Ryuu Ryvuus on Recent Random Results... and other such nonsense.

So... forums... why?

, 27th December 2012 at 02:23 AM (408 Views)

So as a lot of you... no, forget that. I'm not actually sure if anyone here has noticed that I've been on Bulba less and less over the last year. I'm not sure if anyone noticed my permanently removed mod italics. I'm not sure if anyone cares. And to be honest, I don't mind. This is not a cry-for-attention blog. This is more of a philosophical questioning of the forums and my place in them.

See, I could blame my inactivity on school (bit of a factor), or work (also a factor), or a social life (HA!). But that wouldn't be honest. After the disaster that was Summer 2011, followed by the disaster that was October 2011, and then a 9 month hiatus from the forums, I really thought I could come back to things and start anew. But now I'm still not visiting or participating. I'm not a mod anymore nor do I have any desire to be. I just do not enjoy being on Bulbagarden anymore.

So if that's the reason for my inactivity... what's the reason for my reason? Why do I not enjoy it? What has changed that made me go from the guy who makes 50 posts a day and is on here for hours to the guy who goes weeks at a time without thinking about this place? I have several theories.

1. I burned myself out. Possible. Saty always said I would. I'm not entirely convinced that's the reason, but it's the first thing that comes to mind.
2. I'm not enjoying Pokemon anymore. Again, possible. I still haven't finished White 2, but I blame that more on the actual game than the franchise. It just feels like a watered down version of the original and that there's not enough new to justify me caring about finishing a game I feel I've already played. I still love Pokemon though. Or, at least, I think I do.
3. The people that I enjoyed hanging out with aren't here anymore. This is the reason I find most likely. It being the internet, people come and go like the weather. But I have made friends here and enjoyed talking with them until they sort of just vanished. Now I, like them, am vanishing. And even if there are people still here that I enjoyed hanging out with... some of them have changed a bit in the last year into something I don't really want to be around.
4. The forums themselves are bad. Not something I want to admit, but I do have some issues with Bulbagarden itself. This isn't really the time and place for me to bring them up, and I have made these comments to the powers that be before. Things are changing... but not in a good way.
5. I'm nostalgic. Highly possible. I just yearn for the old "golden days" of HGSS and pre-BW and how fun and awesome it was. I forget the 2 bannings I got, the fights I got into, Wigglytuff, and assorted other incidents. *sigh* But still... I enjoyed my early days here and wish it was more like that.

So here's my question. Why do you guys find the forums enjoyable? What keeps you coming back? If any of you who I once called friends read this, what's your take on my apathy towards being here? I'm curious about viewpoints here. I want to find out what changed.

Again, this is seriously not a cry for attention. I am legitimately interested in what people have to say. It only requires people to actually read this.

Which, considering the length of this blog and its lack of cat-related topics... I'm not exactly holding my breath.

Share
- Share this post on
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Technorati
- Twitter

Octy and TheCapsFan like this.

Categories: Uncategorized

Email Blog Entry

« AC3 *spoilers* Main Les Miserables Review »

Comments

Octy - 27th December 2012 02:33 AM
I'm gonna be honest here and say Role-playing is the main thing really. I like hanging out with some of my friends, even though a lot of the ones I hold dear to me don't get on as much. There's just something in RPs that makes me look forward to the next thing that happens. I do also enjoy my Bulbafamily I do have now. I just try to make more contact/off Bulba contact with the ones that aren't on here as much anymore.

I also agree that I'm kind of nostalgic and I do really miss the older times. It feels like a lot of the members I related to most either moved on or never returned or changed. I miss feeling so care-free. I think maybe that as we get older, we get more mature and we realizes that things change and aren't the way we imagined them to be.

Like, I don't play my B2/W2 much at all anymore either. I'm actually replaying through HeartGold because I find more happiness in playing that. ~~I'm also racing my friend but who needs to know?~~

Maybe we live in the past too much and we're stuck facing the bitterness of reality? I do understand how you feel though.
Shiny Celebi - 27th December 2012 02:36 AM
Well for me, I still enjoy the community and the people. Yeah Ive had some bad times here too I can't quite forget,and they even made me consider leaving on more than one occasion, I'll admit,and like you I really really miss the older time here, but I've had and seen good things happen as well. Some people I know are still here and others are gone, but Id still like to think that I have lots of friends here and still enjoy the forums and Pokemon.My boyfriend is also a big reason I stay here, and the sections I enjoy frequenting. I personally dont see a time where I'll ever go away, I just enjoy it, even if I dont like some things about it. Bottom line, it would be extremely stupid for me to leave and give up all I have here. I think Id regret it immensely. Plus this might sound weird but I feel like even if the forums are bad, leaving just makes it worse not better. I like to think I can stay and try to keep it good, because if a bunch of people leave, I dont exactly call that improvement :l

Updated 27th December 2012 at 04:08 PM by Shiny Celebi (adding more thoughts)
33Whimsicott33 - 27th December 2012 03:18 AM
I was... never really all that interested in this place to begin with. It's all been cursory for me. However, I do end up having a bad case of refresh-addiction in spite of me never posting anything. It's usually for the blogs.
Wyvernphlare - 27th December 2012 03:29 AM
I'm confrontational and it is connected to bulbapedia so it feels comfortable sometimes.
Mijzelffan - 27th December 2012 08:07 AM
Mafia games. Also it used to be the bcct, but I've been visiting that less and less recently.
♦Wallflower♦ - 27th December 2012 08:29 AM
I remember when I used to spend countless hours checking the forums; there just seemed so much to do. But like you, I have also been fading away even if I'm kind of still here. The most important reason why I kept coming back was because of the mafia games; I used to enjoy them so much.
TheCapsFan - 27th December 2012 08:40 AM
If it wasn't for the people I can talk to on this forum, I would've been long gone by now.
winstein - 27th December 2012 10:08 AM
I guess it's true that the interesting people are not here anymore (Orion Hasta, Yamato-san, GrnMrvl13, V Faction and Ivysaur are some people that comes to mind), so it does feel less interesting. However, there are in turn some interesting new faces, such as Karamazov and Clowncrete. Still, I just felt that overall participation is fewer, considering the lessening of active members. It would take a set of new games to reignite that interest.

Now, what brings me back here? I would say it's the blogs I write. I felt that I am not done with this place, so I come back here. Another reason for my return is being a mod, so I felt compelled to get back time and again to observe things. Still, I am not as interested in Pokemon as I was back when I joined, but I would say I still have 50% of that interest.

Thanks for reading.
CommanderPigg - 27th December 2012 03:55 PM
i stay here to complain that's about it

i semi-left cuz the active comashippers are on tumblr, yo

peace out~
Jabberwocky - 27th December 2012 04:03 PM
idk I've been a part of Bulba for almost 4 years and I don't see myself leaving anytime soon. It's a big part of my life, and I feel an attachment - a duty, even - to it. Even if you don't like Pokemon anymore I don't see how that'd be a problem considering all of the sections that exist.
adiosToreador - 28th December 2012 04:07 AM
I've basically come to the conclusion that The War Room is cursed for me. Seems like I can't go two posts without pissing everyone off. But I'm still working on my fic for the Writer's Workshop, so I guess there's that.
Octy - 28th December 2012 10:21 AM
Originally Posted by Feliciano

I've basically come to the conclusion that The War Room is cursed for me. Seems like I can't go two posts without pissing everyone off. But I'm still working on my fic for the Writer's Workshop, so I guess there's that.

That's how i feel with the War Room too sometimes. :( Like, this may be stupid, but I feel like I get killed so early on in games anymore is because they don't like me. lol.
Is this a new fic or a continuation of the Crystal Nuzlocke story? I'm hooked on your stories. :)
You can always come to RP too. We'd welcome you with open arms. :3
Shiny Celebi - 28th December 2012 11:10 AM
Originally Posted by Feliciano

I've basically come to the conclusion that The War Room is cursed for me. Seems like I can't go two posts without pissing everyone off. But I'm still working on my fic for the Writer's Workshop, so I guess there's that.

The War Room fell out of favor for me too. I spent like an insane amount of time in there and played like 50 games but it just became so frustrating and stressful for me and i stopped enjoying it as a result so Im pretty much retired now :/

I have other sections though. I really enjoy posting in the Garden Grotto, Video Games and Outside the Box and occasionally wander into other sections. Ive started posting a bit in Fun and Games recently, so that's yet another.
Neon Borealis - 2nd January 2013 01:41 AM
Well, I can't really can't make a comparison since, even if I've been a member for 4 years now, it is only isnce the last year that I've become more involved in here. And even then, there is a long way to go for me. I guess that, as everything, life goes on and doesn't stop for anyone, things change. One day, in the future, I too will begin to fade.

I see you as a mentor figure. Alongside Mijzelffan, Rayne and some others, you are a war room veteran, and I hoped to learn a lot of things from you guys... and even though I'm not the best player out there, I have, and for that I thank you and all the veterans. I still have a lot of friends in here. And of pokémon, well, I don't think I'll get tired anytime soon.