Where did all the older Escapist users go?

[Westaway]

Something I recently became aware of was the lack of older Escapist users on the forums. That's not to say they're not there, but they appear rarely. In 90% of the threads I enter, 20% are 2011, 30% are 2010, 20% are 2009, 10% are 2008 and the rest are older.
Obviously I welcome every newcomer. I'm not even that old. All I saying is it seems really odd. Where did everybody go? Was there an exodus with extra cedits that I missed? Because I feel sort of lonely these days...
To make this discussion worthy, post why you came to the Escapist. For me it was Unforgotten Realms, before it was shit.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

I liked the news and the videos, decided to start posting on the forums.

So I guess my reason is boredom.

I've been a member since 2009... it doesn't seem like it's been that long.

 

[Radeonx]

Well, people just leave, and with the health-bar system it is much easier to get banned than it used to be (Just because the blocks stay for a pretty long time).

 

[Dango]

Most of them have been banned, the ones that haven't tend to stick to forum games or user groups.

 

[Gardenia]

I'm guessing it's not "where did all the old users go" as much as it's "Where did all these new users come from?"

 

[Vault101]

they grew up..had familiys, got a house in the suburbs and now play golf on the weekends wearing kakhi pants and polo shirts

tbh yeah I few users I saw often when I first joined arnt around anymore...

 

[lobster1077]

Mr.Puns got banned a while back, the place just isn't the same any more.

 

[Mariena]

We got eaten. Sorry.

 

[baconsarnie]

I came here for 'zero punctuation'. I watched videos and lurked the forums for a year and a bit before actually joining when i realised it would be more fun/interesting to participate in discussions and whatnot.

 

[Sassafrass]

They moved on.
Got banned.
Still hang around but don't post much.
I ate them all.
They all got pissy about a certain user-group trying to have fun and left. Not really, I'm just joking about this one.

Take your pick.
But there are some still active, you just need to keep an eye open. I know there's a 2004 user lurking around somewhere.

 

[Arkvoodle]

"Where all are one."

 

[WolfThomas]

I'm still here, I initially came for Zero Punctuation, which is funny because now I only watch it if it's a game that interests me.

 

[Westaway]

They moved on.
Got banned.
Still hang around but don't post much.
I ate them all.
They all got pissy about a certain user-group trying to have fun and left. Not really, I'm just joking about this one.

Take your pick.
But there are some still active, you just need to keep an eye open. I know there's a 2004 user lurking around somewhere.

You shouldn't joke about that stuff.
Jokes aside, why did they all go and get themselves banned? God damnit...

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

The new forum health bar has to be the nail in the coffin with it. Before, you could see an older user get probation around half a dozen times, but now half a dozen offenses = suspension or banning.

Or when they introduced IP bans, rather than account bans... or, at least I don't remember us always having IP bans.

Some left altogether, some only stay in the user groups, some went to other forums. I remember Furburt made his own forums, and I'm sure several of the older users went there.

 

[Mr Thin]

One of three things happen:

- they get banned
- they get bored
- they get sucked into the RP forum and are never heard from again.

At least those are my theories. I've not been here for very long and I've already lost most of my interest in posting.

 

[Crazy]

Because they're afraid that I'll disapprove of what they say and pay them a visit.

Or playing the new games that are out.

 

[soperg]

i dunno i've been around for quite some time, myself, thanks to a friend of mine who introduced me to yahtzee, then i realized the rest of the rater charming programs, got hooked a year later and got an account, mind you my regular visits occured a year earlier. it could be tht the older users are (somewhat) more mature and not all that inerested in offering their opinion. or at least not in the same subjects as newer users may be. just a theory, but it could explain SOME of the feeling you're having. i'm glad to notice you were so observant as to notice that. that's really cool dude.

 

[000Ronald]

For what it's worth, I'm still here. I just don't have a whole lot to say most of the time.

And while quite a few people have left from when the site was younger, I still think you're thinking about it wrong. There are a lot more people here now than there were before, so there are going to be a lot more newer people.

 

[ThisJustin]

I've visited the site for a few years now, but just started posting in the forums here. I was brought here for the sites varied content, and because things change. I used to be active on another sites forum, but stopped for no good reason. I guess that maybe some of the same happened here. People move on.

 

[Space Spoons]

I came to the Escapist largely for There Will Be Brawl. Around about the time it ended was the time when I stopped posting as frequently. I don't want to sound like one of those pretentious, deluded people that goes on about how everything was better in the past, but the quality of posting here at the Escapist really dropped right around the time Zero Punctuation's popularity boomed. There was a time when this site was known for being the last bastion of intelligent discourse for the gaming community. It's little better than any other gaming forum, nowadays.

Not that the editorials and the magazine itself aren't still great, mind you. It's just that things have changed, and I think a lot of the older users moved on when they realized that.