My current problem with this site

[Alolan_Apples]

I have to say, TBT has improved a lot, not just after the software change, but also over the last couple of years. But that doesn’t mean this site is problem free. However, there’s only one issue that concerns me right now.

The General Discussion thread in the basement hardly has anybody posting there now. It’s like an empty chat room, like Groups before the feature was taken away due to lack of participation. It used to be a lot more active, but now it’s like dead, even after the site rebounded due to ACNH’s release. Even those who normally go there haven’t posted there in a while. I’m the only person who goes there, and it’s not worth posting in a thread if you’re the only one who goes there. Adding insult to injury, this is a stickied thread that’s dying, yet most stickied threads that get very little activity is only for guide purposes. The Collectibles and Restocks thread will eventually get more activity in the future, but I couldn’t say the same for the General Discussion.

I know it’s weird to post a thread about another thread, but I don’t know where else to go to bring attention. This thread isn’t to advertise people to post there, but rather to discuss posting habits of the community in general. Why do people hardly go there anymore? Is the Random Thoughts thread making it obsolete, or is it for some other reason? In addition, do you think it’s time to make a new General Discussion thread and replace the old one, or is the current thread fine?

 

[MasterM64]

My guess is that more people are playing New Horizons instead of killing time on the forums on top of their personal responsibilities. My guess as to why general discussion was hopping for a while is because New Leaf was on the back burner for a little bit for a lot of people.

 

[Alolan_Apples]

My guess is that more people are playing New Horizons instead of killing time on the forums on top of their personal responsibilities. My guess as to why general discussion was hopping for a while is because New Leaf was on the back burner for a little bit for a lot of people.

Seems like a good answer. I was hoping that my political posts on the General Discussion didn’t discourage others from posting there (I was already discouraged from posting in the Random Thoughts thread, as it’s the one thread I won’t post in). But while everyone is talking about ACNH, the Random Thoughts thread is still flourishing as the General Discussion thread is empty.

 

[Jacob]

A lot of people have random discussions on the Discord now

 

[Chris]

It isn't really an issue. If the thread has outlived it's usefulness to people then it's okay for it to fall inactive. There also isn't much sense in remaking the thread if people are no longer showing interest in the original.

Whether or not it should remain stickied would be something we would evaluate after a greater length of time has passed.

 

[Corrie]

I've noticed Brewsters a lot less active than normal as well. That's probably due to everyone playing NH or going on TBT's Discord. I'm not on the Discord so I can't speak for how popular it is but I see it in people's sigs a lot so I'm guessing it's the main world hub.

 

[Alolan_Apples]

I've noticed Brewsters a lot less active than normal as well. That's probably due to everyone playing NH or going on TBT's Discord. I'm not on the Discord so I can't speak for how popular it is but I see it in people's sigs a lot so I'm guessing it's the main world hub.

That’s pretty interesting. I wonder how this would impact site events. Would they gather even more participation than they did from 2016 to 2019? Or would people be less interested into it like they were into the off-topic discussions. Even the TBT Marketplace isn’t as busy as I would expect.

I’ll go ahead and wait a year to see how this site goes. The off-topic discussions would gather more activity. I’m just being impatient. But I do regret making more political posts on the General Discussion than I should. The reason: I do not want to become another Ann Coulter.

 

[Corrie]

That’s pretty interesting. I wonder how this would impact site events. Would they gather even more participation than they did from 2016 to 2019? Or would people be less interested into it like they were into the off-topic discussions. Even the TBT Marketplace isn’t as busy as I would expect.

I’ll go ahead and wait a year to see how this site goes. The off-topic discussions would gather more activity. I’m just being impatient. But I do regret making more political posts on the General Discussion than I should. The reason: I do not want to become another Ann Coulter.

That's a really good question. There's still lots of people on here but the NH sections are booming! I'm sure once the NH hype dies down a bit, collectibles and general discussions will come back. At least... I hope lol.

 

[Llunavale]

Most of the random chit-chat will have moved on over to the Discord I imagine - personally I went in there for five minutes and left, it's an incoherent nightmare, but tbf I also don't really post in general discussion either.

I guess for me it's just the lack of anything to discuss, not that my life is that boring, but it's just not stuff I really want to go into on an Animal Crossing forum, doesn't seem like the right demographic [to discuss software development or computer hardware with], I suppose.

I prefer the more specialised discussion threads because at least we all know what's going on at all times - general discussion feels like I could just be wandering into someone stream of consciousness.

 

[sour]

As soon as a forum gets a Discord sever or a similar alternative, activity goes wayyyy down. TBT is not the only forum I frequent where I've seen this happen. So I'm not a huge fan of forum Discords, because a forum format allows to keep up with discussions and read postst from way back. But I'd agree that Discord is great for casual and off topic chit chat in a smallish group of people. 100+ active people and I nope out, it just seems more difficult to get to know people and be a part of a chat

 

[Alolan_Apples]

As soon as a forum gets a Discord sever or a similar alternative, activity goes wayyyy down. TBT is not the only forum I frequent where I've seen this happen. So I'm not a huge fan of forum Discords, because a forum format allows to keep up with discussions and read postst from way back. But I'd agree that Discord is great for casual and off topic chit chat in a smallish group of people. 100+ active people and I nope out, it just seems more difficult to get to know people and be a part of a chat

This is the best answer I have seen here. I do remember back when the off-topic discussions on TBT were very active (including the General Discussion), but that was before TBT had its Discord. The closest feature TBT has to Discord was the IRC. But since Discord came, there were a lot of changes. I know that it made Groups obsolete, but I didn’t know that it affects all activity as well.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

Most of the random chit-chat will have moved on over to the Discord I imagine - personally I went in there for five minutes and left, it's an incoherent nightmare, but tbf I also don't really post in general discussion either.

That's why I don't go there often, cause there's hardly ever a real discussion going on and like you said it's usually an incoherent nightmare.