Arctic Stones lives in Norway where he's an advertising copywriter and Norwegian-to-English translator of user manuals and advertising material. His daughter went to University here in Halifax (Language) and he came to visit, hence our meeting. He's no longer active on this forum because he's been very busy for the last several years. We communicate sporadically by email.

MacRumors has 863,398 members.

How is this place a great resource? And how would moving the site lose good membership?

How may on the MR site are Active?

This site has been a great resource for many years and is well moderated and polite, even in the face of diametric disagreements.

I, for one, am not moving.

MacWorld has been a great resource, except for all the things you guys mentioned earlier that have been contributing to the forum's slow, but certain demise. You seem to be speaking out of both sides of your mouth. I don't understand why. MacWorld is not a great resource when the way it runs the forum retards the growth of the forums. (Are we really having this discussion? How could you possibly not be connecting the dots on this?)

I hope you don't have to move. But I look at the trajectory, and it seems like you get to stay where you are, while the site disappears.

Actually, seesolve, it seems to be an almost universal trait that techie forums bloom slowly and then fade away even more slowly just as Microsoft and Research in Motion have in the techie corp world.

For one thing, the founders of these sites lose interest and stop fanning the flames, sell out, or try to rejuvenate in a way that offends the old hands. For another, an initially successful site soon attracts competitors that dilute the interest group. That's certainly happened here. Sometimes forums are overpowered by a small group who by sneering at the lesser lights, drive them away. I won't give an example, but that hasn't happened here. These sites virtually never make money for their owners so they're hard to justify.

Interesting Nova - which competitors popped up after the launch of this place then? I was a latecomer at 2004.

I'm pretty sure GavinBKK was stating that the Hints site has been a great resource and it would be a shame to see it die. I agree there. I can't point to a single thing MacWorld has done that has improved anything here, but I still hope it doesn't disappear. (Anyone want to scrape the site into an archive?)

The best thing they've done is not shutting the site down overnight without warning. (Was anyone here active on the MacAddict Forums when that happened?)

Surely just a bit more participation is all that's needed to keep things ticking along, always assuming the owners don't shitcan it as you mentioned that could have done?

I don't recall when various sites appeared. I joined in 2004 too when I retired and had time. But as an example, I administer an AppleScript site (not much admin to do really) that hints cut into when it added the AppleScript topic. Apple itself competes with both a site and a list. The guy who owns that site has cut it back significantly (some of its sections are no longer available) so he could start two others that earn him an income. I can't blame him -- what started eons ago as a labor of love was getting more expensive to host on a colocation machine that needed upgrading and he retired from his regular job after a heart attack.

I just noticed that I have become a League Commissioner. Apparently that happens at 5000 posts. Didn't realize I was such a blabbermouth (although my wife would refute that).

As would mine, but she is Thai and never stops yakking anyway, so pots and kettles!

Although I was here, I struggle to remember what Thais did before the advent of the mobile phone.

Remove mobile phones, chrome poles and mirrors from this place and they"d all go mad!
;-)

I'm pretty new on here so hope it doesn't go away.
I've no idea why it's quiet and have always had answers to questions, I have to agree with someone else on here though who blamed social media. I wonder if all forums are noticing a difference? We're living in an age where you can ask something on twitter and get replies immediately, that's not the same as chatting though.

Agreed, but the "instant" answers on many of these SM alternatives aren't always thought through and/or necessarily correct.

For instance, I saw someone asking (on one of my Military Vehicle forums) how to run in ("break-in") a newly rebuilt engine and he got told to start it up and revv the **** out of it for 20 minutes!!??

In case you don't know, that is an awful long way away from mech eng best practise.

An interesting question. My 2 chosen HD fora are much quieter than when I first joined them, only 18 months ago.

I think that the interaction you might get on something like twitter isn't as deep, or informative, as that you would get on a forum. Forums can be more specific, other types of social media are just too generic.
I'm not on many forums but have noticed that the ones I do look at are a lot quieter. Maybe it's something that comes and goes in waves, I haven't been involved in them long enough to know.

One of the great beauties of a forum like this one is that the answers seem to be well thought out and authentic, never of the "rev the **** out of it" kind. Certainly I've seen disagreement on best courses of action but they are matters of priority not polar opposites.

PS: run the engine in normal service without taking it to extremes, i.e., don't red line it or lug it.

Interesting that you use that analogy Nova.

I just had someone advise exactly that on a Military Vehicle forum when a chap asked how to run in (North American translation: "Break-in") his newly rebuilt engine in his M151 A1. It took quite some explaining that that was a long way from engineering best practise and just because that's what F1 teams did, it was not done because they expected the engine to last a long time!

Running in (breaking in) a new engine or a rebuilt is hardly necessary any more anyway. I have rebuilt several engines (in a 1934 V-8 Ford coupe & a 1936 straight-6 Chevy sedan) and a 4-cylinder boat engine. Assuming that cylinder liners have been honed, valve seats ground, and badly scored shafts have been replaced or ground smooth, new rings are installed, main bearings and wrist pins brought up to spec, etc., with the use of modern artificial lubricants, you can just use the engine normally and you shouldn't find an oil plug covered in filings.

Sorry mate. I'll argue that one with you until I'm in my box.

Nicely, of course! ;-)

There will always be dissent on that score, GavinBKK. I will agree that rebuilt gearboxes and differentials need careful handling until they wear in, but I replaced the cam shaft in an old VW bug years ago and without any special treatment drove it for many more years. I suppose it depends on what you've done to it. I will admit, however, that I haven't repaired a car engine since 1970 when they began to bristle with anti-pollution gear that I didn't understand. Having said that, however, I have a 2012 Honda CRV and a 2013 Honda Odyssey and neither of them came with any break-in instructions.