This site

Sigh. It's threads like these that make me wonder how this site is still up and running. (I'm talking about the Cindy thread) I keep harping on this but only if we put this type of energy into commenting on poems/actually helping new people and explaining where everything is, this site would flourish. Besides a handful of people i don't see many people commenting anymore. And you all wonder why this site is dying. Well look in the mirrors. No wonder why we can't get any new people to stay. It's getting tiring seeing everyone bash on each other, instead of helping each other grow as poets. Did people forget this is a poetry site? I've been here for a little over 10 years off and on and I've never seen this site as much as a train wreck as it is now. So really whats the point in being here anymore. If i were a newbie I'd run away screaming.

Edit- This is not sour grapes. I am just venting my frustration, and admittedly i will probably never come back to this thread. It's more for a vent and discussion.

I understand your frustration Jamie. I think what makes this place different from other websites is the more personal approach that dominates it. Many people here who are still active actually took some connections and bonds to the outside, as in, we have built some friendships apart from the boards, WhatsApp..facebook, etc.

You don't see that pretty often on other sites, privacy is of huge concern for many people, and some of us had broke the ice already and I find it beautiful.

I know the site was much more active before, but I don't think it is dead now, many people are joining everyday and many poems are being posted.

But yes, we do need some spark ofcourse, maybe we could come up with some ideas that would win the interest of the majority to read and comment more often.

I love this site for its ability to contact others who share the same passion for life.

We are passionate people, so emotions will run high. You can't put dogs and cats together and not expect fights!

Although I don't comment that much, I do read plenty and leave a line or two in reply. When I think about it, commenting has helped me develop my own writings and appreciate the poems of others.

If we older members chose to look at new members work and left an encouraging comment and welcome, surely this would help.

When Janis returned to make fundimental changes around a year ago, I was filled with hope. Unfortunately, the changes were not on the scale I hoped. This site lacks colour. If we want new creative minds to join and stay, we need to provide a canvass where they can showcase their rainbows...

Instead we have a black and white tabloid. We are hindered by the template on offer. Still, as Jamie says, we can all try harder. I will start with me, the man in the mirror!

I agree with Jamie to a point, although I don't believe the ructions experienced on the main boards have anything to do with the smaller numbers this site now has - Facebook's to blame for that. Why? Because many people only ever wanted the discussion boards and perhaps even confrontation so Facebook was easier for them. I wasn't here, but I believe this site used to be very busy and the boards were a constant whirlwind of...ahem...differences of opinions.
The part I do agree with is commenting. But we have been here before and not everyone agrees. My personal opinion is that we could all do more to comment on peoples' work. I've heard the excuse that people don't have time, and yet the same people are frequently online despite that. On the other hand, that's their choice. No one can force anyone to comment on anything at any time. Perhaps they are just not reading anything that inspires them to comment. But I do believe that when a new member posts a poem and gets no help or feedback in any form, they would naturally be discouraged and not too enthusiastic about posting anything further.
I try to comment on as many peoples' poems as I can but i admit that even I am guilty of perhaps commenting more consistently on certain member's work, so I will do my best to rectify that.
As far as the site dying is concerned, that isn't the case in my opinion. I've been here a few years now and - if anything - the participation and poems posted seems to have gone up recently. There's been some massively positive additions to the site in terms of new poets and even older ones coming back and I do believe that on the whole there is a warm and positive atmosphere here. I know that I personally feel like I am part of something special here and I am honoured to be a member - I believe many others feel like that too, so I am sorry if you do not Jamie, considering you yourself are a longstanding member who writes wonderfully and gives such in depth comments. P n Q is and will continue to be an important part of many of our lives - the trick is, to keep it positive, keep welcoming new members and leave as many encouraging/helpful comments on each others' work as we personally feel able to.

All the best

Awww Jamie I get you... I adore you...

I'm at a low right now, but I read and support when I can...this site always goes from high to low, but it's a good site for me...

Hugs you

This site has changed, however there was a time you couldn't say much on the thread without the risk of public hanging.

Hellon stuck her neck out (pun intended)
She was lambasted just like the old days. (I don't have an opinion on this other than, she has always said how she feels, whether or not you agree with her.)

Right back early on it wasn't unusual to see 100's of comments on poems.
However part of this was the novelty of being able to communicate with somebody on the other side of the world. (Remember ICQ anyone)
Social media has exploded taking some of the readership with it.

I like the way the site is now, I am glad clubs have gone. The main thread is my club.
There might not be that many in-depth comments anymore, however I feel it takes practice to get to Jamie's understanding of poetry and commenting.
Writing poems is a good start to understanding poems, this leads to good commenting.

I am one of those who have recently been online everyday. Mostly on my phone when I am supposed to be working.

My time on and off this site I have seen waves of activity.
Challenges help, I am going to commit to getting involved in challenges. Doing so is practice, which in turn may get me back into the full swing of things.

The truth is that this site was only active when we were fighting about something! We used to have 20-40 ppl logged in at times daily, a number we will never ever see here again... ! All the poetry sites I was involved with are dead just like this one!
Look at the number of replies on the weekly winners thread and compare that to a thread where we arguing, fighting, accusing one another senselessly... That should be the honest indicator what this site is all about...
When I was a moderator at Poetic Constellation my job wasn't to police the boards but to comment and nominate on poems for read of the day, read of the week and so on.. I used to read 100-150 poems a day and comment 30-50 People were busy writing beautiful poetry there and not trying to argue about a dead member if she was was a good person or not!!! I loved that site and it will always be the highlight of my poetry life... I was very much inspired by those members to try to write like them not because they analyzed my poems but because they were nice to each other and very loving and so welcoming... But I always stick around here because this was the first site i posted my first "poem" and i did meet some amazing poets and poetesses as well...

There's something about being behind a computer screen that gives cowards the courage to say and do things that would not normally be considered socially acceptable. It's a mask. If you want proof, look no further than Lord of the Flies. I try to ignore it. Acknowledging those people just gives them the validation and attention they crave, which in turn leads to more obnoxiousness. It took a lot to not comment on the thread you're referring to... but in the end, it wasn't my fight.