What the Heck Happened Here

[rhines81]

This forum seems fairly dead from what it was a year or so ago and it looks like several key people are no longer participating. I haven't been on for a while due to some life changes, but it is very noticed by me that there are certain people no longer here, voluntary or otherwise. One it looks like was Banned for Life, whatever was the cause of that I will never know most likely -- was a very nice person.

[rhines81]

Perhaps it was this gem of a post that we are not allowed to suggest outside sources??

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=50023

Seems to be a problem in this world when you try to control and manipulate people?

[cloz]

Sort of like #45 telling his attorneys how to mount his impeachment defense and they all quit.

Cloz

[nctomatoman]

rhines81 - and all - I see there are many factors for the forum going quiet over the last year. It has been around for 15 years - that's a good, long run. Add 15 years onto the ages of those here and there is undoubtedly all sorts of changes - life changes, hobby changes, time focus changes, career changes - add that to the passing of Carolyn, in particular, but others as well and here we are.

There are now many smaller seed companies, many alternate forums for discussions, the boom in social networking (FB, Instagram, Twitter, more), and just the natural flow of gardening and gardeners - some go big, some pull back.

Forums like these really do depend upon regular turnover and additions - new energy, new ideas, new projects. Gardening, like many things, also experiences upswings and downswings, fads, etc.

Just my two cents.

[ScottinAtlanta]

Oddly enough, I post less because I have learned a massive amount from this Forum, and I don't need to consult the experts as much. I am comfortable in my own gardening choices now, but ten years ago, I wasn't. That is a tribute to this Forum - I don't think I could have learned as much in less time anywhere else on the worldwide Internet. So...thank you, Mischka!

[nctomatoman]

I think that's a great point, Scott - in 2006, the onset of the sharing of tons of info began and all who participated got to learn a great deal. Each of us as gardeners have our own arc in this hobby - one of the reasons I set up a FAQ on my website was to handle basic questions, which freed me up to construct (with Patrina) the huge puzzle that still is the Dwarf tomato Project - and now, gardening in our new area, my weekly Instragram live, future books - all of that removes me from spending much time here.

[FarmerShawn]

I, too, have learned volumes from this forum over the years, and to a somewhat lesser extent, I suppose, I still do. I seem to have switched as much to sharing my experiences as to asking questions. I wonder with the increase of home gardening due to the pandemic if we might see an increase in membership and participation. Maybe we should all openly share our enthusiasm for this site with new-gardening friends, to increase participation. I do still appreciate the relatively tight focus of the posts here, focusing on gardening-related topics exclusively.

[KarenO]

Agree with Craig L as to the evolution of social media especially Facebook groups changing the landscape of Internet forums.
From my point of view There is a whole lot less useless flaming and unrelated chatter that I don’t miss. ( way, way way too much of a few people’s “2 cents” who used this forum as their personal blog and battleground to document every thought).

There is still much important value in this forum and its vast repository of expertise and information if it’s tomatoes and growing subjects that you’re interested in not what somebody else had for breakfast.

PS: Deliberately flaming here may get you a similar result I would imagine so best wishes

KarenO

[cloz]

I would agree with all of the above. Tomatoville has given me a wealth of gardening knowledge! I would not be surprised to see an increase in membership with the COVID caused interest in gardening. My Johnny’s seed order has been sitting unshipped for 2 weeks and some items on my order have gone out of stock so I don’t know what I will be getting and when. I see similar shortages and shipping delays at other seed sources. I have not seen that in the last 10 years.

Cloz

[rhines81]

I agree and all of the above makes sense. I was just somewhat surprised at the lack of new posts compared to this time frame in past years, as this is generally peak time for starting seed, etc.

[barbamWY]

I'm guilty of not posting as much. I agree with everyone why the decrease in posting. I am also growing a smaller garden each year. I used to try a lot of new to me varieties but now I only try a couple each year and stick with my old reliable. I miss Carolyn too.
Barb

[Shapshftr]

Originally Posted by rhines81

I agree and all of the above makes sense. I was just somewhat surprised at the lack of new posts compared to this time frame in past years, as this is generally peak time for starting seed, etc.

I was wondering the same thing. I have been away a few years because my husband got sick. Like NC said, life changes happen. When I came back, I noticed a huge drop in activity, when it's seed starting time for most. Then I couldn't log in, and the site went down. I tried a google search for it and found a different forum with the same name, that seems to have the same people, but no activity. I'm still confused on that one. It appeared as if something happened to this forum, so some tried starting a new one? Finally this morning Craig helped me get back in. But I was still wondering the same as you. Glad somebody besides me asked.

[Goodloe]

Yup, evolution happens. That being said, Tomatoville is still the the most awesome repository for tomato knowledge and wisdom on the planet. I have nothing but high praise for what Mischka has accomplished here. It pains me greatly that I didn't find this place sooner!

[TomatoDon]

I was one of the first to join here, I believe in January of 2006. I read the forums practically every day and night for a long time. I asked a lot of questions and posted a lot and learned a lot. I've probably posted more about good red and pink summer slicers and raised beds than anything. I've been here so many years that I now find myself searching for the same information in threads that were posted years ago, and also posting about the same things now, but in different ways, that I used to post back in the early days.

Back then, I used to think if he could get 500 members that we would have a huge knowledge base to call on, but then it went past 1,000 and 2,000 and kept growing. What is it now? Over 10,000?

A few of my favorites that come to mind that I used to see here regularly but I haven't seen in a long time are Feldon, Suze, and I believe another one's name was JerseyJohn61, or something similar. I wish I could remember the name of the guy that was here at the beginning, basically a troll, who showed pictures of a seedling he claimed was growing under the snow. He didn't last long! We've had some fun and zany times here, too, such as that -- and the blue tomato thread and the floating tomato thread -- in addition to all the great tomato info we still get every day here. It's been fun and educational for me for all these years and continues to be, even though I probably read a lot more than I post these days.

Thanks to all who have helped make this such a great site for tomatoes and gardening in general. It's nice -- and a blessing -- to still see familiar names of friendships I've made and enjoyed here for years.
Don

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by KarenO

Agree with Craig L as to the evolution of social media especially Facebook groups changing the landscape of Internet forums.
From my point of view There is a whole lot less useless flaming and unrelated chatter that I don’t miss. ( way, way way too much of a few people’s “2 cents” who used this forum as their personal blog and battleground to document every thought).

There is still much important value in this forum and its vast repository of expertise and information if it’s tomatoes and growing subjects that you’re interested in not what somebody else had for breakfast.

PS: Deliberately flaming here may get you a similar result I would imagine so best wishes

KarenO

Just an FYI, I was not flaming a post.... just questioning the directive: "If you solicit other members to join another website and I catch you, I will delete your account here and ban you without further warning or explanation, so don't do it."

I just do not get this line of thinking in a free thinking world... perhaps another site may offer more of what someone was looking for. Hell, I belong to a gazillion sites and have never seen someone telling me not to recommend another site if the situation warrants that. I do get that perhaps they do not want spamming of other sites, that is never good. But if you're asking a question about cucumbers and I refer you to cucumbers.com (not even sure if that is a site) ... I shouldn't be threatened with a ban from a tomato site, kind of over-protective. Perhaps this directive could be clarified and less threatening? If I do get banned for not really liking that tone, then so be it. Nice knowing everyone. It's a forum, not a conforum.