Lack of conversation?

[Figure]

So I was on another forum for several years before I decided to come to this one because I am more interested in Pokemon now than the other forum. The dynamic of the forums seems very different to me and I want some insight as to why that is. On this other forum each thread was more of a discussion than what seems to be here. Of course, I could just be in the wrong threads or maybe people just don't like what I have to say and don't respond. That's fine but like I said, I just want some clarification because I am kind of bored with it.

From my experience so far, granted, I have really only been on this site for a few weeks, the threads are structured like this: Thread creator asks a question, often one that could lead to some really engaging conversations, everyone states their opinion and then fucks off. Often I will state my opinion while asking someone else a question about theirs and I don't think I have gotten a reply except for twice? To me, that is a really boring way to spend my free time by answering a question just to state my opinion and then not converse with anyone on the topic.

I could just be in the wrong threads like I said but I would rather throw my computer out of the window than get into politics with strangers. Does anyone have anything to offer? If not I'll just bounce the forum games can only be entertaining for so long.

 

[Dusk]

I don't know what to tell you dude other than suggest joining the Discord if you actually want to talk to people. To be honest now that I think about it the main motivator for my posting on the forums is to raise VPP but if I actually want to converse with people I chat on the Discord. :x

 

[Zeostar]

Deep Discussion often had some meaningful conversations, I wish that section wasn't removed.

For the most part, yes, that's how this forum generally is. For me it just feels super laid back which I don't mind. In contrast the last forum I used was incredibly hostile. Often it led to having discern if the person was baiting before posting in any topic. When I joined here, it was a nice change of pace.

I've had nice conversations through my visitor messages.

 

[Figure]

I don't know what to tell you dude other than suggest joining the Discord if you actually want to talk to people. To be honest now that I think about it the main motivator for my posting on the forums is to raise VPP but if I actually want to converse with people I chat on the Discord. :x

For sure is just feels detatched but if that's how this forum is and that's what the people on it want out of it that's cool too.

Deep Discussion often had some meaningful conversations, I wish that section wasn't removed.

For the most part, yes, that's how this forum generally is. For me it just feels super laid back which I don't mind. In contrast the last forum I used was incredibly hostile. Often it led to having discern if the person was baiting before posting in any topic. When I joined here, it was a nice change of pace.

I've had nice conversations through my visitor messages.

Yeah I like that it's laid back too I guess my point is that there are some really good topics of discussions in these threads that aren't, in my opinion, reaching their full potential but, as stated in my reply to Dusk, if that's what people here like then that's how it should be.

 

[Dusk]

It didn't always used to be like this, particularly before 2016 in a pre-Discord era but you hit the nail on the head with Off Topic specifically. I remember I used to use VMs more back in the day too and don't as much now but mostly because of my inability to have long meaningful one on one conversations with people aside from my pair... PC conversation with them eventually being robbed by Skype and now Discord hahaha.

 

[Figure]

It didn't always used to be like this, particularly before 2016 in a pre-Discord era but you hit the nail on the head with Off Topic specifically. I remember I used to use VMs more back in the day too and don't as much now but mostly because of my inability to have long meaningful one on one conversations with people aside from my pair... PC conversation with them eventually being robbed by Skype and now Discord hahaha.

I don't want what I was saying to be misconstrued either. I don't think everything needs to be a deep conversation and a "meaningful" conversation is objective. I'm finding this conversation meaningful because I am learning more about this community and not to expect more out of it so I can enjoy it more. What I was referencing more were the threads that were pages deep with little to no interaction, it just felt strange to me. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

[Dusk]

It's all good. I am now more aware to actually read posts after I have replied to a thread, if only to learn more about the people here if nothing else.

 

[Megan]

Yeah, I know. That's one of the reasons I stopped making threads. You put some effort into the topic but it ends up getting no replies. Sad, but at least I've learnt to appreciate the few replies that may come in and at the same time I try to respond to those with more intricate topics that haven't gotten any replies.

Don't know about Discord, though. Group chats are weird and not my cup of tea. I suppose it depends on whether you want to be one of many or if you're more into person to person convos.

 

[Figure]

Yeah, I know. That's one of the reasons I stopped making threads. You put some effort into the topic but it ends up getting no replies. Sad, but at least I've learnt to appreciate the few replies that may come in and at the same time I try to respond to those with more intricate topics that haven't gotten any replies.

Don't know about Discord, though. Group chats are weird and not my cup of tea. I suppose it depends on whether you want to be one of many or if you're more into person to person convos.

I feel the same way, my brother in law has tried to get me into his WoW Classic discord even though I don't play Classic, just to chat with him and his friends and I'm not really a fan. I guess the longer I am on here the more I will learn which people tend to carry on a conversation more and who likes to share their thoughts and move on to another thread.

 

[pkmin3033]

Welcome to internet forums.

I'd advise lowering your expectations. A lot of people come to forums to relax, talk casually, and to escape from the stressors of everyday life, not to spend their time talking about them with a different set of people. Or it's a casual distraction, not a full-time commitment involving in-depth conversation about anything they post an opinion on. You're about a decade too late for a forum like that. PC is one of the more active forums out there, but no forum can compete with Discord or social media. Sad as it is, forums are an outdated method of online interaction that are very quickly becoming obsolete. Plus most people here are in their mid-twenties or above and just don't have the time that they used to to really dedicate to forums.

If you want to talk to people but don't care for group chats on Discord - and I can't say I blame you because I don't either, PC's Discord is too big for me to really be comfortable with, so I very rarely talk there outside of the staff channel - all I can suggest is contacting people directly, either via PM or VM. It's a sad reality that if you want people to talk to you then you will usually have to put all of the initial effort in to start a conversation and keep it going, and people will not always respond even if you do. You can either keep trying until you find someone who will put in as much effort into the conversation as you, or you can lower your expectations and just accept that people just don't want the same kind of conversation that you do.

 

[Aslan]

I find that certain types of threads (e.g. clubs) are better for discussions but I can see where you're coming from! Am guilty of being one of those users who just replies and leaves at times. I do use people's replies to threads as a way to determine who to start conversations with sometimes though - if I like how a person posts, I might send them a VM! But for that reason, I think if I'm looking to have conversations/discussions - my first instinct is to think of VMs, PC's Discord etc. than a thread. Most of the time I just like seeing what other people have to say in their 1 post. There is always room for more discussion though :')

 

[Lumina]

Group chats are weird and not my cup of tea. I suppose it depends on whether you want to be one of many or if you're more into person to person convos.

Discord has DMs btw, so you can still one-on-one there, with the convenience of instant messaging as opposed to forum posts or PM/VMs.

 

[Corrin]

The clubs section is nice, but if you have suggestions you can always pm me or visionofmilotic. we usually take all of them.

 

[Sheep]

Conversations have shifted more towards discord. Just a few years ago forums didn't have chat servers like that to direct members to at all, and it's overall a more appealing option for those who want to engage in direct conversations with others since live chat is a lot faster.

This isn't something exclusive to here, and I do recommend joining the discord sometime! Those of us who like chatting directly with other members about various topics are there. It's a major part of the site - we're not just a forum anymore. Communities like these have evolved to have different facets for different things and you'll often see discord has been adapted as the place for more frequent conversations with others. That's not to say we can't use posts here to reply to each other though, of course, I'm fairly attentive to replies to me personally (but can still do better lol). I personally prefer the forum environment over live chat as someone who grew up with forums, so I tend to post here more often.

 

[Tsutarja]

My visitor messages are always open if you want to chat with someone :)

 

[faf]

A lot of my thoughts have been said but my general opinion is if people want to post in a thread and move on then that is fine. I don't think anyone should be forced to make conversation if they don't want to and sometimes they feel like there's nothing in the thread to contribute. If you like to make conversation then that's more power to you but that doesn't mean others will feel the same.

 

[Arcaneum]

Simply: these forums have developed more and more into their niche specific sections; with Discord existing a lot more of the general chit-chat has gone to there and honestly yes it's "killed" that mood here and half of the forum could probably get axed with very small loss. Also a lot more people who stay within their areas are here on the forums, so it's almost like 30 or so little groups that happen to be in the same place and nowhere near as much crossing over as there used tobe.

That said, some sections 100% need to be on here and this is why PC still exists and is still fairly thriving; you've just unfortunately returned at a point where it's not as bustling as it was before. Check out the Discord for more fast-paced discussion or if you care about a topic/area that much, I'm sure the staff wouldn't scoff at someone bringing activity to their section ;)

 

[Figure]

A lot of my thoughts have been said but my general opinion is if people want to post in a thread and move on then that is fine. I don't think anyone should be forced to make conversation if they don't want to and sometimes they feel like there's nothing in the thread to contribute. If you like to make conversation then that's more power to you but that doesn't mean others will feel the same.

No one said anything about forcing anyone into conversation and I stated several times that it's completely fine that people don't I just wanted insight as to why.

Simply: these forums have developed more and more into their niche specific sections; with Discord existing a lot more of the general chit-chat has gone to there and honestly yes it's "killed" that mood here and half of the forum could probably get axed with very small loss. Also a lot more people who stay within their areas are here on the forums, so it's almost like 30 or so little groups that happen to be in the same place and nowhere near as much crossing over as there used tobe.

That said, some sections 100% need to be on here and this is why PC still exists and is still fairly thriving; you've just unfortunately returned at a point where it's not as bustling as it was before. Check out the Discord for more fast-paced discussion or if you care about a topic/area that much, I'm sure the staff wouldn't scoff at someone bringing activity to their section ;)

Yes Gin! He's one of my favorite Bleach characters. Discord seems to be the answer and it isn't something I'm interested in doing so I'll just keep trying to make more conversation (but not forcing anyone) and the people who want to engage more will.

The clubs section is nice, but if you have suggestions you can always pm me or visionofmilotic. we usually take all of them.

I joined a couple a few days ago and they are nice. 😀 Thank you for the input!

 

[gimmepie]

Personally, I enjoy interacting with people on the forums and on Discord. Sure, sometimes I'll just post-and-go, don't we all? Other times posts I make will be direct responses to things other people have said in the thread. If you really want to get someone's attention and engage with them in a thread, the respond button - as you've clearly noticed - is a great way to go about it too.

I think it's really all just a matter of preference. Forums are never going to be the same again with Discord/Social media around, but I find it's still perfectly possible to have meaningful interaction on the forums themselves too.

 

[colours]

i kind of find that internet forums work similarly to real life conversations in that well, someone has to post a follow-up reply to a comment made at some point. in real life however, conversation flows more naturally but the principle is essentially the same: someone comes up with something to talk about, people discuss and maybe reply to each other's thoughts if they have anything to add. the big difference is that in internet forums, it's not conversationally awkward to just walk away in the middle of a topic bring brought up because people will add their thoughts when they can and leave when they don't have anything further to contribute.

a secondary point to bring up is that if someone wants to talk to another person about their reply in a specific thread, they can just VM/PM that person for direct conversation. personally speaking, i'd much rather have the engagement in a thread because it's not really harming anyone or getting in the way of anything, but everyone has their own way of socialization.