This site used to be buzzing.. what happened?

Is it because I left? ;) haha not really but seriously where is everyone? I have new poems to submit but who is there to see? what I have to say right now, to show the real me.... x

I will read your poems, if you put them up.

Kewl I will start with a newish one.. and then start copying and pasting some that I deleted. it's just every few mins someone would comment on fun and humour etc a few years ago, whereas now it's days or weeks x

Post post post!

Unfortunately the site has taken to our current society, neighbors no longer socialize with each other, everyone looks for a circle to fit in and seldom ventures from said circle, the groups were a great addition to the site, but also contributed to the downfall of activity on the boards. Then you have the administration which is next to non-existent, the mods, including myself when I was one, at times hampered freedom of speech. There used to be some great debates, and as soon as someone posted something inappropriate or it got a little too heated, it was locked and discontinued, that should never happen to writers period, but it is what it is, and maybe it will go back to even better than it was, but for now, I agree, it's like a ghost town......peace

It double posted sorry

I understand that people move on and find elsewhere to go. I used to be here all the time and I moved on to my life outside the internet. However this site and the people on it got me through some rough times. it's sad really and I am guilty of abandoning the site. I still have a life offline but am hoping to rekindle my love for poetry.. reading, writing and sharing. I always think fondly of the years I spent here even though forgotten for a while. I hope more people will find their way back. As for me I intend to make a comeback :D x

"the site has taken to our current society".

^ I'm not sure what you're saying? Today's society places an emphasis on technology & being connected, it's natural to think that people will search for groups/cliques/places where they can meet like-minded people or to explore their hobby. This is true of the past, and in the present; if anything, today's society makes it much easier to find groups, someone might love imagining & drawing up maps, and there are groups & websites out there for that. There are sites out there such as Wattpad which has a huge member-base for creative writing including poetry and are definitely thriving. This site isn't active as much, since it hasn't been able to keep up with the rapid changes in technology (for instance, the site's interface is quite out dated, there is no special mobile version of this site, or an app, and all of these things are essentially deterrents). Not to mention the site is not search-engine optimized anymore, you'll have to go through pages of searching the keyword "poetry" and "quotes" before hitting this site, I think it's only "poetry and quotes" that links this site as the first. I'm sure if Janis was here, and were to implement changes as well as a site make-over and was able to increase the site's presence online, then the site would have more members & increased activity.

Clamping down on arguments hasn't happened since I erroneously did so months ago on a spat that ended up with a talented member leaving for several months.
True, we still send people to PM when it gets to a chest beating frenzy, but the ONLY penalties in the past year or so have been for three things: Spam, Plagiarism & Harrassment (even that has to go over the top).
It seems that what some people miss others aren't worried about.
The fact is that Facebook has drained many new applications, but the ones who are here have been writing a lot: great poetry, not so great, but developing.

When I log in to my account it still show's me the names of all the poems I deleted and then obviously says 'this poem has been deleted' when I click on them. I have just added a few of my old ones and am just wondering if people are still seeing all the poems deleted or if it now just comes up with the new ones? I have to click on my poems (in the pink right hand side column) to only see the newly posted. just wondering if there is a way to get all the titles deleted that have no poem to go with them?

It's just coming up with the new ones....there's about ten on there if it helps :)

Personally, I've been on this site for about five months or so and think it's wonderful. The fact that poetry still positively influences so many people (all of us here) I think is marvellous.
I can see that the site has quietened down a bit (if only by looking at the number of votes people used to get) but more could be done by the members that are here to help.
I've said before that too often, new members join, put up poems that are never read, and don't come back - it is a little disheartening, isn't it? I understand that people are busy, but if every member tried to leave someone just one comment whenever they were online, the difference would be huge.
I try hard to comment on multiple poems a day - some brief, some more lengthy - and do understand that it isn't possible for everyone (I have the great misfortune of working nights) but we could all be more proactive in keeping the new members that join, but also in commenting and encouraging the established ones too.
All the best,
Ben
ps and personally speaking, I never see the need for people to be rude to each other on any public forum - the results have too often been disastrous. In extremities it has led to tragedy, in lesser examples it upsets people terribly and even (as Larry mentioned) forces people off site altogether. In my opinion, it is the sad twitter culture of abuse.
I'm all for healthy, adult debate, but not free reign to be rude to each other; just because we are writers, doesn't give us that "special" right.
Why turn something we all enjoy into an arena of hate. I don't think there's ever any need for it. Disagree, debate, get heated even, but why be rude?

Senryu, without a doubt this new advanced technology has opened many doors to like said people, but has also closed many , especially in open face to face communication, it has had a horrific effect, was just talking to a college professor about this the other day, he said people can not communicate without electronics, he says there are people on campus sitting at a table , maybe 8-10 and they all texting instead of engaging in conversation with each other. It may seem like a good thing, but I think we as a society have become more withdrawn and emotionally anti social, if that makes any sense.....Ben, 5 months, congrats, you missed it, but maybe you can bring it back, it was nothing to seeing top poems have a hundred votes and 30 comments on it, and not all the debates were rude, just heated, it's a good thing, course if you're a pacifist it's not.

Not so much a pacifist, Bob - I'm all for knocking the other guy out if he insults your wife, lol.
But I agree wholeheartedly with what you're saying about phones - it's pathetic watching people these days. Parents in restaurants with their kids ignoring them because they're texting someone - when I grew up, you just didn't sit at the table with your phone out. It's hust basic manners. People in bars/clubs or at parties - and everyone on their phone to someone else.
I don't even have a phone anymore, I'm that sick of it. The technology itself is wonderful, but like everything else in life that we create, we ruin it with our own inability to control ourselves.
Bob, we're probably in the minority here - in fact, we must be - but it's nice to see someone else out there thinks the world is as crazy as I do!

^^^^^^

Fella I agree totally with you there, there are two reasons I haven't got rid of my phone #1 if I don't know where a Starbucks is I can find one #2 I have to have one for work ;/

The way people sit muted but playing with their phones all the time is so freakin sad....its like their phone is a disability that they are unaware of lol

Secluding ones self only excludes others, and you may miss out on the friendship, love of a life time...there used to be a series called lost in space, they should do another one, lost in cyber space...lol

I absolutely love when discussions like this pop up, because then the site buzzes for a bit. Keep discussions happening - participate in anything that catches your eye! Nothing catches your eye? Start a thread! :) Want comments? Go comment on poems, return the favor to those who do etc.

Not just this site, but an overall life observation in my very young 28 years (ha), is that you get out of life what you put into it. You cannot expect things to just fall into your lap, sometimes you have to put yourself out there, look for it, work for it.

Church this Sunday was all about connecting like Jesus did/does, and the pastor read a scary statistic -- 25 years ago, people polled said they had 3 close friends they could truly turn to in their time of need. Now? Just ONE! We are the most connected generation, and yet the most lonely. We strive to have it all together on Facebook or Instagram, but that's just the highlight reel, and it's easy to feel lonely when everyone else looks put together. Fact is, we're all screwed up equally. You come to my home and it won't look like Pinterest threw up in there - you'll see muddy paw prints, potential folded laundry, dirty dishes, but a hot cup of coffee or tea and conversation. We're so focused on what other people are doing, we lose sight of the relationship aspect of it.. again, this totally applies to here, too.

Yes thank you naughtymouse :)

This post and all your comments on it has just proven to me I was wrong.. there are still people here :D I guess candy crush is just more appealing to people than the dumbest game ever ;) (I personally loved the dumbest game ever, it was also a chit chat place where you got to know other poets)

We are the most connected generation, and yet the most lonely. We strive to have it all together on Facebook or Instagram, but that's just the highlight reel, and it's easy to feel lonely when everyone else looks put together. Fact is, we're all screwed up equally.

^exactly

Britt - yours sounds like exactly the kind of home I would love to visit; in fact, it echoes my own!
I saw a guy in a supermarket the other day who was about 6ft 6 and built like a....well, a brick shit house.
Anyway, he was in a dressing gown and slippers and underneath, he had t-shirt which (much to my hilarity) read "f**K facebook, I've got real friends." Who can argue with that logic or, indeed, who would argue with him?
Lovely to read a thread of comments that seems to shine a beam of sanity on a steaming pile of insanity! lol
All the very best,
Ben

Challenge!

Right, instead of us all sitting around whinging - let's do something about it to help.
I challenge all on this thread to write a poem about any subject we have discussed here BUT everyone else MUST comment on the poems written.
Simply write the title or add the link of your poem when it's done.
Not to back out, I've written one that's called:

PNQ - Let's Dine!

Avatar avatar
there you are
messages we send
dearest friend
PM this, text that
let's chat
my candy crush
you're such a lush
sexy and sweet
someday we'll meet

oh the irony kills me.......Just being stupid

Lol, Bob. very good!

There used to be some great debates, and as soon as someone posted something inappropriate or it got a little too heated, it was locked and discontinued

^^^

along with the perpetrators account you forgot to add.

Speaking of old memebers who have left, I really miss Ddavidd :( He was quite a spicy character, everytime he was online you were guaranteed to have interesting group discussions

^ yup to that

I was gone for 4yrs..the people of my club kept it going....when someone would come over with a phone I would sign in I didn't want them to delete my account...when I came back all the poets in my. Club welcomed me back...2 other writers outside my club welcomed me...it seemed to others I was invisible..so me and most of our club members stay in the club...we use to have club to club challenges...before I opened PR....I was in a awesome club R.T.V.W.
they decided to have a reunion they could have went anywhere. They came to Ohio to meet me, my sister debbylyn who is also a writer on the site, Deb's daughter Rachel, my son who writes under a pen name, Debbies husband Barry who she met on this site :) the reunion was wonderful...I met some great people this was in 2008....we still have contact to this day. It would be nice if people got involved more with each other.

People you think are gone come back in myriad ways.

^ yup to that too.

There are so many new members on here now Cindy so it's like starting from scratch you know...comment on poems and get your name known again. There is no red carpet treatment for older members.

Who you calling old, troll, yea, a debate.....lmao.....it's good to see at least you still have some feistiness on the boards.....

^Who you calling old troll,

There appears to be a comma missing

You're right Larry, we have to really define who the troll is.....lmao

I'm not looking for red carpet treatment Hellon...not at all....a hi would have been nice..

^
Hi Bob, hi Larry
It doesn't hurt that bad....actually it doesn't hurt at all.

...hi all! *smiles awkwardly and walks side wards off the set*

Hi Cindy, I really missed you

"Hi, Donna. Hi, Cindy" *Joins Michael stage left.

It does hurt Cindy, but only when I laugh uncontrollably .....bruised ego, I mean ribs.....lmao

Where's justplainme when you need him, that should get a lot of giggles....