On Discussion

[Taka Nuvia]

I know, I know, this is one of those boomerang topics that come back again and again and again. ._.But is it just me, or is everything going even slower now that the forums are back? I can hardly find a topic where there's really anything to discuss, and there very few ones that do seem interesting maybe get a post or two within a week. Okaay, I probably exaggerated a bit.Maybe it's a lack of diversity. If I am not really interested in memes, I won't engage in a conversation revolving around them.Or maybe it's too much of "Post it here".I remember GD being a place where you could come and, well, discuss something. (And raise your post count, but that doesn't matter that much to me.)... or is it just me and everything's all fine the way it is?

[Sumiki]

I think the downtime weeded out some of the less active people who (I suppose) guessed BZP'd never come back.That being said, one-post-and-done topics have always been a part of GD. Discussion is actually, and sadly, rarer here than in other forums.

[Taka Nuvia]

I think the downtime weeded out some of the less active people who (I suppose) guessed BZP'd never come back.That being said, one-post-and-done topics have always been a part of GD. Discussion is actually, and sadly, rarer here than in other forums.

I seriously wonder why, though. :whatsthat:And no matter how much I think about it, I just can't find a reason.

[Rarity]

True discussion has always been rare in GD. But, I too have noticed the lack of topics, in GD.I's probably because of a lot of members finding other forums, and not wanting to come back to BZP during the downtime.And it's hard to make discussion about a dead toy.

[Sumiki]

True discussion has always been rare in GD. But, I too have noticed the lack of topics, in GD. I's probably because of a lot of members finding other forums, and not wanting to come back to BZP during the downtime. And it's hard to make discussion about a dead toy.

The thing is, if the downtime had been less (or if there hadn't been one), how many more people wouldn't have forgotten about it?The revenant forums will never be as active as its previous incarnations - but I don't think BZP's in danger of going under, per se. Less activity is to be expected, even if the downtime never occurred. So I guess we'll never know how much effect the downtime had.

[Taka Nuvia]

True discussion has always been rare in GD. But, I too have noticed the lack of topics, in GD. I's probably because of a lot of members finding other forums, and not wanting to come back to BZP during the downtime. And it's hard to make discussion about a dead toy.

The thing is, if the downtime had been less (or if there hadn't been one), how many more people wouldn't have forgotten about it?The revenant forums will never be as active as its previous incarnations - but I don't think BZP's in danger of going under, per se. Less activity is to be expected, even if the downtime never occurred. So I guess we'll never know how much effect the downtime had.

Well I do guess that the extreme length of the downtime made many people forget about BZPower, especially those who weren't as interested in the site anyway.... true, but do you think that there is anything we could do against that/ to bring some more lively discussion to GD?

[Rarity]

Make it a Lego forum or a MLP one.

[-Windrider-]

Perhaps it is important to note that GD is half the forum it used to be. I'm not saying this in a figurative sense; I'm saying that it literally is. Here is the forum description for GD on the old forums:"Here's where you can talk about BZPower itself, or other things Bionicle that don't necessarily fit into any of the above categories."Here is the forum description on the new forums:"Here's where you can talk about BZPower itself, and other related things that don't fit elsewhere."You might notice too that on the old forums, GD was under the "BZPower Forum Divisions" category, while here it is under the "BZPower Discussion" category. The difference is incredibly slight, but meaningful.What this all means is that Bionicle has now been removed from GD, as the new forum description implies. This is why I said it is half the forum it used to be. That half of GD and half of what was LGD were chopped off and sewn together into what is now "LEGO Discussion." The reason for this can be none other than Bionicle's having been canceled. Before the downtime, BZPower was synonymous with Bionicle, hence why its discussion could fit in GD under the "BZPower Forum Divisions." LEGO discussion was thrown down the board index, condemned to be COT's unwanted neighbor.These days, Bionicle is still a part of BZPower; there is no denying that. There are a good number of forums dedicated still dedicated to the line. However, a part of the downtime was dedicated to BZP's reorganization to reflect a more LEGO-centric orientation than before. Some may take offense to this; others may argue its necessity, but it is hard to ignore the top category's having been changed from "Bionicle Incarnations" to "LEGO Discussion."However, if we look at where the now-excised Bionicle half of GD lives, in the LEGO Discussion forum, we find not much activity, and, if I'm not blind, not a single topic dedicated to Bionicle. OmiShad said that it is hard to make discussion about a dead toy. Certainly the type of discussion found in the old GD seems to have disappeared. But forums like "Bionicle Sets & Collectibles" and "Bionicle Storyline & Theories" contain a decent amount of discussion, though not as much as before the downtime. And Bionicle is still alive in our imaginations, as the Creative Outlet is alive and well.So, the question is, would GD be more active if its Bionicle half were kept as it was on the old forums? My last paragraph above seems to say that, no, it would be exactly the same as it is now, and this topic would still have come up. But who knows? It might have taken just that one person to start a wildly successful Bionicle thread in here that would engender multiple other topics of discussion.I saw an entry in Taipu1's blog tilted BZPower Dying, and when I first read it, I found myself agreeing. It was as if the entry's presence before my eyes would not let me ignore that which I had been thinking and fearing. After a few days of patrolling my four forums and a few others, however, I found myself agreeing more with Xinlo: Spirit of Sonics' comment, "I find it rather comfortable and enjoyable right now. It's not booming like it was in its heyday, but it's by no means dead." Some may see this topic as the writing on the wall, as it was when I first read Taipu's blog entry. I encourage those who do not to react so quickly, however. Because - and because of this topic - we are in GD, and we are posting discussion, are we not?

[Alyska]

_{I think some Bionicle-related content still fits here, if only because it doesn't seem to go in any other forum. But with Bionicle all but gone, most people are now just left discussing BZP fads or talking about the new forum features.But even before the downtime, I have to agree that the level of discussion just wasn't equal to that of the S&T or CoT forums. It may be in part due to the topics of discussion, but I was comparing my recent "Bionicle for girls" topic with the old "Bzpower Girls' corner" in COT of the old forums, and the discussion back there is just so much more interesting and in-depth, and it doesn't have any of the "ewww, girls"-type posts that my topic gets. People were there because they really cared about the topic, and weren't just trying to post in every topic to raise their post count. I used to argue that the girls' corner belonged back in GD, but I think it was better off in CoT.}

[Phauxx Lightning]

Eh, BIONICLE's end is probably starting to wear off on people. Those who just came on BZP for only a couple of things in the past or weren't very active probably just left for good, or haven't checked to see if the forums are back. It doesn't seem to slow to me though. When you look at the active member list at most times, it's never bad.

[Akuna Toa of Sonics]

I've noticed this place is getting a little slow. I barely see any new topics any more, or as many online members like before.

[Peach 00]

Lots of forums lack actual controversial discussion, but you just can't blame the posts on that. After all, the topics that are posted in GD, CoT, anywhere - they're all more 'post it here' topics. Sure, General Discussion has had its fair share of diverse topics, but anybody remember the 'In a Line' fad? Yeah, that certainly didn't help with discussion.Nonetheless, I'm disappointed with the lessening amount of interesting discussion. Something that hasn't been posted about ten times repeatedly, and actually has an interesting topic you can discuss for a long period of time, without it just fading into the sea of relentless repeats. But, onto a few more points.Since Bionicle has been gone for more than a year now, it's obviously decreased in discussion. But I agree with Alyska, people are resorting to talking about the latest fads and the new features. Nothing new to talk about, to be honest. =/However, I have to admit, Alyska has contributed in discussion with some of her topics, specifically 'Bionicle for Girls'. That topic does indeed involve some good discussion, but I think it's sadly beginning to gradually decrease. I've got to give you credit for starting some good discussion there. =PEither way - before that short paragraph about the topic - that's my two cents.

[Lara White]

I do think that BZP's days are numbered, but I think it's a decent-sized number.

[bonesiii]

Well, we've gone through a huge change with the end of the line we were based around, so less activity isn't surprising, downtime or not. Keep in mind we were all noticing it before we updated. But yeah, probably a lot of people don't realize we're back yet. I didn't for a while.

[Eeko]

I think it'll take a little while, but we'll eventually get back to a boomin' BZP

[Lara White]

I'm a little skeptical about that, since BZP was already in a slow decline before the update. I think the downtime merely accelerated the degeneration.

[Sumiki]

I think it'll take a little while, but we'll eventually get back to a boomin' BZP

That's not going to happen unless/until BZP becomes a lot more LEGO-oriented.

[UltraHau]

I think Bionicle's partial demise and the downtime both contributed to diminishing activity on BZP. Granted, my post rate has actually gone up since the downtime, but that's just me.

[Toa Zaz]

Because some of us apparently couldn't wait six months.

[GeluNumber1]

People left with the downtime. It's happened everytime the forums went down; it's just that with bionicle gone, there's less to talk about. People don't have as much as an incentitive to come back.

[Makuta Matata]

Well, the story is barely getting updates. There's nothing new to discuss.....

[UltraHau]

Well, the story is barely getting updates. There's nothing new to discuss.....

...except this.

[Taipu1]

BZP is just quieter... Wherever you look it's quieter. Look at the Top 20 posters of the day, I remember there used to be days where people were in the 100s, or at least in the 50s. Or if you look at how many people viewing a forum at the bottom, I've been to forums and been the only person viewing it, that never happened before the downtime. Unfortunately the downtime just made an already waning fanbase lose more interest. Perhaps an update to Bioniclestory.com might spark a little more interest, but ultimately we need something Bionicle to rally around. Can't be anything else really. You can say hero factory, but some people are just here for Bionicle, it's the common interest. Without Bionicle, this forum will continue to diminish...Naturally with less people means less discussion. I'm doing my best to try and perservere, if everyone keeps faith, then discussion will continue. If we give up then the forum is finished. "Where valor and wisdom fail, all that remains is faith. And it can overcome all"

[Bambi]

I know, I know, this is one of those boomerang topics that come back again and again and again. ._.But is it just me, or is everything going even slower now that the forums are back? I can hardly find a topic where there's really anything to discuss, and there very few ones that do seem interesting maybe get a post or two within a week. Okaay, I probably exaggerated a bit.Maybe it's a lack of diversity. If I am not really interested in memes, I won't engage in a conversation revolving around them.Or maybe it's too much of "Post it here".I remember GD being a place where you could come and, well, discuss something. (And raise your post count, but that doesn't matter that much to me.)... or is it just me and everything's all fine the way it is?

I agree with everything you've said.

[GSR]

As others have said before, it's a natural combination of a dead subject and downtime. Don't be discouraged, though; BZP is large enough that it'll survive. I frequent forums with live subjects that are far less active.How successful a shift towards being a more general LEGO forum will be, I can't say, especially since as mentioned above BZP is synonymous with Bionicle.

[Makuta Matata]

Well, the story is barely getting updates. There's nothing new to discuss.....

...except this.

Except that's a fan game, not an official game.

[Taka Nuvia]

As others have said before, it's a natural combination of a dead subject and downtime. Don't be discouraged, though; BZP is large enough that it'll survive. I frequent forums with live subjects that are far less active.How successful a shift towards being a more general LEGO forum will be, I can't say, especially since as mentioned above BZP is synonymous with Bionicle.

Well, I hope it will work, that's for sure...

[...]Maybe it's a lack of diversity. If I am not really interested in memes, I won't engage in a conversation revolving around them.Or maybe it's too much of "Post it here".I remember GD being a place where you could come and, well, discuss something. (And raise your post count, but that doesn't matter that much to me.)... or is it just me and everything's all fine the way it is?

I agree with everything you've said.

Why thank you

BZP is just quieter... Wherever you look it's quieter. Look at the Top 20 posters of the day, I remember there used to be days where people were in the 100s, or at least in the 50s. Or if you look at how many people viewing a forum at the bottom, I've been to forums and been the only person viewing it, that never happened before the downtime. Unfortunately the downtime just made an already waning fanbase lose more interest. Perhaps an update to Bioniclestory.com might spark a little more interest, but ultimately we need something Bionicle to rally around. Can't be anything else really. You can say hero factory, but some people are just here for Bionicle, it's the common interest. Without Bionicle, this forum will continue to diminish...Naturally with less people means less discussion. I'm doing my best to try and perservere, if everyone keeps faith, then discussion will continue. If we give up then the forum is finished."Where valor and wisdom fail, all that remains is faith. And it can overcome all"

Um, hm, I remember both things having happened to me in the past... but maybe that's because I'm usually active in the more quiet times (also due to time zones, of course...)However, if we see this subforum as a place to also discuss BZPower itself, then there should be more interesting topicss possible than just 'Post it here'...

I'm a little skeptical about that, since BZP was already in a slow decline before the update. I think the downtime merely accelerated the degeneration.

I really hope that's not true

I think it'll take a little while, but we'll eventually get back to a boomin' BZP

That would be really awesome, but somehow I fear it won't happen unless Bionicle gets a revival.

Well, we've gone through a huge change with the end of the line we were based around, so less activity isn't surprising, downtime or not. Keep in mind we were all noticing it before we updated. But yeah, probably a lot of people don't realize we're back yet. I didn't for a while.

But when people come back all they want to do is get more 'post it here'-topics? That's a bit strange

Lots of forums lack actual controversial discussion, but you just can't blame the posts on that. After all, the topics that are posted in GD, CoT, anywhere - they're all more 'post it here' topics. Sure, General Discussion has had its fair share of diverse topics, but anybody remember the 'In a Line' fad? Yeah, that certainly didn't help with discussion.Nonetheless, I'm disappointed with the lessening amount of interesting discussion. Something that hasn't been posted about ten times repeatedly, and actually has an interesting topic you can discuss for a long period of time, without it just fading into the sea of relentless repeats.[...]

I agreee with you about the "in a Line" thingie...And I really wish there were more original, thought-provoking topics in GD... but coming uo with all-new concepts all the time is hard. I don't mind if some topics come back again and again, for opinions change over time, as well as people, and for me it's usually quite fun comparing my old views to the ones I have now. ^^

_{I think some Bionicle-related content still fits here, if only because it doesn't seem to go in any other forum. But with Bionicle all but gone, most people are now just left discussing BZP fads or talking about the new forum features.But even before the downtime, I have to agree that the level of discussion just wasn't equal to that of the S&T or CoT forums. It may be in part due to the topics of discussion, but I was comparing my recent "Bionicle for girls" topic with the old "Bzpower Girls' corner" in COT of the old forums, and the discussion back there is just so much more interesting and in-depth, and it doesn't have any of the "ewww, girls"-type posts that my topic gets. People were there because they really cared about the topic, and weren't just trying to post in every topic to raise their post count. I used to argue that the girls' corner belonged back in GD, but I think it was better off in CoT.}

I think there would be more about BZPower to discuss than just the latest features or fads... or am I mistaken? O.o**********Sorry about the quote-butchering... but it'sd already massive the way it is, so I tried to cut back a bit.Also, @Windrider: I saw your post, and mostly agree with it. ^^

[Overlord]

I haven't noticed an upswing in the usual mindless/boring "post-it-here" topics. This is, however, mainly because I haven't been looking.I've never been sure why GD is so cursed, or rather I should say "cursed" with quotation marks. I remember reading and often participating in some good GD topics before, though. Interestingly, I often think of stereotypically "true" GD discussion topics as being places where the topic starter and topic frequenters would actually consider the opinion and/or points of those who posted in it very carefully. (I also think of Storyline topics as being places of very deeply argumentative discussion, but that's for another topic.

)Good discussion topics can always be reposted, though, so it can't just be that ideas are being run out of. I don't know myself, but perhaps running out of truly new ideas combined with the general downturn in members posting (?) has caused it?I'll be checking back through this topic to read more thoroughly, because for the first time I'm actually interested in answers to a topic.

~

~

[Alyska]

I guess the thing to do would be to go through the forum archives, find interesting old topics, and repost them here. Some of them may not be relevant or allowed any more, but there's bound to be some gems if you dig far enough.

[Relapse]

-shrug-I haven't really noticed. I stick to the RPG topics.

[Taka Nuvia]

I guess the thing to do would be to go through the forum archives, find interesting old topics, and repost them here. Some of them may not be relevant or allowed any more, but there's bound to be some gems if you dig far enough.

But honestly, I don't really think it would improve the situation much. Moreso, it would feel like stealing others' ideas, which is something I truly dislike...

[Comment Expired]

But is it just me, or is everything going even slower now that the forums are back? I can hardly find a topic where there's really anything to discuss, and there very few ones that do seem interesting maybe get a post or two within a week.

That's because nobody really cares any more. No point nattering on about what might happen next since nothing will.

[Taka Nuvia]

But is it just me, or is everything going even slower now that the forums are back? I can hardly find a topic where there's really anything to discuss, and there very few ones that do seem interesting maybe get a post or two within a week.

That's because nobody really cares any more. No point nattering on about what might happen next since nothing will.

However, members care enough to post in topics like "How often do you post"? That somehow doesn't really make sense to me; if noboy really cared, the post-it-here topics should be as doomed as the rest, too.... if it weren't for post count, of course.

[Toa of Nerds]

I find it ironic how "BZPower's dead, no point posting there anymore" becomes a self-fullfilling prophecy. If you continue to post, if you continue to contribute to discussion, if you contiue to love Bionicle, the BZPower can never die. There can still be discussion about Bionicle. There can still be discussion about different ways to use Bionicle pieces, and there certainly can still be creative members who post their creations here. BZPower will only die when you let it die, and devolving into apocalyptic lamentations will only increase the level of dispair.We, as members of this great site, have an obligation to this community, and this toy line that we still love. If we keep on discussing, and keep on building, and keep on creating, then Bionicle and BZPower will never die. I don't plan on letting it die on my watch, do you?-don't touch my pocket protector

[Dralcax]

I have noticed a decrease in the active users lately, there were 2-4 times as many before the downtime. And certain forums have not had new topics for weeks.

[Lara White]

@ Dralcax: Heck, the LRPG forum hasn't even been started yet. @ToN: I said it's degenerating...not that we shouldn't bother posting. Fight, fight against the dying of the light, do not go gentle into that good night or however that poem goes.

[Klak]

I find it ironic how "BZPower's dead, no point posting there anymore" becomes a self-fullfilling prophecy. If you continue to post, if you continue to contribute to discussion, if you contiue to love Bionicle, the BZPower can never die. There can still be discussion about Bionicle. There can still be discussion about different ways to use Bionicle pieces, and there certainly can still be creative members who post their creations here. BZPower will only die when you let it die, and devolving into apocalyptic lamentations will only increase the level of dispair.We, as members of this great site, have an obligation to this community, and this toy line that we still love. If we keep on discussing, and keep on building, and keep on creating, then Bionicle and BZPower will never die. I don't plan on letting it die on my watch, do you?-don't touch my pocket protector

I agree.I think the decrease in discussion is mostly due to the end of Bionicle. A lot of people on this site aren't Bionicle fans anymore, and decide not to talk about it. Also, the downtime discouraged many users. In addition, we've divided things so much that many people spend time on other parts of the forums. It's sad, though. I find myself posting more in the Games and Trivia than in GD. Two of the most active topics in GD are places I've already posted in, and places that have controversial debates that I would rather avoid (such as Bionicle vs. Hero Factory vs. Apathetic Fanbase, which leads to flaming for simply disagreeing with anyone there).

[TNTOS]

Part of the reason why I, personally, only post topics in the Library forums nowadays is because I am not good at coming up with interesting discussion topics, nor do I have the desire to participate in such discussions anyway. Maybe other people think along the same lines as me; don't have any ideas for discussion, so don't post any discussion topics.It is probably not the main reason, but it could be a reason nonetheless.-TNTOS-

[Toa of Nerds]

@ Dralcax: Heck, the LRPG forum hasn't even been started yet. @ToN: I said it's degenerating...not that we shouldn't bother posting. Fight, fight against the dying of the light, do not go gentle into that good night or however that poem goes.

Yes, but keeping a defeatest attitude isn't the way to go. Saying that we should never get up, but then saying that there isn't a point to go on in the same breath is a bit of a paradox.-don't touch my pocket protector

[Taka Nuvia]

@ Dralcax: Heck, the LRPG forum hasn't even been started yet. @ToN: I said it's degenerating...not that we shouldn't bother posting. Fight, fight against the dying of the light, do not go gentle into that good night or however that poem goes.

Yes, but keeping a defeatest attitude isn't the way to go. Saying that we should never get up, but then saying that there isn't a point to go on in the same breath is a bit of a paradox.-don't touch my pocket protector

Agreeing with you completely. A positive attitude is always better.So, I guess we should just make more discussionworthy topics, hm?