Boy, I know we have had discussions before on dropping message counts, but it is really getting low lately. Used to be 200-300 messages per day, then dropped to under a hundred. Today there were 30 new posts, and it seems like that is about average these days.
Is everyone just going to BBs and discussion groups on specific genre?
Maybe it is because more people are outdoors instead of sitting at their computers. Of course you guys way up'nort probably think this is just the beginning of spring. ;-) Oh wait...Minnesota only has two seasons...Winter and Road Construction!
Maybe everyone is sat at their workbenches building models!
Or... maybe not. ;-)
That's probably part of it. Another, as much as I hate to say it, is that serious modelbuilders are diminishing in numbers. Look at the rise in pre-built and diecast collectibles. Some of'em are pretty darn good and all you have to do is take'em out of the box, set them on a shelf and admire them.
I build models as a business and it's getting harder and harder to find clients. I also have a couple of CD-ROMs (one on the B-36 and the other on the P-38) that are both excellent photo reference sources. The traffic to those sites has dropped off.
Don't know what the answer is to getting more posts per day to this newsgroup or more business for me. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to offer your opinion.
Richard Marmo
I think it's the summer doldrums. Many people are outdoors and doing their summer "things" or perhaps traveling as we often do. Thankfully, model building is still a growing hobby in the Denver area, our IPMS-Denver group seems to add new members (local and national) every month. But admittedly, summer trips do decrease attendance somewhat....of course the "old war horses" still manage to show up for almost every meeting! And yes, some of those die cast thingies are pretty nice. I must admit I've looked but haven't bought. A couple (of the plastic variety) even turned up at nationals in the past two years. One was "built" with the addition of a radio antenna and unbeliveablely (to me anyway) won a 2nd place!! Guess the judges in that category weren't familiar with what was available in "built ups". Maybe this will generate some summer discussion traffic on this site!
Actually, while summer is a busy time at work for me (I am the business manager of a school district and we work harder in the summer than any other time) I am not teaching my classes at the local college, so I have more time. Also, my drinking buddies tend to be out fishing or working on a project in the summer. I live in SE Alaska, so summer and winter are really different times and have different dynamics. I usually build more in the summer than the winter.
As for the business, I have sold Russian kits for years, as many of you know, on Ebay and my web site and I just give up in the summer. There is no business at all.
So, a drop in traffic makes sense. Now, for RC modeling it would probably be different...
Lance
May be the time of year with people outside doing yard work, etc. I seem to remember a similar thread about the volume of posts last summer as well.
It seems that I see this type of posting every year around this time.
I agree that the summer weather (in the Northern Hemisphere) is probably the major culprit. Good chunk of the posters are from this part of the world.
And things have been quite civil around here lately - not trolling or flame wars. Unlike on rec.models.railroad.
I rather have quiet than the crap we had to put up with around the US election time.
I also don't buy the notion that modelers are dying off or dropping out of hobby. While there are less and less of young modelers, there is still plenty of plastic kit builders around.
But some of us might have moved on to moderated forums.
I wouldn't worry too much - things go in cycles and r.m.s. will get more active again.
Peteski
By comparison, a digital photography newsgroup I frequent is maintaining its message count at about 350-400 daily messages, about the same as in winter. So even if they are out taking more photographs in the good summer weather, they still use their computers enough to maintain the message count.
And, this is not a seasonal decline, it is a secular one, a downward trend. I can't believe that the hobby is seeing a similar decline in number of modelers.
I also have a couple of CD-ROMs (one on the B-36 and the other on
I just upped the count by 1 - I hadn't seen this site before, just what I wanted for my Revell RB-36H. cheers Damian
Where I live the last 3 specialized shops are now selling at a proportion of
90% radio commanded cars and airplanes and diecast models... It seems that plastic modelism is slowly dieing in every part of the world...PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.