posted
So even without any new Trek to talk about other than the final movie in 2016 or whenever, this place has obviously died. Every once in a blue moon a few of us post some nuggets of info, such as model pics or new finds in TNG-R, but for the most part no one else is contributing. I've even taken to posting more at the TrekBBS. So what is the future of Flare? I have always loved this place, but I know that its glory days are passed.
-------------------- "A film made in 2008 isn't going to look like a TV series from 1966 if it wants to make any money. As long as the characters act the same way, and the spirit of the story remains the same then it's "real" Star Trek. Everything else is window dressing." -StCoop
Registered: Jun 2000
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
I think part of ot is that Flare has always been very discerning, weeding out the types of people one finds at TrekBBS who start topics on every stupid little idea that pops into their shrunken little heads. Because we don't bother with the idiot topics or polls or such, there's not much to draw people in. Flareites are a rather closed community, but I personally like that. On a personal level, I constantly find myself coming back here to sift through the archives, searching for comments & ideas to work into writing, so for me this is a wonderful resource still.
Registered: Jun 2000
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Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
Part of the reason is the forum itself. We're talking about forum technology from sometime in the 2000s that has never been updated. Not sure when that will be done.....
-------------------- "And slowly, you come to realize, it's all as it should be, you can only do so much. If you're game enough, you could place your trust in me. For the love of life, there's a tradeoff, we could lose it all but we'll go down fighting...." - David Sylvian FreeSpace 2, the greatest space sim of all time, now remastered!
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Well, it's old, but it seems to still work. Are there newer features that we're missing that you think would convince people to post here more often?
Registered: Mar 1999
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Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
I think the biggest problem is the registration. Try dealing with 5000 spam registrations. I know that Charles was trying to put in some sort of Capcha authentication to keep spambots out. Charles still has registrations sent directly to him to authenticate.
-------------------- "And slowly, you come to realize, it's all as it should be, you can only do so much. If you're game enough, you could place your trust in me. For the love of life, there's a tradeoff, we could lose it all but we'll go down fighting...." - David Sylvian FreeSpace 2, the greatest space sim of all time, now remastered!
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
You want dead, go to http://www.subspace-comms.net . . . that place used to hum, but now hasn't seen a new message in months.
Come to think of it, I was actually doing a little quickie comparison lately of the geeky boards I frequent. One of them has a boatload of members but the main topical area is slower than the comparative areas here and at another small forum.
Personally, I prefer the small forum atmosphere.
Shortly after my little comparison (and before I could do anything with the data), the other small forum got a new member who was posting like crazy, which wasn't really a whole lot but it overwhelmed the time I have for such things. I'm a quick reader, but I'd rather savor a post and consider it thoughtfully, compared to having to blast through speed-reading because I feel like I have to read them all in the short time alotted.
I realize in the modern era everything has to be quick and now and social and high-traffic and blah-blah-blah, but that's not relaxing.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
quote:Originally posted by Saltah'na: I think the biggest problem is the registration. Try dealing with 5000 spam registrations. I know that Charles was trying to put in some sort of Capcha authentication to keep spambots out. Charles still has registrations sent directly to him to authenticate.
This.
Also, I seem to have completely lost the ability to read the name "Charles" and not hear Ian McKellen's voice.
-------------------- "Kirito? I killed a thing and now it says I have XPs! Is that bad? Am I dying?"
-Asuna, Episode 2, Sword Art Online Abridged
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I think there's a combination of factors. There's a lack of new material -- despite the official name, Flare is really a Star Trek forum, everything else is tangential. I'd bet the average age of the members has gone up almost linearly, and we all have jobs and families now. And Krenim hasn't posted a new episode of "Series ?" in years, so there's not as much to talk about.
Wait, how'd that get in there?
Seriously, there's just too many distractions on the internet now, and real life priorities, so we all never post as much. And when we do, we keep missing each other, or we just don't bother to post. (I still visit semi regularly, but even if I read something interesting, half the time I'm too apathetic to post a reply.)
The lack of material is probably key. In Flare's heyday, we weren't just talking about new episodes, we were re analyzing and discussing old episodes and new materials discovered. The DVDs were new, many of us could go back and rewatch favorite episodes to glean new details. But the amount of new details on the blurays, as awesome as they are, tend towards the incredibly mundane. Now it's just one movie every few years. (That averages to about one lens flare per day, I'd bet.)
Let's face it, we've all grown up.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: And Krenim hasn't posted a new episode of "Series ?" in years, so there's not as much to talk about.
Wait, how'd that get in there?
Yes, yes, I know. Truth be told, I've been seriously considering releasing a Cliff's Notes version of Series ? Season 6.2, with the option to go back and write full versions of the episodes later if/when I have the time/energy. At least that way, some of the major questions (i.e. "What do you mean the Excelsior crew doesn't escape?") get answered.
-------------------- "Kirito? I killed a thing and now it says I have XPs! Is that bad? Am I dying?"
-Asuna, Episode 2, Sword Art Online Abridged
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Saltah'na: Part of the reason is the forum itself. We're talking about forum technology from sometime in the 2000s that has never been updated. Not sure when that will be done.....
On the other hand there is no advertising - I like that!
Registered: Oct 2002
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quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: In Flare's heyday, we weren't just talking about new episodes, we were re analyzing and discussing old episodes and new materials discovered. The DVDs were new, many of us could go back and rewatch favorite episodes to glean new details.
{…}
Let's face it, we've all grown up.
I imagine we are growing out, actually. ;-)
Speaking for myself, I still dig deep into this stuff and find new details all the time, occasionally even posting here when I do. I suppose, to borrow from "Measure of a Man" a bit, that it helps to have an adversarial system to keep one motivated.
It also helps that I think most fiction is shit but that I have grandfathered in a few things including Star Trek, meaning I am more likely to rewatch Trek than I am to watch some new drivel that is even dumber than the shit I watched growing up. Seriously, most characterizations now are inferior to the comparatively nuanced motivations of one Roscoe P. Coltrane, Esq.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
Yeah, Flare was very specifically about certain things, and those things were based around particular shows and huge amounts of free time. Neither of those really exist for us any more. So what is there to talk about? Our lives? Well, we do the catch-up thread every year or two. Current events? I suppose we could try that...
Registered: Mar 1999
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