Where is Damien?

[Johnny Guitar]

It's not just this board. None of the movie boards are exactly bursting with energetic participation. I think the problem is Facebook, Twiter and the other social media which take up a lot of people's on-line time.

I think this is right on the nose. Message boards and list servs, whatever the topic, tend to be less effective forms of digital community in the wake of Facebook, et cetera. In my own experience it seems the ones that thrive at all, still, tend to retain a lot of common interest, history & in-jokes among the regulars. They're not always the most active places though.

And in cases where people did leave because they got fed up, I'm not sure that it's a problem with the board - plenty of posters have vowed to leave, publicly or even just in our minds, in earlier years. These days, the other forms of internet communication as well as people's changing lives simply play a role they might not have ten years ago. I lost interest in the Oscars per se years ago, then regained a certain amount of interest in them - albeit in a different, more dispassionate, more ludic way. Even when I have gone for months without checking the UAADB, and probably don't post anything of interest to most people, I still find myself back here ...

[Big Magilla]

I would say the movie I.Q. of everyone here past and present is well above average, which is why for most of us this is the only place we post comments.

My reason for posting less over the past few months, as most of you know, has been because of my move from the U.S. West coast back to the East coast. While the first part went well, the second part has been one problem after another. Car and furniture, transported separately by two different companies, took a month to arrive. I had to have new air conditioner pipes installed and the air conditioner itself moved; wasps and poisonous spiders to deal with; landscaping to put in and most problematic of all how to arrange things in a smaller house. My latest problem is that my car battery died last week and I had it replaced by AAA but then failed the NJ state inspection because the catalytic coverter and evaporative system weren't ready - i.e. I hadn't driven the car enough for the computer to recognize them. That being the case, today I have to drive the damn car at least 100 miles at various speeds to break in the battery and computer. Assuming I don't get lost or run into some other problem, I'll be back later in the day.

[mlrg]

No reason to get mad at each other.

I rarely post, and my post are often telegraphic, but I consider this board the only movie related board on the web worth following (and I used to be registered at oscarwatch and goldderby). That's why I keep coming here since 1996 for heaven's sake... But hey, I might have different opinions from people from this board (regarding Damien for instance, when I read him, I probably disagree with him 75% of the time) but that doesn't mean I don't consider everyone here has a level of intelligence and film culture way higher than anyone else.

I'm not english or american, and although I consider my english way above average compared to people from my country, it's hard to write a full review in a different language from our own being able to express every emotion about a particular film or a particular post... I apologise for that, but I try my best

For the past two years, the Best Actress/Supporting Actress/Actor polls are one hell of a motivation for me to see movies. I try to participate as much as I can (at least casting a vote), and for that I try to watch as many movies as possible. And that's beacause of you guys and this board.

This is August... silly season.... we all have our jobs and occupations, and November is only 3 months away so we get to discuss the new oscar season.

[Sabin]

You can't control new trends. You can't fight them.

Let's say this becomes a place that picks up during Oscar season and then it tapers off. There's no shame in that. There's no defeat. People still post their reviews. In a month or two, it'll get back to fuller capacity.

This place isn't Goldderby and you don't want it to be. I think you've done a great job of doing whatever you can to get people here, Wes.

[dws1982]

Lately I haven't posted nearly as much as I used to. I never got mad at anyone or anything. My interests have just drifted towards other things for the most part. (I still watch plenty of movies, but it's been a long time since I really cared much about the Oscars.) Plus, I've been very involved working with a group of 17 year-old boys over the past several months, so that takes up a great deal of my time. It's worth it though. I feel like I wasted a lot of time being selfish and just worrying about myself, so it's great to actually be out there involved with people, hopefully doing some good for them.

[Reza]

There I got you to participate in a discussion Wes.....a heated one, but at least it was a discussion. Lol

[Big Magilla]

It's not just this board. None of the movie boards are exactly bursting with energetic participation. I think the problem is Facebook, Twiter and the other social media which take up a lot of people's on-line time.

Speaking of missing people, what happened to Precious Doll?

[OscarGuy]

Furthermore, what exactly COULD I do to encourage participation? I'm out of ideas. I don't know how to get people to participate.

As for Damien's absence, I tried on several occasions to get him over to the new board. I reset his password for him and contacted him at regular intervals on facebook. He did not respond to me. Matter of fact, when I suggested people pester Damien to come back in the Icons & Legend discussion, that's when we were told he was taking a break. What exactly does that mean when he's still actively using facebook? And that he told someone else this and not me directly despite my many attempts to contact him on Facebook? I don't know how you would feel, but I felt like he was just trying to be polite about leaving the board. We've already lost flipp and Penelope and I have little doub that we've probably lost Damien as well. I would love to be proven wrong, but I don't think that I am.

If you can think of a way to get everyone to participate again and draw people into conversations, then more power to you. I'm tired of trying. I'm tired of feeling like I can't accomplish anything. I'm tired of not being able to do anything. No one will tell me what is wrong. No one will suggest ways to fix it. I can only administrate. I can only provide the medium. I cannot force people to chat.

[OscarGuy]

I don't participate because I don't have the time anymore. I spent hours of each day working on stuff for this website in general. I don't have time to participate in discussions (not that there have been many discussiosn in which to participate).

And if it is dead, it has nothing to do with my participation or lack of participation. I'm not the only person who can start discussions. I'm not the only one who can participate in them. And don't project your anger over no movement in the games on this board as a reason to be angry with me. What the hell am I supposed to do about it?

[Reza]

Wes I'm surprised you just said this about Damien. You hardly ever come here yourself. This place is sadly dead, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that it's no longer Oscar Season.

[OscarGuy]

Someone said he was taking a break from the internet, but he's been on Facebook regularly, so I am beginning to doubt the veracity of that claim.

[mlrg]

Did he leave the board?