I check the active posts most days, but I rarely post here anymore. I tend to spend my time on another forum, where the atmosphere is much friendlier, differences of opinion are discussed amicably, and there are no threads getting derailed into personal insult sessions. There is also the functionality to PM other members, and discuss things amicably with them 'offline' without poisoning the public discussion threads
For me the straw that broke the camels back, was a thread a few weeks ago, where one of the stalwarts had a sustained attempt to insult gel and made several over the top, personal insults aimed at gel. Those insults were uncalled for.
If you ever read the documentation about creating communities of interest, and this includes forums, the documentation describes the typical lifecycle of a community. When they start, they are usually driven by enthusiasts, and feature much good natured discussion, exchange of ideas, creative energy, etc. As they mature, some of the founders leave, but are replaced by equally enthusiastic newcomers. However eventually you reach a point where most/all of the founders have left (eg Andrew Everard and his what hifi colleagues), and much of the initial enthusiasm has evaporated. Cliques form, creating fragmentation of ideas and interest groups, and the newcomers are put off joining because they do not feel like they are one of the gang. The community is in a slow decline, and the activity gradually reduces.
This does paint a gloomy picture, but:
1 - the WHF forum has lost all its founders
2 - WHF itself sends out a message by demoting the Forum from front page navigation, to hidden on the More menu, and then replaces the active moderators by automated spam filters etc. It all makes me feel like WHF do not have the budget to enable the forum to reach its potential, but neither do they have the heart to kill the forum. So the forum lives on in a state of limbo.
3 - many of the stalwarts have left
4 - interpersonal insults sometimes replace friendly rational discussion/debate
etc
You can tell that i think the forum is on the down slope. The founders and stalwarts represent a large knowledge base, with their years of experience, and once they leave the forum contains mainly newcomers, often with many questions but with few people to provide answers.
Myself, I am experiencing greater enjoyment with my hifi and listening to music, than I have for many years. A bit ironic in that my enjoyment from this forum has declined so much.
I was a keen follower of the Fantasy football last season, and gel to his credit did try and persuade me to join another FF league this season. However my enthusiasm had waned, partly driven by my focus this season shifting from football to rugby. I have been lucky enough to obtain a season ticket at Stade Toulousain, , but from what I have seen so far, it will seem like a sadly dour season with much unexciting play to be endured. I was also a keen founder of the WHF film club, but all the other founders have left, and we have been waiting 6 weeks for David to nominate his films for August, so I think that club is close to closing. This all means that my ancillary reasons for spending time on this forum have declined.
Every member has the ability to make a forum, a place that other people want to visit, and share ideas, stories, knowledge etc. You all have something to give - but first you have to look at the man in the mirror, and tell yourself that you want to be part of a successful forum in the future. *biggrin*