Is something wrong?

[Brian Kirby]

With this new forum, that is.  It seems to me that both the number viewing and the number contributing has dramatically fallen since the "new" forum was implemented, which is a shame as it suggests that something may be putting people off.

Does anyone else have this impression, and if so, do you have any clues as to why that may be?

It presently seems to me in danger of losing "critical mass", in which case it will simply wither and die.

At its best at is (was?) a wonderful source of valuable information thanks to its many knowledgeable contributors who are (were?) so generous with their time and know how on so many motorhoming related subjects.

[colin]

I think even before the change it was falling.

IMO the problems of the chatterbox section don't help.

[Barryd999]

11 minutes ago, colin said:

I think even before the change it was falling.

IMO the problems of the chatterbox section don't help.

How do people view the forum because I only see Chatterbox stuff if I choose to venture in there to look at it. Otherwise Ill just check motorhome matters to see whats in there.  I dont post much in there though unless I see something I can contribute to.  I agree with Brian though. There was always a good spread of very useful knowledgeable people on here.  Would be sad to lose that.

However having said that. All forums are dwindling as far as I can tell and it seems to me the ones that are still thriving are the ones with a "social community". A classic example is the wildcamping.co.uk forum. Phil runs a great forum there. Most of the posts though at the moment are off topic.  The thing is though, it keeps it going and active. It has a "soul".  Its not "boring".

[laimeduck]

I think probably there is a general change in the expectations of people and willingness to do things themselves. Modern man (& woman) want everything done for them and are losing the desire to do things for themselves. (My 32 year old future son in law could not change the negative battery terminal on my daughters car!)

Seems to me there is a tendency to simply pay someone else to do everything. And the recent influx of motorhomers due to Covid has swelled their numbers 

So why look things up on a motorhome forum?

Take it to a motorhome garage!

I don't mind Chatterbox - rarely read it - puerile nonsense  each to their own ..- just scroll on and ignore.

Jeremy

[Tracker]

Jeremy is right, modern generations have lost the ability, and the need, largely brought about by credit cards and laziness coupled with the increasing dark arts use of electrical and electronic gizmos where for umpteen years no such complications were ever needed to enjoy a holiday.

Many never learnt but my son, grew up learning, and enjoying, rebuilding and repairing some of the old 'uns that the pressurised finances of a family in those days so often brought about.

These days he takes his car to garage to change front disc pads - crazy innit - more money than sense!

I often wonder how this generation copes with a Motorhome that during the course of a holiday sometimes throws up little diversions of it's own temperment - just because it can!

[colin]

1 hour ago, Barryd999 said:

How do people view the forum because I only see Chatterbox stuff if I choose to venture in there to look at it. Otherwise Ill just check motorhome matters to see whats in there.  I dont post much in there though unless I see something I can contribute to.  I agree with Brian though. There was always a good spread of very useful knowledgeable people on here.  Would be sad to lose that.

However having said that. All forums are dwindling as far as I can tell and it seems to me the ones that are still thriving are the ones with a "social community". A classic example is the wildcamping.co.uk forum. Phil runs a great forum there. Most of the posts though at the moment are off topic.  The thing is though, it keeps it going and active. It has a "soul".  Its not "boring".

As you know, on WC there is a spread of motorhome and 'off topic' activity, this seems to work quite well with a range of contributors who can give practical advise as well as having a chat. Whilst there has been some leaving due to ban on political threads, it is quite healthy. On here 'chatterbox' seems to be all about 'right wing vs left wing' point scoring and is toxic.

[Barryd999]

7 minutes ago, colin said:

As you know, on WC there is a spread of motorhome and 'off topic' activity, this seems to work quite well with a range of contributors who can give practical advise as well as having a chat. Whilst there has been some leaving due to ban on political threads, it is quite healthy. On here 'chatterbox' seems to be all about 'right wing vs left wing' point scoring and is toxic.

Well they have pretty much banned politics on here now also so lets see how it goes.

I have to admit on the Wildcamping forums its been a good decision. However you cant really compare them. Politics raised its head now and again on the wildies and inevitably many would fall out over it.  On Chatterbox its been the same people sparring for years and its a buried forum. I cant understand why anyone would venture in there if they didn't want to take part or maybe just to moan about it.

The other obvious problem is Chatterbox massively added to the page count on this site.  Its dead now and the main forum is also dying.  This forum is now also down the bottom of page one on a google search for "motorhome forums uk". Ahead of it are Fun, Facts, Motorhomer, wilcamping.co.uk and smallmotorhome.co.uk

One thing google do is rank forums on content and if there is a lower turnover of threads, it wont be long before OAL ends up on page two which people rarely bother with. To keep a forum alive requires new blood.

[witzend]

3 hours ago, Barryd999 said:

How do people view the forum because I only see Chatterbox stuff if I choose to venture in there to look at it.

Nothing to do with chatterbox I.ve only ever got in there by accident an maybe posted with out realising where I was

[Barry Lineker]

3 hours ago, Brian Kirby said:

With this new forum, that is.  It seems to me that both the number viewing and the number contributing has dramatically fallen since the "new" forum was implemented, which is a shame as it suggests that something may be putting people off.

Does anyone else have this impression, and if so, do you have any clues as to why that may be?

It presently seems to me in danger of losing "critical mass", in which case it will simply wither and die.

At its best at is (was?) a wonderful source of valuable information thanks to its many knowledgeable contributors who are (were?) so generous with their time and know how on so many motorhoming related subjects.

Perhaps if some people had accepted the result of the 2016 referendum, then this forum wouldn't have become so toxic.

[witzend]

3 hours ago, Brian Kirby said:

With this new forum, that is.  It seems to me that both the number viewing and the number contributing has dramatically fallen Does anyone else have this impression, and if so, do you have any clues as to why that may be?

When the new forum started it was ok but then the same posters added the same links to out dated links and the rot set it members just saw the same old thing being repeated over again and thought nothings really changed here. Then our option to rate these posts with emojis was removed to please these few posters 

[Tracker]

Personally, and I think I am not alone, I found the format of the old forum easier to work with.

But like all things these days it just had to become more complicated with added features that the teenage experts selling it said we needed but which most of us did not ask for, do not want, and don't even know about.

I now find it less user friendly and much less easy to scan down to see what topics interest me, and being less easy and needlessly more complex, many of us do not bother. Hence less postings.

The one real advantage is that toxic Chatterbox is far less 'in yer face', in that you now have to go find it, than it was and that has to be a good thing.

I am getting mighty brassed off with having unwanted gizmos thrust at me in almost every walk of life and, for example, will not change my car simply to get more gadgets than I will never need or use or want or understand but am asked to pay for because it suits the so called designers.

Progress - bah humbug!

[B Dobson]

The main gripe doesn't seem to be the new layout but Chatterbox . One can't understand what the issue is, if you don't care for that section then don't go on it . If one does want to go on it then no one is stopping anyone from posting up a thread on their chosen subject . I've recently posted up a few very interesting travel threads for other lucky users to enjoy reading or take part in and they've had some fantastic responses . 

[webby1]

Funnily enough I've recently started using the Forum more and more.

Largely due to the work of a few heroes spending time looking for information. For example,  Derek and Jefferson on the South through Rouen link............really useful information, that is still incorrect on other Forums

Haven't found the Chatterbox but I guess that's full of the same puerile nonsense as a certain U shaped Lounge.

[webby1]

After my last post I'm notified that I've now become a collaborator.............not the best choice of description I have to say.

I'd much rather be a Superstar.........well OK just a Star to start off with.

[malc d]

4 hours ago, Brian Kirby said:

With this new forum, that is.  It seems to me that both the number viewing and the number contributing has dramatically fallen since the "new" forum was implemented, which is a shame as it suggests that something may be putting people off.

Does anyone else have this impression, and if so, do you have any clues as to why that may be?

It presently seems to me in danger of losing "critical mass", in which case it will simply wither and die.

At its best at is (was?) a wonderful source of valuable information thanks to its many knowledgeable contributors who are (were?) so generous with their time and know how on so many motorhoming related subjects.

The " attendance " on the new forum may well be affected by the fact that it started at a time of year when most vans are being laid up for winter. The " Motorhome Matters " section still has useful info from those who do post, maybe just not quite as much as in main season.

Chatterbox ' subjects ' are now very restricted - understandably, after the content in recent times,  so  a decrease of postings on there is inevitable.

[Barryd999]

1 hour ago, Barry Lineker said:

Perhaps if some people had accepted the result of the 2016 referendum, then this forum wouldn't have become so toxic.

I don't think you have ever understood how Politics or political debate works in a democracy have you Dave?

[Barryd999]

49 minutes ago, B Dobson said:

The main gripe doesn't seem to be the new layout but Chatterbox . One can't understand what the issue is, if you don't care for that section then don't go on it . If one does want to go on it then no one is stopping anyone from posting up a thread on their chosen subject . I've recently posted up a few very interesting travel threads for other lucky users to enjoy reading or take part in and they've had some fantastic responses . 

Agreed but I really don't understand why Chatterbox still exists as its guideline remit now is that it must be about motorhome related topics which is what I thought Motorhome Matters was for.

If its that far removed from the rest of the forum either dont restrict it or just get shot of it.

[Derek Uzzell]

When the MMM forum was created (in 2000?) I think there were just two motorhome-related forums - the MMM forum and MotorHomeFacts. In 2006 the MMM forum was replaced by the Out&AboutLive forum that was (and is) free to join, with a framework based on Warners leisure magazines.

Over the years a raft of motorhome-related forums have sprung up (GOOGLE on "UK motorhome forums") and their scope and sophistication  have eclipsed the O&AL forum that became increasingly cranky, always lacked a user-friendly word-processor and had hard-to-use image/file handling. Plus Facebook groups have arisen dedicated to specific makes of motorhome.

In the last few years, if one strolled around motorhome forums, it was apparent that lots of people who had participated long-term on O&AL had permanently emigrated to other forums. It was also evident that some of the 'core' forum-members of  O&AL were participating heavily on other motorhome forums.

Well before the recent platform change I felt that 'core' O&AL forum-members were participating less, either because they were favouring other forums or had lost interest. Moving the O&AL forum to a modern platform was unavoidable, but the structure of the O&AL forum itself is unchanged. So why should people who had decided to not participate on 'old' O&AL suddenly choose to participate on 'new' O&AL? And why should people who had never looked at, or participated on 'old' O&AL, flock to 'new' O&AL?

I believe Chatterbox is a red herring. I used to loath it when I was a Moderator, but (as a non-Moderator!) I'd rather have 'old' Chatterbox back than the present version that has a stated purpose that mirrors the other sub-forums and just encourages silly 'tight-rope walking'. An off-topic forum with suitably defined boundaries would make much better sense.

As Malc has suggested, perhaps things will pick up in the Spring.

[B Dobson]

11 minutes ago, Barryd999 said:

Agreed but I really don't understand why Chatterbox still exists as its guideline remit now is that it must be about motorhome related topics which is what I thought Motorhome Matters was for.

If its that far removed from the rest of the forum either dont restrict it or just get shot of it.

I thought our pasty discussion on Chatterbox which is still available to view provided some fantastic info . One cant understand why one would "loath" a section, any section on a free forum . A side issue, over on Chatterbox we've discussed in depth travel to Croatia, France, Germany and Morocco in the last few days . Its truly a fountain of knowledge 

[malc d]

3 hours ago, laimeduck said:

I think probably there is a general change in the expectations of people and willingness to do things themselves. Modern man (& woman) want everything done for them and are losing the desire to do things for themselves. (My 32 year old future son in law could not change the negative battery terminal on my daughters car!)

Seems to me there is a tendency to simply pay someone else to do everything. And the recent influx of motorhomers due to Covid has swelled their numbers 

So why look things up on a motorhome forum?

Take it to a motorhome garage!

I don't mind Chatterbox - rarely read it - puerile nonsense  each to their own ..- just scroll on and ignore.

Jeremy

It's also becoming much more difficult for people to " do things themselves ".

We used to tour Europe with a box full of spares, including a spare innertube - and could usually fix whatever went wrong. With everything now becoming reliant on electronics, keeping anything going yourself these days is increasing difficult.

As one who has always preferred to try to rely on being able to fix things myself - the idea of a future designed by " digital lemmings " ( i.e. making us all totally dependent on an electrical power supply and computers ) is not something I'm looking forward to.

 

[laimeduck]

20 minutes ago, malc d said:

It's also becoming much more difficult for people to " do things themselves ".

We used to tour Europe with a box full of spares, including a spare innertube - and could usually fix whatever went wrong. With everything now becoming reliant on electronics, keeping anything going yourself these days is increasing difficult.

As one who has always preferred to try to rely on being able to fix things myself - the idea of a future designed by " digital lemmings " ( i.e. making us all totally dependent on an electrical power supply and computers ) is not something I'm looking forward to.

 

My thoughts also - I drive a 1986 2CV, a 1995 Saab 900 and have a 2005 Benimar. 

I've increased the instrument count on the 2CV by adding an old watch!

Jeremy

[Barryd999]

53 minutes ago, B Dobson said:

I thought our pasty discussion on Chatterbox which is still available to view provided some fantastic info . One cant understand why one would "loath" a section, any section on a free forum . A side issue, over on Chatterbox we've discussed in depth travel to Croatia, France, Germany and Morocco in the last few days . Its truly a fountain of knowledge 

The Pasty discussion was brilliant!  Especially the photo of you with Boris Johnson and his pasty.

I think this is what this forum needs. An injection of humour and a bit of fun. I think old Chatterbox had that in spades. Most people sadly didnt get it I dont think.

[B Dobson]

11 minutes ago, Barryd999 said:

The Pasty discussion was brilliant!  Especially the photo of you with Boris Johnson and his pasty.

I think this is what this forum needs. An injection of humour and a bit of fun. I think old Chatterbox had that in spades. Most people sadly didnt get it I dont think.

I know one or three who didn't or dont "get it" . I bet they didn't get Morecambe and Wise either, prolly a bit risky for them . There are some very, very serious types on forums dont you find Barryd999?

[Tracker]

31 minutes ago, laimeduck said:

My thoughts also - I drive a 1986 2CV, a 1995 Saab 900 and have a 2005 Benimar. 

I've increased the instrument count on the 2CV by adding an old watch!

Jeremy

Hope it's not a digital watch!

[colin]

We have yet to see if the changes to Chatterbox will revive OAL's fortunes, but as above, what's the point of Chatterbox now that it is limited to subjects which are already covered by other sections.

As for the "don't look there if you don't like it", some go to other forums and participate in general chat and whilst there they might also see questions posed which they can answer, they might not bother going on a forum if it was technical only. I think OAL management realise this else they would have chopped it ages ago.