Dear Pet Talk people, old and new

[phesina]

Dear Karen, I visit Pet Talk every day and just about always say something, at least respond to the Cat of the Day. I'm most active in the Cats area, as those are the animals who have so graciously allowed me to share their lives.

I haven't joined Facebook, Google+, Twitter, or Pinterest, have not yet heard and cannot imagine any reason why I would ever want to, and do not intend to ever. ..so I don't really have any ideas as to how to lure people from those sites or back from those sites.

I miss many people who no longer or rarely participate now. (lvpets2002, can you "hear" me?) Aside from those who have passed away or whose life circumstances no longer allow them the opportunity, I have no advice on how to lure the others back.

I love Pet Talk, the friends I've made and the community I'm part of here, and all the hard work you do and have done to create this site and keep it going, Karen and Paul. I hope it will keep going for a long time yet.

God bless! and loads of {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, ~~~~PURRS~~~~, and from Pat, Poppy, Elmer, Bob, Sparkler, and the Angels

[Roxyluvsme13]

Karen,

I spend more time on Facebook than PT mainly due to the fact the forums are no longer as active as they used to be. Facebook is easier to access plus I usually don't have the time to be on here anymore like I used to. I rarely use my laptop and rely heavily on my iPhone. And it's not very easy to sit here on an iPhone and type out a really long post as such. I like that the site has a mobile version now but maybe you could integrate an app or tapatalk or something into the forum? That might bring some people back. I am always on Facebook though and that is the easiest way to reach me. I just don't have time anymore to come on here and post pictures of all the critters like I used to and take all that time uploading photos when no one even really notices.

I miss PT the way we used to be though and I miss a lot of my old friends. I have been a member going on 9 years now, but it's just not the same. I do check in every once in a while though, just not as often as I should.

[lonnykitten]

I forgot my user name. Now that you emailed me I will be on more. I love this site.

[Miss Z]

Karen,

I post a lot less than I used to, but that is mostly due to time. I had a lot more free time to browse threads as a teenager, and now work and student life takes priority. I do pop in now and then, although I find I need a good deal of time to read threads thoroughly and to post an appropriate reply. That is less the case with Facebook, on which I can simply scroll through my newsfeed, see what catches my eye, and a short response or even just a 'like' will suffice. The laziness of the modern era!

Saying that, I don't think PT should become like Facebook, or necessarily have it integrated into the system. It is, of course, far better to read threads to catch up on how everyone and their pets are doing than a fleeting glance at a status. Occasionally, I will see a post on Facebook and follow it up to PT, so in that way, Facebook acts like a flag for a thread that may be of interest to me! I think the PT pages are doing that very well as it stands.

The boards are a lot quieter than they used to be, which makes the place less lively. I used to enjoy the mix of characters we had here, even those I had my spats with, funnily enough. However, I think I may have been one of those that drifted away in the first instance, and came back to notice a lot of people were missing, rather than noticing the gradual drifting away of members. I wonder if that may explain why it seems fewer people frequent the boards - most of us are still around, but keep missing each other.

[Litterati]

Hi Karen,

I responded to your PM e-mail, but for the record want to publicly thank you for taking the time to source out members past and present for their input. Maintaining a site takes a lot of effort and you and Paul deserve a big kudos!

[Karen]

Hi Karen,

I responded to your PM e-mail, but for the record want to publicly thank you for taking the time to source out members past and present for their input. Maintaining a site takes a lot of effort and you and Paul deserve a big kudos!

Thanks everyone for your comments! We do value each and every member, and are glad you are with us! We know, in our hearts, that Pet People really are "a breed apart" and the best kind of people that exist!

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I don't belong to facebook myself but I do have a twitter account. I just started following you. I did not even relize you were on twitter. Probably won't help much because I only have 4 followers and one of them is already a Pet Talk member and another is a penguin.

I've not been on Pet Talk much lately mostly because of computer issues. Having trouble getting used to my new computer. I got a lap top. While I do love that I can move it from room to room that keyboard is hard for me to type on. Plus the smaller screen is harder on my eyes.

I am just so tired and depressed lately I've not been interested in much. But I'm still here!!!

[cheche]

Like others, I kind of drifted away because I no longer had the time to sort through all the new posts and I had also gone back to work. I mostly followed the cats, as they are my first love.

I do use FB and log in most every day, but mainly to check on statuses of a couple of people and sometimes to chat. I don't think I would use it to access PT and I say this because I'm a member of another forum on FB that I've not accessed for over a year. I did join pinterest, but don't follow that either.

I watch "My Cat from Hell" when ever I see it's on. I've gotten so many useful tips from following Jackson Galaxy. I've tried talking to other PT members with some of the issues I've had, but don't seem to get much for a response. I know that having and experiencing our different pets gives us knowledge that sometimes helps others and I love sharing and learning. That never gets old.

As to how to draw people back to PT, I'm not sure. I felt so honored to have had Simba as COTD and I wanted to return the feeling I got to others. Now that I'm back at home more, I'm hoping to spend a bit more time visiting.

[momcat]

Hi Karen,
As you already know, I absolutely detest computers and all technology because my experience has been extremely negative since this crap was first shoved down our throats. Pet Talk is the only computer site I access simply because this is the ONLY positive computer experience I've ever had and it's the only site that can be trusted. This is the only place I don't have to worry about hacking, identity theft and all the other problems technology has inflicted on us with no end of damage to our quality of life in sight from the idiots that come up with this nonsense.
I do not and will not get mixed up with Facebook, Twitter or any other "social media". They're all nothing more than trouble waiting to happen. My fear is that incorporating them into your wonderful site will do much more harm than good.
I've made some wonderful friends here, learned a lot about cats, and love seeing the unusual pets on Pet of the Day. We adopted our Amigo from a PT friend. You have so much to offer to all animal lovers.
Pet Talk is perfect just as it is and I'd hate to see any changes. As for increasing participation, maybe it would help to advertise at places like PetCo, Pet Smart and other large pet supply businesses. I often see different websites on receipts, a possibility. There may also be other ways of making PT known to more pet people, worth looking into. I know there would be cost involved, I'm more than willing to contribute if it will keep FB and the like away. It doesn't belong here.