Old NE Members

[Happenstance]

After my jaunt down memory lane today (no I wasn't hacked, just bored and didn't see my warning to stop) it yet again made me realise how many members we used to have that were so active for so many years and then disappeared so I thought I'd start this thread and see if anyone is still in contact with lapsed members. Maybe they'd be interested in coming back for a chat every now and again or if not, just hearing how they're doing.

[Beast]

12 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

After my jaunt down memory lane today (no I wasn't hacked, just bored and didn't see my warning to stop) it yet again made me realise how many members we used to have that were so active for so many years and then disappeared so I thought I'd start this thread and see if anyone is still in contact with lapsed members. Maybe they'd be interested in coming back for a chat every now and again or if not, just hearing how they're doing.

This is weird you say this because I was genuinely thinking the same thing last week. I found myself scrolling through my old posts from years ago and wondering where Dannyboy-the-Dane, Coolness Bears, Haggis, Paj and Diageo had gone. I thought of other ones too. It's crazy because I've literally gone through my teenage years through to adulthood with you guys and it's like you're friends I've never met and yet when someone goes, they go. It's mad.

I find this forum a little harder to use but I've been trying to find the Mafia games and stuff we used to play. I miss the playground days!

[Ashley]

3 hours ago, Beast said:

This is weird you say this because I was genuinely thinking the same thing last week. I found myself scrolling through my old posts from years ago and wondering where Dannyboy-the-Dane, Coolness Bears, Haggis, Paj and Diageo had gone. I thought of other ones too. It's crazy because I've literally gone through my teenage years through to adulthood with you guys and it's like you're friends I've never met and yet when someone goes, they go. It's mad.

I find this forum a little harder to use but I've been trying to find the Mafia games and stuff we used to play. I miss the playground days!

Haggis (née Slaggis) is a journalist last I saw. Sometimes pops up on Twitter. Paj has a puppy now (and a job or something but most importantly a puppy). 

[bob]

It's weird to think that all the old Cube-Europe people are all grown up and have jobs and families and are fully functioning adults. 

Why did they leave us? WHY?!

[Happenstance]

I think I've mentioned it before in suggestions but is it possible to send out an 'all members' email to remind people the forum is still around and invite them to come back and chat?

[Ashley]

It is possible, although would probably want to do something a bit more focused than a mass email to everyone (as a lot of them will have < 10 posts).

[Beast]

19 minutes ago, Ashley said:

It is possible, although would probably want to do something a bit more focused than a mass email to everyone (as a lot of them will have < 10 posts).

So why not compile a list from the still-active ones and maybe contact them individually if there is such a way of doing it easily?

[Ashley]

2 hours ago, Beast said:

So why not compile a list from the still-active ones and maybe contact them individually if there is such a way of doing it easily?

Because I'm currently working for two clients, got a personal project on the go, trying to learn two languages, trying to get some exercise and having to keep going back to my EastEnders prone family

I'll do something over the weekend when everyone will be going out and having fun trapped indoors.

[bob]

Why don't we list people in here so that Ashley has something to work with?

[Happenstance]

16 minutes ago, bob said:

Why don't we list people in here so that Ashley has something to work with?

It's possible he could just sort members by post amount and work from the top.

[Ashley]

Yeah I was basically going to do that kind of thing and go by names I recall. If there is anyone specific sure, but I was just going to see if we can get the old band back together. 

[Beast]

6 hours ago, bob said:

Why don't we list people in here so that Ashley has something to work with?

Sorry, this was what I meant. Like we all come up with names in here of who we remember or spoke to a lot back then. 

[Glen-i]

21 hours ago, bob said:

It's weird to think that all the old Cube-Europe people are all grown up and have jobs and families and are fully functioning adults. 

Why did they leave us? WHY?!

Don't worry, all is not lost, I'm 30 and I'm still as childish as I've always been!

A part of me is amused with the idea of someone from really way back coming here and wondering who this Kecleon dude is and why is he staff?

[Happenstance]

I guess another question is what’s your take on inviting banned members back? Obviously not the ones that went nuclear and lost it but I feel like there were a few popular ones over the years that got banned for dumb stuff on their part who might be worth messaging as well.

 

 

....oh and dynastygal, we should definitely invite her back.

[Raining_again]

I still talk to my buttons are magic on a regular basis (we met here and are really good friends now).  I think darksnowman still comes here.  I don't talk to nando much anymore but I'll always say hi and have a chat if i see him at his work. 

Its very sad to see how quiet the forum has got, I remember in its hayday I logged on every night to at least an entire page of updated threads.  The idea of sitting at your computer browsing the web is dead with facebook etc. RIP forum culture.  

Edited July 11, 2020 by Raining_again

[Pestneb]

I think there were about 10/15 members who made this place really worth visiting for me, a lot of them are no longer here and I don't see them ever coming back really. Thing is that there is no real incentive to. The main draw are friendships, and once you've been gone for a year those weaken. Personally I'm not too bothered about befriending fellow forum members because basically too many have disappeared, so I'm pretty apathetic now. Plus the fact that I don't have a current console (sticking to my Wii U) has killed my interest on the theme of the board.

But long and short, I don't see people coming back as things stand just because some people miss them. I think something more would need to change and frankly I don't believe that there is the energy and enthusiasm required to successfully do that with this site.

There are 15 members online (I just checked) and I think we'd do better focusing on giving ourselves better experiences and building the forum into something "better". I remember lots of friends who are lost to me in the mists of time, and sure I would like to meet up with them again, but generally they leave for a reason, I can't think of an instance where I got back in touch with a friend and then everything was the way it was - it was great nostalgia, but after a few months we drifted back apart, and probably for the same reasons.

 

I think the main harm is that things get heated and rather than being able to cool situations down and mediate, actions taken were always either too soft or too harsh - because the action was taken so late things had always built up and gotten emotional. Once the emotions came out

1) people stopped thinking clearly and behaved out of character and without correct restraint

2)the forum got polarised into two sides.

The first point meant various methods of censorship/banning had to be employed, the second point meant that the good will of half the forum was heavily dented, or the whole forum lost good will, and that in turn reduced the incentive to return - because the mods favoured side x, were to harsh to side y or too lenient to side z. And infact those arguments probably all simultaneously had truth to them because the mods were in an impossible situation. Anyway, I think the place became toxic and while it's too quiet and uninteresting now it's calmer and friendlier (more like the forum I joined). Bring back the old ones and tbh I fear the same issues would rear their ugly heads.

[Happenstance]

11 minutes ago, Pestneb said:

I think there were about 10/15 members who made this place really worth visiting for me, a lot of them are no longer here and I don't see them ever coming back really. Thing is that there is no real incentive to. The main draw are friendships, and once you've been gone for a year those weaken. Personally I'm not too bothered about befriending fellow forum members because basically too many have disappeared, so I'm pretty apathetic now. Plus the fact that I don't have a current console (sticking to my Wii U) has killed my interest on the theme of the board.

But long and short, I don't see people coming back as things stand just because some people miss them. I think something more would need to change and frankly I don't believe that there is the energy and enthusiasm required to successfully do that with this site.

There are 15 members online (I just checked) and I think we'd do better focusing on giving ourselves better experiences and building the forum into something "better". I remember lots of friends who are lost to me in the mists of time, and sure I would like to meet up with them again, but generally they leave for a reason, I can't think of an instance where I got back in touch with a friend and then everything was the way it was - it was great nostalgia, but after a few months we drifted back apart, and probably for the same reasons.

 

I think the main harm is that things get heated and rather than being able to cool situations down and mediate, actions taken were always either too soft or too harsh - because the action was taken so late things had always built up and gotten emotional. Once the emotions came out

1) people stopped thinking clearly and behaved out of character and without correct restraint

2)the forum got polarised into two sides.

The first point meant various methods of censorship/banning had to be employed, the second point meant that the good will of half the forum was heavily dented, or the whole forum lost good will, and that in turn reduced the incentive to return - because the mods favoured side x, were to harsh to side y or too lenient to side z. And infact those arguments probably all simultaneously had truth to them because the mods were in an impossible situation. Anyway, I think the place became toxic and while it's too quiet and uninteresting now it's calmer and friendlier (more like the forum I joined). Bring back the old ones and tbh I fear the same issues would rear their ugly heads.

To be fair a lot of the people I'm thinking of were big posters in General Chit Chat. The toxicity that came a few years ago was mostly contained to the Nintendo section and has been suggested before, if we really want to sort that then we can just given Sheikah and Ronnie their own section

People may not come back or reply at all but this section especially is pretty dead and I don't see an issue with attempting to bring some life back to it or even just finding out how some old members are doing these days.

[martinist]

I joined when this place was called "revo-europe" back in '06 or so i think?

I remember this one guy, maybe a transexual, maybe not that sent me a picture of his friend with a really red arse, mostly because i wanted to see it (don't judge me) The guy was into alot of wierd stuff sexually but I can't for the life of me remember his name on here.

[Will]

I think I agree with that. I was just looking through my old posts and seems like I was most active around 2010/2011 and back then there were loads of new threads and a lot of activity. I think it was sometime after that, when I was busy with real life and not posting much, things went a bit crazy and a lot of people left.

I think there is a really good group of people posting here at the moment and if we had a few more threads in general it would be a bit better for bonding with each other. I think it would be good for a few more people to come back or acquire some new members just to help things roll along a bit. It seems we’re just a bit shy of enough active members for it to feel super vibrant.

[Happenstance]

Just now, martinist said:

I joined when this place was called "revo-europe" back in '06 or so i think?

I remember this one guy, maybe a transexual, maybe not that sent me a picture of his friend with a really red arse, mostly because i wanted to see it (don't judge me) The guy was into alot of wierd stuff sexually but I can't for the life of me remember his name on here.

Rokhed?

[Will]

Just now, martinist said:

I remember this one guy, maybe a transexual, maybe not that sent me a picture of his friend with a really red arse, mostly because i wanted to see it (don't judge me) The guy was into alot of wierd stuff sexually but I can't for the life of me remember his name on here.

Rokhed? Something like that I think.

[martinist]

Just now, Happenstance said:

Rokhed?

 

Just now, will' said:

Rokhed? Something like that I think.

Thats the one.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Just now, will' said:

I think I agree with that. I was just looking through my old posts and seems like I was most active around 2010/2011 and back then there were loads of new threads and a lot of activity. I think it was sometime after that, when I was busy with real life and not posting much, things went a bit crazy and a lot of people left.

I think there is a really good group of people posting here at the moment and if we had a few more threads in general it would be a bit better for bonding with each other. I think it would be good for a few more people to come back or acquire some new members just to help things roll along a bit. It seems we’re just a bit shy of enough active members for it to feel super vibrant.

Literally came in here to say something along the lines of "nobody is posting". 

21 members currently online, with over 200 guests. I do think there is still a space in the world for discussion forums. I'm part of the RedCafé forums and, yes they have tons of members, but you need people to be ballsy enough and confident enough to make new threads in order for the conversations to flow.

It's a cycle: New discussions = more interesting things to post about = more people interested enough to post = more people to post new discussions.

You need a diverse selection. But, basically, we need our current userbase to take a chance on making more new threads. 

[Will]

You’re completely right. I reckon I must post an average of one topic a decade or so, definitely not enough. Will try to play my part and set myself a target of starting one topic a week.

[Dcubed]

27 minutes ago, martinist said:

I joined when this place was called "revo-europe" back in '06 or so i think?

I remember this one guy, maybe a transexual, maybe not that sent me a picture of his friend with a really red arse, mostly because i wanted to see it (don't judge me) The guy was into alot of wierd stuff sexually but I can't for the life of me remember his name on here.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Dcubed