#32
This board was full of chatter about vintage tools restored, relative merits of this vs that, bench builds, design questions - all generally enthusiastic. Of course, there were some bruised egos and outright insults followed by the inevitable flame wars. There is none of that now.

A lot of folks never came back from the great software transition but I don't think that is the whole story. What do you think is the rest of it?
Thanks,  Curt
-----------------
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
      -- Soren Kierkegaard
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#33
Facebook gives people the ability to get what they got from forums all in one spot. No need to jump from one board to another.
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#34
Stav, I do not frequent FaceBook much. In my limited experience, the way that “threads” are constructed is very different from a woodwork forum. Woodwork forums provide an organised and searchable way of offring and finding information. FB provides an immediate-only post, with limited discussion possible, and then it is a case of .. well ... gone.

Curt, many of the dedicated members have left for many reasons, perhaps one being the bickering and bullying of some. The forums reach a tipping point, such as now, where posts about woodworkers outnumber the posts about woodworking.

Regards from Perth

Derek
Articles on furniture building, shop made tools and tool reviews at www.inthewoodshop.com
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#35
(11-25-2019, 01:32 PM)cputnam Wrote: This board was full of chatter about vintage tools restored, relative merits of this vs that, bench builds, design questions - all generally enthusiastic.  Of course, there were some bruised egos and outright insults followed by the inevitable flame wars.  There is none of that now.

A lot of folks never came back from the great software transition but I don't think that is the whole story.  What do you think is the rest of it?

Insults? Flaming? I'd avoid that too. But, I believe I am the most prone to insulting all you folks, but it aint any fun. No one bites back. 

I don't think the "transition" was a main influence, because things were pretty picky when I first came on in 2011. I think there is plenty of desire to chat, but some malaise lies in the initiation of topics. Mostly though ...

I actually found turning off the crap everyone has on their signatures relieved the anxiety I had about stupid politics and the people who list the stupid  s**t.  That's why I stay away from the sewer. If I had to see the crap, I'd be gone. That's how I feel. This way I can pretend y'all are intelligent.

Edit: I noticed the scum pit is not visible to people not signed in. Thank God!
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#36
I have a friend whose favorite saying is a pendulum never stands still.  Furniture, fashions, and places ( electronic or physical ) fall into favor and out of favor.  I think back fondly to the days when Wood Central ( actually it may have been another forum before people migrated to Wood Central ) was at it height - you saw posts from many "famous " and not so famous people discussing the merits of tools  -  Larry Williams of Clark and Williams Plane Makers, Bob Smalser ( if you are not familiar with his, do a google search of  his articles ) ,  Steve Knight of Knight Toolworks,  Brent Beach -  http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/index.html .  

  I think there are several things at play - one ,  less people use forums, and many have gone to other platforms - reddit, facebook, instagram, 

It is also possible that after a renaissance in tools and furniture, it is likely overall interest in the hobby may be slowing.   

It is not just this site, to see the change,  go look at Wood Central,  it is a shadow of its former activity.   Some policies drive away users - Sawmill Creek for one use to be insistent on users posting their real names, and many have good reasons why they did not do that.   For me,  I still check daily, and while many of the posters I enjoyed are not here, there are still many who post great info, and we have some who go above and beyond - like Derek, who does extensive reviews with photos.  Also,  I feel I learned so much from this and other sites, when an issue comes up where I think I can help,  I throw in my two cents.
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#37
I simply don't have the time I used to have to devote to woodworking. In the past 3 years, I've remarried, inherited a new daughter, and moved across the country. I already have most of the tools I'll ever need. The software switchover, IMO, was a total disaster, and it coincided with someone hacking WoodNet to steal a lot of our personal email addresses - resulting in a lot of spam. While WN allows more banter than the other woodworking forums, I think it's actually hurt the forum because they allowed a fair amount of name calling. They eventually policed it up, but I can only recall one forum member being banned for not following rules. And a LOT of really knowledgeable talent left the forum because they were fed up with some hot shot trying to make a name for himself hiding behind a made up User Name.

My local PBS stations air repeats of the 2017 season of The Woodright's Shop. American Woodshop is reruns. Woodsmith is the only program airing that's current. We don't get the new show that replaced Tommy Mac's show. Central Florida isn't exactly woodworking heaven.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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#38
This topic was bound to appear sooner or later.  There has been a marked decline in participation here, no doubt.  It would be easy to assume that there is a cause-and-effect and speculate what those causes are.  A person might conclude that the "hobby" is is declining in popularity, yet I see dozens of expensive classes offered and filled in no time.  It could be that platforms such as this one are victims of evolution and that other media have taken over.
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#39
(11-25-2019, 07:21 PM)hbmcc Wrote: Insults? Flaming? I'd avoid that too. But, I believe I am the most prone to insulting all you folks, but it aint any fun. No one bites back. 

I don't think the "transition" was a main influence, because things were pretty picky when I first came on in 2011. I think there is plenty of desire to chat, but some malaise lies in the initiation of topics. Mostly though ...

I actually found turning off the crap everyone has on their signatures relieved the anxiety I had about stupid politics and the people who list the stupid  s**t.  That's why I stay away from the sewer. If I had to see the crap, I'd be gone. That's how I feel. This way I can pretend y'all are intelligent.

Edit: I noticed the scum pit is not visible to people not signed in. Thank God!

Interesting.  Some of the best woodworkers I have ever met only hang out in the basement.
"Oh. Um, l-- look, i-- i-- if we built this large wooden badger" ~ Sir Bedevere
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#40
I think the main thing is that there's little left to discuss after 15 years of active forum interaction.  We all now agree that:

1. It's tails first.  Pins first is an abomination.

2. Saw nibs are for knowing when to stop pulling a saw out of the cut so you don't kink your $300 Wenzloff Seaton rip saw.  All other reasons are just fairy tails.

3. Scary sharp ™ is the only viable method for sharpening chisels and plane irons, and if you still have any hair on your forearm you haven't yet mastered it.

4. You need all of the Stanley Planes. (Unless you're Paul Sellers, then all you need is a No. 4.)

5. Japanese saws are only for guys who wear white socks under their flip-flops.

6. You can't be a fine woodworker unless you file your own saws, and since nobody makes good saw files anymore, you just have to keep buying new dovetail and carcass saws when they get dull.  Fortunately there are a million guys making them.  I take mine with fleam. 

7. You have to make at least one successful dovetailed drawer before you post a how-to video on YouTube, but that's all.

8. The ideal bench size is 8-feet long x 3 feet deep, and 4-inches thick.  It should have a leg vise on one corner, a tail vise on the opposite end, an Emmert Turtleback vise on another corner, and a pair of Record 53s from Mike Dunbar's school, one on each remaining corner. (wait, how many corners is that...)

9. The best finish for wood is a three step process involving garnet shellac, BLO, and beeswax.  Nobody knows the correct order.

10. Tool Chest design is a matter of personal preference, but whatever design you choose, if you can lift it, you don't own enough tools.
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#41
(11-26-2019, 04:23 PM)DCarr10760 Wrote: I think the main thing is that there's little left to discuss after 15 years of active forum interaction.  We all now agree that:

1. It's tails first.  Pins first is an abomination.

2. Saw nibs are for knowing when to stop pulling a saw out of the cut so you don't kink your $300 Wenzloff Seaton rip saw.  All other reasons are just fairy tails.

3. Scary sharp ™ is the only viable method for sharpening chisels and plane irons, and if you still have any hair on your forearm you haven't yet mastered it.

4. You need all of the Stanley Planes. (Unless you're Paul Sellers, then all you need is a No. 4.)

5. Japanese saws are only for guys who wear white socks under their flip-flops.

6. You can't be a fine woodworker unless you file your own saws, and since nobody makes good saw files anymore, you just have to keep buying new dovetail and carcass saws when they get dull.  Fortunately there are a million guys making them.  I take mine with fleam. 

7. You have to make at least one successful dovetailed drawer before you post a how-to video on YouTube, but that's all.

8. The ideal bench size is 8-feet long x 3 feet deep, and 4-inches thick.  It should have a leg vise on one corner, a tail vise on the opposite end, an Emmert Turtleback vise on another corner, and a pair of Record 53s from Mike Dunbar's school, one on each remaining corner. (wait, how many corners is that...)

9. The best finish for wood is a three step process involving garnet shellac, BLO, and beeswax.  Nobody knows the correct order.

10. Tool Chest design is a matter of personal preference, but whatever design you choose, if you can lift it, you don't own enough tools.

Awesome response!  You nailed it.
Yes  ( requires Rivierre nails)
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