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Old 04-30-2014, 06:21 AM
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Richard K Richard K is offline
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Default Membership math on multitude of members

Every day brings a flood of new members. One would tend to think the involvement in this craft is exploding. However the number of posts depicting new projects or posts with questions about technique seem to be about the same or fewer than ever. The names of those posting repeatedly are for the most part the same as they have always been. The involvement in the various meets is about the same as its always been, or maybe even less.

What is happening to all the new members?
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Old 04-30-2014, 06:50 AM
Bulletbill Bulletbill is offline
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In my case, reading, learning by trial and error. That and I had been patiently waiting for winter to break. plus making things to make the tools I have more efficient for the space I have. Then figuring out it didn't work and re-doing it.. All the the things you probably went through many years ago.
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Old 04-30-2014, 07:58 AM
Mike Motage Mike Motage is offline
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Could that be due to intimidation, either slight or extreme? There is obviously some major talent on this forum. The coolest thing about this particular forum is, how helpful and welcoming you all are!
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Old 04-30-2014, 08:02 AM
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Its almost exactly the same with other large hands on forums, par for the course, I'd say.
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Old 04-30-2014, 08:35 AM
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I haven't made any contributions yet because I haven't learned enough yet. I have made a number of botches but nothing "nice" yet.
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Old 04-30-2014, 08:36 AM
memphisrain memphisrain is offline
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Long time lurker.

I mainly read for inspiration and to learn. However my projects move slow due to lack of time, money, and other priorities taking precedent (home remodel, for instance).

I want to make it down to a meet sometime soon, but my location is very isolated and a long ways from anywhere. (Richard, don't know if you remember, but I'm the guy that called you last summer from the U.P. of Michigan when I got your name from another fella that used to share building space with you. Cabinet maker, IIRC?)
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Old 04-30-2014, 09:05 AM
Gareth Davies Gareth Davies is offline
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I moderate on a Jap performance car forum over here and we currently have 43,581 members in total with only 2,109 being active! Aside from the obvious numbers of spambots that make up that total, I think lots join up to read and take it all in but don't want to participate. As I have found in the past, forums can occupy a lot of your time during the day when you should be working!

Given that fabrication is my job and metal shaping is just a hobby, I fall into the category of not having a vast amount to say on it but lots to learn. A contributing lurker as it were.

Have to agree with Marty, it's the same on most forums from what I've seen.
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Old 04-30-2014, 09:51 AM
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The forum works well because we have a large number of members, keep them coming.

My observation was that it seems like a long time between questions and projects from the members, both old and new. The buzz of posts is what feeds this beast. Notice that a lot of very capable people are simply welcoming new members. If we post questions and show projects, we get them to share their knowledge and experience. Everybody learns when we discuss questions.

Remember, there are no questions to elementary to ask or no project to simple to post.
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Old 04-30-2014, 10:31 AM
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Thanks for asking this question Richard.

Hopefully this will be read by all. Beginner and experienced. I would think that the greatest number of folks on this board are beginners and we would like to see those beginner projects.

This site is meant to help and give advise, so share, even if it is your first hood scoop or side to a gas tank.

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Old 04-30-2014, 05:37 PM
Richard-S Richard-S is offline
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I have been thinking the same for a few years now. Back when I first began posting on Metal Meet maybe ten or twelve years ago, there were quite a few guys doing big projects, such as Dick Bear's McLaren project. I don't see those kinds of things much anymore. It seems that the only guys doing any real projects nowadays are the pros such as Peter Tommassini and David Gardiner.

And I am as guilty as charged. My metal shop is in Santa Rosa CA, and I live most of the year here in Mexico, where I have a small bronze foundry. I haven't been up to my CA shop since last May.

Also I have been active for years on a metal polishing forum sponsored by Caswell. There used to be a ton of guys polishing metal but now sometimes it's two weeks between posts. It seemed to dry up about the time of the real estate crash back in 2008. Metal polishing, and metal shaping, are blue collar things, and blue collar guys have not been doing so well since the Wall Street boys stole all the money.
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