Forum Access

+1 on everything King Frog said.  We have both been very active on the forums for many years, and we have seen the activity die a slow death.  The final nail in the coffin was changing to this new platform and losing many of our Forumites in the process.  As part of the beta testing group, I had hoped my feedback and suggestions would have contributed to positive changes.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if any of the suggestions offered by any of the beta testers were implemented.

Since the Smilies from the old forums weren't added here (as I had hoped), I will go through the extra steps to add them myself to spice up these drab forums:        

Amazing to me that feedback provided was so blatantly rejected.  Clearly USMS is not interested in what it's users think.  Like so many mediocre entities, the focus is on making the work easy, and convincing the customers to accept a mediocre product, rather than developing a product customers aspire to have/use

Are the forums, under this new format, restricted to USMS (paid) members only? I hadn’t realized that. I know that previously (before the change) they were open to anyone. I was active in the forums for many years before I finally became a paid member 8-10 years ago. But I concur…it’s the new forums that, for whatever reason, have resulted in a lot less activity. I too voiced some opinions/complaints/concerns right after the switchover. And someone who was apparently connected with the decision making would ask either via forum response, or email, for specifics. I’d respond but it just seemed like there was an air of “We’ve made the changes and they’re going to stay.” Before the change, there was hardly a day that went by without some discussion in the GENERAL forum. Now…sometimes more than a week passes without any discussion. I miss the old days.

Dan

Yes, 'DJ, the forums are restricted to paid members.  I absolutely agree with you and 67King, in addition to King Frog!

I started another thread about requiring COVID vaccinations for meets.  I didn’t do that to start a controversy, but I did expect some response and was prepared for some heat. In the old forum there would have been a lot of responses. This forum had 2. I’m glad Kristi posts her workouts as most days that is the only activity. 

YUP! The "new" format is difficult to enter and find now. The smiles, posting numbers and getting to info should have skyrocketed during the Covid almost 2 years but, is seems to have gone down. 

I am concerned about trolls if the forums are opened up to the general public.  If you can remove trolls then I have no problem.  Also a portion of the forums could be USMS member only forums that the general public would not have access.  

I think the new forums are hard to navigate accounting for some of the drop in participation.  Perhaps letting non-members participate would help.  I feel the issue is deeper.  I believe it's not wise to debate publicly anymore and most adults know that (and yet here I am).  Despite your words, people do not want to hear an opposing point of view because in today's world, "the other side" is not just wrong but somehow morally reprehensible.  An example: the Dave Chappelle trans kerfuffle.  A major topic in his special is about his friend (Daphne Dorman) that happened to be trans.  Ms.Dorman defended Chappelle online and subsequently got torched by the trans community on Twitter.  Ms. Dorman committed suicide 6 days later.  Who killed Daphne Dorman?....the bigoted Chappelle?...who knows...but her trans-twitter-mob "friends" didn't help.  

This new forum sucks

Agreed.  Trying to be generous.