Postby Saint Kevin » Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:48 pm
I'm still here Arbre, nice to see you again. Still got the same name and avatar, too. Send me a PM some time.
It's good to see a lot of you "grizzled" veterans still around. It's been a long time since I've been on CAA. I've probably looked at it three times in the last year, with maybe one post (correction - I've had three posts in the last 12 months).
CAA has a pretty sweet, new (to me) layout. And 1,000,900 posts to boot! Woot for cracking a million you guys (vague memories of the rallying against the "spam" thread are coming back to me though).
Thoughts as to why people stop frequenting forums:
1) As forums become an entity of their own, people worry about doing things related to the forum itself rather than contributing in ways that original drew members to the forum (e.g.) posting about forum demographics, or forming cliques within the forum - even the "oldies" could perhaps be a clique of sorts).
2) As people grow older, responsibilities tend to grow, not diminish. As for me, I'm a video game tester working 40+ hours a week, volunteering 4 hours a week, helping out at a radio station 6 hours a week, as well as trying to make it as both a voiceover talent and freelance accountant. None of this was a part of my life when I joined CAA, but I do blame the pursuit of the voiceover stuff on my association with this forum (for the encouragement of some, as well as the anime fandom in general - LONG LIVE ENGLISH DUBS!).
3) Group dynamics - Some people like small, close knit communities. I fall into this category. They feel more personal, and connections are easier to make. As groups grow (CAA is, it is harder to remember as many names, and statistically, probably takes longer to see enough posts from the same person to genuinely feel a connection, or really begin to see an individual's personality shining beneath computer text.
4) Personal reasons - I have symptoms of Carpal Tunnel, thanks in part to testing video games 40 hours (or more) a week, and perhaps, due to some of my longer posts here. I've also had a host of other stresses in my life that have sapped my time and energy (leading to less time to spend here). On a more personal note, I'm just coming back from a period of drifting in my commitment to the Lord. I wish it weren't true, and I have no (good) excuse, but sometimes when I'm feeling worthless and can't figure out life, I need God and His saints the most but I'm more apt to run away from them because of guilt or pride.
5) The inherently impersonal nature of a text-based relationship - People have lives to live. Lives away from a keyboard and mouse that will eventually cut into forum contributions. And this is a good thing. People need people - up-close and personal - with which to have fellowship. There are a number of you who have met CAA members in real life and thanked God for it. I myself have only met one, to date, but I can say that it was a great experience, and I'll never forget it. For me, text is rarely as meaningful or memorable as a well-timed hug (or even as hearing another's voice), and because of this, I'm more-or-less eschewing the forum thing as a means to building meaningful relationships. I've also given up on AIM on the like due to having no free time, which has made it harder to keep in touch with all of you. That said, maybe I'll see you guys at Nan Desu Kan in Denver in September. God willing, hopefully I'll get to meet a lot of you when I make it big as a voice actor and come to a convention near you. Even so, I'll still be there for the big CAA bash in the next life (if we're not already preoccupied with something far greater).
Well, those are my thoughts, and as in the old days, my "short" posts always end up taking forever to write. Good to know a lot of you are still around. It is my prayer that you will stay strong in the Lord, that He will bless you richly, and give others occasion to praise God on account of you.
SK
Our lives are but a vapor, let us not let waste our time and breath on vanities, but let us spend ourselves for the Kingdom, seeking a better resurrection.
Preaching the Bad News
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