These Forums Are Not Dead !

[Aegle]

Whenever I log on to the forums my first task is to click on "View the most recent posts on the forum."  After reading the latest posts, and it is rare these days for there to be any, I then click on "Users  Online." That shows me what topics "Guests and Users" are currently reading. I find it interesting to see what topics are still finding readership.

The forums are not dead but the spirit has left them. What has been written in the past is still being read. Past debates about the game,  political opinions, hobbies, and humorous stories are still of interest to some. The words of condolence  expressed in these forums live on and revive our memories of those no longer with us like Marine and Hawk.

No the forums are not yet dead and will not be as long as there are words to read and those who want to read them. The written word has a life of its own. It comes to my mind that there was an empty place at the head of my family's Christmas dinner table this year. Of course some tears were shed but we remembered and recalled stories of his life; a life that can never be erased as long as there are people to remember.

So what I would say to all of you, contributors and viewers alike is that only you can decide whether the forums remain a place of life and joy or a fading memory. Try contributing something even if it's just a few words about how you feel about Air Attack or the things that interest you in your daily lives. You don't have to be eloquent. Everyone has something worth saying and should be allowed to express it in their own way. That's the end of my appeal on behalf of the forums. The rest is up to those of you who still care.

[Gunfighter]

nice topic and thanks Aegle. I really do like checking the forums everyday. there was a time when the chatter in here was very interesting and funny too.  I do miss it though and wanted to respond in written form so we can have one reply to your post. lol

[Kujo]

 My wife lost an uncle  who was laid to rest on just this Dec 30th,my favorite of quite a number of them.He outwardly was very gruff but those that knew him very well also knew of his big heart.Being very fresh your story makes me think of him instantly.My point of this is one should not ever forget history 

[Aegle]

Well Gunfighter, seems I have one follower. :) Perhaps I will just continue to ignore all those who are intent on ignoring me and keep the forums alive all by myself even if you and I are the only ones with an interest. After all it only takes a few minutes out of my busy day to type a few posts. Maybe eventually a few others will get over what ails them and respond even if it's only to tell me to shut up and leave. I will ignore that also and continue to say what I feel like saying as long as I'm able to login. I used to suffer from paranoia but it was a fruitless impairment so I decided to ignore all those who were against me instead of getting worked up about it.

I used to have quite a few friends in Fighter Ace/ Air Attack and I belonged to some of the finest groups in the game starting with the "Damned" squadron and subsequently moving on to the "FunkyMunkys,"  "Insane Clowns," MiiB" and "TS." Of course I knew my flying ability was not up to their standard but I liked to think they just wanted me around because of my charming personality.  If any of them are still around, of course, they will tell you that I have character flaws and I've been blamed for all sorts of things I knew nothing about. There are some mischievous folk, even in our little community who like to twist facts and spread rumors. Anyway, like I already said I'm cured of paranoia and no longer care what others may think. Frankly, I tend to believe that all of us who continue to play this outdated little game have something missing upstairs. So rather than pointing fingers at each other we should be content to have a few friends with the same outdated interest and ignore their flaws in the hope that they will do likewise.

By now you should be asking yourselves, "What the heck is she babbling about," and I can't really answer that. I just felt the need to say something and here it is. Oh yes, I remember now what I was going to post before my mind wandered. I was going to wish everyone a very very Happy New Year. May the new year bring joy, happiness and prosperity to your lives.

[Aegle]

It occurs to me that one of the reasons for these forums not being used as much as one would expect is that many US pilots may not feel they are represented by USAAC.  My latest brainwave was to look at the numbers of pilots registered in squads and try to draw conclusions from those statistics. From the outset I freely admit that the statistics are flawed in that squads do not necessarily  keep their rosters up to date. Also there is an unknown number of pilots without squad affiliations. Nevertheless, a comparison of these rough numbers may tell us something. Using these flawed statistics we find that out of a total of 261 squad registered pilots, 122 are from the USA. So my next question is how many of the 122 belong to USAAC member squads:
USHA...13
BBC.......10
WASP...14
BSS........28
Giving us a total of 65. I make no comment on the validity of the 28 registered to BSS. You can draw your own conclusions on that one.  The point is that membership of USAAC  is made up not of pilots but of registered squads. Yet these registered squads account for only 1/2 (less if you include the number of independent pilots) of the US pilots. (in fact USAAC through squad membership may only be representing about 37 pilots.)

Have you all got headaches yet  

I'm not trying to make a strong case for change. Believe it or not I don't have that much arrogance. All I'm suggesting is that maybe we should be thinking about making USAAC a less formal club in which all US pilots can think of themselves as members regardless of what squads they are in. It may be that the present structured formality and the enmity that some feel against "authority" is driving pilots away from USAAC and, of course, its forums. It may explain why many, including some of our own are more drawn to the UK forums than ours. They do not associate the UK forums with the kind of political bias they perceive in USAAC.  What it all boils down to is making folks welcome and dispensing with any in house political bickering.

Food for thought?...maybe.......?

[skullbonz]

Sounds logical to me.

[Kujo]

 The registered users of this forum need to be cleaned up and i do not know for sure which ones are valid.There are some it appears to me could be causing spammer applications but also was looking for advice from members. Would it be improper to contact email addresses of registered users to see what their interest might be in the forums?Every ones advice would be appreciated,ty.

[Aegle]

I have sometimes wondered whether it might be a good thing if everyone registering had to use the tag under which they are registered on the CLP. In that way you could be reasonably assured they were genuine AA players, avoid spammers and prevent duplicate registrations under different names. Perhaps worth considering?

I see no reason why you shouldn't contact members through their e-mail addresses. The addresses are provided for the use of those administering the forums and I certainly have no objection to receiving "official" mail at the e-mail address I am registered with.

Members have the option of hiding their address from public view but not from the site adminstrators. I recently cancelled my original AA e-mail address at which I was receiving "hate" mail from an apparent AA player and in the process lost my USAAC membership and had to re-register. That's why I'm now shown as a new member. Hopefully my new address is known only to the site admins and my trusted friends...yes I do have a couple I think, maybe, well it's possible isn't it?   

[Tbar]

Bunk.. and bla bla bla.

[Aegle]

Good to hear from you, Tbar. It's been a while. I hope you are well and that you had an enjoyable festive season. May 2012 bring you happiness and joy.

[Tbar]

Yes, doing well thank you :)

Happy New Year to all (again ) :)

[skullbonz]

   If a person is not using their game nick in these forums then they are probobly not in Air Attack and shouldn't be in here anyway. This forum was put together for primarily game related activities for members of the USAAC squads,all of whom should be using their in game nick so others know who is talking. Although it was made up for the USAAC they welcomed in any others from Air Attack. They too should be using their in game nick so people know who they are. So I say if they don't have an in game nick,flush em. (Although you should know that my sign-in nick here is from the tea days,lol)
 

[Aegle]

Perhaps we are making too much of this slump in forum activity. Those who feel a need to post should continue to do so. Who knows how many read what you post but does it matter? If you have something to say let it out, get it off your chest. It may cleanse your soul if nothing else.  Even if it's only half a dozen of us we are at least entertaining each other and what's wrong with that. If what we post is interesting enough people will continue to read even if they do not respond themselves. By drawing readers in to read the social chit chat it ensures that they will also see any important game related announcements.

Keeping the USAAC forums active is important if we want all AA players to visit the site for information and news about USAAC organized events. The recent perceived need to post information about the coming USAAC league event on the UK forums is an example of what I am talking about. That should never happen and wouldn't as long as the site is kept alive through interesting forum content whether it be game or social related. So I say to those few who post here, keep plugging away and persistence may eventually pay off. Interest may grow and more may start to contribute eventually but it is futile to keep saying the forums are dying or dead. Constant repetition of such statements can only become a self fulfilling prophesy.

Continue to post and ensure that any old and new contributors are treated with respect regardless of whether you think their opinions have worth.  There is no surer way to stifle posters than pouring scorn on their efforts.

[skullbonz]

If a person is not using their game nick in these forums then they are probobly not in Air Attack and shouldn't be in here anyway. This forum was put together for primarily game related activities for members of the USAAC squads,all of whom should be using their in game nick so others know who is talking. Although it was made up for the USAAC they welcomed in any others from Air Attack. They too should be using their in game nick so people know who they are. So I say if they don't have an in game nick,flush em.

Was a reply to this;

The registered users of this forum need to be cleaned up and i do not know for sure which ones are valid.There are some it appears to me could be causing spammer applications but also was looking for advice from members. Would it be improper to contact email addresses of registered users to see what their interest might be in the forums?Every ones advice would be appreciated,ty.

And was just my suggestion to help get rid of the spamming so the automatic registration could maybe be turned on someday. I'm not trying to stick another knife in the carcass,lol.

[Aegle]

I'm not trying to stick another knife in the carcass,lol.

I've been as guilty as anyone of "sticking knives in the carcass" out of personal resentment but I recognize that it was wrong of me to do so. I and everyone else owes it to the "new management" to be positive and as helpful as possible in trying to administer CPR to the forums.

You're right Skullbonz about dealing with the spamming issue. Two issues have emerged from this topic; encouraging interest in the forums and cleaning up the membership roster. I think you and I are on the same track with our suggestions for ensuring that members really do belong to the AA community. In addition, however, I think that Firestorm, Kid and Kujo, possibly helped by Tank should investigate a better way of blocking spammers from registering.