What happened?

[DePasta]

Good to see some of you guys finally coming out of the closet.

 

[puffstuff]

Good to see some of you guys finally coming out of the closet.

LOL!

 

[siriusstoogie]

Good to see some of you guys finally coming out of the closet.

LOL!

X2!

 

[Rod]

 

Post traffic always drops in the summer.

Not like this, this place used to be WAY busier.
B
 

 
The economy took a dump.  

 

[gunsandcigars88]

 

Post traffic always drops in the summer.

Not like this, this place used to be WAY busier.
B
 

 
The economy took a dump.  

I guess I could understand that, i can't buy or smoke near what I used to. I just cut quantity way back, because i decided pretty fast that cutting quality was NOT the answer. Just hate to see things so affected here. Used to be so different around these parts.
B

 

[Jonesy]

 

 

 

Post traffic always drops in the summer.

Not like this, this place used to be WAY busier.
B
 

 
The economy took a dump.  

I guess I could understand that, i can't buy or smoke near what I used to. I just cut quantity way back, because i decided pretty fast that cutting quality was NOT the answer. Just hate to see things so affected here. Used to be so different around these parts.
B
 


That's what it was for me. When I was buying (a lot more than I should have been) I was posting 20 times a day. Once I had to stop when my wife lost her job, my activity slowed down and then stopped for a while. I still read through what what going on, but I wasn't posting. I was pretty much MIA from posting for almost a year due to this, plus the fact CP had been changing.
 
Out with the old guard, in with the new so to speak. Seemed like the new guys were coming in thinking they could say or do whatever they wanted with out regards to who they were saying it to. There was no respect for guys that had put in their time. I would think, "damn, if this were me saying/doing that 6 years ago, I'd have my ass handed to me". Seemed like the mentality changed to " Hey, this is the internet, I could give a f about what someone says I should or shouldn't be doing". This is singlehandedly the biggest reason why you don't see the names here you once did. Nullsmurf, Freebern, LilBastage, AVB, BBS, tone-ny, MMM, Allofus123, NCCL, Swissy, mmburtch, moki (not that this is the sole reason for the drop)...yea, you see them pop up from time to time, but these were the guys that carried this site. Alan is purely a pipe smoker now, Andrew has his own site, and you still have Tom posting some, but what was the backbone of this community when I was in my first few years has pretty much faded out. Doc is pretty much the steady force around here now and Gary will always be posting his links.
 
 
edited to say, you do see them, but not with the frequency that you once did...

 

[jfields]

Who's a frog?

 

[tone-ny]

To be honest I check in every day, but there aren't many topics worth joining in on.I stopped the birthday wishes because that was what I almost always posted on. The leaf fund thread is done, thanks again Michael for doing this for so long.

We haven't been able to generate enough interest to have a CP herf and the NYC herf is almost a thing of the past. The only thing I look forward to now is Charlie's Quad State herf, where I get to see most of the usual suspects. Unless someone says they are coming to the NYC we haven't been able to get together.

Like all things in life, change is the constant. I'm still smoking as much as ever and buying as needed. Unfortunately we aren't doing as many passes or GBs as in days of old. Not saying it is bad, but it has changed. YMMV

 

[Rod]

 

 

 

 

Post traffic always drops in the summer.

Not like this, this place used to be WAY busier.
B
 

 
The economy took a dump.  

I guess I could understand that, i can't buy or smoke near what I used to. I just cut quantity way back, because i decided pretty fast that cutting quality was NOT the answer. Just hate to see things so affected here. Used to be so different around these parts.
B
 


That's what it was for me. When I was buying (a lot more than I should have been) I was posting 20 times a day. Once I had to stop when my wife lost her job, my activity slowed down and then stopped for a while. I still read through what what going on, but I wasn't posting. I was pretty much MIA from posting for almost a year due to this, plus the fact CP had been changing.
 
Out with the old guard, in with the new so to speak. Seemed like the new guys were coming in thinking they could say or do whatever they wanted with out regards to who they were saying it to. There was no respect for guys that had put in their time. I would think, "damn, if this were me saying/doing that 6 years ago, I'd have my ass handed to me". Seemed like the mentality changed to " Hey, this is the internet, I could give a f about what someone says I should or shouldn't be doing". This is singlehandedly the biggest reason why you don't see the names here you once did. Nullsmurf, Freebern, LilBastage, AVB, BBS, tone-ny, MMM, Allofus123, NCCL, Swissy, mmburtch, moki (not that this is the sole reason for the drop)...yea, you see them pop up from time to time, but these were the guys that carried this site. Alan is purely a pipe smoker now, Andrew has his own site, and you still have Tom posting some, but what was the backbone of this community when I was in my first few years has pretty much faded out. Doc is pretty much the steady force around here now and Gary will always be posting his links.
 
 
edited to say, you do see them, but not with the frequency that you once did...
 


 
Do you know that for a fact?  To some degree, I'm sure you have a semi-valid point, however that only pertains to a small percentage of membership.  The shift in culture was simply due to the fact that I did not want to see CP be overrun with an overzealous behavior; it's certainly not inviting.  People deserve to be called out when appropriate, however it became a little extreme and at times inappropriate.  Let me be clear, I'm not referring to those who you referenced. 
 
If you look at cigar forums across the board, you'll notice they've all taken a substantial hit in activity.  This was a topic on a forum owners community I'm part of.  Apparently it's something that's been noticed beyond just the cigar community, and into a variety of forums/hobbies/topics/etc.  Many admin's attribute the decline in activity to social media sites -- I'd say this is the most realistic answer.  Couple that with a crappy economy, and luxury hobbies especially take a hit.
 
Bottom line is CP isn't going anywhere, no matter how many members we have.  We'll also continue to strive to be a welcoming/inviting community, while ensuring our members remain safe.
 
We still rank very high in Google, and serve tons of info/hits.  People only have so much "internet time", and more and more people are spending their time on social media sites.  
 
Hope this paints a clearer picture...

 

[likescarsz28]

I check in most every day. I remember there was a big thread on CF a few years ago that they "jumped the shark". It wasn't too much later that things got cooking again. A lot of members on the various boards that I am on are addicted to drama and all it takes is a little chaos and they come back out of the woodwork. Sooner or later, someone will do something stupid.

 

[siriusstoogie]

I check in but mostly to wish birthday wishes. We still herf here at mpls regularly. Plus I post my shenanigans on my FB and keep tabs on some of the old timers there.

I also post herf requests when I travel. I hope I'm still considered active here!

 

[siriusstoogie]

To be honest I check in every day, but there aren't many topics worth joining in on.I stopped the birthday wishes because that was what I almost always posted on. The leaf fund thread is done, thanks again Michael for doing this for so long.

We haven't been able to generate enough interest to have a CP herf and the NYC herf is almost a thing of the past. The only thing I look forward to now is Charlie's Quad State herf, where I get to see most of the usual suspects. Unless someone says they are coming to the NYC we haven't been able to get together.

Like all things in life, change is the constant. I'm still smoking as much as ever and buying as needed. Unfortunately we aren't doing as many passes or GBs as in days of old. Not saying it is bad, but it has changed. YMMV

Hey host a group buy and I'll send a car for you! :sign:

 

[jfields]

Like Anthony said...... Change is the only constant.

I'm still active in passes, bombs, and trades. Just don't have the free time sitting at a desk job anymore getting to post whore. I miss being able to be on top of almost every thread like I used too, but even with a smart phone time won't allow these days.
I'm a victim of the economy and current political policies. I never used to understand the reintroduction threads from members that disappear for two or three years because "life got in the way"...... Now I can relate. People have to just roll with the times I guess. Sometimes you go from living the dream to having to focus on other things, keeping ones head above water.

 

[Jonesy]

 

 


 

 

 

Post traffic always drops in the summer.

Not like this, this place used to be WAY busier.
B
 

 
The economy took a dump.  

I guess I could understand that, i can't buy or smoke near what I used to. I just cut quantity way back, because i decided pretty fast that cutting quality was NOT the answer. Just hate to see things so affected here. Used to be so different around these parts.
B
 


That's what it was for me. When I was buying (a lot more than I should have been) I was posting 20 times a day. Once I had to stop when my wife lost her job, my activity slowed down and then stopped for a while. I still read through what what going on, but I wasn't posting. I was pretty much MIA from posting for almost a year due to this, plus the fact CP had been changing.
 
Out with the old guard, in with the new so to speak. Seemed like the new guys were coming in thinking they could say or do whatever they wanted with out regards to who they were saying it to. There was no respect for guys that had put in their time. I would think, "damn, if this were me saying/doing that 6 years ago, I'd have my ass handed to me". Seemed like the mentality changed to " Hey, this is the internet, I could give a f about what someone says I should or shouldn't be doing". This is singlehandedly the biggest reason why you don't see the names here you once did. Nullsmurf, Freebern, LilBastage, AVB, BBS, tone-ny, MMM, Allofus123, NCCL, Swissy, mmburtch, moki (not that this is the sole reason for the drop)...yea, you see them pop up from time to time, but these were the guys that carried this site. Alan is purely a pipe smoker now, Andrew has his own site, and you still have Tom posting some, but what was the backbone of this community when I was in my first few years has pretty much faded out. Doc is pretty much the steady force around here now and Gary will always be posting his links.
 
 
edited to say, you do see them, but not with the frequency that you once did...
 


 
Do you know that for a fact?  To some degree, I'm sure you have a semi-valid point, however that only pertains to a small percentage of membership.  The shift in culture was simply due to the fact that I did not want to see CP be overrun with an overzealous behavior; it's certainly not inviting.  People deserve to be called out when appropriate, however it became a little extreme and at times inappropriate.  Let me be clear, I'm not referring to those who you referenced. 
 
If you look at cigar forums across the board, you'll notice they've all taken a substantial hit in activity.  This was a topic on a forum owners community I'm part of.  Apparently it's something that's been noticed beyond just the cigar community, and into a variety of forums/hobbies/topics/etc.  Many admin's attribute the decline in activity to social media sites -- I'd say this is the most realistic answer.  Couple that with a crappy economy, and luxury hobbies especially take a hit.
 
Bottom line is CP isn't going anywhere, no matter how many members we have.  We'll also continue to strive to be a welcoming/inviting community, while ensuring our members remain safe.
 
We still rank very high in Google, and serve tons of info/hits.  People only have so much "internet time", and more and more people are spending their time on social media sites.  
 
Hope this paints a clearer picture...
 


Not a fact, that's why I put (not that this is the sole reason for the drop) right behind those names. I know it was a factor for some that have left, it was one of the reasons I took some time off, but I love this place too much, it's the only forum I belong to. The reason I left the names off that you were talking about is for the reason you stated, some seemed to thrive off of drama and that was the only reason they were around. I never really thought about the social media boom creating a loss in activity here, but it makes sense.
 
Life does get in the way. Maybe that plus the other reasons you gave are the main reasons for the shift. I guess it's just that there are so many people that were friends when I was a true post whore that aren't around anymore.
 
My apologies for making it sound like the reasons I stated in the first post were the only reason people have left, that wasn't my intention because I certainly can't speak for all of them. I do know some people stopped coming around because of the brashness of new members (most aren't even around anymore). What I'm talking about has a lot more to do with respect being expected and not earned like it was when I started. Guys just got fed up with it.

 

[Rod]

Well, the good news is that we all made good friends over the years.  If people get together outside of CP, and a friendship came from however long they're active membership was at CP, than I'd say we did a damn good job.
 
There will be some who leave because they don't like it any longer for whatever reasons.  Ultimately, I believe the economy and social media have a big role in all of this.  Either way, I love this community too much to ever give it up.  It costs me out of pocket to keep it going, and I do it because I love what has been built; I'm very proud of CigarPass and the membership.  You can call it a labor of love.  
 
One thing I learned over the past 13 years is that I can't please everyone, however if I can keep the site going in the direction I truly feel is most appropriate...

 

[gunsandcigars88]

 

 

 

 

 

Post traffic always drops in the summer.

Not like this, this place used to be WAY busier.
B
 

 
The economy took a dump.  
I guess I could understand that, i can't buy or smoke near what I used to. I just cut quantity way back, because i decided pretty fast that cutting quality was NOT the answer. Just hate to see things so affected here. Used to be so different around these parts.
B
 
That's what it was for me. When I was buying (a lot more than I should have been) I was posting 20 times a day. Once I had to stop when my wife lost her job, my activity slowed down and then stopped for a while. I still read through what what going on, but I wasn't posting. I was pretty much MIA from posting for almost a year due to this, plus the fact CP had been changing.
 
Out with the old guard, in with the new so to speak. Seemed like the new guys were coming in thinking they could say or do whatever they wanted with out regards to who they were saying it to. There was no respect for guys that had put in their time. I would think, "damn, if this were me saying/doing that 6 years ago, I'd have my ass handed to me". Seemed like the mentality changed to " Hey, this is the internet, I could give a f about what someone says I should or shouldn't be doing". This is singlehandedly the biggest reason why you don't see the names here you once did. Nullsmurf, Freebern, LilBastage, AVB, BBS, tone-ny, MMM, Allofus123, NCCL, Swissy, mmburtch, moki (not that this is the sole reason for the drop)...yea, you see them pop up from time to time, but these were the guys that carried this site. Alan is purely a pipe smoker now, Andrew has his own site, and you still have Tom posting some, but what was the backbone of this community when I was in my first few years has pretty much faded out. Doc is pretty much the steady force around here now and Gary will always be posting his links.
 
 
edited to say, you do see them, but not with the frequency that you once did...
 
 
Do you know that for a fact?  To some degree, I'm sure you have a semi-valid point, however that only pertains to a small percentage of membership.  The shift in culture was simply due to the fact that I did not want to see CP be overrun with an overzealous behavior; it's certainly not inviting.  People deserve to be called out when appropriate, however it became a little extreme and at times inappropriate.  Let me be clear, I'm not referring to those who you referenced. 
 
If you look at cigar forums across the board, you'll notice they've all taken a substantial hit in activity.  This was a topic on a forum owners community I'm part of.  Apparently it's something that's been noticed beyond just the cigar community, and into a variety of forums/hobbies/topics/etc.  Many admin's attribute the decline in activity to social media sites -- I'd say this is the most realistic answer.  Couple that with a crappy economy, and luxury hobbies especially take a hit.
 
Bottom line is CP isn't going anywhere, no matter how many members we have.  We'll also continue to strive to be a welcoming/inviting community, while ensuring our members remain safe.
 
We still rank very high in Google, and serve tons of info/hits.  People only have so much "internet time", and more and more people are spending their time on social media sites.  
 
Hope this paints a clearer picture...
 
Not a fact, that's why I put (not that this is the sole reason for the drop) right behind those names. I know it was a factor for some that have left, it was one of the reasons I took some time off, but I love this place too much, it's the only forum I belong to. The reason I left the names off that you were talking about is for the reason you stated, some seemed to thrive off of drama and that was the only reason they were around. I never really thought about the social media boom creating a loss in activity here, but it makes sense.
 
Life does get in the way. Maybe that plus the other reasons you gave are the main reasons for the shift. I guess it's just that there are so many people that were friends when I was a true post whore that aren't around anymore.
 
My apologies for making it sound like the reasons I stated in the first post were the only reason people have left, that wasn't my intention because I certainly can't speak for all of them. I do know some people stopped coming around because of the brashness of new members (most aren't even around anymore). What I'm talking about has a lot more to do with respect being expected and not earned like it was when I started. Guys just got fed up with it.

Jonesy, i think me and you are the same on this. One exception being I'm on one other forum alot(non cigar related). I saw some getting to be a little quick to start jumping down someone. And that did start me to back away a little. But the Texas crew from paris to houston used to get together a LOT back then. And the more of them that started slowing down on here the more I did as well. Now it seems I only see posts from Niko(Nick) and I know Rebelherfer(jeff) still gets on some. You and Rod bith hold some valid points here on the decline in activity.
B

 

[The Black Cloud]

Some members stay a while and then move on.  It happens.  Of the all the forums I check out on a daily basis they all have that happen even though the forums have nothing in common.  Just like life, people come and go.  What separates CP from the other forums I post on is the true sense of community and membership here that doesn't really exist elsewhere that I've seen.  I've made more personal friendships through CP than I have from all the other forums combined.

 

[LilBastage]

 

I'm a fog!  I'm a fog!

You're a what??? Oh sorry I read that wrong!
 

Wishful thinking... :whistling:
 
I still check in, but it's mostly over PM with friends. I don't post a lot because I don't really smoke cigars anymore. I have no idea what's new, what's hot, what's good, or what's not. Most times I don't feel like I can really contribute, so I just read. I don't feel right turning the Lobby into a personal blog or anything.
 
This place is different than it was when I joined, but that's the way things go. I don't expect everything to change with me or for me to change with everything else.
 
I certainly hope I'm always considered welcome here, as CP has been an important part of the last several years of my life. I've had the opportunity to meet so many great people (and a fair share of complete a-holes), go to some great herfs, smoke some outstanding cigars, and drink some great booze. I've made real friends here.

 

[NullSmurf]

Jonesy, no harm, no foul.
 

 

 


I'm a fog!  I'm a fog!

You're a what??? Oh sorry I read that wrong!
 

Wishful thinking... :whistling:
 


Don't make me come out there! 

 

[NullSmurf]

Jonesy, no harm, no foul. Consider though that my generation butted heads with what was then the old guard on a regular basis.  We got put down when we needed it.  Everyone on your list I consider good friends, and some of them are from that old guard.  I miss CoventryCat and regret advocating for his banning.  
 
I pop in here from time to time.  Hell, Rod and Ash had a daughter I didn't know about.  I'll be in more often. 
 
You bastids stop all that quoting shit.  Mucks up the thread.