The Source of the Problem

[Trijhak]

As anyone that's frequently visited this site in the past two years, we have an on-and-off activity problem. Certain topics receive all the activity while none of the others get any of it. Examples of this can be seen in Count to a Million and the General/Random Discussion topic, two topics known for their activity.

Our unwillingness to post in topics other than these two at times creates inactivity anywhere but these two topics. We need a spread of activity all over the site, not just in specific areas.

So what can we do to fix it? I'm no forum fixer, but I believe this to be the source of our problems, and we need to know the source of a problem before we can get around  to fixing it.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I do not have an answer at the moment but I am glad you started the discussion.

[Trijhak]

It is a discussion that the site needed, but I do not believe anyone had the idea to make one until now. When we skip over a topic we could have posted in, we have nudged that topic slightly towards a death until someone else posts in it. It is nobody's fault that the site is in the state it is in, I believe it is human nature to skip stuff we are disinterested in. But there are times when there is stuff we are interested in, but don't take the opportunity to post in it, when we really should, for some reason or another, for example, lacking the courage to post or simply forgetting about it.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

We have discussed it some in staff.. but I am glad to see a member discussion.

[Trijhak]

Never be afraid to take suggestions from the members. However, not all suggestions are good, but not all are bad.

I myself have decided to try and begin to resolve the issue by expanding the number of topics I post in.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I wish all would do that... even all the staff =P

[Trijhak]

There is hidden content that should not go hidden. By that I mean everything not posted, people too afraid to post their possibly brilliant pieces of creativity. While I know some people, including myself, aren't really creative people, there are others that may be too intimidated and afraid to post their fiction, art, MoCs, or even music. By doing that, they also bar themselves from constructive criticism. If I know one thing about this site, it's that very few people go insane on you. I will admit, I went insane on someone once, but very few know that tale asides from I and other certain individuals on this site, but that was a very rare exception. We are kind and constructive site, we are not one of the worse parts of the internet. People here, as I have learnt, are forgiving.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I believe, as strange as it may seem, that we all care about each other. The fact that we have never met does not diminish that possibility.
I am not sure we do enough to make a new member feel welcome, especially if they do not post an intro.

[Magical Girl Mimi]

I agree with this entire topic. And I must admit that what Skrief says is true; I either don't post in things that don't interest me, I don't have anything I feel I can add, or I just mean to reply, but never get around to it. =/ But it's definitely a good source of the problem.