Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

is it me or this forum is often quiet with a few postings?

We're in stealth mode.

It's not just you. It's damn quiet. For most of 2009, a year when I really need the forum as my desktop outlet, I wonder if I'm giving someone something to read, driving people away, or just talking to myself.

Everyone's Gone To The Moon

As sung by the infamous(*) Jonathan King http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuY0ux8So_4

(*) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_K ... and_prison

Oh it gets that way sometimes. Many the time I feel like "the last living cell in a dead body." (Dick Van Dyke show 1965)

Don't feel bad bro, why don't you act by bringing in interesting topics so that people would want to join the discussion? I think as long as you try, then you'll move the forum to the next level.

I 100% agree.

This topic came up somewhere else recently, but I'll lay it out again. Last winter and spring, visitor traffic (not member traffic) was well up, usually 100 people or more at any time. Visitors can mean new members, if the conversation seems worth joining in.

For some reason, in the summer, there was a steep drop off in visitors, and since then, it's averaged about 30 at a time. I really have no idea why, and I'm not in the tech area to see specs on the site, and even then it wouldn't help. I mostly blame google, and the continuing proliferation of websites. Years ago, if you typed in "Japan+something" in a search engine, I suspect this site would come up quickly. I just typed in "traveling to Japan", and this site was not on the first page What can you do to get random traffic?

Another reason for a lack of posts is the separation of the news and forum side. Since memberships are now separate, you need to make a membership in both areas to post in both. In the old days of crisscross, a single membership let you post in the news, in the forum, and in the friends section. It makes all of it much more of a hassle for people, unfortunately.

Lots of reasons membership has declined, but the major defense against it is to put in your two cents, and be interesting, making visitors want to join in the conversation.

I think all forums are dying as people move to other forms of communication, like facebook, twitter etc. I don't know of any forum that isn't dying on its feet. It's just a sign of the times, things have moved on.

I enjoy reading the posts of the members presently in this thread but I do not always
respond to their comments. Often people say what I would have said (if I wait long enough) and other times I think too much about something and think myself out of answering.

I think some of the more quirky old members are not posting as much but
the majority of those that continue to post have really great opinions which are
worth sharing and reading.

We could arrange a google bomb. I'll start:

Japan this Japan that; skiiing in Japan; Japanese computers; Japanese food; fugu; pachinko, Tokyo, Kyoto, Sendai, military base in Okinawa; Shibuya; snow in Hokkaido; moving to Japan; getting a job in Japan; working in Tokyo; bullet train; sarariman; cosplay, anime, hentai; girls dressed like maids in coffee shops; uhhmm, calligraphy, kanji, green tea, Meiji shrine, Yokohama, Yokosuka; sake, rice, sushi, sashimi, whaling; karaoke wailing; guitar wolf, boris, Japan, Japan, Land of the Rising Sun, World War II, atomic bomb, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, natto, proud Asian, Toshiro Mifune; samurai; kendo; dojo; karate; kamikaze...

Now you're thinking

I haven't been around too much. I moved to Vancouver a month ago today, and that kept me busy. Then last week I moved to a new apartment, and I have no internet at home until the 12th. So that's my excuse. Oh well, at least I'll have lots to read - 2 weeks of JT stuff.

But I'll be back (again).

That reminded me of Hong Kong Phooey don't know why.

I disagree that it's universal. There are two boards I visit that are thriving.

One has a hockey theme and it is hockey season. The other is specifically for users of adaptive equipment.

This place has become vanilla to me. Nobody cares / posts about those things that drew me here so I don't visit as often. I certainly don't post as often.

I agree. At the moment, Facebook and Twitter have gained much popularity and people are experienced new kinds of online environment, such as social gaming system (the So-called FarmVille in facebook etc.) Those Web2.0 entities are attracting every kinds of personality, compare to forum where only people who love to "share," "discuss," "debate" and "read" comes. Some people are too lazy to even type a paragraph, but really enthusiastic to post their pictures. I mean, people do different activities in Web2.0 and in forum, so... we need to do marketing research now.

I say, posting up sexy girls pix is the key.

I moved to a new apartment and have no internet. The only time I get internet access is on campus, which by the way due to the school's firewall, activates JT's auto-logout feature and usually keeps me from posting. There are days when I'm motivated to fight with it, but other than that I don't bother trying. I'm also in school and insanely busy with that as well.



Nothing interesting to talk about? Is that so?

*Thinking of a warped yet equally juicy topic to launch*

? I think there's interesting stuff to talk about. I think people who are unsatisfied with this place would be best served stimulating others rather than telling it's no good now/not like the good old days.

By all means, juice this place up Ms. Knight

I think the old management killed a lot of its momentum, and it's hard to get it back up. When I first joined, the LSR forum would go through a full page of posts in one day, now it takes a month or two.

But I myself can't complain - I don't really post anything like I used to. My days of outdoor blowjobs and 3somes are done (or at least on hiatus, you never know what the future will bring), so I haven't been starting threads like that anymore.

But I think Def makes a good point about the google rankings not being so good anymore. If you type in 'Japan Forum', this one doesn't come up until mid page 2 - it used to be in the top five.

jknight, you should post more pictures of yourself.

So True!

And while we're at it, why can't I see any of those lovely avatars of Yanderei? I feel deprived but it does help me concentrate on her words of wisdom.

Yes, I know I'm a dirty old man.

What happened to dat5h anyway?

I was wondering the same thing.

driving people away

i've been away playing tekken 6 and Metal gear online.

Otherwise, they'd love to stick around and read about how "awesome with the tonfa" you are.

I read a lot,but I don't post much. I don't really get into the "heavy" discussions as I don't feel that I have "the answer" or anything like that.Mostly I'm just here for entertainment.What can I say,I'm easily amused

Yes but I for one enjoy when you wade into the surf.

i thought y'all 'uns liked vanilla

Usually. But I mean you have to have some chocolate or pistachio thrown in every now and then. (^o^)

I'm here... just I've been pretty happy lately so have had nothing to rant/complain about online.

Hey we ain't here just to rant and complain, sometimes we just talk and swap some stories .