I have been a missing person.
I need a couple of clones to keep up with all I want to do. Maybe if I get a laptop some day. I have stacks of books too. Where did all the time go? I can't remember the last time I was bored. Anyway, Bella is doing good, Nigel has short hair to give us all a break...and I miss you all.  |
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missed you too wendy!!!!!! Glad everything is going well!!!!!!  |
| Give up on facebook, it's a flash in the pan!!!
Sigh... No, it's not.  |
Ron wrote: Give up on facebook, it's a flash in the pan!!!
Sigh... No, it's not. FB is ok for the friends/family thing, but so far I haven't seen any sheepdog groups that can hold a candle to this forum. |
Sheepdogma wrote: Ron wrote: Give up on facebook, it's a flash in the pan!!! Sigh... No, it's not. FB is ok for the friends/family thing, but so far I haven't seen any sheepdog groups that can hold a candle to this forum. Agreed 100%!!!! |
| That may be true now, but the lack of chatting around this forum leads to attrition of our members away from the forum. When people look for a forum to ask questions, they look for an active forum. We have less than 1/2 of the activity we used to enjoy.
If they do ask questions, they receive fewer (or hostile) answers and they don't return adding to the decline. Our community cannot survive this and I really don't know how to fix it. |
Facebook drives me crazy sometimes. I don't really need to know every time one of my friends befriends someone else.  And I'm seriously getting to the point of deleting some of the friends I have because the whole system is just WAY too vast for me!
THIS is my sheepdog home - nowhere else!  |
| A couple of friends have bugged me about joining facebook. I'm seriously uninterested for a number of reasons, the biggest of which is that I value genuine conversation and facebook seems to lend itself more to blurbs and one/two liners rather than actual conversations. Add in the fact that it's not really private and the potential for being contacted by that weird kid who sat behind you in eighth grade math and it just becomes very unappealing to me. My daughter assures me that it's most valuable for the pm portion of it because it isn't subject to the same level of spam as a regular email acct. But I have decent spam blockers and I'm not afraid to use the delete button.
I prefer mb which center around interests, myself. |
| Don't get me wrong. This is the best place for sheepdog stuff. I guess it's been quiet because activity is down like Ron said. I also think so many of us are scrambling to make more money in this economy, that we don't have as much time for longer posts. I think I will put a post on my facebook page to link to the org.
I do have to admit, I have been attacked here as well, and Ron does have a point. I don't know how you fix that. |
Ron wrote: If they do ask questions, they receive fewer (or hostile) answers and they don't return adding to the decline. Our community cannot survive this and I really don't know how to fix it.
I have been thinking about this topic a lot since seeing a post from you several weeks ago. True, I don't participate as frequently as I used to. (**This is strictly my opinion) The reason that I stay away is how I'm received by some of the long term members. I don't have time to spend in chat and I don't belong to an established dog group (breeder, training, etc), so the personal connection is missing. Without that personal interaction I'm an outsider on the forum. I've seen other members just like me that aren't fully intrenched, treated in the same manner, where responses are slower, some members don't respond at all, and a few will be snippy. I'm thick skinned, so in the long run, it doesn't bother me, because the forum provides such an imense wealth of information on a topic that is near, dear, and critically important, my Sheepies. Plus there are some really great people here, both new and old. I think the decline in long term members comes from the use of things like FB. They have connected with other Sheepie people and are much happier living within a chosen, controlled environment. There is a lot to be said for that. Almost every time I visit the forum, I learn something new. I prefer an open environment where information can flow from many sources, because it's all for the health and well being of my Sheepies. I don't see that as an option in the FB world. Why? Because a group of friends don't know everything. Or, they may not know it soon enough to help you save your Sheepie pain and suffering. How can we change the forum direction, let's put the question in the members section and start a full on dialog of suggestions and direction, brought to you by the people that use it. OK, all done. Kill me now. |
Ron wrote: That may be true now, but the lack of chatting around this forum leads to attrition of our members away from the forum. When people look for a forum to ask questions, they look for an active forum. We have less than 1/2 of the activity we used to enjoy.
I know,... it's sad. It's been so noticeable and every day I hope there is more to talk about ...and b/c there isn't more are leaving. I even decided I wanted a fb page ...but due to lack of serious interest in making the page, I just haven't gotten around to it.  My college forum still remains as strong as it was from the first day I ventured on it 10 years ago, but I guess a lot of it has to do with the number of people always on it as you have already mentioned! |
| I've been tired of being attacked by 'guest' members. Now, honestly i have figured out behind the scenes who these people are it isn't that hard. But when you've become friends with people here, and feel you can friendly chat with them... then someone 'turns' on everything you say and someone lurks in order to get information, start lawsuits against you, and badmouth about you and your dogs to not only the forum but others.
I just quit coming here to post really. I'm having a great time in Mexico, dogs are doing well, living a hell of a lot cheaper down here, and loving showing and the people at the shows...........but after the last person posting "i was living it up' in Mexico and "owed another forum member $ that i refused to pay (which i had receipts for and sent proving i had paid the funds)' who WANTS to put them selves into the position of this? Oh and add having messages from the forum forwarded to others too as I and others have known someone else here did as well. It's one reason my list is down as well.......... we removed all of the lurker, troublemakers and people that were just there for no good. We are extremely selective on who can and cannot join my list. It is for Breeders and Exhibitors only. We've had it now for over 11 years. But after the lawsuit.......(by a member on this forum ) I think people are just downright frightened to post anynore. Also i just don't have the time. I'm too busy right now enjoying life again........... which is a good thing. |
| What? This forum is in trouble? Ar you kidding me? I don't think facebook has a chance of keeping people long term like us sheepie people! Is there that much of a dramatic drop in those of us chatting????
Well, I say, lets start chatting more!!! This is the greatest forum and I would be totally lost without it! Make time out of your day to visit and chat if that's what it takes. Ron, tell us what to do!!!!!We can never lose this forum!  |
| I'm sorry people feel unwelcome, or if they get snippy responses to their questions. I don't have a sheepie yet I've been welcomed on the forum for years. I think there is a natural ebb and flow to forums/bulletin boards. Most of the people that were long-time users when I first started hanging around are no longer here. That's not a bad thing, it's not a good thing, that's just the way it is.
Unfortunately oes.org has been blocked at my work so I'm not able to be here as much as before. Guess they want us to work!!! I have no interest in Facebook or any other social site. And I'm sorry we're getting less traffic. Perhaps it's just slow time and people will be back. I've made some good friends here and want us to be one happy family. |
| I really like this site - if it weren't for this link I would have never known about the St Louis Sheepiepalooza or made friends with fellow sheepdog owners. I like the topics, the discussions, pictures, medical info, etc.
But, I do like FB, too. I rarely post, but have certainly enjoyed the reconnection tool it has provided - I've connected with friends from kindergarten, grade school, high school, college. I also have connected with our relatives in Ireland and Australia, it's great. I do not like one site over the other, but enjoy both for different reasons. |
| The main problem seems to be recently there is no "other" chat. The new flow of people here are very passionate about dogs, but there aren't a lot of topics about anything else. I've been on here one of the longest (of the people who still post), and that's definitely what my heart seems to be craving from here and others I've talked to. We've always had a family who talked about every bit of our day from co-workers, love life, make-up, just stupid threads (and I don't mean daily jokes) that helped us pass our day. A lot of us old timers love dogs but don't want to talk about them ...............AND NOTHING ELSE. So when they come in to check on a forum they've always loved, there aren't any interesting threads to them since they didn't check in b/c they had dog problems. A shame... |
| I think alot of people check in & read but just don't have anything to say or add at the present time so they don't post. Nothing wrong with that. And with the economy being slow, maybe they just aren't doing as many things so thay don't have as much to chat about. Doesn't mean they aren't interested in the forum. I still think it is heads above a lot of my lists. |
| Wendy, you've been busy doing a beautiful picture of my Apolo!
I do understand the head bit off thing, but I truly send Kudo's to Ali for what she's doing!!! Wish I could truly meet her and her beautiful dogs someday! |
Ron wrote: That may be true now, but the lack of chatting around this forum leads to attrition of our members away from the forum. When people look for a forum to ask questions, they look for an active forum. We have less than 1/2 of the activity we used to enjoy.
If they do ask questions, they receive fewer (or hostile) answers and they don't return adding to the decline. Our community cannot survive this and I really don't know how to fix it. I suppose you are right Ron, I was going to leave the forum but re-considered my decision, unfortunately at the moment I am very busy work wise and do not have the time to post as much as I would like to, I try and read the posts and if time permits post a reply. Unfortunately some peolpe are very vain and this is more and more noticeable even in the forum, I see the forum as a place to ask for and receive advice, help and more, it has done a lot of good in the past, just look at Zorro and I am sure the forum will be here for a long time to come. I was in Facebook for a very short time and I got sick of all the invitations to come and join people, plus the spammail increased. I hope I get some more time in the near future to chat with the members. I know what Ali had to put up with and it has not silenced me I will continue saying my opinion it is not illegal and if someone wants to threaten me with a laywer so be it but remember it has been tried and that person got the correct and direct reply from my laywer. It would be nice if someone used Zorro for stud but unfortunately he has the wrong owner and i am not liked for my direct approach to things, I will always be direct in what I say and will always call a spade a spade, this is not always liked. I send greetings to everyone in the forum and hope to be a little more active in a couple of months, at the moment i am working in Egypt and planning some other trips as well, hear from you all soon Stewart |
| Egypt?? - wow
You should post some pictures! |
got sheep wrote: Egypt?? - wow
You should post some pictures! Since Friday is our free day here we are organizing a trip to the Pyramids for some Service Engineers who are working for us, I will join them and take some photo's when I am there. 
This gives you all an idea how we have to rough it here. |
| Very cool. I think of Egypt and picture desert and sand, not a beach! |
| Stewart--wow! Egypt looks very nice!
Here's my opinion on things: I like FB. It's fun and I get to catch up with old friends. Yes, it includes some sheepie friends. I think that a lot of people choose to add specific sheepie people on FB and chat with them that way because they have become friends and have things in common with them in life outside of dogs. Their personalities just click. Not everyone on the forum is going to get along, or be people that you was to really be 'friends' with, so FB is a great way to weed those people out. If you go onto chat on the forum, you might run into some of the people you don't want to. I think a lot of us on this forum (at least 'my generation of forum') got puppies/dogs around the same time and were going through similar issues/problems/ordeals with our dogs, so the forum was very useful to us at that time. I've been given some unfriendly answers to some questions that I've had, which I thought was uncalled for, and they were members, not guests. So that tends to make me not want to ask questions as much. And Jo had a good point--a lot of the threads overall aren't interesting to me, or I have no knowledge of the subject, so I don't answer them. People change their interests, or their level of interest in particular things, and while a new puppy might dominate a person's life for the first 2 years, life settles down and there just isn't as much to talk about after that. I still like coming here (obviously)... |
dairymaid wrote: I will always be direct in what I say and will always call a spade a spade, this is not always liked.
You and I are cut from the same cloth in this regard; and its cost me friends as well. But I'd rather speak my mind and be accused of being honest and harsh, than be accused of being dishonest. |
| Well, I hope we can generate a good sized thread again as I would like to do another calendar. I will put out a call again next month.
I still find this a great forum to meet and share with other OES lovers. |
| Wendy; I'd like to say I missed you; but I guess in that regard Facebook really DID fill the void. No, we didn't chat there daily as I guess some do, but its a comfort to see you among my friends and read the occasional update.
I know I posted a lot less here on OES.org earlier this year. I had injured my arm and typing and using the mouse were aggravating the injury. So I simply wasn't online as much. I do have a Facebook account, but don't find that I post to any of the Sheepdog groups I join there. I would say personally, Facebook doesn't even come close to replacing OES.org for me. As for rude and short answers to newer posters questions; I can see that happening. I try not to be the rude person... though its tough in that Tube-tied pregnant thread!  Perhaps message boards and their members are cyclical. As the Old Guard grow bored, or find new ways to talk to their friends, the younger generation will step in and take up the slack? Then that younger generation will become the experienced ones, and another new wave of people will find the board and be the young ones online?
I can understand how it must be tremendously dull to spend years reading the same "what bush should I use", "how do I crate train" and "My puppy won't stop peeing in the house" posts. But I try and think that it wasn't all that long ago that that was ME making those posts, and I owe this group a lot for answering my questions which must have seemed SO dull and routine! So I try to pass along what was passed along to me, knowing that maybe I can help someone as much as everyone here was a help to me. I imagine for the "old timers" on the board, there simply aren't going to be any posts that are surprising or new when it comes to the dogs, so the chit chat becomes more the lure to be here than the dog-centric stuff. |
| Don't get me wrong guys. I check the forum all the time, but I have been busy with some drawing, and I am working on some other OES and pet themed items as well, so I just don't post as much.
I have found myself writing posts, and then not sending them because of some of the responses I have had in past. I still share most of my work here, and basically only joined facebook to find lost friends, family, and to put the other pet art out into a wider circle. I did put a link to this site on my fan page, and I still consider this site #1 for OES friends. I don't belong to any other OES groups. I have just been really busy and have to limit my pc time or I get nothing done. I have two teen girls, and all the health issues with Bella. Last year was really tough but I am hoping this year will be turnaround time. As a plus I will say how nice it is lately how fast the photos get approved. This is still my #1 recommended site to anyone I meet with an OES!!! |
| I vanished from the forum for quite a while due to health problems (my stupid headaches ) and still post much less than I used to for the same reason. I had thought, when reading this thread, that a possible solution would be more activity in the chat room, as that really seems to encourage closer friendships....then I realized that I cant do chat myself, since my eyes now refuse to re-focus fast enough .
Some of the things folks have said on this thread struck a cord with me too...Ive become a little gun-shy on offering advise, as Ive occasionally said the wrong thing, or been too blunt, or something, and then felt awful when I realized the person was angry. Recently I objected to a very nasty, bigoted comment from someone (on a different dog-related forum!!) and wound up with hate-mail and harassment...this has left me feeling very reluctant to post anything, anywhere...but, Im getting over it!  I also want to say...in light of that experience, that this board is INCREDIBLY polite and civil compared to most other dog forums Ive looked at...and Im sticking with it exclusively now!
As to there being not enough interesting topics of conversation...what would each of you like to discuss? I dont know that many of my specific interests would be shared by a lot of folks here...Im always delighted to talk about art, craft, small business, books, history, science, home improvement, and I love sharing stories about my home state (Alaska) and hearing about where other folks live and whats unique about it! Oh yeah...and dogs  |
| barney, I hadn't thought about the age of our dogs, but that's so true!! I just don't have the questions I used to thanks to the forum's help.
I also agree w/barney regarding chat. Chat is great ...for a little while but you're kinda obligated to keep the conversation going and more than 80% of the time, you're stuck talking to someone you really don't have much in common with and quite frankly, don't want to spend your time talking to. The great thing about threads is you can reply on your own time schedule, not obligated to reply at all, and won't hurt anyone's feelings if you ignore them. Lastly, about the topics "I" would personally like to talk about... anything!!!! There just aren't people starting these new general topic threads. One can always say "well, why don't the people who are complaining ...start the threads..." and I think many of us have, but one interesting thread isn't going to get people to stay ...we need a lot of people to start more threads. It can sometimes be hard to enjoy some of the threads now too. Long drawn out debates just give many of us migraines when they happen SO often instead of occasionally. Of course, some people enjoy that and I don't blame them for that. Different strokes.... |
| In regards to general chatter and things, I noticed the other day on my fiance's health forum that they had a thing on the side called a "Shout box" which is like a combination between live chat and FB status updates I think. I was looking through them and thought it was a good idea because you don't feel obliged to talk to someone you don't get along with but it can also spark up some chatter if you do. And because it's on the same page as the threads more people read it and join in. I don't know whether that's possible/wanted on oes.org though, just a thought.
Here's the link if you're interested in what I mean, it's on the right http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/ubbthr ... p?ubb=cfrm (Hope it's OK to post that, Ron! Feel free to delete it otherwise) |
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