Age or changing technologies

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Rakuen Growlithe
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Age or changing technologies

#1

Post by Rakuen Growlithe »

One thing I notice when I look back is that I used to be way more productive. I used to create forum threads, stories, articles, blog posts and so on at a much, much greater rate than I do now. I'm not sure if it's just that I've got older and am less active or if it's because the technologies have changed. I also remember when people used to log on and off of chat apps instead of having them permanently running and when there weren't constant group chats or social media. One of the consequences is probably that it's easier just to drop a link in a group chat than to write a proper post about it. I also know old bloggers that don't really use social media but regularly write long blog posts.

Has anyone else had a similar experience over the years? Or are there people that have started out with things in the last two or three years but are super productive? Do you guys not use social media and chat apps as much?
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#2

Post by Adagio »

If I had to choose between the forum and a Telegram group. I'd still choose the forum. I hate telegram groups and I'm not in any.
The pace things go is just too fast and it feels like trying to say something between this sound:


But the think is. That's what people want these days. Fast paced information vomit.
And while I may not like it, I'd be a fool to deny it.

This is Generation X's time.
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#3

Post by GreenReaper »

It's definitely a thing. I used to spend hours on LiveJournal, and I wrote many long journals on Inkbunny as well - but in the last few years, things tend to go on Twitter or to a lesser extent Discord or Telegram. This is potentially not a good development, as long-form content has worth, as does content in the public sphere vs. private.

I write on Flayrah as well, sometimes; but I used to do both, and more of it - nowadays, I tend to post mostly Newsbytes. Perhaps because I always feel I have something else I should do, and I'm not even keeping up with that. In fairness there is ever-more fun content to watch from others, and art, and I still write a lot roleplaying on Tapestries. So perhaps it's just my focus has changed. But it's hard to shake the feeling that we are more-easily distracted now into trivial pursuits with the proliferation of devices.

Of course, much of what I wrote on LJ or forums was just what I'd put now on Twitter, now that it doubled its character length and reduced the cost of threading; there were many one or two-line posts. LJ was merely the microblog of its era. People moved on, and if you don't follow you find yourself talking with just a small group of friends just as you would tend to on Discord anyway. Compare posting on VCL nowadays.
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#4

Post by Rakuen Growlithe »

In a somewhat related article, I saw there's an opinion piece on Wired which says that we need to go back to blogs and stuff to improve information sharing. It doesn't want to get rid of things like Twitter but it, rightly, points out that they are horrible venues for sharing more than links and short messages.
https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-exp ... ack-blogs/
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
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“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”
~John Milton~
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#5

Post by Adagio »

Twitter is garbage and I refuse to use it.
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#6

Post by Rakuen Growlithe »

There's some interesting discussion related to this in this journal: https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/9645438/
Seems to be a consensus that there are several things happening at once. The fandom is getting bigger so attention is more spread out (though there's also more to spread so I'm not sure that matters as much), the fandom is getting younger and, related to that, they are more into immediate gratification and things like Twitter and other social media instead of forums or traditional art sites.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~

“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”
~John Milton~
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#7

Post by Faanvolla »

I just used to have so much more time, but the tech definitely changed too.

I was in gr11 when I joined, in a hostel with limited and then no laptop access, so I had my phone and mxit, where I found out what furries were.
Easy enough to spend most of my time typing on here and on skype. Then Whatsapp later, then Telegram that got little use, then skype fell away and telegram picked up a lot. Then discord came along.

I used to be so involved in the fandom; I went out of my way to find and host/fund/organize meetups of the Bloem furs when I lived there, iirc I was the Free State Community rep when that was a thing? Used to be a telegram admin/mod for more than one group, none I'm still in. Used to be a discord mod in groups I haven't opened in months.

These days I'm on 2 telegram groups, 1 furry and 1 furry dnd, and I think I've made one post in the last 2 months in either.

I used to get like 1-2 commissions a month, and now I haven't gotten one in months.

I just don't have the time or energy for it anymore. So many new people, everything going too fast, when I used to thrive on the speed of it all. And the pointless drama, the non-pointless drama, the having to deal with people you having nothing but contempt for because they deserve to be there too apparently. I just can't do it anymore.

So I think the tech definitely changed, but i still thrived with the changes. But then I got older, and not even that old, and now I yearn for years past.
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#8

Post by Adagio »

Faanvolla wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 10:26 pm the having to deal with people you having nothing but contempt for because they deserve to be there too apparently. I just can't do it anymore.

So I think the tech definitely changed, but i still thrived with the changes. But then I got older, and not even that old, and now I yearn for years past.
I relate to this, yes.

It's a good part why I despise the telegram groups.
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#9

Post by Dan Dragovic »

Adagio wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 12:01 pm If I had to choose between the forum and a Telegram group. I'd still choose the forum. I hate telegram groups and I'm not in any.
The pace things go is just too fast and it feels like trying to say something between this sound:

But the think is. That's what people want these days. Fast paced information vomit.
And while I may not like it, I'd be a fool to deny it.

This is Generation X's time.
Agree. The worst part of it is when you do try to communicate, you get ignored. That's my situation. I don't hate it, but I'm disappointed and I still feel out of place.
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#10

Post by Rakuen Growlithe »

An interesting read and perspective related to this topic, particularly from the view of how social media changed blogging (and in some ways made it less social).
https://rethinking.news/how-facebook-ki ... vented-it/
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~

“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”
~John Milton~
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#11

Post by Galahad »

Not sure how many of you guys know what the main battle tank of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) is. And before the mods descend upon me, I promise this is on-topic. :P
The SANDF MBT is the Olifant Mark 2. I'm not a military historian and my engineering experience lies in aerospace, but off-hand at a glance it's not a bad vehicle, although in 2021 its design features are outdated and mediocre. For example, its 105 mm GT3B rifled gun barrel lacks penetration power against MBTs of developed nations, like the British Challenger 2 or the German Leopard 2. But, domestically on African soil, it will hold its own. Especially against any of the Soviet-era tanks that are still in service up north, and its hull armour can shrug off RPG-7 rounds.

But perhaps the most remarkable fact of the Olifant is that its hull design is well over 50 years old. You see, the Olifant MBT series was based on the South African Semel tank, which in turn was an upgrade of the British Centurion tank. Which first rolled out of factores in the late 1940s, shortly after WW2 ended. So, really, while our tanks are decent, some parts of their design are 20th century relics.

... In some ways, I feel this forum is similar to that.

On African soil, it's impressive. South Africa has a budding furry fandom, with a decent infrastructure and community presence. We even have a handful of "popufurs" who are gaining international popularity. And this forum was the initial town square that allowed much of it to happen. But... Times have moved on. And yes, even for forums, which aren't entirely phased out. For a comparison, one might look at the German furry forum. The majority of its feature are directly comparable to ZAFur, which is obvious. Yet, I feel the former holds more appeal, in terms of graphic design (an actually drawn banner, plus various little graphic pop-ups that are pleasing to anyone who likes anthro animals) and functionality (such as the integration of Teamspeak). We, on the other hand, lack any distinctly eye-catching banner, are using emoticons from the early 2000s, and haven't integrated any modern features (like the Furmap, which I think was an amazing idea at the time). If you wound back the clock 12 years, this forum would maybe hold up (with the exception of forum security, which to my knowledge this forum does well with).

Now, in a year or two, it may as well be a museum piece for a time where the average number of posts per day actually needed more than one hand to count on.

And I say that with all due respect to the staff, although I must pose this question to them. Such as you, Ivic.
What's the game plan for the forum? Is it being left out to pasture to live out the rest of its life with minimal interference? I understand the focus is predominantly elsewhere (such as Fursaverence or the Pawdcast). But, I feel it's still a question worth asking.

And just an addendum: nothing I said is new. This has all been brought up before, time and time again. :P So, I take no credit for originality of thought here. But I feel it's on topic, and something that may be on the minds of several.
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Re: Age or changing technologies

#12

Post by Trace »

Honestly this is a great question, and one that I don't have an answer to myself.
I know the forum unfortunately has definitely had to become less of a priority for me, especially as I have had to deal with other responsibilities. I have very fond feelings for this place, and really appreciate the role it had in my journey. But with that said, there really is not all that much to really keep folks coming back here. Several of the most active members have moved on in one way or another, and posts tend to be few and far between.
I would love to see the site revitalized, but I don't really have good answers on how to do so, or the time right now to commit to attempting to figure it out.
I'm sorry I don't have better answers, all.
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