Hi!

[anunitu]

it has been kind of a gleaning time here some members departed

[Torey]

it has been kind of a gleaning time here some members departed

It isn't just that.

There are plenty of present members here with a vast wealth of knowledge to share. One thing to keep in mind is that forum activity ebbs and flows regardless of which forum it is - I have been a member of many for 12 years and they have all been similar. Certainly some members are more chatty than others, but with long-term members - most topics of interest have already been discussed in depth more than once, so the motivation simply isn't there to re-hash the same topics over and over again. A great deal of chat only seems to occur in the idle conversation posts rather than topics which require deeper thought and that can be a reason that some posters (such as myself) stay silent as it just isn't that interesting.

This is why it's great for new members to either post a conversation starter or reply to old threads. It prompts some of us who simply don't say much unless it's worth saying to come out of the woodwork.

[Juniper]

^ Ok, I understand

And thanks for all who have welcomed me since I last posted! This seems such a friendly place.

Now that I have my own thread here , could I maybe ask why the subforum about various Pagan paths seems so very quiet - no posts this year (or quite a while before that) in most of them..?
edit: Ok, a correction - there are some new ones in the Heathen Traditions subforum, but nothing in others

I think there are a few reasons for this. A lot of the currently active members here have been here for a long time and so there hasn't been any fresh perspectives to discuss. Also, in a world where social media and sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram reigns supreme, discussion forums like this don't have a very overbearing presence. However, we definitely welcome new conversation. If you find a thread that's locked that you'd like to discuss, there's a few options. Ideally, we prefer that you start a new topic in which you can reference the locked thread, or a specific point within a thread.
Another option is for you to start a topic in the Staff Comms section letting us staff know that you'd like to have a topic reopened for discussion. We'll review the topic and decide if it's viable to reopen. Some have been locked for specific reasons while others simply have been inactive for so long that our automatic locking mechanism kicked in. This section, by the way, serves as a private lifeline to us staff without involving the rest of the board, but all staff members have visibility of that section so that any one of us can answer, which is intended to reduce wait time whenever possible.

[Bartmanhomer]

I think there are a few reasons for this. A lot of the currently active members here have been here for a long time and so there hasn't been any fresh perspectives to discuss. Also, in a world where social media and sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram reigns supreme, discussion forums like this don't have a very overbearing presence. However, we definitely welcome the new conversation. If you find a thread that's locked that you'd like to discuss, there are a few options. Ideally, we prefer that you start a new topic in which you can reference the locked thread or a specific point within a thread.
Another option is for you to start a topic in the Staff Comms section letting our staff know that you'd like to have a topic reopened for discussion. We'll review the topic and decide if it's viable to reopen. Some have been locked for specific reasons while others simply have been inactive for so long that our automatic locking mechanism kicked in. This section, by the way, serves as a private lifeline to our staff without involving the rest of the board, but all staff members have visibility of that section so that any one of us can answer, which is intended to reduce wait time whenever possible.

I would also like to add that so many topics have been discussing just pretty much just about everything but that doesn't mean it should end like this.

[volcaniclastic]

Torey hit the nail on the head. I've been here ten years this March, and a few of us have been here longer.

People come and people go, as personal lives interfere, members sadly die, or people's paths change as they age. I rarely comment anymore, when once, I was (imho) an active moderator and participant of the community.

All the conversations have been said, all the connections made and lost again. It doesn't mean we don't welcome new chatter! In fact, please become an active member of our community! It just means that we have already answered 'what type of Pagan are you?' posts a few dozen times already.

Engage us. We're friendly and knowlegable. A lot of us have just gotten old together and now sit at our fires in companionable silence (which frankly, doesn't work that well over the internet!)

Be welcome.

[anunitu]

just realised how long i have been on pf about 8 going on 9 years now,joined in 2010

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just realised how long i have been on pf about 8 going on 9 years now,joined in 2010 oct,how long was the duce here,i really miss her anyone heard from her?

[Florenna]

Ok, thanks to all for explanations! Although I was mainly wondering why it's specifically those areas that seem so quiet, not so much about why topics go quiet generally (I have been to some forums for a very long time, though not here, so I know how interest and activity fluctuates.) As for dominance of social media like Facebook, I'm in a few groups there but I have to say I vastly prefer forums to that, any day! Hopefully the tide will soon turn...

[iris]

Ok, thanks to all for explanations! Although I was mainly wondering why it's specifically those areas that seem so quiet, not so much about why topics go quiet generally (I have been to some forums for a very long time, though not here, so I know how interest and activity fluctuates.) As for dominance of social media like Facebook, I'm in a few groups there but I have to say I vastly prefer forums to that, any day! Hopefully the tide will soon turn...

Please do start as many topics as you'd like generally people join the discussion happily. It's just that most of us don't come up with new stuff ourselves anymore
Regarding the specific paths. That's often a matter of who's here. We have a few heathens and Satanists I think. But aside from that it's pretty spread out (guys correct me if I'm wrong, I don't really keep tabs on anyone's beliefs). And the people happy to share and discuss their paths are the ones that have been here so long they have done it 50 times already, so it's more of an "ask and we'll answer" situation now.

[Florenna]

^ Ok I did notice all threads in at least the Wiccan sub-area are locked, so I guess to talk about Wicca, starting a new topic is the only way? For a newbie in any forum, it's just a bit daunting, and requires a pretty big issue to do that

[iris]

^ Ok I did notice all threads in at least the Wiccan sub-area are locked, so I guess to talk about Wicca, starting a new topic is the only way? For a newbie in any forum, it's just a bit daunting, and requires a pretty big issue to do that

Yea you'll probably have to start a discussion there yourself I know it can be scary. we don't bite, and we wont judge either, so please don't hold back.