Am I the only one who feels this way...or has PT really changed recently?

[popcornbird]

I've been wanting to make a thread on this topic for MONTHS now, but I kept telling myself its just a phase, and things will get better soon. 6 months later, I still see no positive change. Guess its time to make a thread then, and see what's going on.

Does anyone else around here feel like they're losing interest in PT? *gasp...I can't believe I said that* Honestly, I do feel like I'm losing interest in this WONDERFUL board that I thought I'd never be able to live without, and just the thought of that is making me incredibly sad. I don't want to lose ANY interest in PT. Why I'm losing interest...I don't know, but it seems to me that most of the long time members on this board that we've all grown so close to aren't posting much at all anymore. I noticed this in the summer and thought...*People are probably busy...they'll come back and start posting again.* Summer came and went, fall came and went, now winter is here and quickly passing, and PT is STILL quiet. Nothing has changed. The board isn't nearly as active as it was last year at this time. Will ALL of PT's wonderful members EVER come back to post regularly? I know everyone's lurking around...I am too...but we're all so quiet for some reason.

There was a time when just leaving PT for just a few minutes would cause me to miss SO much on the board. Now, even if I leave for an entire day, there's hardly anything new to read when I return. What's going on? Where are all of our wonderful long time members? What happened to our fun threads....the games, the jokes, the wonderful spirit of Pet Talk...the having something to say every minute? I don't know why I'm letting this affect me so much, but its really making me very upset. I miss the old PT so much. I hate that I'm losing interest in PT, something that I 'really' don't want to see happening.

Just about a year ago, my main motivation to log onto the internet constantly was PT. Things have changed now. PT is no longer the first site I visit. The first thing I do now is log onto Yahoo IM...to talk to my friends from PT. (Could that be the problem...that we all talk to our 'group of friends' outside PT?) Then I check my emails, check the local weather, do all sorts of other things and THEN come to PT, only to find the same old posts from my last visit, and nothing new.

My point in posting this thread is to ask...am I the only weird one feeling this way, or is PT *really* not the same as it was before? If its really not the same, I think we ALL need to work on making it as active and fun as it was before again. I think the fun of PT and the spirit of PT all depends on the members of PT. None of us can fix things by ourselves. We need to get together and start posting more. Until we do that, I can only see PT becoming more and more quiet, and sadly, with how attached most of us have become to PT, its a very difficult thought to think about, or bear. What do you all think on this issue? We're all off from school for awhile, so maybe its time to get over here and make the board as lively and fun as possible!

[CamCamPup33]

I agree, but then I don't agree.

To me, I am not losing interest in PT. AT ALL. Im still extremely addicted, but I too think it's not AS fun as it used to be. I remember laughing out loud to the 'How many what's in a whatnow game,' and all of those other funny threads, and my mom thinking im totally crazy. Now, it's just pet talk.

But it's still the Pet talk I've become extremely fond of, and way too addicted to. I wouldn't ever leave, only because I still enjoy looking around on PT and even though I may not be as enthused about it as I was when I first joined, I still love it here.. Great members have left or may not be posting as much as they used to and i think we all miss them. (Jordan, Johanna, Micki, etc..)

Maybe it's just all the trolls that have been coming around, and some of the fights that have broken out between PT members, that's making us feel this way.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

I agree with basically everything you've said, PCB.

I used to love coming and checking out Pet Talk. Now, for me (and many others) I just browse and post occasionally. I usually just chat off of Pet Talk with the friends I've made here, share stories, pictures, etc.

I'd like the old, fun Pet Talk to "come back" too, along with all of the old members who used to post more frequently.

I also agree with what Amber said about the troll and fight issues that we've had lately.

[Amber]

Your not alone PCB. I used to be so attached to PT that it was what i did all day; vewing PT. But now, its not. PT is the last thing I check on my computer. I agree with Amber also, trolls have been coming here, and our silly arguments between them has basically ripped us apart. And leading to that, it's made PT members upset, hurt, and not wanting to come back anymore. Thats why we are loosing our valuable members. I miss the old PT that I knew, PT has become more slow, and quiet. I hope we can come together as a comunity, and make the lively, fun, exciting place PT was once.

[Corinna]

It changes every so often when I started there were very few kids or young adults on. Then for a while it seemed thats all there was we oldsters couldn't get a word in or got jumped on. I know it takes me a long time to answer on some threads as I'm afraid I'll get my a** in trouble and treated like I have the plaque.
I think its the same for a lot of the others. Some of the newer members appear to be so needey of affection and pats on the head(my opinion) getting mad when we look but don't make a huge fuss over their thread. Some times there is just no need to answer.
Give it a couple more months and we will be all yaking over each other.

[cali]

whiel I still check her a lot, I think fighting has really broken us up, I know I have differning opinions and now everyone treats me like the plague lol I dont stop posting, it pointless because nobody cares but if I dont then the people who do complain that I dont post enugh lol but now its like people have their own little groups, and everyone in that group hates everyone who is not in their group. and I think newbies have noticed it too, I will notice that newer people often comment on the groupiness, then the most groupie people all bash that new person, its just not a very friendly board anymore, everyone bashes someone behind backs and then the people find out they are people talked about and then everyone gets upset, and someone leaves...

[Kfamr]

YEP!
I've been saying it for a while now. PT was A LOT different when I joined 4 or so years ago.

Months ago when I was saying it has changed people kept diagreeing, now I see people PM me on how they agree and now see what i'm saying.

We have lost a lot of well love and respected members, in which are dearly missed. Leslie, Pam, Micki, Rachel, just to name a few.. We haven't complete lost them, but they don't frequent as often as they used to.


I have so many new ideas for fun threads, but I find myself thinking more than twice about posting something. I wonder if it's even worth it anymore, and I often find myself deleting something *right* after I post it because I just don't feel like being here anymore sometimes.

I'm not sure what exactly has caused it, but this place has gotten out of hand. I *NEVER* remember seeing "trolls" and such years ago. A lot of immaturity, and I'll admit a portion of it is from me as well. It seems as if it's 4 different forums anymore. There's different cliques and gangs and if you say one thing to one person then the whole zippity dooh dah gang jumps on you and critisizes you when they haven't the slightest clue what's going on.

It's just a whole different place all together and I no longer spend hours at a time on it anymore.

[popcornbird]

Phew...thank God I'm not the only one.

Amber, I'm not losing interest in PT in the sense that I don't want to keep coming here. I *do*. I love PT. Its just not fun anymore. Before, I could never focus on what I was doing because what I was missing on PT was on the back of my mind. Now, when I'm doing stuff, I know I can finish doing it and later return to PT, and there would still be nothing new to read. Its just not fun anymore!

I don't see Logan, Pam, Micki, Tatsxxx11, K9soul, .........LOTS of other WONDERFUL members on PT as often as I used to. Heck I don't see myself on PT as much as I used to...LOL! Its not because I don't want to post. Its just because no one's posting, and there's nothing to say. I'm going to be really busy till New Years because we're having relatives come over, and I won't be posting much until then, but we really have to get together and do something about PT's 'quietness' after New Years. We can't lose our wonderful PT. We can't. Come back everyone!

[cookieluver7]

I only joined in October so I'm really not sure how much it has changed. All I know is that I am totally crazy about pet talk but maybe I wouldn't be so much if I would have been here years before.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

In January it'll be a year that I've been here. I completely feel the same way you do though. I've been seeing the same slump that you've been seeing. I too miss the "old" PT that I joined almost a year ago.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Kfamr


I have so many new ideas for fun threads, but I find myself thinking more than twice about posting something. I wonder if it's even worth it anymore, and I often find myself deleting something *right* after I post it because I just don't feel like being here anymore sometimes.

Kay...I think that's the problem. We're all thinking twice before we post something. Go ahead and post your fun threads! We 'need' them! PT seriously was so much more fun 1-2 years ago. I don't know why it isn't anymore.

[Cookiebaker]

I kinda know what you mean, Poppy. I really, really miss some of the "Old Timers" as you say. But what we gotta keep in mind is that life changes, things change, the people on PT change. Look forward, not backward. I'm finding that I am having to "meet" more people because some of my old friends don't post anymore. And for some reason that's hard to do. I go into Dog General now, and it seems that nobody know who I am. And I feel sad about that. But it's high time for me to post some pictures, I'm sure.

Please don't stop posting the fun threads, Kay! Or you either, Pop! PT is only what we make it -- a fun place to chat, talk about our pets and post pictures!! So GET POSTING!!!!

[AlleyCat]

I'm clueless - what are you referring to when you say "trolls" ?
I think I'd understand this better if I knew what that meant.

I joined in November, and so far I love it, but then again I don't have a lot of months or years at this to compare to.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Originally posted by MommyOf3cats
I'm clueless - what are you referring to when you say "trolls" ?

A "troll" is basically a person who comes here just to cause trouble

[CamCamPup33]

Originally posted by MommyOf3cats
I'm clueless - what are you referring to when you say "trolls" ?

Trolls are people who join just to cause a commotion, and they are people who have nothing better to do with themselves.

Whoops! Orangutango beat me to it! LOL