The circle of (geek) life

[kimi1101]

I was meandering through my profile and saw a message from a geek who I held very highly, I went on her profile and it says she hasn't been on since October

So it brought me to thinking, about the circle of our geeky lives. There are the geeks who joined in 2003, and still potter about on here, there must be upteen that join, post a few times then disappear, the ones who are one every day and then one day you neever see or hear from them again...and for every geek "lost" we seem to aquire a few more geeks along the way.

Its just funny because in "real life" you would hear what this person is doing, or why they aren't about as much, but on here just one day they arent around as much

Has anyone else noticed this happening a lot more recently? We seem to have had a surge of newbies and a lot of the "veterans" of geek have stepped back?

 

[SJK]

A real surge of newbies and lots of the people I used to see and love to read when I first joined just aren't here any more. They probably are members still, and read posts, but don't have time to blog or enter a debate so much now.

It is a shame because there are real specialists or just lovely people who aren't as prominent now.

I suppose if you were facebook friends with them, then things would be different. You'd know what they were up to more, and why they hadn't got so much time.

 

[The Geek]

Been here since day 1 and there is definitely a circle. People come, people go. Using totally made up percentages, its like: 50% of members participate for under a month, 30% between 1-6 months, 10% 6-12 months, 5% 1 year - 2 years, 3% more than 2 years and 1% more than 5 years.

In other words, the majority ebb and flow and the minority stick (but that is still flow, just a slower rate). This is like anything in life.

It may sometime seem that some of the "ol staples" of the community aren't here any longer, but the reality is it is because many have ebbed on and guess what? YOU are now seen as the ol staples to the new majority

The community is dynamic and always in motion. Personally I think it works

(great thread BTW)

 

[Debbies Gellies]

I pop back now and then and I would say Facebook has a lot to do with the dissappearing of the veteran geeks as more business pages and friends in the trade meet on FB.

When a new product is released we all pop back on here to discuss it tho.

I found that newbies rely on geek more and as you get wiser you dont come on so much.

I have made great friends on geek and meet up with the local friends for lunch about 4 times a year, I would not have those friends if I had not joined geek!

I will pop back again soon x

 

[naturalnails]

Oh wow, I finally made it into the top 1% of something LOL oh or is that the bottom 1%!

 

[VHunter]

I would say Facebook has a lot to do with the dissappearing of the veteran geeks as more business pages and friends in the trade meet on FB.

I found that newbies rely on geek more and as you get wiser you dont come on so much.

Yes, I do think that since A) Geek became a much larger community and b) Chit-chat was restricted from having 'life' posts & blogs created C) FB arrived... Yes, people have meandered and some of the socializing and closeness has left. We're a much larger family now, so it's hard to keep track sometimes.
I too have seem some posts and been saddened that so-n-so isn't about anymore.

I also think people's lives have gotten busier with their own families and perhaps they're client books are now full and their business is booming (although I'm not booming yet, I'm guilty of this, this past year.)

Lastly, some noobies learn what they need, get pretty good, and move on without considering that MAYBE they should 'give back' to the community what they got from it.

All in all, it's still a great community. I miss a lot of faces, but having some right giggles meeting new ones.:hug:

 

[kimi1101]

Been here since day 1 and there is definitely a circle. People come, people go. Using totally made up percentages, its like: 50% of members participate for under a month, 30% between 1-6 months, 10% 6-12 months, 5% 1 year - 2 years, 3% more than 2 years and 1% more than 5 years.

In other words, the majority ebb and flow and the minority stick (but that is still flow, just a slower rate). This is like anything in life.

It may sometime seem that some of the "ol staples" of the community aren't here any longer, but the reality is it is because many have ebbed on and guess what? YOU are now seen as the ol staples to the new majority

The community is dynamic and always in motion. Personally I think it works

(great thread BTW)

The "Big Man" commented on my thread...and called it great.....ahhh I feel famous

 

[izzidoll]

Oh wow, I finally made it into the top 1% of something LOL oh or is that the bottom 1%!

I don't want to know the answer to that, as I am there too lol!!

Great thread, and great input from the Geek with those statistics.

I do think there is a circle of life on here, a lot of people come on looking for Course information then hang around when they realise the wealth of information there is on here. Once they get a bit more experienced they then start to pass on their experience to the new crop of newbies......then what?
My theory is they then start to get too busy (and successful) wth their career and gradually fade away from the site.

I have noticed though that some geeks like me that I thought would always be here have drifted away, and it does sadden me, but I have kept in touch with some through FB, but it is not quite the same, as I loved to read their sage advice or dry witty humour when they posted on here

Why am I still hanging about? I have no idea

 

[Deena]

Wow, I'm in the top 3%! :green: I do miss certain people, though.

 

[The Geek]

This is all true of the countless forums I have used or worked on. Its all cyclical.

Though there is an element of the community that has shifted to FB, its an element much better handled by FB. FB is fantastic tool for keeping in touch and up to date with friends and family. To a lesser degree, it is also ok at keeping up to date with brands and other industry type information (though this information is primarily one direction). However where FB simply sucks (and forums kick ass in) are discussions, debate and/or transfer of niche information. I doubt FB will ever be good at that just like a forum never will be able to tackle what FB does so well.

Why? Because all those FB friends you have outside of the industry really don't care much for the majority of the stuff discussed on here (and vice a versa).

FB is for connecting with those you know and want to stay in touch with. Twitter is awesome for following those you most likely would never be friends with. Forums are for discussing shared interests with those you know (and primarily those you don't).

People don't so much leave the site as their needs simply change. Early on its a lot of information harvesting, then sharing and contributing until the person eventually starts spending more time in other areas that interest them. Its the natural life-cycle of virtually all forums I know of

 

[Zo Zo]

Have you tried pm'ing the geek in question?

 

[Noodle]

Well I'm certainly not around as much as I used to be, but because of my self-confessed geek addiction, I feel compelled to see what's going on and what's new.

Sadly, lots of my one-time close geeky mates are not around so often, but I'm pleased to say that the organised Geek Meets at some of the beauty shows gives us a chance to catch up ... 1pm at the CND stand at PB Monday 28th Feb if you're interested btw!

1% .... ooo err, get me! :lol:

 

[dee]

ooh i still come on , not anywhere near as much these days but i try browse everyday so am still faithful just busier with other stuf now :green:

 

[deanosnana]

I'm a total salongeek addict (and I do not want a 12 step program) and I'm not going anywhere. :hug:

 

[hippy-chick]

great thread, I was just thinking of this myself.....it seems strange and then you realise its because you haven't seen someone on here for a while.

when we had chat thingy Mondays were a bit of a coffee morning, and then we moved to msn and lots of avatars and bouncy LMAO pictures punctuated the chatter.

I have phases, sometimes I check geek 6 times a day, sometimes i drag my bones on here once a day, depends on whats going on in life, how busy am at work, etc.

I looked at my friends list the other day and wondered if perhaps I should start deleting some as its quite a big list and some of those haven't been on for an age.

 

[nailsinlondon2]

I am ashamed to say that I joined geek site years ago and with having so much on I haven't managed to reply to posts but I do pop on when I can to read sone threads . I am now a little less hectic at home so will be making more of an effort to reply to some threads .

 

[Vetty]

I'm still here - I just can't wean myself off this place!! I post a bit sporadically these days, and I do lose tolerance sometimes but I honestly can't imagine my online life without the nail geek....... I've met some amazing people through this site and made some special friends :hug:, but I'm saddened sometimes at geeks who have slipped away.....

 

[busybee32]

I'm still here - I just can't wean myself off this place!! I post a bit sporadically these days, and I do lose tolerance sometimes but I honestly can't imagine my online life without the nail geek....... I've met some amazing people through this site and made some special friends :hug:, but I'm saddened sometimes at geeks who have slipped away.....

Ditto hunni, its not the same as the old days, but as Victoria said in her post a lot of us tend to use FB more and more nowadays.
I come on check out the threads and then sometimes reply but only if I have the time now, I remember when I first joined I was on her 24/7 when I was building up my client base.
Now I am here every now and then as and when I have the time.
Sometimes though some of the questions get to me and I will have to jump in and have my say, but no where near as bad as I used to be.
We all get older and wiser as they say.:lol:
Jen xxx

 

[chocolatepickle]

This is a good thread and highlights how valuable are the members on here sharing information- for all the ones that whine as they've heard an answer that wasn't polite enough for them, perhaps they need to realise more that the geeks giving out this information are doing so in their own time, for free and have stuck around all this time to help others and ask nothing in return.

I'm on here a lot as I'm building my business still and realise the wealth of information at my finger tips. I know on the days and weeks I've not been on very much I still tried to nip on to read as much as i could to 'catch up'.

Different people get different things out of forums, some like the friendships they can find through a shared passion, some take what they need and dont come back, some like to learn and keep up to date with things and some just like to hover around lurking.

Everyone is valuable, everyone who has given their help so freely has assisted hundreds in their quest for success in each answer shared, those that ask questions and go have asked questions that hundreds of others can benefit from, learners take the knowledge gained here into their professional fields to benefit the industry as better practitioners as a result whilst the lurkers will keep site traffic flowing...

now i'm waffling....

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

I am ashamed to say that I joined geek site years ago and with having so much on I haven't managed to reply to posts but I do pop on when I can to read sone threads . I am now a little less hectic at home so will be making more of an effort to reply to some threads .

Ahh bless ya my darling daughter. Nice to read you again on here, yes please stay around.

Now Facebook for me is totally different, Facebook is not my business advisor or work back bone. It's a social/personal thing for keeping me in touch with old friends and their lifes.

Twitter is me being nosey and wanting to know what who'ever is up to.

SalonGeek is my passion, yes I have seen plenty of Geeks come and go and have often wondered what ever happend to ???????
LOL no its not like the old days, way back then, we where a little forum with a handfull of members..January 2003 I was the 24th Member now look at us:
Threads: 114,401,
Posts: 1,103,720,
Members: 29,799

Brilliant thread xxxx