Topic: Is there such a thing as "forum stress"?

[Raul CB750K1]

Hey everybody. I'm wondering were Harry Teicher, buffo and some others are. They haven't been around for a while. Actually, since a couple of months ago I don't feel in the mood to log in as frequently as I used to. There is nothing wrong with the forum; on the contrary, the people here is great, there is a great ambience regardless of the huge number of registered members. But I feel stressed about the forum, it's like if sometimes I just log in forcefully.

I thought it could have been due to our new baby -one and a half months ago-, but on the contrary, the forum should be something like a "relief valve" for a married biker with two kids in winter. But I don't feel like talking bikes lately. Strangely, I don't feel like talking babies either. I don't know; my CB350 restoration project was sidetracked when the baby was born and I'm eager to restart it, I want to start riding as soon as my wife tells me she can keep both kids alone for a couple of hours.

You know, I've been around more or less frequently for the last three years, and I feel like I need a vacation. This internet forum thing is something strange; I've been reading a spanish forum about classic cars for another three years and never had the need to register. I know everybody there like if I know them for years, just by reading their posts. I guess there will be people here who has never registered, or did register but doesn't write usually, and have the same feeling about us.

For me, a forum is something as a school. You spend there four or five years and it becomes part of your life. But you return six years after you left and you don't know anybody, and many of the teachers are gone. Even worst, nobody there remembers you. So forums, as schools, live long lifes but the people come and go. Once go have what you were looking for, you just leave.

I don't feel like leaving, but I do feel like disconnecting for some time and taking a rest. I wanted to share this with you, just to know if you have ever felt the same.


Regards

Raul

[dusterdude]

raul,i understand where you are coming from,sometimes you just need to disconnect.

[Bob Wessner]

I thought it could have been due to our new baby -one and a half months ago-,

Hey, congratulations on the new addition. 

[upperlake04]

good question Raul - I too, while not a longtime contributor like you, have been thinking similarrthoughts.
   At first, the  vast technical information attracted me to this site  and I spent a couple of months as a lurker soaking it up. Then, as personalities began to show from frequent posters and personal interactions became apparent, there was a point where this thing started feeling like a social club. Spent more and more time here, several times a day. This is a good thing as where else could one find a bunch of knowledgable people with the same obscure interests?
   A personal opinion here and I could very well be wrong, but I think internet socializing has its limitations. For 99.999% of our evolution ( as a social animal) we have relied heavily on subtle clues such as facial expressions, body language, inflection,volume etc to communicate to each other. There are some who are very good at communicating through a keyboard,  but inevitably much is lost in the translation.  Raul, I have no idea what your tiredness stems from ( but middleage, wife, kids, regular job  can do it, ask me )  but I believe if one relies on the internet  as a big source of ones  sense of belonging socially, there are bound to be disappointments. Its the nature of the beast.

[cbjunkie]

i believe the term we are looking for is "Forum Fatigue"? that seems to be a popular way to express things in these days of the Global War on Anxiety... 

i find myself getting "worried" about people that haven't posted for a while...maybe just since i had my wreck...

sniff-sniff...i...i just...i just love you guys...sniff...


 

(don't get all wierded out, Tell)   

[byidesign]

Sometimes, a question of priority
    New additions to the family#1
    and they seem to grow up and go in the blink of an eye.
    as long as you don't sell the bikes, things will still be there..
        {got in the doghouse on that one} still have the bikes..
       now the kids are, grown+ gone.... more fun ,like this forum
          Congrats......bruce

[6pkrunner]

It happens for sure. Seems to be cyclic. For a while you can't be online enough. Then there's a period where you just need to step back and let it go for a bit. A small vacation and you'll be back in the swing. All the stuff that one puts off while online has to get done.

[Paul]

I just had a bad dream, If I dropped off in the morning....and because I don't post that often, how long if ever would it take to find out.
Also Chung never came onto this new forum....good poster, (or did you change your name), Harry, Buffo etc
are we loosing our sparkle?
I spend a bit of time here at the moment ..http://www.biker.ie/forum/     they're all mad there.

Don't get me wrong this site is the biz, but for me...thanks to you, my 500 is ticking over like a mouses heart, so I don't have anything to post on the tech board, and sometimes i feel like it's groundhog day.

we need more humour, pics, and a getaway lounge,.....oh and more smilies

I also think we should change all our Avitars....mine's boring as #$%*.  Oh,..... and so are some of yours 

Later....Paul (I'll be back)

[Gordon]

One thing for sure is I tend to spend much less time online during Spring/Summer.  The nice weather combined with the house my wife and I just bought means I probably won't be around nearly as often, but I'll still check in occasionally. 

[eldar]

I think paul has something there. After awhile, the tech side gets old and you need a brake. (get it "brake")!
we tried chat but never seems to be enough people at one time. Maybe if we had a chat schedule, then people would use it.

Additional humor would be good but it is hard with people from everywhere here. But maybe it is as simple as a little vacation.

Once it warms a bit more here, my cycle fever will take full effect and I would need to vent it here, so I will probably be here less for a while too. then I can tell terry how nice it is here while he suffers those frigid 60 degree temps!

[Glenn Stauffer]

Since I've been around the SOHC/4 group from the very beginning, I've seen lots of good people come and go over the years - it seems that there is a whole new set of regulars every couple of years.  The mailing list seems to retain its group of regulars, but that's mostly because the traffic is low and there really isn't much of an effort to it.  Forums do require more work to stay involved with and some people just never take to them.

Since some of you frequent a number of other forums, maybe you have some suggestions for making this place work better on those days when the tech stuff gets boring.  I'm open to adding new forums or re-organizing things to make it more friendly to the casual visitor.

I know what you mean, Raul, about family things taking some of your energy away from these hobby interests.  At 45, I now have my first child, a 1 year old daughter and this growing list of home and work projects that leave me very little time for the bikes.  It sucks, but I wouldn't trade a minute with my daughter for anything.

--Glenn

[DiscoEd]

we need more humour, pics, and a getaway lounge,.....oh and more smilies

While I would agree with you Paul, apparently there are some who feel there is not much room for humor on here. Read some of Karma, stay or go thread.

I also think we should change all our Avitars....mine's boring as #$%*.

Damn, if that's boring I'd like to know what you call exciting?

[74cb750]

Congrats to all you with new little feet padding around.

Man I remember when it happened to me, the hours of lost sleep, projects laid aside
and the hours I spent with the kids seemed more valuable to me than even working/riding
on my bikes. Happens.

Forum fatique is part of it I guess.

Just wait when your kids get older, and see you ride
off into the sunset (on your way to a job or whatever). THen you take them for their
first ride and when they become older, you spend time helping them restore a 1972
Honda CL175 someone sold you for $25.

Life goes on and the hits just keep on coming.

Spend time with the kids, the bikes will still be there when you get back, as will this forum, hopefully.

Peace
michel

[Raul CB750K1]

Since I've been around the SOHC/4 group from the very beginning, I've seen lots of good people come and go over the years - it seems that there is a whole new set of regulars every couple of years.  The mailing list seems to retain its group of regulars, but that's mostly because the traffic is low and there really isn't much of an effort to it.  Forums do require more work to stay involved with and some people just never take to them.

Since some of you frequent a number of other forums, maybe you have some suggestions for making this place work better on those days when the tech stuff gets boring.  I'm open to adding new forums or re-organizing things to make it more friendly to the casual visitor.

I know what you mean, Raul, about family things taking some of your energy away from these hobby interests.  At 45, I now have my first child, a 1 year old daughter and this growing list of home and work projects that leave me very little time for the bikes.  It sucks, but I wouldn't trade a minute with my daughter for anything.

--Glenn

Glenn, I could not suggest anything to improve the forum because I believe it's almost perfect. Actually, I think that the forum itself is nothing; it all depends on the members. If you have a forum where the members just keep spoiling threads, the people would not log in.


The reason that brought me here was the purchase of my CB750. I found a lot of help in the old forum, and "virtually" met many nice people with whom I shared interests. I learned a lot of things along the way, and contributed with what I knew. Then, I started to "pass on" all the knowledge that somebody had shared with me before, but I don't do it lately because I think it's somebody else's turn.


But I've never thought that having a baby means renouncing to the rest of your life. I believe you can raise a kid and do many other things of your interest. Is what I meant in my other post, that even when I have less spare time now, it doesn't mean I'm using more of it for my baby. It's simply that, in my spare time now, I don't feel like talking bikes.


I think I'm going to take a rest so I can come back with my energy tank replenished. I will let you know before, as I have to sort some things out regarding a bike whose deal I cut yesterday -it is not the GS1000E I mentioned in a post-. When the bike and money change hands I'll let you know. It's not a resto project, but a bike I have been wanting for a long time.


Raul

[dusterdude]

hurry back raul,ill miss you.

[Raul CB750K1]

hurry back raul,ill miss you.

Duster, after seeing your pic in the "how do we look like" thread, I don't know wether to be flattered or scared...   

Raul

[byidesign]

As being fairly new to this forum, and finding it a priceless source
  of knowledge.  I also find that people hail from all over the world,
      {a wealth of knowledge in that maybe as well}
   possibly a travel section,or section of good rides to take
       in your own locale, with a classic bike,
    would be of interest,
{I know a lot of good rides to take in New england}
       {i don't keep them running just to look at.}
         And when I get the chance to travel elsewhere,Would like to know of
       places "not to miss" and also things related to bikes.
            
               Thanks for the Listen.
                            Bruce            
 

[dusterdude]

hurry back raul,ill miss you.

Duster, after seeing your pic in the "how do we look like" thread, I don't know wether to be flattered or scared...   

Raul

be afraid,be very afraid

[Paul]

Hey Raul,
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..





..





..







..
Thought you said you were gone 

[74cb750]

  {a wealth of knowledge in that maybe as well}
  possibly a travel section,or section of good rides to take
      in your own locale, with a classic bike,

Well, if you are ever in southern Vermont, go up Rt. 100 all the way to the border (canada that is) and you can rush back on rt 91 south. Very nice ride and many tourist stops along the way.

Just watch for Moose. (hate those bummer stickers) and tourist buses, RV's etc etc.
peace,
michel

[Raul CB750K1]

Hey Raul,
....
Thought you said you were gone 

I said I will take a break, but I will let you know beforehand. Also, I'm trying to get another bike and I would like to post about it before.

It's glad to see you will also miss me.... HAHAHAHAHAHA


Raul

[bryanj]

Its not forum fatigue for me just downright worn out ness. Change of job where in exchange for more money i do longer nights (6-700 km per night with an Artic at up to 44,000 Kg), also now that the girlfriend has moved in complete with (now 9 yr old) rugrat i cant really turn on th e@puter when i get home. Still here on the e-mail if anybody needs any advice i might have so just shoot me a mail. Have a good day Bryan