Is the powder room dying on it's feet.

[LizzieMaine]

I do, however, notice lately that we will get new members in the PR who will post a lot and then leave, so I wonder if a lot more people come on here just to get their questions answered and go than they do to contribute to the community. Perhaps that's what Paul has noticed also, or maybe its just me

I notice that too, and it bugs me. It's all part of the modern-era emphasis on the Holy Individual, really -- gimme gimme gimme what I want, and never mind contributing to the well-being of the group. That kind of member, to be blunt, we can do without.

 

[Louise Anne]

People come and go that seams to be a fact of life these days not just with forums, with most things , that something to do with the greater freedom we all have today to move around in the physical world or on the Internet.
The alarming thing is for me is what has been said before about been scared to post here.
I also had people say that to me in the past who I know " lurk" here and when I said why not join and post it's a OH NO not there

Personally I have been bullied off two photographic forums by the member in the last year so it goes on .
and I have to say I am not comfortable posting outside the powder room from what happened in the past and that's why I not been that active in the last years or so.

The other thing which I discussed in MP to another member who not posting much now BTW and agreed with me

Is that when new member join they ask basic starter sort of questions which are valid in respect and we all done, every on starts with no knowledge or little and places like this are to help them.
for example " how do you keep your seams straight"

For some of use who read it several times each year it is a little boring and saying do a search sound a little rude to a new member even if it's not intended to be .
and we all know how to do it and i think it comes over as cannot be bother to answer them.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Anybody who tries to bully anybody in here *will* feel the hammer of retribution. Without exception we Bartenders have a pretty low tolerance for that type of thing,and we won't stand for it.

A lot of people who've been banned from the Lounge over the years have been the ones who join just for the fun of "messing with the crazy retro people" or otherwise refusing to respect what we're about -- and these sorts of misfits and pot-stirrers are the ones who go around other forums talking about what a rough bunch of meanies we are here. I think the respect with which you've always been treated here in the PR, Paul, is a sign that those people are full of something unpleasant.

As for answering questions go -- are the people who complain that we're mean to new people who ask obvious questions actually answering those questions themselves? Or do they expect someone else to do it?

 

[angeljenny]

And if you do end up starting a thread that duplicates an old one, the hammer of retribution will not instantly crash down upon you. We can merge into the old one -- that's why we make the big bucks.

I just feel bad for causing someone extra work!

It is amazing how much knowledge is here and wonderful that people are willing to share it!

 

[angeljenny]

Exactly, and not mention getting slapped down for it.

I haven't noticed that but there was a post in a recent thread that made me think "ouch" but I figured I was just being overly sensitive.

When I have started a thread that is a repeat someone has generally given me a handy link to the existing thread. Doubt I would have found them myself - I need to work on my searching skills!

 

[Alice~]

I only joined recently, but have been lurking for a year or so. I think the fact that there is such a vast amount of information available contributes towards the quietness. Many questions I have had that would have been posts have already been answered, so I simply read and don't post. I'm terrible at using the search function too, so I don't make new threads in case they already exist. Thank you for the tips about using Google instead though, that should help!

 

[therizyflapper]

I haven't noticed much of a change, but i haven't been here for very long haha i love the PR it is where i spend allot of my time i have noticed some days where the lounge is kinda empty but it was never for more then 1/2 a day hahaha i think people just get busy, like i find myself busy and realizing i haven't posted in like a week...then i get sad hahaha hahaha and yes i have never been able to use that search function hahahaha

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

At another forum that I frequent, much to my annoyance, they seem to have a policy of closing down threads after a period of time. I'm so glad that the Lounge doesn't do that because sometimes when I don't find anything recent that's interesting I'll look at the old threads and it's nice to be able to revive the thread and add something to it even if it's been dormant for a few years.

 

[therizyflapper]

At another forum that I frequent, much to my annoyance, they seem to have a policy of closing down threads after a period of time. I'm so glad that the Lounge doesn't do that because sometimes when I don't find anything recent that's interesting I'll look at the old threads and it's nice to be able to revive the thread and add something to it even if it's been dormant for a few years.

i agree im so glad they dont do that, because i look back at the old threads allot, especially when i want to find another topic to discuss

 

[Louise Anne]

Anybody who tries to bully anybody in here *will* feel the hammer of retribution. Without exception we Bartenders have a pretty low tolerance for that type of thing,and we won't stand for it.

A lot of people who've been banned from the Lounge over the years have been the ones who join just for the fun of "messing with the crazy retro people" or otherwise refusing to respect what we're about -- and these sorts of misfits and pot-stirrers are the ones who go around other forums talking about what a rough bunch of meanies we are here. I think the respect with which you've always been treated here in the PR, Paul, is a sign that those people are full of something unpleasant.

As for answering questions go -- are the people who complain that we're mean to new people who ask obvious questions actually answering those questions themselves? Or do they expect someone else to do it?

your inbox is too full lol,

 

[ThemThereEyes]

I'm still pretty new, but haven't posted much lately since summer I courses and my new part time job started at the beginning of June. Between that and my boys, I haven't been online much. A short break and summer II courses begin and it's back to constant studies (summer course are only 5 weeks so all is very condensed).

 

[Louise Anne]

At another forum that I frequent, much to my annoyance, they seem to have a policy of closing down threads after a period of time. I'm so glad that the Lounge doesn't do that because sometimes when I don't find anything recent that's interesting I'll look at the old threads and it's nice to be able to revive the thread and add something to it even if it's been dormant for a few years.

Well on a uk forum I found a post asking for info about working with a cross dresser, it was a old thread, and no one had answered , so I did as the token CD ( maybe) and they ranted that I had dug up a old thread and should not have done, I was thinking about paying to be a member the day before.
. I left after than event.

Digging up old or ones no one had answered is one of the strengths of the F/L without any thing been said.

 

[rue]

that's why we make the big bucks.

lol

 

[rue]

I've been here for almost 2 years and I've seen all kinds of loungers come and go and at first it bugged me, but I just had to realize that people move on (sometimes not by choice). I, myself, have been somewhat MIA and it's just because I'm busy, not because I don't want to be here anymore. I'm sure some are kinda happy about that

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I don't really have the time these days to take pictures, transfer them to laptop, upload to Photobucket and then post on here.

Ever since I found out I can upload photos to photobucket through my blackberry its has been a breez to post photos here on the Lounge.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I agree about the threads. Most of my questions already have threads started. I too, read more then I post. Which comes in handy since I have a super busy schedule.

 

[lareine]

I posted a lot (relatively) when I joined first because I was learning a lot very quickly and had a lot of comments or questions. Now I feel that I've "caught up" so I have less to say on the whole. Doesn't mean I'm not going to post if there is a reason to do so!

I don't think there is any problem with this board or its flow. Board posts just wax and wane, that's all. It happens on every big site.

 

[fortworthgal]

I do see some of what you're talking about, Paul. Lately I have noticed that the Powder Room & Beauty sections (frankly, where I spend 90% of my time on the Lounge) haven't been very active at all.

I think some is natural ebb & flow. Frankly, I think some of it is the season right now! People are out of school, on vacation, etc. For me personally, it is just tough to get excited about wet sets & red lips when it is 105 outside in the shade. I find myself much more into vintage during the cooler months, when I can wear stockings and things in comfort.

I know that I also go through phases, where I'll either check FL and post multiple times a day, or I'll go 2 weeks without logging in at all. The sad truth is that sometimes I'm just too darn busy to post about pincurls. :lol:

My best advice - if we don't want this forum to die, then don't let it! I'd rather see a rash of new threads and topics, even if they have been asked at some point in the past. There's always a new take on something, and the answers you may get now are different than the ones from 2004 with completely different users replying. The worst that can happen is that you dredge up an old thread and gain some new advice.

 

[LizzieMaine]

My best advice - if we don't want this forum to die, then don't let it! I'd rather see a rash of new threads and topics, even if they have been asked at some point in the past. There's always a new take on something, and the answers you may get now are different than the ones from 2004 with completely different users replying. The worst that can happen is that you dredge up an old thread and gain some new advice.

Well said. I'd add that there are a lot of old old threads that even we bartenders don't even know are there, so they're as new to us as they'd be to anyone. We don't expect every single topic to be brand spanking new -- our concern about repeating old threads is mainly the stuff that can be found in the FAQ: we really don't need fifty different threads asking "where can I buy vintage style shoes," when the giant Vintagey Shoes thread is always sitting right there at the top of the pile waiting to be browsed. If you look thru the threads on the first couple of pages in, you'll see the kind of stuff I mean.

But if someone raises some obscure topic that was raised once before back in 2006 and died out after ten replies, *I* sure don't remember the thread and I'm pretty sure LD doesn't, so if you're worried we're going to track you down and show up on your doorstep late at night swinging a bicycle chain, relax. I can reassure you *that won't happen.* Neither of us stays up all night looking up obscure threads and looking forward to the chance of busting a repeat-poster. And if other members have a tendency to do such things, keep in mind that we frown on back-seat moderating here. Leave that stuff to us, please.

So go ahead, post reasonably, and have fun.

 

[Lady Day]

Since the time Ive been here asking questions, position images, Ive seen this forum go from a talking board to an actual repository of information.

A lot of new people come and want their questions answered, then when its merged to an older more established thread, they get angry.
Don't get mad or feel embarrassed that a thread was merged. My take on it is if you are interested in a topic, just asking a question about it isn't enough. These threads are great *research* material. Dig through them read a lot and get tons of lovely bits.

My evolution on this board is now at a 'look and read' type deal. If there is something I want to say, Ill say it.

As far as searching, you can also search a specific thread once you are in it. And I always use the advanced search, generally search by thread name, and it has to be a search 4 letter words and over, and i find what Im looking for most of the time.