Where have all the registered users gone?

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Alchemy

Since I joined in 2007 ish a lot has changed, it was mostly modded DSLR back then, I used a cannon camera, a modded Phillips to u cam, used Guide dog for guiding.

I remember guide dog well. Before PHD.

Originally Posted by Alchemy

Forward a while and upgraded to a new qhy8 one of those Dmk FireWire guide cameras, (can’t get FireWire computers anymore that I know of)

Still imaging with my square QHY8. It's still going. I also still have my DMK 21AF firewire with an old TOSHIBA Satellite M35X running XP home. It's about 45mm thick.

Good to hear you're still at it.

[Kev11 (Kevin)]

As a member for 10 years, I too had been wondering about the decline in the number of posts in the last few years. The classifieds I think are a good thing because dealing with people on-line in a special interest group is better than E-bay or Gumtree.
I came back to astronomy after 50 years (the old hand grinding mirrors and paying a week’s wages for an eyepiece days) so had to update a lot for which IIS was a great source of information.
When I started a few threads of my own, I got a very mixed reaction. Some people made helpful comments and suggestions. However, others were patronising - telling me that my DIY observatory is “a nice bush dunny”- to downright rude – “just do it!” - in response to my explanation that their suggestion was based on a misunderstanding about how the processing software works.
There are lots of different reasons why users stop posting, but those are mine.

[Boozlefoot]

Hmmmm, I can understand why many post once and then waft away in the ether.

I'll just put my tongue back in my cheek for the remainder of my paltry 252nd post and resume my lurking as per the past year or so. (Bar a couple) PM'ing at times is a much preferred option for quite a few.

Lurking has a distinct advantage for us secular recluses, in that it enables a much greater degree of self determined moral superiority.

[va1erian]

Originally Posted by AdamJL

this might be controversial... but forums can also be for uhh... older folks (hey I'm including myself here too!).
The only major place forum where younger people do go, is Reddit. Everything else is social media.

When I have a question, I prefer to go to CloudyNights rather than ask in here. Here, I could get 0-1 replies, and over there I get 2-3.

[Rerouter (Ryan)]

How active a forum is is kind of a sweet spot, to this end forums usually add more branches if too busy to thin out the activity, or hold off when its too quiet,

In the past I mostly left whirlpool forums because they started getting spammed with hundreds of "help me" threads from new users, many of which already had there question answered by the 5 similar threads on the same page, and it was becoming an effort to dig though them all, this was back in like november 2017 mind, and it seems to have returned to a good pace at a quick glance

EEVblog I leave and return to based on how busy things are and the mix between smart greybeard chat and newbie stuff,

Here I am still the newbie, so apologies in advance, this forum feels a bit quiet to me, expecially in certain areas, but there are lots of eyes on posts, so either lots of bots, or lots of silent users, but not much activity,

But for this topic I don't mind it too much, as some of this stuff you cant reply with until you have a cloud free night, or you spend 2 days fiddling with things, etc, so having too much activity could loose some of that more in detail slow stuff that really spells out the knowledge and wisdom for newbies.

[AdamJL]

Originally Posted by va1erian

When I have a question, I prefer to go to CloudyNights rather than ask in here. Here, I could get 0-1 replies, and over there I get 2-3.

Fair enough.I like the members here. I don't know everyone, and I could have missed a few rough spots (ha!) but I like how the members here engage with each other.

CN has a major benefit in that it's busy, and with a LOT of experts that can help. The downside is that, as in many circles of life, expertise can breed arrogance, and CN has more of that attitude than here.
Also, CN focuses highly on.. the minutia. The definition of that word will vary from person to person, but it reminds me of forums I left many years ago, where everyone ended up taking the same pictures and any originality was quickly smothered due to "technical imperfections".
And let's not even start on pixel peeping...
But I can't deny the resource that is CN, so I'll post here and there

edit: I've also been using Discord and some Google groups for specific topics. Discord for NINA and Google Groups for Deep Sky Stacker, and they've been great.

[Constant (David)]

Originally Posted by Kev11

As a member for 10 years, I too had been wondering about the decline in the number of posts in the last few years. The classifieds I think are a good thing because dealing with people on-line in a special interest group is better than E-bay or Gumtree.
I came back to astronomy after 50 years (the old hand grinding mirrors and paying a week’s wages for an eyepiece days) so had to update a lot for which IIS was a great source of information.
When I started a few threads of my own, I got a very mixed reaction. Some people made helpful comments and suggestions. However, others were patronising - telling me that my DIY observatory is “a nice bush dunny”- to downright rude – “just do it!” - in response to my explanation that their suggestion was based on a misunderstanding about how the processing software works.
There are lots of different reasons why users stop posting, but those are mine.

Kevin,

My post count is even lower than yours, I'm just a lurker.
One of the things that attracts me to Astro is the coolness of Astro tech. The issue with "bush tech" is that it runs counter to sleek tech, or cool tech.
In lauding cool tech, the doing is most important, your doing "power to your arm".

David

[alval (Alan)]

Yes it is odd that some people post once only then dont return. Perhaps its because they expect everyone is online always and an answer to their issue immediately, sometimes it may take a day or two til someone that can offer advice reads it. Ive answered a day or two after such a post and then theres nothing.
I suppose Im a lurker too, I probably check every day or so (more if the weathers crap), but only log on to offer advice if its within my field of expertise, or I need to ask a question.
I do find this forum more relaxed and feel more a part of it even though I dont post much. On other forums you seem to have to sort through what is advice and what is personal bias, and one upmanship, and detractors.
Dont need that, so I dont stick my head up unless I can help.
This is the odd exception, back to the shadows for me now!
Al

[billdan (Bill)]

One of the problems with CN popularity is, if you ask a question and it is not answered within 24 hours, your question flips over to page 2, where no ones looking. Especially so with "Beginners Astro-photography".