Am I a little sensitive today or......

[jenluckenbach]

Is our "membership" really decreasing THAT much???

I have sadly noted that the threads that I have posted recently (even those including pictures) get 10 or less reponses (not including my own posts).

OK, 10 responses isn't bad, but many of them are 3, 4, 5, 6.............

Am I really that boring?? :p Are we losing that many people?? :confused:

Do you think you are getting the number of responses you used to get? (or is it just me?)

[Pawsitive Thinking]

You are not alone! PT does seem to have gone very quiet recently :eek:

where is everybody??

[CultureJunky]

I have also noticed it's gone quite quiet recently, but I'm still here and read all the posts! And if I feel I have something to say or want to contribute I do, I love this forum, I love the stories the pictures everything. It's the best forum in the world, it's so good to share you love for your cats with others who appreciate it and don't roll their eyes as if you're mad or say 'it's only a cat' cause we know better don't we people! :D

[Randi]

Jen, I think a lot of members have gone back to school, and the rest of us (some at least ;) ) just don't have the time we used to. I know I reply less these days, and sometimes it's a bit random, depending on what's on the first few pages. Of course, I try to reply to the ones I know well, first.

The threads also dissapear so quickly, because so many new ones are started, but we can always try to bump the good ones back up. ;) When I sometimes look for a thread "from last night" it's gone back 6-7 pages and I can hardly find it. And no, I don't feel we get as many responses as we used to.

Also, some post so many threads it's quite overwhelming. :eek:

[CatLuvrs]

I try really hard to respond but having a 6 year old makes me want to go to bed when she does lol

[catlover4ever]

I have to say that I'm guilty....I come in and see what everyone is up to but I'm at work, we are down a 32 hour nurse in the dept, and as the secretary...they have loaded me up with tons of her work so I just don't have the time that I used to have to post as much as I would like to...sorry :(

[sasvermont]

I have been too &&&%$%$% busy lately to post each time I read a thread. Its not that I don't love people. I do. I have to do some posting at work....and little at home in the evenings..... then go to sleep, only to start the process all over again in 24 hours.

Once the kiddies go back to school, the internet become less active.....or does it?

:eek:

[Vermontcat]

Jen, I always try to at least look at your threads even if I don't have time to reply. (especially if it involves a photo of my sweet DaVinci, I hope he's feeling ok)
I have been busy at work where we are not allowed to surf the net and I also have a husband and 3 kids and a house to clean and pets to care for, etc., so my free time unfortunately is more limited than in the summer when I don't work.
And like Sasvermont says, we do have to sleep sometimes too. ;)

[catnapper]

I'm also guilty. I am just so tired anymore that it takes too much energy to type out a response. I DO read the threads (mouse clicking is less engery than typing :D)

Though I do notice my threads receiving less replies.... but I don't care because I figure its a two way street. I reply to others and get replies from them too. I haven't been replying much to people lately so I don't feel bad when I don't get as many replies as I used to get. I still start new threads because it makes me happy to share my monsters with the world. :)

[Russian Blue]

September is always a busy month in my household. I've currently job searching and now trying to introduce the two cats as well. But my time has always been hit or miss. I might make it on PT for a week then you don't see me for awhile.

If I get the job I just applied for I won't have the time for PT that I've had over the last few weeks.

I agree with most people...you try to read and catch up as much as you can but time is usually limited.

[kb2yjx]

HI Jen!!
Like the other who have posted, I, too, try to read posts even if I do not reply. Maybe people are not interested in what is posted! You never know...

[Queen of Poop]

I think it is just that September is so darn busy. What with the kids starting school again, and their activities kicking in there doesn't seem to be time for much. With the computer at home on the fritz the only time I can check is at work.

[cloverfdx]

Jen i have noticed alot of regular posters getting sadly overlooked lately :(.


Also, some post so many threads it's quite overwhelming.
That is one of my biggest pet peeves, and it has been increasing quite a bit the last couple of weeks :eek:.

[sirrahbed]

Yes it seems slow to me also. I love PT as always, but it has changed over the years and sometimes I miss having it as it was at one time for me.

I agree with Randi that there seems to be more threads and the page changes so quickly. That part frustrates me alot. I usually scan the first page several times a day and then move on if nothing interests me. I generally read about folks I know :o

I miss Lisa/catcrazylady/CCL. She is my good friend and she used to keep the board pretty lively and funny.

Maybe you are sensitive, too. Nothing wrong with that. But, you have been here for a long time and are part of the "purrsonality" of PT. (((((HUGS)))) - maybe try to look at the hit count and that might help some. I think I understand what you are saying - I am trying to...but please know you are loved and important, and that many folks are following your threads and enjoying your stories and pictures.

more (((((Jen))))) to you my friend :D

[kuhio98]

I confess that I never even look at how many people read or reply to my threads. Was I supposed to? It's not that I don't care. It's just that I say what I want to share with everyone. If they feel so inclined to respond, that's nice. But, if they dont, I never noticed. :rolleyes: I'm not the most observant, that's for sure. I never thought of looking at the counts as any kind of rating system.

[catmandu]

Jen we always love reading your threads.
And as I am retired , I can post more often as I have nothing to do, and all day to do it.
I love reading about your Clowder and Fosters!

[Barbara]

Since some months now I have two jobs (ok- within the same company)- one is in London and one here.
With all that security, travelling takes 7 hrs from the London office to Munich airport!!!!! And I travel about every 2 weeks. I can hardly visit all the cats I know already... :(

It will be for about a year and I hope I'll have more time for PT again.

[Karen]

I think with the various crisis threads that have been happening lately, and folks getting back to school, things have been a bit quieter. But we have good news in that SLick's surgery went well, Kiara is home, and Donna, who would normally probably be posting in your threads, is getting help for herself. All these are good things, but do distract us from other threads.

But we love your threads, even if we don't always post in them!

[jazzcat]

I've noticed it too Jen. I thought long and hard before I took the time to post the pictures of my cats in two threads last night because I didn't want to get my feelings hurt if there weren't many replies.

I guess everyone is just busy, seems to be the common response. I'll try not to take it personally. ;) :D

[Corinna]

Iknow i have a hard time keeping up with the threads I want to keep up on becouse of all the pointless threads on lately. I am kind of glad it's slowwed (kids in school) I can spend time reading the threads that have meaning to me. But most of the time all I want to say has been said before,I get there.

[Sonia59]

Nothing wrong with your threads ;) I noticed the same.

I am connected to PT from my work most of the time. I read the threads but I reply only when I really want to say something (useful). And if ten persons have already said the same I don't reply.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I agree to that, Jen! It is getting slower on PT sometimes; but that is mostly during weekends...
I also agree with Randi that some people are "overposting" and create new threads without looking if there has been one about that item before :rolleyes: . Sometimes it is fun to see an old thread re-opened :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've also been reading much more than posting. I don't have access to a computer at work so everything is done at home. Some times I don't get on PT until late at night and I also try some in the morning before work. I try to keep up but I can't read and post to every thread. I'm sorry if your therads haven't been getting the number of posts that you're used to.

[Randi]

We are now over 10.000 members here, don't know if that's good or bad - well, of course it's nice that PT is such a popular community. :) Not sure how many are active, but years ago when I joined, we were about 3.000 members and it seemed that almost everyone knew each other. It was more like a family.

I doubt any of us can keep up these days, and I don't even want to try. I have to be selective, so I go for the posts that have some substance or is about cats.

[Donnaj4962]

I usually look at each and every thread, but I don't always post. I was posting a lot for a while, but I can't any more. I usually look at work, and I have some nosy co-workers who think I am looking at "kitty-porn"! :eek: I swear, that is what he told my boss (who thought she heard him say "kiddy porn"!!!!! and she couldn't imagine my doing something like that!) Understand that my boss has no problem in my looking at PT during breaks and lunch.... I just don't post as often, unless I stay late and then I have the chance more freely!

But I do look, and I do care... I just have to be a little more cautious!

By the way, this is a HUGE joke now between me and my boss! We laugh about it all the time!

[MajesticCollies]

I myself have been real busy and keeping my computer time down. The past two weeks I have been preparing for a seminar at the "Meet the Breeds" area of the National Dachshund Races this Sunday. So all of you know, I read as many as I can and if it applies I keep you in my thoughts. Just don't have the time to reply as much lately. September is a very busy month!!!

[Lizzie]

I have noticed that it is quieter than when I joined early this year, especially on weekends. Like other posters to this thread, I am having a hard time posting at work now. In fact, during the two lines I've written so far I've been interrupted for two meetings and several visits by staff. Less than one week from today, 10-12,000 students will storm through our doors daily and I have to get this building ready for the onslaught. Once fall quarter is in session, I will be able to post at work more easily. I read while I'm on the phone, or when I'm thinking about what to write in a memo, etc. and I truly appreciate all the interesting threads people put up for me to read, but I just can't repond very often. I hope everyone who is concerned about non-response looks at the number of hits their thread has had, that's what I do, and realize they have posted something others found interesting.

I rarely post at home any more either because my computer is in the ringworm isolation room. Typing with heavy rubber gloves on my hands is incredibly laborious and I have to correct many, many typos.

As others have said, we seem to have hit a time when everyone is incredibly busy and/or sick.

I'm glad others have said they like it when old threads are resurrected because this is what I tend to do, with an update and date changed on the subject line. I wondered if this was the best thing to do and it seems that it is.

Anyway, thank you, Jen, for posting and keeping us up-to-date and entertained. We are reading you. Now, back to work.

[Jessika]

Well, school did start recently :) I have noticed activity down a little, too, but it is still MUCH higher than most other boards I post on! So if you think activity is down... that just means we must post more pictures and stories hehe

[RedHedd]

Like everyone else has stated, school is back in session so the younguns are probably offline during the day. For me, work ebbs and flows; when it's busy I don't post as much, although I do find myself lurking more. posting less. It's just part of the natural flow of life - up and down and sometimes sideways. I hardly ever pay attention to thread counts, hits or replies. If a post has poor spelling or grammar or is a sticky situation I prefer to stay out of, I probably won't respond; cute kitty pictures I will almost always respond if I haven't fainted dead away from the cuteness.

[Logan]

Jen, I wouldn't take it personally. You know everyone loves you!!!! :)

I am one of the worst at responding, regularly. There just aren't enough hours in the day. I try to read as many as possible, but if I stopped to answer each one, I'd never get anything done. I feel certain that the people, like you, who are so good about responding on so many posts, are the ones who are most hurt when they don't get a lot of responses on their own, and I completely understand that.

I simply don't pay attention to the numbers most of the time. I want lots of people to enjoy the few pictures I post, here and there, and sometimes I'll even send an email to some of my best Pet Talk buddies to make sure they see a post since things move so quickly in Cat General, Dog General and General. Pam is really good about sending an email to me when she posts something new, with a link to the post, so I won't miss it. We call it "Thread alert"! :D And it really does help!

Keep your chin up. We LOVE to hear from you! :)

[K & L]

I find I run out of things to say, or to post. I read many of them, but some have already said all there is to say. Even though we have many cats I just don’t post everything about them (I would be on here 24/7) :D I know you all don’t want to hear every time we take one to the vet, etc. so I try and just post something of interest or humorous. I also think it runs in waves. People get busy with school, holiday’s etc. and find less time to frequent. I’m sure it will pickup soon!

[kimlovescats]

I agree that it does seem slow lately, and yes there are fewer views and responses. I also find that some people use the board to just post a lot of links and to chat to one another when they could use the PM for that. JMO on that! ;)

Kind of like Lisa (K&L) said too, I have SO many cats, I would drive everyone crazy and hog the boards if I posted every single thing they do and that I have going on with them. I also feel that some times you and I and others with "so many" babies, tend to get overlooked just because we have so many that people can't keep up with us! ;)

I'm sorry if I have not responded regularly to anyone's posts, I can assure you it wasn't intentional!

Kim

[KitCat]

I am working and going to school so I have a lot less time than when I was unemployed. Then I'm burnt out without much to say.

[Craftlady]

I dont worry about posting counts, replys. I'm here to enjoy reading stories of peoples fur babies, seeing photos. Posting when I have something to share, contribute etc. Life is to short to worry about posting counts etc. :)

[critter crazy]

sometime i am just in a rush, and peek, but dont post. Not because i dont want to, but just because i am always in a hurry. Then there are those times, where there are so many like posts that i get tired of saying the same thing over and over again.

[jenluckenbach]

OK, so the concensus is that I am too sensitive! (LOL) But I guess that is just the way I am. :o

Thanks for making the time to post on this thread, and I will keep in mind all the things you have said.

THANKS!!

[orangemm]

We still love you, Jen!!! Honest!

A lot of times I don't respond because someone else has said what I want to say and I don't want to repeat a lot (if I don't have something original to say).

Mostly because I have been beat after work is why I don't write a lot.

sometimes it just takes too much energy!

...but I'll try to do better, promise! :)

[G535]

I read every cat thread but don't always have time to reply and usually someone else has said what I was going to say. Everyone here has lovely cats and just because I don't have the time to reply doesn't make them any less lovely! :)

[caseysmom]

I don't think you are too sensitive. Everyone needs to feel special...you are special, its just that there are lots of special people on here and it gets hard to acknowledge everyone.

I will try to make sure I comment on your threads. I enjoy what you say for sure.