LilBit
The bit(ch) is back!
I don't think I qualify either as an old-timer or as a newbie, but here's my .021 Swiss francs:
I used to belong to another forum. From its inception in 2001 until about a year ago, I was one of the most active members on the board. It was a much smaller community than JUB--at its peak there may have been 500 registered members, of whom 150 or so were regulars. In recent years, there have been almost no new members, and there are perhaps 30 regulars.
And that's exactly why I left. The place got stagnant. The old inside jokes had gotten stale, there were no new topics of discussion, and the place had grown incredibly cliquey. As one of only three openly LGB members on the boards (we had one of each), I felt very alienated by the majority of the members. The atmosphere got increasingly conservative, and I just didn't feel very welcome.
I think JUB has a better turnover rate. There are lots of old-timers, but the atmosphere is welcoming enough (and diverse enough) that new members can usually find a decent welcome here.
Yes, there are periods when the place seems to be overrun with trolls, but like everything, it ebbs and flows. There are times when I'm more active here, and there are times when I disappear for short periods, but on the whole, I enjoy interacting with people here. A good number of my Facebook friends are from JUB, and I've met quite a few JUBbers IRL. I'm going to my third meet in August, and Frankfrank even stopped by and visited once when he was driving through my area. I introduced GL to one of my grad school friends, and by all accounts he's entirely replaced me in her heart. All in all, I think that's a sign that this is a good community for me.
I also have to say, for a forum of this size, JUB is pretty well-moderated. Yes, everyone has disputes with the Powers That Be, and there are always accusations of partiality, but on the whole, I've found that JUB is very spam-free, and trolls are generally dealt with fairly. (And I'm saying this as a former troll...)
Yes, there are things that I miss (the "moods" and the more detailed profiles, for instance), and there are people that I miss, but I also enjoy interacting with the new people who come by.
Long story short, JUB is not what it used to be, but I don't think that means that it's dying.
I used to belong to another forum. From its inception in 2001 until about a year ago, I was one of the most active members on the board. It was a much smaller community than JUB--at its peak there may have been 500 registered members, of whom 150 or so were regulars. In recent years, there have been almost no new members, and there are perhaps 30 regulars.
And that's exactly why I left. The place got stagnant. The old inside jokes had gotten stale, there were no new topics of discussion, and the place had grown incredibly cliquey. As one of only three openly LGB members on the boards (we had one of each), I felt very alienated by the majority of the members. The atmosphere got increasingly conservative, and I just didn't feel very welcome.
I think JUB has a better turnover rate. There are lots of old-timers, but the atmosphere is welcoming enough (and diverse enough) that new members can usually find a decent welcome here.
Yes, there are periods when the place seems to be overrun with trolls, but like everything, it ebbs and flows. There are times when I'm more active here, and there are times when I disappear for short periods, but on the whole, I enjoy interacting with people here. A good number of my Facebook friends are from JUB, and I've met quite a few JUBbers IRL. I'm going to my third meet in August, and Frankfrank even stopped by and visited once when he was driving through my area. I introduced GL to one of my grad school friends, and by all accounts he's entirely replaced me in her heart. All in all, I think that's a sign that this is a good community for me.
I also have to say, for a forum of this size, JUB is pretty well-moderated. Yes, everyone has disputes with the Powers That Be, and there are always accusations of partiality, but on the whole, I've found that JUB is very spam-free, and trolls are generally dealt with fairly. (And I'm saying this as a former troll...)
Yes, there are things that I miss (the "moods" and the more detailed profiles, for instance), and there are people that I miss, but I also enjoy interacting with the new people who come by.
Long story short, JUB is not what it used to be, but I don't think that means that it's dying.
