Where is everyone????

[cputnam]

After about 18 months away from the forum, I return to find that no one is posting, other than Steven and myself. What is going on? There must be activity to keep a forum alive. This one is nearly a dodo. Convince us to stay.

Regards from Perth

Derek

In my case, I've spent the last couple of uears goinh blind. age related macular degeneration has proceeded fater than I hoped. I can still see large things - just not detailsl, I;ve been learning to deal with audio books and screen readers (text to speech.) Anyway, as a consequence, I will be selling my hand tooks and some pwoer tools in the neaar future.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Curt

I am so saddened to read this. My mother experienced the same, and I have some idea how hard it is. You and I have had a closer relationship here, and I have missed our communication, even though it was centred around the forums. Please do email me if upyou feel up to it.

Kindest regards

Derek

[iclark]

Derek: It is good to see you posting here again. Thanks.
Summer has usually shown a slowdown and July 4th holidays really increases that, but you are right this summer is especially slow.

I just posted a thread for them to visit....will see how many Lurkers show up...

Bandit/Steven: Thank you for starting that thread. Once I get caught up with some stuff for work and some honeydo's, I will post in it. Also, thanks for your build threads.

In my case, I've spent the last couple of uears goinh blind.  age related macular degeneration has proceeded fater than I hoped.  I can still see large things - just not detailsl,  I;ve been learning to deal with audio books and screen readers (text to speech.)  Anyway, as a consequence, I will be selling my hand tooks and some pwoer tools in the neaar future.

Curt: Sorry to hear of your health issues. A friend of mine (an IT person) has also been dealing with that problem for years. He has reached the point where he cannot drive. My best positive thoughts that someone will eventually find a fix for this health challenge.

[Tapper]

After about 18 months away from the forum, I return to find that no one is posting, other than Steven and myself. What is going on? There must be activity to keep a forum alive. This one is nearly a dodo. Convince us to stay.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek,

It is good to see you posting again here. I've alway enjoyed your posts and build-alongs; I've learned a lot from them, so thank you for sharing your expertise. I also visit your website occasionally to review your projects for ideas and techniques. My guess is that you help more people here than you realize. Many just don't take the time to respond.

Most of my projects over the years have involved home improvement rather than building furniture. For years, I was mostly dialed into power tools rather than the ones without tails. However, that has changed. I have become at least a "hybrid" woodworker and do enjoy the craft of working with hand tools. I've spent more money on them recently than I care to admit!

Having said that I'm currently refurbishing my woodworking workbench (Woodsmith #50) that I built over 20 years ago. The top split and also a component of the face vise broke, literally in pieces and jammed up the vise making it inoperable. I am installing a Record 52 1/2 vise in its place. Also took the dog block apart and added some material to the sides to make the fit tighter as the wood had shrunk over the years. I've taken quite a few photos with plans to post them here when I get further along. 

I have an Android phone and everything else is Apple so it takes some time to transfer one device to another. I don't know how interesting this will be to others, but it's certainly kept me busy, interested and most importantly, thinking.

I'll get some photos up soon. Meanwhile, as Ivan said the summer can be a slow time as folks are doing other things when the weather is good in this hemisphere. Meanwhile, please don't stop posting! You are more prolific than most and my guess is that others just like me, always look forward to your projects.

Doug

[Pedder]

A forum is a place to exchange and to chat. To ask questions and get answers.

There is little use in showing of my own work without questions.
Everybody is saying "oh, nice",
and the thread dies direstly after that.

You need a number of newbies to run a living forum as much as a few ones to know everything and to answer.

Giving answers to not asked questions is the field of Youtube and Instagram.

When fora started and mailings lists beforem, there was nothing to consume in the internet.
And no way to participate for usual handtool worker. Then came blogs and face book and Instagram.
If I look for any task o google, the first three pages are youtube.

We are here, we know the answers, but nobody asks.

AND I think the culture changed from an asking culture to a showing off culture.

Cheers
Pedder

[AHill]

Derek, a lot of the regulars have stopped posting because they were getting ridiculous criticisms from newbies to the forum who frankly, couldn't hold a candle to their work. Woodworking in general seems to have declined as a hobby. It's more expensive than it used to be (prices of power tools have particularly been crazy), and early participation from the likes of Christopher Schwarz, Joel Moskowitz, Dave Diamon, and a host of others seems to have come to an end. Even Rob Lee's posts are much more infrequent than they used to be. What's left on TV from a woodworking perspective has waned as well. I used to be able to watch 3-4 shows a week. Not it's pretty much down to one (The American Woodsho9p with Scott Phillips). Without fresh and younger woodworkers, I think WoodNet is suffering from attrition.

[AHill]

Maybe a post to describe how YOU build them?   They do look good, though...

This is exactly the kind of post that drove away many of the forum members who have left.  You have no idea of Derek's previous posts and his website where he describes in detail his methodology for his projects.  May YOU can do some research before making demands to a world class woodworker.

Also, Derek has a day job.  He's not got the same amount of time for his projects as you.

Check his work out here:  https://www.inthewoodshop.com/

[bandit571]

WHO the bloody H are you talking about?   More likely it is a post like YOU just put up, that makes others stay away from here?  


Keyboards at 10 Paces?  

BTW:  IF you had taken the time ( rare, I know) to actually READ what was being talked about in that Cherry-picked post...I was talking about the poster's Night Stands...had ZERO to do with Derek...Go back and LOOK at Wing Nut's Night stands...which is who I was talking to....

Sounds like YOU are the one to do a wee bit of research, BEFORE you type anything....and insert foot.

[Timberwolf]

Definitely slower than in years past.

Probably a combination of things are causing it.  Many of the younger folks
getting into woodworking are much more likely to want a visual forum
( youtube , etc ) than text based content, for instance.

As people "age out" they are not getting replaced. Or so it seems.

......................
more likely to want a visual forum

Mark makes a good point...youtube is extremely popular...plus woodworking is an expensive hobby which can impact already tight budgets...it takes two wage earners just to survive these days. Unfortunately, I don't see things getting much better any time soon.

[bandit571]

Summer Months...people have other interests to attend to....

Once the Kids are back in school this fall, posters may have more spare time for a Woodworking Forum....like when they are getting Christmas Gifts ready to be made...

maybe start a sub-forum about building gifts for Christmas? 

And Welcome the new posters with friendly open arms....