our former members are there, notably Karl (UKGuy): railroadlineforums. When I need to feel a bit more humble, I go there, look, heave a big sigh, and go about my day. -Crandell
Crandell,
Your comments elicited two widely different feelings from me, almost compelling me to respond.
First, I take no issue with anything you say, and your advice for successful forum membership is spot on. And I think I understand the spirit and goal of your comments about a broad based "exposure".
However, not wanting to sound too arrogant here, and almost sure it will sound that way no matter what, I have to say that your premise of a broad based exposure to multiple forums assumes some facts not always in evidence.
First it assumes that one has that kind of time, and/or suitibly nimble computer skills..........
Second it assumes that one desires that much interaction with other people........
(here is were I'm going sound a bit snooty) I have been on this forum for nearly a decade, and honestly, it has not dramaticly increased my knowledge base regarding this hobby. OK, I came from 35 years of prior experiance, worked in the business, had mentors who are greats in this hobby - I get that.
And, by the way, I have been very happy to share my knowledge - even if it is sometimes outside the mainstream and not always warmly received.
And I have made some great internet friends on here, no question.
But honestly, if I never clicked on this site again, I don't see the quality of my modeling deminished in the slightest.
In fact, I cut back on this forum, and cut out the other two so that I would have more time for actually building the layout and models.......
And all those people I mentioned above who I know in this hobby who do not spend any time on any forum - I know for a fact that is how they feel - they would rather be actually building/running trains......
Again, please don't be offended, you did not offend me, I understand that many people thrive on the social side of this hobby or any hobby.
But for me, the social side is just that, one small side......
And right now, the bit that I am on here, is my total social side. Work, family, and actually building model trains are way more important.......
ATLANTIC CENTRAL (here is were I'm going sound a bit snooty) I have been on this forum for nearly a decade, and honestly, it has not dramaticly increased my knowledge base regarding this hobby. OK, I came from 35 years of prior experiance, worked in the business, had mentors who are greats in this hobby - I get that. And, by the way, I have been very happy to share my knowledge - even if it is sometimes outside the mainstream and not always warmly received. And I have made some great internet friends on here, no question. But honestly, if I never clicked on this site again, I don't see the quality of my modeling deminished in the slightest.
I belong to the Modellers Guild and the NMRA group on facebook. I find that its ok. However I cant quite put my finger on it why the facebook format does not quite work for me. Maybe its kind of clunky, trying to do too much, or maybe it seems superficial, there and then gone. But yeah its active.
The MR and MRH forums seem to be similar in activity rates.
Sometimes it seems like rivet counters get a bad rap. I say bring it on. I'm not going to worry too much about it, but, I think our models should be as accurate as possible. Sometimes the details are interesting to talk about.
tloc52I've never seen MR release numbers of who and how many visit this forum. I know MRH forums did that a few weeks ago but measuring viewers on a forum is tough.
if I look at the MR General Discussion and modeltrainsforum General Model Train Discussion pages, i see 16 posts updated in the last 24 hours on MR but only 3 on MRF. The general discussions, Model Railroad Hobbyist page has only 3. So it looks like the MR page is much more active than both.
not sure there is an experts forum. My guess is those guys aren't interested in forums like many other modelers who just aren't interested in forums.
don't think you can compare a Facebook page to a forum. Each forum, such as the MR General Discussion Forum has threads on different topics. Facebook doesn't have separate threads
my guess is that forum activity depends a lot on forum culture determined by the participants over time and how they are moderated.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Geared Steam, thanks!
Brakie,Being "haughty" is not the exclusive realm of rivet counters. Rude people are rude, no matter their skill level, but we've actually had far more comments from the anti-rivet counters then rivet counter comments (at least on this forum). "It's my layout and I'll do what I want!" is the usual rally cry heard in these parts.
People should be able to take criticism, even negative criticism, without falling apart at the seams. People also shouldn't be rude about it, but if someone points out that perhaps using upside down Athearn BB boxcar doors (with all the hardware and waybill tackboards still attached) for a 2nd story barn hayloft isn't the most realistic thing, they shouldn't be attacked for it (and yes, that happened).
WRT your wood block comment, I see it like this: use wood blocks, use Tyco, Athearn BB, Atlas, Kadee, resin, or brass cars. I don't care. Just don't tell me that they're all the same quality because they aren't. Admit you're using lower quality, inaccurate cars because they're cheaper, less likely to be damaged, or you just don't care either way. I use plenty of low quality cars because I needed a lot of them and I'm on a budget. Plus I just don't care that much about freight cars. But I don't go around telling people my fleet o' 300 BB's is just as good as the latest Ted Culotta masterpiece from RMC.
Dave,I think that FB and even YouTube has siphoned off a bunch of activity from hobby webforums of all kinds. IMHO, that's the primary reason why the public forums are slower than they used to be vs. the newness wearing off. Heck, the newsgroup rec.models.railroad was a very popular place for years before webforums came about. It died down because people moved to webforums where the signal-to-noise ratio could be moderated.
The original MR webforums in the 1990's were not moderated at all. I was here at the time and it made r.m.r seem tame. The software was also pretty terrible. You had to click on each and every reply to read it, and in those dark dial-up internet days, that meant you had to reload all the ads and webpage pictures each and every time...only to see that the reply said, "Me too!" or something. Ugh. Finally, Kalmbach hired a seperate web company to create and manage the forums, and it's been much better ever since. And yes, even those long weekend messes were nothing compared to the old forums.
Ah, memories...
Kevin,You're making my point with regards to the anti-rivet counter attitude of this place. Saying that nitpickers "destroy the hobby" is silly but it won't get much reaction here, but heaven help the person that says Tyco or Bachmann ruined the hobby. Just watch the torches and pitchforks come out.
Sheldon,I don't learn a lot from this forum, either, but then I'm here more for the entertainment. If I wanted to learn more, I'd ask more questions but I don't. I'm generally content to watch for things that interest me and reply when I feel I can contribute something.
Paul3Brakie,Being "haughty" is not the exclusive realm of rivet counters. Rude people are rude, no matter their skill level, but we've actually had far more comments from the anti-rivet counters then rivet counter comments (at least on this forum). "It's my layout and I'll do what I want!" is the usual rally cry heard in these parts.
Paul,True enough but,it usually takes two to dance.
In my ignorant bless I have found a modeling style that fits me to a "T" and like I mention I have strict standards for my good enough/close enough modeling style.
As you know when I want to learn about a new model and its flaws you know where I go.
Again Paul,when I switch cars I focus on the number not the detail or car type..What's so hard to understand about that?
I have mixture of BB and Roundhouse in those 350 car which the majority is my collection of IPD boxcars.
I have Walthers,Red Caboose Exact Rail,IM and Atlas freight cars that I use for my 94/95 era. Again when I switch those cars I focus on the number and not the details.
And thanks for proving my point.
Paul3 The reason this place is busy is that Model Railroader magazine has the name. It's the No. 1 MR hobby magazine in the USA and has been since the old days. ... It's also a beginner's type of place. Newbies are welcome and are not intimidated by higher level discusisons that other forums tend to have.
The reason this place is busy is that Model Railroader magazine has the name. It's the No. 1 MR hobby magazine in the USA and has been since the old days. ... It's also a beginner's type of place. Newbies are welcome and are not intimidated by higher level discusisons that other forums tend to have.
Agree with the above which has clearly been the mission of the magazine for many years - to be an ambassador for the hobby.
The large number of newbies drive off the higher tier modelers. Not only with the sheer number of non-modeling posts ("What's your favorite engine?" or "How did you get into MR'ing?") that can push modeling topics off the front page, but also with the feel of the place.
Thats how I see it too here. I agree 100% about the type of topics posted here such as the "what is your favorite engine" type of topics drive off the higher tier modelers or the modelers with strong interest in following a prototype/era etc. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with those kinds of topics, it's just that these type of topics are not really what some modelers want to read if they go to forums to learn how real railroads did things or how certain box cars should look for certain periods of time or how many 85' flat cars were in use during the 1970's or ... ow to kit bash a model to look more realistic, that kind of stuff.
e.g. it's a bit like a sports enthusiast who knows statistics and history of some teams and want's to read about that rather than, something light and fluffy. The general discussion area is rife with the type of topics you mentioned or some which have been called whimsical, which are in a similar vein or only relates to trains in a peripheral way. Maybe fun for some, not so much for others understandably. Different strokes for different folks - lots of different strokes here.
There is a certain amount of anti-rivet counter attitude here which I have documented on this forum before. "Rivet counters are evil," was one of the quotes I found years ago. Well, if you make high tier modelers unwelcome, don't be surprised when they go away. They tend to find like-minded folks on other, less busy forums where in-depth modeling is discussed. After all there are always fewer highly skilled people than beginners in any hobby.
Bang on the mark Paul. I've never understood why the anti-rivit counting sentiment because the hobby should have room for a wide variety of modelers, and those who like to model in ways that match real trains, well, thats really cool and should not be offensve. Instead people interested in models matching real trains have to tip toe around as if on eggshells or just keep their yap shut. It's a fact of life that many model trains produced only look like real trains in a generic way and some people don't care - thats fine. I go to train shows and see all kinds of stuff you'd never seen in real life now or in the past. I just move along and focus on what interests me - heck, thats how it is away from trains too in real life.
For sure, and in that regard, MR is doing what many feel is a needful thing. And to be fair, there are a good number of experienced people here who do step in and help out in ways that are constructive. I know I appreciate seeing Rob Spangler offering assistance and answering questions and steering modelers in the right direction. This place may not be where he and others come for edification, but rather to assist in the ambassadorial role, which is a good thing!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 Thats how I see it too here. I agree 100% about the type of topics posted here such as the "what is your favorite engine" type of topics drive off the higher tier modelers or the modelers with strong interest in following a prototype/era etc. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with those kinds of topics, it's just that these type of topics are not really what some modelers want to read The general discussion area is rife with the type of topics you mentioned or some which have been called whimsical.
Thats how I see it too here. I agree 100% about the type of topics posted here such as the "what is your favorite engine" type of topics drive off the higher tier modelers or the modelers with strong interest in following a prototype/era etc. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with those kinds of topics, it's just that these type of topics are not really what some modelers want to read
The general discussion area is rife with the type of topics you mentioned or some which have been called whimsical.
Whimsical is a term that I like to use for certain kinds of threads.
Yeah, this forum is all things to all people. And, I guess, for some of us that cn be a bit annoying. But, really, not much you can do about it. It is what it is.
Paul3 Being "haughty" is not the exclusive realm of rivet counters. Rude people are rude, no matter their skill level, but we've actually had far more comments from the anti-rivet counters then rivet counter comments (at least on this forum). "It's my layout and I'll do what I want!" is the usual rally cry heard in these parts.
Being "haughty" is not the exclusive realm of rivet counters. Rude people are rude, no matter their skill level, but we've actually had far more comments from the anti-rivet counters then rivet counter comments (at least on this forum). "It's my layout and I'll do what I want!" is the usual rally cry heard in these parts.
All too often. I've bumped into a few non-rivit counters who have been quite rude. There is a forum I don't visit much because of one hobbyist, who is dominant presence there, has a history of aggressiveness toward those who are not of his philosophy or way of thinking. On another forum which is generally an in-depth type of place, it used to have a lot more cool and interesting modelers who have largely stopped posting because aggressive and bellecose behavior is tolerated by the forum moderators - I've been told this is why many have left. It's a shame really but I guess forum life sometimes mirrors real life and if the neighborhood is bad, we have to vote with our feet.
People should be able to take criticism, even negative criticism, without falling apart at the seams.
And then there is real life. But I agree, some are awefully sensitive which I alluded to above. In some cases you have to just move on and step away from the bully's and hot heads, or touchy personalities.
I think that FB and even YouTube has siphoned off a bunch of activity from hobby webforums of all kinds. IMHO, that's the primary reason why the public forums are slower than they used to be vs. the newness wearing off. Heck, the newsgroup rec.models.railroad was a very popular place for years before webforums came about. It died down because people moved to webforums where the signal-to-noise ratio could be moderated.
Yes. I've talked with a few experienced friends as to what has happened to some forums I have followed for over 10 years and have gotten much quieter or have lost some interesting members who used to be active. In addition to being driven away by bellecose personalities, I was told FB is a reason forums have gotten quieter and if I want to stay up with the lastest this or that I needed to jump into the FB worlds. The problem is the FB world is a double edged sword and I've already shut my old FB page down years ago due to unwanted negative issues; add to that the many other negative things which btw aren't just a few paranoid Peters but IT experts are also frequently discussing it - so I've resisted the FB world at a cost it seems.
I don't learn a lot from this forum, either, but then I'm here more for the entertainment. If I wanted to learn more, I'd ask more questions but I don't. I'm generally content to watch for things that interest me and reply when I feel I can contribute something.
Pretty much this for me as well, but even the entertainment is generally wash, rinse, repeat and sadly, the real entertainment is often "base-nature" drama, ie watching the "bait topics" or whimsical topics (which are fairly regular features here) evolve in a somewhat predictible way and see if they get locked or how long the drama goes on. But ... thats the "ship MR forums" as it is run for better or for worse. YMMV as they say.
-E-C-MillsHowever I cant quite put my finger on it why the facebook format does not quite work for me.
Facebook doesn't work for me because they are constantly changing what is visible to you. By that I mean if you are on a group page, leave that group page to go to your own stream and return a minute later, you will find that you don't see the same posts as you before, in fact you can't find some posts, maybe even your own for hours and hours.
I looked at a Canadian MR forum that was hinted at in reference to one of our new and controversial members. They referred to the MR forum as a bunch of rivet counters. Really?
A high signal to noise ratio is preferable in any forum, meaning less "me too" post, less "you're having a problem, just send your xyz to me", or answers that are rooted in pure fiction. The "bait topics" or whimsical topics are of no interest to me. Especially since I have to work on my new thread make your own rail joiners from beer cans. Oops I just lowered the signal/noise ratio.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
ATLANTIC CENTRALDespite what some will say, my own experiance suggests that internet forums, on this hobby, or my tractor hobby, or most any hobby, only reach/interest/draw activity from about 10-20% of the people in that hobby. Of a long list of model railroaders that I know personally, very few are on this forum or any forum. And that even includes some younger modelers
Sheldon, that is true. I belong to a round-robin group of about 25 or so model railroad hobbyists here in town and I don't believe any of them participate in this forum.
This is the only model RR forum that I participate in simply because I would rather spend my precious free time actually modeling, not because I'm not interested in the other ones and spending all my time being that "armchair modeler" that is so often talked about.
riogrande5761All too often. I've bumped into a few non-rivit counters who have been quite rude. There is a forum I don't visit much because of one hobbyist, who is dominant presence there, has a history of aggressiveness toward those who are not of his philosophy or way of thinking.
Jim,Here's the rub..As they say in Western novels "Somebody has to open the dance" and usually its a uncalled for comment from either side.
I said it before and I'll said again and need be again and again.. I could fill a yard with my BB Roundhouse and my higher detail cars and I won't be able to tell them apart because I'm to focus on switching,reading car numbers and operating my engine and that alone is no small task because of the CV settings. In short you turn off the power and the engine will slow before it stops. You gotta focus there to or risk having the engine to take a nose dive off the end of the layout.
Now if I'm just gawking at my cars,yes,I can tell them apart easily.
BigDaddy Especially since I have to work on my new thread make your own rail joiners from beer cans.
Henry,Let me know when you get that perfected and will pop cans work?