Is Fluther scared of losing members?

We don’t have any point, that’s the thing. We survive on interesting conversation and a handful of active members. That’s what I like about it though.

I don’t think there’s any fear of losing members on the part of Fluther owners/mods. Nobody is trying to make any money off the site at this point, and it’s pretty much only by the good grace of the founders that it still exists. Members might worry about the site folding, but Fluther probably doesn’t.

This Meta shows that many of the “new” Jellies here are just vintage Jellies in new outerwear and I am sure that thread only scratches the surface! ;)

Since no one is actively promoting the site, our only pipeline for new members is the serendipity of the web: people just stumble upon this little backwater and either like it or move on.

Not sure what “numbers” you think may be “inflated or false”. The community feed isn’t rigged, if that’s what you mean. Many people create accounts without ever contributing. Such is the web.

As for Fluther “not wanting to discuss” losing members, it seems to me that it gets brought up with fair frequency, but there’s nowhere for that discussion to go. What fix would you propose, given that there’s no further development on the horizon? If I were a new member, I wouldn’t find it very encouraging to see a bunch of handwringing about the supposed imminent demise of the site.

I’m not very sympathetic to criticism about the quality of the content posted here. Moderation removes the dregs from the bottom, not the cream from the top. If members are unhappy about the level of discourse here, then I would suggest that the solution isn’t to wait for a bunch of wonderful new people to come along.

@thorninmud Not sure what “numbers” you think may be “inflated or false”.
If one ”lived on this site” and over the course of three hours happily pecking away they noticed 12 new users who allegedly joined, they would think new bodies were coming in, if 7 of them are spammers, then the numbers of those who actually did join is not reflected in what the feed alluded to. And of those who actually did join but did not stay, would further muddy the actual numbers. I never seen a feed that said ”So-and_so134 has left the collective”. Some have left but you would not know until you tried to PM them, others are as good as gone as they have not posted anything in nearly a year, if not more.

Are you scared of losing your member?

Fluther ain’t scared of nothing.

^^ Are you scared of losing your member?
I could run with that for days, but i will let it alone less someone go whining.

*lest

@augustlan Nobody is trying to make any money off the site at this point, and it’s pretty much only by the good grace of the founders that it still exists.
What was it, a wet run of a college final that was put out there just ti see if it would work but it never was serious for anything, much less making a profit?

Dude, you’ve been here long enough that you should know the answers to most of the stuff you’ve been asking about lately – like that Q about Lurve, when the link has been right there on the front page all along. Access the site from a computer rather than a mobile device and read through all the links on the top, bottom and sides of the page. Do a web search for Fluther and view the videos and interviews that were made in the early days and so on. Read through the Meta pages about announcements and changes. All the information you want to know is already out there – do your own research.

@hearkat Kind of surprising answer especially coming from a former Mod. People ask questions here to get answers AND real life opinions that you don’t always find doing a Google search. Telling someone that “all the information you want to know is already out there – do your own research” essentially is negating the original intent and purpose of this Q&A website.

I doubt if “afraid” applies to fluther, and it’s a mistake to view the concoction as emotional. As to the gods and their predilections?

@hearkat Dude, you’ve been here long enough that you should know the answers to most of the stuff you’ve been asking about lately – like that Q about Lurve, when the link has been right there on the front page all along.
I spent my time asking question (which I felt had some depth or at least made you go, uummmm….) when I thought it mattered. If you have a Q&A site with no questions are no one answering the questions it is like a diner with people wantint to eat and no cooks, or plenty of cooks with nothing to cook because there are no hungry people wanting the food. I rarely check all those links and gizmos, I even stopped checking the ”questions for you” because it seemed to have crapped out long ago, at least from my account.

All the information you want to know is already out there – do your own research.
Would that go for the tons of other Googleable questions? I guess that would leave the site full of does he/she like me, and what does this dream mean questions, which are by far unanswerable anyhow. Or maybe the de facto polling question which may or may not be Googleable. There are tons of answers here that can be found on Google, you suggest that to them, maybe I will follow suit on that at least.

In order to create some actual content, as @Hypocrisy_Central thinks, perhaps we should design cocktails for each of our members. I’m sure, Hypos would be a virgin something and definitely garnished with sour grapes.

^ In order to create some actual content, as @Hypocrisy_Central thinks, perhaps we should design cocktails for each of our members.
Maybe if this site dedicated itself to booze and medical marijuana it might have serious content, because if it can’t go much further than designing umbrella cocktails, that certainly is a high bar. ~~~ I would not design any cocktail or alcoholic drink for this place because it were any further anesthetized it would be a tragedy.

Fluther has no fear, for fear is the little death that kills Fluther over and over. Without fear, Fluther dies but once.

@Cruiser and @Hypocrisy_Central – were the question coming from someone fairly new to the site, my attitude would be different. I am no longer a mod, and one of the reasons is that I lack patience for the way some people continue to pick apart a stagnant site. The developers moved on years ago, which was a well-documented and oft-discussed topic. It is what it is, as the saying goes; so what’s the point in micro-evaluating it when nothing is being promoted and no changes are being made? These pages only exist because the developers left it here in their kindness for the sake of the community.

Metaphorically, Fluther is an abandoned house in which we get to hang out and talk shit without being charged rent or arrested for trespassing. Once in a while someone happens to walk by and peeks inside… some keep moving along without bothering to step inside for a bit; others chill for a little bit then move on; others stay on or at least visit regularly enough to become part of the collective. If a storm takes out the power or knocks a branch into a window, the owners swing by and patch things up to maintain the basics; but why bother asking why there’s no 4D big screen TV or a lawn full of holiday ornaments when they’re already doing us a favor by letting us crash here?

If members of the community want to see more new faces checking out our digs, it is up to them to go beyond our hovel and invite others back here. If Jellies want interesting conversations, it is up to them to get it started. I have always appreciated that HC does make that effort, although his Qs are often difficult to understand because of grammatical errors or poor phrasing, or the subjects they seem to be about can sometimes be outlandish, he deserves credit for at least contributing content and attempting to start conversations.

Fluther is now what the community makes it, be the change you want to see in the tidepool.

I found Fluther in an attempt to locate a Q&A site to explore imagination and beliefs. What I wanted was a place to find enjoyment and be able to explore the minds of others. I wanted to share my views, feelings, and my own personal experiences. I found Fluther and joined, not knowing what lie ahead of my journey here. I quickly related to many. Numerous people sent me messages thanking me for bringing a new light in this otherwise dull place. Shortly after, Fluther moderators began incriminating me as well as my Family. Fluther is a place that is dictated by a select few and their biased opinions. Many times I’ve asked questions that were then rejected based on frivolous non-sense. I used a word incorrectly (according to the moderator) in my question and they rejected it. I have an MA in English Literature. Who are they to tell me I did something wrong? Other sites ignore such silly things and allow the users to enjoy themselves. I also found out you can’t ask or answer in such a manner that it may offend someone else. You can’t give high praise to someone here because it looks like you’re favoring some and not others. Popularity here is frowned upon. Why do people come back here? It’s not because the site is great, it’s because the people they’ve met here mean something to them. I come here for only a select few and rarely ask or answer anything. I will never allow anyone to dictate what I say or how I live.

Shame on Fluther.

If any of you want a real enjoyable site that by far exceeds that of this ridiculous site, try Yahoo Answers. There, you are free to ask and answer what you want. You aren’t made to correct spellings. You are also free to be yourself in every aspect.

@Devilishtreat Numerous people sent me messages thanking me for bringing a new light in this otherwise dull place.
Dull place, yes, I am happy they at least thanked you for trying to breathe a pulse back to the place. Some of us are just attacked for getting too deep or too real, even to the point of sneaking passed the mods telling us to go jump in a lake, to put it mildly.

Many times I’ve asked questions that were then rejected based on frivolous non-sense.
Shut the front door! How can that be when about 50–68% of the question are nonsensical, frivolous, or just a huge pile of fluff (but people get up in arms if you point it out)?

Other sites ignore such silly things and allow the users to enjoy themselves.
In defense of Fluther, it has to work hard to show itself as more enlightened and highfalutin than those other sites.

I also found out you can’t ask or answer in such a manner that it may offend someone else.
Well, skin around here runs thinner than that on a grape and more fragile than an egg shell……so……

You can’t give high praise to someone here because it looks like you’re favoring some and not others. Popularity here is frowned upon.
Oh, but they do, by way of the underground method of Atta Boy Lurve, that is a way you can favor someone anonymously. Has been going on for yeeeeeeears.

@Hypocrisy_Central so what we’ve seem to put together is that Fluther is by definition, a contradiction of itself…

‘Tis such a joy to come here.

And the sour grapes prize goes to…..

The one with a mouth full of fluffy cotton candy and pie in the sky dreams…..

@Devilishtreat you stated that “Many times I’ve asked questions that were then rejected based on frivolous non-sense. I used a word incorrectly (according to the moderator) in my question and they rejected it. ” I have never had one rejected. I have had them kicked back for changes or modification and sometimes I don’t agree with why but I change it and it is posted. Why the hard feelings?

I think the addicted community would be afraid. Where would they go, hang out and answer questions all day?

At my Mom’s house, @LornaLove .

^^ I’m there.

Is this a question about the collective or the gods.? Clearly the membership has no fear or reluctance to discuss whether or not our numbers dwindle. This issue routinely pops up here, and the gods participate in every one of the ensuing discussions. The matter of membership totals and whether or not our numbers expand or contract is a difficult thing to assess, since I would imagine formal resignations from those drifting away would be rare indeed. It seems to me that the pertinent issue isn’t about rising or falling membership, but rather levels of participation and the perception of declining quality in that participation. The one plus to the tragic loss of Gail Called was the astonishing mustering of the troops demonstrating we have the numbers as well as the talent. When this question was first asked, it occurred to me that this is one of those chicken or egg things. I mean if the quality of our place is on the down slope, is it due to declining participation, or is declining participation the result of boredom with the inanities of the collective? It might just be that this is just the way things go. Perhaps Fluther’s viability is dependent on on our utility, which brings up the question, is our collective the bicycle or the pet rock?

Pet bicycle.