After being away for over a year I checked into the forum today and wow  was I shocked, what has happened ?

Topics that haven't been posted to in months, no interesting "discussions", very little participation by newbies.

Has the Forum slipped that much ?

One word.  Facebook. 

But, the forum has  just now become pretty tightly integrated with FB, so maybe things will pick up.  Times they are a-changing, and folks either have to adjust and get on board with the new things, or else be left behind.  

I'm personally opting for being left behind, but that's only because I'm too old to adapt to any more new stuff.  My adapting muscle wore plumb out, I'm afraid.

But I don't recommend following my option.  Actually I really don't recommend getting to be this old. 

Maybe this will become an oldfarts' forum. I don 't like the clutter and crap on FB and the other so-called social networking sites. I really don't see it as progress, and, like Old Dawg, I prefer to be left behind.

O.F.F., The Old Fart's Forum.  Yeah, that has a nice ring to it. 

Preferring to be left behind....that's our motto.

I ain't gonna say that it might just be that we can't keep up.

Actually - here's an interesting statistic.  Galveston.com Forum traffic is just fine.  Plenty of people are still visiting - just not commenting.

old dawg:

O.F.F., The Old Fart's Forum.  Yeah, that has a nice ring to it. 

Preferring to be left behind....that's our motto.

I ain't gonna say that it might just be that we can't keep up.

Hahahaa!  You know we DO love you!

Lynniebell:

Hahahaa!  You know we DO love you!

Well, yeah, lovable is what we are, all right, but by golly, we love you too, Ms. Sunshine. 

Galveston.com:

Actually - here's an interesting statistic.  Galveston.com Forum traffic is just fine.  Plenty of people are still visiting - just not commenting.

Yeah, I did notice that the other night when I thought I had been kicked off the forum (what was up with that, anywho?), and I could see that we had several hundred visitors on line, BUT NO MEMBERS.  And only one new post in the past twenty four hours at that reading.  What I see, is that our old members aint logging on as much as they once did, and I don't see that many new members.  That's all because of Facebook, IMO. 

Anyway, getting Galv. com integrated, or however you wanna say it, with FB is a smart move, I think.

Well, there are several factors at play.

a) A few months ago - remember when all those new long-named 'members' joined?  Those 'members' were international spammers, and were poised to wreak some serious havoc.  To prevent that from happening, we turned on a feature we'd never had in place before - one that requires an extra step for new member sign-up, to prevent spammers.  We knew that turning that on would result in fewer sign-ups, but what do you do?

b) It is true that Facebook is wildly popular, and it's also true that Galveston.com is joining the fray.  One reason why is this: for years, this Forum has been in this nice, "to itself" location, basically removed from the fun of Galveston.com.  Which is great for Forum regulars; not so great for those of us who want folks to experience the rest of Galveston.com.  Facebook integration allows us to now have countless "mini-forums" sprinkled throughout every page of the site.  When people make comments on those mini-forums, those comments are then displayed on Galveston.com - AND (if the person wishes) on the person's Facebook page.  This is potentially huge - because then all those Facebook friends SEE that comment, and then - to comment - can return to Galveston.com, which allows us to tap into a new audience who otherwise might not have visited.  For example, see The Spot's comment page here.  That's Facebook integration at work.  A second use (still being implemented and not in its permanent graphic layout, but fine for you to see) is on our webcam pages.  Now it's possible to watch a particular webcam - and thru Facebook integration - comment live with your friends about what you're watching.  For example, our Cruise Cam. (open page, and scroll slightly down to see)

c) We are trying our best to integrate Facebook account info into this Forum, which would also allow Galveston.com Forum Members to also access their Facebook accounts (and their friends) from here.  However, it isn't an easy (or inexpensive) proposition.

Facebook is one of those odd birds that people either love or hate.  However, there are many, many aspects to Facebook that are quite positive, especially when its incorporated into websites as we're doing now.  In this way, we enjoy all the benefits, without the stuff you don't so much like. 

THere is a ton of crap on facebook, that's for sure.... These stupid food fights... sending digital pictures of flowers... now that's romantic.... ... and sending cocktails??  pillow fights??? ... dear Gawd... now that is truly crap.  The plus side is I have made contact with old classmates I would probably never would have, but that other crap....  Sooner or later it will implode.  It's only a matter of time somebody is going to want to make more cash off of it and try to get subscription fees... or the next great think will come along.

 Ustream is quite interesting.  I watch an artist I've gotten to know in San Antonio paint live with audio as well.  There's a chat running for the viewers to chit-chat back and forth while watching and she answers the chat questions by speaking and not typing.  THis is great for her as she can continue to paint while talking.  No need for typing.

Galveston.com:

It is true that Facebook is wildly popular, and it's also true that Galveston.com is joining the fray.  One reason why is this: for years, this Forum has been in this nice, "to itself" location, basically removed from the fun of Galveston.com.  Which is great for Forum regulars; not so great for those of us who want folks to experience the rest of Galveston.com.

Yeah, I see what you mean.  And I also understand that the main mission of the website is the promotion of tourism to Galveston, and not to provide a little purely local forum for those of us who have used the forum part of the site as our own neighborhood bulletin board.  That ain't going very far toward promoting tourism to the island of course. 

I'm all for what you are doing, because I know it's good for the island.  I don't mind at all.  I'll just watch from the sidelines, cheer you on, and continue to use the forum as my neighborhood bulletin board. 

I don't think Facebook is likely to suffer all that much from my non-participation. 

old dawg:

I don't think Facebook is likely to suffer all that much from my non-participation. 

Hmm.  Sounds like it's time for a paradigm shift. :)

Yes, the FaceBook integration is a great move forward, but I'm not happy that I lost all the reviews on my member page.  I guess I just wait for people to start commenting again, but I'm not a terribly patient person.  (NO! say it's not so!)

Galveston.com:

 

Hmm.  Sounds like it's time for a paradigm shift. :)

Yeah, but then some paradigms never die.  They just fade away. 

Paradigms they come and go, and I'm still using whale oil lamps and buggy whips.

Coastal Dreams:

...... I'm not a terribly patient person.  (NO! say it's not so!)

Who woulda thunk?

Damnit! I can't even watch Fringe, the only TV series I really enjoyed. They're putting freaking twitter messages on the screen.

OFF it is then.

GsJ:

OFF it is then.

The Facebook repellant.

old dawg:

I'm still using whale oil lamps and buggy whips

sounds kinky!

Dixie:

old dawg:

I'm still using whale oil lamps and buggy whips

sounds kinky!

Well, duh.  Kinky is what it's all about, girl.

But I do admit that I've always had some trouble with the proper procedure.

The match goes out every time I try to light the whale, and whipping the buggy won't make it move.

I thiink I may be a bit unclear on the concepts. 

Speakin' of Whales...  This Whale Shark pic was shot this past Wed. in BlocK 681 offshore in the good ol' Gulf of Mexico... Not my pic though.  One of the guys I work with was out there and shot a series of pics.

Dang! Looks like he could eat that boat for lunch. 

But, I don't think he would make a good oil lamp. Wouldn't fit in my living room.  Wonder who the moron was who came up with the idea for whale oil lamps anyway.  I mean, where do you put the oil?

Lord help us!!!

Don't think I will be getting on a boat anytime soon!....

Well, since we are following our normal course of action here on the forum by wandering a thread off into left field again, I just finished a book called "Twelve Days of Terror" about the 1916 New Jersey coast shark attacks that even saw bull sharks making their way pretty far inland by swimming up streams, and gobbling up folks who were playing in the old swimming hole. 

Read that book and you won't even be putting your toe in the water at the beach any more. 

Whale Sharks are very friendly to man.... The largest of the sharks, but do not attack humans.... One of the guys on the boat went for a ride.....

Yeah, I've read that.  But, I ain't gonna take it as gospel.  Not with no kind of shark, no way, no how, thank you very much.  Sharks are in the same category as snakes are to me...........if it's too big for me to kill it, I run from it.  

Friendly to man or not.

From the Forum to Old Farts to whales

GsJ:

From the Forum to Old Farts to whales

See, and you thought things had gone downhill here.  Some things never change. 

old dawg:

Well, since we are following our normal course of action here on the forum by wandering a thread off into left field again, I just finished a book called "Twelve Days of Terror" about the 1916 New Jersey coast shark attacks that even saw bull sharks making their way pretty far inland by swimming up streams, and gobbling up folks who were playing in the old swimming hole. 

Read that book and you won't even be putting your toe in the water at the beach any more. 

I have a book called "Blind Trust" that would make you never step foot in an airplane ever again.  It's required reading at many commercial aviation universities.  The dr2b made me read it. 

luvmydr2b:

I have a book called "Blind Trust" that would make you never step foot in an airplane ever again.  It's required reading at many commercial aviation universities.  The dr2b made me read it. 

I believe you mentioned that book the other day at lunch, but we didn't get to pursue it further after the waiter brought Mel her drimk.  You know, when he first put the glass of water in front of her, and she looked at it like she had never seen a glass of water before in her life.  "What the hell is THIS?" she says, real offended like.  Just water, ma'am.

But, I digress, just like we digressed then.

So, as I was saying in response to your statement, to wit: After having sat over a twenty year period for quite a few hours of flying time in the cockpit of a private plane being piloted by an ex PanAm pilot, I don't need no book to make me scared of flying.  If you wanna swap horror stories, I have a few.